Mercantile Muse

Changing Up Risotto

2012-02-26T13:27:00.001-05:00

Saturday Night Supper

I wanted to cook up the Charred Leek Sausage that we got at the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago. Doesn't that sound good? We couldn't resist. I took them out of the freezer and browned them up. Instead of using brown rice which is what I usually use for my risotto (though traditionally you should use aborio), I thought I'd try a new wheatberry (also picked up the at the market) version.

Here's what I did last night and it's all based on a basic sausage risotto I make a lot.

These are approximates, so you can tweak as necessary.

1.5 cups of wheatberries

3 cups of water (to start) - you can use broth/stock if you've got it

3 Italian sausage- whatever is your favorite

turnip, 3 small chopped (that's the veg I had on hand)

sage- tsp

1/2 tsp of smoked paprika

garlic powder- tbs

salt & pepper

1/2 cup parmesan and more for top

*Feel free to change up the herbs/spices to your favorites.

Put water in large pot, add wheatberries, bring to boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn down so it simmers. The wheatberries take a longer time than rice, so simmer, stirring often and adding more liquid along the way as the water or broth is soaked up. I'd say it took the wheatberries an hour to really cook. Add garlic, sage, paprika, salt and pepper. As they are cooking, brown sausage, set on paper towels to absorb fat. Then cut into slices and add to pot about halfway through cooking process so it has time to flavor the pot.

Cut turnip into large cubes and throw into pot when it has about 25 minutes of cooking left, again making sure there is enough liquid too help in the cooking.

When stirring risotto, always use a wooden spoon and stir around the outside of the pot and turn it in. This helps break up the starch and bring out the creaminess in the rice or, in this case, wheatberries. At end when turnip is cooked and wheatberries are 'al dente' and liquid is absorbed again, add parmesan and incorporate. Serve hot and top with a little parmesan.

We are liking the wheatberries. They're nearly like a little pearl of pasta when they're done. They didn't make for as creamy a risotto as I like, but it was good never the less. The aborrio rice makes for a very creamy risotto and the brown rice, as a healthier alternative, comes out pretty creamy too. Had I had more parm on hand I would have added a little more to add to the wheatberries' creamy factor.

A hearty dish for a windy, winter night by the fire.

Sunset Meadows

Gar braved the wind yesterday and took the hound over to the field for a walk. When I peaked out the window to see where they'd gone to, this is what was behind them as they made their way home.

I hope you enjoying your Sunday. I'm in the office again, but about to throw a laundry in the washer and put on a big pot of soup with a leftover hambone I froze. Being the 'gearhead' I am, I'm also awaiting the start of the Daytona 500 which is held up due to rain. Dang, I got a need for speed!

What's up in your corner of the world?

ciao for now,

Scenes From The Week

2012-02-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

Saturday Morning Review

The dog and I got a couple of walks in this week. It was pretty darn warm. Found more traces of a large Buck, but we haven't seen him yet.

We also found signs of Spring.

Blue skies.

Golden sun.

Wet leaves.

Lichen.

There was also a lot of sleeping going on.

Today, there is still a lot of sleeping going on.

I'm still in my pajamas.

The bed isn't made.

The wind is whipping and there's a flurry here and there.

The fire is cranking.

I love Saturdays.

Sunset Meadows

The warm weather brought some pretty sunsets to end our walks. I love standing at the top of the hill in the field, just taking it all in.

Go On, Have a Look.

2012-02-24T11:36:00.001-05:00

via oldnewhouse

Some Things That Caught My Eye

There was lots of stuff going on all over the place this week.......etsy, blogs, facebook. You name it, things were buzzing.

I was happy to find a shop that I've featured here before on the Muse, had made it to the front page of etsy as the 'featured seller'. Three cheers for oldnewhouse and David and Melissa Lynn.

via oldnewhouse

Fantastic getting to know them better and I always enjoy seeing studio/office spaces. By the way, be sure to read David's answer to 'what inspires him'. Talk about a hopeless romantic.

via oldnewhouse

My blogging/etsy friend Cari-Jane of Hybrid Handmade, had good news to share this week. She attended London Fashion Week with the 'Hybrid Handmade Husband', who happens to design seriously cool shoes. What a trip! The Hybrid Handmade Husband is now on the shortlist for Drapers 'Best Footwear Designer of the Year'. Congrats to the 'triple h'!

via hybridhandmade

Love the shot Cari got of the entrance to Somerset House. Black and white awesomeness. Oh yeah, I just made that word up. Got a problem with that?

Did you miss Marketing 101 this week? That's because I didn't have a Marketing 101 post this week silly.

However, I did come across a great post by Bonnie of paperkeeper via her facebook page.

via paperkeeper

Some great things to ponder, including turning envy on it's head, lessons she learned from a little blue dinosaur and small things that may affect how people perceive your business. Really worth a read.

Question for you? Are you all following Bates Mercantile Co. on facebook? If you're not, I'd just love it if you did. I'm often posting about things on facebook that I don't talk about here on Mercantile Muse and I wouldn't want you to miss out. It could be disastrous. Plus, I enjoy having company.

Hope you all had a great week. You all made mine a little bit better and I thank you for that. It's funny how the challenges in life are what bring us all together, because we all face them at some point. Loss is never easy, but it's a little easier when you know others can relate.

Nothing much planned for the weekend. Bruins game on TV tonight (which may throw me all off because it's usually a Saturday game....hey, didn't you know that I'm a creature of habit?), laundry, sorting through stuff and organizing. Hugely exciting, eh? What about you? What's on the books?

Freeform Friday

Here's a little something from Mr. Cliff that always makes me feel better and brightens my day (even when it's gray and ugly like today). Click here if you're reading via email.

Live large, seize the day and celebrate life and your loved ones. It's what really matters in the end.

peace out,

Some Good Out Of Bad

2012-02-23T13:04:00.002-05:00

The Bright Side

Even though our last few days have been sad, there was also some good stuff mixed in.

Here's a few.

There is finally a decent hotel in Yonkers. The Marriott Residence Inn was lovely, clean, and convenient. The staff was very nice including Maria (with sister Di), who had earned 4 stars before we even arrived.

The rooms even had a nice sitting area (and a kitchen with full size fridge) where we enjoyed Cocktail Hour and a toast to Bo upon our arrival.

The rooms also had a seriously comfortable bed.

We got facetime with Uncle Bobby (my Mother's baby brother) and Aunt Joan.

We had even more facetime with people we love including Tina and Gina......

..........Di and Choppy.

Jesse made us all laugh (like grandfather, like grandson).

We got to do google eyes with our old pal Gav. Don't ask.

We had a glimpse of the city from the GW.

There was blue sky above us on the upper deck.

Took a ride through the old neighborhood in the Bronx, past my off-campus apartment. 35-92 was still standing. The same couldn't be said for the Stella d'Oro's house which was now an apartment building.

Drove by Van Cortland Park where my Grampy Dignam used to play cricket on Sundays. Cricket or soccer? Hmmmm, now I'm not sure, but I'll go with cricket. It was probably both.

We miss New York and wish we were closer or at least got to visit more. We'll have to work on changing that.

Do you miss someplace special?

ttfn,

Things I Found & Heard At The Party

2012-02-22T12:30:00.001-05:00

First, Heartfelt Thanks

You have all been so kind in your messages regarding the passing of my Godfather. It's so nice to know that people care and understand how sad it is to lose a person you love. Thank you all very much for taking the time to read my 'Ode To Bo' post and for your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot.

Happier Things

Back to the party. I really enjoy 'cleaning up' after the link parties on the Muse. So much to look through and discover. Here's my picks from the current Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Party.

A vintage pink and white lace wedding dress. Simple lines and classic femininity from founditgreat.

via founditgreat

Beautiful pale copper colors adorn this beaded choker by from Our Home To Yours.

via ourhometoyours

A lovely ivory and pink damask tray for your dresser or perhaps breakfast in bed, by longearreddesigns.

via longearreddesigns

The sweetest little birdie note cards from dsigns.

via dsigns

How about a fabulous outfit for less than $14! Bethany is Still In St. Louis and she sure knows how shop!

via stillinstlouis

Need some tips on using social media to sell your arts and crafts online? Nadine's got 'em over on This Creative Bliss!

via thiscreativebliss

Very cool upcycled Umbrella Man silhouette by Cupcake Gangster. Who would have thought a upcycled can could look so suave?

via cupcakegangster

As usual, the variety of things I find at the link party never ceases to amaze me. What about you? Did you find something you love at the party?

Giveaway Winner

Drum roll please.....................Laura from Tillie Tulip has won the Barn Rye archival print! Congratulations! I'll be in touch for your mailing information.

Have a great day everyone. I'm playing catchup today......clearing my desk and mailing sold items out (and remailing one that the post office decided to send back for insufficient address even though it's addessed properly- annoying!).

That's it here. See you on the flip side,

A Big Part Of My Life

2012-02-17T12:10:00.004-05:00

My Godfather

I'm a sad girl. We're a sad family. We lost my godfather today. Robert Belenchia. Uncle Bob. Bo. Boski. He put up one helluva fight against pancreatic cancer.

They really broke the mold when they made this guy. Boy did my parents pick the right godfather (and godmother) for me.

Well, actually, first they picked the right guy for my godmother. When they met Bo, they gave him the thumbs up and the rest is history. Friends for life.

A few things about my godfather:

He could have been a professional singer, but my godmother nixed that. Family came before singing. But boy oh boy could my godfather sing. My father and him would sing anywhere and everywhere they got the chance. My father would set people up, 'hey, my friend Bo is up from NY and he'd like to sing a song. He fancies himself a singer'. Then Bo would get up and belt a tune like there was no tomorrow and he'd bring the house down, every time.

He could dance as well as he could sing.

He was a veteran, teamster, father, son, brother, uncle, friend.

He loved lobster.

Loved lobster bakes.

Enjoyed a beer (or two...trust me he didn't drink all of those himself) or a scotch.

Loved to laugh.

Was the life of the party.

Loved to just sit around the table and talk.

Enjoyed being a grandfather.

Liked to talk to Gar in his version of an Irish accent. Aye laddie. And they liked to solve the world's problems.

Was the best godfather a girl could ever have.

Here's to you Boski. I love you.

Freeform Friday

I wish I had a video of my godfather singing, but I don't. In his honor, here's a little Jimmy Rosselli. If you're reading by email, click here.

Peace out,

You Are Cordially Invited to the Party

2012-02-16T10:20:00.005-05:00

via BatesMercantileCo.

The House Is Rocking the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up Party!

Come in. Just throw your coat on the bed and be sure to stop by the buffet.

