Angels in Connecticut

What is there left to say about the horrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut?  The media has said it all, the grieving families have said it all and all around the world people are questioning how such a thing could happen?  It's horrible when anyone is murdered, but a school with little children?  Why?  We are all asking this same thing.  We will never know, and even if the shooter hadn't committed suicide we could very well still never know what his motives were, mental illness or not.  It's sad, tragic, and the heroes of the day were also killed.  My heart, prayers, tears, hugs and love go out to all the families who have lost a loved one in this tragic event.  These little children and teachers will never be forgotten and will go on in the hearts of their families.  God Bless.

Are Angels Among Us?

This weeks theme for the scavenger hunters at ESN is Angels.  I pondered on this subject thinking about angels, are they history or mystery?  Do they really have wings?  After all, none of the angels in the film "City of Angels" (Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan), had wings.  The angels kind of just appeared; invisibly of course; everywhere they were needed.  And in "It's a Wonderful Life", (James Stewart, Donna Reed) at the end of the film a bell rings on the Christmas tree and Zuzu announces "everytime a bell rings an angel gets its' wings", and James Stewart announces "atta boy Clarence" referring to Clarence earning his wings.  And in "The Preachers Wife" (Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston" (remake of the 1948 film titled "The Bishops Wife"  with Cary Grant and Loretta Young) the angel "Dudley" is a human.  Anyway, the whole history of angels is quite fascinating and frankly, I believe in them.  And I personally have no reason not to believe they are hanging around down here  helping us out when it's warranted. The very idea (or some sort of discovery??)  of angels goes back BC, or your religious deity of choice. Ah, but I've gotten off the track.   Le Petit Marché has a few lovely angels, with wings, as that apparently is how the artist felt they should be made.  This one is:

Hand Painted Resin 14"Angel

She is playing a harp, but I bet angels can play anything they desire!  Come visit all the fine merchants at Ecrater Stores Network to see what angelic items you can discover! 

What do you wear when you go to bed?

The theme this week at ESN is "sleepy time" and I thought I'd finish it up with "what do you wear when you go to bed"?  ( I mean, after all, it can come off for... and then put back on, what's the big deal?)  I think this is actually an interesting question.  My ex-husband always wanted me to sleep naked, all the time.  I countered, "what if there's a fire or something?"  I have all my life felt comfortable wearing "something" when I go to bed.  Before knowing it was very near the end of our marriage, we sought marriage counseling, he told  the therapist that I slept in flannel pajamas and he didn't like it.  There were other issues of course, not just about what we wear or didn't wear to bed.  But I was insulted that even the therapist looked disturbed that one would wear "flannel" to bed.  Hey, it's cold here in Colorado in the winter and I love my winter warm flannel jammies.  So... I told the therapist what I thought of him, and my husband, divorced "jammie hating guy" and sleep blissfully in any garment that suits the seasonal situation.  But, NO, I do not sleep naked, what if there is a fire or other catastrophe?? Something to think about people, if you sleep naked! .. ;)  In that vein, I have found T-shirts that are for guys but would suit as well for a women's "nightshirt" at

Embroidery Fashions Boutique

And she has lots of other T-shirts and sweatshirts  that would work great for "sleeping", so check her out and all of us at Ecrater Stores Network

Sleepy Time

Tis the season to be tired, we all have a lot of stuff going on so no wonder we're tired at this time of year.  I, myself, have just worked 8 days in a row with no end in sight until about December 14th.  It's not  your typical 8 hour day, but usually 6 with no break and eating lunch at my desk.  I have been so busy putting together files for the faculty and sending audition requests to the right place and answering about 200 emails and phone calls a day I just can't keep up!  That's my life as a graduate program assistant in the graduate music office at University of Colorado - Boulder!  So it is no wonder that the scavenger hunters theme this week at ESN is "sleepy time".  I fell asleep last night watching some Christmas movie, woke up at 1:00am, went to bed (after washing my face and flossing and brushing, of course!) then forgot to set my alarm and woke up at 7:45.... sleepy time indeed.  Already, I am in my sleepy time "jammies" and it's only 6:40pm, and I've still dinner to fix for myself, mac & cheese I think tonight, with a glass (or 2) of wine...  Le Petit Marché doesn't have any sleepy time items but as you all know, Santa doesn't come if you aren't sleeping so I thought this cute little Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Woodland Friends would be fun as Santa frolics with his friends waiting for you to go to sleep!  Oh, and take a whiff of peppermint essential oil every morning during this sleepy, busy, stressful time of year, it will revive you!

