All Washed Up

Ah, the smell of wet dog. Yup, it was bath night at Humphrey's house. You have to love a dog that you can wash in the sink. He really does like a bath, he doesn't like the camera. The best gifts come wrapped in small packages.After a good shake,

and a couple of cookies. It will be an hour or so before we get into our dance around the brush and then he will be ready to greet Saturday's customers.

Get Excited!

Time to share some positive energy I collected this week. First, some background.... I sit on the board of my small town's business association. A optimistic, sometimes unruly group which meets once a month (to drink and eat) networking, organizing ways to promote business and support each other. This monthly gathering and brain storming has resulted in a web site, www.gardinernybusiness.com fun events that spotlight other non for profit groups and a pretty neat directory. We have over 140 members, a impressive size for our community. With press releases for events and generous donations, we have started a real buzz in our county. Soooo (sorry, I know I'm being long winded) I was asked to give a motivational talk in a neighboring town this past Tues. evening. I was asked to explain our groups history and inspire a like group to form in their town. A tall order. I am one to talk, OK... and talk, and talk, but not formally or to large groups. I spent much of Tuesday morning in a panic hunting down tidbits from my favorite on line haunts I had to be inspiring...and motivate? Pressure was on, close to fifty business owners had confirmed they were planning on attending. I was going to have to sell the rewards of volunteering to people who have no time, why did I say yes?

"are you proud of your business, your town, and your shopping area?" "do you shop across the street?" "how can you expect customers to shop local if your not?" I was off and running fueled with my Internet notes scribbled on Christmas card envelopes.( I didn't have any index cards) "Act, Dream, Plan and the hardest one Believe" "own the responsibility of your community's success" "you need to be thrilled to be doing business in your town"
YUP, I rocked the house! I even quoted a Motown lyric "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day" Did it work? I got an email today saying over a dozen people have signed up for another meeting. Best of all I have all my favorite inspiring quotes all in one place.(even if it's just on Christmas envelopes) It always feels good to wake up my Polly Anna. "harness the power of your enthusiasm for your business and share it with your town" I got myself excited!

A Summer Study

A recipe for a fun summer study look.

Mix in a little terracotta, sprinkle with books, stir in some vintage and then cover in rich deep tones. OH! almost forgot, and just a pinch of burlap.



Stop by to see the rest of the Hemingway Room dressed for the summer season. Auction finds a plenty. Leather topped tables, bookcases and new textiles await you.

Home Town USA

" Yes", the cupcake festival was a grand success!!!

With rain threatening and puddles everywhere the people came, hundreds of them. Wow! We sold more than 1200 cupcakes in two hours. Tammy and her staff at Wrights Farm baked 500 hundred of the cupcakes, these are photos of only some of the assortment they sold. They were beautiful. I took the shots before the Festival began.

The day was lovely, it never rained.....that was not the forecast, thank goodness the weather man is never right.Before the road was closed off, Aubrey put the finishing touches on our candy display. A local Trio opened the day with pretty classical selections. Everett surprised me and suggested he pull out the cow head.

My cupcakes, Whitney and Aubrey.

Susan worked the day over at the library's tent, sporting a very cute vintage apron.

I had planned on more photo's however the shop got busy and before you know it the day was over and the girls and I never even had a cupcake. A great day....

Pink... With A Cherry On Top!

As I try to settle myself from a hectic day and edit the lists in my head that need to be done before tomorrow, I thought I would share pictures of pink cupcakes. The week has gone from relaxed to full blown crazy. I got back from a few days away with Mr. HiHo Weds. afternoon and jumped straight into final preparations for the Cupcake Festival. I have enjoyed working with our Hamlets small but optimistic group of retailers, they have made it easy to rally our community around the idea of the festival. Not all are pictured here but I think you can see they all have a cheery disposition. ( That's me in pink.)

I just finished frosting the final version of my Mocha Baileys Cupcakes. ( not as pretty as the cupcakes pictured here, but tasty) I have cut my last trim piece for edging on the tents going up in my parking lot tomorrow and still need to finish up some signage. So please forgive this short pink post. I will be sure to take lots of pictures tomorrow of this happy gang in action, listening to the bands, eating cupcakes, running the donkey rides, judging the bake off, detouring traffic, wine tasting and hopefully selling lots of goods from their shops!

Be sure to visit more pink adventures by clicking on the Pink Saturday button in the sidebar. Beverly hosts the loveliest pink party every Saturday!

See you at the Cupcake Festival!

Fresh As A Tulip?

It's amazing how the blooming yellow tulips brighten up the parking lot. We had a Spring sprinkle and everything seemed green and clean again....time to get out the camera!

This last shot is of the bumper of my truck, featuring my new bumper sticker. A gift from fellow Hamlet business owners, I am grateful for their passion.

A Pink Makeover

At the shop we continue to prepare for next weeks upcoming Cupcake Fest. ( It's a good excuse to buy more flowers than usual for planting.) I spent Tuesday morning with Susan at the nursery picking out blooms for the window boxes and planters.(It was over ninety degrees!) I spent Weds. changing out the window displays. I had found some fun plastic wipe table clothes, cut scallops edges in them and hung the cut table clothes to create the illusion of awnings in the windows. In years past I have gone with deep purples and reds, when choosing the combination of plants for the window boxes.I can't imagine why I was drawn to the pink shades this year? Hmmm?I love the combination of green and pink!

Of course I put cupcakes in the windows....and decided less was more. For more pink fun join Beverly at Pink Saturday...click on the button in my side bar.

HAPPY PINK!