The 3/50 Project

Hi All, Its been a while since I last wrote.... The shop has been brisk with shoppers and keeping up with it all is consuming. Recently, Its come to my attention that theres a movement to save the Brick and Mortars our Nation is built on. Its called the 3/50 project. Basically what you do is choose (3) independently owned businesses you would miss if they disappeared. Stop in and say Hello. Pick up something that brings you a smile. Your purchases keep those businesses around. (50) If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more then $42.6 billion in revenue. * Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that!! (68) For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays local. Spend it online and Nothing....absolutely Nothing, comes home! (1) The number of people it takes to start a trend....YOU! Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy. For more detail info check out http://www.the350project.net/

Look to the Rainbow

A good friend shared a CD with me this past weekend. Its Deborah Cox, Destination Moon. Shes singing wonderful standards and ballads with her personal jazz twist. But I was completely taken back when track 4 cued up. "Look to the Rainbow" began to play in the shop and tugging strongly at my heart. Tears swelled and I had to excuse myself to wipe back the tears that seemed to flow rather freely. Now those who know me well, will admit that this is my kind of music, but it was the message that really nailed me. In a time when things are so uncertain and we stare down the barrel at the Holidays....Lets be Optimists! The words of this old ballad haunt my heart. "....tis wine for your lips and a song for your heart. To sing it whenever the world falls apart. Look! look! Look to the Rainbow, follow it over the hills and the stream. Look to the Rainbow, follow the fellow who follows a dream. So I bundled my heart and I roamed the world free. To the East with the Lark, to the West with the sea. And I search all the earth and I scanned all the skies and I found it at last in my own true loves eyes. Look! Look! Look to the Rainbow.........follow the fellow who follows a dream....!" I am blessed to be in the company of many creative folks and friends alike. It is YOU who spur me on! .... who GROW me! As a community of creative people, lets lead those who seek us for inspiration and ideas and be the light...be the joy and be optimistic. It takes so little to create a smile for someone. As the season of Thanks approaches us....lets look to the Rainbow, knowing we have the ability to create joy and "be joy" to someone else. Thanks for your distinctness! Following my dream, Todd

Save The Date

Holiday Open House Weekend is coming fast. Save some time the weekend of November 13-14-15th and stop in for some Holiday Cheer. We'll be opening Sundays, starting November 15th from 12-5 through the Christmas Holiday. The shop will be brimming with good old fashioned Holiday Cheer and many delights of the season. Find unique gifts to share and treasures to give. But come early for the best selection. See you soon, Todd

The art of SAYING THANKYOU

Thank you is undoubtedly one of the most important phrases in the English language. To allow a favour, some hospitality or a present to go unacknowledged is both selfish and uncivilised. But it is not just saying thank you that matters, it is how one does it. While today it is perfectly acceptable to send thanks for an informal supper in an email it is important to ensure that the message does not get lost in the medium. One should never resort to abbreviations that require teenage translations. A text that says " Thx it woz gr8 " is wholly inappropriate. A message saying "Thank you so much for supper last night - everyone had such fun and the pudding was to die for" is far more befitting. Thank you letters seem to be getting rarer by the day. It is such a joy to receive something hand-written and heartfelt in the mail, a tangible confirmation thats one's present, effort or good turn was appreciated. Writing promptly is also important; unlike revenge, appreciation is most certainly not best served cold. What one says is, of course, as important as how one says it. If you have been to a large gathering, your host is bound to receive scores of letters and notes, so you would be wise to ensure yours is not dull. This is one occassion when focusing on truth is much less important than writing something warm, amusing and generous to give the recipient a warming glow. So, if the soup was cold, the fish underdone and the company frightful, then concentrate on saying how beautiful the table looked and how delicious the pudding was. The same is true for presents. No matter how hideous, useless or plain insulting, one must still acknowledge them in the same way as something truly delightful. I should finish with a note of warning. Gratitude should always be kept in discreet proportion to the act in question. So , should you find yourself sitting quiet, grab a good pen and some special note cards and make someone's day by cultivating the Art of Saying Thank You.