Lots of goodies this week at the link party.

For the dd's.......a lovely black currant cider sparkler. It's divine!

via marthastewart

For the rest of us, ginger shandies. I know it's not summer, but a girl can dream.

via food and wine

What? You saved your appetite? Get a load of this!

via frankie, via panninihappy

Oh my.

Before the party gets into full swing, just a couple of things.

Yesterday, I found out that my designs were featured in two places. What a nice surprise. Plus-Model-Mag.com featured two of our printables in their 'last minute Valentine's Day roundup'. Super cool!

via plus-model-mag

To top it off, our 'Shower Your Love' print was featured on Jillian's blog MimiNicole. Sweet!

OK, OK. Enough about me. The Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Party is all about you. Time to link up your shops and blogs!

Please read the Rules of the House, before linking:

*If you take part in the link up, you will go on a list of particpants and receive an e-mail from me (and from the address pbates@speakeasyinfo.net) in two weeks reminding you that the next Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It link up party is underway.

*If you like Mercantile Muse enough to link up at the party, won't you consider becoming a follower if you're not already?

*Post one link. Two if you link one under Gotta Have It (for shops, crafters, artisans, vintage sellers) and one under Gotta Blog It (for bloggers). Be sure you’re posting your link under the right link up!

*Don't link and run, be kind and check out each other's links.

*Share a link to the party, 'you two tell friends, and they tell two friends, and so on and so on'. It benefits us all--- blog, tweet, facebook, etc. If you blog and are so inclined to grab a button (from Mercantile Muse's button page) and feature it on your blog, that would be, as we say 'round these parts, wicked awesome.

*Leave a comment and check back Monday when I feature some things I've found through the link up. It could be you!

And now for the bloggers...........

One more thing, there is still time to enter our current giveaway for an archival print of my photo 'Barn Rye'.

It ends tonight at 11pm est. Better enter now to be sure you're in the running!

Have a great day,

A Proposition For You

2012-02-15T12:29:00.000-05:00

It’s time for another round of Work It Wednesday. It’s the business side of Mercantile Muse where I share 18+ years of experience as the owner of Speakeasy, an advertising/PR/marketing firm that specializes in working with small businesses.

Marketing 101: Part 3/Your Unique Selling Proposition

Hi guys. Last week I talked about your Unique Product Benefit and how to define your UPB. I stressed that this was an important step in the process of marketing and growing your business because it lays the foundation for establishing your Unique Selling Proposition. If you missed it, you can read it here.

What’s so important about your Unique Product Benefit and your Unique Selling Proposition? These two things will help you determine your ‘edge’. They will help you convince people to buy from you. They will help you zero in on your uniqueness and what that means to your customers and potential customers.

Let’s consider some basics and we’ll use pizza as an example.

You make pizza.

So what? There is a pizza shop on every corner.

via paisleyparrotdesign

What’s your unique product benefit? You make pizza with all natural ingredients that are sourced within a 50 mile radius, making it the freshest pizza you can get.

How do you translate that to your Unique Selling Proposition? First and foremost, don’t try to sell yourself based on your competition’s benefits (I.e. we’ll have a pizza to your door in 15 minutes or it’s free). Worry about your own benefits.

via perchpapercompany

Consider the top benefits that your product/service offers to your customers.

· Locally sourced, fresh ingredients

· Natural ingredients without chemicals you can’t pronounce

· Full flavor that comes from using fresh ingredients

· Just about everyone loves pizza

· They don’t have to cook to feed their families a fresh meal

Then write down why the benefits you offer are important to your target market (customer and potential customers).

They care about where their food comes from.
They care about what their family’s health and what they’re putting into family’s bellies.
They’re busy, but still want to feed their family a meal that tastes good and is good for them.

Now, think about how your Unique Selling Proposition can shine a light on your Unique Product Benefit and communicate it in such a way that it makes it obvious why someone should by from you. Remember, you’re trying to boil all those benefits down to one sentence the really reflects what your business is all about; what makes you unique; and why someone should buy from you instead of your competition.

The Unique Product Benefit of the pizza being made with natural, organic locally sourced ingredients may translate into a Unique Selling Proposition like this:

“Farm-fresh, wholesome flavor is our customers’ favorite topping.”

“Farm-fresh, wholesome goodness everyone loves, from our pizza oven to your table.”

Don’t try to sell yourself based on your competition’s benefits (i.e. we’ll have a pizza to your door in 15 minutes or it’s free). Every business is different and that’s what you need to focus on. Sure, you can consider your competition, but simply to recognize what you aren’t.

via jonesingforjewelry

In the end, your customers and potential customers are going to buy from you because of your benefits. Succcinctly stating this in your Unique Selling Proposition will make the reasons to buy from you apparent and hard to ignore.

One last thing, be truthful to yourself in the assessment of your Unique Product Benefit and in the creation of your Unique Selling Proposition. If you can't deliver what you promise, what's the point?

If you'd like to share your Unique Selling Proposition, and how you arrived at it, please feel free to do so in the comments. I'd love to see how you're all working this out for yourselves.

(If you would like to share this information in any way, other than a link back to this original post, please be sure you contact me for permission. Thank you. ©Pamela J. Bates)

Sunset Meadows

I was lucky enough to skeedattle away from my desk a few minutes early yesterday. Lucan and I were off to the field for a walk. We both needed it and the sunset was nice enough to to acknowledge us with wink and a smile as we headed home.

Take A Walk (or two) With Us

2012-02-14T13:59:00.001-05:00

A Good Stretch of the Legs

The weather was so mild a few days last week, Lucan and I got out and about quite a bit. I've compiled two of our walks from last week, so you can step away from your desk, if only in your mind. I'm hoping to get out for a little 'stretch of the legs' later with the hounddog.

One day we went, it seemed to be all about the clouds. The other day we found lots of patterns and evidence of animals (not that this is unusual, but it included a biggo clump of fur).

Come along, won't you?

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope you enjoy your Valentine's Day. Some people think it's a holiday made up by the card companies and they may be right. I think a holiday in the name of love is refreshing. Nobody is forcing you to buy a card from one of the big companies, or even flowers for that matter. There are so many ways to say I love you. What's your favorite way?

Mine is cooking a nice meal for my husband and this year will be no different. I'm about to put a Bolognese sauce in the oven to cook on low all afternoon. I also have a lovely book I got him over a month ago, with the most wonderful sketches of NYC. I showed it to him in the store, but he thought I put it back. So, it's a 'semi-surprise' in that he's had a brief look at it, but doesn't know he's getting it.

Spread the love!

Ciao for now,

PS- If you need a last minute gift, don't forget Bates Mercantile Co. has printables!!! I send you the file and you print off on your end. Voila, check that off your list!

Just A Note: Another Free Printable

2012-02-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

Need To Jot Something Down?

Hi guys. If you're anything like me, your constantly grabbing whatever piece of paper is closest to make note of something. I started to think, why on earth am I writing on the back of another credit card offer envelope when I can write on something much nicer than that?

That being said, I designed a little note card to keep handy when I need to quickly write a thought, a name, a number or what have you. It would make an equally nice gift if you know of anybody else that does the same thing.

'Just A Note' is designed 4 to an 8.5 x 11 page and has light gray trimming guidelines.

I would suggest printing on cardstock for the nicest results.

You can right click on the image below and save the image file to your computer, or left click on the image below and it will bring you to the pdf which you can download.

via Bates Mercantile Co./Mercantile Muse

Enjoy. Feel free to share a link to this post with others who may be in need of a place to jot things down!

Fabulous Farmer's Market Dinner

The farmer's market this weekend provided us with some seriously good food. We enjoyed the goat & cranberry pate while playing dominoes. Now, you hear goat and you might think 'gamey', but it wasn't at all. We absolutely loved it and come to find out, Chef Ted McCormack from my friend Kath's restaurant Blue Moon Evolution, is the one who made the pate for Riverslea Farm. Love it!

Last night we cooked up lamb burgers, wheat berries and roasted root vegetables. It was absolutely delicious. If I had to describe the wheat berries (which you cook like rice) I'd say they're like little pearls. It could even be confused for some type of pasta when they're cooked.

We had the lamb burgers with the smoked cheddar cheese, open faced on top of the wheatberries. The carrots and turnip on the side had carmelized perfectly in the oven.

If you have Farmer's Markets near you, I suggest taking a stroll through the next one. You never know what you might find and it might just make your next meal spectacular.

How's your Monday going? Ours is very windy and cold. Not as cold as yesterday though and my fire is cranking, so there are no complaints here. By the way, have you entered our current giveaway yet? There is still time!

Have a good one,

Stock Market

2012-02-12T12:57:00.001-05:00

Our Take

There is nothing quite like shopping at the farmer's market. The colors, the sounds, the smells. The hustle, the bustle. Seeing people you know. Meeting people you don't know. Farmers Market has its own sort of rhythm. It's part of its appeal. So is the fact that you get to talk to the people who grew, raised, caught and prepared your food.

You get to learn about their farms, their practices, varieties you've never seen before. It's exactly the kind of movement this country needs. It seems that Europe has been able to keep a better grasp on that connection. The US has not been so lucky. We need a rivival of getting back to the basics with our food, having a connection to how our food is grown and to its producers. To know where it came from, if it was raised in a humane and caring manner, that it was grown sustainably, organically and in a way that is kind to our earth- these are all really important things at this juncture in our food history in the US.

We brought home:

carnival squash (which I used in a squash souffle last night)
smoked cheddar (also used in the souffle and will also top our lamb burgers tonight)
caerphilly welsh cheese
apaloosa beans
wheat berries
ground lamb
charred leek sausage
maple syrup
white heron's cranberry ginger tea
lettuce
scarlett turnips
carrots
pure new hampshire maple syrup
goat pate
kohlrabi
a biggo cup of fair trade dark roast coffee

We've never had kohlrabi, but I asked about it at the stand we were at and the couple next to me in line were more than happy to tell me about. It sounds wonderful and worth trying. See what I mean? Meeting new people and learning new things.

I also have to say, after roasting the squash for the souffle I made last night, I did as my friend Kath suggested in her video and roasted the seeds. I've been nibbling ever since.

Farmer's Market makes me long for Spring even more, when I get to start digging in the dirt.

On A Sad Note

The news of Whitney Houston's death makes me sad. Although I've always appreciated her talent, I was never a huge fan. That said, she always brings me back to a place and time--to the college apartment I lived in with Sara, Lia and Rufina. Sara played that first Whitney ablum over and over and over again. It drove us nuts. It makes me very sad that Whitney faced so many deamons in her life. That she seemed to be her own worst enemy. It makes me sad that her beautiful gift-from-God voice has been silenced. It makes me even sadder that nobody was able to get through to her and that she's left her young daughter behind and mother-less. There's not much else you can say.

