New York New York

I'm heading on my maiden voyage to NYC this weekend with Melissa.
Nope.
Never been.

An old TO friend of ours soooo generously offered up her downtown apartment for the weekend and we pounced!

And because I have Avion points coming out of the ying yang from all the spending I do for the shop (and no place to go!) basically, this trip is free.
I can't wait.

We have no agenda really.
Just loose plans to see a show, I'd like to hit up 30 Rock and Central Park, and Melissa is itching to check out the Kate Spade, but otherwise it's going to be a weekend of walking and eating and catching up.

Did I mention I can't wait?

Kate Spade NY Via

I haven't started packing yet because really, what can I pack that will be comfortable enough to walk around all day in, but cute enough not to look like a raging tourist?
What's nice is that I won't have to tailor my outfits for easy boob access, but even still, options are certainly limited.

I'll sort it out.
Maybe this time I'll even take pictures!

On a totally different note:
Should I be wearing lipstick?
I've always felt a bit weird wearing it.
Like who do I think I am wearing lipstick?
Like I'm playing dress up or something.

But I see beautiful, natural looking women wearing colour on their lips all the time.
In fact, since I started paying attention, it seems I'm the odd girl out.
I enjoy wearing a bit of gloss - when I can find it at the bottom of the diaper bag anyway - but I'm curious to know if I was sick the day someone taught us girls how to choose the right shade.
I should never have let my subscription to Sassy lapse like that!

Any advice you've got for me, I'd be happy to receive.
Otherwise, have a wonderful sunshine-y week.

Em

Calling all Crafters

Decisions have been made and the Handmade Harvest Holiday 2011 Call for Crafters (mouthful!) has been officially launched! 
Click here for details.

I really thought this would get easier to organize!


Colleen and I had been toying with the idea of hosting the show at two different venues (Old Town Hall and Textile Museum) simultaneously in November, and then we realized that would probably suck the joy out of it for us.
There are always little fires to put out, and it's just easier when we can work together.


I'm VERY excited to say that the show will be held at the Old Almonte Town Hall again.


We've expanded into additional space within the Hall this time - to avoid the chaos that was Holiday 2010 - but we still have a lower cap on vendors than the spring show.
Looks like we'll max out at 35 this time.
So the bar will be high, and the vendors that are accepted will truly be exceptional.


No pressure.
No pressure.

Rain Date - Home & Store Yard Sale

Looks like we're going to be rained out for our Yard Sale tomorrow morning.

Brad says there's a 100% chance of precipitation. 

To which I said "You're sure it's not like 95%? I mean how can anyone be 100% sure of anything really?"

He didn't say anything, but he did roll his eyes.

In our house, eye rolls trump all.

So.

Please join us NEXT SATURDAY JULY 2nd for our 2nd annual Home & Store Yard Sale.

Sale starts at 8am.

77 Union Street North, Almonte (aka my house)

Yard sale prices on our off-season merchandise, scratch & dent stuff (you can hardly tell!), home furnishings and more.

Emily

Call me Em

This morning when I was getting back into my car after dropping Clementine off at daycare, a woman across the street (who I only know because she used to be a teacher at my elementary school so we're talking like 20 years ago) called out "Hi Em!"

I love when people I hardly know call me Em.
Makes me feel like they like me. (Which is so important to me it could be labeled a character flaw.) 
That they think of me in a friendly, approachable, neighbourly way.

A lot of customers call me Em.
Also, Clemmie.
But I don't like that so much.

"Emmmm? Canna have a peanabutta wap pleeeeease?"
Translation: "Mother dear, may I have a peanut butter wrap please?

Don't people say you should be clear not to blur the line between parent and friend?
Apparently I'm doing a real bang up job so far.

Home & Store Yard Sale - Saturday June 25th! RAIN DATE: July 2

This Saturday June 25th  July 2nd at 8am, my 2nd annual Home & Store Yard Sale will take place at 77 Union Street North in Almonte.

My house.

I'm done looking at the odds and ends of seasons past in the shop...so I'm dragging them all home and selling them off at rock bottom prices in my own front yard.

I've got loads of stuff from home decor items, scratch and dent stuff, electronics, furniture, toys, jewelry, display items, pillows, wreaths, clothing and much much more.

Time to clean house.

And store.

Any items that remain will be donated to the Hub and/or Rebound Centre.

Wanna come?

You can hold the baaaabyyyyyyy! 

Em

Lazy man's blog post

I'm feeling a little down in the dumps today.
Overwhelmed, sorry for myself, negative in general.
I just really really really need a mental health day.
Without the kids.
Without feeling guilty for not being with the kids.
And without knowing anyone at the grocery store, coffee shop, bank, post office...you get it.

Last night I just needed to get in and get out.
Pasta sauce, eggs, milk. Pasta sauce, eggs, milk.

I had just come from boot camp at the gym, looking like a sweaty bag of garbage, not at all in the mood to put on my "I'd love to small talk with you stranger!" face and who do I see at the grocery store?
That's right.
Everybody.

Of course I did.

So instead of bringing you all down with me on my sinking ship of self pity, I thought I'd just link up to a post Colleen has written about some of the new handmade stuff that's slowly starting to fill up the shop.
You can read her blog here.

Em

Bicycle Month

June is Bicycle Month here in Almonte.
You can check out this link to know what that means exactly.
To me it means the beginning of a season of festivals and, hopefully, a season of tourists tourists tourists.

I bought Brad a new bike for his birthday in April and as we were about to add his old, beyond repair bike to the pile of stuff to take along on our annual dump trip, I had a vision for my Bicycle Month shop window display.

Got to love repurposing old junk.
Also, spray painting.
So quick, so satisfying. So impossible to do perfectly on a round, double sided object.
Thankfully, perfection wasn't the goal.
And you can hardly see the bits of fresh cut grass imbedded in the paint.

AND, since now I am the proud owner of my very own 1.25" button maker, I was able to make buttons to match!
How cute are these?
For sale all month in the shop...of course.

Watch for my Button of the Month Club. Coming soon!!
Happy Bicycle Month!

Emily