LET THE FUN BEGIN!!

Halloween Tree Branch....

I started ! All the fall is away in bins...well...I sort of kept finding things as I gave the store a walk thru before I left today. I stayed late to "pack it all away"....even moved some furniture so I could "move some furniture" tomorrow. I can't wait to show you my tree...Today a customer came in and saw our "Halloween" tree branch and said "that is a Sassafrass tree" !! I shrugged my shoulders as I didn't know what kind of branch it was. She told the story of growing up and their Christmas tree was ALWAYS a branch from a Sassafrass tree. Her Mother would wrapped it in white cotton batting and they would decorate it. She never had a green tree until she got married. So my Halloween tree (it was fully stripped bare naked from all adornments) brought back fond memories for her. When I told her that I was using this branch as my Christmas tree for the store she gave me a big smile and said she would be back to see how it turns out. I am going to "spray" it tomorrow with "canned snow" (fingers crossed it works) after twining lights all through the branches. It will have minimal decorations - lots of tinsel though-!!

We are closing the store tomorrow for the big overhaul - I don't use help....that would only confuse me (and them)..as I never have a "real" plan..just sort of wing it as I go. (I tend to get a bit "grouchy" if things don't go my way) So I am much better by myself ! Control freak?...well maybe!! Hopefully pictures tomorrow of a snowy white tree !!!

NERVOUS NELLIE !!

I have to admit time is going faster than I can think right now. Lots of work to do before I can celebrate our open house - and I am just ready to lock the doors and get started. YIKES...can't do that!!

Today I finished "decorating" our bathroom...and that gets my creative juices flowing, as the Christmas Potporri in there smells just like a real Christmas tree with all the trimming of oranges, apples and cinnamon amongst the pine scent! I WANT TO PLAY CHRISTMAS CAROLS ALL DAY LONG !!

I pulled all the Halloween and fall fabric from tables, benches and all those little "itsy" places that I insist need to have a piece of fabric. I know tomorrow I will keep finding more but the "most" of it is done. I am excited for Sunday when I can rearrange the display pieces and get some kind of plan in my head. We have mostly smalls for Christmas this year....lots of ornaments and to be honest...NONE of the gals have brought me ANY of their goodies yet.....so I don't have a clue what they are making. I know Dianne is making Santas and Snowmen with her trademark paper mache heads - can't wait to see them. Last year she made the snowman, Santa and Angel paper mache heads on an antique spring...this year they will have "bodies" !!! We have some Angels left and maybe a Santa or two from our reorder last year as we sold out quickly.

Sadly Sharon will not be making for the store this holiday season as she is working a fulltime job (sad face) but Amy Mutter might be working on some rughooked snowman pins and a snow angel or two! So we will have lots of great handmades for sale. Barb from Turkey Hollow American Folkart is busy busy busy stitching stitching stitching too.....she just returned home from a 6 week jaunt across country but promised some great "one of a kind" Christmas treasures for THE CINNAMON STICK !!! So you can understand why I am getting so excited to start our Christmas season....!!! SIX MORE DAYS!!!

RAIN AND GLITTER..

It was a very, very rainy day in Hereford today....damp and just very grey. Customers were few so I was very busy working on some Christmas goodies for our open house. The Attic Workshop looks like there was an explosion of "glitter" ! I do love lots of "glitz" at Christmas - I can make "glitz" look prim !!! Vintage peat pots were painted white and stained nice and prim with a wire handle added (all by Tony) and I have vintage postcard pics glued to the front and all around the outside I made a frame of glitter - some red, some green and gold ! They are my colors for Christmas this year...although there is some "silver" thrown in for good measure! Did I mention that I LOVE tinsel too!!! Can't wait to do my "tree" this year - hopefully it will turn out as visioned. I ran it by Lisa of Homethrown Pottery and she didn't "gasp" when I told her - I visited a blog where their Christmas colors were white, black and red....I am way too olde fashion and traditional for that - but I bet she will do it beautifully! (can you tell I am getting anxious to do the changeover to Christmas!!)

We will be closed this coming Sunday so Tony and I can move furniture around...I have this NEED to have the store look completely different than it does for fall. Not an easy task as I have two large display pieces that can't be moved nor can our cash/wrap counter.... the first floor room is only 25' x 25' - always a challenge trying to make everything fit and still look like there is lots of room!

I have been listening to "Martha Steward's Spooky Halloween Sounds" since September 9th and I am "quite" ready to listen to Christmas Carols!!

ONE OF THOSE "WOE IS ME" DAYS...

"ELF" ...created by Paper Moon, Ohio

I worked all morning...creating Christmas....and when I got bored decided to take a trip to my olde stomping grounds...Morgantown, PA. There is a Craft and Flower warehouse there and I was in the lookout for some extra Christmas lights and do dads. I had fun...it was raining and miserable outside but I shopped for ribbon and other little treasures. On my way home (a 35 min. trip) my car just STOPPED ! I was able to get it off the road into a large shopping center's parking lot. It had to be towed (waited an hour for the tow truck) and then had my DIL Wendy pick me up at the garage. I lost the whole day - like I said "woe is me" ! Who knows what could be wrong now....always something when you drive olde cars. !!!!! My son is lending me a car so I can go to work until it is fixed...hoping it is not too much cause I am way to busy not to have a car right now. Yi Yi Yi !!!