Orange Is Such A Lovely Color

Orange is a lovely color.  Think of a bright orange sun rising in the morning, and even a more vibrant orange at sunset.  And orange groves, and orange juice and yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, lava, carrots, cheese, marigolds, Irish Setter dogs, orange sherbet (oh, how I love this!) cheetohs and doritos, cheez-its,  and well, all things orange, quite simply, beautiful, and in a lot of cases yummy!  Finishing up the scavenger hunters theme at ESN of "orange" this week, I have chosen Nancy's Doll Closet.  She makes all the American Doll clothing that she has in her store.  And any little girl would love to own any one of these outfits or accessories that Nancy offers.  I chose this lovely dress.

American Girl 18" Doll - Julie - Orange Dress

Those beautiful orange barrettes really sets the whole dress off don't you think?  And the nice lace ruffle around the bottom of the dress is so delicate looking and is just lovely, a very nice touch.  If you are in need for American Girl doll clothes for your girl, visit Nancy, I'm sure you'll find something that she will adore. Visit all of us at Ecrater Stores Network for your Christmas shopping! 

Orange Longhair Cats

I seem to have a small theme of cats going on in my store recently.  I found about 5 cat figurines in a cupboard in the spare bedroom/warehouse/office/storage, well whatever I can get to fit in there!  But NO, I am NOT a hoarder! It is inventory! :)  I don't know anything about Orange Longhair Cats.  I do love cats, but I haven't had one in years.  But the scavenger hunter's theme this week is "orange", so since I have this cat figurine I thought I might blog about it.  Well, I had no idea the history of the longhair cat was so involved!  I, myself, am not fond of cats with the mushed in faces (no offense to those that adore them, just a personal preference!) although I do think pugs and bulldogs are adorable.  Oh, I'm getting off track (dog lover, can you tell?) ... anyway, it appears the domestic longhair hails from the Persian and/or Angora or actually any mixed ancestry, you can check it all out at Wikipedia.  But the pictures of them on  are quite awesome, except for the scary little guy with the "lion cut" near the bottom of the page on the Persian longhair page.  Le Petit Marché's little orange longhair cat figurine is pretty cute, with piercing bright orange eyes.  If you have a cat lover in your family, or a lover of this breed and color then this is the item for their collection.  Christmas is sooner than you think, so start shopping now at Ecrater Stores Network ! 

Orange Longhair Cat Figurine

Thanksgiving Is Over For This Year

Well, Thanksgiving is over for another year and now the mad rush towards Christmas begins.  I had a nice Thanksgiving, although pretty much all I did was cook, clean up and cook again, and there was only 4 of us!  But I had to go to the grocery because the meal I ordered forgot our mashed potatoes!  The look of horror on my guests faces that there might not be mashed potatoes was too much to bear, so I had to venture out.  How I wished it was 1621 then since the pilgrims didn't know about potatoes (mentioned in last blog posting).  But I trudged on and going to the grocery on T-day wasn't so bad, although I did wonder about the few people I saw who seemed to be doing their weekly shopping.  No where to go?  No friends or family to be with?  And the man I was behind in the checkout line, he had a large frozen turkey at 11:30 in the morning.  Ugh, that will never work, but maybe he was going to celebrate T-day over the week-end, who knows!  So, I was thankful for the lovely day, the lovely people I'd be spending it with, the good food and of course.... American football.  What can I say? It's tradition!!  So to end last week's theme of Thanksgiving for the scavenger hunter's at ESN I have found a few perfect aprons for your next feast at Embroidery Fashions Boutique.

Give Thanks Turkey Apron

Autumn Blessings Happy Thanksgiving

She has many other T-Day items and items for other occasions as well, so stop on by to see if she has what you need, and don't forget to visit all of us at Ecrater Stores Network!  Ciao!