Be Brutal and Imaginative

Several years ago I was fortunate enough to spend a week in London and tour some amazing site and events. Chelsea Flower and Garden Show was high on the list as was Vita Sackville-West's personal garden known to us as Sissinghurst! And what a day it was. Gorgeous sunshine and endless rows of boxwoods surrounded this old castle, which was her personal home and study. After roaming for several hours and journally my experience, I asked a gardener who was "knees stained" and sunburn if he had some advice that Vita might have freely given to a traveling gardener like myself. "Be brutal and imaginative," he mumble with that thrillingly exciting accent. Years later I came across a chapter in Vita Sackville-Wests' book, A Joy of Gardening, where she wrote those very words..... Here's a taste. "Gardening is largely a question of mixing one sort of plant with another sort of plant, and of seeing how they marry happily together; and if you see that they don't marry happily, then you must "HOICK" (such a fun word) one of them out and be quite ruthless about it." That is the only way to garden; and that is why I advise every gardener to walk around his own garden NOW....and make note of what he thinks he ought to remove and what he wants to plant later on. I have enjoyed the thoughts and ideas of these great gardeners who have gardened before us so in the words of Vita herself, "The true gardener must be brutal and imaginative." VSW

A Poem

Our days are so busy and our hours are so few.....And theres so little time and so much to do.....And the days fly by and are over and done before we have even half begun to do the things that we meant to do..... Yet never had time to carry them through......And how nice it would be if we stopped to say the things we feel in our hearts each day! Todd

French Inspired Pied-a terre

Nestled into the greater Edmonds area is a dear lady friend of mine who I have come to know and love deeply. She shares many of the same passions as I do. A year ago, she invited a few of us to her home to share a light supper and have an old fashioned Ice Cream Social. Upon entering her home I was amazed at the collections that stood before me. Over the past year, she's called upon me to help her redesign and renew her home, using the wonderful, found, salvaged decor pieces she has collected. Yesterday, I stopped by to drop off some borrowed goodies. She was preparing for a rummage sale for the coming weekend. (oh Yes! I'll keep you posted.) We chatted briefly and then she asked me to step out onto her covered porch to give her a little advise on what she should sell at her event. Now I have been on the porch and in her garden a hundred times but this time I was seeing it for the first time. The long covered porch has always been an interesting place to view and store items that wouldn't fit into her home or garage, but today I saw two rooms. We sprang into action and removed the furniture she wanted to peddle and began rearranging this fantastic space into a cozy French Inspired Pied-a terre. Literal translation is small dwelling for occasional use, or foot on the ground! Suddenly the dust was flying and the transformation was underway. Outdoor mirrors enlarged the porch and gave it the sparkle she was looking for. Rearranged white furniture gave way to mirrored-topped tables with chairs stamped with french symbols.
Iron cherubs, and building corbels decorated the walls and tables. Plants softened the entire look and old glass bottles and jars were lovingly filled with blue hydrangeas and white star-gazer lilies. The proverbial chandelier....or two.... were hung and wha-la! French Inspired Pied-a terre. We had so much fun together recreating and renewing her porch. SO I think a new business could have easily been born yesterday..... RENEWAL DESIGN. ;-) Using Colleens furnishings, loved items, found art and a few new pieces, I recreated her dusty porch into a space where she can entertain, enjoy coffee and conversation, or slip into a daydream. Nestled into her big arm chair, she called this morning saying she was taking coffee on her new French Inspired pied-a terre. And yes the pictures are coming! Todd

A Great Weekend

This past weekend some good friends snatched me away from the shop mid day Saturday and we boated to Everett for the weekend. The waterfront in Everett was bustling with the art show, FRESH PAINT. I'd guess there were close to 50 artists sprinkled along the marina and waterfront. Glass blowers, wood workers, water colorists were all present. Sunday morning a fantastic Farmer's Market sprang up along the street side of the Port of Everett. Fresh Corn cukes and Kettle corn needed to come home with us. It was a great show with many diverse styles of art and artists in action. We dingyed over to Jetty Island which is a man made spit in front of the Port that is kept natural and clean. The sun warmed our skin and slowed down the day as we roamed barefoot along the shore. Toes in the sand feels sooooo good. Reminds me of the summers we spent on the Washington coast in Tokeland WA. Good Memories! It felt great to get away and gave me a fresh perspective on the shop and gardens. I took pics but need to find the cord for my camera so I can load them.... and the Internet has been giving me some trouble so hang tight.... I'll shoot you some pics. Todd

