Shift Forward!

Last Thursday night Linda from Papa Ed's Ice Cream and moi attended the kick off campaign for Shift Forward. This was started by the LocalFirst AZ. group of small businesses.
Did you know that by shifting 10% of your spending into small business throughout Arizona will generate millions of dollars back into our economy.... How can we do that you may ask: well.... when you buy from locally owned companies like all the wonderful shops in downtown Glendale (me included) or shop at small grocery stores or produce farms, or do your printing with a local printer and on and on we give back to the community the most. $43 out of every $100... and a chain store only $13. out of every $100.

A study was done in Grand Rapids, Michigan roughly the size of Tucson where they asked the consumers to shift 10% of their spending to a small business. Now this will boogle your mind.... In one year they generated $130 million back into their states economy. Created 16,000 new jobs which generated $52 million in new salaries.

All it took was everyone just changing their spending habits just a little. We are a city of 6million can you just imagine what we can do for our state with us all SHIFTING FORWARD!!!!!

I am sorry for getting on a soapbox on this post but I am wanting us not to have to see anymore stores closing or people losing jobs or homes. I do want us all to just think how easy this would be to help our economy!

Our meeting was held at the El Chorro Lodge. If you have never been there, it is beautiful with great views and outside seating and the food looked yummy.....

There were alot of enthusiastic members at the kick off meeting.......

Ohhhh Sandra!!!!!

We will be having a trunk show (so to speak) on our Girls night out Halloween Party! A new emerging creative diva is in the making and it is our very own Sandra who has worked at #1 shop from time to time. She recently took a sodering class and now the rest is history. Her creative juices started flowing and she is creating these wonderful vintage bottles filled with all kinds of spooky items.... These all happen to be related to Halloween and they will be for sale at her little trunk show on the night of our party! She has been working hard creating and I hope everyone will come and gobble up these wonderful bottles that will complement any Halloween vignette!!!! I know I have my eye on a couple....... and they look great nestled in between Lynne's handmade pumpkins.

This picture is Sandra's inspiration!!!!!! Ours too because it is so vampish!!!! This old gal is just oozing with sultryness....

SO DON'T FORGET TO PUT OCTOBER 15th 6pm-9pm on your calendar for a fun time at The Cottage Garden!

Halloween Party!

I promised you more details about our girls night out "Halloween Party".
It is going to be on October 15th from 6pm to 9pm..... This is a costume party so scoure your closet for whatever you can throw together for our theme "vamp".... but if you aren't feeling in the vamp mood you can come as whatever you like.
While they last I will have a little gifty for the first 30 or so gals that arrive in costume. We will have a contest for best costumes and I will post later as to what the prizes will be.
And of course there will be lots of refreshments.
I hope all you gals will come and just have fun. It will be outside of #2 shop. The shops will be open so you can shop too...... Can't wait for you to see how we will decorate for the occasion!!!!!!!

What a Milestone!

Tomorrow starts a weekend long celebration of the Country Maiden's 20th anniversary. This country primitive shop is located right next door to my Cottage Garden I. If you can stop in and congratulate Cheryl the owner for reaching this wonderful milestone.
We will all be open till 9pm. on Friday September 17 for everyone to enjoy a little longer shopping day.

Hope to see you all!
More details about our Halloween party in the next posting!!!!!!

More Halloween!

More skinny leg kids have arrived! But they are going fast. We are all amazed how collectible and popular these little guys are....... They have just added the Dorothy and her gang to their collection.

They look right at home among Lynne's handmade pumpkins.

The mummy boy is just so cute!

Li'l cowboy and cowgirl have just rode in....

We also have gotten in a few pieces from the artist Nicole Sayre. This pumpkin girl so cute!!!!!

Another of Nicoles pieces is the girl on the black raven.

And lastly we just got in these way cool mats from our french company........

They can either lay on the floor or use them as a wall hanging. They priced right too and won't last long.

We have plans underway for our girls night out Halloween party. It will be Friday Night October 15th from 6pm to 9pm. We will keep you posted about the details throughout the following weeks. It will be fun fun fun. So lets get the party started!!!!!!!!!

Ashleys' Jewelry

The summer is winding down and the morning and evenings are finally started to cool down somewhat. The days are still warm and not too unbearable so that means we are getting in new merchandise almost everyday.

Today our local jewelery artist Ashley brought by a basket filled with all her one of a kind handmade jewelry and fabric coursages. She is so truly creative and her work gets better and better.

The cross and religious medals are dangling from a beautiful silver ball rosary.

She handmade this bird pendant. One of my favorite pieces but I am a nut for anything with a bird on it.

This piece has a watch face and inner part of a watch attached to a beautiful necklace.

She hammered a spoon and put a crown and I am spoiled on it and it is attached a pearl necklace. It is what every "princess" needs.....

This angel ring is so darn cute!!!!!!

For all the royalty in the crowd this wonderful crown cuff is to "die for". Very magnifique!!!!!

And we did get more of her adorable fabric coursages. There are some gorgeous ones in the batch.......

Its All About Lynne!

Went to our unique pumpkin patch located in Phoenix, aka Lynne's house to pick out some of her lovingly handmade pumpkins. As you can see it is not an easy task. Usually there is about 700 pumpkins to chose from so early in the Fall season. It's a dirty and hard job but somebody has to do it........

After about 11/2 hours I am filling my boxes with all the pumpkins I hand picked and getting ready to load them into my car!

Can you believe it the last one ready to go into the box. This trip 79 pumpkins were going to the shop........

Here they are all nestled in their boxes. Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Now they are all nestled here and there in the shop#1.
Velvet ones, satin ones,wonderful chenille pumpkins and there were even red ones with big polka dots but unfortunately or fortunately by the time I could snap a few pictures they were already sold. Who let the cat(or pumpkins) out of the bag that the pumpkins were here.

What a lavish grouping of pumpkins. I love the gold tones in these......

Ekkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!

Nestled with our eyeballs!!!!!!!
Anyway I guess I will have to make another visit to the pumpkin patch next week for more. But there is still a great selection for the weekend!!!!!!!!