Ready for Spring?

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Spring. I want this wintry mess to go away until next year (or at least late November!) I want to see ground. The grass must feel like that poor little dog under the fat lady's bottom. It's wrong.

I think I hold the majority opinion. I received a call from a customer today asking if our roads were clear and if we had Spring stuff out. Well, let me tell you . . . we have so much Spring in our store, the birds and squirrels are trying to get in. We're starting from the inside out. And where the ice covered snow mountain used to be we have actual parking places right in front of the shop. It's enough to motivate Mother Nature herself.

So come on in and get inspired.

Think balmy,

-Ann

Got bread, milk, toilet paper and dresser?

Ok, what's up with our behavior when snow is in the forecast?

You don't even need to be anywhere near a weather forecast to know when snow is imminent. Just walk down the bread aisle of any local grocery store and you'll know. That's true for a growing number of items now as we become more and more stock conscious. We're talking milk, toilet paper, water, eggs. You'd think the world was coming to a complete standstill at the advent of a single flake of the wintry mix.

I had a sweet customer come into the shop today with a new twist on this theme. She's shopping for a dresser, so when the inclement weather hits, she'll be ready to reorganize her bedroom. How's that for an overachiever. Pretty impressive, huh?

Could be great for business . . . Maybe we'll have a run on ottomans, overstuffed pillows, cozy bed linens and candles for those of us who are slightly less ambitious but definitely ready to embrace the opportunity to sweetly nest in the warm comfort of our homes while the snow artfully covers our world outside. Who needs food and water if your house looks good, right?

Hurry. Come on in and get your fix. I'll be waiting for you. Then together we can hit the grocery store, if there's anything left.

Stay warm my friends,
-Ann

Breaker, Breaker...

Some things never disappoint, like the first sip of coffee in the morning, a chocolate fix when you're really craving it, and time away with your girlfriends laughing so hard that your diaphragm aches. Oh, we managed to get some shopping in too.

We're back! And we've layered the cottage with some wonderful treasures--great old finds, some amazing one-of-a-kinds, and lots of fun handmade items.

We were in some grungy places in our search for goodies and there was Amy, glowing in her sweet pinkness and leaving everyone she encountered starstruck in her wake. Imagine a human cupcake, iced with layers of pink fluff and topped with a big chocolate truffle. Her coat was a 3/4 length pink and cream tapestry with a pink fur collar. Around her neck she wore a sheer pink scarf that looked like cotton candy. She was topped with a brown boucle hat. And on her feet were the sweetest pink and brown sneakers. All of this after we'd told her to dress inconspicuously.

The ride home was an adventure in itself. Amy and Linda were in front of me in Linda's truck, filled with a happy load. I'm behind them in a 10-foot box truck. Out of nowhere comes this freak snowstorm. Cars were pulled over on the side of the road. Rescue vehicles were everywhere. As we ventured down the highway, my windshield was more and more encrusted with salt and road dirt. In my anxiety I couldn't work the windshield washer fluid dispenser. Add to that my night blindness and you'll begin to understand the nightmare journey home. I was sliding all over the road, trying to peer through a 1-inch clear space on the bottom of the windshield. I had the defroster was set so high that my nose hair was singeing and I had to crack the window to let frosty air in.

In my attempt to find the windshield washer switch, I blinked my lights (code for trouble). Amy and Linda spotted the signal and worried. When they looked back and saw me swerve from one side of the lane into the shoulder and back again, they surmised that I must be falling asleep at the wheel. We turned off at the next exit and stopped at a service station. It took 20 minutes and assistance from a good Samaritan to even pop the hood. Once we did and located the cap for the washer fluid, we were back on the road. I don't think a job as a truckdriver is in my future.

But what I am good at is finding really great things. And having a good time with my crazy friends.

That's a big 10-4 good buddy.

--Ann