Blessed New Year to all

My honey would really like all cleaning and purging posts to stop since he says it means more work for him. He is beginning to hate the word simplify. We spent most of last Sunday purging the basement. Now it's only one small room. At one time it was the coal cellar, we had turned it into storage. One load to recycling, one to Goodwill and one to the dump and you can actually walk on the floor. No more climbing up and over piles of stuff and yuck. It is organized and logical and somewhat clean and should stay that way for awhile. Till the next time we don't know what to do with something and into the basement it will go. So another major project is done.It feels so good to get the big ones done. This weekend, after we take down Christmas, he can rest.
Stop by the shop next week the primroses will arrive on Monday. Can spring be far behind. Have a blessed new year everyone......

The day after

We hope all had a wonderful time with friends and family. We have eaten way to much around here. Horatio is hibernating this weekend and will be awake and ready for business on Tuesday.For the first time in three years all seven of our children, my cousin's two and my five, were home for Christmas. When they were little, it was tradition that they sit on the steps in my cousin's entry way for pictures. The last time they ranged in age from 11 to 27. Now they are 24 to 39 but they literally squeezed onto the steps to pacify their mothers. This year we also got my five grandbabies on the steps. I'm having trouble adjusting to my first born turning 4o in February. Where did the time go???? So on my first day off in weeks, what do I do why go to Christmas sales to replace the 6 dozen Christmas tree balls that the cats and Hannah's tail have broken in the last couple of years. Now, since it's so cold outside I'm also defrosting our big old freezer, so it's back to reboiling my kettles of water. Happy weekend.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all........

We're having a heat wave

Wow it's almost 35 degrees and it's 10:30 at night. It's almost warm. Today was clean and decorate day at home. It was suppose to snow so we decided to go early to the market and to pick up the tree. Then we could clean house and decorate and enjoy the snow. Well the kitchen is clean, the living room is clean and decorated, the tree is up but still naked.It snowed for a few seconds here and there. Such a disappointment. Maybe tomorrow it will snow for a bit while I finish decorating the dining room. The plan is to put the lights on the tree too, but not the ornaments. They'll have to wait a day or so. We've got our son's kitten and it's his first Christmas. In the kitten world trees are really great jungle gyms, at least for a day or so. Mr Mittens is having great fun tonight.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

It is officially 13 degrees in Puyallup. Wow a warming trend. At 7:00 this morning it was 11.3 degrees. I am now officially praying for snow, because then the temp will rise and it will be almost a heatwave. At least we have sun so it is beautiful. The cold is an excellant excuse for hot chocolate with whipping cream.

Sunday is the last Sandpoint show of the year. I love to go up to Sandpoint. Sometimes the treasures are remarkable and awesome sometimes not. But it is always a fun show and means a day in Seattle. We have this routine Sandpoint, Anthropology,William and Sonoma, Ravena Gardens, estate sales, downtown to see the Christmas windows. Just a fun get a way day. The last show, in October, we had less then an hour, at Sandpoint, then back home for two different birthday celebrations. Once again it will be a quick trip. This time it's the grandbabies, a piano rectital and a fifth birthday. Ezra is so excited to be turning 5. It seems like he was just born last week. So we will do the quick trip through, absorb the energy and creative flow and then hurry back down the highway to home. Seattle will still be there another day, but our grandbabies are in such a hurry to grow up we cherish our time with them.

Happy Thanksgiving

In retail we think Christmas for months and set up the day after Halloween, so it is easy to forget the other two holidays that come before. In just a day it will be Thanksgiving. So quickly this year has passed. My thankful list includes that all five of our children, my two daughter in loves and our grandbabies will all be home this year. No fly in for the day for our daughter because she had to be back at work on Friday. She has moved home at least for awhile. She needed home as much as we needed her. My cousins husband is home safe from Pakistan and we will all be together. I am grateful and thankful for my family and friends and for all the good in our lives. Enjoy your families, eat alot, wash tons of dishes, play games and just be......
Happy Thanksgiving from the bear and his human.

