MONDAY AUCTION AND MARKET...

Haven't even counted all those scoops - Tony had a great day at the market. This had to be someone's collection of many years. He found lots of olde treasures soon to be in the store for sale. Lots of vintage glass Christmas balls and ornaments, a great olde carpenter's box that will hang on the wall as a shelf, cutest little milking stool, wire baskets and more. Of course everything needs his "magic" touch to make it just perfect to put right into your home.
Snowmen, turkeys and new pillows and prints are also arriving Wednesday when we reopen. It is so hard to find "country" Thanksgiving goodies...but Helen Voytilla has made some "stuffed" gobblers for us - they are too sweet! I have been bad about taking pictures but hopefully will get some to share tomorrow.

MERRIE & BRIGHT

That is the weather report...not my status...(big smile) !! Must say I am winding down and will look forward to "try" and get back into "the regular" routine! Open House week is always a week of eating fast food, running the washing machine at midnight (so you have clean underwear for the next day), and overlooking the "dust bunnies"....(more like jack rabbits right now) !! I look forward to Monday to get everything back in order....AND then Tuesday will do the same for the store. Tony is off to auction this morning and hopefully finding some good replacements for what was sold. Next week promises to have lots of new folkart too. Dianne is bringing new Santas and snowmen, Amy is bringing Snowgal angels and Barbara is sending me my box of goodies on Monday.....me ?.. I am replacing pillows and framed prints so the store should be all new next week! Brenda is off celebrating her "50th" birthday so when she comes back hopefully she will do some replacing too. Brenda does most of the altered art goodies for the store using olde bottles, vintage papers and "BLING"!!....she is so clever! Pictured are some goodies on their way to Hereford from Washington....

RECIPE...

CARAMEL PECAN PRETZELS

l bag Snyder's Mini Pretzels
1 bag of Rollo candies
1 bad of Pecan halves

Heat oven to 250 degrees. On an ungreased cookie sheet make a single layer of the mini pretzels. Unwrap and place a "Rollo" candy on top of each on....place in oven for 4 minutes.
Remove from oven and "squish" a pecan halve on each Rollo... (no need to hurry hurry - just quickly) !! Let stand for 20 min. and then refrigerate for 20 min. Remove from sheet and store . I use a plastic container with foil in between layers. ENJOY!!!!
You might as well purchase two bags of Rollos because there is only 60 in a bag and you will want to make more and more~ Also....if you have a Walmart close the pecans are much cheaper there and were in better condition than our grocery store.

It is cold here this morning - with a blanket of frost covering the yard and gardens....I'm afraid WINTER is here...on a happy note I am off early to meet Dianne (one of the artists that creates for our store) - she makes tiny pictures from scraps of fabric and embroidery - absolutely minuit and exceptional. Open House week has been going very well....fun being "busy" - glitter, tinsel and fake snow flakes are sprinkled everywhere - 'tis the season of fun and folly!!!

SO MUCH TO SAY....

...and too tired to say it!! We had a wonderful open house...and today too. You always worry if customers are REALLY ready for Christmas - they were! First ...honest....everyone who sees our tree IN PERSON loves it...I know the picture looks really bad! Miss Connie from Log Cabin Primitives (Connecticut) stopped in today just to see my tree....(only kidding)....she is on a shopping spree for her store and knew I needed a real hug from her!! BUT she really did say totally nice things about my unique Christmas tree!

I have pictures to post on the PT but just not enough time as I HAVE to make more of those Caramel Pecan Pretzels (we ate all of them first day) yummy! ....so now I have to unwrap all those little gold foiled rollos -

I love my customers....and I need to tell you about my friend Gail (picture with me above). Forever friends are so important to me....they take me for WHO I am and not what they want me to be. Thank you girls you know who you are!! BUT Gail is one of those that never forgets to encourage me or wish me luck. She is the one who found the store in Hereford for us too when we were looking to open a "second" store (that lasted 9 months) (what were we thinking) ??? Anyway....Gail always...always...always leaves a message on my answering machine the first day of every open house...wishing me luck and reassuring me all the work was worth it!!! Thank you Gail for being my forever friend!!

READY OR NOT....

I think I am ready. There is some tweaking to do tomorrow in the early morning. One last go round with the vacuum cleaner - set up the punch and goodies - maybe add a few more "fresh" pine and cedar sprigs to an empty spot. Otherwise - to "quote" the man of the house..."IT IS WHAT IT IS" !!! I still have some "bows" to tie outside but that will have to wait - next week when I "redo" and bring out the vintage Christmas decorations. (not enough room in my little store right now) !! Want to see my tree...??? It is SO MUCH BETTER IN PERSON...I can never get good pictures...but here it is in all it's glory!!!There are many silver tinsel icicles and tinsel ornaments that just don't show up...they really make it special - all shiny and glittery. I used a piece of white wool for the tree skirt - tomorrow I will sprinkle the snow all around...(wanted to wait till I vacuumed one more time) The piece to the left of the picture is an olde meat hanger - three tiers and is perfect for the Christmas ornaments to hang from. (Everyday it is used for antique utensils)! When I was taking pictures I found this.....ut oh!!! And I thought I had it all away....another "thing to do"...fill the top of this corner cupboard! Will let you know how tomorrow goes.....we are open till 8pm !

GETTING IT TOGETHER...slowly

Just finished baking the Russian Tea Cakes for tomorrow...the chocolate fudge was made yesterday and a new recipe "Pecan Caramel Pretzel Candies"finished last night....so easy and so delicious! We will serve a Sparkling Christmas Punch and an Herbal Cranberry Dip from Castle Creek Farms (best seller)! I love to "feed" our customers!! I have been too busy to look for Candy Canes and maybe- just maybe- I can find some today. I love to fill scoops and tins with candy canes tied with a ribbon - always looks so festive and Christmasy!
There is MUCH to do at the store today - Dianne brought me goodies last night and Connie, Susan and Brenda are coming today. All their treasures will have to be priced and displayed. It is going to be a long day as I am still not finished setting up AND then the floors (glitter, glitter, glitter) must be vacuumed and mopped! NEXT YEAR FOUR DAYS TO SET UP !!!!
Off I go...still looking for the fun....I think that will come tomorrow!!!
Oh my tree is so beautiful and different - certainly not for everyone but I LOVE IT!! Will take lots of pictures before I leave tonight...

FUN???? DID I SAY FUN???

Every muscle and bone aches in this olde body....some I didn't even know were there - I am chuckling cause if I don't I will whine!! I did accomplish alot yesterday BUT certainly there is much more to do - thank goodness I closed yesterday. I think I moved the same cupboard 4 times...I know I did!! This morning I made "chocolate fudge" (it is cooling) and two batches of Russian Tea Cake cookies (to be baked tonight) ....and now I am off to FIND THAT FUN I WAS TALKING ABOUT !!! (wish me luck)!!!!!