Sunday, August 31, 2008

Great Finds

Garage sale day yesterday, and did we find some great treasures for the shop.

I will be taking some "before" and "after pictures for you (as soon as I get a new camera),

but, so you'll know what you have to look forward to, one of the best ones was a secretary, and a bench with it!! It is already a shabby white, with the undercoat of green paint showing through.

And I don't mean paint showing through as in it's been sanded to do that, I mean original chips with the green showing through! How special is that?!



We have spent a lot of time working on the new room too. The rustic kitchen side is done, but work is slow on the "girly girly" side. I've decided some of my perfectionism has cropped up again, so I have to put it back in it's box and move on. After all, as soon as something sells the whole thing changes anyway, and you get to do it all over again. That's the fun!



All for now. Enjoy your long weekend.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Store Photos

tea time and bath accessories



My "Pink" place.






Above is a close up of the front of the store.
Thank you Angie, for all the nice photos.












Store Front



This is the front of my store. Cute cottage garden decor, and vintage plant stands.

Treasures from the Heart

Thought I'd better start at the beginning and tell you about the store.

I started my business, Treasures from the Heart, 25 years ago. I taught (and still do teach) decorative painting classes. Over the years that has run the gamut from oils, to country, to roses, stenciling, pen and ink, and anything else in the painting realm we could think of to do. I have painted and sold for many years in this area, and love to share what i have learned with others.

The store is a new adventure. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and May 1st, with much help and support from family and friends we opened the doors to our little gift shop.
It's in an unlikely industrial area, but I know people who love gift shops will find them wherever they are.

I have always loved collecting things, and was running out of room to put all the things I like.
Now all those lovely tea cups, signs, and collectibles have a new home and we've added tea cozies, sachets, soaps, candles, and a wonderful array of hand-crafted gifts by local artists
I'm surrounded with beautiful things.

My other love is garage sales, and that is where I find some of the vintage and cottage decor for the store. I love picking up some piece of furniture and giving it the shabby look, or hand painting roses on a box, or making an old doily into something beautiful again.

We are almost ready to open another room, which will be filled with rustic kitchen ware, and another area for little girls furniture and accessories, and furniture for her doll to use too.

We are already making plans for our Holiday Faire in Nov/Dec. which will include a wider variety of hand-crafted goods.

So, that is the condensed version about my store.
I am having a ball meeting new people as they come into the store, new crafters as we learn
together, and new areas of creativity as I venture out into the world fabric and lace, Victorian purses, and fancy candles.

Hope you will come by soon, and enjoy the store with me.

With gratefulness to the Lord for this wonderful opportunity.

Barbara Jean Simmons

Treasures from the Heart
90034 Prairie Rd
Eugene 97404
hours: Thursday- Saturday 12-6

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Work Day

Monday was a workday at the shop. Scott, my husband of almost 40 years, was back from a visit with his family, and he took an extra day off to get some of those "manly" chores done.
So, now we have better lighting in the garage and storage rooms (working with wirinig makes me nervous and not something I feel daring enough to try), and, my new sign is up!
I do need to say however, that it sure looks small, ( it looked fine as a sandwich board on the sidewalk, but on the 8' post it looks smaller). We are already planning a new one but it usually takes us awhile to get going on something.
Scott promises not to strangle me, although I'm sure he must be tempted. =0))
I also got a lot of sorting done, a couple more shelf brackets up, and some rearranging of furniture.

I have noticed one thing different about Scott and I in the area of taking on projects. He chooses a project and sticks with it till it is done. I, however, have 20 (at least) going at the same time, and never (well, i shouldn't say never, but it seems like it) get one whole thing done. I think it is just the difference between men and women. We are just wired differently. After all these years I am finally startng to learn some of these things, and it sure makes life easier.
We read a book on that very subject some time ago. Sometime maybe I'll give you a quick recap and maybe it will help you too.

All for today. Need to get some things done.
Blessings on your day. =0))