Paint it Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

So, I was reading the facebook post of one of my friends, Oohlala Furniture , about a week ago.  In her post she challenged her fellow furniture painters to “paint it pink.”  She suggested we paint a piece of furniture pink, then auction-it-off to benefit breast cancer awareness.  I immediately thought of the friends I need two hands to count who are currently battling this heinous disease—then there are those in remission—then there are those . . . okay—I want to do this!

Here’s my contribution—a vintage vanity I painted (with the help of Kathy Owen and Caromal Colours).  My message . . .

The disease is ugly,

but you . . .

you are beautiful!

 

I was sharing the notion with Kimberly Santiago who immediately chimed-in that she’d like to make something to contribute.  Her one-of-a-kind creation is this beautiful mixed media rose.  She used the subtle innuendo of contour maps in creating the rose.

 

Kathy Owen also wanted to donate something for the cause—she was quick to offer up an Angel of Reclaim which she made especially for this auction.  Kathy recycles all of the materials used to create these unique angels.

 

My sister, Kendall Thomas-Welsh, also wanted to make something to donate.  She has created a great new sign to help promote the importance of focusing on this issue. 

‘nuff said, eh?

Most doctors agree and early detection is the key to combating breast cancer.  The Nation Breast Cancer Foundation has an early detection plan which you can view here.  Remember—YOU need to pay attention to your breasts!

This is going to be a silent auction.  You may place your bids at the shop or by calling the shop.  Bidding starts Oct 6th at 5 p.m. during Art Walk.

All proceeds will benefit the

Clarksville YMCA ABC (after breast cancer) Program.

During the 16-week program, participants receive full access to the YMCA, a customized exercise workout designed by a Pink Ribbon Certified® personal trainer, nutrition counseling with a registered dietician, along with encouragement and support by a caring staff and other breast cancer patients and survivors.

The services are offered free of charge thanks to donations and other funding.  I hope you feel this is worthwhile cause and will support the program by coming out to bid on these items.

If you have questions or (better yet) want to place a bid, please call us at the shop, 931.647.0444.

Thanks for your indulgence!

volunteering a little time for spring beauty

Spring is in the air and the flowers are in the planters—thanks to some wonderful volunteers.  This is what we we did Saturday morning:

Our eldest daughter, Hunter, fresh off her freshman year at Austin Peay State University, woke-up early on a Saturday to help.

 

Linda Shepherd, of Edward’s Steakhouse, and Anne Head, of Rogate’s Boutique, joined us in our beautification of Franklin Street and Strawberry Alley.

 

Here’s my sister, Kendall Welsh, of ARTifacts, with Anne, trying to pretend there isn’t a dumpster behind them.

 

One of my best.

Helping Ryan Bowie, of The Roxy Regional Theatre, put the finishing touches on a planter.

 

Did I get any pictures of anyone standing upright?

 

Nope.

 

Still not upright . . .

 

Okay—upright.

 

The City of Clarksville usually fills the planters with flowers in late-April, but due to the winds and storms, they’ve been busy cleaning-up downed trees and flooded parks.  So, we struck a deal—the city provided the flowers and some extra dirt.  We provided the man-power (woman-power, too).

Thanks for your indulgence . . .

Hens in The Roost!

Okay--it wasn't stellar event I had hoped for, but it was a good start! Unfortunately, Clarksville was experiencing a deluge of rain it hasn't seen in three decades! I was so happy to be joined by our friends--Candice, of Artsy Tartsy Jewelery.
Tabitha of LilyBelle Antiques--a stellar vendor at ARTifacts.
Jane Burney of Lovin' Spoonful Cafe.
I was joined by the talents of Martha Felton in my booth. She was displaying her handmade jewelry.
They braved the record breaking rainfall and we really enjoyed ourselves. The Roost was full of hens clucking over the great deals and the creative displays. Unfortunately, as is usually the case for me--I failed to take any pictures during the event. I did, however, take a few pics after the show. My booth was the only one left in tact, so I snapped a few photos of the leftovers!
The best sellers for the day were my vintage slip dresses. I've been wearing them for quite a while, but just started the process of "hippin' them up" with a little tye dying. I LOVE them and the consensus was they were too cool to pass-up! I was delighted to see them so well received!
Here's my blue dress.

The back view.

The addition of this vintage apron was the perfect accessory!

Here's one on the vintage dress maker's mannequin I purchased last week--she once served as a
body double for a lady with a little junk in her trunk!

Here's the remainder of my inventory--not a lot to choose from, but you can contact me for sizes and availability.

A project two--no, three years in the making! A porch swing bed!

A sparse little end-of-the-day display.

Martha's handmade fabric baskets! So many uses--my favorite being "cookie server."

Vintage silver plate flatware--mix-and-match place settings of your choosing! Only $3/piece!

Some porcelain figurines I found. They look sweet perched on top of my cupcake pedestals.

Vintage ceiling tins made useful with hooks.

