From The Patch

Weekly Specials

Hello folks!  If you haven't already checked, here's this week's Online Weekly Specials!  Take 10% off of any of these items online this week, through next Thursday!

Early Riser 4-Piece Place Setting

Wild Flowers Quilted Throw

Coffee Couture Essentials Quilted Handbag




Redware Pitcher

Redware Dinner Plate

Village Dinnerware Olive Pitcher

Willow ABC Plate

Black Corrugated 30 inch Star

Black Feathered Star Curtain Valance

You can find them all here on our Weekly Specials Page!  Normally I would make all the photos and titles here links to the products, but I'm sort on time.  Sunday is Ben's birthday party, and I'm trying to make the house presentable. :)  Leave a comment or email if you have any questions!  Have a great weekend!

Thoughtful Friday 15

"Still - in a way - nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." ~ Georgia O'Keeffe

Remembrance

"Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored."  ~Daniel Webster

Happy Memorial Day everyone - I hope yours is filled with good memories, good feelings, and good family and friends.  Enjoy a beautiful day out in the sun!  If you are so inclined, Country Village is open today, and a great place to take your family.

Take care,

--Janene and the rest of the Weed Patch family.

Apple Jack

Apple Jack Dinnerware 4-piece Placesetting, by Park Designs

Last night we stopped by the store after visiting the nursery, and while Chris fixed our CD player that my mom accidentally broke, I decided to see if I could get some better photos of our new Apple Jack line by Park. 

Apple Jack Spoon Rest

I have to say I love Country Village.  Well, for a million different reasons of course, but yesterday it was because it is so darn easy to take pictures there.  Especially on those hay bales right outside our other doorway. 

Apple Jack Decorative Dishtowel

With all that natural lighting and the country setting, I was finally able to get some photos that truly captured the color and look of the dishes and linens.  I think as the weather is now getting nicer, I might have to do this each Thursday I'm at the store.  A photo is worth a thousand words, and it is a lot easier to choose things you want to put in your home if you can actually see what they are!  I'm excited. :)

Apple Jack Placemat and Napkin

Apple Jack Mixing Bowls

Apple Jack Salt & Pepper Shakers

We just got this line in a couple of weeks ago, it is new this year from Park Designs.  It is called Apple Jack, and features baskets of apple in the accessories.  The place settings themselves don't have apples on them, just a lovely tiny leafy print in cream and burgundy.  We currently carry all the dishes, bakeware, and most of the linens - window treatments and other accessories also available, we can order whatever you need that we might not have in stock at the moment.  You can find it all here!

Birds, Berries, and Gardener's Journal

I have been a bit neglectful in keeping you updated on new products in the store and online, so if you haven't visited within the last couple weeks, come on in as you'll find some new things.

First, we got in some more of our popular resin bird figurines, including a new one - a Sparrow.

I also tried out a new candle ring, which I just absolutely LOVE.  It has been difficult to find any florals of this kind that we like, so I'm very happy to have found something new and wonderful.  We have it sitting in our small wine section right now, because the colors blend so nicely.  With burgundy, cream, olive green, and deep navy/plum/black berries and pips, this ring matches lots of different things in the store.  Here we have it with one of our wooden bowls and cake candles.

We have also restocked our Gardener's Journal Dinnerware and Linens collection.  In addition to the mugs, bowls, darling watering can salt & pepper shakers, and garden-themed placements, we also have the table runner, dishtowels, and have restocked the botanical salad plates and mini plates. 

There is also a new line of matching dishtowels and napkins that I don't have online quite yet, but here is a photo of them.

Plus, don't forget that if you love the Gardener's Journal Dinnerware, we can order you complete placesettings!  Look online, call/email us, or come on in to the store.

Well, I think that's it for now!  We're off to the nursery to get some plants for the store now that the weather has been nice enough for the flowers to grow and look pretty.  I'll come back with news and photos!

Two Today

(At about 2 weeks)

Two years ago today, I remember trying for twenty-six hours to bring my son into the world, only to have a stranger come in and do it in under 30 minutes.  I turned my head, and the first view I had of Ben was him lifting himself up on all fours on the table as the nurse did those things nurses do when babies are born.

(at about 3 months)

 I remember expecting him, as a newborn, to be tinier and more fragile than he actually was.  At almost 9 1/2 pounds, he was just barely under my approved weight limit for what I could safely lift and carry for the next 6 weeks. 

