From The Patch

Among the last outings as a family of three...

I really wanted to blog tonight.  I had so many things to share with you - new video for our YouTube channel showcasing a bunch of the new fall and halloween; Ben's first day at school (and riding the bus!); other new product arrivals; some killer reasons to "like" us on our Facebook page (yeah, if you haven't done that yet - NOW would be a REALLY good time, as we've got some great new stuff coming down the pipe over there..) .... 

The videos are taking too long to deal with tonight (hey, with a new baby on the way - hopefully NOW - I've gotta get SOME sleep!), the pics of Ben appear to all have been taken on my parent's camera as we were apparently too busy just trying to get him out the door and onto the bus to think about it, I don't have pics yet of the new products ....

But I still wanted to blog.  So I started going through photos from recent months, and I came across these beauties - and then I realized that ... WAIT!  This was one of our last outings as a family of three - and it happened on July 24th!  Geez.  When life gets crazy busy, I guess life gets crazy busy.  Not that we haven't done stuff since then - actually, we've done a TON - but apparently none of it warrented photos, so how boring is that?

If I recall correctly, we were on our way in to the store on 7/24/2011, with Ben in tow.  He had been going with us a LOT those days, and we were really trying to get some down time in with him, so (without telling Janene) I drove us off the beaten path down to a small beach in Edmonds.  Ben recognized this beach, since we had been there before and saw a TRAIN there, so he was pretty dang excited.  We got out of the car and walked up and over the tracks and down to the beach, where Janene plopped herself on a log and Ben and I started the time wading out into the water.  Yep, I don't seem to have pictures of that (although I could have sworn I took some...oh well).  We explored all over, and I finally had to reel him in because I (foolishly) had no shoes on (I had worn my hiking boots that day) and boy - that beach is all rock and no sand, and it's SHARP!

Not nearly ready to be finished, Ben grabbed Janene and said it was time for an adventure - so they went for it (she was better prepared than I, despite no warning...  go figure?). As they waded through the surf, I was able to shoot some pictures - among them some of the only we have of Janene pregnant with the new one, so that was probably good...

I think that every time we've been out somewhere, I have a picture of her bending down to show Ben something tiny.  At the beach it's usually a crab or something; in the forest it's a caterpillar or something else interesting - she is quite in tune with her surroundings, much to Ben's delight.

I don't remember much about the rest of the day, but in looking back I sure am glad that we took that little detour.  Sometime's that the best thing that can happen in a day, you know?

WHAT?!?!?!?! It's SEPTEMBER already? GEEZ!

Man, did this summer fly by for everybody else as fast as it did for us?  It sure feels like we just turned around and BAM - summer is over and September is here!  So... where the heck have we been, and what have we been up to?

To start, Janene is nearing the final hours of her pregnancy with our second child - literally.  She's officially due on September 10, but we're anticipating an earlier arrival than that (as in, we spent the whole day running errands so that she could walk and maybe stumble over that edge...).  This has certainly made for an interesting summer, between getting the tent sale up, opening pallets and pallets of freight (thanks to our fantastic employees, spearheaded by one of our newest, Donna - GREAT job guys!), converting the back room to Christmas preview (which really hasn't been finished yet...), to converting the entire store over to Fall and Halloween - all while she has been sick!

That said, the store looks FANTASTIC - I don't honestly remember a time when we've had as much Fall and Halloween as we have this year, and that doesn't even touch the Thanksgiving that hasn't made it to the floor yet.  And it doesn't touch all the stuff that's still on its way in to the store!   Check out tomorrow's post for some pics of the store!

At home, we've been working to get the house ready for our newest addition; we painted Ben's room, painted our room, and still have more to do than we can before baby arrives - but she won't know the difference anyway, so I think we're good.  The garden has literally exploded - another post will touch on all of that - and it has been seriously awesome to be planting and harvesting and eating our harvest.  

We hired two fantastic new gals to work the store - Lynn and Donna, and they are absolutely wonderful.  If you haven't met them yet, come on in and say hello!

We were listed as a resource in Country Living Magazine, and as a result our online sales really took off - thanks to all you fantastic new customers!  It was a fun experience that we (of course) hope to replicate.  The new website didn't make it up in time, in part because Chris' computer died and we had to get that back up and running - that's also one of the (many) reasons that we were a little quiet here on the blog front.

We were also able to bring Janene's childhood piano up from Esther's house, and it's sitting beautifully in our living room - now we get to find someone to tune and repair it - but it's here, and that's a major first step that has given Janene much joy.  Additionally, she's been able to tinker in some art - the first in a very long time - and we're all hoping she can do more of that.

All in all, it has been a busy but wonderful summer, even if parts were a bit stressful.  And now we're going in to Fall - Ben starts preschool on the 7th of September, we'll have a new child in the mix, the store is looking better than it has in a long time, there's tons of great events going on at Country Village, and life just feels good!

How has YOUR summer been?

Bothell Farmers Market at Country Village Shops

Summer is upon us (according to the calendar at least... hopefully the weather will follow suit soon!) and THAT means it's time for the Bothell Farmer's Market here at Country Village Shops!  Check out the official pages for vendor lists and details, but basically you NEED to be here on Fridays throughout the summer! :)  The market hours are "officially" 12pm - 6pm, but really they are generally here and ready earlier than that.

