trendsetter???

I just read Living Spaces in Friday's Register Star..BTW it's getting smaller and smaller....now down to one page,but anyway, it's talking about the return of pastels. How do you like that? My last two posts were all about pastels.

So many blessings

Once when our youngest was still in school and taking a bagged lunch to school every day, I was at the store rather late in the evening getting the makings for her lunch. I ran into a neighbor and was complaining a bit about how many years I had been bagging lunches, and then I stopped myself and reminded myself and her that I should be grateful because I was so blessed. She smiled and said, "Too many blessings."

In that light, the blessings have been plentiful this month with 4th of July visitors from Baltimore, and then a trip to Baltimore for our newest grand daughter's baptism.

The next week we had Pittsburgh daughter, her husband, and her little Andrew, followed by youngest daughter Faith and her boyfriend David visiting from North Carolina, and then Illinois children, Annie, Brian, and Christina and families joining us so they could visit with their siblings from far away places, and the grand finale was a trip into Chicago in the 95º heat for an unfortunate and typical Cub game. (they lost).

It has been a full and wonderful time with all the blessings present in the same month. The house seemed very empty when we arrived home last night.

I say all this to explain and apologize for my frequent absence from the shop. We are working at Keeping First Things First.

But we are back into our normal routine now, and I have finally put up the display based on the coaster colors, and I will be open our normal days and hours for the foreseeable future. So, stop in. It may be in the 90's outside but inside it is cool as can be. Enjoy.

Coasters and Husband and Colors

So...came upon these coasters on one of my "goodie hunts" and loved the colors. I'd seen these many times in silverplate, but never in the aluminum that matches the tones of 50's aluminum glasses. So now the challenge is...how do I design a store display based on a little item such as these coasters. Mentioned it to husband John, and he responded, "yuck, I hate pastels." And as much as I want to just to put his reaction out of my mind, I know that very often he is right. (Know how difficult it is to get those words out of my mouth!) And so I go to bed thinking about what I can do to jazz up that display. The answer came to me — punch it up with black accents such as my black and chrome mid-century table. And I'll intersperse John's "Blockheads" cartoons, since it was his remark that forced me to rethink the display. I'll share a photo of the finished project and would love to see your comments — pro and con.