I hope you are able to enjoy some downtime today, and spend some time with people you love.

ttfn,

To Market, To Market

2012-02-11T13:55:00.001-05:00

Winter Farmer's Market

We are lucky to live in an agricuturally rich area. There are still quite a few farms raising everything from turnip to cattle, herbs to lamb. We also have a very active fisherman's co-op that offers fresh off the boat seafood. Even luckier, this variety of farmers, producers, and fisherman were all taking part in the Winter Farmers Market.

Gar and I brought home two bags of goodies. (More on that tomorrow).

Tonight's menu plan is squash souffle........my friend Kath's recipe.

Here's a link to her video if you're reading by email. She's as good as gold, an real 'Earth Mother' and a wonderful chef.

I hope you're all having a fabulous Saturday. Lots of on the list today, including chilling later!

Over and out,

Hi. It's Just Me.

2012-02-10T13:42:00.000-05:00

A Game Of Tag

Courtney over at The Everything Soap Blog tagged me for a round of 11 Random Things About Me. I haven't done anything like this since I first started Mercantile Muse back in June of last year, so here we go.

First, the rules I must abide by:

Post these rules
Post 11 random things about yourself
Answer 11 questions that the tagger has created for you in their tag post
Create 11 new questions for the people you tag
Pick 11 people to tag and go to each person's blog that you chose to let them know they've been tagged
No spamming people - just let them know they've been tagged

Now, here's what you've all been wanting to know about me. (Maybe not, but you'll know it regardless if you keep reading this post.)

Before I can tag my 11, I'm supposed to also answer these questions from Courtney.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Back to Italy.
What was your first kiss like? OK, we're talking a long, long time ago people. Not too impressive, a neighborhood boy chased me down and robbed a smooch.
What is your all-time favorite food? Half and half plate of Scallops & Clams. Fried. With tartar sauce. French fries on the side. Oh, and cheese. Oh, and pasta. Oh, and Dad's clam sauce. Oh, and Mom's Tuna Noodle Casserole. OK, that's it. Seriously Courtney, was I only supposed to pick one? Impossible!
What is the funniest sneaky thing you've ever done? In high school we stole a traffic/construction horse, put it in the car, drove it to MacDonald's and put it in the drive thru. Also, we are known to hide the family mascot Maxie Dog in anyplace we can think of, including my parents bed and the fireplace.
What do you hate doing more than anything else? Bookwork or confronting people.
Who do you like talking to the most? The gar man.
What is your biggest regret? I'm not really a believer in regrets, they get you nowhere.
What joke do you remember off the top of your head? What's the difference between a 'lady of the evening', a mistress and a wife? The lady of the evening says 'was it worth your money?', the mistress says 'was it as good for you as it was for me', and the wife says 'beige. I think I'll paint the ceiling beige.'
What's the scariest story you've ever heard? Hhhhhhmmmm, I don't know about story, but I had a hard time watching the program Gar had on last night about the man who walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers and also had a hard time watching the 60 minutes special on the guy who climbs up cliffs free form, completely unattached. Kind of freaks me out. I watched both, but my stomach does serious flips considering what these people are doing. However, I don't have a problem going up to the top of the Empire State.
Who makes you mad more often than anyone else? Probably myself.
If you had a million dollars, what's the first thing you would buy? First thing I would 'do' is pay off the debt of everyone I love. After that I'd throw one helluva party to remember. Complete with dancing and singing of course.

Here's my 11. Play along if you'd like. If not, no worries. It's just for fun.

Celia at Falling Off A High Heeled Life
Kristen at Life By The Book
Cari-Jane at Hybrid Handmade
Duni at Duni's Studio
Tammy at Beatrice Banks
Angela at Garden and Sea
Alicia at Belle Maison Et Moi
Laura at Tillie Tulip
Jess at StuckInAZoo
Traci at All Things LuciRae
SP (Alfie's Mom) at Sweet Posy Dreams (I apologize for not knowing your name, but I've never seen it associated with your etsy account or blog so I just think of you as Sweet Posy and Alfie's Mom)

And here's my questions for those who play along:

1. What's the name of your first pet, if you had one?
2. What's your favorite place that you have lived?
3. Comedy or Drama?
4. What's your favorite childhood memory?
5. Rollercoasters? Yes or no?
6. What size shoe do you wear?
7. What's your favorite word?
8. Did you participate in any activity in school?
9. What was your favorite subject in school?
10. What are your top three movies of all time?
11. What's the most recent book you read that you couldn't put down?

Feel free to post a random thing about yourself in the comments! Just a fun way to get to know each other better.

Freeform Friday

It's another crazy, warm day here. I will get over to the field with the dog for sure at the end of the day. Seriously, it's high 40s!!!

Here's a something to get your feet moving. Gar and I always hit the dance floor to this one. We saw the Mavericks yearsago and they were a ton of fun....2,3,4. Click here if you're reading by email.

Any plans for the weekend? We're supposed to get a little snow in the morning (I know, that's New England for you), so probably a 'little' shoveling. I'd also love to get to the Winter Farmer's Market tomorrow, but will have to see how the day shakes out. Whatever you do, enjoy.

Ciao,

Atlas Holds The Collection

2012-02-09T13:43:00.001-05:00

A Jar Of Rocks

While at my parent's last night, my mother reminded me that she'd offered up their vintage Atlas jar of rocks if I wanted it. Who am I to say no?

Number 1, I love beachcombed rocks. Number 2, I love the vintage Atlas jar. I did tell her though, I might feel a little guilty as the breakthrough from the kitchen to the porch wouldn't be the same. That jar has sat on the counter of the breakthrough for as long as I can remember.

I got over the guilt. We even squeezed in the rock Dad had brought back from the beach yesterday.

Nope. No guilt.

One lone shell, but lots of spotted rocks, and a swirly one.

The jar is just perfect with its blue tint and old weather handle.

I don't know why I'm so obsessed with things found beachcombing, but I am. Hands up if you're obsessed with beachcombing finds or things you have to stick in your pocket when on a walk. The other day on a field walk with the dog, I actually stuck fur in my pocket to show Gar. Deer fur or coyote fur, we couldn't decide which. I didn't save it though.

Back to the jar, in addition to the one lone shell, there was also one lone marble.

I have no idea how that got in there.

Snow Moon

I have to say, I've been pretty impressed with the Snow Moon. I hope you've all gotten a glimpse wherever you are. I was out again this morning at 6:30 in my pajamas trying to get a better shot. Let's suffice it to say, I'm definitely putting a tripod on the 'must have' list.

Before I bid you adieu, I'd just like to thank Alicia over at BelleMaisonEtMoi for being so kind to feature my print yesterday. It made me very happy to be included in the company of some really wonderful artists.

Adieu mon ami,

Work It Wednesday & The Snow Moon

2012-02-08T13:53:00.002-05:00

Knowing that a lot of Mercantile Muse followers are also small business owners, Work it Wednesday is a way for me to share my experience as the owner and operator of my own Advertising/Public Relations/Marketing firm, Speakeasy, for nearly 18 years. Those of you who aren’t business owners will find that a lot of Work It Wednesday information can be applied to you as an individual whether you’re trying to get a new job, negotiate a raise, pitch your project at work, trying to land a big contract. I’m sure a lot could be applied to situations on the home front as well, it’s just in the way you look at it.

Marketing 101, Part 2: Your Unique Product Benefit

Let’s be clear. Really clear. This is about you being able to understand and effectively communicate about what you sell and why people should buy from you; buy specifically from YOU.

It’s easy to say: “I sell romantic jewelry that I create with my own hands" or "I sell vintage housewares". Here's an important point to let percolate........so do a lot of other people.

As you work at marketing your business, you need to consider what sets your product or service apart; what makes it stand out from the crowd.

The result of establishing ‘that special thing that you offer and no one else does in quite-the-same-way’, is referred to as a Unique Selling Proposition. However, that might be putting the cart before the horse. Before you can create a Unique Selling Proposition, you need to determine what the unique benefit that your product/service provides to your customers.

Let’s start at square one so you can figure out your Unique Product Benefit. Ask yourself a few questions:

*What is your product or service?

*What background do you have that adds value to your product?

*What does your product do for your customers?

*What is your product’s Unique Product Benefit?

Still not sure how to answer the above questions? Think about this example:

*What is your product or service?

Example: TUMS©, an antacid.

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*What does your product do for your customers?

Example: It stops acid indigestion.

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*What background (credentials, experience, awards, schooling, etc.) do you have that adds value to your product?

Example: TUMS© is formulated by scientists and doctors ( I don’t really know this, I’m just using as an example- though I hope it’s true.)

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*What is your product’s Unique Product Benefit?

Example: It relieves discomfort making people feel better…. fast.

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Does that make it clearer?

Once you establish your Unique Product Benefit, you can move onto creating a Unique Selling Proposition which I’ll discuss next week. The Unique Selling Proposition is important to the marketing of your product or service because most of us aren’t in this ‘just for the fun of it’ (though that’s a nice bonus), but rather because we’re business owners who want to succeed and turn a profit.

You are more than welcome to share your work on your Unique Product Benefit in the comments section. I think it would help everyone fine tune their UPB, as well as learn from each other.

(If you'd like to share this information in anyway, you may do so with proper credit to me and a link back to this post. Thank you. ©Pamela J. Bates)

The Beautiful Snow Moon

I did get away from my desk yesterday afternoon for another walk with the dog. I admit it, I had hopes that the Snow Moon would rise the way it had the day before. It just wasn't to be, but when I got up this morning and looked out my West window, there it was as big, bright and as orange as the sun.

Pajama girl scurried for her camera, slapped a coat and mittens on and went across to the field. I'll just tell you, I couldn't get the shot I wanted. Settings were off, need a tripod, it was freezing.......obviously there were numerous reasons. Regardless, it was awesome and these pictures don't even come close to capturing it.

I'm including this really blurry one, just to give you a better idea of what it really looked like. Huge and amazing.

Did anyone else see it this morning?

All for now.

See you on the flip side,

Take A Walk With Us

2012-02-07T12:11:00.001-05:00

The Field: Part 1

I looked up from my desk at about 4:25 yesterday and realized it was still light! This is reason for celebration as far as I'm concerned. I looked at the dog, he looked at me and before I could say 'do you want to go for a walk?', I had my wellies on and he was at the door.

