Everett's Life at HiHo By, Everett

My job is to be the guy at HiHo. Although me and Humphrey are always out numbered we always enjoy working. One of my first big jobs was at the first tent event. I always enjoy tent events because I always receive jobs that are not like the ones I do other days at the store. The tent event is an annual event that takes place every Gardiner day weekend. The huge tent is set up along with the music, dealers, and Sal sets up his hot dog stand. One year I worked a space in the tent called the Library Tea Cup Toss. The objective was to try to throw a ping pong ball into a cup and saucer, if you did this you would win the cup and saucer that the ping pong ball landed in. This years Tent Event is planned for Sept. 13th and 14th. The amount raised from the event was enough to make a sizable donation to the library.

Although I enjoy tent events my favorite job involves a cow head. One day I put on a cow head and was on the street waving to people for over 60 minutes. Often now I will still put the cow head on for fun waving to people. Every time I take the cow head out and wave I count how many times people honk their horns or wave.

Yet another job I have is to be the HiHo train conductor in our upstairs Christmas room. Our train is a Lionel O gauge North Pole Central train. My job as conductor is to use the transformer to make the train go faster or slower. The train room seems to be the favorite room of all the younger children who come to HiHo.

The next time your in just ask to see the train run.

Grandma's House

We all have vivid memories of our own Grandma's house. Here at HiHo we here people say "oh my Grandmother had one of these" and "this reminds me of My Grandma" at least once a day. I had the pleasure of attending a family gathering last week, where there was mention of my Grandma King. She raised four children and was blessed with 27 grandchildren, she was the mother of my mother. This meant she was also blessed with very large holiday meals in her home. You know the gathering where you were banished to the "kids" table. At my Grandma's house every holiday meal included hot sticky buns for everyone and her best china for the adult table. Her home had a porcelain kitchen sink with a curtain under it, wall metal heat grates, heavy drapes ( with a palm pattern), large colored glass ashtrays, a front porch, garage with a sliding door and a rose garden bordering the neighbors yard. She also had over sized living room furniture that had scratchy fabric, emerald green, burgundy, dark wood, well you get the picture. There was always a full cut glass candy dish and those very small red cinnamon candies in her cupboard to decorate cakes with. I loved to sleep over at Grandma's house, the time spent with cousins was fun. The best part of a sleep over was choosing a flannel gown from the cedar chest at the foot of her bed. I also cheered when she brought out boxes of photo albums. Stories of the past, and lots to look at: fantastic clothes, shots of relatives home interiors, beloved pets, funny stern expressions. Grandma was always accessorized, earrings, necklace, pin, pocketbook, shoes, all matched. Now I realize as an adult that her home was too, a complete look. I was a around eight years old when Grandpa passed, he was a large quiet man who smoked cigar/pipe, wore argyle socks, washed his car for Sunday drives and was dedicated to his church. I'm sure there was much more to the man, but I was young and I only saw him in midst of the holiday crowd. Within a year of his passing Grandma decided to redecorate her room, she really made a pink ruffle girlie room for herself. The featured piece of the room was her dressing table, (where she taught me the right way to file my nails).
I think the most important decorating tip I've learned from reflecting on my Grandma's home is, the importance of our homes having a personality that embodies who we are. I'm sure she would tell you to share it with the people you love, fill your home with memories.
I poured over the pages of books in HiHo's loan library, looking for interiors that might resemble my Grandparents home. I found nothing close, the majority of their furnishings must have been purchased in the forties and our books range from the fifties to the present. We encourage visitors to borrow from our library of decorator books, they are a great source of inspiration. I'm sorry I can't share a photo of the interior of their home, the picture of them together at Alleghany State Park in the fifties says it all.

