Greetings, from our home away from home! Not for long though.  I head back in the morning.  

  
I feel slightly guilty, having been away from the shop for a week!  Well, maybe more than slightly!

The Catholic-guilt/workaholic in me, is the little “twerp”, sitting on my left shoulder and the sweet little fairy, sits on my right shoulder, saying, “It’s ok. Relax!” I see spit wads flying!

One thing I’ve learned though, after tile in the first bathroom was laid, is that sending photos for approval, via text message, just doesn’t work as well as being “up close and personal”. You can move a chair or picture, but it’s hard to move tile!

On a positive note, not only do we have the best customers, but we have the best team, working at The Treasured Home.  Small but mighty!  

Following is a customer’s heart-warming feedback:

“Cheerful, inspiring & friendly shop keepers. In Barbara’s absence everyone is maintaining standards of exceptional customer service. On a quest for a birthday gift for my friend, I got her a funny card & a lovely gift for myself!”

 
Back to the very crowded world of furniture paint.  If you’re a furniture painter, you probably know that I’ve been a retailer for Amy Howard’s line of furniture paints and accessories, for nearly two of the three years our shop has been open for business.

Amy Howard was the third line of chalk based paint for me to stock, in just a year.  Can you believe it? But, that’s a whole other story!  

What has kept me loyal to the Amy Howard at Home line, is that Amy is a good soul, she’s a creative super star and she has the funding to build a successful business.

I’d hate to know what she’s invested, at this point.  Trust me, when I say that there are lots of chalk lines that are trying to make it happen without these qualities and they may not be long for this highly competitive world.

She and her husband started the line, wanting it to qualify as an environmentally friendly, “green”, zero VOC paint.  (VOC = volatile organic compounds). Well, they gave it their all,  but being zero VOC, the product didn’t have the additives to keep it from separating.  It was hard to mix. Sometimes impossible.

To prevent it from becoming a serious issue, we not only rotated the stock, but Mr. Wonderful started shaking paint, in his shop at night, with his paint shaker and dating each can.  (Yes, he has a paint shaker, along with every other motorized tool, known to man).

I’m sure I wasn’t the only retailer Amy and Jene Howard talked to, about the formulation issues.

Now, good news! 

All Amy Howard One Step paints have been converted to “low VOC” and the product should be easier to mix, before your next project and the shelf life will double, from one to two years.

Strike up the band!

If you tried Amy Howard’s One Step Paint before, without success, we’ll give you 10% off your next One Step purchase.  Just ask! At $34.95 per quart, we already have one of the best priced paints in the industry.

(By the way, Annie Sloane’s Chalk Paint, has always been low VOC.  According to Annie Sloan, it’s perfectly safe to use a low VOC paint indoors.)

Kid Update:
You probably know, after I posted 486 photos on Facebook, Betsy commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army, two weeks ago.

She reported for duty yesterday, at Ft. Sill, in Oklahoma.  Field Artillary Officer Training.  Where the humidity and high temps build character.  Lots of it.  I hear that she’ll be doing lots of running over the next six months.  Not her most favorite past time, but she wouldn’t be anywhere else! 

Andrew’s very happy  to be a full time student, this fall. although I know he misses the Navy.  

  
If I had my way, they’d report in every day, to let me know they’re doing fine.  But, parenting, at this point, is far beyond my control!  They are thrilled I have let go.  Well,  sort of let go! 

Before I head upstairs, to dreamland, it’s my duty as your self appointed Den Mother, to remind you about our Next Big Thing!

   
Be there, or be square!