Lo and behold, I'd been at my desk all day, and although I let Lucan in and out a few times, I didn't realize just how nice it was out. 51 degrees! Another reason for celebration. It's February and I didn't even need a coat and gloves. Just a sweatshirt. Talk about making a girl and her dog happy.

Off we went with the sun shining bright. We walked from one side of the field to the other. There was only snow at the bottom of each side. The oddest Winter ever, but I'll take it.

Part Two: The Sky

I had just taken the shot of the barn roof, walked a little further and found the snow heart and then I looked up. I gasped. The huge 'snow' moon was resting on the barn roof.

It was really something. I made Lucan sit for a minute just so I could take it in.

Simply breathtaking.

Eventually I had to pull myself away, but there were still things to be seen.

This plane had a good view and was reflecting the sunset.

This plane was much higher, but its trail was also reflecting the sunset.

When we stopped at the little cemetery at the top of the field, I found this awesome lichen on the stone wall. The texture and the mustard colored bits were awesome.

Then I caught the moon one last time through the trees before we headed back across the street.

The snow moon is so bright, it woke me up for the second night in a row.

Sunset Meadows

As I peeled myself away from the sight of the moon, I turned as was greeted by the sun going down.

Lovely.

This morning after Gar started his truck, he came back in and said, "You should see the sunrise at the end of the road." So I stepped out and said I didn't see anything, to which he replied, "You have to go to the end of drive and look East." I did as instructed.

The sky was on fire.

It's not as warm today, but the sun is shining and it's nice enough for another walk in the field. That's what we're planning on here..........well, if I can rouse the dog from his nap on the couch.

Have a great Tuesday. By the way, not a lot of entries in the giveaway so far. You're all giving the current entrants a really good chance of winning. Just throwing that out there. Of course, they'd might prefer that I just clam up.

Tomorrow, the second installment of Marketing 101.

See you on the flip side,

Things I Found & Heard At The Party

2012-02-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

via SigalFJewelry

So Many Wonderful Things

Each Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up Party brings so many nice people to Mercantile Muse. It also proves that there is a neverending wealth of talent, taste and tales among the party goers.

Oh the wonderful handmade things! Oh the vintage wares! Oh the fun at guest's blogs. So much to discover and share.

Here's my picks from our current Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up Party which is still underway.

Who knew we had stars among us? OK, not quite, but we have people with the same taste as stars. Doesn't that count?

A lovely gold edged serving Fire King serving dish from Belle Masion Et Moi.

via bellemaisonetmoi

The funny thing is, I had to let Alicia know that I'd seen this lovely dish somewhere else- on Inventori, Tori Spelling's store!

The difference, Inventori's dish was over $40 and bellemaisonsetmoi's is a mere $12.50. Talk about a steal of a deal!

I'd never heard of prehnite before, until I found these lovely pale earrings in SigalFJewelry's shop.

SigalFJewelry

Prehnite is part of the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals. It is also said to have the following qualities:

*Very relaxing. Increases reliability, honesty and integrity.
*Allows visions during meditation, strengthens predictive power.
*Provides high spiritual protection.
*Good for treatments of kidney, bladder and anemia.

Who knew? All I know is its soft, dreamy, cloudy pale color is absolutely beautiful.

The opposite of pale and dreamy is this bright, bold, striking sapphire blue pendant from Mt. Baldy Glassworks.

via mtbaldyglassworks

The embodiment of a deep, dark, starry night.

I just love that Sharon's blog 'Diary of a Craft Room Transformation' grew out of a mission to organize her craftroom.

via diaryofacraftroomtransformation

Three year's later and Sharon's still blogging!

Still need a Valentine's Day gift for your guy? Check out this creative photo display by DabbledDetails for the fisherman in your life.

via dabbleddetails

All I know is that I have plenty of pics that could go on this display, and that they're all from too long ago. It's probably at least 4 years since I cast a line, and that's just not right. It's hard to believe it's been that long. I used to be quite the bassmaster. We even lived in a little cottage on the river when we first got married and I used to be able to cast a line right from our deck!

Lovin' these groovalicius placemats joeymiller. The fabric is the bomb!

via joeymiller

Love the flowers, the colors and that you can turn them over for a pop of orange.

Check out this sweet lavender sachet from Paula Parrish. She's nice enough to share a tutorial over on her blog Living A Blessed Life.

via livingablessedlife

I think the chenille backside is the sweetest touch.

I could rock these uuber cute and retro-preppy vintage lecoq sportif running shoes from LaModeDeKika.

via laModeDeKika

If only my foot was a little smaller.

Last, but not least, a big thank you to Lisa at WritingPlaces for always creating such wonderful treasuries to promote the link up party and the shops that take part. What a nice thing to do! Don't you think? You can see Lisa's awesome promotion treasuries for the link party here and here.

When Lisa isn't busy spreading the word about link party shops, she is busy creating things for WritingPlaces, like this charming favor box.

via writingplaces

If you've been featured on Mercantile Muse and want to let people know, feel free to grab this button.

More Fun

Did you see the new giveaway on Mercantile Muse? What? You missed it? Well, here's a link. It's easy to enter and remember, someone has to win and it might just be you!

Less fun was watching the SuperBowl last night. It was painful game in general and the Pats lost by three, making it even more painful. Life goes on. The sun is shining on this Monday despite the loss. I hope it is where you are too.

Ciao for now,

You Say Enchilada, We Say Yum

2012-02-05T13:24:00.001-05:00

An All Time Favorite

Is there anyone who doesn't like an enchilada? If there is, they will be swayed by this recipe. At the mere suggestion of the chicken enchilada bake for dinner, Gar's eyes were swooning and he was drooling. I was off the store for a quick trip so I could get back for the Bruins puck drop. Well, I thought I was. We were off on game starting time by an hour, so I was actually heading to the store just as they started. Who knew? Obviously not us.

When I got to the grocery store, it looked like they were giving everything away for free. Superbowl Saturday. Probably the second biggest food shopping day of the year. Have no fear, it didn't deter me from getting the goods.

This is what you'll need (Note: I've always tweaked the recipe to make it lighter and you'd never know). BTW, Celine, you're going to love this one!

1 8 -12 oz block of lite cream cheese (room temperature)
1 can of cream of chicken soup (light if you can find it)
8 oz of non-fat yogurt
1cup low fat milk
3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar
4 cups cooked chicken breast (I've poached my own or used rotisserie, both ways are good, rotisserie makes it easier)
1 tsp of cumin (I a little heavier because we love cumin)
1/2 cup chopped scallions/green onions (I use the white and the greens because we love 'em)
Salsa (1/3 to 1/2 cup)
1 7 oz can of green chiles
1 7 oz can of jalapenos
Tortillas- either ten 7" or eight 8" tortillas
fresh cilantro
chopped lettuce

In a bowl stir together the cream cheese, scallion, green chiles and cumin. Fol in cooked and chopped chicken. Spray or grease a 13x9 baking dish. In another bowl mix chicken soup, milk and yogurt. Spoon half of that mixture into bottom of baking dish. Wrap tortillas in paper towel and warm in micorwave for 60 seconds or until just warm and softened. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto tortilla (I place it near the edge) and drizzle salsa on top. Fold ends in and roll from one side to other. Place seam side down in baking pan. When pan is full, pour rest of soup mixture over the top. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes. Remove foil and top with shredded cheddar and pop back in for another 5-6 minutes to melt the cheese. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. That is if you like cilantro. We love it, but apparently it tastes like dish soap to some people. It just tastes fresh to us. Serve over chopped lettuce or on it's own.

Divine. Enough said.

SuperBowl Sunday

We are ready to go. So are Tom and the boys.

While our Pat's get ready to hit the field today, we'll be party hopping in the neighborhood starting with 'chowderfest' at Tom and Joanie's this afternoon. Nick, their son, is home for a few days from his job as Executive Chef at Smith and Wolensky's in DC. Guess he's cooked enough steak of late, and has all the fixin's for a big batch of chowder that he's whipping up as we speak.

Then later, we'll have some of neighborhoodlum Gerry's Annual SuperBowl Chili for supper. I'll be contributing my nephew Pat's ever popular Buffalo Chicken Dip (that recipe is for another post!).

We'll be certain to save some of the goods for a ceremonial offering in case the Pat's want to swing by with the trophy after the game! (Speaking of winning, did you enter the new giveaway yet?)

Go Pat's!!!

Have a great Sunday,

Giveaway!

2012-02-03T13:17:00.001-05:00

Did you hear? It's Better to Give Than to Receive.

Lo and behold, it's another giveaway on Mercantile Muse. Do you like beautiful sunsets? Do you like the country? Well, then start warming your fingers up, hit the keyboard and enter to win a 5x7 archival art print of my photograph Barn Rye.

It features a field of rye, waving in the sunset, in front of a New England barn.

We have the most glorious sunsets here and I'd like to share this one with you.

This giveaway for the Barn Rye print begins today and will close on February 16th at 11pm est. I'll announce the winner the following day.

All you have to do to enter is:

*Follow this blog (check out the right hand sidebar for ways to follow), and tell us how you're following in the comments.

(if you already 'follow' and 'like' Bates Mercantile Co. & Mercantile Muse, just say so in your comment)

Earn one extra entry for each of the following:

*Visit Bates Mercantile Co. and comment on your favorite item.

*Like us on Facebook, and let us know you did.

*Spread the word about this Giveaway (receive one extra entry for each way you share this giveaway):

*Blog about in a post

*Tweet about

*Tell your Facebook friends

*Pin this on Pinterest

*Stumble it on Stumble Upon

*Tumble on Tumbler

*Put a button for this giveaway on your blog. Giveaway button

available on the button page of the Muse (see navigation bar under

header).

Best of luck to all of you. The most recent giveaway prize, my Louis Louis in Pink print, is currently enjoying a nice trip to South of France on it's way to Cari-Jane's house!

Thanking You..........

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to link up and spread the workd about the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It shop and blog link up party now underway. If you're an online shop owner or blogger, be sure to link up if you haven't already. If not a shop owner or blogger, you must check out the link up and see all the wonderful things and places being linked up. Very cool!

Freeform Friday

It's cold here. Sunny though. Hope it's the same where you are. Enjoy your friday. Take a break and enjoy a little classic Fleetwood Mac. (click here if you're reading by email).

Have a fantastic weekend. Ours will include a couple of neighborhood SuperBowl parties in honor of our New England Patriots, who will surely take care of the Giants. Sorry Giants fans, but you already stole one from us. This one's in the bag.

LET'S GO PATS!!! BRING IT HOME!!!

Ciao for now,

You Gotta Fight......For Your Right......To Party!