Last week Janene, Ben and I walked through the market and we were very impressed with some of the vendors!  Of COURSE there are flowers, a veggies, plants, and produce... But there was also a brick oven pizza vendor (it smelled AMAZING, and looked perfect), handmade soaps, handmade pottery, handmade (dried) pastas, arts and crafts, and SO much more!  Without further ado, here's some pics from last week - come check THIS week out, support your local vendors and farmers, grab some fantastic deals, and have a blast all at the same time!

 

We Have PLANTS at The Weed Patch!!!

A little over a week ago we started getting some of our plants in to the store, and we're just SO excited!  Part of our thrill is, of course, directly related to everything we're doing at home in the yard - and it's fun to see what some of our options are at the store.  But that's not all - we've got some amazing prices on our plants, as customers have pointed out recently.  Since the back patio isn't yet finished and opened (still have to clean it up and fix the roof...!), our current options are lined up ready for you to browse as you walk in the front door of the store - and we must admit, we think it looks pretty darn great!

We've got both annuals and perennials - from Osteospermum and fuschias (the non-hardy variety for hanging baskets) to bleeding hearts, hostas, lilys, Peonys, a killer Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan) that grows SIX FEET TALL, Fuschias (the hardy variety), and SO much more... now is a great time to come in to the store!

Do you have a garden at home? What's your favorite plant(s)?

Happy Independence Day!

Join us in remembering all those who have fallen throughout the years that we may have our freedoms.

Join us in thanking those who fight on, day in and day out, that we may have our freedoms.

Join us in supporting those who love those who fight on, for their sacrifices are as great as any, and those sacrifices free our mighty warriors to protect us.

Join us in prayer, for we are a nation built on a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we shall never be ashamed of that.  It is our greatest freedom, purchased through the blood of those willing to place everything they are so that we may believe as we wish to believe, to speak as we wish to speak, and to live as we wish to live.

We just stumbled across this video today - it's amazing.  Please take the 15 minutes to watch it, and to think about it, and to really listen to it, for it is this simple document that sets us apart.

Summer is FINALLY here!

What a BEAUTIFUL day here in Western Washington!  It's sunny, 70+, and it SMELLS like summer!  Finally, we can all say, YAY!

For a break from the computer I took a brief walk through our yard.  Along with all the unfinished work and projects (DOH!) are some definite signs of summer.  And laying out on the grass, enjoying the breeze and the smells of the warmer summer air, I realize that as much as I'm ADDICTED to Fall (and Christmas, but not necessarily winter) and the rain, I also love the summer - particularly when it's not hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, like it was last summer.

I hope you're all enjoying the wonderful day, regardless of where on the planet you are!  What are YOUR favorite summer sensations?  Leave a comment!

Lori Mitchell Patriotic & Summer

Ok, folks, our selection of summer Lori Mitchell figures have arrived!  Beach, circus, wedding, and patriotic, even a few fall ones already!  We've got most of it opened and I managed to snap a few photos so you can see better what they look like.  Unfortunately, I was working against the sun, so I couldn't take photos of everything.  So, this will be just a sampling of all we have.....

Clowning Around

Scarecrow

Blonde Wedding Belle

Ellie and Her Hoop Dee Doo

Little Patriotic Boy

Tin Man

Purdy Peep

Little Babe Ruth

Rumba the Ringleader

Getty Up Lil' Cowgirl

Andy and Annie

Billy Blue

Bernie's Beach Ball

Always, you can view our complete collection of Lori Mitchell on our website by clicking the Lori Mitchell category.  Get em while they're hot! :)

Pea Patch

We've been enjoying our neighborhood pea patch at Country Village.  These folks have done an amazing job planting such sweet goodies for us to gaze at.  We've watched them grow and grow these last couple months, a little of everything, veggies, fruits, herbs, in all colors shapes and sizes. 

Chard?

A dewy 'kin

Hot days mean more of these babies!

I like the tops...

Corn, Mmmm.....

More goodies growing!

Perfect.

Fall harvest really is something to celebrate, isn't it??

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.

Fummer...? Or, Sall...?

Here is a bit of pretty for you.  Seems appropriate this time of year, as we're just getting into that gorgeous time of year where it is kind of fall and summer at the same time.  Fummer.  Or Sall.  Anyway, the sunflowers are blooming, leaves are starting to die, and it is hot, but we're getting some nice fall-like breezes and smells.  I like the smell of dead fields.  We were in the car the other day, stopped at a light next to a large span of dead grass, and Chris says "why does it smell like fall?"  So true.  Some dead things smell really very nice.

The photo is of a design painting I did in college.  Sometime I'll tell you how it was created, as it was the third in a series of design products that grew more and more complicated until it came to this painting.  It was also a color lesson - every color in the painting I created using basic primaries, plus black and white.  It was such a wonderful class!  Anyway, I was entertaining the idea of selling prints of the painting, but I'm not sure if anyone besides me loves this painting.  We'll see.

Adding more products like mad to the site!  It's killing me, because I have a whole big huge spreadsheet of products ready to get uploaded onto the site, but just haven't been able to do it yet, as it is a time consuming, complicated process.  But we've got Tag, Blossom Bucket, and Kurt Adler Christmas all ready to go, just sitting here waiting!  Ack!  But it is coming, I promise. :)

Take care...