 
(presiding over The Weed Patch)

Driving down to Colorado with my new son, my husband, and my in-laws was one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but one that has given me some of the best memories.  In two years, I have learned about multi-tasking, sensory overload, self-sacrifice, what real messes are, how to clean in record time, and the importance of personal devotional time and coffee. 

And family.  I don't know how single moms do it.  I wouldn't have made it this far without our parents, sisters, brothers, aunties & uncles, best friends, new friends, grandparents, and of course, my husband.

(First pool experience)

Benjamin is two today.  He knows the entire alphabet by sight, and can name over half the letters.  He loves ducks and books, and of all his toys, he plays the most with his ball and Mr. Potato Head. 

(The discovery of Toilet Paper)

Music is by far his most favorite thing in the world, second only to going outside.  His favorites are Loreena McKennitt and the fiddler from the group Celtic Woman.  Shortly after walking (at about a year), he began running, then jumping, and spinning. 

(First Sprinkler)

He has danced to music ever since he was able to bounce on his tummy.  He is strong, stubborn, intelligent, and has his own mind about things. 

(With Daddy)

He gives me a bad headache just about every day, which I get over during his long stretches of (thank you Jesus) sleep.

(First Lawn Mowing)

And I love him more than anything else in the world.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Thoughtful Friday 14

"Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."  --Mary Kay Ash

Another Pretty Day

Another pretty day at Country Village today.  It started out pretty rainy and crummy, didn't it?  Well, at least we didn't have to water the flowers ourselves this morning.  Today was somewhat ideal - God waters the plants for us, then wraps it all up with some sunshine!

I had to snap a bunch of shots of product for the website today, so I had the camera and tripod out.  I was so disappointed, most of them came out sorta grainy.  Sometime I really need to actually learn something about photography instead of shooting about a gazillion photos and finding about 10 of them that actually look good.  I've started experimenting with settings to see what does what, but when I get to the point of looking at the photos to see what worked and what didn't, I have no idea what photo corresponds with which photo.  I'm too lazy right now to keep a written list, so I either need to live with the hit and miss, or actually read something some day. 

Well, now that I think about it, I have read several online tutorials, however I might as well have been reading Greek.  They all referred to terms and tools I haven't never heard of before in my life, as if I would know what they are talking about.  How exactly is this a beginners tutorial?  Sigh.  Too much work.  I have enough work, I don't want my photo taking to become work.  It is too much fun. 

Isn't everything so much prettier when you look at it through a lens?  I walk by these plants every time I'm at the Village, and never really notice them, at all. 

Take this one, for example.  Isn't is just super pretty?  Imagine purple flowers and BRIGHT RED stalks.  How cool is that?  (Anyone know what this is?!).

This just a weed, I think, poking up from the dirt by the sidewalk.  But from a bug's point of view, rather pretty.  I really love the way the sun sets at Country Village - it goes down really slowly, and shines through every leaf and petal around the place, making everything glow like millions of little paper lanterns.

This was a poor lonely little tulip, all by itself by where we always park our car.  I have all but ignored it.  But gee, isn't it super pretty?

Yes indeedy, a lovely Spring day at the village.  :)

 

Studio Bakeshop

Oh my yes, are we cooking up some great things in the artsy-fartsy studio bakeshop!  Sneak peeks just for you....

Great things to come!  Ooooo, I can't wait...

Brownie Sensation

Yesterday at the store, we served little brownie bites in honor of Mother's Day.  The received such a sensation, I thought people might like it if I shared my secret.  I am a bit embarrassed, actually.  See, I LOVE to cook, and to bake, and I especially enjoy making things from scratch (you may remember my sugar cookies at Valentine's Day). I was all prepared to make a yummy lemon-flavored, shortbread-like cookie for Mother's Day, but when 10pm the night before rolled around and I was just then ready to start baking, I did what any self-respecting mom would do and reached instead for a box. 

I admit it, Duncan Hines was on sale at Safeway for buy-2-get-3-free.  I felt like such a cop-out as we put them out on a pretty white plate, but much to my surprise and delight, people LOVED them!  One sweet customer was convinced I had used the brownie recipe out of the old Good Housekeeping cookbook - I have that book, so I know what she means - but I fessed up and said it was none other than Duncan Hines. 

So, the secret is out!  Need some fantastic brownies, without any fuss?  I used Duncan Hines' Milk Chocolate brownie mix, made the fudgey way with two eggs instead of the cakey way using three.  I realize this post now reads very much like a promotional ad for Duncan Hines, and I apologize for that.  They were just that good. 

(By the way, I made another box in order to take photos for this blog.  I can smell them baking as I type.  Yum!  Thanks for the excuse!)