Thanksgiving - An American Holiday

This Thursday, November 22 is the Thanksgiving holiday in America.  And it is this weeks theme at ESN so. It is tradition to have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry sauce and then whatever else has evolved to become individual customs.  America has celebrated Thanksgiving as far back as at least 1621 when the pilgrims finally had a decent harvest thanks to the locals, Native Americans, but back in the day were called Indians.  President Abraham Lincoln declared in 1863 the last day in Thursday of November to be a "Day of Thanksgiving".  Over the course of about 75 years other presidents declared national days of Thanksgiving, but who knows what day any of those guys chose, so it must have got confusing for the general public because in 1941 Congress declared the 4th Thursday in the month of November as the official day of thanksgiving.  And, well, thankfully it was settled!  No one is truly sure of what that "first meal" consisted of, but rumor has it that the Indians brought deer, and perhaps a few wild turkeys were there as well.  Corn, squashes, and perhaps other veggies were available, but no potatoes, the pilgrims didn't know about them then, so no "mashers" on the first Thanksgiving! Of course being in Massachusetts and on the coast there must have been some pilgrim fisherman so I expect there was fish, crustaceans and other "fruits de mer" (fruits of the sea). Le Petit Marché doesn't have anything actually depicting Thanksgiving as such, but here's a cute set of dishes you might like for your next year celebration.  It's a Hallmark Expressions Decorative Flowers Dishes

Make your own custom with these dishes filled with nuts, olives, bits of cheese, dipping oil for a lovely bread or whatever new custom you would like to create for your own family!  Bon Appétit, et
Je souhaite une bonne santé! à la prochaine!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone, wherever you are!

Flutes and Little Arrows

I've been so busy this week I am lax in my scavenger hunters theme at ESN for this week.  The theme is "Arrow".  I don't have anything at Le Petit Marché that has to do with arrows, but I do have a Kokopelli metal figurine. Kokopelli is known among the Native Americans in the southwest cultures for being a fertility deity.  He also represents the spirit of music, that is why he is depicted in many sculptures playing a flute.  I believe he was a playful spirit as well, so no arrows for this guy!

Kokopelli Metal Figurine 

I then continued my search for arrows at my fellow scavenger hunters stores and when I came to Bargain Express I found an old vinyl record (remember those?!)  from the 1960's by a guy named Leapy Lee.  His record was titled "Little Arrows".  He was born Graham Pulleyblank in Britain but changed his name to Lee Graham (good move Leapy!).  Little Arrows became a big hit in the UK in 1968 and was a chart topper.  It came in 16th in the US.  He never reached the pop charts here again, but I guess he did okay back home for awhile.  So if you're looking for a little nostalgia stop on by Bargain Express and check Leapy Lee and "Little Arrows" out.  And visit all of us at Ecrater Stores Network!

Little Arrows Leapy Lee Vinyl Record

End of the Clowns...

No, I don't mean it literally, although I get the feeling most of the world does not love a clown!  Seems most people loathe them and are afraid of them.  I, personally, think they are just unfunny, or worse, pathetic.  I won't name names of famous clowns that were just that, but the only clown who wasn't really a clown but did a terrific job of being a clown: Carol Burnett.   As a kid we watched her weekly variety show and she was hilarious, no matter what she did.  What a talent and creative woman! 

Speaking of clowns though I do love the song "Send In The Clowns", written by Stephen Sondheim in 1973, and performed by numerous artists and was featured on Broadway and other venues throughout the years is a sad bit, but beautiful just the same.  "Maybe there ought to be clowns.... quick send in the clowns, don't bother, maybe they're already here...."  there's a few different versions of this verse but I chose this one.  My favorite singers of this song being Judy Collins and Barbra Streisand.

Finishing up the ESN theme of the week for "clown" I found the perfect clown at Bargain Express who depicts  the sadness (or scariness) (which actually scares the hell out of me!)  Please enjoy this lovely clown and all the other clownish items at my fellow ESN store merchants.  They have great stuff! 

Let the Clowns In.... Or not...

