no flowers in the house

If I were a shoemaker, my children would have no shoes. My little business is all about home, but my own homes don't get much attention. The only flowers in my house are dead. The trees for both houses are still outside. My Massachusetts mantle has no seasonal decor. (There is a fireplace but no mantle in the Catskills house.) And so forth. I stayed over in the Catskills last night, and driving back today I kept thinking about Jane's Flowers in the House, which I love and wanted to participate in. Would I cut some greens from my yard? Go to the fancy florist? Trader Joe's? There's a nice nursery a mile from my house and I decided I would go there and find something for you to admire. But I'm tired and my house is a mess, and I'd rather spend some time relaxing with your pictures.  Jane is such a sweetheart that I can show up at her party in my pajamas and she'll pretend she doesn't notice. I did a wee bit of decorating in the Catskills house this weekend. It's a house that cries out for large swaths of natural decor--greens and pinecones and cranberries.

I wish I could tell you that I went in the woods and cut down boughs and spent the evening weaving garlands. But I didn't. Instead I made a few small scale arrangements out of mostly unnatural materials.

Two of these on the table.

The big new book cases were looking pretty empty so...

I added a few things.

This little creche and a tree made of birch and cinnamon sticks and dried oranges and stuff went on one shelf.

A farm scene on one side of another shelf

and Santa delivering trees on the other side. The truck is hand built--the cab is made from match sticks.

I love this strange little shrine.

I have a weakness for them--I bought this one on Etsy. Notice the dried corn and beans.

Visit Flowers in the Holiday House here.

More on the store and the Catskills house and maybe even a picture of my tree later in the week.

Jen

good morning from the forest

I am a night owl. But when I'm in the country in the winter, nestled in the dark woods, I go to bed early and get up early. So I've been puttering around the house, which I've never told you about, but may soon, thinking about decor. We are going to spend Christmas here for the first time. Just that weekend, so I'm going to do a little bit of decorating here--not enough that I get aggravated when I have to take it down, just enough to warm up the house. I look outside at the pine branches laden with snow and think about how that's what we try to emulate with our flocked trees and garlands (and yesterday in the store I was thinking where can I get some greens, then I mentally smacked myself in the head--you live in a forest, Jen.) We got a tree from a neighbor's tree farm last weekend, which is outside in a bucket of water, probably frozen by now. I have a bunch of those little flocked trees and odds and ends that I will play with tonight, and if I like them I'll take pictures and show you and maybe even start telling you about this house. Anyways it's 8:00 and though I've been up since 6:30 reading and drinking coffee and thinking about Christmas decor, I'm still in my flannel pajamas. I have to shovel snow and eat breakfast (which will include a fresh egg--every time I come up George gives me a dozen, which makes the long drive worth it). Today in the Commons right outside my store there will be a cookie contest, caroling, and a reading from The Wind in The Willows, one of my favorite books. Wish you were here.

motivation and amusement

So last week when I was obsessing about vignettes, I had a secret motivation...trying to inspire myself to try something new in the Etsy store. Calling them instant vignettes.

And for the store store, I am amusing myself by working on little stories (if a couple of sentences can be a story) to go with furniture I am trying to sell. This was inspired by a comment Mise made. Perhaps her name should be Muse. More on this (little stories, not Mise/Muse) another day. Tomorrow I'm getting up early and going to the Catskills. I want to have the store open Fridays on a regular basis. Most of my customers are weekenders, but when I'm there on Fridays I sometimes have people come in who work nearby, which is really nice.

After the floods (during which he was up to his neck in water) the Freshtown Bear became something of a mascot for Margaretville. Freshtown is a small supermarket chain that bought out the Margaretville store from a much larger chain. It was pretty ratty, as supermarkets go, and the Freshtown people put a ton of money into making it nice and being supportive of the community, including carrying local products. Then they, and many other businesses got flooded out. They have not yet reopened, but are working on it. Main Street merchants gussied the bear up for the holidays and put up a tree nearby.

My friend George cut the tree. A towing company sent a flatbed to pick it up. An electrician donated his time. Everyone contributed ornaments, many handmade. We had a tree-lighting ceremony Saturday and lots of people showed up. It was all very sweet and Charlie Brownish.