2012-02-02T11:48:00.003-05:00

Join The Fun at the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog Link Up Party

Phew. That was close. I didn’t think I’d have the drinks and appies out on the buffet before you all started pouring through the door. Thankfully, my juggling skills are improving. Come on in, get comfortable, mingle and if you’re an online shop owner or blogger please partake in a little shameless self promotion by linking up. If you’re not a shop owner or blogger, enjoy taking a look around.

Please be sure to help yourself to the goodies. Buffet on the right has a big batch of sangria and I didn’t forget the ‘DDs’ this time. Bigelow’s Lemon Lust tea just for your, iced with lemon wedges for extra zing.

via Mercantile Muse

Did I forget to tell you I need a little dose of summer today? Hence the summery beverages. Be sure to look left, I made my own cheese, just for you. Really, I did. I think you’ll like it. Go on, give it a try.

via Mercantile Muse

Let’s get down to the main event- the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up Party!

***A side note, I lied. I will announce our next giveaway tomorrow instead of today, so be sure to check it out.***

Please read the Rules of the House, before linking:

*After you've linked up, take a look around Mercantile Muse. If you like our link party enough to link up, perhaps you'd enjoy following our little blog. I'd love it if you did. The more the merrier, you know what I mean? You'd be joining a fantastic group of people, Muse followers know how to rock it!

*Don't just link and run, be kind and check out each other's links.

*Leave a comment and check back Monday when I feature some things I've found through the link up. It could be you!

Hope to see you all tomorrow when I announce the next giveaway.

See you on the flip side,

So, you want to be a star?

2012-02-01T13:59:00.000-05:00

Marketing 101, Part 1

My 'manifesto' for 2012 included sharing business promotion advice on Mercantile Muse. You see I've owned a PR/Marketing/Advertising firm, Speakeasy, for 17+ years. I work with other small businesses. I'm a one girl show and I wear many hats. Any given day may find me designing a logo, creating a marketing plan, placing advertisments, or writing a press release. I think it's time for me to share some tips with Muse followers, especially since a lot of you operate your own online businesses and offline/3D businesses.

Let's start with a few things anyone can employ, for no cost, to gain a larger share of the marketplace.

#1. Start from wherever you are. See the sign?

Pay attention to it. You can't go back and change what you've done with regard to your business. Regretting how you've gone about things doesn't move you forward. Start from wherever you are. Assess where you stand at this moment and where you want to go. Write it down. It makes it more real.

#2. Listen to your customers wants and needs.

Today I sold my first large print because a customer asked for what she really wanted. It was something I was planning on doing anyways, but she gave me the reason to buy the larger art paper. (Now, I have to update my shop to offer this option to all my customers!) I'm really excited that the first large print is off to Austrailia simply because I listened and was willing tweak my offerings based on my what my customer wanted. This also applies to customization, something else I offer my customers. If you have a product or service that can be customized, do it. It gives people one more reason to choose you. It also indicates to potential customers that you are willing to do what it takes to get the sale. A pretty good vibe to sending out. Afterall, who are you going to buy from.......the person who says flat out- 'no I don't offer customazation' or the one who says 'let me see what I can do'.

via ArtfulMusicianPRTLND

#3. Be kind. Live by the golden rule.

You may have a customer who pushes your buttons with questions. Even if you're not willing to answer any more, or can't help them in the way they need, there is a nice way to say no. People appreciate being treated with kindness. Think about how you would want to be treated in a certain situation, and treat your customers the same way. Remember this in your shop policies as well. It can speak volumes about who you are, not only as a business person, but as a person. I don't know about you, but I don't care to do business with nasty, mean, negative people. I work too hard for my money to give it away to someone who can't treat me nicely. It's not that hard and it's free.

#4. Answer inquiries promptly.

via stampoutonline

When a potential customer contacts you, let them know you've received their email or convo as soon as you can. Even if it's a short note that simply says 'I've received your inquiry and will get back to you later today in more detail'. This shows you're interested in their business. It's also just good manners.

#5. Know that emails and convos can come across completely different than a real conversation.

Before hitting the send button, are you shouting at your customer in all CAPS? Have you said something that can be mis-construed? Re-read your messages. Twice for that matter. You can't take back how something sounds once you've hit the send button.

How do these tips relate to promoting your business? As I've already said, who wants to give their hard earned money away to people who can't manage a little common courtesy or to people who won't treat them like they are the customer? (Pet peeve alert: I just hate it when I go into a store and I'm the one that says hello, how are you today- not the person behind the counter! I usually leave without purchasing something). Who wants to purchase something from you if you don't respond to their emails/convos?

If you are mismanaging these aspects of your business, it will hurt your bottom line. If you're dong them right, it will make a difference in the long run. Try to put yourself in your customer's shoes at every step of a transaction.

As far as 'start from where you are' goes, you can't get to point B, unless you know where point A is.

Are you doing these things right or haven't you even considered them as part of your overall marketing?

Tomorrow begins the next shop and blog link up, so be sure to stop by. Talk about free promotion. Be sure to join the fun.

Gotta fly.

Have a great day,

Gallery Showing Of Sorts

2012-01-31T12:59:00.001-05:00

via moonandlion

Another Edition of The Talented Faces of Etsy

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. The talent on etsy amazes me. There is something for everyone to love. Something for everyone to be inspired by. Let me introduce you to the work of some fellow illustrators and artists whose work I'd love to have.

First. Moon and Lion. Just found this wonderful shop yesterday. I'm loving the whimsical nature of Macky's art.

via moonandlion

Maybe this one speaks to me because I'm from the Granite State, where we 'Live Free or Die'. Come on people, you have to love that for a state motto. Don't mess with us Granite Staters.

via moonandlion

By the way, Macky lives on Mallorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean. Sounds heavenly.

Emma Leonard of Belafonte is an artist in Melbourne, Australia, where it's presumably the opposite of our cold, miserable winter weather today. I think her work is just lovely. I just discovered Emma today thanks to a front page treasury.

via belafonte

The colors, the lines, the detail. Just lovely.

via belafonte

Sometimes I even surprise myself with my tastes. Apparently I like abstract work more than I realized. I think it really brings focus on the colors of a piece. I think Noemia Prada's work deserves more attention.

via noemiaprada

via noemia prada

Heads up though, if abstract just isn't your style, Noemia creates more than that. She also has a lovely collection of romantic mixed media works.

via noemiaprada

Anita Rivera's work will help you dream a little dream. Her magical touches abound in her shop Castles, Crowns and Cottages.

via castlescrownsandcottages

How sweet is this card from Anita's 'little blue coat' series?

via castlescrownsandcottages

Anita also has a lovely blog. Yup, you guessed it. Castlescrownsandcottages. You may want to check it out.

One last artist for you to share with you today. I really like Sara Feiss's illustration style.

via sarafeiss

I also like the fact that I'm not the only one with a gazillion ideas running around in my brain. Apparently, 'Julia' does too, thanks to Sara. However, it looks like Julia's thoughts are more about diamonds and mine are about projects.

via sarafeiss

Have you discovered any new artists lately, or rediscovered an artist you love? Let the cat out of the bag so we can all enjoy their art. Feel free to share a link to one of your favorite artists. It's fun seeing the variety of work out there.

Sunset Meadows

I know, I know. I should walked across to the field for this one, but I had my she-booties (slipper-boots) on. And it was cold. There's no way denying this was a real smokey kind of sunset yesterday. I love it when my work day ends like this.

Smokey, right? Would I lie.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world. Snowed overnight here. Light but enough to cover the ground. A little punch of winter, before the temps rise again. Craziest winter weather, but I'll take it. I've had to haul much less wood this winter and that's not a bad thing.

Carpe diem,

Idea File Growing

2012-01-30T11:03:00.000-05:00

via decor8

The File Is Starting to Overflow

All I need is more time in the day, so I can actually try some of these 'crafty' ideas that have caught my eye lately, like those I shared on Saturday. I keep finding more to add to the list, like everything in this post over on decor8.

I especially love this dreamcatcher idea. You could really make this your own with different embellishments. Have to say though, I really, really like this one.

via decor8

Then of course, there is Sania Pell, who I've mentioned before. Thank you Cari for getting me addicted to this woman's work. She's not only a great interior designer, stylist, and photographer, she's also quite a crafty girl.

This tealight from vintage tart tin, looks like it wouldn't be too difficult to try.

Love the end result. The glow that the three wicks give off is so pretty.

Sania doesn't just 'make crafts' though, she also wrote a book about it.

via amazon.com

May have to get my hands on that one. I bet she's got some fantastic ideas in it, and I love that the subtitle is '50 thrifty and chic handmade projects'. How can you go wrong?

The resurgence in crafting continues to grow and shows no signs of stopping. It feels like the right time for it as people look to spend less, yet still want pretty things in their lives that make them happy.

Crafting also holds so many memories for a lot of us. I remember doing lots of crafts from a kids craft book my Mom had on the shelf (aside: Mom, do you know the one I'm talking about? Is it still around?). If I was bored, there were all sorts of fun projects. Another side bonus of crafting is that you can often do it with a group of people and it can be quite social which makes it even more fun.

I was lucky enough to feature some wonderful crafters/artists this past fall. If you haven't read these post already, you'll find some great tutorials from Kristen, Stacey, and Daena. If you're interested in sharing a craft/art in the next installment of 'Be Our Guest' on Mercantile Muse, just let me know by commenting below and I'll be in touch.

Am I the only one that has crafts on her mind? Have you been crafting anything lately? Or are you just filling up your idea file like me and waiting for the perfect time to dive in?

What's Happening Behind Me

No, this isn't a comment about my backside growing larger because I'm sitting on it all day in front of the computer screen.

Just sharing today's take on 'it's a dog's life', as portrayed by Lucan.

Oh yeah, it's a tough life but somebody's got to do it.

Have a fantastic start to your week wherever you are and I'll do the same in my little office/studio.

Ciao for now,

Front Page News!

2012-01-29T10:12:00.001-05:00

via allami

15 Minutes of Fame

OK, maybe not 15 minutes. An hour. Maybe not Fame. Just the front page of etsy. While I was getting ready to go to our friend's house last night, one of my etsy treasuries (which is kind of like a 'visually curated shopping list') made the front page of etsy.

This is exciting for a few reasons. It helps the shops that are featured get noticed. When creating a treasury, you always hope that it will also result in some sales for the shops you featured. Well, the report is in and there have been at least 4 sales as result of my treasury making front page. This makes me smile.
It also makes the shops that were featured smile. As the 'curator' it also helps our shop get noticed. It's pretty much a good thing all around.

