Valentine's Ideas from Katie Newman

Please enjoy one of our weekly articles from one of our Shop Owners -Katie of Katie Newman Gifts and Home. Thanks Katie!

"Let those love now who never loved before; Let those who always loved, now love the more." Thomas Parnell Valentine's Day is coming up on February 14th; always a favorite holiday for all of us who love the romantic lifestyle. I am going to offer a couple great date ideas, a few great gift ideas and a great Valentine's Day recipe. Some Great Valentine's Day Gift Ideas: *Flowers (especially the timeless roses) are always appreciated! *Chocolates (truffles are an especially good choice) are another classic! *Jewelry (diamonds are of course the best choice) - what gal doesn't love her bling? *A handwritten poem or letter *A special book *Bath and Body Pamper Products (scented soaps wrapped with ribbon are an inexpensive but tasteful choice) *A special photo in a beautiful frame Some great date ideas: *A picnic complete with wonderful cheeses, fine wine and chocolate covered strawberries (if you live in a warm climate find a beautiful outdoor setting or if you live in a cold climate set up a beautiful picnic complete with candlelight in your favorite room of your home or in your fabulously romantic bed.) *A night out in your best little black dress complete with a fancy dinner and dancing. *A night cuddled up at home with a romantic movie and Chinese takeout. A great Valentine Recipe: *Drinking Chocolate (makes 5 cups) 6 one ounce squares 99% unsweetened dark chocolate 4 cups heavy cream 4 tablespoons sweet ground chocolate and cocoa, such as Ghiradelli 1 ¼ cups confectioners sugar ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon grated orange zest Melt dark chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cream, sweet ground chocolate and cocoa, confectioners sugar, cayenne pepper, vanilla extract, and orange zest; continue whisking until smooth. Simmer over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately. I wish all of you a very happy and romantic valentines year in 2009 and Shabby Lane Shops is the best place to find that perfect Valentine's Day gift! "Love is the blossom where there blows everything that lives or grows." Giles Fletcher

Tips for business owners from Mrs. Charlotte's Boutique

Please enjoy one of our weekly artcles from one of our Shop Owners -Mrs. Charlotte of Mrs Charlotte's Boutique & Mrs. Charlotte's Jewels and More. Thank You Mrs. Charlotte!

Increasing Your Bottom Line I would like to share with you some things that I have learned over the years as a show and mall dealer and an owner of an antique mall for ten years. When I first rented a small booth in an antique mall I really did not know much about what I was doing. I painted my booth, decorated it so it was just beautiful and set up my merchandise. Then I went home and thought I was going to sell everything quickly because it was so pretty how could they (The Customers) not buy my things. Well I returned three weeks later to collect my monies and see what I sold. Needless to say, I only sold $7.50. Boy was I surprised. I just could not figure out what I did wrong. Then I started coming to the mall more often and looking at the other booths and trying to figure out who was selling and why. Well, I noticed one particular dealer who always had great sells and a lot of activity in her booth. After studying her situation I noticed she constantly moved merchandise around. When an item was sold, she would re-arrange the entire table or shelf. She completely rotated her booth at least once a week. This dealer proved to me that by constantly moving things around and changing her display her sales soared. Ever walked the aisles of a show, a mall or a small shop and noticed something the second time through that you missed the first time around? It was interesting to me to talk with dealers and hear a dealer say they can't understand why their sales were slow when other dealers had great sales. I was always trying to answer the question, why was one doing so well and the other one not so well? Some of the things that I determined apply not only to show dealers, but also to mall dealers and shop owners as well. In talking to many dealers and shop owners, several things are repeated over and over. The dealers who were constantly rearranging their merchandise and working on their displays, and adding new merchandise had better sales. The dealers, who told me they do not use books to determine their prices, always did better. They buy merchandise and mark it up to make a reasonable profit and sell it. Chances are that someone else has merchandise similar to yours. Why is someone going to buy from you and not from someone else? Make your pricing appealing to the shopper who is looking for a bargain. Ninety-five percent of shoppers are looking for something they can feel good about buying. Either it needs to be very special or at a very good price. Once a dealer told me she could take the same merchandise to ten shows and no one knew the difference. If you have merchandise that has been to five shows and hasn't sold, why take it to five more? Something is wrong with that picture! You need to evaluate why your merchandise is not selling. Make a change! If there is a key to continued success in this business, whether you are a show dealer, mall dealer, or own your own shop, it is new fresh merchandise and constantly moving the old merchandise around to look new and different. And getting rid of the dead weight in your inventory. Have a sale and put your money in something that "Will" sell. Rearrange your booth at a show everyday and in a mall or a shop rearrange once a week. Make a change! Be creative! Try something new! If your sales don't increase, I'll be very surprised. So now, how do I apply these great ideas to my new on line store? I am going to be adding new merchandise often. Change my front page at least once a month if not more often. I have also added, removed and changed some of my main categories. I feel like this is the same as re-arranging a booth or shop. If merchandise has been in my store for more that two months I am going to move it out and put new merchandise in it's place. Most customers will check your online store out often and if they see the same merchandise every time they visit, they will quit coming . Mrs. Charlotte Mrs. Charlotte's Boutique Mrs. Charlotte's Jewels and More

