April Showers, May Flowers, and Smiles

April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers bring smiles!

 

I have loved flowers---and sharing them---for as long as I can remember.

When I was little, I used to spend weekends outside finding just the right flowers to pick and give to my grandmother.  I am talking handfuls.  Every size, shape and color.  Every time I brought them to her, my grandmother would ooh and ahh as if each 'bouquet' was the first she had ever received.  And then, I would receive the biggest compliment of all.  She would place them in a mason jar with some water, and proudly display them on the kitchen table.

What I didn't realize back then was that many of those flowers were actually a weed.  But, in my eyes, they were the most beautiful things I had ever seen. 

 

Gorgeous purples, bright yellows, and other vibrant colors were so pretty to me, and I just had to share them with someone I loved!  And my grandmother appreciated ever single weed, every single time.  It makes me smile today as I think about how proudly she would display them, and how proud I felt each time she did.

 

I think all of those things---the act of gathering flowers in anticipation of giving them away, the wonderful feeling of knowing I made someone happy, the smile on my grandmother's face, the warm feeling of accomplishment I experienced with every mason-jar display---I think all of those things helped to shape the person I am today.

 

I still love flowers.  In fact, we may have gotten carried away with flowers just a bit on our front and rear farmhouse porch this spring.  But, who cares......it sure looks happy!

 

My love of flowers does not end at our home, you will always find fresh flowers tucked into displays at our Shoppe too......I just can't help myself. 

I love the creative outlet that flowers provide, and the sweet way that flowers welcome family and friends.

But most of all, I love the smiles they bring!

 

All of the photos in this post are from our Farmhouse on Main......it has a big spring smile. 

:-))

 

Ahhh, April

It has to be one my favorite months of the year.

I love seeing the beautiful wildflowers and the famous Texas Bluebonnets that paint our highways and country roads. 

highlandlakes.com

April temperatures are generally warm enough for us to open windows in the car and at home.  Oh, the feel and smell of fresh, April breezes!

Seeing sweet spring babies gives me a sense of renewal.

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And April also means spring cleaning.....but let's not go there yet.

:-))

At The Shoppe, April tends to be one of our busiest times of the year.  I just love it!  

 

And with the launch of our enhanced online shopping experience, things just got busier and better than ever!  The addition of our linen and gauze clothing online is keeping us very very busy!!

April will be busy at the Farmhouse as well.  Last Spring we spent a lot of time making over the back porch and yard. 

So this year we have plans to "Springify" the front porch and walk among many other projects that have been awaiting their turn for some of our attention. :-)) 

 

How about you?  Are you working on any special April projects?

All months bring something special, and every month (and day, and hour) is a blessing in my eyes. 

But there is just something very special about April...

In Your Easter Bonnet?

I was watching a movie the other day, and could not help but smile at scene depicting tons of kids and parents, dressed in their Sunday best, having the time of their lives at an Easter egg hunt.  Memories of Easters past flooded my mind, and I soon found myself smiling from ear to ear.

 

While I don't remember ever wearing a 'bonnet', I did don my share of frilly, puffy, colorful dresses!  Oh, and one more important adjective to describe those beautiful dresses my mom painstakingly picked out each year:  scratchy.  All of those stiff, lacy petticoats and ruffles just got the best of me.  I would scratch, itch, and fidget all day long.  Maybe that explains why I so love to wear the beautiful----and comfortably soft---linen and gauze clothes we carry at The Shoppe today!

I also remember wearing those Patton leather shoes---so shiny and new!  They were always paired with ruffled white socks.  We did not get new shoes often, so I wore them proudly each year.  And let me tell you, the shoes were much more comfy than the dresses!  I loved them so much, my mom often had to talk me out of them before bed.

Then there was the beloved Easter egg hunt.  A competition, generally with my cousins, that was the highlight of my day.  Oh yes, I was in it to win it---and I knew just where to look.  I could always be guaranteed of finding a treasured stash of brightly colored eggs inside the tire swing, nestled in the coiled up water hose, bunched at the base of the back porch stairs, and 'hidden' in the crook of a favorite tree.

