Hello February

2013 was a whirlwind year. Upon reflection, it seemed as though the year flew by, one month blending into another. The shop keeps me so busy and I am now a confirmed "workaholic". In our previous location, because the space was so small it was becoming a challenge to keep organized. We had a postage-size storage room where we kept our inventory and Stephanie would refer to it as "organized chaos"! With the introduction of ladies clothing, the clothing racks made maneuvering difficult. I recall falling into a hatbox!

The decision was made. We needed to make some changes, and moving to a larger space was the logical answer. We had accomplished as much as we could in the space and it was time to spread our wings. I mapped out the design concept and overall floor plan. Colors and wallpaper were chosen and with tools in hand our husbands stepped up to the plate and accomplished all of the jobs that needed doing. The list was long and we were under a time crunch.

We opened our doors in early October to a warm reception and wonderful accolades. Soon after, we were decorating for the Christmas season and preparing for the throng of gift buyers. December wrapped up on a high note and we are thrilled with the overwhelming response. 

We are super excited (to say the least) as we have lots of wonderful things planned. On top of it, Mill Street is getting a long overdue "make over" and the end result will be amazing with wider sidewalks, trees, and improved lighting. Bring it on!

P.S. The champagne made us silly not to mention champagne exploded all over the place!

A sweet little girl came in to the shop in the hope of finding a special gift for her Mama. Being at a very young age, Mom wasn't able to leave her daughter alone, so I suggested Mom step out side while her daughter shopped for that special something. The little girl knew exactly what she wanted. She had spotted a pair of bejeweled dangly gold earrings that she knew would be the perfect gift. The earrings, she said, reminded her of her Dad who lives in India. So together we wrapped those lovely earrings in some pretty tissue and placed them carefully in a pink gift bag. The look on her face was delightful, she was so happy with her treasure. Every once in a while, someone touches our heart, and this dear little girl made our day~shine brighter!   

One week later the little visitor returned to the shop.  She had been very busy drawing a picture for me.  Such a lovely picture on one side, a few written words on the other, and I should mention I got a hug. This work of art found the perfect place for all to see ~ and enjoy!

I'm feeling ever-so impatient.  It's only January and I am already dreaming of the Springtime.  You see, being a shop owner, I ordered all of my beautiful hats for Spring 2013 ~ 6 months ago!  It will be like Christmas when all of those parcels arrive, because I don't  remember half of what I ordered.  If I recall correctly, the hats I am most excited about are the fancy Clothe hats, Great Gatsby style!   SWOON!   Oh, and I have a new line arriving called Lillie & Cohoe (love the name).  What a treat being able to order handcrafted hats made in Canada, many of my customers will love that.  Hurry up January, get a move on!

Goodness, where has the time gone? Our wee shop is decorated for the season.  Yes, Lavender trees. We wanted something different & they surely have caused a bit of a "buzz", lots of oooohs & ahhhhhs!

We love color, especially at this (often) dreary time of the year. Of course one can never have enough "sparkle"!

So we shopped & shopped and brought in some pretty fabulous accessories!  Burnt Orange, Mustard Yellow, Turquoise, Mocha, the list goes on.  Pair a nice scarf with a stylish hat, perhaps a big pair of earrings, and don't forget fabulous boots!

We found cozy stylish headwear to keep you warm on those too-many-damp-days.

Little Skooter is sporting his rather stylish coat. As the shop mascot his main purpose is to charm the ladies ~ which he does to perfection!

Take time to savor a delicious cup of tea!

Keep cool.....

Wear lots of pretty jewelry.  Go ahead and cluster those bangles, create your own style.

Take time for a cuddle and some tenderness

& dress to the nines!

June....you arrived but left us in such a hurry. It was a busy month in our household, lots of things to celebrate (like we needed a reason).

Our youngest celebrated Prom on a beautiful sunny day. Yes, the sun decided to grace us with her presence allowing us to take some lovely photos. The best-son-in-the-world arrived home just in time (after working in Alberta) for some special captured moments.

A family friend graciously bathed Gabby the Arabian Pony so she would look "snow white" for the photo shoot. Picking the hay out of the lace was a bit of a challenge but worth it for the look of love....in their eyes.  A girl and a pony ~ a love affair.....

A love affair indeed......we celebrated our 34th Wedding Anniversary on June 17th.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Life is good.

We celebrated in her joy. We cheered her accomplishments.

The sun made her grand appearance just in time for some pretty photos.

We even found time to be silly!  There always has to be time for some silliness no matter what the occasion.