Poems

The man who follows the crowd is likely to get no further then the crowd... The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has been before. Creativity in living is not without it's attendant difficulties, for peculiarity breeds contempt. And the unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is when people finally realize you were right, they'll say it was obvious all along. You have two choices in life. You can dissolve into the mainstream or you can be distinct. To be distinct you must be what no one else can be. Thanks for your distinctness. Todd @ Bountiful Home

Leading the season

I love to change up the shop so it reflects the coming season...and despite the HOT week we have endured, I can't resist the warm colors and earthy feeling that Autumn brings. Richness abounds everywhere and I can't get enough of it. SO yesterday, I started to flip the shop into the late Summer colors and early Fall goodness. Vessels that once held stems of pink and blue Hydrangeas now boast golden pears and chestnuts. A large wooden gear, and rustic canvas print of St. John and his lamb, rests a top the mantle, while rusty iron candle sticks layer the scene. A very rusty old chandelier now hangs in the shop, while it waits for the right customer to take it home and hang it from their apple tree. Elements from nature take center stage, and rust stands tall. In the next week, the walls will be covered with a warmer color and the complexion of the shop as I know it today will recline into a Fall daydream. Brighten a dark corner with a new lamp, or reflect some lingering light with mirrors, better yet... let both elements share the same space. Layering is important in this approaching season, and for a good dose of what layering means, drop by the shop and I'll be happy to show you. Creativity is inventing, experimenting, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and always having fun. To the Customer, change is welcomed and rarely ill advised. So while the light is strong and the days grow slower, enter your shop, your home, your room with a fresh eye...a new approach and dare yourself to "Lead the Season."

Dahlia's Dahlia's Dahlia's

The Summer heat is upon us and if you are like me.....your'e hankering for a good down pour...24 hrs worth...a good soaking! With the heat comes some tired looking containers and Spring flowers that should be dealt with. My answer!!! DAHLIA'S. These tuberous perennials grow in most zones are a delight to the eye... Hot colors of Reds and Oranges, the Cool Magentas and Pinks paired with soft azure blue can make any neighbor slow long enough to stare and yell across the fence, " What are those flowers you have planted in those containers," which I would kindly wave back and smile saying, Lovely aren't they? Thanks I know! ;-) Dahlia's are water hogs and after you think you have watered them enough....return to it in the morning light and water them some more. They will thank you with many more blooms. Keep these bushes "dead headed", meaning pick off the old spent and faded flowers at the base of the stem. Dahlias can be found in many varieties, bush and bedding in heights of 15 inches to 6 feet high. All Dahlias have strong stems and are great cutting flowers but be aware you might want to shake off the earwigs before bringing them into your home.....those little snappers can live in the blossoms in more rural settings. For some reason, I favor the single varieties with their usual yellow eyes smiling back, letting you know Summer's grip will soon fade to Autumns glory. Enjoy Dahlia's.

A Long Time Coming

After much consideration and prompting from good friends, heres the long awaited blog. I'm really rather looking forward to connecting with many of you and those who have grown me over the past few years. Sitting with my good friend Patricia today...aka Tippy Stockton in this insane HOT weather we are experiencing, we have laughed and reminisced about future plans and good times we have shared. Basically always solving world issues as we sip our ice water and laugh, knowing it feels so good to laugh. Coming off this past weekend Bountiful Home hosted 5 wonderful vendors in the gardens at Bountiful Home. Unique antique button jewelry, by Melinda Catalano, repurposed junk with The Salvage Studio, Lisa and Beth, and Chic Jewels for Urban Chicks by Patricia of Tippy Stockton. Debuting for the first Edmonds visit, was Talking Brush Stuido with Meagan and Brad Stockman original Fine Art Oil Paintings and good friends, Sandy and Kimi Hansen with a pethera of art work. These girls can create anything! Shoppers enjoyed it all and I was honored with a visit from Bob and Debi Kennedy of RETREAT and Deco Diva Debi....guru's in the design world. We had a tons of fun and all took home a healthy dose of Vitamin D . Chatter has begun to stage another event like the Vintage Summer Garden Market this September...so if you missed this one.... you'll have another chance to join us in the garden with many new friends.