Our Hearts Go Out to Napa, Sonoma & Santa Rosa

We have added a Napa/Sonoma/Santa Rosa Donation option to our Giving Back Program. Here's a link so you can learn how you can help. As you'll see we have left the choice of group fairly open in order to lend support to local grassroots type groups.

Our hearts are broken as we continue to watch the effects of the fires and the generous individuals coming from near and far to lend a helping hand. As you may remember, I had the good fortune to live in Mill Valley and work in San Francisco for a few years. Northern California will always hold a special place in my heart. I am happy to lend help wherever I can and so I am asking you to do the same.

It Started with Gucci!

I have had so much fun this past month creating a stream of Style Story posts for my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds. If you don’t follow me on any of these platforms you might want to start — I’ve made it easy with all the social buttons over there in the right hand column. Click on any of them and you are whisked to that particular feed where you can follow me. Any how — I thought it would be fun to replay a few of my favorite selections here.

Keeping it Normal in the Age of Digital

No matter how much control you think you have in life — events come along that prove how wrong you are. Last October, my brother lost his four-year battle with a hideous disease called Myesthenia Gravis. He was just short of his 71st birthday - much too young to leave this place. My brother, who had been my protector in the early years of my life in so many ways, and who continued to be my friend as adults, was gone…just like that. He was a big strong guy as long as I can remember — older brothers are always that, right? It was really hard to watch as a disease destroyed his body and his strength day by day. 

Amethyst & the Color Purple

Who doesn’t love the color purple? Well, okay, I am sure there are some of you out there that aren’t nuts about it…and that’s okay. No judgement…remember? We all sit at the same table, right? That being said, I am one of the people who happens to love the color purple; but with limits. I don’t think I would wear purple from head to toe…but wait, I do own purple loafers so I guess I do wear it on my toes! 

A New Kid in Town?

trlplansandprints.etsy.com

There are two consistent long-running loves in my life — rocks and paper. (Did you think I was going to name people? Sorry!) Over the years, it’s no surprise, I have parlayed my love of rocks and created my jewelry biz, which I still so enjoy. Recently, while it has been officially in the works for the past eighteen months, I finally shared my latest baby with a few of you; and I'm thinking it's time to bring it out of hiding. So, on that note, I’m blending my two loves, although a little diverse, by introducing my papergoods biz here.

Red Hills Market — What a Treat!

Hooray! finally got to Red Hills Market in Dundee. For those of you not familiar with Oregon, Dundee is situated in the Wine Country of the Willamette Valley, hence the name, Willamette Wine Country. Clever how that works. While I am in Dundee regularly to catch up with my the hair guru, once I am back on the road heading home, it’s hard to get me to stop. Silly I know considering Red Hills Market is less than a mile from my hairdresser! But that’s who I am -- a homing pigeon, of sorts.

An Orchard of a Certain Age

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted here — seems like time is running at a break neck pace these days. And, honestly, I was (am maybe still am) having a bit of blog burnout tossed with a heavy dose of the winter blues. That being said…I think I am back…at least for the day!

Lingering in the Splendor of Fall

Is it just me or have retailers been pushing christmas and gift-buying a bit earlier than usual this year? Seems that emails about getting a jump on Black Friday and the holidays and “last chance” opps are triple what they have been in the past.  Yes, I’m a retailer…but I’m not ready to push the holidays just yet! I remember, back in the late 70s (yes, I am that old) when I had my Country Peddler brick and mortar stores, my clients would clamor and beg for holiday decorative pieces to be put out in September instead of the first day of November. I made the mistake of sharing with a few of them that all of the holiday items were ordered the prior January, received in July and were sitting in the Country Peddler warehouse, tagged and ready to go when I made the switch from fall to Christmas and Hanukkah! Big mistake! The second year, I did acquiesce and changed the shop over to holiday on October 10th!! Loyal customers were parked out front waiting for me to open the doors at 10:00 just so they could get first dibs on all the delightful goodies.