 

And the day was not complete without a big, delicious dinner with family after church.  Easter dinners ranked right up there with Thanksgiving.  After all, we were giving thanks each Easter for the most precious gift of all.

From our LaurieAnna's family to yours, we wish you all a very happy Easter.  Here's to making tons of wonderful Easter memories!

 

P.S. - Don't forget about our modified Easter hours for this weekend's show only.  We hope you will stop by for a visit:

 

Thursday from 9am - 5pm

Friday and Saturday from 9am - 7pm

Closed on Easter Sunday

 

Keeping My Faith

Being a shoppe-owner is a joy, but it certainly has its fair share of challenging decisions.  Some decisions are so easy that the answer just pops right into your head.  While other decisions can take a long period of time to get a feel for what is right.  Through my years, I’ve found that I tend to choose incorrectly when I go against my first instincts.    

Last month we discovered that Easter Sunday falls during the First Monday show.  I must confess that this snuck up on us because in the 8 years since we've been in business, Easter has never fallen during a First Monday show.  Even still, my first instinct was, "we will be closed". 

 

However, recent input suggested we would catch heat for being closed on that Sunday because it was during First Monday.  Others pointed out the obvious, that April is one of our biggest shows of the year and it's foolish to miss the opportunity to sell, particularly since we are only open 4 days per month.  And potential customer disappointment was a big concern for me.

All of the points shared were from intelligent and well meaning minds.  However, none of the points were strong enough to get me past this thought..... we should be closed because it's what my heart and faith know to be right. 

So, I'm keeping my faith. 

Faith that closing the Shoppe on Easter Sunday is the right and best choice for us and for our business despite that it's First Monday weekend and that others may be open.

Faith that my amazing crew will appreciate being able to spend Easter with their families.

Faith that extending our store hours to 7pm on Friday & Saturday during the show will still allow us to serve our customers.

And faith that our wonderful customers will respect this very personal decision. 

The upcoming show takes place March 28 - 30.  We hope you will stop by for a visit!  You will find the Shoppe open Thursday 9am - 5pm, Fri & Sat 9am - 7pm. 

We look forward to seeing you here!

 

 

March Madness

Nope, I'm not talking about basketball. I'm talking about the wonderful, crazy, blessed madness that is March at LaurieAnna's!

EARLY MARCH:
Our March show was simply amazing. 

We had so much fun showing off the new 'farmhouse' room in our expanded space. 

 

 

We heard tons of wonderful compliments on our new products. 

 As always, the Shoppe was filled with lots of new customers, long time friends, fur babies, and sweet lil ones.  

Photos such as these are just a few of the things that make LaurieAnna's more like a home than a store. :-))

I loved this cute lil LaurieAnna's shopper in training.....look at her sweet lil purse. :-))

 

Even Zeek could hardly believe how wonderfully crazy our March show turned out!  He was just a bit overwhelmed by it all!

MID MARCH:
Between getting our expanded space ready and ordering, pricing, and placing product, I have been busy loading gobs and gobs of items to our online store.  

Keep your eyes on LaurieAnnas.com to witness the launch of our new and expanded online store---and to experience a truly unique online shopping adventure! 

LATE MARCH:
Yep - we are already planning for the next show at the end of the month. 
Truckloads of new merchandise continue to be delivered daily.  

In addition, we are expanding our clothing and jewelry lines! 

We heard you, and we are delivering items like these.....
 

 

Aren't they wonderful?

 

Whew! March definitely came in like a lion---and it looks like it will go out the same way.  

Yes, 'March Madness' has me busier and crazier than ever----and I would not have it any other way!

 

On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow!

We are thrilled to announce that we will be expanding The Shoppe once again!  So, along with our new spring merchandise, expect to see even more of  LaurieAnna's when you visit us for the March show!

