Tis Almost the Season

 

Today is the day.  We're going into work on a Sunday and starting to put the holiday decorations up....I am trying to psyche myself up for this.  I like to be in the holiday spirit.  But , like most things, it takes me a while to warm up to it.  Once we crank up the tunes, and start pulling out all the fabbie ornaments things will start looking up.  I'm sure of it.  They always do.  But I don't like to put it all out at once.  And I like a slow build up to the holiday.  Even though conventional retail wisdom says all your holiday merch ought to be up by now, hey it's my store and I get to do it how I want, right?  Click here for more of my retail thoughts on holiday madness.

photo courtesy one of our favorite ornament vendors Cody Foster

Bamboo Dishes from Juliska

Can we say big yummy?  These bamboo design dishes from Juliska are never going out of style.  There's just something faintly glamorous about bamboo while still being earthy and organic.  I ought to buy myself a set of dishes instead of just waxing poetic about them.

photo courtesy Juliska

The Festive Table

May we help you find something lovely for your Thanksgiving table?  Beautiful crewel placemats and runners just might fit the bill.

Fall Jackets

Some people just are born with it.  Case in point, our friend, the lovely Iris modeling this Knitted Dove jacket.  Alas, for those of us who need a little help putting it all together, we're here to help you find the perfect something in our upstairs clothing boutique.  We have some nice jackets and sweaters.  Plus gloves, did we mention gloves?

photo courtesy Becky from her iphone

Juliska Country Estate

I am really thinking it would be fun to cook some baked apples in these Juliska ramekins.  This design is from their Country Estate pattern.  It's Juliska's homage to toile and the idyllic country life.  We can get behind that!  Lots of platter, cake plates and bowls make great layering pieces on the table. 

The Big Storm

Wow,  the emails have been pouring in from our East Coast vendors - things like,  "we are all fine and out of harm's way but our warehouse is damaged", "we expect to reopen our shipping department next week", or "the power is out and we have not been receiving emails or faxes"...  a florist wrote about finding her dumpster overturned in the middle of her shop.  Basically, it's not life as you usually know it for lots and lots of folks - Silver Seasons Jewelry, Juliska tabletop, the beloved striped Ana Candles, Graphic Image, all these vendors and more are experiencing deep delays and disruptions because of the storm on the East Coast -this during what is probably one of their busiest delivery times of the year.

  Reading these emails just puts things in perspective for me.   Because I can be impatient.  And sometimes a lot impatient.  Okay, those of you who know me, stop rolling your eyeballs and snorting in agreement with the last statement.  What can I say? I give the best service I can and I expect the same from others.  But you know, if my holiday jewelry order is 2 or 3 weeks late, and if I run out of my favorite striped candle,  I guess I'm just going to chill out and swing with it, because I didn't come into work today and find the dumpster in the middle of my sales floor.  And I;m not sending long emails to my customers explaining why I'll be completely  unable to meet my commitments to them.  It's just bad out there.  And I feel bad for all those left picking up the pieces.   And a little helpless too.

All I can really do is practice some patience. 

Wreaths Celebrating the Harvest

 I have always been a wreath maker.  At least in my floral career.  There is something about the circle, the mandala that seems extremely life affirming to me.  And here I am twenty years later, still loving the endless possibilites of the form.