Saturday Night, Saturday Night

We were off to our friends Ralph and Cathryn's last night. Our mutual friends Phillip and Kathryn came up from New Jersey for a quick weekend visit.

Luckily Ralphy got a picture of the appetizers. Pretty much one of my favorite things in the world. Fresh caught scallops.

The scallops were followed closely by fresh caught lobster pie. These are the things you have to suffer through when your pal is a fisherman.

As you can tell by Phillip's face (and Gar's below), the night included many, many laughs. You know, the side splitting, shoot your drink out your nose kind.

Wish I'd remembered I'd had the camera when everyone was there. Four of the rabble rousers - Sarah, Janice, Donna and Mark (make that 5 including baby Bella) had left when I finally pulled it out. Sometimes I wish there was a rewind button.

It was an all around good time with good friends. The best kind of night.

Cathryn stole Gar's hat for this shot.

Have I mentioned the dogs? Ralph and Cathryn are dog people like us. Except that they have three more than us. They lost the Katey dog, which is sad. She was a good, scruffy little terrier. However, someone new and equally nice, Catty, has found a place on the couch next to Ralph.

Famous Amos and Henny Penny lounged together on the other couch. No, Amos doesn't have one red eye and one blue/green eye. But I just had to leave this picture as it was because it made me laugh.

Duncan opted to spread out in the kitchen. However, he was doing his best to avert his eyes from the camera, acting ever-so shy. Funny Duncs. Funny.

Love all these pooches.

Love the MacDonalds too. And the Lalimes. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I love scallops wrapped in bacon and lobster pie too. That's just a side note for Ralph.

Sunset Meadows

It was a lovely one yesterday. I wasn't quick enough to get some of the really pretty colors, but I still got a couple of shots before it was done.

Hope you're having a slow-down kind of Sunday. It's sunny and windy here. Gar just went to get some groceries (thanks babe) and I have some work to do. When that's done, I'll enjoy the NHL all-star game with some Guac and chips. Speaking of the NHL all stars, my bigZ man (seriously, he's 6'8" without skates one), Zdeno Chara, beat his own slapshot record of 105.9 miles per hour with a 108.8 missile last night. Oh yeah baby.

See you on the flip side,

Crafts That Caught My Eye

2012-01-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

via frompankawithlove

Saturday Crafty Link Love

I came across this image on pinterest. Luckily, the person who had pinned it had the source. (It drives me crazy when things aren't credited to their source. I could really have a say on this subject, but we'll leave it at 'it's just not right'). The source happens to be 'frompankawithlove', and panka offers a tutorial on how to achieve this magical look on her blog.

via frompankawithlove

It looks pretty easy, although perhaps a little time consuming. A perfect project for a Sunday afternoon. I think the pay off would be worth the time spent painting the jar. I'd love to give a whirl, but for now it will go in the 'someday' file and I'll just enjoy panka's image of her glowing mason jars.

via from pankawithlove

Pretty cool, right?

I've had some chinese lantern projects swirling around in my head. I am lovin' these and may do one of them for my office or over our dining room table to add a bit of whimsy.

This is the one that got me thinking about chinese lantern makeovers. Good old Martha.

via marthastewart

The tutorial uses double sided tape. I think I'd up that to hot glue. I love the look. It's an inexpensive way to dress up a spot.

This tutorial for these chines lantern poms does use hot glue. I don't think they're using them as lights, but I'm sure you could.

via perfectwedding

How about paper flowers? Looking at the way these are styled I think a few around a mirror or a picture, would be really sweet. (Thanks to Sara from Royal Regards for leading me to this via pinterest.)

via scrapbooksetc

If I had a spot for a vanity, this would be lovely. And easy thanks to the beautydepartment's tutorial. I love the mix of romantic, soft edges and industrial, sharp edges (like the lamp). By the way, love that mirror too.

photo: patrick cline for Lonny Magazine post designed by: kristin ess

Great, easy as pie way of achieving the look above.

via thebeautydepartment

Are you crafting or thinking about crafting something? What's in your 'to make' file?

Moon Over The Meadows

Wow. The moon last night was incredible. Called my parents and sister to see if they could catch a glimpse, but no luck from their vantage point. At out place, it was the biggest, most orange crescent moon every. It really was HUGE over the field. I really wish my camera could have captured it better. This really doesn't do it any justice.

Sure, you can see the color good, but the immensity of the moon is not apparent at all in this picture.

It was a sight to behold.

Have a great Saturday. I'm at my desk as predicted and Gar's working on projects. The sun is shining and it's actually warm enough to hang the laundry on the line. What's shaking in your corner of the world?

Ciao for now,

Right Out Of The Hat

2012-01-27T03:10:00.002-05:00

Literally, Out of The Hat

We have a winner folks! I tallied the entries to our first giveaway of the year. Wrote all the names down, some more than once because they'd earned extra entries, cut them up and put them in the hat. My winter hat to be exact.

I put my hand in and pulled out.............

It's Ms. Cari-Jane Hakes, from Hybrid Handmade! Can I get a whoop whoop?

I want to thank all of you who entered for taking the time to share the giveaway, check out our shop and comment. Sweet!

As for Cari, I'll contact you to find out where I should send your print. Congratulations!!

Speaking of Cari, she's got a really pretty FREE February Calendar desktop wallpaper you can download from her blog, Hybrid Handmade. Check it out!

Keep your eyes open for our next giveaway that starts next Thursday, which will also mark the beginning of our next shop and blog link up party.

Until then, if you are an online shop owner, check out the shop link up/hop over on 'lifebesprinkled' and tell Thauna and Lizzi I sent you. I also want to thank the gals for including my Grow Love print as one of the featured picks from the previous hop. Very cool!

Freeform Friday

This video cracks me up. Really. Cracks. Me. Up. Nothing like a little laugh to start your weekend off right. Click here if you're reading by email.

Have a fantastic weekend. Ours includes me working at my desk tomorrow at least for part of the day. Still on mission organization, but I am making progress. Garman is will be trying to put a threshold in and some trim. Tomorrow night we're off to our friends house to see them and other friends who are coming from NJ for a visit. Yay!

Enjoy your day,

How Do I Love Thee?

2012-01-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

Does A Free Printable Sound Like Love?

Because you're all so nice, I wanted to give you a free printable to download in time for Valentine's Day. 20 days and counting.

I think you guys are the best. My followers are always doing nice things, like mentioning Mercantile Muse and Bates Mercantile Co. on their blogs, linking to to the Muse, including the Muse on your sidebar, pinning, stumbling, facebooking and tweeting. Never mind simply following and leaving the sweetest comments. I appreciate it all. I really do appreciate it.

So, for you and your loved one, my take on the classic Browning poem. Utterly romantic with lace and a pretty peony, which is from an illustration I'm working on. Check out the homemade washi tape I used on the envelope (all I did was use double sided tape on a piece of one of my designs. Cut it out, stick. Easy peasy and a nice touch on the envelope, don't you think?).

All you have to do is click the picture below and you can download the pdf.

via Mercantile Muse

You can also 'right' click on the picture above to save the image file to your computer and print. 'How Do I Love Thee?' has two cards per page, in case you happen to be playing the field, and can be folded to 4.25 x 5.5.

Feel free to share a link to this post and spread the love!

CAUTION: You're Time Is Running Out

Just throwing out one more reminder that our current giveaway ends tonight. So, if you like the 'Louis Louis in Pink' print, be sure you've entered for the drawing.

via BatesMercantileCo.

After all, someone has to win. Shouldn't it be you?

Have a lovely Thursday. All is quiet on the East Coast front. Well, until tonight when we're supposed to get an overnight messy, wintry mix.

Going with the flow,

Inspired: Design

2012-01-25T12:29:00.003-05:00

via rhettdidn'tgiveadamn

Etsy Style

I can't say enough about all the wonderful shops on etsy. If you have not checked out etsy yet, you really are missing something special. Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade and vintage, as well as supplies to make things. The talent and taste oozes from this site. As owner of Bates Mercantile Co. on etsy, I can honestly say, I never cease being amazed at the things I can find.

Everyone can find something they like on etsy, and support independent shop owners at the same time. I think that's pretty cool. A gazillion little shop owners with a multitude of products, all in one place. Even cooler.

Without further ado, check out these fabulous things from my fellow etsy shop owners.

See what I mean? There is literally something for everyone.

*chandelier photograph via elle mosse photography (visit blog)

*'do not fret' sign via lafamilleathome (visit blog)

*the prettiest persian rug via oldnewhouse

*antique reproduction aged mirror by leftbankselection

*colorful pill/snuff box via patchhappypauper

*vintage Amsterdam postcards via rhettdidntgiveadamn (visit blog)

*vintage cut glass lights via antique2chic

*damask coasters via burlapandblue (visit blog)

*mini dress with style via daniellecicero

Of course, this little collection barely scratches the surface. Did you notice I made some of my own washi tape strips? Will work on that and offer them as a freebies when the set is done.

On a side note, Lisa Sieczka (ellemoss's shop owner and photographer extraordinaire) will be part of the Oscars this year. The much coveted Oscar gift bags will feature her photo-pendants. Congrats to Lisa.

Sunrise Meadows

It was warm here yesterday. It's January and the temp hit 54 degrees F. It was a little weird, but very welcome. This morning was much cooler, but the sunrise made up for it as it painted pink stripes across the sky.

On top of the pretty sunrise, a beautiful red tailed hawk glided to the barn as I stood in the field (yes, in my pajamas).

I tried to get closer............

.......but the hawk only perched for a moment before taking off to the other side of the barn.

Very cool, none the less.

Is it Wednesday already? How'd that happen. Lots on the plate the rest of the day, including......you guessed it, more organizing. It's the never-ending-project. What are you up to today?

Thanks for stopping by,

Sharing is Caring

2012-01-24T10:00:00.007-05:00

via puglypixel

You Should. You Really Should.

Have you ever perused puglypixel? The site is the BOMB. A # 1. You see, Katrina is a design enthusiast. AND she shares. BIG time. Am I getting my point across?

I wanted a couple of washi tape touches for our latest ad on Automatism.

Quick search and I've got resulst and I'm thinking to myself, why didn't I just go there in the first place? Where? Puglypixel of course.

Katrina has some of THE best freebies around. She had exactly what I was looking for and the best part is she allows you to use them for business or personal projects. Did I say for free?

Just look at this Washi Tape kit she put together.

Thank you so very much Katrina. You saved me a lot of time. You know, the time I would have spent designing my ownWashi tape clip art. VERY cool.

I love this idea too, you can buy Katrina a cup of coffee to say 'thanks'.

So if you haven't visited puglypixel yet, you should. You really should.