Clowns, you love them or you hate them or you are frightened by them (which means you have a love/hate relationship with them, really, ask your therapist! ).  I mean, remember "IT" from Stephen King?  You can't get away from "Pennywise" if you've seen the movie.  In fact I happen to see it again this past Halloween.  Less scarier than it was, what about 22 years ago or so?  I grew up! :) 
And then again, you can fall in love with a clown, especially if it's in the form of an adorable Precious Moments clown figurine at  Le Petit Marché She's adorable isn't she?  Not scary at all!

Precious Moments - Clowns Porcelain Figure - 1984

 
 Clown is the theme for this weeks scavenger hunters at ESN, so as usual I jump in as best I can. And here is my lovely contribution.

Wind Damage, Protect Yourself

The east coast is suffering so much damage and strife, it's really quite sad and I can't seem to really grasp it all.  I can't believe the Atlantic City boardwalk is gone....an American icon since around 1887,  I spent so much of my adolescent life there (no, of course not in 1887, I'm not THAT old!)  Plus, I still haven't been able to reach my mother in PA.  I did google a map of her area and as of last night there were still over 9,000 people in her county without power.  I suppose if things were worse someone would have called me.  She is elderly, but has a great network of younger friends who look after her, I am confident all of them are fine. But, I am human and I love my mom, so,  I still worry....

To keep my mind focused on day to day life I am finishing up on the ESN scavenger hunters of the week theme of "wind".   Well.... that theme was very well timed, if unintentional.  So no matter where you are it is November now, starting to get cold and windy (of course!), maybe snow, maybe rain but I found a nice set of hat and scarf from Eccentric Thrifter.  She also has many other designs of scarves, hats, caps,etc.  And while shopping, visit the other fine merchants at ESN, maybe you'll find something to soothe a soul for any family you may have on the east coast. 

Handmade Hat Scarf Set Orange Brown

Wind - And Lots Of It On The East Coast!

Wind is a very appropriate theme for the scavenger hunters this week at ESN as the east coast has just begun incurring the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.  Already 1 million people are without power and the storm is a slow moving one.  Denver International Airport has already cancelled over 125 flights today and tomorrow for the east coast.  And I'm sure all the airports on the east coast are shut down.  My prayers are with all you guys who are having to go through this. Mom is in Pennsylvania and I'll give her a call tomorrow, hopefully all they are getting is rain, but who knows if wind (and how strong they are!) or snow are falling.  Coats are always needed in inclement weather though and (not to add insult to injury to my fellow countrymen on the east coast!) Le Petit Marché has a few nice coats for men for wind, rain, snow and  keeping warm and hopefully dry! Hang in there east coasters! Although I've lived in Colorado a long time, just remember, you can take the girl out of Philadelphia, but you can NEVER take Philadelphia out of the girl.... ;) 

Nautica Jean Co. Wind and Rain Jacket

Newport Harbor Career Apparel Trench Coat

Put a Twinkle in a Little Girls Eyes

It's cold and snowy here in Colorado, grey skies, nothing "twinkly" or "twinkling" going on outside here today!   But "twinkle" is the theme for the scavenger hunters at ESN this week so I took a tour of my fellow hunters stores for some twinkle inspiration.  Everyone has so much neat stuff, whether it twinkles or not.  The holidays are right around the corner and you never know what you mind find at any of these awesome stores.  I found this beautiful Fairy Tea Set at Nancys Doll Closet.

 

 Nancy makes clothing for the American Girl 18 inch doll, but she also has very many accessories, from tea sets (this is just one!) to hair accessories, boas, flashlights and well, just tons of other doll things.  Put a twinkle in a little girls eyes for her birthday or Christmas or any other occasion with a gift from Nancy.  And stop on by all the other fine merchants at Ecrater Stores Network, you may find other items that will put a twinkle in your eye, or someone you know!   Okay, time to bundle up and head out into the cold, brrrr!  Have a great week-end everyone!  And thanks for stopping by!

Twinkle, Glitter and Sparkle Oh My!

The theme this week for the scavenger hunters at ESN is "twinkle".  What a great word!  I love things that twinkle, glitter or sparkle!  And all the synoyms associated with those words. Some of my fellow scavenger hunters have already published great posts about things that twinkle from their stores.  And Le Petit Marché has a lot of "twinkly" items as well, mostly shoes.  So I have chosen the following items from my store that twinkle, glitter and sparkle and are also in rich autumn tones. So stop on by and see what  might put a twinkle in your eye!

