LANCANSTER GATHERING GALS FROM THE P & R FORUM....

The Prim and Rustic Forum hosts every two years a gathering in Lancaster County, PA for everyone who wants to come.  These gals make friendships online but this "gathering" gives them a chance to meet in person.  What a fun few days this has to be for them.....this year a group of them came to THE CINNAMON STICK to shop...it was so much fun to meet them...Grace (the ringleader) is from Lancaster and brought the "shoppers" or should I say "gatherers" (cause they really did gather some goodies) !!  Susan and Karen came from Maine, Linda from Florida, Vicki from Texas and Jennifer from California!!  Another group of gals went elsewhere shopping - It was much fun putting faces to their forum names!   They shop, eat and craft together and have a jolly good time.  Here are some pics I took when they visited with us yesterday....

GRACE with her hands full of goodies...

JENNIFER from California...

KAREN from Maine..

Vicki from Texas....

LINDA from Florida .....

SUSAN from Maine...

They all left with bags full of treasures and this was their first stop.....These gals know how to shop!!  After shopping at Homespun Woolens and Yard Goods (my neighbor), off they went to meet the others and enjoy a smorgasbord dinner at Shady Maple in Blue Ball....You can just tell they are enjoying each others company and having a ball.  Hmmmm something was mentioned about a scavenger hunt that led to the purchase of some dip mixes....?????...wonder what that was about????

THE STORE LOOKS GREAT...

I get so excited when "new" treasures come into the store.....even  if it is just "tissue paper" and "ribbon" for packaging.....!!!   I have bright lime green tissue and yellow and lime green raffia for tying. There's curling ribbon in the same colors and my packages look so cheerful when they leave the store.  That is just me having fun!  

Andrea from Crows Nest Primitives sent my order for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Vanilla Lavender Soy Candles - wait till you get a "whiff" of them....!!!!!   I also received Vanilla and Sweet Annie Tart Melts and Cottage Garden Tart Melts...the store is sensual to say the least.

I have all my little "herb markers" ready for sale - and am working on some new ones.  Customers yesterday saw the new ones and purchased 10 of them....yikes....I was saving them for the Herb Faire ...but hey...a sale is a sale!!    Just have to make more...

Our weather is suppose to make a "dramatic" change from yesterday - when it was cold and blustery all day - even with the sun shining - to 70 degrees today.....maybe I can get out in the herb garden and get some of those leaves cleaned up.  The herbs are trying hard to make their way thru the mess....yi yi yi !!!  Just "never enough thyme"  (my favorite saying!!)

HERE AND THERE AND EVERYWHERE...

That is what I feel like I have been doing.  Preparing for our Herb Faire, getting supplies, making menus, getting paper goods - creating new items...Thank you Lisa -( http://www.potsnprims.blogspot.com/  ) for helping me with my new project!  I will share what I am doing when I post pics of the Herb Faire.  
For the past two days I have been at our son's watching the grandkids while he and Wendy were at a convention in Atlantic City (by the way she put $20. in a slot machine and came home with $695. - AND she quickly pocketed it and did not gamble another cent)....I have a smart and frugal daughter-in-law!!  I was very busy getting 3 of them off to school and one to preschool....baths, clothing, feeding, refereeing....I am going to work tomorrow to rest....(big smile)!!!  They are really the best behaved children - I am very proud of my son and DIL...they are great parents!
For the "Strawberry Collectors" we have a whole patch of berries in - strawberry make-do's on vintage spools, hogscrapers, garlands and bowls of the ripest berries....Stop in soon for first pick!!!

CREATING AND PLAYING AT THE SAME TIME!!

I have been busy these last few days creating - (some call it playing)...fun items for the store.   I made a smaller banner that says....

This is a small garland...approximate pennant size 5 x 6 - (guessing the size).   It is strung on vintage seam binding.

Also created this Fairy collage under glass  - 5 x 7 - I have fun playing with paper goods !!

Yesterday my Culinary Lavender arrived....from Crow's Nest Primitives..   http://www.crowsnestprimitiveshoppe.com/   Andrea packaged it so nicely - now I am ready to make the Lavender Egg Salad for our Herb Faire (it is the best egg salad ever!!)  I got the recipe from the Rosemary's Samper blog-   http://therosemaryhouse.blogspot.com/  last year and it was such a big hit I decided to serve it again this year.