If you've never seen Lori's blog, Automatism, it's one of the top interior design blogs. We've been advertising with Lori almost since we opened our little shop because I really love her style. If you sign up for her blog, you'll be in for a treat with her selections of designs to feature and her weekly buffet post, which I always love.

While you're meandering around the web, and you're done at puglypixel and automatism, stop by KnickofTimeInteriors and join Angie's 'vintage style' link party. Share your vintage project or blog post and meet some nice new people.

My oh my, there's so much going all the time in blogland.

Have a great Tuesday. I'm off to a meeting with my galpal to discuss some marketing initiatives. She's always got something on the burner. What are you cooking up today?

ttfn,

Things I Found & Heard At The Party

2012-01-23T11:59:00.001-05:00

via starlightwoods

Over the moon and the rainbow about hosting!

I really enjoy hosting the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It shop and blog link up. It such a fun way to support independent shop owners and bloggers. There's also many wonderful links to check out, and you just never know where they're going to take you.

Oh the places I've been and the things I've found so far, and there are still people linking up!

Let's start with these wonderful plates. That starburst in the center is a really lovely detail, as are the scalloped edges. So very pretty.

via sweetposydreams

By the way, sweet posy dreams also has a blog you should check out.

Speaking of blogs, don't miss Angie's bathroom makeover at knickoftimeinteriors. It's something else. She left no stone unturned. No floor undone. Seriously, great ideas in this reno!

via knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com

Guess what? Angie also has a shop. Funny how that works.

The lead up to Valentine's Day brought lots of hearts to the party.

A sweet lavender sachet from KatEzat.

via katezat

Love those hombre style stripes. (On a side note, look at those strawberries! I want to just reach out and grab one!)

How about a little chalkboard style from layoffthebooks.

via layoffthebooks

And you guessed it, both layoffthebooks and katezat have blogs too. We're talking busy, busy people round these parts........creating, crafting, selling and blogging! Not enough time in the day.

OK, always enough time to sit down and have a snack like this. Um....Yum.

via cubitsorganics

Cold Morning Carrot, Zucchini and Raisin Muffins from Laura at Cubits Organics. If you're looking for the seeds to grow your own ingredients for these, check out Laura's shop.

I just love these stoneware jars from cottagy. They remind me of the polo ground mugs my parents have had on the breakthrough forever.

via cottagy

Need a little spice drawer makeover? Kristen at differentshadesofgreen has really great free printable labels to help you out.

via differentshadesofgreen

So much cuter than the store containers, don't you think?

I just love this necklace by starlightwoods. How could you not be smiling if you were wearing a rainbow?

via starlightwoods

This necklace also shows me where Hailey from melonheadbookmarks (who I blogged about last week) gets her talent and eye for color from........her mom Lisa, the artist behind startlightwoods (love both of those shop names girls)!

As you can see, there is just so much to be found at the shop and blog link ups. It really is too much fun.

Speaking of fun, who doesn't like to win something? There are still a couple of days to enter our current giveaway for the Louis Louis in Pink print. If you haven't yet, it's easy!

What are you waiting for?

Have a great Monday in your corner of the world. I'm still on Mission Organization and will be for awhile. It's all good.

Ciao for now,

One of My Very Favorite Meals

2012-01-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

A Little Snow Couldn't Keep Us Away

It snowed yesterday, a perfect day for organizing. However, I did get sidetracked from the office organizing and got stuck in a makeover of our kitchen closet/cabinet. You see, my office is on the back side of the big screen TV and the Bruins were on (btw, we lost in overtime to the Rangers....bummer). At least I continued with mission organization in some form. Let me tell you, this is one ugly closet inside, but you have to start somewhere.

The payoff was, at the end of the day we were off to my parent's for Dad's linguine and clam sauce. He called Defiant Lobster the day before and ordered his clams. He knew the Tilton's would take of them, as they are experts (seriously, these people know lobsters and clams), and woudl make sure these clams were well rinsed with no sand.

I was looking forward to a heaven. A little snow wasn't going to stop us from our appointed rounds or the table.

We enjoyed some laughs on the porch before it was time to check on the sauce.

(Please note that Maxie-dog, the family mascot is overseeing how everything is going, as usual).

Better lift the lids and make sure everything is going smoothly.

Hmmmm, looks good to me. I call it 'ready'.

Max agreed.

So did the Chef. Time to serve it up. Family style.

Let him at it!

Let me at it! (horrible picture, but we can't have it all, can we?).

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

Heaven.

Brother in law Niall was not happy when he skyped us this morning to say he had received pictures of the aforementioned meal. One of his favorites too. Who am I not to share, in whatever way I can?

Off to do some more closet painting. More hockey today AND the Patriots in a playoff game that will get them to the Super Bowl if we can take care of the Ravens.

Have a wonderful Sunday. Are you organizing like me? Watching sports like me in a little while? Cooking a Sunday dinner? However you're spending it, I hope it's grand.

Want to make it even better? Angie over at Knick of Time is hosting a fantastic giveaway from AppleWhite. The sweetest tea towels. It's winding down and you only have today to enter, so hurry over.

via applewhite and knickof time

Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for being here,

And so it goes.......

2012-01-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

ralph morris for life magazine

The Office

Mine. Not the TV show.

That's where I am. My office. My studio. My little corner of the world (literally).

Didn't get too far on the organization yesterday. It will certainly be a 'project' that will take multi-days to complete. I'm ok with that. I'm actually feeling a little better about it's state after an email from my father. He read yesterday's post and felt compelled to tell me that the two of us were in good company

when it came to messy workplaces.

Apparently, I am not the only one. Sure, mine is a mess right now. There are piles and piles of stuff to sort through.

However, thanks to Dad, I can point out that Einstein's office was no organizational mecca.

Nor Mr. Buckley's.

(couldn't find credits for this, if you know, pleas email me so I can add them)

That said. I'd rather mine looked like this.

via houzz

Or this.

via bhg

This is screaming me. It's still my kind of messy, but in a much nicer way.

via house beautiful

So this is my never ending task today. Going to remove just about everything from my little corner and go from there.

How about you? What are you doing? Lounging? Laundry? Sledding? Sunning?

It's snowing here. Only supposed to get a few inches. Later we're off to 10 Tobey (Mom and Dad's tonight) for the best linguine and clam sauce in the world. Nobody's beats my father's. It's the bomb. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Back to the task at hand. People, there is much work to be done on this front.

I'm outta here.

Mission Organization? Oh, yes please.

2012-01-20T13:02:00.002-05:00

It Looks Like A Tornado Came Through Here

Dorothy can't be far behind. At least, if I'm to judge by the way my office- studio looks at the moment. It's scary.

Really.

Truly.

Scary.

You don't believe me? This is just one pile. I will preface this picture with this fact: I am my father's daughter. (Right Mom? Right Dad?). I simply don't work in the most 'organized' fashion. Let me also say, that doesn't mean I don't get things done.

Now, usually by the end of the day things are looking better than this.

However, that isn't happening of late.

I present to you a close up of another pile, and ask you to consider the proof.

You know when you can't even think straight because everything is turned upside down? Yes? Ah. Thank goodness I'm not the only one.

I have to tackle the mess that is my little corner of the world before I can accomplish anything else on my list. Please, wish me luck. If you don't hear from me in the next couple of days, somebody send a search party.

Inspiration In The Most Unlikely Places

Lo and behold, even in the midst of my nightmare of a mess, there lies inspiration. I was lucky enough to come across melonheadbookmarks
last week on etsy. Melonhead is a wonderful little shop run by Hailey, who opened her store this past summer at the ripe old age of 10. Don't you love her already?

Well, I fell in love with one of her book marks.

via melonheadbookmarks

I think she's quite an artist with a fantastic eye for color. The bookmark is now mine, but others are available. I think it's too pretty to hide in a book. At the moment it is on my inspiration board (if you can call it that, it's really just a catch all, but soon-to-be-inspiration-board).

Those colors just make me smile.

See what I mean about it not 'looking' like a true 'inspiration board' quite yet?

Well, it may not 'look' like one, but it is already serving it's purpose which is to inspire, right? Hailey's use of color inspired my latest illustration 'So is love'.

via batesmercantileco.

Very cool being inspired by the art of a talented 10 year old.

Other Happenings 'Round The Estate

It snowed last night. The weatherman must have known about my 'glittering prize' post the other day.

It sure looked pretty this morning.

I love it when it covers the stone wall just enough -- so you can still see the stone wall.

The dog loves it when he can play in it, and then come back in and sleep in one of his favorite spots.

Lucan couldn't even muster up enough energy to care.

Let alone open his eyes all the way.

That's what's happening in my world, what's happening in yours?

Freeform Friday

A little Hal Ketchum. What? You don't know Hal Ketchum? What? I haven't told you we have a very eclectic taste in music? Punk, classical, rock, reggae, pop, and opera are all in our collection. So is Hal. Just love this man's voice. If you're reading via email, click here.

Have a fantastic Friday and an even better weekend. Got any plans?

Later gators,

It's Party Time at The Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up!

2012-01-19T10:56:00.001-05:00

Let's Get This Party Started

It's that time again. Time when I can pay it forward. This party is all about supporting fellow online shop owners and bloggers, getting to know you all a little better, introducing you to each other, and attracting new people to your shop and blog.

So let's do it up right. The stereo is turned up (you guys do remember what a stereo is, don't you?), the champagne punch is flowing..........

via gourmet

......and the guest are rolling through the door.

So grab a glass, introduce yourself by posting a link to your shop and/or blog, and mingle with the other guests! This is an 'open house', so if you know others who would like to join in the fun, by all means spread the word. The door is open.

Please read the rules of the House, before linking:

*After you've linked up, take a look around Mercantile Muse. If you like our link party enough to link up, perhaps you'd enjoy following our little blog. I'd love it if you did. You'd be joining a fantastic group of people, Muse followers ROCK!

*Post one link. Two if you link one under Gotta Have It (for shops, crafters, artisans, vintage sellers) and one under Gotta Blog It (for bloggers).

*Don't link and run, be kind and check out other's links.

*Leave a comment and check back Monday when I feature some things I've found through the link up. It could be you!

Before you leave, just one more thing......have you had a chance to enter our current giveaway yet? You could win this Louis Louis In Pink archival print. Wouldn't it add a little 'pow' to your wall?

What have you got to lose? Absolutely nuttin'. Remember, you can't win if you don't play!

Thanks for being here. Luckily, for most of you, it's only via the computer because it's freezing! I sure do hope it's warmer in your little corner of the world.

See you on the flip side,

Glittering Prize

2012-01-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

Sparkles, Sparkles

All that glitters isn't gold, although some is.

