Meet Grace

So, as many of you know, we've added a little section of fun fashion accessories aimed mainly for the college girls, purchased and displayed by our own little Miss Sarah (check out Sarah's blog).  I've been wanting to find some funky display pieces for her to use in her little corner.  Thanks to our friend and neighbor Donna of The Grove Vintage for this great idea.  I had a blast making her so I thought I'd share!

I found this torso mannequin at a local second hand store.  I think she'll be great for Sarah's scarves, jewelry and whatever else she wants to put on her, but she's ugly!

Gotta love Target's back to school sales - White glue for 25 cents! and a couple foam brushes...

Thanks again to Donna for scoring a 1930's hymnal from a church rummage sale for me!  So I cut up the pages in random squares...(can you guess yet what I'm gonna do?)

...and started gluing!  (If you said decoupage, you'd be correct!)

...and gluing...and gluing...phew!...all the way around.

The curves were a little tricky to get completely flat, but small pieces help.

I finished with a final coat of glue to seal it all.

So this is Grace.  I really love the way she turned out...

...so much that I'm making her a friend.  Hmmm...she's gonna need a name!

Get your preschool creativeness going, play with some glue and start decoupaging!  Next thing you know I'll be making tissue paper twisties! jk

Have a great one,

Mary

Hi! It's been a while!

OK, so the latter part of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 was a little crazy...you haven't seen us around the blog much...why, you ask?  In a nutshell...

We got a wild hair...

   OK, I got a wild hair...(sheesh!  the look!)
   

Me...I got a wild hair...(Laurie never has a wild hair...literally...she uses really great hair products...anywho...)

 We found a neglected space that needed some Hen lovin...

 Could we do it?

 Would we be biting off too much?

 

 We took a gamble before...so what the heck?

 

 Kinda sentimental leaving our little spot...but excited to decorate the new one!

Packing was fun....

 Yeah...NOT so much! 
 (Laurie's gonna be sure she holds the camera more after she sees these beauties!)

So we signed the lease in January (that's my man...he's not really signing the lease...he's drawing a floor plan - the dressing rooms behind his head need to come down)

 Honey...come out of the closet...

That's better...no more dressing rooms!  We need a stockroom!

Boys will be boys...they still like to break things...and tear things apart...and make noise.  And they made lots of noise!

The stockroom takes shape...with a little help from our friends.  We fed them.  They'd do anything.

Laurie couldn't wait to try the new paint color. (see what I mean, still good hair...)

Just so there's proof I was there...note: not so good hair...yikes!  We look like we're having so much fun, don't we?  I neglected to have the camera the day we were curled up in a ball in the corner sobbing..."What were we THINKING?!"

My church moved us...God love 'em.  They were like little army ants...aaand by that evening everything was unpacked and put in beautiful displays...wait...that's not right...oh yeah, remember that curled-up-in-a-ball thing?  Yep, this is where it comes in.  Note the lumber?  That's right, construction wasn't done yet...product & displays were stacked everywhere...utter chaos.

The City wouldn't let us hang the awning outside...go figure...so we put it over the counter.  We like it better anyway!

It took almost 2 months but we re-opened the end of March, and we love it here!
So there you have it...that's what we've been up to.

Stay tuned for more blogging!

See you soon,
Mary

"Spring" it up!

Spring has definitely sprung in So Cal!  High 80's today and it's only April 1st!  The Lady Bank's roses on my arbor have absolutely exploded in all their tiny little white rose splendor.  I wish so much I had planted them in the front yard instead of the back so everyone could enjoy them.  They only last for a little while and they bloom all at once, but I anticipate their glory every year.

It's time to put away the flannel sheets and heavy down comforters and bring out those crisp clean linens and lighter blankets...something that's on my agenda for this weekend!  Spring also seems to bring out the desire to spruce up and brighten up the indoors a little, as well.  I guess it's because of the gloomy days of winter, (not that we have too many of those here!), but none-the-less, I'm always anxious for a little something new when Spring rolls around.

Sprucing up could be as simple as a couple new dish towels in a bright fun pattern to liven up the kitchen, or some bright flowery scented votive candles in the bathroom...a welcome change from the spicy cinnamon scents of winter.



      I love adding a little nature to the indoors, too.  It could be as simple as some sea shells to a pretty container you already have.  Try pooling them around a pillar candle or fill an old silver bowl or antique compote dish ~ they don't have to go in the bathroom only!

Sea glass is so pretty used in the same way, as well!