I also, FINALLY, got the girls dressed for spring/summer - here is a picture of Mary....Edith would NOT let me take her picture as her hat went missing and she was quite disturbed about it.  I promised her a new hat...yi yi yi....what I don't do for the workers around here!

AND lastly.....the May/June issue of Somerset Studio arrived - lots of creativity !!

I got a new present too - that I can't wait to start playing with.  

AGAIN - tooting my horn...

Today is our wedding anniversary....HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TONY... (just thought I would throw that in there but he NEVER reads my blog) !!   43 years of sheer wedded BLISS !!  (and I have a bridge I would like to sell you !!)  That is why I am tooting my horn....(big smile) - I am one of the lucky ones who found the mate who loves me, puts up with me and never complains.   Together we made two beautiful children, Shannon and Tad, and they have given us 8 of the best grandbabies!  We are a close knit family and for that I thank God everyday.
Yes...today I will "toot my horn" for I am truly BLESSED.....
...and the sun is shining as bright as my heart!

TOOTING MY OWN HORN....

After a very "crappy" week at the store last week I received this note in the mail....I am posting it just because even though times get tough we all have to "hang in there" and support each other - never straying from who we are and what we love!   Thank you Lynn for making my heart sing - for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed your shopping experience at The Cinnamon Stick - it is customers like you that make little stores like mine "special" !!

Today is the beginning of a new "work week" for me and I go today with a happy heart and a "spring" in my step!!  I don't even care if it rains!!!

PAPER SHOES...

I had to go into the store today to price some items and finish up some stuff...so I took a picture(s) of the paper shoes I am making as "gift boxes" for Mother's Day or really anytime.  These would make really cool bridal shower favors....ideas are endless!  Jewelry, candy, a gift card or little trinkets fit in them nicely....

The #1 tag matches the inside design of the shoe...it serves as a "to and from" tag!!!  All MOMS are #1!!!

Yesterday Leah Webb - an artist we purchase from - brought me these pincushions and scissor holders that will make GREAT gifts for the seamstress!!

Purchase a pair of scissors and Mom has a nice gift she can carry in her purse to "stitch" wherever she may be!! 

Tomorrow I am spending the day helping to make a Picture Trail for my friend and neighbor shopkeeper - Kay - from Homespun Woolens and Yard Goods...I will post the link here when we get it all "tweaked" !!!

I love Daylight Saving Time!!!!

BLOOM...

I sold the GARDEN banner yesterday and decided I should make another - this one says "BLOOM" (I know I take crappy pictures)...it is done in great browns and blues.....very cool if I have to say!!   It is for sale on our selling blog.   See my "fairy" mushrooms in the berry box - there are three different ones - too cute!   When I first set up housekeeping - 43 years ago - mushrooms were all the rage.  I had mushroom salt and pepper, canisters, and old prints - considered very "prim" way back when!! LOL!! 

These are the May Day cones I made.....hanging from an old ladder - made from all different kinds of printed paper and crinkle ribbon hangers to match.  Each one comes with a water tube hidden within the shredded paper !!

I have this one at the store entrance - with catmint and a flower from my bleeding heart plant.

Remember the "witch's shoe" we made when we did the Rock - Paper - Scissors Halloween class ???  Well I decided to make some "paper shoes" for Mother's Day.  They will make a great gift box for a piece of jewelry, gift card, or any kind of small trinkets.    I only have three finished so hopefully tomorrow I will get to take a picture of them....(I love playing with paper...!!!)

It is downright cold in my neighborhood today - sun was in and out - but not long enough to warm things up...!!!!

CHASING BUMBLEBEES..

I know there has been lots of press on the lack of "bees" for pollination of flowers and plants but woohoo....not in Hereford.   It was such a beautiful day yesterday and a "lack of customers" brought the neighbor storekeeper and I outside to enjoy our lunch.  We sat in our side yard where we could see the entrance to both stores and were bombarded by the bees....bumble, wasps and yellow jackets !!   We were right next to our herb garden so that might have been part of the problem.   Customers came in the knick of time making us retreat to our own stores and therefore we both escaped injury!!!
I did get some work accomplished yesterday.....I have been making "May Day" cones and will take a picture when the display is ready later today.    Seems that I have been doing alot of  "playing" lately...here is a paper mache flower pot that I embellished with vintage music sheets, a bird print and paper letters spelling out NEST - I aged and sealed the pot and it really turned out quite nice!!  It was the first time I have done something like this and now I want to do another...it will be listed in our Best Kept Secret blog for sale.

