A Plush Fall

I love transitioning into fall.  Even if the weather isn’t cooperating fully—just seeing mums and pumpkins in front of Kroger makes me happy!

I am always so excited to decorate my home and the shop for fall, although, I believe that I tend to decorate with a fall theme year ‘round.  It incorporates the colors and accents I love, so why wouldn’t I use them all of the time?

At the house, I’m holding back a little.  I’ve put away the “summer” banner, the cobalt hurricanes and the shell encrusted orbs.  The candles are changing from ivory to brown and the candle sticks from glass to well- patinaed (apparently you can’t shouldn’t past-tense “patina”) brass.  

But  at the shop we have added the Halloween inventory and a plethora of pumpkins—plush and otherwise!  There are oat standards and a variety of other decorative accents you can use to make changes of your own.  I have taken a few pictures and hope you will come back to check-out our ideas.  For now, though, I thought I’d share some of our Plush Pumpkins.

Folks often ask how they should display their Plush Pumpkins, so I thought a few pictures might help.

You don’t have to have a baker’s dozen for your display.

A grouping of three pumpkins is my favorite display, but if you only want one—they can make a solitary statement, as well (note the pumpkin atop the scale).  Also, just because they’re velvet, doesn’t mean they can’t be displayed with your favorite rusty junk.  In fact, the juxtaposition makes a wonderful eye-catching display.

Of course, they are right at home surrounded by glitz and gold, as well.

So, don’t let the issue of “how will I display mine” keep you from taking a few home.  Remember, we are always available to help you brainstorm a few ideas for your own arrangement.

Hope to see you in our Plush Pumpkin patch soon!

Thanks for your indulgence,

Plush Pumpkin Season Approaches

. . . and I couldn’t be more excited!  It’s my favorite time of year and I am ready to make the transition to Autumn.  I will however restrain myself a while longer.

In anticipation of this wonderful time of year, I will be placing an order for Plush Pumpkins.  I’ve decided to make a special offer . . .

Any prepaid orders for Plush Pumpkins, placed before August 24th, will be discount 20%.  Now is the time to place your order—remember, too, that they make great gifts! 

All pumpkins are handmade in America and are accented with “really real” squash stems—making each pumpkin truly one-of-a-kind!  (how great is that?!?)

The color samples are below—choose your color(s) and size(s), then call the shop during business hours (We’re on summer hours until after Labor Day, so call between 10am -  4 pm, Mon – Sat) to place your order.  You are, of course, welcome to come in to see the fabric samples “live and in person,” too.

2” pumpkins  $9.95

3” pumpkins $15.95

4” pumpkins $22.95

5” pumpkins $30.95

6” pumpkins $39.95

8” pumpkins $47.95

10” pumpkins $53.95

 

Still not sure if you should order some?  Take a look at how we’ve used them throughout the shop (throughout the year, too!).

 

If I get enough orders, I will place two orders, one on the 17th, then again on the 24th (for the fence sitters)—the earlier you order, the earlier you receive!!!

Summer sidewalk sale

So, you’ve heard about the sale, but you’re thinking—Sure, I  like it and what a great deal, but what will I do with it?

Let me see if I can help with a few suggestions . . .

Basic white canisters will work in any décor.  For use on the kitchen counter or in the pantry, this canister set has a a tight seal to protect contents from pests and humidity.  Think:  your own kitchen or a great gift for newlyweds.

A utensil basket of goodies . . . here you see a basket perfect for use as a utensil caddy, with a large slot for napkins.  The red is ideal for summer entertaining, as well as the holidays.  It would also be perfect for organizing a desk or a vanity.

Also shown are our vintage-style utensils (all are on sale for 30% off)—at this price you can afford a special set for summer tables or your other special occasions.

Basic cream and and black bowls for 50% off would work on almost any table.  They would look especially great paired with our winter wildlife salad plate, also in cream and black (70% off).  Know anyone who likes to entertain at Christmas?

Know anyone who collects owls?  (Need I say more?)

Do you like to serve cheeses or pastries or know someone who does?  This covered dish takes your presentation to a new level, while keeping your food fresh.

This generously sized cake pedestal is perfect for a summer table (be sure to note the snail on the base), but can adapt to a holiday setting, as well, with a few strategically placed bits of pine or ribbon.

 

This tunic is the perfect beach cover-up, but will transition into fall as a great blouse over jeans or leggings.  I am sure you know someone who would look great in it.

Jute tote with a batik-style print is the perfect weekend, get-away bag.  At this price, you can afford to fill it with a few items for a great gift for your friend.