Preparing for the Fall Season

This is the time of year when I start making decisions about the Fall colors and themes for the shop. The New York gift show is just around the corner and if I'm not careful the show will dictate the look of the store rather than me. The New York trade show presents thousands of vendors selling their goods to retailers. For years I have been making the trip to N.Y. in the middle of August and in late January to buy for HiHo. I have learned from these biyearly pilgrimages that just because a color is featured throughout the show does not mean it's a match for us. A perfect example of this was the year everything at the show was light blue and brown...we had done those colors the season before. The show can easily overwhelm me if I don't prepare with lists of items we are hunting and possible themes for each room. This past Fall season we had apples for the theme throughout the main room, "Headliner". The center hutch is always fun to set furniture in, here is a shot featuring some great red quilted throws. The Hudson Valley and Gardiner have a relaxed feel that we try to reinforce in the home decor chosen for the shop. We try not to give away the upcoming color themes, so your sure to stop in. However the bedroom and kitchen area already have new featured colors for Fall. Orange and turquoise make a fun pair in this April Cornell quilt, our inspiration piece for the room. Notice Humphrey in the vintage basin on the bed, his coloring matches perfectly.

This picture was taken a week and a half ago, so additional textiles have been added to the room over the past few days.

If you have an idea for a themed room at HiHo we would love to hear about it. The staff and I brain storm ideas all the time, it might be fun to pool ideas from our customers...drop me a email, who knows we might just use your idea! Remember I need ideas before the middle of August so I can add your idea to my lists for the show. Look forward to hearing from you.

SALE...THIS WEEKEND!

HIHO HAS ONLY ONE SALE EACH YEAR, OUR "CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE". Many items throughout the shop are discounted, to make room for incoming fall merchandise. We look forward to touring the shop with you and highlighting the bargains on furniture, textiles and just plain good stuff. Sale starts Saturday at 10:00, see you then!!

New Goods

We have been very busy here at HiHo, purchasing new items to fill the shop. This dresser, dressing table set even has a matching mirror. In wonderful condition!

This pair of cream chairs are like new...the orange chair is one of a pair also.

This pretty mirrored dressing table and bench have been painted cream. They have been rubbed for a vintage "shabby" look, perfect for a cottage decor. The little table would be a great addition to any room.

Dressing table SOLD Floral arrangment SOLD

We enjoy finding treasures for you and hope you enjoy finding treasures here at HiHo. Stop in and see us, remember... the furniture sells fast!!

Little Treats

The pictures on the post are all items for sale at HiHo at this time, give us a call if you would like information on any of the pieces. Anyone that spends time Antiquing knows the "stuff" is endless, china, glassware, jewelry, hankies, books, tools, on, and on. These things are all referred to as "smalls"in the trade. It's the shopper that ranks the level of importance to the clutter they prefer. I love Hull pottery and I could part with half of my collection and still have too many pieces. I enjoy living with the collection and continuing the hunt for new additions to the collection. Very often when customers arrive at the shop we approach and inquire if they are "hunting for anything in particular". More often than not they reply, "just looking". The store is full of treasures, not really things you have to have, things you want to have. A couple was in the store the first year we were open and his wife told him she really needed an item we had for sale and his response was, " this is not an I need store, it's a I want store". That stayed with me all this time because it's so true, at least it made since when he said it. Two days later the wife came back and bought what she referred to as a "little treat". HiHo is filled with lots of little treats, some even come home with me from time to time. Treats make us feel good, help to refresh a room, even add some of our own personality to our homes. Seems to me that purchasing little treats for ourselves and our homes qualify as a necessity, when thought of in this way. Maybe when we ask if you're hunting, the real reply should be "I'm looking for a little treat". I know the news keeps telling us to save for a long winter of rising fuel costs, but what about the small pleasure one gets from the hunt and the treat. I will be holding back on long trips, new clothes, dining out and movies at the theater, but my hunting trips even if I only do it locally, will not be cut from my budget. Whatever your prefer, golfing, tennis, dining, theater, don't let the fear of unknown fuel costs deny you of your right for a "little treat". flamingos- SOLD

Red, White And Blue

The shop has out the colors, it's the 4th of July. Town was buzzing with activity today as people were arriving for the holiday weekend. I enjoy the town filled with weekenders, tourist and locals the mix is fun. Chatting with customers today I realized I'm not the only one who noticed the number of people walking about. A gentleman mentioned that he never remembered so many people being in town on a week day. For what ever reason I was very happy to have the business and would like to believe the red, white and blue buntings on the building had some small part in attracting visitors to linger. To celebrate the holiday all red ,white and blue textiles will be an extra 10% off this weekend. Happy Fourth!!