HE WAS LAUGHING AT ME....

See that "smirk" on his face.....this is Jolly Joe - and believe me he has been as "jolly" as one could be if one were a "snowman" with all the snow we have been having.  When I arrived at the store this morning...among the snowflakes... I could actually hear Jolly Joe laughing at me while I had to "SHOVEL" more snow from the entrance and sidewalks !  He wasn't laughing when out I came with the "SCREWDRIVER" in hand...Aha....Jolly Joe is tucked in hibernation for another year.  

If you live here in the East then you have had to hear about the "40" in. of snow the Farmer's Almanac is calling for March 6-7th - that is all the customers talk about....the weather....LOL!!  And some silly nilly actually wrote that weather report!!  I am predicting spring to arrive early and all the weather complaints will be quieted!  Can't wait - geesch...right now this minute the "snow plow" just went up the street again...it is 10:17 at night....I am snow weary!!!

Alittle springthyme goodies .....

"SWEET SPRING"

Dealing with another "snow day" - we had to close the store again today...the parking lot didn't even get plowed until 3 pm.   Not a very good Open House week - let's hope everyone has "cabin fever" and NEEDS to shop this weekend! 
Being closed today did give me time to remake some of the items that were sold out on Wednesday...you never know what is going to sell - that is some of the fun of being a country storekeeper.  I made this sweet little woolen peep and nested it on an old wooden spool of thread and they all sold.  I only have one spool with thread on it left (that is a pretty spring color) so in the morning I will stop at the Antique Mall up the street from us to look for more.  I don't have any pictures of it to share....:(  !!!

The "Sweet Spring" pillow is made by Terri Leamer of The Olde Button Tin - she cross-stitched the Sweet Spring (very tiny holes to put that needle thru)  and added some flowers on an olde doily she purchased.   She then button attached the doily to the pillow she made.   I just love it and I am sure someone else will too !!

DEAR MOTHER NATURE,

Please stop doing this to us...we are so ready for some pretty spring days.  I know it is still winter and 23 days until spring arrives BUT  tease us alittle bit with a warm, sunny day.  Melt all this snow that keeps falling all around me.   It is so beautiful to sit in front of the window and look out to see your beautiful snowflakes falling from the stars.....BUT I need SPRING....maybe just alittle bit....a day or two...???  Your weary friend, Judy

This sweet robin  flew into the store via US MAIL (made by Terri of The Olde Button Tin) -

Welcome, welcome,

Little stranger,

Fear no harm, and fear no danger,

We are glad to see you here,

For you sing,

"Sweet Spring is near".

SPRING IS WELCOMED at THE CINNAMON STICK....

....we are ready!   Tweeking is all done - floors are cleaned and snow is shoveled.   (still alittle snow left on that porch roof)  The rabbits and peeps seem very happy to be displayed in all their "grandeur" ready to "show-off" how great they will look in your homes!   A peep even hatched overnight....One of the hens laid her eggs in a pair of old high button shoes....and one hatched to the delight of all the "spirits" who were busy babysitting all those little bunnies.

Flowers burst into bloom, eggs were colored and all I had to do was "wiggle" my nose and let it all take place.

Magic is happening at THE CINNAMON STICK....

come join us!!!

CLOCHES AND WHITE BUNNIES....

Hmmmmm....this display needs some Easter Grass !!!

FUN DAY MAKING MESSES...

I am so good at making messes.....but I did get lots and lots done today.   Paper grass is everywhere but it adds so much to a display I just love filling little nooks and crannies.   (by the middle of March I will be beside myself with it....but for now I love it!!)

The snow is still melting off the roof - hopefully it will be gone by Wednesday - it falls - I shovel - it falls - I shovel !!  If not I will make a sign saying "Follow the Colored Eggs to Enter"   !!!  

Helen Voytilla brought me wonderful Easter goods today.   Rabbits on bobbins, a big hanging Bunny, little peeps nesting on cloth covered boxes - and more.    AND another box of goodies from Terri - The Button Tin  - I didn't get any pictures but will be sure to take some tomorrow.  

and Miss Wigglesworth's Candy Counter....minus the Easter candy....it is coming soon.....!!!

I have alittle bit of sewing to do and then I just HAVE to watch the Batchelor.....hooked...can't help it...!!!

DETOURS....

This is what happens when you have tons of snow....an olde tin roof...and lots of sun !!!

Everyone had to make a detour to get into the store yesterday and I am sure it will be the same today. I tried to "knock" the snow down but it wouldn't budge. Tony was at auction so I was left on my own. Every antique shop has lots of "rope" and every good crafter has lots of "paper".... so the "detour" was made. When I arrived at work all those "icicles" had fallen and big chucks of ice were at the entrance of the store - they were so heavy and certainly would have done some major damage if they fell on someone...or ME !!

