Happy Friday!

Everyone that came into Stifel & Capra today was referred by someone else. That makes me feel really great about the shop and knowing that people feel positive enough about it to tell their friends. Yay!

We have the most glorious selection of things with flowers on them. It's like spring has busted out in the store! Vintage clothes (eco-friendly prom dresses anyone?), a plethora of Hawaiian shirts, and Merry Stitches personal and home accessories look like flower beds.

My mood is clearing not sure if it is the referrals, the sun coming out or Stan Getz playing piano in my ear but hoping you have a happy Friday too!

Viva Italia!

I think it is funny when I am treasure hunting I tend to find things in clumps. Like Italian pottery for example. In the past week I have found wonderful, unusual pieces for the shop. And then researching is like taking a little mini vacation! I learned de Simone the artist of the first 2 shots studied under Picasso (as if we couldn't tell!) and came from the aristocracy in mid century Italy.

The plates below are signed and are apparently from a resort town if my surmise of s/ means Sur Mer or by the sea is correct. Pardon the glare in that photo; the plates are more handsome in person.

I had a busy day of meetings. One of my vintage jewelry buyers confessed to me that she does repairs as part of her jewlery business. THAT opened a BIG can of worms as you could well imagine. We made an appointment and I brought Hazel and bag o' loot. Things that needed clasps, and wires and glue and re-stringing and re-working. She is working up a service contract for Stifel and Capra so if you have things that need to be repaired we should be able to accomodate you! Please let me know if that service should be an asset to you.

I also had a teleconference with a gentleman about beefing up our fine art reproduction capabilities. That raised more questions than it answered frankly but I guess I will learn! I'd much rather just wave my hand and say "let it be done". Hmmm, guess I am not charging enough for that kind of attitude!



Stop in this Saturday if you get a chance! The weather is supposed to cooperate and we have TONS of new items in for you to shop through. Plus if I drink a whole pot of coffee I get a little twitchy and Lord knows I don't need any help there! Enjoy the colors of spring.

A belated Happy Mother's Day

I decided my tension was showing among my friends when they kept asking "So how was YOUR Mother's Day?" in that tone normally reserved for people asking "How ARE you?" when you are really ill. You know the tone I mean! The one that says "I know it's miserable and tell me all about it so I can regale others with the details..." OK, so I know that is a mean and cranky thought and that pretty much sums up how I have been feeling lately!

After 2 weeks of less than charming temper tantrums, an exquisite overarching feeling of being done wrong in every facet of my home life, a crushing sense that I am the only linear member of my household (therefore the only one who can walk in a straight line to get from point a to b), and a general feeling of crushing fatigue I have come to the conclusion today (poor family that it took this long) that I am finally allowing myself to be overwhelmed because my convalescing husband is finally feeling better. Not sure what the psycologists would say about that, but I do know that I do not enjoy being overwrought in any way. It is so not my style. Ask my friends: I am the calm, sane one. That said, thank you, Judy for coming over and helping me on Saturday. I needed it!

On a happier note, Sunday morning we participated in the yearly Pinewood ritual "muffins for Mom" basically it is a pot-luck brunch with some of the neighbors. Lots of coffee, juice, tons of dad-made or bakery goodies, no crazy restaurant lines and great company. It is LOTS of fun! After church my family DID make it out for the annual Mother's day event of buying Mom flowers for the porch. As you can see we picked out some doozies! Our favorite nursery in the area is Craven's http://www.cravensnursury.com/ . They are not the biggest but they have fun things that you don't see everywhere else, not unreasonable prices and super nice staff. I was thinking of my mom a lot this year because her mother passed away recently so this is her first Mother's Day without her mom. It reminded me of my mother-in-law saying she felt like "an orphan" when her adult brother died. It reminds me to appreciate my family, even when they are driving me CRAZY.