Can you see me?

Mirror, mirror on the wall.... we have several fair looking glasses at Grassy Valley.  Each beautiful in their own right. Some are crystal clear and others hazy from age.  They sit on shelves, hang on walls and are nestled into the corners of our shop.  I have always had a fascination with mirrors. Eyes open wide, I find myself boring holes through their glass searching for answers about myself. These shiny fortune tellers give us a chance to do the one thing no other object can, fully inspect ourselves.  We spend all our energy projecting our image to others being absorbed by both critical and loving eyes.  Mirrors give us the chance to claim a little of ourselves...for ourselves.  It isn't vanity that prolongs my stare it's the longing for a little alone time with myself.  I need the opportunity to look into my eyes and ask myself the hard questions to which only my heart can whisper an answer... not "Was that wrinkle there yesterday?" or "Would I look better with bangs?" although, I have to admit I ask those too.

I touch the frames of the mirrors for sale and wonder who has gazed before me.  I'm sure if glass could really talk as it does in fairy tales, it would tell us what we all long to hear. We are each the "fairest of them all" unique and beautiful in our strength and courage to be ourselves. So, go ahead and gaze into your looking glass and have a conversation with the one we sometimes neglect the most. Yourself.

The AD AGE!

Advertising.  It rules our lives somewhat doesn't it?  We are willing subjects spouting off the catch phrases carefully researched in agency think tanks and soon they are a part of our vernacular defining each generation. Who hasn't gotten a particularly skimpy patty and joked "where's the beef?", or proclaimed "I've fallen and I can't get up" after a pratfall.  I know I have.  Maybe I'm just particularly cheesy, but we've all been influence somewhat by those ad dollars.

I can remember watching Bewitched as a child and being fascinated by Darrin Stephens and Larry Tate, two old school admen whose accounts were constantly in jeopardy.  Lucky for them, Samantha "magically" saved the day, and their careers, at the end of each episode with a twitch of her nose.   While those antics belong in TVland, there is some real magic involved in the whole marketing process.  A pretty package can influence our buying decisions just as a slick poster or magazine advertisement can deserve the same reverence as any well crafted piece of art.  

It is with this appreciation that I take a look around the store and notice the designs of the past.  Some of the icons are still in use today, such as the Borden Cow. Others have faded into memory, only to be awakened when they they are jolted out of our subconscious.  That's what browsing through these marketing relics of long ago has done for me.  It brings those characters back to life, vibrant as ever ready to be appreciated by a new generation.

A Perfect Pair

Meet Mr. Remmington... He's new to Grassy Valley and looking for love.  This cat enjoys writing novels, especially those filled with spine-tingling suspense, and long walks on the beach.  He has been around the block a time or two, but you'd never be able to tell from his spiffy exterior which makes all the ladies swoon.  He's looking for a long term commitment, someone to keep him company for the rest of his days and nights.

Meet Ms. Royal... although a little shy at first, once you warm up her keys she'll keep you entranced for hours.  She loves coffee and curling up with her special squeeze in front of a crackling fire.  She is seeking someone with a gentle hand who can type at least 80 wpm.  If you enjoy the sincerity of a self addressed letter delivered through the postal service, and prefer typing over tweeting, she just might be the gal for you.

Stop by Grassy Valley to meet each of these typewriters in person.  Who knows you just might make a love connection!

Grand Opening this Saturday, Sept 17th!

We've reached a significant milestone at Grassy Valley Antiques, the completion of our first month of business! I have been so happy to settle in to a routine of "shopkeeping".  This is truly a dream come to fruition for Matt and me, that sometimes it still doesn't seem real.  We are finally ready to have our "Grand Opening", a daylong shindig to celebrate all that makes Grassy Valley, well Grassy Valley.  

This Saturday, September 17th we will be offering 10% off of the entire store as a way to show our appreciation to the community.  We are so grateful to do business in beautiful East Tennessee and hope that you will join us in our celebration.  

<Insert Cheesy Photo Here>

Much Love!
Stephanie and Matt

"A woman's work is never done..."

Chores, the word evokes several different emotions in me spontaneously.  First, I dread the physical exertion required to tidy the house.  Especially, if I'm being beckoned from my cozy spot on the sofa or it's late at night.  Who wouldn't rather be snuggled up in a fuzzy blanket reading than unloading the dishwasher? Still, despite the labor involved, completing the sometimes monotonous daily tasks that keep our home running smoothly leave me with a Mary Poppinish sense of efficiency.  I am able to keep some semblance of order in this chaotic world when armed with Pledge and my Swiffer.  It's quite a buzz.

While I'm happy to provide a neat and tidy living space for my family, I often complain and grumble while doing so.  On a recent trip to a children's museum in town, it hit me how easy I have it.  I was busy explaining the daily routines of the early Appalachian settlers to my son when I tried on the water yoke and almost fell over from the weight of the simulated buckets.  I imagined children carrying their family's daily water supply from wells each morning and realized that if I tried I would surely tumble down that hill faster than Jack or Jill.

When looking around the shop at all the household staples of years gone by, I silently pay homage to the hands that labored and toiled over  items like this early ironing board.  I am grateful for all the steam cleaners and high efficiency washers out there (although I don't possess either, they are on my wish list!), however I think it's important to remember those who passed before us hands chapped and calloused from their labors of love.  Next time I bake cookies, I think I'll start from scratch!

I Like the Sprite in You!

This little lady was waiting for me when I rushed into the store this morning.  I don't know if she knew that my mind was exhausted with worry for my sick child, and the weight of my daily responsibilities felt extra heavy on this rainy morning.  Nevertheless, she was ready to work her magic with a painted porcelain smile and carefree pose.  Upon first glance, I couldn't help but return her impish grin with one of my own.  I think she was counting on that!

Take a look at us!

We've added something new to the exterior of Grassy Valley.  It's large, it's yellow, and it weighs a whole heck of a lot!   No, it's not Big Bird, although if I could get him to twirl a sign in front of the store that would draw a lot of attention...and possibly lead to some collisions.  What we have is a little more understated but still very cool, our very own sandwich board made from two doors that are rich with history!  This is marketing Grassy Valley style!