The Twig lights also arrived in the store....they make such a statement and I think everyone needs at least one bunch of these!!  We have forsythia twigs - in large bunches (in the milkcan with birch branches added) and smaller ones.  Also pussywillows - large and small - and just plain twigs...all GREAT... The lights are electric 

and have a 1000 hour burning time...if one light happens to go out the rest stay on...a pretty good deal!

(we also have a bunch of resin "fairy" mushrooms to add to your gardens inside or out!!)

GOD BLESS AMERICA.......

I was upstairs in the store when Kay (the shopkeeper of Homespun Woolens and Yard Goods - the store next to ours) yelled for me to come outside to "witness" the convoy of trucks - 26 in all - that were taking the steel beams from the World Trade Center buildings back to Coatesville, PA where they were made.  It was an awesome sight - also very gut wretching - tears rolled from our eyes as you just could not forget what these steel beams represented.   I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures as I ran (well half ran) up to the corner to watch them pass....cars were stopped along the roadway...people were standing along the road waving and cheering - the trucks were blowing their horns....it was quite a moment !!  I could not see what my camera was taking - it was so sunny and bright out - and the camera kept pausing before it would flash...so many pictures looked like this....

But I was able to get a few to show you what truck after truck looked like.....flags waving from all parts of the vehicles - some very large flags were wrapped around the steel beams.   This convoy started with 28 trucks (unfortunately one rear ended another and they had to drop out)  Because of the accident the time schedule and routes were changed but they got back on course.   You could feel the pride these truck drivers had making this delivery.  From what I understand the beams were taken back to where they were molded and will be melted down and a "Memorial" will be erected....LET US NEVER FORGET !!  Here are some pics -

 

You will notice that ALL the trucks were either RED, WHITE OR BLUE....

The sign on the last truck said...."Coming Home to Coatesville"...

May the fallen Rest in Peace and know that we care....Amen

CONFESSIONS....

I did go up in the attic.....pushed and shoved a few boxes and then said...NAH!!  Not today..the sun was shining and who wanted to be holed up in a dusty old attic...NOT ME!!  That was Monday...and Tuesday (today) it was going to rain so I saved that work for today.....NAH!!!.....who wants to be in a dusty old attic when it is so dark and gloomy outside... NOT ME !!  Hmmmm...maybe I just don't want to go up in the attic...!!!
I did get a bit of sewing done - I love to transfer images on muslin and make pillows - so I got quite a few transferred and sewn...a couple stuffed ...Some birds will be flying into the store tomorrow too....just need to make finishing touches on then.  Some will be make-do's others will find an "unusual" place to nest.

We did not get many sign-ups for our Garden Banner class so I am going to cancel it and work on some to sell - with great garden words...like GROW, BLOOM, HERBS etc.  I will have fun!! Our "Herb Faire" is coming up and I want to have the store filled to capacity with great garden treasures for everyone.   I need to spend some time working on the menu for the "garden fairies" so they know what to prepare.  Dill is the Herb of the Year and since it is a favorite of mine I do think there will be lots of "dill" flavored goodies!  (Susan if you are checking in ( http://www.hennypennyscountrystore.blogspot.com/ ) I need some culinary lavender- for the Lavender Egg Salad...that was the best egg salad I ever had!!)

This is Sweet Annie...she has been a "helper" in the store for many, many years - (and she never seems to age one bit)!!   I think she is arriving tomorrow to start helping me get the store in shape!  A couple boxes arrived from The Bolton Peddler (the neatest tole painted tin garden wares)....and I am pretty sure my "twig lights" from Prims by Kathy will be in.  If you haven't seen these yet - pop in here tomorrow for some pictures....they are the neatest!  I have bundles of "birch" branches all ready to display them...I love seeing that big brown truck pull in the parking lots...woohoo!!!

SOME CALL IT "JUNKIN" !!!