If you've ever stopped by the shop, you know that we always have a plethora of little birdies and birds nests....why? ...because we LOVE them!  They are the perfect little pick up item.  They decorate the tiniest little corner anywhere.  They fit in any room and they make a sweet little gift.  And most of all, the SCREAM spring!  Our birds start at $1.95 (what?!!) yes, $1.95 and our little nests start at $1.75 and go up from there.  That's got to be the cheapest Spring decorating ever!

Laurie's mantel

Kitchen Shelf

 

LOVE the domes!  Everything looks better under them!

CRABTREE & EVELYN - IRIS

To honor our new CRABTREE & EVELYN scent IRIS, we will be offering 20% off this fragrance this week!

Exquisitely scented orris, prepared from the root of the iris flower, was highly prized by Renaissance perfumers who used it in their elegant creations. 

In ancient times, orris was mixed with cinnamon and other spices to make love potions. 

The orris is blended with precious sandalwood, sensuous patchouli and a hint of fresh vetiver. 

Vetiver is a tall, dense, wild grass with long narrow leaves and a strand of underground white, yellow and brown roots. It is sought after for its calming, protective, soothing and uplifting characteristics. Vetiver essential oil’s aroma has a smoky woody scent.

We have body lotion, bath & body shower gel, eau de toilette, tripled milled soap, home fragrance spray and scented drawer lining paper.   Come down and take a whiff.  Once you smell it, you'll want to buy it!

Hope to see you this week

~Corrie

New Wood Roses

Okay, so I'm a little out of practice.  We haven't blogged since June 15th and I personally haven't done one since May!  I'm going to start out with something fun and easy. . . our new WOOD ROSES.  These roses are made out of high quality birch wood shavings and come in a glorious assortment of colors. 

All you have to do pick your colors and we can make a 12 bud bouquet~ $6.95 or a 6 bud bouquet~$3.95.  The WOOD ROSES also can be purchased individually for $ .50.  Use the bouquets as thank you gifts, birthdays, school spirit functions, awareness events or just about anything you would use real roses. 

Buy a few to add to your gift wrap- looks great on one of our bags! Add a few to a bottle of wine for a great hostess gift.   Buy one of every color to use as glass charms-everyone has their own or use them as napkin rings- great for a tea party!  The options are endless. 

Hope this inspires you to come down and buy some roses!  Tell us how you use them and we will add it to our blog.
Have a great week and don't forget about our Labor Day Bargain Hunting Sidewalk Sale! 

~Corrie

Chicken on the Loose

So my son's girlfriend has a menagerie of animals in her backyard....2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 goats, a pot belly pig, and several chickens for a start.  I went over to the house the other morning to help them feed this brood before they left on vacation. 

As we walked into the backyard, my son discovered that a chicken had mysteriously escaped the pen and was frantically trying to get back in.  She was ramming her head in the holes of the chain link fence that made up the pen.  My son tried to get her to go back in the little opening in the pen gate but she was confused and kept running past it!  The more he chased her the more she ran, until she was completely on the backside of the pen.  I tried to head her off from the other side but the more we ran, the more she ran, and the more the dogs thought we were playing a wonderful new game!  My big brave son was afraid to catch her for fear that she'd peck him...oh brother! So here we were chasing this chicken, with dogs running and jumping along with us, and cats wondering what was going on and why weren't we just petting their heads!  It was hysterical!

Finally her dog "Bear" got it cornered between the barn wall and the fence so I could run up behind her and grab her.  She let me know in no uncertain terms that she wasn't happy about that!  But I threw her over the top of the pen and she ran under the coop - trembling and shaking from her ordeal, I'm sure!

It was quite an adventure, but this city-girl-Speckled-Hen wrangled her first chicken and she is mighty proud of it!

Here's hoping you find your own adventure this week!
~Mary

The Quest for Treasure

The chicks are heading out this potentially beautiful and sunny holiday weekend in the hopes of finding some wonderful treasures to delight and intrigue our customers.  My absolute favorite thing is finding something to makeover or re-purpose.  Everything looks better with a fresh coat of paint!  I'm hoping to have some before-and-after pics to inspire you.  

Even Laurie has dusted off her paintbrushes and is painting little tiny prints we've framed to sell at the store...imagine owning your own piece of Speckled Hens original artwork!  Too cute!  I guess Corrie's incredible creativity is rubbing off on us.  It's about time, we were getting a little lazy...

Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing holiday weekend!

~Mary