Twas the month before Christmas

and all through the shop all the creatures were stirring. Well accept for the mouse. You see, we don't seem to have one. We humans are moving things about and bringing out Christmas, no time for our long winter's nap. Open house is coming November 20th and 21st and we are almost ready. There are exciting things happening all through the house. The bears are all atwitter, no time for hibernation, they've spoken to Santa and given him their lists. It seems they have all asked for only one thing. They each want a home of their own for Christmas this season. So... for the first time ever my bear babies will be on sale November 20th through December 5th. Stop by and help them find their perfect homes.
Also, during those same two weeks, it's bow tying time. Bring your own ribbon or buy it from us and we'll tie your wreath bow for $5.00.
We've got some new packages of ribbons,vintage lace and other bits and pieces wrpped and ready to give. The perfect gift for your ribbon lover.

We just finished our last bear show of the year. The best part of any show is seeing old friends and fellow vendors. I come away feeling truely blessed. The worst part of doing a show is the unpacking and putting things away and cleaning up the mess I always make in the shop when I pack for a show. That, however, is a project for Monday. Blessed be to all

Rainy Days

As much as I would rather have customers, I will admit I enjoyed today's rain. A few brave souls were out and about and almost giddy in their joy of a rainy stormy day. I spent my day getting things ready for this weekend's doll and bear show at the Puyallup fairgrounds. I organized yards and yards of lace and worked on the Christmas plans. But the most fun of all was having grandbaby number 5 for the afternoon. Noah belongs to child number 2, Matthew, and Mom and Dad had school conferences with the older ones, so grammie got Noah. He is 23 months and so fun. We spent alot of time reading Goodnight Moon. It has always been his favorite, and was his daddy's too. Then he helped me around the shop. He loves to draw and color. An artist in training.

Sandpoint

We made a very quick run to Sandpoint yesterday. I wanted to shop. It was so wow.....but, as I was constantly reminded, we were there to drop off a pink bear for the Funky Junk pink tree and if I could do that and shop in my time frame have at it. There was so much to see so.... at least the bear was dropped of at the Retreat space. I came away excited about all the fun things that I saw. Normally Sandpoint means a day trip to Seattle. We do all the stuff we enjoy with no schedule, with of course lunch at Dicks's. This time we had two different birthday parties to attend. They were great fun also so it was a great day.

October

It seems fall is really here. It is such a busy month. The need to nest and get the last minute get ready for winter things done is strong. The shop is done in fall colors and ready to warm your heart. The chocolate candles are burning. Stop by and say hello, we are madly getting ready for the October 17 and 18 bear show at the Puyallup fairgrounds. The fur is flying so to speak. Enjoy this week of sunshine.

One more day and the Puyallup fair is over. Oh happy day!!!! We who live with the fair grow very weary of the whole mess. Then there is the topic of what the fair does to our businesses. There is a reason many close for vacation or shorten their hours. So next week we will celebrate another fair over and life begins again. The quiet two weeks is nice in some respects. Store rooms get cleaned, walls get painted, floor sets are changed and we actually get to visit with each other. But like any vacation we are looking forward to regular hours and seeing our customers again.
Next weekend is the Art and Wine Walk from 3:00 to 7:00 pm here in downtown Puyallup. The tickets are $20.00 for eight tastes. This fall we will be featuring blended wines to go with our theme "Come Together". Please join us.

Wow, I've decided I'm way to old to do far away one day shows. We left at 4:00 am this morning to be in Portland in plenty of time to set up for the Crossroads Doll and Bear Show.We were home by 8:00 pm so now I've been up for 18 hours and have gotten by second breath. Soon I will crash, but it was great to see old friends. The three bears, pictured, made the journey and all three came home again, so they are still available. Enjoy the weekend.

This year for the fall Art and Wine Walk on October 3rd, we will be making an Art and Wine Walk bear. Starting this week we will be checking out the mohair and picking the right piece. Stop by over the next few weeks to watch our bear's creation and enter the drawing for a chance to win him or her. The drawing will be on October 3rd at 6:00 pm during the Art and Wine Walk. We will also be accepting donations of new stuffed animals for Grannies Attic here in Puyallup. Any type of soft loveable stuffed critters are welcome though we have a special fondness for bears.

Polar, is a bear on all fours. He is made of white sparse mohair and views his world through glass eyes. Please email for more information horatios@peoplepc.com.

Meet Jasper, a 12 inch mohair gentlebear, made of mohair

with German wool felt paw pads and vintage shoe button eyes.

He is Henry's very best friend. If interested please email

horatios@peoplepc.com for more information.

This

Meet Henry, a 12 inch mohair young gentleman, with German
wool felt paw pads and vintage shoe button eyes. He is stuffed with poly
fiber and plastic pellets. He is looking for a good home. For more information
please email horatios@peoplepc.com.