I call it antiquing....but in reality when I see some of the homes  in the country magazines....I suppose I am a "junker"...of old and worn but functional and usuable items!  There isn't much in our home that is "just for display" !  You sit on our old chairs and if a "rong" comes loose we glue it back - quilts are used for keeping warm - old boxes hold papers, potpourri, tools, books, and more.  An old spice box is where we keep the stamps, extra screws, tokens, receipts, the weekly cash....hmmmm...you wouldn't believe the good "finds" in those little drawers.   We have lived in our home for 39 years....that is a long time...I know every nook and cranny and have changed the curtains too many times to remember.   I'm telling you all this because today I am going to "purge".....yegads what an ugly word.....LOL!!  The attic is filled to the brim with 39 years of crafting, collecting and and just plain...."I might want that one day" items that need to GO !   So I am a bit sad - letting go is not any easy thing - Tony is THRILLED !!  AND, nobody wants what is in the attic.. and in reality, neither do I any longer...sigh !!  So today is the day I start......thank goodness the sun is shining!!

While "antiquing" a couple weeks ago I happened upon some old baby shoes....for awhile they were hard to find - (last year we had a class in making a baby shoe pincushion - thanks to Dawn of  http://www.the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/  )  and I wanted to make a few to sell - no luck finding any....until a few weeks ago I found a few pairs.   I was going to make  pincushions but after seeing some "inspiration" on other blogs I decided to make this instead...

It sold, (thank you Amy) and when I take my "breaks" from cleaning today I will sew and stuff birdies and make some "baby shoe" nests for them.   I gotta have some fun today !!

WINTER ROBE vs. SUMMER ROBE....

That was my BIG decision this morning.....I opted for the winter robe...quite chilly here after that 90 degree weather this week.   It rained thru-out the night  - the woods will be thick and green quickly with this weather.

I am in the gardening mood and the store is showing signs of GARDEN THYME goodies - more each day - Look at these fun garden shovels and  hand rakes....they are made of metal and so pretty even I may have to don the garden gloves and go play in the dirt!!  When I saw them at the trade show I just couldn't resist!  (we also have some nice old ones for sale too....)  A perfect Mother's Day gift for a Mom who loves to garden!

This old red wheel (we have two for sale) makes a great "wreath" on a potting shed door - I wrapped a faux ivy garland around it (I wanted to use angel vine but wasn't in the mood for the mess - (smiling as I type)!! You can decorate with grape vine, garden tools or flower pots.....just wire them on...fun project!

It seems all I do lately is make "messes"...little scraps of fabric, threads and paper seem to follow me wherever I go.  

All the beautiful ribbons arrived and I added them to our Garden Banner --- it finally looks finished.

Make three people smile today !!! 

GOODMORNING SUNSHINE...

Another beautiful day here in PA....hard to believe it is April and I will enjoy every minute of the sunshine and balmy breezes!   I have been busy arranging the store, as little by little our "flock" of springthyme feathered friends make their nests in some of the oddest places...

I have lost a couple artists this past year so I have been busy trying to keep the store filled with some creations of my own - that doesn't allow alot of time for blogging or keeping up with my picturetrail...hopefully I will get myself more organized!  

I always have time for this though.....this is Blakely - my 5 year old grandaughter.  We spent the better part of Tuesday together...shopping at Michael's (can't waste those coupons) and then we came home to "create". At Michael's she wanted this wooden cutout with three colored markers that you color the wood with.  She found this sweet little dog and then she found this - !!!!!  AND HAD to have it....yi yi yi....

She also stuffed a leftover baby peep...and made cotton candy from the fiberfil...(you can't tell but she colored the fiberfil with her markers...quite creative I must say!!)

Our "Country Market" is now open and today you will find tomatoes, carrots, turnips and some seed pillows.  Fresh herbs will be coming soon..... New goods will be added often so be sure to stop by and fill up your basket!  Enjoy your day -

TODAY WAS "REDO" DAY...

Easter goodies are all away for another year...new fabric has been displayed on the cupboards and tables and the beginning of "Garden Thyme" is showing up in the store.   Birds of a Feather are gathering to sing their sweet songs in nests, prints and pillows.   The store looks totally different from one day ago...whew...hard work but I love to rearrange and change the inventory!   Looks a bit empty but won't take me long to have the store filled once again.

I found some unique (new) flower pots you can plant in..(faux or real)...some have a cute little bird on the front...just perfect for a little pansy!   I made up an arrangement of pretties for this one...

And check out these faux "gerber daisies"....they are so lifelike - if you put some water in a clear vase NO ONE will think they are fake!!

(don't you love the ladybug fabric!!!)

Tomorrow will be spent  sewing and painting...lots of ideas....never enough thyme!