Happy Friday! I think I have sufficiently recovered from my jet lag, however, the euphoria from my trip is still lingering!

I've spent today in the shop brainstorming "Spring." Always a hard season for me.. just not into the cutesy pastels and what I call "bunny-chicky" stuff. Next week I need to get out into the big world and do some research on what direction the shops are heading as we move into February. Of course I will be receiving new stock over the next 3 months.. lots of small wooden cupboards, new linens from Family Heirloom Weavers, new pillar candles and much much more.

Redid my master bedroom before I went on my trip and my guest bedroom was the unfortunate recipient of all the red things I stripped out of there. So I think I will start sorting through that mess tonight (but it's so much easier to just close the door!) A few things will go on EBay, some will make their way down to the shop and others will just go in the "decorating closet" for the next time I change something around. The main things I am waiting for to finish the redo are the homespun duvet I ordered at the PA show and I need to make a decision about lampshades.

Also on the agenda for this weekend is clearing out the dining room - that was my dumping ground for all the goodies I bought at the Cash & Carry... some are for the spring open house so they will need to find a new hiding place until we get closer to March. Come to think of it, once I get that guest bedroom cleaned up I can stash them in there. :>) Oh it never ends!!!

Well I have to say... this has been a MOST overwhelming trip! I arrived in Pennsylvania at about 5:00pm on Weds and have been immersed in primitive country ever since. WOW. Here are a few highlights so far:

• While waiting for my van shuttle, I bumped into Kathy and Sharon from my favorite store of all time... The Country Loft!! Who would have thought that an Oregonian would see people she knows from San Diego in Philadelphia! Of course I figured they would be coming to PA for the Market, I never dreamed we'd share a van ride from the airport! That was very cool....
• I have filled an entire suitcase full of "Cash & Carry" items... oh if I only had a truck and trailer, I could have spent a mint!!
• I met Irvin Hoover, of Irvin's Country Tinware!!
• I have placed TONS of orders for wonderful new goodies.. many "Made in America"
• I am heading over to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner! (or is it lunch... I am still on West Coast time...)

That's all I have to share right now... I am still trying to soak it all in and get my game plan for some ordering tomorrow. The show ends at 3pm tomorrow and I am transferring hotels right afterward, so I am across the street from the airport (currently 30 mins away). I'll probably blog more tomorrow evening!

Well I am being true to my word about posting every Friday... although I can't think of a whole bunch to post about!

Very quiet in the shop today... January is usually the slowest month and this one's coming in true to form. That only make me wish I were home decorating something, anything! I was surfing around this morning and saw THE most gorgeous master bedroom... done in all cream, black and brown, with mocha colored walls and toile valances. Oh my I was ready to redo my whole room right then and there. My master is still the same as it was shown in the Country Sampler Fall issue... Pottery Barn "Margaret" collection in red. I do so love it but also love a change so my mental wheels are a-turnin!! My bed is matte black iron and I already have the cream colored quilt, so it wouldn't take too very much to change it over... some pillow cases, a new duvet, some different lampshades, toile drapes... hmmm......

I recently had my master bathroom painted and aside from one wall cabinet, I haven't put any of the decor back in. I'm just not sure what to do with it. I have a new PB shower curtain (Mum pattern.. cream background with shades of dark mustard, spring green and rusty-red orange). We have an awkward space between the two mirrors that I've never quite known what to do with. I have a couple ideas but hate to put holes in the wall in fresh paint until I know for sure.

My next post will be from Valley Forge, PA and I am sure all those primitive country goodies will put me in seventh heaven. Woo hoo!

New shop pics as promised

Happy New Year!!

Oh I just have to laugh at myself... I haven't posted to my blog since the middle of November. That is just so silly! We've all been busy but for Heaven's sake..

Well Happy New Year all! I hope you had a wonderful Holiday season and that 2010 finds you well. Don't we all remember the "crisis" of Y2K? Hard to believe that was TEN YEARS ago. We went to ridiculous lengths to prepare the workplace for the "big crash" that was sure to happen.. each supervisor had phone calling lists in case the "worst" happened, things were backed up and saved and re-saved... and then NOTHING! My boss and I became fond of saying "There's always Y3K to worry about next" :>)

In 10 short days I am Philadelphia bound! I am so excited to go to the big wholesale market I can hardly stand it! I have such wonderful visions of what I will find.. I am armed with my notebook to record ideas in each night. The show is partially "Cash and Carry" but the "Carry" part of that equation is a little challenging when you live thousands of miles away. The airlines new rules about luggage dont make it any easier. So I will likely do mostly ordering and we can look forward to new goodies in February.

Last Sunday my BF helped me re-do the entire shop and strip down all the Christmas. WOW that is a chore. We moved everything over to the clearance area and you can imagine how much cleaning was needed from all those glittery, flakey things... not to mention the metal "glitter" that invariably falls off the bottlebrush trees. The challenge for the rest of that day was moving things around to make it look different, and then filling in all the holes left by Christmas. I think we pulled it off! It is so refreshing to look at different displays.

I've snapped a few pictures... and promise to tell you all about the big show when I get back! Ta-Ta for now!!