A 'Welcome Fall' Party

[via martha stewart]

It's Time for the First Fall Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Party

Hey gang, I hope you're having a great day. 

Can I give you a some background on the parties I throw here on the Muse?  Since my day job consists of helping other small business people to promote themselves through advertising, pr and marketing, these little soirees are a fun virtual extension of that. It's a way for the many independent business owners, shop owners and bloggers to connect with each other and you (in case you're not one of the aforementioned). It's a virtual party, where people share what they make, do or blog about, make new friends and, generally speaking, have a good time.  It's also a chance for you to experience the handmade and independent business movement that's going on, and discover new blogs to follow. There's a lot of people online who have great things to say and are expressing it through their art, craft, business or blog and you can connect with some of them right here at the Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up Party.  I think it's important for us independent business people to support each other and this party is one the ways I do that.

Whether you're a shop owner, blogger or someone who just stopped by, you're cordially invited to join in the fall festivities.

In honor of the new season, let's take some time out of our day to celebrate fall.

1. invitation via KT's Art's & Design's  2. pinecones via The Rustic Woodshed

3. pumpkin photo via Summer Owens Fine Art Photography

4. vintage table cloth set via StoryTellersVintage

5. vintage stereo via LCMillard LBSCreations & Vintage Finds

6. cocktail set via followmevintage 7. herb dip diy via Craig’s Emporium 

8. vintage cake carrier via Doodlebug Emporium

Ready to party? Remember, even if you don't own an etsy shop or online business and you don't blog, you are still invited to this party. It's a fun place to window shop and see what you might have been missing until now.

Please read the guidelines before linking up:

*If you like Mercantile Muse enough to link up at the party, I ask that you follow too. There are several different ways to follow in the sidebar. 

*Don't link and run. Be kind and check out each other's links. You can't believe the things I've discovered at these parties. Plus, it's all about supporting each other after all. 

*You'll also find Bates Mercantile Co. here: facebook, pinterest, twitter. It'd be great to connect with you any way I can.

*Will you share a link to the party? Blog, tweet, facebook, share on your etsy team if you're on one, 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 wicked awesome.  Everyone is welcome here, so be sure to tell your friends.

*If you take part in the link up, you will go on my email list to receive notification from me (from the address pbates at speakeasyinfo dot net) when the next link up party is underway, as well as other Mercantile Muse news.

*BY ALL MEANS, get to know the person next to you. Leave a comment that tells us a little more about your shop and/or blog and read and respond to what others have to say.  If you need inspiration, here's something to get you started......'how did you start making __________ or blogging about ________? 

Need more inspiration? How about this video via my blogging pal Bonnie at {Paper.Keeper}. I think you'll like it. It would make the party so much better if we took a little time to sit in a 'ball pit' and get to know one another better.

Now, without further delay...'the party'.If you're reading via email you can stop by the party here.

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I can't wait to see what you've all left behind at this party. Monday's post on the Muse will feature my picks from the party. Oh, wait......can you hold on just a second while I turn up the music? I think you guys will like this take on a Fall classic.

I'm glad it's Thursday. It's been a busy week and there is still much to do. I'm working on pulling together another awesome giveaway and I'm excited about the shops already on board. You're going to love it. If you're interested in participating as a sponsor, give me a shout to see if you're a good fit for this one. I'm hoping we get a little sun for the weekend because it's been gray and rainy. How's  your week going so far? 

See you on the flip side,

And The Rockets Red Glare.....

Oh No, That Was The Lobsters

It happens once a year, which is both good- because it's lots of work, and bad- because it's lots of fun.

The fourth was super muggy and hot. This is how it goes.

Gar gets up in the 6am hour and goes to meet Ralph on the rocks in Rye to cut seaweed for the bake. Why the 6am hour? That would be low tide this year. It usually is at an early hour. Go figure.

Then one of us picks up the lobsters and clams at Defiant Lobster and the keg at Joe's Meat Market. This year it worked out that Gar swung by both places on his way back with seaweed. While he's gone I'm prepping my appies and starting to haul stuff like paper plates, utensils, grilling supplies and more out to the backyard, putting table cloths on tables, setting chairs up, etc.  This year I even had a chance to hop in the pool for some brief downtime. Then it was back to the kitchen to make Watermelon George, who makes everyone pleased as punch.