The sunshine brought lots of customers to the store and believe me they are as ready for SPRING as I am. Open House begins on Wednesday....I am going to have fun Monday and Tuesday letting all those bunnies loose. I might even let them run "wild" for alittle bit tonight just to get the "spunkiness" out of them!!

BOUQUETS...

It is NOT going to xxxx before open house....it is NOT going to xxxx before open house....chant with me ..please !!

ICICLES....&....TULIPS

I just had to take a picture of the icicles hanging from the building....this is the rear entrance from the parking lot....the front looks the same but we are tooooooo close to the street to take a safe picture with the snow drifts! Every morning I have to knock the icicles down from hanging over the porch where you come in - or someone might just get "zonked". On a "brighter" note....new spring ribbons arrived this morning and up popped some potted tulips...welcoming spring to THE CINNAMON STICK!!

I have felt "out of sorts" these last couple weeks....taking tests for a mystery pain....doing all the doctorly things that I always put off ....eye doctor appointments to follow up those silly floaters....etc....and I am HAPPY to report....everything is A-OK and that silly mystery annoyance is just a pulled muscle! Guess I should have expected that with all the shoving and pushing and lifting I do in this business. (4 heavy boxes of candles carried to the second floor today)...yeah that kind of stuff !! So being reminded today I am not in my 20's, or 30's, or 40's....anymore... alright...or my 50's....that I have to be more thoughtful of the way I lift and stretch and all that kind of stuff.....boring huh!!

On another "brighter" note - lots of boxes arrived today with wonderful treasures for Spring Open House - I am excited to share with you all the wonderful finds and handmade goodies we have gathered! (and I emptied them little by little and carried them to the basement shelves). (that was after the boxes of candles went upstairs... yi yi yi - I may never learn)

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...

SPRING!! The XXXX blew away - only a sprinkling and the new fallen XXXX melted fast...(not the old XXXX...that we will have till Easter!)...I cleared the car and went to the store to work on my "messes" - and am happy to say "all is cleaned and back together...(ut-oh Miss B I didn't do the windows) !! When I opened the door I was happy the way everything was laid out to display on....now I have tons of pricing and decorating to do. I am getting really excited for our Spring Open House next week. I know my goodies from Turkey Hollow will arrive tomorrow and I can't wait - new spring scents in votives and jar candles from Scentsible Scents should arrive too. Our new section for crafting will enjoy a shipment of spring ribbons to make lots of pretty bows - burlap string in lavender and olive - and I just love the "wrinkle" ribbon - it has such an olde vintage look...ordered some in yellow and lavender..oh la la !!

**** A SIMPLE LIFE**** magazine - the PREMIER issue, arrived today in the mail ! It is wonderful and will be for sale tomorrow. The cost is $8.95 an issue... HOWEVER we will offer a special price as a "grand opening celebration" to our new "TATTERED PAGES" area upstairs - now ready for you to sit and browse! Isn't all this exciting!!!

I'll be sure to take some pictures to share tomorrow....oh by the way...local gals - we will be closing at 1 pm tomorrow (Wed.) unavoidable....sorry !!!

IT IS SNOWING...

( Carrots for Peter)

(last year's Spring Welcome door)

Not going to say another word about it.
I spent the better part of my day making "messes" at the store - big messes!! I had to leave them and hopefully will be able to finish up tomorrow (if that stuff I am not going to talk about doesn't keep me cooped up again) !!!!
I started to move furniture to make new displays and we just don't have the right display pieces to work with right now. I am so pleased with how the upstairs looks that I didn't want to move anything down from there so I shoved and pushed, slid, lifted and rolled till I finally said "that is it"...good enough! The first floor is not very big and there are two large display cupboards that have to stay put. I know I will be moving stuff around again...UNLESS...when I start to fill in it starts to make me smile! I am really trying to be "customer friendly" and not make customers walk into things that are hanging from the beams or bumping into a bench (or barrel) in the middle of the aisle (I do have a habit of decorating like that). Aisle??? Do I have aisles.....I don't think so...more like a "maze" !!
I am thinking Happy Springthyme thoughts and hopefully will be sharing them with everyone who stops in this week.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...

Watch out for Cupid...you never know where he will show up!! Wishing everyone a very Happy day - eat lots of chocolate, hug your sweeties - young and old - XOXOXO to you!!!

FINALLY...............

