Christmas Open House at The Hen House

I got some pictures today from a customer in PA - Mary Lynch and her sister Cheryl who own The Hen House in Macungie. From what I recall, The Hen House actually IS the original hen house on Mary's farm. One day I hope to visit it for myself. Take a look at the fun things they had in the shop for their Christmas Open House.

I love these little guys!!!

Hope you enjoyed the little tour as much as I did! Be sure to drop in and see Mary and Cheryl. The store is open Thursday - Saturday.
The Hen House
3125 Seisholtzville Road
Macungie, PA 18062
610-845-3505

More info about the Country Sampler Ad

Here ya go! Click the photo above for the direct link to my Virginia House Swag Curtains on www.countrysampler.com. I'm pretty excited and happy how my first product ad in the magazine turned out. Of course you can order directly through www.homesweethomespuns.com too.

Also check out the chenille snowman basket from my good friend Cindy Work of Cindy's Workshop.

Click on the photo above or go to www.picturetrail.com/cindysworkshop for more details. Cindy has several items still on-line. Just plug in Cindy's Workshop in the search box at www.countrysampler.com to see all her items.

This week will prove to be one of the busiest so far before the holidays. Several customers are needing/wanting their orders in time for Thanksgiving, so we'll be sewing, sewing, sewing! Sure wish I had time to make my own living room curtains! I think I'm like the shoemaker's daughter.

What's important to you?

For someone who is rarely at a loss for words, sometimes it's just plain hard to keep up with bloggin'. I tend to think, "Why would anyone want to read my blog?" Especially this time of year, I'm very much in ROBOT MODE so life is pretty predictable and boring. My typical day: Look at the orders on hand, answer e-mails, send out fabric swatches, order fabrics for new jobs, delegate orders to my contract seamstresses, SEW, SEW, SEW, package orders, start all over! Oh, and every now and then, I need to make a trip to the grocery store. It's a crazy busy time of the year, and it will be even more so this Christmas season with our ad in Country Sampler Magazine. Thank goodness for Carol, who is handling the bulk of the sewing for the Virginia House Swag Curtains. I am SO-O blessed to have found her! Also Jan and Dee who have been a tremendous asset this year. I think we're turning into a very good team.

Anyway, today was one of those days that I planned to bury myself in my workshop. I'd already lost a day yesterday with attending a funeral and helping with the dinner at my church. I KNEW I had to grocery shop sometime, but hey, what's more important- getting orders completed or having food in the house? I got an early start and was making progress. . . until my DIL phoned. She was coming across town to shop at our favorite Food Outlet and thought we might hook up while she and Randy Gunner-man were in town. Sew? Meet Randa? Sew? Meet Randa ~ so I headed to the Outlet Store thinking I'd get there around the same time. 'Cept she wasn't there; she'd stopped at an antique/estate liquidation store down the road and was quite happy with what she was seeing. Off I went to the antique store, and was I glad I went! The owner was a sweetheart, and she even set up a video of Beauty and the Beast for Randy while Mom and Grandma browsed. Randa found a beautiful couch that will go perfectly in their living room! It was a great deal with a nice mark-down by the store owner. I also got a vintage set of children's dishes, cups, and pitchers - 31 pieces for $10.00. Randa said she had a set just like it as a little girl, and now Grandma can have tea parties with Natalie and Kaylee. After stops at the Outlet, Marc's, Giant Eagle, the post office, and The Olde Picket Fence, I headed back to JoAnn Fabrics for a few supplies. Finally got home, unloaded the groceries, made supper, and got a couple of hours sewing in this evening. I didn't get all my intended list done today, but I got to spend some quality girl time with my DIL, got the pantry stocked again, and still got two orders done and shipped. I feel really, really good about that couch too as it was much needed.

The moral of this story is: Remind myself to not let "things" or my "list" become more important than the people I love. After seeing the grief of a family who lost their 21-year old son in an auto accident, it puts time spent in perspective. I'm glad I made the right choice today.

Randa Yoak, my daughter-in-law

The Country Sampler Magazine Ad is Out!

Finally! The Primitives issue of The Country Sampler Magazine came today, and you can see our Virginia House Swags on Pgs. 148-149. Here is a scanned photo of the room display. I'm pretty pleased for my first actual product ad in the Country Sampler Magazine!

Page 148

You can see this style of Virginia House Swags on our website - www.homesweethomespuns.com

Primp Your Pad

I snagged these photos off Linda's blog of the Va. House Swags we made her this past summer. If you haven't checked out her blog, Primp Your Pad, please do so. She has a wealth of decorating ideas and she features tons of prim homes and gardens as well as her store. Linda's home will be featured in the upcoming 2009 Country Sampler Home Tour Edition.

Linda chose H70 Mustard/black Windowpane fabric for her curtains. You will be able to see this style in the Red/tea dye ticking in the soon-to-arrive Dec-Jan Country Sampler Magazine. Can't wait!

Holiday Open House

Saturday, November 8th, is the big week-end around our area for Holiday Open Houses. That includes The Olde Picket Fence in Hartville, which is the home base for my curtain display since 2000. This is the 20th year for Wanda, and the store looks awesome! Check out the pics I snapped yesterday as the crafters are transforming their booths from Fall/Harvest to Christmas holiday mode. The theme this year is "Sleigh Bells Ring."

Ellie is the owner of this antique sleigh.

Oh my, those snowballs will melt in the 70 degree weather we enjoyed yesterday! Not to fear, the weather forecast says cooler days are coming this week-end.

Welcome to The Olde Picket Fence!

The front entrance to the store showcases a mix of items.

My curtain display with a few seasonal items.

Suzie D's appliqued tees and hoodies (Vendor 46)

Tammy's painted tees and sweatshirts (Vendor 49)

Patti & Blair White offer lots of homemade goodies. Blair is a tinsmith who makes barn stars and tin swag hooks to name a couple. (Vendor 91)

I love what Brenda did with this old ladder. The honeysuckle vines and lights are true prim decorating. Lots of reproduction furniture and home accents in this booth. (Vendor 35)

Our Woodshop (Vendor 34) takes up the back room of the store. Thomas and Kathy Jones will knock your socks off with the reproduction furniture they make.

The prim room is one of the new additions to the store. Lynn Ann and Cindy really know how to capture the early primitive decorating. I could stay in that room all day. (Vendors 52 & 55)

Mary and her daughter adjoin the prim room and have lots of prim goodies and altered art items. (Vendor 51)

Diane really shines at the holidays with her woodcrafts. She's responsible for all the snowmen in the window boxes outside the store. (Vendor 59)

I always look forward to Open House week-end. This year I will meet some friends for an early breakfast at Helen's Kitchen. After that, we plan to hit some of the other stores and craft shows before I work the afternoon shift at The Olde Picket Fence. This is the kick-off to the Christmas and Holiday shopping, a little earlier than most years. It's hard to think snow and Christmas after a string of 60-70 degree days this week. Definitely not typical NE Ohio weather for this time of the year, but I'm not complaining!

Signing off for now. . . .