On the bright side I did find lots of glitter, sparkly pipecleaners, Santa hats and strands of Christmas lights - to play with tomorrow.

DECORATING...

Some goodies from last year....by Turkey Hollow Folkart

Tony and I are off this afternoon to mow grass at the store (him, not me, - hopefully for the last time) and to deck out the front and back porches for Christmas. I know I will hear "groans" all week when customers stop in...BUT tis" time to move on and start our Christmas season! I am excited to do so. I love the challenge of changing the store to be completely different when we change seasons...(well most of the time)...This year I am giving myself lots of time to "redo"...I am closing on Sunday, Nov. 1st and we are always closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so I will have THREE whole days to set up for our open house November 4th!! (I can't even get it in my head yet it will be November) !!

I have been busy pricing and creating and my head is so full of new ideas that I know I will never be able to do them all. So many projects and so little time!

FINALLY ABLE TO POST SOME PICS OF...

OUR WITCH MANNEQUIN CLASS - what a fun time we had making our witches. I will post more pics on our picturetrail - www.picturetrail.com/thecinnamonstick . This was a great group of girls...3 being brand new to our classes....the other 3 are "young" pros at creating with us!

The "bodies" standing in front of the heater (did I mention that we didn't have any heat in the store - during the cold spell- for 5 days) are drying the glued on tiny pieces of fabric that made up their bodies. Wish there were more time to have this class again but I am working on a class to make some Christmas ornaments. (well I was until the computer crashed)...it is full throttle ahead as open house will be here before you know it.

I am really getting excited to "redo" for Christmas - my head is way ahead of what I am capable of doing! I have met some "new" and "exciting" folkartists that will be making us some items for Christmas - and I know Barb - Turkey Hollow American Folkart and Dianne Galloway were both creating for us today...woohoo for THE CINNAMON STICK!!!

I am back on line...with the olde computer - a new power supply and hard drive has been added...and all is well. Well...almost! A lot of things are different and will take some getting use to....harder not easier...but I have my olde XP and for that I am grateful. AND my store email list is saved - woohoo!!! That was giving me nightmares - and just before Christmas Open House ...well you can imagine! All is getting better in Hereford. I have not had heat for the past five days in the store and that is finally fixed too! I don't even care that it is damp, miserable and raining! Now I can fully concentrate on CHRISTMAS - Fa la la la la !!
Now I am off to visit some favorite blogs to catch up on all I have missed.

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS??

Don't know where that phrase came from but it certainly fits right now! No news about the computer! Honestly "computer withdrawal" hurts! I am busy working on Christmas and without the computer it is quite hard. I really didn't realized how much I depend on it for designing so many items. Will have to wait till the weekend to decide what to do next....The new Windows 7 comes out tomorrow and I am sure NONE of the "bugs" will be out of it - and having a real hard time trying to decide if I want to try VISTA (which everyone tells me not to do) or take my chances with the new system Windows 7 !!! Just added pressure in a very pressure filled time!! Thank goodness I have my rose colored glasses on and my glass is half full!!! Will return soon - (I hope) !!!!

CCCCCCCRRRRRAAAAAASSSSHHHH!!!

It happened....my computer died....Funeral tomorrow !! AND no I didn't take everyone's advice and purchase a back-up system so it is ALL gone! Tomorrow I will go looking for a new one and my sweet neighbor will set it up for me. Of course I LOST everything so I will be winging it for Christmas...and only hope that my "store email list" is somewhere in tact! We are having a "forensic" guy look at the olde PC and see if he can retrieve anything....soooooooooooooo I will use my son's computer until we get all this figured out but that is where I stand...so if you don't hear from me know that it is not intentional and I will get back to you.
On a lighter side - my grandaughter sent me the following link she made of her family - it is funny!!!

http://www.monstermashup.com/4e079f

WHIRLING AND TWIRLING...

...that is what my mind did all night long ! I haven't come up with any super duper ideas for Christmas displays and time is getting very close to open house! Do I want a tree?? Do I NOT want a tree. I am different than some stores as I don't fill the store with lots of trees (no room). Whenever I visit a store at Christmas I LOVE all the trees they set up - it looks so festive - but that is just not THE CINNAMON STICK. I love tinsel....but tinsel on a FAKE tree is just not right - (my opinion only)! I have had real trees in the past but they seem to not quite make it past Thanksgiving and then I am sad :-( .... you do realize I am talking to myself as I type trying to figure this all out (big smile)!! I am in a primitive "glitzy" mode of thinking ! Sort of crazy huh?

I will keep "whirling and twirling" and hopefully the light bulb will go ON and I can get on with everything else !!! Be Merrie !!

TURKEY HOLLOW FOLKART...