Nina Glittery Chocolate Brown Slingbacks

Nina Brown & Gold Dressy Slingbacks

Feathers, Lines and Traveling....

Whew!  I missed the last installment of  the "feathers" theme at ESN, and I've also missed the "lines" theme for this week, well, so far anyway, but getting it done now!  I went on a little trip to see my mother in Pennsylvania last week.  A town called "Quakertown", population a little under 9,000 and some of the citizens are actual Quakers.  I forgot how beautiful PA was, the trees are so different than what we have here in Colorado.  It is autumn there as well and the colors were brilliant.  It was a pretty quiet time as mom doesn't get around all that well anymore.  But she did have a party in the hall in the park she lives in for my 2 brothers, my nephew and myself because all of our birthdays are in October!  It was quite fun and we had cakes with our names on them and a wonderful meal with good wine and many of my mother's friends.  It was a great visit, but I am glad to be home, a lot of stuff to get done (like renew my expired drivers license...) before I go back to university on Oct. 29th (can't wait to get back to work!) So I looked around at some of my fellow scavenger hunters stores to see what I could find in the vein of feathers and lines and here's what I found.  This shirt from Eccentric Thrifter is a feather design, so it doesn't have any feathers fluffing off of it, but it's pretty cool design all the same.

Ladies Top Briggs New York - Feather Design

For lines, I have found in my own store Le Petit Marché a few items that are more like "striped", but lines are stripes and stripes are lines, right?  Or they probably can be.  

Espresso 3 Cup and Saucer Set                                             

  Amanda Smith Multi Color Stripe Purse

And to finish up the "lines" theme I found this fishing cap at Embroidery Fashions Boutique.  She custom embroiders all her items herself and has lots of different fishing caps to choose from.  I chose the fly fishing one because there is a fishing line embroidered on it as well!

Mens Custom Embroidered Black Fly Fishing Cap

Say "Enchanté" With These Feathery Heels

This weeks scavenger hunter's theme at ESN is "feather".  Ahhh feathers, soft, willowy and used for many items; such as boots, hats, other clothing items, home decor, bed pillows and more that I haven't thought of I'm sure. I'm not particularly fond of "down" pillows or bedding that are made with feathers, only because I hate the sharp "quills" that can poke through.  I'm sure there's brands that are made top notch without those but I'm not in that income bracket and anyway, I like a nice firm pillow and a quilt or comforter that I can get completely lost in without tiny feathers billowing out here and there through the seams.  I prefer to keep feathers where they belong, on the bird! They are so much lovelier that way. :)  But feathered "everythings" have been around forever and that doesn't mean if a feathered item makes it's way to my store, I won't try and sell it.  So with that said, Le Petit Marché just happens to have a lovely night time heel, and by night time, I mean with sexy lingerie of course, with feathery accent across the top of the shoe. 

Although "Enchanté" in french is commonly used as "nice to be meet you", the literal meaning is "enchanted".  So enchant someone with these fun little heels with some sexy red, white or black lingerie, or...? Make a statement, however you like!

Enchanté Black Heels with Feathery Accent

Polka Dots

Today is the last day of the dots theme at ESN scavenger hunters.  We all had great takes on the dots theme, but I noticed no one said anything about polka dots, so that got me to thinking (I do that a lot don't I??) where did the term "polka dots" come from.  What a fascinating ride I had through the internet on that googled term! I didn't do extensive research (hey, I'm a busy unemployed person at the moment!) But most sites I visited seemed to agree that it came about around the 1840's when the dance the "polka" was all the rage, which started in Britain. Clothing manufacturers were creating all kinds of dresses, hats, scarves, etc. with dots on them and somehow because of the popularity of the dance "polka dots" was coined and stays with us to this day.  I absolutely love what Christian Dior had to say about dots back in the 1950's; you can read it for yourself here:  Story Behind Polka Dots

So, in my quest for a scavenger hunter with "polka dots" I came across the exact thing I'm talking about.  Here is a lovely polka dot and stripe (somehow, stripes and dots ALWAYS go together) American Girl Doll outfit from Nancy's Doll Closet.  Nancy makes all these cool clothes herself!