We are so blessed to have this opportunity to grow----and to grow so fast.  In fact, hubby and I were reminiscing about how quickly it all has happened.  

This show will also be the 8th anniversary of LaurieAnna's!  Over the past 8 years, we've gone from booth to Yellow House, to The Shoppe, to the expanded Shoppe----and now we are expanding the expansion!  It's been a wild ride!

With the additional room, The Shoppe has now grown to almost 10,000 square feet!  WOW!  It's simply mind-boggling!

In addition to growth at the physical store, we have been diligently working on an expansion of the online store which we will soon share with you!  What kinds of things would you like to see featured in the new space and online?

Come see us!  The fun all begins on this Thursday morning at 9am, show dates are Feb 28th - March 3rd. 

 

Store hours:

Thursday 9am - 5pm

Friday & Saturday 9am - 6pm

Sunday 9am-5pm

 

 

 

 

Be My Valentine!

I can't help but feel warm and cuddly when I think about Valentine's Day. 

Valentines we exchanged as children were simple and silly.  They were not meant for romance (we were children, after all), but were made to make us smile.  I still remember creating a decorated cigar box to collect Valentines from classmates.  Do you remember those times?  And, do you remember adorable Valentine's cards like some of these? 

They still make me smile! :-))

       museumofcute.blogspot.com

Now as an adult, Valentine's Day represents a number of other things to me...

TRUE LOVE:  What more can I say?  I am a hopeless romantic, and love celebrating this special day with my wonderful hubby.  He is my best friend, biggest cheerleader, and true love!

THE BLESSING OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS:  They offer us unconditional love, laughter, hugs, support, encouragement....the list goes on and on.  On a day that represents 'love', it's hard not to think of the special relationships we hold with family and friends---including our extended Laurieanna's family of customers and crew!

PASSION:  Not just passion for a person, but passion for a belief, a cause...and even a job.  I am so blessed to do what I love.  Thank you for allowing me to share it with you!

What words or memories come to mind when you think about Valentine's Day?

Thank you all for the warmth and love you send to us at LaurieAnna's year round, each and every time to visit us in person or online.  And we send it right back to you---with big, big hugs!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

 

 

The Wonderfully Wild February Show & Warehouse Sale

Spring was already popping up in the Shoppe this past show and really kept us hopping!  But, total craziness is the phrase that best describes the atmosphere of our first ever warehouse sale!! 

Hundreds of you shopped the sale during your visit to the Shoppe and our little yellow building was buzzing!  Over a hundred people were lined up when we opened at 9am on Saturday morning.....the turnout was positively overwhelming and beyond anything we ever expected!  Thank you!

First time visitors Shawn and Natasha heard about us from friend who planned on coming with them, but had to miss because her husband was sick.  

As much as they missed their friend, Shawn and Natasha admitted that it all worked out for the best---because there simply would not have been enough room their friend AND all of the treasures they found!  In fact, they were barely able to close their SUV doors!  

After they finished up at the warehouse sale, Shawn and Natasha visited us at The Shoppe to say, "hello" and to get a first glimpse of the store.  It was such a pleasure meeting both of you sweet ladies.  We hope to see you again next month, with your friend in tow!

Another group of wonderful ladies noticed the warehouse sale when they were making their inaugural visit to LaurieAnna's.  Betsy, Emily and Callie were all on hand to give beautiful Kaitlin (age 3) some shopping tips!  We hope you all enjoyed your first visit and will come back very soon!

And we always, always love seeing our returning customers, like precious Chanel and her sweet human, Audra.  They have been friends of LaurieAnna's for over three years, and it's such a joy to see them at The Shoppe on a regular basis.  In fact, I have been known to 'babysit' Chanel while Audra does a little shopping! :-))

To the hundreds and hundreds of you who stopped in, we can't thank you enough for making our February show such a success---and so incredibly fun!  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being a part of the maiden voyage of our wild and whimsical event!  We will definitely do it again this summer!