I hope we'll have more vendor participants at our next sale, but I am so proud and happy to have shared the space with such great ladies! Thanks, too, to everyone who braved the elements to join us! It was great fun and I look forward to June 5th and The Roost Vintage Sale!

Thanks for your indulgence!

Paige

worth remembering

So much to write about, so little time . . .

Really, I think about this blog all of the time--the things I want to share--mainly so I can remember them later! (I've read several past posts and thought, I wrote that? or I barely remember that! Thank goodness I found the time to write it down here or it could be gone forever!)

So, the things I want to remember from recent events include:

(1) Meeting CindyKay at the Nashville Flea Market--visit here blog here. She was so down to earth it was refreshing. She, unlike many in our business, was completely open and willing to share her ideas which have contributed to her success. Liked her a lot!

(2) We delivered several pieces of furniture to a new shop in Murfreesboro. Some of our best customers are starting a venture of their own--a ladies boutique on the square in historic downtown Murfreesboro--and they purchased a good deal of their display pieces at Hodgepodge and ARTifacts! How flattering! I'll keep you posted on their plans so you can drop in to see them when you're in their area.

(3) I have an incredible staff working for me--at Hodgepodge and ARTifacts. I am superfluous! They are amazing, talented and competent and I am so very fortunate! Patty and Jennifer run Hodgepodge like it's their own, providing the best customer service I've ever seen. They both have an unfailing sense of style and work merchandise into displays that rival the famed department store windows in New York. Jill is a master of framing; with her creative eye she can make works of art come to life with her selection of mats and frames. Plus, she jumps in and provides customer service throughout the shop whenever needed. Anna and Martha are my darlings for taking on the jobs that no one wants to do. Martha tagged nearly every Christmas ornament that hit our sales floor and Anna has the thankless task of counting what was left over, as well as the rest of the shop! Plus, they add an international flair to Hodgepodge. Then there's Kendall running the show at ARTifacts. I had an idea and we had the space to make it happen--the rest has been Kendall. I'm so fortunate to have someone I like so much as a sister, too! (Sounding like a Hallmark sentiment . . .) Ashley, too, is wonderful--not only one of our talented displaying artist at ARTifacts, Ashley is also an amazingly efficient and friendly sales associate. Everyone always comments on how much they like "that young girl working upstairs."

(4) We got the claim check for the renovations to our home! Let the games begin!

(5) We had a great time having some of the folks Darren works with over for dinner. To make it even better--one of the NCOs is married to a friend I've met through the shop! I've missed being part of an Army family--glad to be back.

(6) Fillings are better (and cheaper) than root canals.

(7) Hunter earned a scholarship to study art at APSU!

(8) Old cars breakdown, but great mechanics make it hurt less--less than a root canal for one, a little more so for another.

(9) I like working on the floor of my shop and with customers much, much more than working on the computer.

There you are--a few things I wanted to be sure to remember.

I will for sure post again this week--not going to miss black friday again!

Thanks for your indulgence.

Protect Your Pumpkin!

Two days 'til turkey. More importantly, two days 'til Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

I'm not completely unprepared, but I am feeling a little anxious about it. I need a few more ingredients to make the day happen--still need cranberries, cabbage for the slaw, and bread for the pudding.

I understand there may be a shortage of canned pumpkin in the Clarksville area. This may be a completely unfounded rumor, but regardless, I have no worries as it seems I have stock-piled canned pumpkin! If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed the Mayan Cooking Calendar shows no recipes requiring pumpkin in the years 2009 - 2012. Coincidence? I think not! That why I'm prepared for the "Great Pumpkin Crisis of 2009." I'm glad to see, however, the crisis is bringing people together. There was a big exchange on facebook--friends offering their excess cans of pumpkin for the recipe needs of others. It was beautiful. On a final, hopeful note, I understand that Sarah Palin suggests we start drilling for pumpkin.

Okay--enough political commentary.

There are a few other things that need to get done during my "day off." I need to do some baking for our late night of shopping on Friday. Yup, the biggest shopping day of the year is three days away. Strangely enough--it's usually not the biggest shopping day at Hodgepodge. I don't' sell GPS gadgets, or big screen TVs or video games--all the things that will make your life complete. I do, however, sell wonderful accessories for you home, gift items for your friends and family, as well as unique options for you table settings. We can custom frame your art--including the work of little hands.

I also plan on opening at our regular time--10 AM. I will not open at midnight, nor will I open at 6 AM. We will, however, stay open until 8 PM--my contention being, after you've been "malled" you can come downtown, shop Hodgepodge, ARTifacts, Rogate's Boutique, Ingredients and others.

This weekend (Fri and Sat) only, I'll offer seasonal Caldrea items at 20% off. I love both of these fragrances and have been burning the candles alternately in the shop.





































Okay, I'll also offer all clearance items at 50% or more off. Including items we're adding tomorrow! So if it's marked 20, 30 or 40% off--it's 50% off this weekend!

And, as if all of that isn't enough . . . we'll have some refreshments for you to enjoy while shopping.

