Monday, June 30, 2008

Mix and Match





I purchased this charming piece of furniture a few days ago. It' a marriage of two like pieces of furniture, a mix and match, making one truly creative, cottage style hutch that really has a HiHo look. When I purchased the piece I was told that the owners Grandmother painted the flowers on the sides and doors. It makes me wonder how it came to be...did a leg get damaged on the china cabinet? Did someone need more room , so they put the two together to have more space? Was it just a love of projects and the wish for a new look? I am sure the true story is wonderful, but we will never know. We have another piece for sale in the shop that I wish could talk and tell us it's story. A few months ago Claudia and I took a trip to one of our favorite hunting grounds, where we found a treasure. A large baby doll, she has beautiful eyes, pretty clothes, is in good condition, but best of all...she is a misfit toy. We decided to purchase her and when we brought her up to check out, the sales woman asked us if we were sure we wanted her, because she has two left feet. We were delighted, how could we leave her behind now, at that point she was a must have. We have her featured in the Highchairs and Hiccups room and we priced her so only someone in love with her will be taking her home. Many people have commented on how pretty she is, but one customer ( a toy collector) shared her thoughts on what possibly could be the dolls story. She said often dolls from large families have a number of mix and match parts. She explained older siblings would pass down toys to younger siblings. Often dolls have replacement parts from a number of hand me down toys, making a new, mix and match toy for the younger child. HiHo has a number of mix and match fixtures in the shop. Our candy cane counter has a base built from two old doors while the top is all new lumber. I even have a book case in my home that began as two small cases and now fills the upstairs hall standing well over five feet high. I'm sure in this age of "green" these items would all be considered ,reused, recycled, re purposed or some other trendy "re" word. However so many of these wonderful pieces were put together, "married" long before the "green" movement. So when a friend saw the charming country hutch made from two pieces of furniture and she said " a match made in heaven" I laughed. But now a few days have gone by and it doesn't seem so silly to call attention to the perfect match. Someone took the time to thoughtfully paint the flowers, piece together two left feet, stack and bolt two cases together, maybe all these things were destined to spend a life time together. I encourage you to try your hand at match making, you may just be part of a match made in heaven.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

DELICIOUS!

Here at HiHo we carry a number of yummy treats...our signature label pantry items are always in stock. We have an assortment to choose from....
Our Roasted Red Pepper RELISH IS IRRESISTIBLE OVER CREAM CHEESE. Super for surprise company and a fun snack.
The Olive Medley & Chardonnay, the Artichoke Parmesan Tapennade and the Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Bruschetta are outstanding. For the customer with a sweet tooth the Chocolate Raspberry Liqueur Sauce is to die for. Stop by HiHo for a taste and pick your favorite, you will be sure to make a hit at your next gathering.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Happy Fathers Day

Each Fathers Day, like many woman, I am divided between making a lovely day for my husband and wanting to pay tribute to my Dad. One would say: just make a nice dinner for both, however my Dad lives about seven hours from us. I seem to fall short with my Dad when it comes to telling him how much he means to me. The distance makes it easy to forget.
I have always thought of my Dad as a cross between Paul Newman and Dick VanDyke. I know...crazy; but he's tall, blue eyed, liked by kids and my female teachers would tell me how handsome he was after a visit to school. I would just say " I know". My husband once told me Dad reminded him of Fred Astaire, I think it's just the blue jackets and shined shoes he wears when stepping out.. I was watching a Steve Martin movie last year and that's when I decided he's a little Steve Martin too,( the goofy part), Steve was wearing a blue blazer. Dad is here pictured with his grand son Everett who is now 11 and Dad will be 80 this year. Good looking right!

My husband was told in high school he looked like the drummer from the Monkeys, I think he's much better looking. He had a small mustache in our youth, I believe in an attempt to look a little bit like Errol Flynn, I prefer him with out one. He's a huge fan of Al Jolson, he does not look like him in any way, but can do a great impersonation. I'm sure our children would pick an assortment of other actors to describe their Dad. This is a photo taken nearly a decade ago... with my favorite supporting actor, our son Everett.

Both men make me feel loved and embody all the best of my favorite famous leading men. They have a way of being present in my life, even if distance keeps us from an embrace. Both are steady and each resemble a bit of the other. On this fathers day it is with pleasure that I share my men with you and I urge all of you to let your men know just how you feel.
Two great Dads and my two leading men. All my love ...Happy Fathers Day!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

New Goods Are Here!

I thought I would just post a few of the wonderful finds we purchased this past week...

This plaster bathing beauty is at home surrounded by skin care products and milk baths.

Our kitchen got a full makeover, with a vintage dining set and buffet. The crazy lamps have amazing shades, a lot of fun!


bathing beauty
SOLD

dinning set,chairs and side board SOLD
light fixtures still available







This early kitchen piece was delivered to the door, my friend John knew it would be perfect for the shop. The peeling paint is charming and the scale makes it just right for smaller spaces.




The canister set has an amazing amount of pieces, all perfect!



Thursday, June 5, 2008

Classic HiHo

Mention this blog when making a purchase and receive a bag of goodies. We look forward to seeing you soon...

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Under Construction

The past few months I have struggled with my limited computer skills. Yes I am a one finger key board wizard who had gotten along fine without cyberspace. I had also lived with white walls in my home for years, life is so much better in color...
Mike Rice of Net Prophet has been my teacher, my mentor and the voice of reason, guiding me through the construction of HiHo's web site. My knowledge of web sites and blogs went as far as knowing that I should have them. Mike was wonderful in taking my interpretation of what I desired in a site and made it a reality.
All the photos used for the site were taken by me over the past three years, to be used as a reference. I wanted to be sure we weren't repeating displays and that things would always look fresh. That's why it's so impressive to look at the site and see how Mike was able to make the shots look like they were taken with the site in mind. Not to mention that he was able to teach me how to blog, hell... make files, upload photo's and even scan.
Yes my creative input is all over the web site, but I don't think working with anyone else would have produced such a fun and professional result. With only four pages to go before the site is complete...some of the best pages, I want to thank my new friend Mike for his patience. You're a Rock Star!