Shabby Cottage Designs - Design Tips

Decorating on a budget? Tips to get more bang for your buck!

How do you get plenty of bang for your buck?
If you are like me you enjoy changing the look of your home from time to time so here are a few tips for decorating on a budget. Using these tips and others allow you to recycle items from your home or purchase items that cost you little money. Here are some decorating tips to give you added bang for your buck and a fresh new look in your home.


1. Paint! Paint is an inexpensive way to change the look of a room by simply giving it new color.
Maybe you are going for a soft romantic feel with soft sage colors or pretty pinks. Maybe your look is bright and bold. Whatever your style paint will give your room and instant face lift without breaking the bank. .

2. Furniture! You can change the look of a room by simply changing the arrangment of your furniture. Try moving the couch to the center of the room instead of placing everything up against the walls. Do groupings of furniture for cozy little nooks for reading and relaxing. This is a winner and costs you nothing. Don't forget to look in the attic or outside for items you forgot you even had. The money you save will allow you to buy that special piece of wall art you have been eyeing.

3. Pillows! Simply changing the throw pillow on your sofa can give a room a totally different look. Many of us who love the shabby cottage look of today have a white sofa or nuetral color sofa. Either way you can go from soft and sweet with pale romantic colors like soft pinks and beachy blues to bright and bold with vibrant reds or sunny yellow. Do you have old fabric tucked away in the closet? Wrap you sofa pillows with fabric! Simply wrap the pillow in the fabric like you were wrapping a present , you can pin the fabric in place on the backside an no one will be the wiser....

4. Plates! Another great way to add interest to your drab walls is decorating with plates. I have done this myself for years and I love the look. Most of us have old plates in our cabinets or pieces we have collected over the years stuffed in our china cabinets where no one really can see them.. Get um out girls and let them be seen and enjoyed! dress up those walls!

5. Last but not least, don't be afraid to try something new. Sometimes we get so used to seeing things in our house the same old way and just don't take the time to make it a little more inviting. Most of these ideas cost little or no money but can give you a new look on a budget. With all the money you save by just using some of these tips you might be able to splurge on something special you would enjoy for your home.

6. Shabby Lane Shops is the perfect place to shop for all your decorating needs. From pillows, beautiful china, rugs, or a special one of a kind piece of art; you can find it all right here, so stop by anytime and visit the wonderful shops of Shabby Lane Shops for all your decorating needs.

HAPPY DECORATING!!!!
Suzanne Davenport
www.shabbycottagedesigns.com

Lamp Creations

Lamp Creations will be featuring it’s tin lamps this month with a 10% discount. Stop by and take a look. Expect new postings in all categories this month as well.