I was able to open the store and greet customers. Snow is piled almost as high as our porch roofs...!!! It was cold today but the sun was shining for the better part of our Saturday. More snow predicted for Monday evening but that is NOT going to stop me from going to the store bright and early Monday morning to put all the Valentine decorations away and make room for SPRING!!! Already I have changed some of the cloths on the tables and benches...(couldn't help myself!!) A few bunnies are hopping around the store too...I do expect them to "multiply" as the week goes on. (big smile)!! I wanted to take pictures of "Terri's" flock of robins she sent but forgot....tomorrow for sure! I am making the cutest little price tags for our Rabbits, Peeps and Easter Goodies.....although I must stop playing and get some work done...( playing is so much fun!) Honestly I have too much fun some days!

NOW THAT'S WHAT I AM DREAMING ABOUT...

Click on the site and then just keep on clicking or running our mouse all over the screen.....My gift to all the snowbunnies !!!

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

ENOUGH ALREADY...

...still snowing ! The picture is my kitchen window....it is up above the outside sill and soon will be above the glass...UNBLIEVEABLE !!! Did I tell you that I don't like the snow...???

.....AND AT 4 pm.....

Where did the birdbath go.....Hubby is snowblowing for the 4th time right now....the whole neighborhood is just one big engine running.....gosh the men are worse than the kids needing to be out in this horrid weather....puffing their chests seeing who can clear the most amount of snow....little kids I tell you...little kids...!!! LOL!!

STILL COMING DOWN....

A picture of our birdbath in the front garden...at 11 this morning... Tony took it from the kitchen porch. A picture thru the kitchen window at 1 pm... no signs of stopping.... sigh....and a bigger sigh !!

TRAVELING THRU THE SNOW TO ...

HEREFORD - That is what is happening to these sweet baskets and chalkware bunnies - they are coming from the west coast...where the sun is shining and it is springlike - ( www.turkeyhollowamericanfolkart.blogspot.com ) where flowers are starting to bloom and I am stuck here in a BLIZZARD !! Almost a "white-out" as I type - Janet NOT even you would be a happy camper today ( http://www.winterwillowprimitives-underthewillow.blogspot.com/ ) It is just mind boggling to say the least. (I will probably post 10 times today complaining so be prepared) !!!!!!

Meanwhile I am stuffing "pillows" made from vintage Easter postcards. I will sew up some little bunnies to stick in little sacks and just deal with what the skies are handing me today. Stayed tuned ......hopefully pictures will follow....!!! XO

...a box of spring

I couldn't stand knowing the treasure box from Terri was sitting at the Post Office at the store...I had to take a trip up to see what she made. (and YES - she handcut out all those letters!) I am the luckiest storekeeper!! We are in for another MAJOR snowstorm tonight into all day tomorrow...!!!! So looks like I won't be in the store until - well maybe Thursday - TO LOCAL CUSTOMERS... we will be closed on Friday, the 12th....unavoidable - sorry!!! - But right back to work on Saturday !!!

Anyway.....can you just imagine what goodies I found in this box !!!! Think I will keep them a surprise until Open House!! Hmmmmmm - maybe not!

The cupboards are filled with enough food to be snowed in for a month (heaven's forbid) and the refrigerator with lots of ICE CREAM and milk....!!! So I will nestled into my sewing and stuffing for the rest of the day.

NEW GOODIES COMING FOR SPRING...

WOW.....this morning I went to the Wholesale Trade Show and have to tell you I found it quite nice. At least I spent more money than I expected and found some really great goodies! I could have spent lots more but held back and didn't order any fall or Christmas.....YET ! Since the trade show is not far from my home I will go back in June and place those orders. Last year I duplicated a few items as I forgot what I had ordered....(old age of course but I can't change that)....so I have decided to order fall and Christmas when I am "in the mood" so to speak. Right now I am ALL about spring and Easter and have lots of wonderful treasures coming in.

On my way into the show I ran into another shopkeeper who was leaving and said the "show" was terrible....(she repeated it a couple times)....I don't know what she was looking for as I found too much good stuff.

Terri just emailed (Olde Button Tin) that a "box of spring" was on it's way to me....and soon my Turkey Hollow Folkart will be arriving...wanna see a sample....???

I love our folk artists...they make such wonderfully crafted treasures for the store....the above are from Barbara Young of Turkey Hollow Folkart....coming soon.....only at THE CINNAMON STICK woohoo !!

I go to the trade show after going to the eye doctor this morning.....he dialated my pupils and let me tell you driving with the sunshine on the snow was quite horrid.....on top of that I couldn't read any of the tags on the items in the booths.....the reps had to read them to me....how embarassing - I had to keep telling my tale of woe....only me does this stuff happen to!!!