Then people start rolling in, dropping their lobsters off early so they know they make it on the bake. We bag and tag 'em in big old onion bags with clothespins, so everyone gets their own lobsters and clams back.  After Tom puts the 800 pound plate over the fire pit, the guys get the fire going good and hot.  Then the lobster/clam bags, corn and potatoes are all put into the baskets (square wood frames with screening on the bottom) that are loaded with seaweed. 

Then the bake goes on the plate, and it's wet down to bring up the steam.
Then we mingle and schmooze; enjoy a cocktail, Watermelon George or a red solo cup of draught beer; swim in the pool, nibble on some appies; eat stuff from the grill; melt the butter and then finally, we dig into the lobster and clams!

Good times and a great way to celebrate America's indepedence. Our furthest travellers this year were Aunt Joan and Uncle Bobby who came up from Yonkers, NY.  Yay!  Thought Aunt Joan was going to run all the way home when Uncle Bobby did his best redneck impersonation with my cowboy hat on.

It sounded like you all celebrated in perfectly wonderful ways. So happy to hear it!  I think it's a holiday worth celebrating. It makes me think of the hard fought battles to win this country's independence. It also makes me think of all the servicemen and women that aren't home to celebrate and it's a good way to honor them I think, in true American style.

Hope you enjoyed the weekend too. We pretty much hung low, other than a ride on Sunday morning.  The sunsets cooperated, as usual, giving us quite a show.

Sunset Meadows

What a day yesterday was. Beautiful summer day. Couldn't have been anymore perfect. It ended perfectly too.

So beautiful.

So blessed to have this view.

After a few days of vacation, this week the to-do list is long, but it's all good including ad design, bookkeeping (ok, maybe not all good...blech!), marketing, tomorrow's post on 4th of July chowder making and more. What do you plan on accomplishing this week?

Have a great day,

The Aftermath

Lots of Fun Had By All

The 4th was HOT, HUMID and FUN.  We had a few less people this year, and that was a.ok.  As usual, there was lots of talking, laughing.....pooltime, and oh yes...........lobster and clams off the bake!!!!

Good times with good friends on the 4th.

A more complete review will happen, but for now I've got a couple of days off with Gar for clean up and recovery. Though things weren't looking too bad this year the day after. We did a good job of picking up on the 4th.

Though it looked pretty quiet and empty yesterday compared to the 4th.  Yesterday was about cleaning things a bit and relaxing.  I think we could open our own Beergarten over on the East side of the yard.

Nothing on the fire today.

So neighborhoodlum Tom moved the 800 pound plate off the pit.

We enjoyed a couple of beers from the keg and really took it pretty easy, just like Lucan.

He lifted his head every once in a while just to make sure that everyone was, in fact, chilling as instructed.

More chilling today. It's another hot one. Great summertime vacation day. I will be pool bound at some point.

Hope you're enjoyed your holiday this week if you're in the States (or Canada ).  We have no plans for the weekend. We're going to wing it. A lot of lazing about is the only thing on the to do list.  What are you up to in your corner of the world?

Freeform Friday

Sousa by the Boston Pops on the Esplanade. Doesn't get anymore 4th of July than that. Happy Birthday America!  If you're reading by email, click here.

Enjoy.






Have a great Friday,

Allow Me To Indulge Myself

Mountie Mania

I'll just preface this post with 'this is what happens when you don't get to see people very often'. It was SO good to be back at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, enjoying our beautiful campus on the Hudson, seeing former professors, catching up with each other and of course, dancing the night away. We may get older, but the 'crazy' doesn't seem to ever fade. This makes me very happy. 

Can anyone really have this much fun? Yes. The Mounties can.

It started with Mentalist Marc Salem, who was my broadcasting professor. He's been on Broadway, 60 minutes, and more. He's an expert on non-verbal communication and he proved it. Mind blowing and a lot of laughs.

Next up:champagne reception and followed by the dinner dance.

photo credits Pamela J. Bates & Margaret Yenches Brady

In case you were still wondering............we had a ton of fun. Maybe even more. A night we'll never forget.

Don't you just love that?

Here's to the Mounties, who I can always count on to bust a gut with laughter, and move and groove until they kick us off the dance floor. You're the best package of mixed nuts a girl could get.

Ciao for now and thanks for allowing me to indulge myself,