Mimi's Rose Chenille Boutique

Happy New Year to each of you! We are very excited about the New Year and all of the new items Mimi’s Rose Chenille Boutique will be offering. New boutique clothing items for Spring are in the design stage and will be added to our website within the next couple of weeks! We will also be adding our wonderful “Shabby Chic Bunnies”, just in time for Easter, along with more “Rose Lights” and gorgeous new Shabby Cottage Fabrics. “Hop on over” to Mimi’s Rose Chenille Boutique for wonderful new items for you, your family and friends!

Vintage Dragonfly

Happy New Year to Everyone! At Vintagedragonfly.com, I am starting a new year with wonderful new creations that will be affordable to all. My goal is to create Beautiful products for every budget! Please visit often as I will be adding new items in the next 2 weeks! I will also have a full line of Valentine creations soon~I also offer layaway on the larger items.Please email me for details! Thank you to all of my Fabulous customers!

Sincerely, Mary Garrett

RME Bath & Body's Tips for New Year's Resolutions

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

If you're like many people you've made at least one New Year's Resolution. In many ways, that's the easiest part! The most difficult part is having a realistic plan to attain that goal! In my therapy practice I work with people all of the time on personal goals. The biggest pitfall that I see repeatedly is that the goals are simply unrealistic. Believe it or not many people set themselves up to fail before they even begin! Please keep in mind that almost any goal is attainable if you approach it with realistic ideals and a positive attitude!

In the spirit of achieving success with your New Year's Resolution I have found some advice that I think you will find very helpful!

Expert Advice from the University of Maryland Medical Center http://www.umm.edu/features/prepare.htm

UM experts offer these tips to help you reach your goals:

• Avoid perfectionist thinking. While we certainly always want to better ourselves, it is healthier to think in positive terms than it is to focus on how much we fall short of our aspirations. In other words, students should view the grade of an A- as better than a B, rather than not as good as an A.
• View setbacks as lessons for growth. Mistakes can be and usually are opportunities for learning. If you fall short of your goals, ask yourself what kept you from achieving them and then try to make corrections. People who like to sail understand this navigational concept. You almost never go directly from point A to point B. You set a course and periodically take readings of your position then make adjustments as you go along.
• Don't make absolute resolutions. Keep them realistic. For example instead of saying you won't yell at your kids anymore, resolve to yell at them less often.
• Don't keep your resolutions to yourself. Tell someone you trust about your resolutions. It helps to share your goals with friends, who can gently nudge you in the right direction when you veer off course.
• Give them some meaning. People sometimes make goals that aren't necessarily meaningful to them. Your goal should be something you really desire to change or achieve, not something that society says is good for you to do, or your family members would like to see you do. If you don't have strong, internal motivation within yourself, you won't be successful.
• Take baby steps. Set realistic goals that are attainable and then take small steps that are likely to be met with success toward those goals. Don't try to lose 10 pounds in a week or quit smoking cold turkey with no preparation. Instead, try joining a weight loss program and try to lose a pound a week, or join a smoking cessation group.
• Fine-tune your spirituality. It is important to add a spiritual dimension to your goals. For example, if one of your goals is to get fit, you may also resolve to get outdoors more often instead of going to the gym. Time outside will help you get in balance with nature, and will honor both the physical and spiritual sides of yourself.

By Jill RachBeisel, M.D & Hinda Dubin, M.D

Stay focused and stay positive! Focus on what you have accomplished rather than what you think you haven't accomplished. This is the best way to ensure success! Also, don't forget to reward yourself and praise your successes no matter how insignificant you might view them.

Wishing you much success in all of your endeavors this year!

Jacalyn Kelly, LCSWR

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

RME Bath & Body Shop
www.rmebathproducts.com

Artistic Glass Decor & More

“I am happy to share a few of my Holiday Personalized Ornaments” They are only $10.00 each. If a customer wants to purchase one, they are allowed two lines per ornament, 12 characters per line. A cute little trinket is also attached to each ornament I make and is included in the price. They will be wrapped delicately in tissue paper and shipped with a whole lot of love included in the gift box.