OH WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN....THEY WIN!! WOOHOO SAINTS!!

TATTERED PAGES.....something new at THE CINNAMON STICK

I have been working on setting up a "new" area on the second floor of the store - It is called "TATTERED PAGES" - New and Used Books & Magazines

We have been selling used/old magazines and books for quite awhile - Last year we sold new Fairy Books and Herbal Recipe Books and they really sold well. So NOW we have ordered more books and magazines...Somerset Studio and A Simple Life....both should be in the store soon. What I wanted to do was make a place where you could sit down and "browse" thru the mags or books to see if you wanted to purchase. This is what I have come up with so far....I know it needs "tweaking" - it might even spill over into the vintage shelf unit instead of the little stairway to nowhere. Depends on the customers reactions...hopefully they will take their cup of warm tea and sit a spell !!! It should be a nice place to relax.

The sun was shining BRIGHT and the pictures are not as good as they should be.....BUT there was no way I was turning off the sun today!

Tell me what you think...??? Would you like to sit here and browse??

The other side of this room I am making into a place where you can purchase vintage ribbon, lace, fabric and NEW ribbons, dyed burlap string, raffia and odds and ends to create with. You can purchase by the yard or spool.....scissors, yardstick are right there for you to "cut" yourself. This has been going over quite well so far ! I have so much "stuff" - and thought it was time to share it with everyone. Here is what it looks like right now...

(don't you love Elsie's wings) !!!

THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN...

BRRRRR...too cold for me to be outside......we have about 12 inches of snow and it is still coming down....slacking off though! This is Tony braving the snow...he loves it!!!

View from my kitchen porch...
I am having a hard time getting started this morning...neighbors stopping in for coffee and to chat about the weather....I really should be sewing bunnies together - or cleaning....or the "dreaded" income tax but instead I am playing on the computer. When I look outside from my office window it is so pretty and serene but that feeling doesn't last me for long.....
I would much rather be at work selling lots of goodies to YOU!! Maybe I will type up a store email and mail it out!!! DAYDREAMING OF SPRING ...I am thinking right after Valentine's Day would be a GOOD time to bring alittle "spring" into the store.....some parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - !!!

JUST LIKE THE OLDEN DAYS....

That's what I call the days when you leave at the end of the day with a smile on your face and some $$'s in your pocket !! (boy a busy day in the store sure can give you an attitude uplift) !! Business has not been bad....but not real good either - however today was a "morale" booster as I was making customers HAPPY !!

We are expecting a HUGE snowstorm and for those that KNOW me KNOW that snow and I are not friends. I love to go to work...and sounds like we are going to lose Saturday as a shopping day. Guess I will have to spend my day working on that "dreaded" income tax !! Still hoping the weather guys are WRONG !!

The Valentine goodies are just about gone - so I am filling in with some SPRING.....and those Cherry flavored pretzels....1 bag left. Now I will order the lemon and orange flavored pretzels for spring and summer....don't they sound wonderful !!! I am very anxious to change the store around...it's not that I get bored - well maybe it is - I am one of "those" that changes furniture and whole rooms just ...because....................!!! So needless to say I am anxious for those bunnies to start playing in the Easter grass !

BLOOMING AND BLOOMING AND BLOOMING...

Just had to show you the daffodils that Connie (http://www.logcabinprimitives.blogspot.com/) gave me two weeks ago.... I am getting so much JOY from them - some were "dead" so I had to cut them from the basket....but there are so many buds that keep blooming.

That dumb olde silly groundhog saw his shadow today and ran away to hide....silly groundhog...doesn't he know it is SPRING at THE CINNAMON STICK ???? Just look at the pretty flowers!!!!

Here is a picture of a new piece that Tony just found and cleaned up a bit....a wonderful olde medicine cupboard with beveled mirror and a "drawer"....too cool!

It was very hard for me to get a picture without ME in the mirror....almost had to stand on my head and take it from my toes....!!

Cold and damp here today....no wonder Punxsutawney Phil ran and hid !!!

Blakely (5 year olde granddaughter) is coming to spend a few hours with me today....we are going to go pick up some "birch branches" for the store and then out to lunch! She is a character...never know what she is going to say....out of the mouths of babes.....I shouldn't tell you this but she was playing a game on "her" computer and typed in a bad word.....if you do something like that you get put in "jail"....for 24 hours and cannot play. Her siblings "squealed" on her and her excuse was...she closed her eyes to type in "hi" and it came it "hxll".....my son said he couldn't believe she thought of an answer so quickly.......I told him she got it honestly!!!

( - remember when I typed..."paybacks are......" Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...... goes for him too)