This picture is is full of ideas.  Start with cloth napkins—set a beautiful table and do something good for the environment (all napkins are on sale); the green plates are made in Portugal are the perfect accent for a variety of settings. 

Know anyone who likes to decorate with a nautical theme? We have a variety of items suited for lakeside décor—starting with these nautical knot napkin rings.

Our lovely trio of green pedestal bowls stack or separate.  Reproduced to mimic depression glass, they add a vintage feel to your table or sideboard.

Classic black accent pieces with brass deer head handles are great for fall/Christmas décor (mismarked here—they are actually 50% off).

Teapot, sugar bowl and creamer, mugs and pedestal bowls would make a great gift for your mother or grandmother.  At 50% off you can buy several!

A silver plate coaster is the perfect purchase for a wine connoisseur; available in a variety of designs, it can also be used as a trinket catch-all or a candle stand.

Black glass candlesticks are elegant and classic, but can easily transition for an elegantly spooky Halloween scene.

These classic hurricanes are lovely with a candles or other decorative elements.

Reproduction prints from our Williamsburg collection keep the man-room from being taken over with scenes of blood letting or football.

Gilded terra cotta accents are perfect for holiday décor, but work well everyday, too!

50% off of vintage-look baby bibs are great gifts for new grandmas or to keep at your house for visiting babies/toddlers.   You can never have enough photo frames—neither can your friends, so pick some up to give as gifts!

Here are my favorite melamine plates.  I would keep these on hand for visiting children and for patio parties.  Again, you see some of our discounted flatware.  Great for everyday or special occasions.

So, if you’re wondering whether or not you should come down to shop the summer sidewalk sale . . . wonder no longer.

Thanks for your indulgence,

Time for thanks

was it just last week?  it seems like at least a month ago.
we gathered together—family and friends—to celebrate the national day of gratitude.
the menu was much the same as it always:   turkey, dressing and the rest, but this year we tried a few new recipes.  my favorite among the new dishes was the the cranberry relish.  it was a last minute recommendation from my mom—she had enjoyed it when our friend, sherry, prepared it last year.  a quick search on the epicurious website yielded the recipe we sought.  a few improvisations made it my new favorite.  I’ll share it below, but first a few shots of our dining room on the big day.







Okay, the recipe . . .
Cranberries in Bourbon

• 
  1 pound (about 4 cups) cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until cranberries are tender and sugar is dissolved, stirring once, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir in bourbon. Refrigerate cranberry sauce until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.) Transfer to bowl and serve.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEYh53B
my changes:
I used two packages of cranberries (didn’t measure); 1 cup sugar and one cup of light brown sugar; the cinnamon and I added about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, fresh ginger root to the roasting process. 
it was delicious!
the other change this year was that I prepared the turkey using a brining method.  I am sold!  we always smoke our turkey—as we did this year—and I love it prepared this way.  the additional step of brining made the turkey even more moist and tender—if that is possible.  the brining ingredients are simple, but there are a lot of them—so I made it simple by using a prepared jar of brining spice I purchased at our local culinary shop, Ingredients.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEQc0Ue
Thanks for your indulgence,

fall porch

No way!  Are you kidding me?!?  It’s already the weekend before the first weekend in November???

Well, that can mean only one thing . . . it’s time to pull-out the Christmas decorations at the shop.  argh!

Please don’t hold it against me.  We’ve got to play by some of the rules set-up by the big guys.  heck, if you gauge me by most of the “big boxers” you will find me lacking.  I’m sorry.  I am doing my best.

So, today it began and I am amazed at how much we were able to get done.

Around the house we are enjoying the warm glow of the fireplaces, but falling behind on the current holiday season, let alone the future ones. 

I finally got the front porch situated, sort of.  I hung a tobacco basket instead of my fall wreath.  I found several at the flea market a few months ago.  The really cool thing is that they were all marked with  Clarksville, TN.   I was already fascinated with the barns all over Tennessee.

I moved the wicker chairs we once used in the kitchen to the porch.  I tried wrapping the legs with sisal rope (the wicker wrapping has come undone); it probably would have worked if I started the process a little differently, but for now, they could stand a little more attention.

 

A few weeks ago, I participated in a wonderful barn sale hosted by Shirley and Knox Thomas.  When I went out to see the barn—prior to the event—I noticed stacks and stacks of tobacco sticks.  (These are the sticks the tobacco is hung from while curing in the smoking barns.)  Shortly after returning to my shop, I messaged Shirley to ask if I could buy a bundle of the sticks from them.  She happily obliged and even delivered them to me!  I’ve decided to display a bunch of them (7) in the rusty milk can on the porch.