School children painted the windows on some of the buildings that are still closed due to flood damage.

Lights are up all over town, even on a block that has no power. There are are a lot of extension cords in use--I'm sure building codes are being violated, but it sure looks nice.

a bit of Christmas cheer

My efforts at holiday decorating are modest, but they feel right for the store.

The mascot gets lights.

The vignette I went on about last week gets a bottle brush tree, a sleigh filled with acorns (sprayed silver and copper) and a little vintage reindeer.

Red birds and silver balls on a pyramid-shaped grapevine "tree" I got for free at the recycling center.

In the store window (which you see from inside the building since the store is on the second floor)

I added a few more trees and reindeer.

The window from inside the store. 

It was a good weekend. I'll tell you more during the week.

quick sign update

'Cause I know that's all you've been thinking about. Met Nick the sign guy today about a sign for the front of the building and showed him all of the ideas we (that's you and me friends) came up with. I said I was worried people wouldn't know what kind of store it is, and that we all agree that antique sounds too fuddy duddy/granny/expensive. And he looked around and said how about vintage. And I explained that for some reason when I say I sell vintage people think of vintage clothes. And Nick said how about vintage decor? Well, now isn't that genius? I mean the store has antique and vintage and new, but if I only had two words to describe the vibe those would be them. Why didn't I think of that?

So we're thinking cream background, orange trim line, dark green letters and a pine branch with a pine cone. And these words:

Country Weekend

vintage decor

rustic ~ whimsical ~ lovely

What do you think?

Thanks for all the brainstorming you did with me. (See last post's comments if you missed it.) I have some ideas for flyers and posters and ads that I'm going to incorporate some of your ideas in. You guys are the best. Have a great weekend.


edited Wed. to add: Now I'm thinking about:
               
  Country Weekend

        Vintage

   decor & more

(Not that font or size proportion. Remember, this will be on the 2nd floor, exterior of the building for people who drive and walk by. I hope using the colors and design will also signal "fun" and "nature". I'll keep you updated.) 

Jen

store notes, and I need your help

Those racy potholders were a huge hit. I sold 38 last weekend! (One person bought 10). The Farm Anatomy books have done very well too--one woman told me that she loves it so much she only allows herself to read one page a day! Last weekend was my best ever--and it was a record weekend for most of the stores in town. People really turned out to support local businesses. And let me tell you it was a badly needed boost. We also had a lot going on to get people to town, especially since the supermarket is still closed--caroling, Santa, tree lighting, crafts for children, etc. We Main Street merchants have formed an ad hoc group to make the town more appealing since much of it is still closed down from flood damage.

But i need to get more people in the building where my store is, and upstairs. I'm getting more signs made and need your opinion. 3/4 of what I sell is antique or vintage, but I also carry new nature-related items. Anyway, I'm getting a big sign made to put outside on the front of the building.

The sign will be on the upper level. Some combination of cream, brown and green.

Should it say Country Weekend Antiques or Country Weekend Antiques, etc. or Country Weekend, Antiques & more ? I am going to have something painted on it that will signal nature. Maybe my logo if the sign maker can do it.

Or a pine tree or pinecone or vine.

*(editing to add, in response to the first 3 comments)
I will have to ask the sign maker how many words can go on and still be legible from the street. The building is at a T intersection, at the top of the stem of the T, so there are 3 directions that walkers and drivers will see it from. I agree that the word antiques conjures up a stuffier kind of store than mine. I am trying to come up with a few descriptive words. On my business cards and in ads I have tried these combinations:
rustic ~ whimsical ~ lovely
rustic ~ whimsical ~ useful
nature & history
antique, vintage, and nature-related goods
Inspired by our setting in the Catskills.


In the same building is a store called Home Goods and one called MGerard Country Home, so I am reluctant to use the word home. I've thought about using the words and phrases cottage, cabin, farmhouse. Somewhere I put for you and your cabin, cottage, or farmhouse (real or imaginary).

I guess I'm looking for 2 things. What to put on the outside sign and a short slogan to use on advertisements. The sign is the harder one, since it's permanent. What would make you go in the building and upstairs?