For those that follow the Quaint and Plain blog by Barb Young....here is alittle update.. She is still traveling - now in Oklahoma - her birth state - although she grew up in California (that is where she met her sweetie Jerry) !! Anyway....they have traveled hither and yon from Pennsylvania, thru Virginia, Tennessee, the mountains of Eureka Springs, Arkansas to Oklahoma and who knows where from there. I keep telling her to go home and make Christmas treasures for the store....(I do believe she is getting in the spirit as she found a wonderful olde red quilt that just might make some Santas for THE CINNAMON STICK !!)
It is cold here in PA....I am not ready to turn the heat on and on it is! I have gotten so "thrifty" and "stingy" with the heat. Just an extra bill that I don't want to have. Everyone around here keeps talking like it is going to be a cold, snowy winter....I will not be happy!!
BRRRRRRRRRRR.....

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!

I haven't posted for a few days as " I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY"...I know that is hard to believe but true. (big smile) It is that time I call "inbetween"...!!! The store is filled with fall and Halloween - the trees are shedding their leaves faster than I can clean them up (I swear Wednesday the winds were so strong here there was (honest) 8 inches of leaves on the back porch...all from two very large olde walnut trees.) However, I have to stop thinking fall and get on with CHRISTMAS! Our "Olde Fashion Country Christmas" begins November 4th - 3 weeks from now...that is quite the scary thought. I have pulled out the "leftover" bins....and yikes!! Not much left from last year. AND, I have nothing unpackaged or priced that have been delivered...all those little bottle brush trees, silver tinsel ornies, mercury icicles....yi yi yi !! So if my posts are quite stressful the next few weeks "PLEASE" bear with me!

We are having our "WITCH MANNEQUIN CLASS" next Saturday and then I must put Halloween behind me - until next year ! (sad face) I do have 8 grandbabies that will dress up and try to "scare" me on Halloween...I am looking forward to that!

***Time to start humming....."dashing thru the snow...in a one horse open sleigh...over the hills we go...laughing all the way....!!!!!

WITCHES~WITCHES~WITCHES ~~~

THE END.....TILL NEXT YEAR !!! One more "witchy" event - Our Witch Mannequin Class on October 17th. More on that later.....

Did you hear that??? Were they "sleigh bells"??.....I think so....Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la

SOME MORE PICTURES...

Tony changing the outside lights from clear to ORANGE !
The umbrella witches....

Tony hanging those silly witches...

Hanging out all across the front porch!!

Count Tony making the hot dogs... Jerry Young making sure he does it right!

"I'D TURN BACK IF I WERE YOU"...luminiaries...this picture was taken in the pitch dark ???A couple witches enjoying some "witches brew" !! We had such delicious food and treats...Hot dogs, Popcorn, Hot Cider, Harvest Punch and the desserts...Pumpkin Cake, black bottom cupcakes, pumpkin fudge, cream cheese brownies, Bones (pretzels and mini marshmellows dipped in white chocolate), a Black Widow Cheese dip, Halloween Chex mix, Candy Corn cookies, and Black Cat cookies - I didn't get any pictures ...(those witches just kept coming and coming) except for the Black Cat Cookies...I took this picture on their way to refill the big plate.

Pictures of the "WITCHES" next post !!

I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN....

Our "Witches Nite Out" was just so much fun.....and I can't believe so many dressed up AND how WONDERFUL the outfits were. FIRST.....I had two of the best surprises - Goode Witch Prudence (ie Barbara Young of Turkey Hollow fame) arrived at the door ( I don't know where she parked her broom) dressed in her bestest witchy finery and shocked the devil out of me! I thought she was somewhere in Iowa !!! What a wonderful surprise to have a bestest friend come to our Witches Nite Out....she certainly wins the award for coming the farthest - all the way from Washington State.

Barb's reaction to my "surprised face" when she walked into the store!!

Bestest "Witchy Friends" !!!

My SECOND...most wonderful surprise was Susan Pawalski from HENNY PENNY'S COUNTRY STORE....who traveled over 90 miles to come party with us....I had never met Susan but we have emailed and I certainly have felt a kindred spirit to her (after meeting her I just adore her).....WOW....she even brought presents... (can you tell this was a most wonderful affair!!)

Meet Goode Witch Susan - check out those stockings...woohoo!!Our very funny Green faced witch....me and Susan.....

You have to have or come to one of these parties.....so much fun!!!

I have lots of pictures to share and will do so every day so I don't bore you to death. I can't even tell you how much fun this evening was. We worked very hard making it special with redecorating and having some good food to celebrate with our customers!!!

I am such a blessed storekeeper with wonderful friends, customers and I gotta mention that most wonderful hubby who goes with all my whims and has fun with all of us - and my bestest friend SHARON who without I could never pull off such a fun affair - her encouragement, hard work, great baking and but most of all her friendship I treasure!!!

OH MY GOODNESS....

IT IS OCTOBER....Saturday I start thinking CHRISTMAS.....OH MY GOODNESS IT IS OCTOBER!!!

*****IT IS NOT GOING TO RAIN TOMORROW ...IT IS NOT GOING TO RAIN TOMORROW....IT IS NOT GOING TO RAIN TOMORROW...!! Hope that works!****