American Girl Pink Stripe/Polka Dots Sundress Set

Dots Can Be So Many Things....

Dots is the ESN scavenger hunters theme this week.  Dots, those 4 little letters can be so many different things to so many different people.  For instance, DOTS stands for the Daytona Orlando Transit Service. Dots.com also is a place to buy affordable women's fashions and accessories.  And let us not forget the Dots candy gumdrops that were a movie theater staple while growing up.  And also the "connect the dots" puzzles that are still quite popular since they've gone high tech since the days of old, where you actually connected the dots with a pencil on paper.  And there's lots of businesses that use the name Dot.  Here in Boulder we have "Dot's Diner", and I've seen there's an on-line cupcake business called (what else?) "Dots Cupcakes".   My grandmother was named Dorothy and she was always called "Dot" or "Dottie", my aunt (her daughter) was also named Dorothy, but we called her Dolly.  I guess if they were both Dot it would be confusing. Anyway, my dots are in the form of this cute Susan Lawrence Cap Sleeve Top so stop on by Le Petit Marché and check out this top and everything else I have for offer in the store.

 

Blooming Flowers

Although it's autumn as the chilly evenings tell me along with all the leaves changing colors and falling from the trees there are still flowers in bloom in some of the gardens around town, even my geraniums on my balcony are holding up pretty well since we still have those warm sunny days.  Today is the last day for the ESN scavenger hunter theme on color and many of the hunters have many colorful items for offer for all the seasons of the year.  I'm still operating in summer time mode though so I chose a floral plate from Katzzs Kloset that is just bursting with colorful blooms. Please stop on by and visit all the fine merchants at Ecrater Stores Network for your fall, winter and holiday shopping needs, there's a bountiful mother lode of merchandise to choose from!

Bakelite Round Serving Tray Vintage Melamine

Bursting with Color

Autumn (commonly referred to as "fall") has commenced in Colorado and even down here in the low altitude (5,763 ft) the leaves are changing color and the brilliant yellows, reds,oranges and light greens are so vibrant.  The days are still warm but the nights are already cooler.  You really know it's fall when it's time for the annual elk rut (breeding season).  There is nothing quite like it and this year is no different.  Estes Park (7,522 ft) will be celebrating the 14th annual Elk Fest this week-end with Native Americans dancing, storytelling and to teach about the "wapiti" (native american word for elk).  Elk are everywhere in Estes Park, just watch out for the bulls, their antlers can be dangerous!  It's going to be a great week-end listening to the bulls with all their different sounds to get the females to notice them.  There might even be a few bull fights (head butting, entangling antlers, very LOUD and kind of scary too, I've seen a few).  Le Petit Marché doesn't have any elk stuff or other autumn colored things in the store but it still bursts with color with this cute colored floral top. I guess it's got some fall kind of colors.

West End Colorful Floral top

Also bursting with vibrant colors for Christmas is the lovely sleigh.  Look at it overflowing with all it's colorful contents!  What a fun decorator piece for the holiday. Stop on by my store, Le Petit Marché, and see what other colorful clothing and Christmas items I have!

Heritage Mint Ltd. Santa Sleigh

Audiobooks are Great!

Today is the last day of the ESN scavenger hunters theme on books.  There is nothing more rewarding than reading a good book.  And although today we have kindles, nooks, ipads and other e-readers out there, for me there is nothing like the feel of a book with actual paper pages that you can turn, there's just something about the feel of a "real" book that is comforting.  But audiobooks have their place too.  Especially for a road trip.  I remember some years ago a few friends and myself took a road trip up to Grand Forks, North Dakota to visit some friends.  We decided a good audiobook would help pass the time so we decided to listen to "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris, and actually he read it himself.  It is so hilarious, especially since he is reading it himself.  Reading the book yourself pales in comparison to him reading it on audiotape.  I can't remember how many CD's are in it now, but it sure helped to pass the time laughing hysterically all the way north! But if comedy is not for you, you might enjoy a mystery thriller audiobook from Sirocco's Curios.

Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais

Great to listen to while making dinner, doing laundry, or just relaxing.   For other fine books from cooking to crafting and everything in between come visit all the booksellers at Ecrater Stores Network to see what book might grab your imagination.

So Many Books to Read - Wish I had the Time!

There are so many titles and volumes of books to read, where does one find the time?  I mostly read in bed for 30 minutes or so every night, so it takes me a while to get through a book, especially anything by Ken Follett or Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina being one of my faves!).  I was fortunate enough to read 6, yes, 6 books this summer on the job!  What stroke of luck was that?  Three were fiction, fun escapism and 3 were self-help.  I figure if I don't have the time to seek outside help I may as well try and help myself, right? :)  This weeks theme on ESN is books.  I don't have many books in my store but I have this one that is kind of cool. It's an art book, an American art book at that.  So if you don't like reading all that much and want to look at pictures then you may enjoy this one.  It does have bios and photos of the artists and is chock full of colorful paintings.  It's from the Northeastern Competition.  So stop on by Le Petit Marché to have a look at it or the other few books I have on offer.  And if art isn't for you, there are many booksellers at Ecrater Stores Network that have many different titles and genre's that might interest you.  

New American Paintings Art Book #50

Fruit, Real or Fake are Lovely in Decorative Bowls

I was pondering fruit bowls and was wondering why everyone all over the world likes them, whether they be filled with real fruit or handcrafted fruit items of many differing materials.  I couldn't find a definitive answer but I'm going to guess it's just like having vases of flowers around the house, to add charm, decoration and ambiance.  Of course, I suppose most of us would only put decorative fruit bowls in kitchens, dining rooms or living rooms.  Flowers of course can go in any room.  I myself, have a lovely handmade plate from Fez, Morocco on my counter in my kitchen that at this moment I have oranges, apples and an avocado in.  And as I look around my condo I realize I have dried lavender bunches hanging in my living room and both bedrooms.  Wrapping up this week's  scavenger hunter's theme of fruit at Ecrater Stores Network I chose a lovely bowl of agate fruit from Sirocco's Curios.  It does have a few eggs in the basket, not sure how eggs correlate to fruit, but I guess you always get a fruit garnish with your scrambled eggs at restaurants. 

So stop on by to check out this lovely assortment and visit all the other fine merchants at ESN who have fruit items that you may fancy.

I Love Fruit! But I don't eat Bananas...

I do love fruit, almost all kinds of fruit.  The only fruit I can't eat "as is" is the lovely banana.  I can eat it in smoothies, breads, and of course a banana split (yummy!) but I can't just peel one and eat it, it makes the roof of my mouth itch so bad, and I then look like a dufus because I try to scratch the roof of my mouth with my tongue, so I therefore look very monkey like.  So I don't eat bananas.  But fruit is the theme of the week at Ecrater Stores Network and while I was rummaging around my store looking for something to write about I came across this lovely Pineapple Shape Wooden Bowl.  It's just a mini bowl, but perfect for a single size serving of just about any kind of fruit, or candy or mints, or potpourri, or... whatever you like!  So stop on by Le Petit Marché to look around and see what other household goods I have available. 

Those Who Labor Over Their Handcrafted Wares

I've never been very good at crafting anything when it came to textiles and such.  I can barely put a photo album or scrapbook together.  I can, however, craft stellar meals of French and Moroccan cuisine (including the famous Moroccan mint tea, with the requisite elaborate pouring from the pot included!)  Spending fair amounts of time in both countries I have learned how to cook with labors of love.  The ESN theme of this week is Labor Day.  Well, I've already had my say about Labor Day and what it means to me on Monday.  So I'm just going to go ahead and feature two lovely ladies who are members of ESN who labor probably almost every day making their items for their stores.  There is Embroidery Fashions Boutique who specializes in embroidery on tee shirts, hats and other items.  Her stuff is pretty cool and I bet it takes a lot of labor to make all the things she does, not to mention to find the items to do this stuff on.  Here's a sample of her work.  Pretty cool for Halloween, eh?

I'm here for the boos

Then there is Nancy's Doll Closet who designs beautiful American Girl Dolls dresses and accessories.   Both of these handcrafters deserve a Labor Day off!  Hope you did enjoy it girls.

 American Girl Doll Short Set