Be sure to tell me about all of your fun you have chasing after your great deals on Friday--I'll be waiting!

Thanks for your indulgence.

An Anniversary

There they go . . . five years. It's been five years since I opened Hodgepodge. I can't believe I've been doing this for five years! A lot has changed in a short time. We moved from an about 800 sq ft of showroom space to 2000 sq ft--that happened at the end of the first year. Since then, I've been "growing" into the space. I purchased a frame shop and incorporated it into Hodgepodge--adding another 1000 sq ft. My inventory has changed considerably--there sure is a lot of it! I really expected to stay focused on home accents, but the inventory has take several turns. We opened ARTifacts last year. There have been challenges: the recession, Darren's deployment and the thousands of little hurdles I've jumped. But, all-in-all, it's been great. I love going to work! I love working with the customers--merchandising our inventory--my co-workers--downtown Clarksville--the other business owners. I'm so lucky.

A retrospective in photos:

Then--in the middle of all of the preparations for this years' holiday open house event--my sister and friends made sure I celebrated our success. Everyone says that if I survived this year I've got to be doing something right . . . well, I know one thing I've done right . . .




I've surrounded myself with some amazing people!


I recommend you do the same--you'll be a success!

Any success I can claim is all due to these great ladies, plus several more, and the continued extraordinary support and love shown to me by my family--my husband, kids, sisters and parents--and friends.

With great thanks for your continued indulgence!

other stuff at hodgepodge

Lest you think all we're doing here at Hodgepodge is preparing for SPECTACULAR, SPECTACULAR--I just thought I'd reassure you that business as usual is going on, as well.

Hodgepodge (and ARTifacts) are here for your shopping pleasure!

Halloween decor is moving quickly! We still have some fun stuff in stock, but it's dwindling quickly. Our Haunted Memories pictures are a hit again this year. If you haven't been in the shop to see them, you need to drop by. There are a few in the window. At first glance, they look like old, black & white family portraits, but a slight step to the left or right reveals their "inner beauty." Really, can't do them justice in words--they are a must see item! Mix them in with your family picture wall and wait for the reactions! We have other stuff you might want to see, too. Just take a few minutes to drop-in.

Don't know if I've mentioned or you've already noticed there is a Hodgepodge fan page on Facebook. There's a link on this blog--somewhere on the left. I often update that page with info about inventory, special discount offers, pictures and more. If you haven't already joined as a fan--I encourage you to do so.

I'm also tweeting now, too. Special offers are most likely going to arrive in a tweet, so you may wish to sign-up for those, too. Don't worry--it doesn't happen very frequently. I don't use my mobile device for any of that stuff, so you won't hear when I'm picking-up my dry cleaning or if I dropping the kids at little league. It'll be Hodgepodge related stuff. There's a link to that on the left, too.

As for other stuff here at Hodgepodge--please keep the 6th of November open. That's my Holiday Open House event for my customers. It'll flow over into Saturday, the 7th of November, but Friday night will include food and special discounts!

The weekend prior, Saturday, Oct 31st, will be Fright on Franklin, a trick-or-treating event sponsored by the City of Clarksville. More information to come on that later.

In the meantime, thanks for your indulgence.

Visual Aides

for this little event we've got planned . . .

Spectacular, Spectacular!

October 23rd & 24th

(This is an opportunity to work with and learn from

some of the most creative people one could hope to meet.)

Vintage Matchbox Advent Calendar

Count down the days with this imaginative calendar.
An Egyptian Spiral Bracelet

Make it in sterling silver or copper

Guardian Angels of Thoughtful Re-use

made of found objects and scraps of material,

these angels will watch over anyone who gives them new life!

Silver Soldering

--learn the technique while making a pendant!

Vintage Glitter DREAM banner

made with glitter letters and vintage bits.

Feather Your Nest Collage

your creative spirit will soar with this project

Japanese Book Binding for Journals

learn to make your own journals with this beautiful, ancient technique

Vintage Inspired Filigree Necklace

made with vintage-look findings,

this necklace will be something you can hand down to your kids!

Vintage Vagabond Junque Journal

put together this creative journal using vintage bits and pieces

Altered Book with Mixed Media

learn how to turn a book into your own work of art

Monogrammed Stationery Set

make a set for yourself or a friend

Button Bracelet

made using vintage buttons and beads

Vintage Inspired Christmas Ornament or Pin

make an heirloom-quality ornament or pin--or both!

Ceiling Tin Jewelry Holder

use it for your jewelry or to display keepsakes

There are also two classes being taught by the wonderfully talented Jenni Bowlin. Her classes are available for Friday afternoon only. Learn more here.

Shabby Framed Collage

Wonderfully Vintage Altered Collage


I hope you've found something you like here. I encourage you to visit the website for details and to register for the classes you'd like to take. Class sizes are very limited, so don't put this off! Register today.

If you have questions you can leave a comment here or email me at paige@hodgepodge-home.com.

Thanks for your indulgence!