I am outta here....

But YOU need to come to the store while I am gone! Keep all of my resident artists on the right path for me will you?

Please remember, we are not participating in this month'sFIRSTfriday celebration but you can read more at http://www.FirstFridayofFallsChurch.com

Do remember out big second annual Birthday sale is Thursday July 9th from 10am to 9pm. Some interim mark-downs have been taken.

I'll be back with a truckful of treasure on July 8th so see you then!

What's Up Magazine - Tip your Hat to

My former colleague, friend and Event Coordinator Joy Hutter called me last Friday and said "I know it is last minute but do I have a deal for you?!" Of course I am slightly suspicious hearing that sentence but it turned out that What's UP Magazine's Annual Best of Annapolis and Eastern Shore 2009 Awards theme was "Tip your HAT to the Best..." and Joy figured between the prize money for best hat and the theme there was be lots of folks wearing hats there but there might be folks that were wishing they were wearing a stylish hat when they got to the event. When you think hats, who do you call? Why me of course, so I loaded up a zillion hats and number one client and friend Diana and we hauled dozens of hats across state lines and set up shop! We had a blast people watching and talking to attendees, award winners and the nicest health inspectors I have ever met! We even sold a hat to the mayor!

We saw swanky hats, vintage hats, hats shaped like hot dogs, and a three foot tall "ducks unlimited " number with ducks swimming the reeds. Very tall, very impressive! Almost as impressive as the Ketel Ice Bar, it was hard to fathom that the thing was actually real. Lots of people snuck up to it and surreptiously put their hands on it to really see if it was frozen. Diana and I had a giggle or three watching them be "sneaky".

The food was superb, the venue lovely, the event went smooth as glass. Thanks for including me, Joy!

Award winners and Hat Models!

Check out ALL of these beauties at last night's What's Up Magazone's Best of Annapolis and Eastern Shore! As it was late in the evening I didn't get everyone's name so if you want photo credit or to tell us about your award leave a comment. If you would like a photographic quality copy of these views please email or call me and I will send you one! Congratulations again!

A VERY eventful weekend.

It might be a indicator of a stressed out mother, but I actually offer my children bribes to avoid sleepovers and ultra zone. "if you DON'T have a birthday party I will give you a hundred dollars." I am sure my mom would think that was crazy but do you know what you spend to take ten kids to the laser tag place or the movies? I am getting off cheap. That's all a preamble to say my little baby boy turned TEN on Friday. Yowzee, seems like only yesterday (fill in the blank).

Son still managed to have a family dinner party with lots of seemingly video related gifts and a rocking birthday cake with dad the former chef's decadent cream cheese chocolate frosting. Oh and Bob also worked up a little flaming Bananas Foster by the birthday boy's request. Roll me onto the sofa. I'm full.

We had a great, steady day in the shop on Saturday, despite the totally schizophrenic weather we had a steady business with a LOT of first time visitors. Hopefully they will all come back and Christmas shop! :o)
Saturday night I had a hot date with my husband to go see the Nationals play down town. Driving downtown was smooth on a Saturday. We arrived to hear the melodious tones of "Oh Canada" wafting in on the breeze. I was confused because MY tickets said they were playing the Padres. Because I grabbed the wrong Saturday seats. Oh, the dread of what could happen. So I entered the Client Services kiosk and said to the guy behind the bullet proof glass"Please help me save my marriage". And son of a gun, he did. Printed us up new tickets with our credit card as a back-up. Now the possible painful part is we told him the seats next to the ones we were supposed to be in so we look like scam artists. Now Bob is playing phone tag with the Manager to make sure we are all square. Crisis adverted. I hope.
Sunday brought yet another example of why my neighborhood ROCKS. We traditionally do a porch sit on Father's Day called "Donuts for Dad", well Phil's lovely wife Sheila decided to up the ante with "pancakes for Pops". The neighbors that were not on vacation got treated to homemade waffles & pancakes and all kind of yummy breakfast casseroles. Yum!!!

A Stifel Family Tradition on Father's Day is I "let" Bob go to the hardware store without much of a budget and NO time limit. As I am tortured by my husband's ability to wander the grocery store for three solid hours you can imagine how long we could be at the Home Depot! This year Bob decided to take his "time" and drive to Pennsylvania and buy fireworks for the 4th of July for himself and his pyromaniac cronies! He DID got stuck in monster traffic so he missed Phil's ART Opening (more on that next time!) and dinner was REALLY late. But he got in a round or two of Risk with the kids and went to sleep with Shagadelic Mojo fireworks dancing in his head! (Yes, that's really the name of one of the displays!)