 

Note the planter above.  This was an idea Patty found on Pinterest.  We used a vintage floor lamp and a wire hanging basket with a coco liner.  The Pinterest pic had the planter filled with succulents—it was lovely.  Mine is filled with ornamental cabbages and mums.

 

I need to find a better color for the wicker chairs.  I had painted them a greyish-taupe when they were destined for the kitchen.

 

 

Those tall flowers blocking the view of the porch were a mistake, but I cannot get rid of them.  I think if I took the time to cut them back before they develop those white blooms (which blow around like dandelion seed), I think we’d have far fewer, but . . .

 

The others, the peach colored asters at the front should be named Clarksville official flower.  There are actually more of them than the tall white-flowered things (can’t remember their names) in our yard—on Dog Hill—all over Clarksville, for that matter!  They are prolific.

My yard has more color in the fall than the spring.  Is yours like that?  I’d love to hear from you.  Thanks for sticking with me—especially while I’ve been a sporadic blogger.

Thanks for your indulgence,

barn sale EXCITEMENT!

Okay . . . yesterday I visited the location for The HayLoft at Port Royal—it’s a barn sale that will take place Oct 19 & 20th—and to say I was blown away would be an understatement! The host, Shirley Thomas, had a vision; with the help of her husband, Knox, and friends, Bubba (introduced as “like a son”) and Dave, she has brought that vision into reality.
Shirley has been a long time customer and, as I tend to do with my customers, we have becomes friends. Often she will stop by Hodgepodge just to kick-around an idea for decorating, but about six months ago she brought the idea of a barn sale with her. We talked about it for quite a while. I told her I had been hoping to have something like that take place here in Clarksville for years. I have been invited to participate in numerous barn sales in the past few years, but I am often stymied by the issue of distance. (I just can’t be away from the shop—with inventory—for very long.)
Anyhoo, long story, longer . . . Shirley and crew have been working like animals to get their former milking barn ready for the big event. So I went out to see it yesterday.
On my way to find it, I was happy to notice a few barns were being utilized for smoking tobacco. I am fascinated by this practice, which is rather ironic, as I really abhor the use of tobacco products, but we all have our vices, don’t we? (As I live in a glass house, I will leave it at that!)
Back to smoking (as in, “curing”) tobacco . . . the scent is a herald of the season for many folks living in the south. Imagine my thrill when I pulled-up to The HayLoft location and saw those wistful plumes of smoke billowing out of the eaves!
Shirley was gracious enough to stop her hard work and take me on a tour of the place.

We started here—Shirley refers to it as “downstairs;” she was originally going to to just offer spaces on the main floor and had spent most of her time preparing that space, but the interest in this event has grown to the degree that she needed more space!

 Those are tobacco sticks she has used to fashion a wall to delineate spaces for the vendors. Love it!

Here is the main floor. It is vast and wonderful. I love the chandeliers—a barn isn’t a barn without chandeliers! Be sure to take a look-see at those lights around the perimeter of the Hayloft—they’re fashioned from Mason Jars, ingenious!

Tobacco sticks—I’m obsessed.

Here is a view of the chandeliers Shirley has constructed. She plans to add burlap slipcovers to those shiny new chains—a woman after my own heart!

A view of The Hayloft—food services will be available there in the room with the windows (she has thought of and provided for everything).

The smoking barn . . . major l-o-v-e!

As I was leaving, I turned around for one last shot—this is going to be so much fun!!!

Our booth will be located on the upper level, right next to Elizabeth Vaughn, of Artistic Works by Lu. I will have a full stock of Chalk Paint™, a few creative items, as well as some painted furniture samples; I will also be doing some demonstrations with Chalk Paint™. My sister, Kendall Welsh, will share the space with me. She will bring along some of her signature window designs and picture frames, as well as other items.
At last check she had more than 30 creative vendors beating down her door to participate! There will be handmade items, one-of-a-kind creations and antiques for the home and for yourself. You will not be disappointed!
I provided a link to her blog at the beginning of this post, but here’s her facebook page, too. (it’s her personal page, where she seems to be doing most of the posting about the event.)
One more item to note, there will be a special preview event on Thursday, the 18th from 4 – 7 pm. The cost is $10, which will cover your entrance to the event, food and music! (I say come early!)
Hope to see you at The HayLoft!
Thanks for your indulgence,