These ornaments take hours to make, but you can’t beat the price. They’re unique, one of a kind ornaments and cannot be bought in stores. Please visit my web-site: http://www.artisticglassdecorandmore.com and click on PERSONALIZED ORNAMENTS to see all the different types and different occasions that are represented and available to purchase. In the future, I will be adding even more different types of “Chic” ornaments, so keeping checking back to see what is new at Artistic Glass Décor & More. I’m getting ready to add a variety of different types of items in the next few weeks as well to my web-site. These items will cover a broad spectrum including Chic, Vintage, Country, Primitive and Traditional décor!

Artistic Glass Décor & More wishes everyone a happy new year and we pray that each and every business on Shabby Lane Shops prospers in their business adventures in 2009J

Shabby Cottage Designs

Graceful Rose ~ Holiday Money Saving Tips

Money Saving Tips for the Holidays

There are many things we all can do to save money for the holidays. Some are just common sense and some you may have heard before. Here are a few.

1. Recycle old Christmas cards. They can be cut in half and uses as post cards which will save the cost of the post card and the postage. The cards can also be cut up and used as gift tags.

2. Ornaments that have lost their hooks or tops can still be used in displays in a bowl or tall vase for a festive look.

3. Using Children’s art work for wrapping small gifts.

4. Use scraps of wrapping paper for gift tags. Just cut a square, fold it half, punch a hole in it and put a piece of ribbon through it.

5. Try giving hand made gifts instead of store bought gifts. Sometimes a plate of cookies or a home made cake is just enough for that special neighbor or teacher.

6. As far as saving money at stores, I did this the other day. I was shopping at a Large Department Store and they had a sale going on and had hand bills at the door with coupons. One coupon was for $10 off purchase of $50.00 or more and the other was $15.00 off a purchase of 75.00 or more. I was purchasing approximately $130.00 worth of merchandise so I divided it into two purchases and used a coupon on each one, saving a total of $25.00. So be sure and check for special and coupons at the department stores and if you don‘t see any, ask the sales clerk, sometimes they will have a coupon they can give you..

7. My next tip is one that some may know about and others may not. My husband and I run an auction in our little town. My husband works very hard and is very honest so people flock to our auction, especially at Christmas time. You can save as much as 90% on many things especially Christmas decorations. We go and get pallets of overstock items and we go through every item to make sure it works and we put stuff together to make it is all there. We sold prelit 7 ft Christmas trees for as low as $13.00. We have something new every week and we also have other people who come in with great buys. We have a guy here this week with brand new craftsman tools for the men, we have another guy who comes and brings toys for the kids, all brand new still in the box. My husband also gets general merchandise that includes kitchen appliances, stereos, Ipod docking stations, etc. Most towns have auctions around if you ask around. Some are better than others and some are not as diligent about checking things out, so be careful but you can get some real bargains if you check them out. Our auction has gotten busier since the economy has gotten worse as we try to sell things that people need and would go out and buy anyway. Just another option to think about.

8. Regifting. You will have to be careful here and not give this to the person who gave it to you but we all get gifts that we really don’t use or perhaps put away and forgot about. This happened to me when I got my decorations out this year I found 2 or 3 brand new gifts that I received last year and forgot about and they got put away so now I have at least 2 things I can regift.

9. Buy all year when you see things on sale and put them away. You can really save money this way and also saves the stress of trying to find everything during the holidays when there is so much to do.

10. Buy several of the same item when you see a good sale, such as a special ornament or candles, etc. and give the same items to several people on your gift list.


11. When decorating, use nature. Bring in real pine boughs, cones and berries to dress up that mantle. Also you can use popcorn and cranberries to make garlands.
How pretty is a glass jar filled with cranberries with a candle in the middle!

12. Create a family calendar. Select family photos and get calendar kit from your office supply store. You can personalize each month with family birthdays and special events. You can even include favorite family recipes. Grown children would love this too and it is a great way to pass down those special family recipes.

13. Obviously shopping after Christmas for next year is a money saver.

14. Making your own decorations with your kids is a great way to save money. You can create tissue paper wreaths, special ornaments and other things that will be treasured through the years.

15. If you have a big extended family, draw names.