I've been taking practice photos in my new 'product shot' space in my office. I came across this great sequin trim in my craft box, a pass-on from my Mom. Nice one Mom. Just look at this stuff!

Please note, although this trim is 'mainly' gold, it also has an opalescent quality with a rainbow of colors showing themselves at different angles. Love that.

So, I did a little looking around the Internet and found some really great glittery things that I'd be happy to incorporate into my life, one way or another.

Pretty gold and pearl and cashmere curtain tie backs. My curtains would be tied back all the time.

via upscaledownhome

On another subject all together, I am swooning over that curtain fabric.

OK, back to glittering.

So cool. A glittering canvas.

from now defunct blueprint, via apartment therapy

That's a do-able project. It's also beautiful.

Oh my, the things you could do with these embellishments!

via embellishedlife2

Delicate and pretty. Yes?

Silver glitters too.

via twisted twig

Bright, shiny love.

These boots are made for walking and attracting attention!

via thisisglamorous

There's an easy how-to. I think they're a ton of fun and tres chic.

A lovely little corner with the coolest silver ottoman.

west elm via apartment therapy

Great color on the parsons table, and even the capiz chandelier glitters.

The prettiest olive forks EVER.

via falconandfinch

The details are amazing.

Oh, how lovely this would be on a dresser.

via flowerpeddlers

The glass glitters, the pearls glitter, the candles glitter.

Of course, you may have noticed from my Christmas mantle, that I have a good dose of crystal glittering around the house.

via mercantilemuse

I've been lucky to receive a lot of Waterford Crystal as gifts over the years.

I think I'm inspired to find a new way to display it in all it's glittering beauty.

See where a little roll of gold sequin trim can lead you.

What about you? Do you have anything that glitters in your life? In your home, in your wardrobe, on your nails, on your feet? Or is shiny and bright a little too over the top for your taste?

Although there is snow on the ground, it's having a tough time trying to glitter today. It's too busy being whipped around by the wicked wind.

Don't forget that tomorrow starts the next shop and blog link up on Mercantile Muse. Link up or keep your eyes open for some great finds!

Have a great day in your corner of the world, whether it's hot or cold.

over and out,

PS- Note for Di: feel free to let Mrs. Roy know that she inspired the subtitle today. Or did we?

Favorite Finds: Neutral Style

2012-01-17T11:56:00.001-05:00

via skylanddrive

Back To Basics

Hi guys. If you've been hanging on the Muse for awhile, you know I love color. You probably know that I love neutrals just as much. A world without neutrals would be a lot less colorful, beacause they're what make color that much more colorful. The real bonus......neutrals go with everything! If you haven't been incorporating any neutrals into your life, let me suggest it's time to rethink that.

How sweet is this tufted titmouse?

via wolfartglass

Just like the one chirping outside my window.

How cool is this 'old school' (literally) loudspeaker.

via vintagecollectorlover

Ooooo, necklace love.

via rockedjewelry

I bet it jingles a little when you move. Well, certainly when you dance.

All the lovely horses.

via eyepoetryphotography

Such beautiful animals.

Need to do more office organizing?

via pineandmain

Your desk would look so handsome and clean cut.

Sepia tone. Alway in style.

via batesmercatileco.

Whether it's old, or new.

via batesmercantileco.

Transferware. In brown and white (so are my dinnerplates). Such a pretty design.

via skylanddrive

Finally. This teapot from my own kitchen. My holiday teapots are away. Back to my everydays, which include this one which includes a little color but I still consider it pretty neutral.

What's hot for today in your corner of the? I have a ton of work at my desk and some more photography since the light seems to be cooperating. I'll also be making time to move later. Yesterday I got on the treadmill at the end of the day for a half an hour. It's a start.

Make it fantastic, whatever you do.

Ciao for now,

A Hearty Winter Meal and New Stuff At The Mercantile

2012-01-16T13:31:00.001-05:00

Ala Martha

Martha comes directly to my inbox. Yes, that Martha. The woman just 'knows' how to do stuff, whether it's cooking, crafting, organizing, designing, entertaining, gardening or even re-creating herself. In this instance, it was food related. Her Everyday Food newsletter came with a bunch of slow cooker recipes. I am all over that..........stick it in the crock pot and let it do its thing and viola, a tasty meal. Works for me and sure made my Sunday easier.

Say hello to Martha's Beef Stroganoff.

I only had to do minor tweaking. That is a girl's prerogative after all. The recipe calls for you to throw the beef, onion, mushrooms into the crock pot, with no mention of adding any liquid. I found that although all three things sweat, it wasn't quite enough liquid to braise in the crock pot for hours, so I added 1-2 cups of water and that worked out perfectly when I added the remaining ingredients (sour cream - I used fat free- and Dijon mustard).

As you can see, I served over egg noodles which is typical for beef stronganoff.

How do the pictures look? Better than the fondue pictures from yesterday's post? Please say yes. I'm going to make an effort to get better shots of food. It's not easy because, like most of us, the majority of my cooking takes place at night. This time, I saved some and reheated and plated it for it's big photo op this morning.

I've also found a new spot (right in my little office/studio corner no less- how did I miss that?) to take pictures. The light makes all the difference.

I'll also be working on improving our shop pictures as well.

At The Mercantile

I have a long way to go, but I should be able to take some more photos today in the new spot. I also really need to make a light box of sorts (which doesn't have to be difficult- click that link for really easy tutorial). It will give me so many more options for taking photos when the sunlight is not cooperating and will allow me to take decent photos at night. It will also help me with the 'take better shop photos' in my 2012 Manifesto. Ditto on improving my blog pictures, which I'm adding to the manifesto.

I tested the new photo location with some items that will be going into the shop today. I've had them for awhile and they're not doing me any good if I don't get them listed. Does this happen to you?

I'm a little tempted to keep this awesome blue enamel tray.

It could be used for so many different purposes.........an inbox for my office, a container to wrangle things in my pantry, a dresser tray, a good tray- wouldn't it be great for breakfast in bed? Hey, a girl can dream.

So far, I'm liking the lighting in this new spot.

How sweet is this little cottage tea pot?

If you see the tape, please ignore it. I didn't see it until I looked at these photos on the computer.

I think the hollyhocks growing up the back of the cottage make up for the minor chip/defect in the handle. It's hardly noticeable with all the other wonderful details.

Call me crazy, but I have a thing for old tools. I have an antique wrench that sits on my coffee table and I use it for everything. Nearly every guy that comes into the house tries to nab it. So, of course I was drawn to this old thing when I saw it. I love an industrial edge mixed with shabby chic cottage style to bring a little balance.

It seems like it has a specific purpose, but I'm not sure what kind of wrench this is. I just like its lines and rusty perfection. (Dad? Any ideas?)

I bet you could think of a ton of projects to use these vintage printers stamps on whether it's stationery, scrap booking, pretty labels, or wall art. The possibilities are endless.

They used to design things with such beautiful detail. I think the stamps themselves are a work of art.

Aside from the vintage, I also listed a new illustration this morning- 'Shower Your Love'. I'm on the Valentine's Day love theme. Of course, it would be so nice if we carried that theme through the whole year.

via batesmercantileco.

What are you working on today?

Sunset Meadows

A soft coral sunset last night. You wouldn't think it was about 0 degrees out when I took this.

I hope that you have a great start to your week. I plan checking a lot off my list this week. Wish me luck!

One more thing.......have I told you how HAPPY I am that blogger has added the ability to reply directly to each comment? This makes me super excited. I appreciate all your comments very much, and it's much nicer to be able to respond to each of you in this way.

Have a good one.

ta ta for now

Sunday Shares

2012-01-15T14:07:00.001-05:00

Do You Fondue?

Remember when fondue was all the rage? You know, back in the 70s? Am I the only one around here who can remember back that far? Well, if you don't remember, let me tell you, fondue was big in the 70s. There was a reason for that too. It's pretty simple. Fondue is GOOD. I mean, not that there aren't other types of fondue, but I generally go with a cheese based fondue and who doesn't love melted, ooey-gooey cheese?

Last night I made fondue, with beer for my liquid. White wine is nice too, but last night since I was using sharp cheddar I thought the beer would go nice. It did.

I started by poaching some chicken thighs in, of all things, Italian dressing. I'd seen a recipe using it online this week and thought it would add some extra flavor. Once it was cooked I shredded it all up and threw it into the fondue along with shredded cheddar and a really nice sharp cheddar by Cabot which Gar shredded for me. Sam Adams was the beer of choice. Dijon mustard, garlic powder, old bay seasoning and salt and pepper rounded out the ingredients.

Another thing about fondue. It's easy. I threw all the ingredients into the fondue pot I scored from Mom/Marge. Lit the Sterno and let it do it's thing.

Stirred it a couple of times and then it was good to go. Wish I'd take pics when it was done but I forgot. We were interrupted, in a good way, by Skypers from Dublin. Ah well. When we got around to the fondue I put some french bread in the oven to get it nice and warm and a little crusty. We cut that up for dipping. It was all delicious. A great Saturday night meal.

I Think You Should Know

I like sharing good things, and here's a few for you:

1. A beautiful necklace giveaway over at BelleMaisonetmoi.

via bellemaisonetmoi

2. If you have an online shop, Melissa is hosting her first shop link up of the year on Bella-Expressions.

via bella-expressions

2. Again, if you have a shop, Kat at lifesjewelsonastring has set a goal to list something new in her shop every week. To encourage herself and others, she's hosting a 'new listing' link up over on lifesjewelsonastring.

via lifesjewelsonastring

4. Kristen at bythebookpaper is celebrating the first year of her etsy shop with a giveaway for your own personalized note cards. Sweet!

5. We are having our first giveaway of the year on Mercantile Muse. Have you entered yet? Can't win if you don't play, so to speak. By the way, I would really, really love it, and would be ever-so-grateful if you shared a link to our giveaway on facebook, or twitter, or your blog or wherever. Be sure to add a comment on the giveaway page if you do, it will earn you extra entries!

via mercantilemuse

Sunset Meadows

Wow. It was really something yesterday. I'm hoping for another today, but for now I'll just share this.

I hope you're having a fantastic Sunday. Today, we're hanging low. It's too cold to go anywhere if you don't have to. I still have to pack up my Santas and put them in the attic, along with the snowmen and penguins I took down yesterday. I think I'm going to take this opportunity to make some changes. I'm going to move things around instead of putting them back where they 'usually' are. As for tonight, we're having crockpot beef stroganoff, a perfect meal for a perfectly freezing day. Those are our big plans, what about you?

Ciao for now,