Sad news....

Thank you everyone who shopped and supported the store.  Unfortunately we were forced to close our doors earlier this year.  Things just weren't meant to be at this time, perhaps we can come back stronger in the future.  Thanks for the great time.

Goodbye to Summer

Cooler temperatures are finally here.  Now begins that special schizophrenic time of year, where the day time highs can still reach the 90's and the night time lows make you wish you had a sweater!  But before summer comes to an official end on September 23rd, you still have time for one more big BBQ blowout.  Now, we all know the staples for a great grilling experience, hamburgers and hotdogs.  But if you want to take advantage of the last few long days, you have to spice it up and stretch it out. 

A great recipe for getting it started is a delicious BLT dip that I found in Taste of Home's August issue.  It is really simple and so darn good.  All you need are 6 little ingredients!
1 cup (8 oz) of sour cream
1 cup of your favorite Mayo
4 oz shredded cheese (I love sharp cheddar)
1 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (too hot to stand over a stove still?  Try precooked bacon, zap them in the microwave a little longer than recommended to get them nice and crispy)
1 Tablespoon green onions
Mix this all together and enjoy on crackers or chips.

Since this dip whips up in a single bowl, mix it in your pretty crockery to take it from fridge to table with as few dishes as possible!

We know all that hard work making that dip (no one has to know it took less than 10 minutes) will make you thirsty.  Now, a beer is great with brauts, but sometimes it isn't appropriate.  So we found a recipe that gives that summer time staple, Lemonade, a taste-lift with the iconic flavor of watermelon!

Watermelon Lemonade
6 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 large lemons), 4 squeezed lemons reserved
4 cups chopped watermelon

Bring the water, salt and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove the pan from heat, add reserved lemons, cover and let stand for 10 minutes (this is your syrup).  While that is sitting, puree the chopped melon in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of water.  Pour syrup and watermelon puree through a strainer into a pitcher.  Stir in lemon juice. This lemonade can be made up to one day ahead.

Don't forget to decorate for your party.    Never underestimate the value and versatility of a terracotta pot!  Paint them or leave them natural and you can use them to hold utensils.  Line them with parchment and you can use them as serving bowls (new ones only please, and give them a good wash just in case they come in contact with the food).  Large ones filled with sand can be used to hold tiki torches (tacky I know, but we love them anyway) or citronella garden candles.

You can even use them to hold wine glass and wine bottle stakes, like this one (left) from giftedgrape.com.

Galvanized buckets and tin pails are great for BBQ's too.  A large bucket (like a #10 washtub) can be filled with ice for use as a cooler.  Smaller pails can be used like the terracotta pots above.  You can buy painted or plain metal ones.  Dress them up with a bandana folded into a triangle and then tied around the pail "bandito" style.  Fill them with flowers, candles or anything else that strikes your fancy. 

Most of all have fun, summer only comes (and goes) once a year.  Try to remember the feeling you had as a kid, the excitement of summer and the promise of fall.  Of course, you aren't a kid anymore, so don't forget the sun block.  Saddle bag skin is so last year, people (http://www.skincancer.org/Go-With-Your-Own-Glow/).

Finally....

The kids have gone back to school, and you know what that means: before long they will be Batman and Princesses, kittys and pumpkins.  Only one thing comes after that...Christmas.  Ok, I know it is still hot out there, so there will be no herald angels harking quite yet.  But we are thinking about it, and we know you are too, even if you don't admit it.  Well, we are going to make that "most wonderful time of the year" a little less stressful and a little more wonderful.  September 3rd we are hosting a Sip N Shop, grown ups only please, to debut our newest additions to our family of quality products.  Stop in and see our varied stock of toys, including Melissa & Doug's line of quality wood educational toys.  We will be open from 7-9 pm for this exclusive shopping experience and will be providing drinks and dessert.  While you browse the store, you will be able to take advantage of special discounts only for those who attend, as well as learn more about our exciting "Letter to Santa" service.  We will provide wish lists that you can fill out, gift certificates for purchase, and free gift wrapping on anything bought that night!  We will see you there!

Friday the 13th! Yikes?

Friday the 13th is traditionally an unlucky day. And while I have always known this, I have never known why. So I went on a quest to find out the history of this unluckiest day. First of all, I found out there is a name for the fear inspired by this day; it is friggatriskaidekaphobia. This word was coined in 1911 and appeared in “mainstream” in 1953.


According to the Wikipedia, one theory states that it is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions: that thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day.



In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.



Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century's The Canterbury Tales, and many other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects. Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s. It has also been suggested that Friday has been considered an unlucky day because, according to Christian scripture and tradition, Jesus was crucified on a Friday.



But whatever the origin, we can be sure that it is another reason to party! Why not throw a Friday the 13th Freak Out party, with some simple decorations and a roaring good time? Make sure you invite the appropriate number of guests, 12, so that with you included you have a total of 13 people. Start the party off right with an open ladder in front of your door, so that all who enter will have to pass under it. Open some colorful umbrellas and sprinkle them around the room. Horseshoes hung so they point down would make great decorations at the corner of a “Friday the 13th” banner. If you were interested in party games you could toss PLASTIC mirrors to each other, until someone drops it. You could have saltshaker relay games. Be sure to incorporate your favorite superstitions while you are thumbing your nose at traditional fears.



