Getting Ready For Homecoming

It is time to get ready for fall and the high school homecoming. I love homecoming, the bells, ribbons, sparkle and all that. I get really into it. I made all of my own mums when I was in school .
This was the display for the trinkets to choose from last year, I wanted to make something different.

I took an old picture frame and cut Styrofoam to fit inside and then covered it with red fabric

I then secured the Styrofoam to the frame by stapling ribbons across the back

I hid the back of the frame with fabric and then hung the frame from the ceiling with red tulle

Here is a look, I will show you more when everything is done.

These are my favorite mum trinkets, I love the way they sound when they blow in the wind and make a clinking sound. Is homecoming a big deal where you live?

A Money Tree

A conversation was started about our local animal shelter. I am telling this story second hand so it might not be exactly correct but here is my version...

"We need something for the community animal shelter."

"You need more money, for something? You know, I don't have a money tree."

That is where I came in. The person requesting the funds came to me and asked if I could make a money tree for him. He wants to give it to the other person as a lighthearted joke. He even brought me the money and a few branches to get me started. How nice!

After he leaves I have to run to the neighboring town to make a delivery. On my return trip I spot the perfect little dead tree for my project. I drive on trying to convince myself it is silly to stop. People are very friendly and helpful around here and I know if I stop my car on this road, with little to no shoulder, someone will stop and ask me if I am having a problem. I know it will happen. I finally decide that I have to go back because that perfect little dead tree will keep nagging me if I don't.

I drive a mile past the tree until I find a safe place to turn the car around. The tree is in a little ditch and I cannot park right beside it. I have to park about fifty feet away and walk back to the ditch. The tree is dead but still attached to the roots so I have to break it off at the base. A man in a red truck passes me as I am ripping it out of the ground, he hits the break lights. I think, "Oh great, oh great, I bet he thinks I am having issues" I get my tree and begin to walk back to my car when he pulls up and his passenger rolls down the window and says, "Are you having some sort of trouble?" I smile and say, "Well, I was until I finally got this tree out of the ground." I then explained where I work and why I needed a dead tree. I don't think he thought I was any less crazy than he assumed I was before he stopped.

I get back to the shop, trim the tree and it really was the perfect thing for the project. The money tree requester said he liked the end result and that was that. So remember that Sometimes the craziest dreams can come true with a little hot glue and a dead tree.

What do Jelly, Light Bulbs and A Clock Have in Common?

They all belong in a housewarming basket, of course!

A customer, Pam came by the shop today with a request to put together a housewarming basket for her long time friend. She brought two packets of light bulbs, two jars of jelly and a clock.

When they were young ladies just starting out, money was tight. Her friend only had one light bulb that had to be moved from room to room. Her glasses were cheap empty jelly jars and she did not own a clock.

Pam wanted to make sure that her friend could start out on the right foot in her new home and she wanted to remember all the things they had gone through together in the past.
I certainly would appreciate such a sweet and thoughtful gift.
(Garden Club jelly glasses are really great if you did not know. They are the high class jelly jar in my book. In fact, they are my favorite glass and I plan to have a collection soon. I have a whole post planned on them too)

As I was getting together the basket Pam said "Hey, it is happy hour!, do you want something?" and for a second I forgot what the term "happy hour" means in a small town. I thought, "What? I am working" and then I remembered where I was. Happy hour does not mean let's go get a drink from a bar it means this.....

Pam went and bought us both drinks as I finished the basket.
Thanks Pam!!

What I Have Been Up To

I am so busy doing things around the shop that I have had my creativity drained. I was just too flat out of energy to take photos or talk about what was going on. Here is a little bit of what I have been doing...

Buying Jewelry

Decorating Tables

Making Displays

And More Displays

Painting Walls Pink


And Yellow



And Navy

And Light Blue

Whew!!!


Making Pens out of flowers for the register


Learning Photo shop (very slowly)


Learning to make every type of bouquet, funeral spray and casket spray

And at the end of the day, this is sometimes how it looks, I fix it up to wreck it up.

I love love love my new job and I am so excited to share what I am doing with you!