Sitting Pretty

Tuesday, my friend Claudia and I traveled to visit my older daughter Whitney at school. A pilgrimage to give our seal of approval, on her room decor, (at her request).
In brutal heat and humidity we potted plants and trimmed curtains. It was HOT.She has her own room this year and spent months gathering just the right decor and furniture for the first place she calls her own. I did what was expected of a parent visiting school....lunch and goodies for the fridge. She is very pleased with the results and yes, Claudia and I did give it our seal of approval. This is a shot of her Ikea rug and a trunk she painted and collaged.
We all had a great day, we will remember it for a very long time....a day that ended with a good hug and a dash to the car air conditioner.

Cashing in at the Bank

The month of August is HiHo Home Market month at our local bank. What does that mean??? We get to have a table on display featuring items from the business. This is a shot of all the things I gathered for the display. Yup, Fall is on the way....you can stop by the Gardiner branch of Walden Savings Bank and take a look.

Country Business Included HiHo

Country Business Magazine included HiHo in an online spread named Dynamic Displays, and they said....

The ability to create eye-catching displays is one of the most important skills of successful retailers. From vintage baby-themed displays to light and bright bedrooms, our readers have a knack for putting together unique and inspiring displays. Here are some of the favorites from gift and home decor retailers across the country.

To see the site go to,

http://www.country-business.com/giftindustry/share/displayshare.aspx?id=8210

This is the shot they featured.

I'm grateful for the mention and was very excited tonight when I came across the article. Thanks to Susan Wagner and her staff.

A Book Signing At HiHo

On Sept. 12th and 13th, author Anna Jane Grossman will be joining in the fun at HiHo's Fifth Annual Tent Event. She will be signing first editions of Obsolete, her new book.

Obsolete is a wonderful collection of things gone by. Like many of the items we sell at HiHo, items that have lots of personality and make us smile. Anna Jane is not only an author, she is also the daughter of a friend, a part time Gardiner local, a customer and now part of the extended HiHo family. The publishers description:
Contains essays and entries on more than 100 alphabetized fading subjects, including Blind Dates, Mix Tapes, Getting Lost, Porn Magazines, Looking Old, Operators, Camera Film, Hitchhiking, Body Hair, Writing Letters, Basketball Players in Short Shorts, Privacy, Cash, and, yes, Books. This ode to obsolescence also includes 25 quirky pen-and-ink line illustrations to further help us remember exactly what we’re missing.

Bla, Bla, Bla...I don't know how they made this little treasure of a book sound so dry. I think it's light, smart, funny and I even laughed out load when sharing it with family. Be sure to stop by anytime to take a peek at the book, it's fresh off the press and we have copies. For signed copies be sure to visit Anna Jane the weekend of Sept. 12th &13th here at HiHo.

Home From NYIGF

Yup, the New York International Gift Fair. Where retailers go to buy from wholesalers. Friends and customers inquire about what I do when I am there....well, I walk and walk and walk. Over 4000 booths of merchandise on display at the Jacob Javits Center and at the Piers. I take tons of notes, and do, doodle drawings of products, displays and combinations of both. Have meetings with sales representatives, they tour the sales floor with me, while I place orders.I walk some more and collect catalogs to bring back to the shop for future buying and inspiration. All in all it's work, but a break from the shop. I usually spend at least one day with my pal Isabella and I did this time on Tuesday. I spent the overnights at my friend Vicki's downtown, thank goodness.
It will take me weeks to sort through the catalogs and notes, but they will motivate me easily for the next six months. Then it will be time to do it all over again.

Where Did The Time Go?

The summer has whizzed by and I haven't gotten a chance to visit so many of my blogging friends. In a world where everyone is busy, it seems I've failed at finding the time for blog surfing in the evenings, like I do other times of the year. (Believe me you are not the only one missing comments on your posts from me.) Life is good, all is well, although I think it will be a couple of weeks before I get out to visit. Please know I am missing you and thinking of you. I will continue to post at least twice a week. Heidi

Folded and Stacked

I have a thing for clean closets. I love the feeling one gets from knowing the sheets are folded and the towels are stacked. Linen closets are a display of work well done and serve as a place to showcase ones organization. I admit it, I sound nuts...I even organized my parents linen closet once, when visiting a few years back. My way of saying thanks for having us... So, it is not a surprise that when a reorder of quilted throws and pillows arrived this week, that I decided to turn a Hoosier into a linen closet of sorts. The throws are a great buy at $39.00 a piece and the pillows are only $14.00. This is a shot of the cutest bird cage/chandelier, it has a frosted glass bottom to throw light and two matching sconces. I was thrilled to win it at auction this past Monday. Have a wonderful weekend! Be sure to stop by soon, I'll be posting mid week about my adventures at the New York International Gift Show.