What ever you decide to do for entertainment, make sure you remove all solid wood items from reach…there will be no knocking on wood at this party!

Sweet taste of summer

So summer is upon us, beating down with a vengence.  But don't let that heat keep you from entertaining.  With a little planning you can still have a wonderful get together, without over heating.  One of my favorite ways to keep cool is with a tall frosted glass of Sangria.  And the best place to find delicious recipes for Sangria is at http://www.easysangriarecipes.com/.  My favorite is their Cherry Cherry Sangria. 

To whip up this easy drink all you need is the following:
1 Orange
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 Medium all purpose apple, pared, cored and sliced
1 cup pitted cherries
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
3/4 cup brandy
1 (750 milliliter) bottle of dry red wine
1 (12 oz) can lemon-lime soda (to taste)
1 cup orange juice (to taste)
Slice the fruit into thin rounds. Place the citrus in a pitcher with the apples, cherries and pineapple.  Pour in the brandy and refridgerate for 2 hours.  During this time, chill the bottle of wine, the soda and the orange juice.  Gently crush the marinate fruits with a spoon, then stir in the wine, soda and juice.  Add additional brandy or orange juice to taste.

And of course, you will need an appetizer, but who wants to heat up the kitchen?  With this delicious recipe from the October 2007 issue of Southern Living you can have a finger food that will taste like it took hours.

Marinated Mozzarella
3 8oz blocks of mozzarella
1 8.5 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes, drained and halved
1/2 c olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
garnish: flat-leaf parsley or fresh rosemary stems

Cut the blocks of cheese into 1 inch cubes.  Arrange cubes and tomato halves in an 8-inch baking dish.
Whisk together the olive oil, chopped parsley adn the next 6 ingredients.  Pour evenly over cheese cubes.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.  Transfer mixture to a serving plate.  Garnish with fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, or spear tomato halves and cheese cubes with short rosemary stems, if desired.  Drizzle with marinade if desired.  Serve these with wheat crackers or thin slices of french bread.

Now you have a few ideas, so get out there and party to beat the heat.  But remember to encourage your guests to drink responsibly.

Tis the season.....Spring!

I don't know what genuis designated winter as the "gift giving season" because he obviously wasn't paying very much attention to Spring!  And really, why limit anything as great as giving (and getting) gifts to one season anyway?  Along with Easter, mothers day and fathers day here are some great reason to give and get gifts:
March 30th-National Doctor Day (nothing says thanks for the colonoscopy like a nice box of truffles)

April 4th- Tell a Lie Day (If you celebrate this one you better have some jewelry waiting for your wife to make up for it!)

April 7th-No Housework Day (check out our aprons for a great gift idea!)

April 10th-Golfers Day (how about getting him FOUR gifts?  Ok-that was cheesy....sorry)

April 23rd-Lovers Day (do you really need an explanation?  It's like Valentines Day without the little man in a diaper)

April 27th-Tell a Story Day (how about a great journal for your story teller?)

April 28th-Great Poetry Reading Day (journals would also be great here-for the great and not so great poet in your life!)

May 4th-National Teacher Day (sorry we don't sell ear plugs and Prozac-but I am sure we can fine something nice for the people who put up with our kids at least half the day!)

May 6th-Beverage Day (we have great wine glasses, as well as some adorable friendship tumblers)

May 11th-Eat what you want Day (and we want Ice Cream-a nice ice cream dish set would be a perfect gift on this day)

May 16th-Wear Purple for Peace Day (we have some beautiful purple shawls that would be great on this day)

We are always here to help you find an excuse...er....reason to give and get! Oh by the way, happy Waffle Day!

french fries, french kiss....french maid?

This is not your mothers apron!  Since Adam and Eve made the first aprons from leaves man and woman alike have used aprons.  Now, fashion and function have collided (with a dash of humor) and there are a wide variety of aprons available.   We carry PVC aprons in bright, bold and fun patterns that will repel water as well as that spagetti sauce.  Besides the french maid, we have cheerleader, hula dancer and ballet dancer patterns.   Each PVC apron also has matching rubber gloves.  We also carry fashionable fabric aprons in adorable patterns, for women and girls.  Not to leave out men, we have some great butcher aprons with witty grillin' sayings (I turn Grills on and My grills hotter than yours). 

Super hat!

It's a bandana! It's a hat!  It's a bandana hat!  These things are adorable and they are going like hotcakes!  The great thing about these hats is that they will fit anyone, adults and children!  The basic principle is a bandana with a bill, so you simply tie them around your head and adjust them as needed!  I can't gaurantee you will look this cute, but I promise you your friends will love it!  We carry a variety of colors and the price is unbelieveable!    I wouldn't wait too long though, they are flying off the rack!

20 questions

What is better than a game of 20 questions?  Maybe one of these adorable question games by The  Box Girls!  With fun themes, and hilarious questions, these games cover any occassion!  From baby showers, to wedding showers, girls night out and slumber parties, you will get to know your BFF's better than you ever have before, and have a hilarious time doing it!