Hey everyone,
First off, a belated Happy Holidays to you all! I hope no matter what holidays you celebrate at this time of year, they were wonderful and filled with lots of fun, family & friends, laughter and blessings.
I've been a horrible blogger these last few months, and I haven't talked about much of anything except Gather. While it's a huge part of our lives, it's not all we do, and I feel like I haven't talked a lot about my life outside of it lately. I wanted to do a little "right now" post with you, and hopefully before the end of the year, I'll be able to see how my 112 in 2012 went, share some year in review type stuff, and who knows what else. That only gives me 6 or so days, so we'll see, but I'm going to try!
Right now I'm loving these post-Christmas sales. I adore Christmas...it's easily my favorite holiday by leaps and bounds, and I am always looking for things to add to my holiday collections. The day after Christmas is like a holiday in itself for me...I love hunting for great clearance finds, or seeing what stores have items I've really wanted this season still in stock. After I buy them, I store them away for next year and then it's like opening presents when I decorate for the holidays!
Right now I'm starting to feel some hope about moving. If you've been reading my blog at all over the last 15 months or so, you know that Mike & I have been planning a move. We made an offer on a house that was accepted, and then we had to back out of the deal because we agreed to move to Mike's parents farm. Long story short, that process has taken longer than any of us had ever wanted. It's been a roller coaster of a year with regard to that change in our lives, but it looks like we will be making the move sometime in early 2013, and then listing our beloved house for sale. I'll talk more about that when the time comes, but I'm excited to be getting on with this new chapter in our lives and all the things that it will bring for us. I'm also thrilled to see light at the end of the tunnel with regard to living out of boxes! Our house is nowhere near packed up, but we did start packing some things that weren't critical, every day items a LONG time ago. Even though we don't use them every day, we do access them more than once every 15 months. I'm loving that I won't have to unpack and repack these items every time we want to use them!
Right now I'm trying to live in the moment and enjoy everything about this upcoming week. It's always my week to take a break, relax from the holiday craziness, not think too much about the future, and just enjoy. It's difficult for me to live in the moment...it's something I've always struggled with. I'm a planner by nature, and I look toward the future 99% of the time as a result of that. I give myself this week every year to really just spend time loving the slower pace of my life for 7 days, and not think about all the things I have to get done or want to get done in the next year.
Right now I'm on an organizational kick. Maybe it's because we're moving. Maybe it's because I see how inefficiently we're using space in our current house and I know we're going to be in a smaller house soon. Maybe it's because I'm just tired of not having a place for everything. I don't know, but I'm really glad it's happening. I decided that I'm going to organize as I pack so that when I unpack, I don't have any excuses. I've been finding tons of great inspiration through blogs, YouTube & Pinterest {which, to be honest, is all a little overwhelming}. I'm so looking forward to getting everything in order and having a system that works for us.
Right now I'm figuring out if I can catch up and finish my 2012 Project Life before the end of the year. I'm sure I can, because the system is that awesome. I just have to tell myself to do it. Maybe I'll be able to get everything done this weekend and do a video to flip through the album with you.
{Speaking of which} Right now I'm loving the idea of taking videos of things rather than trying to take pictures. I'm still not comfortable seeing myself on camera, so I don't know that I'll ever be in front of the camera, but I love watching videos on YouTube of different things and think I want to include more of that into my memory keeping, blogging, and Gather promotion.
Right now I'm so grateful for everyone in my life, both family & friends. This Christmas was honestly one of the best I remember in a long time, not because of the gifts {although, I got some cool stuff!}, but because of all the people I was able to be with. I'm so truly blessed to have such an awesome group of people around me. I'm also extremely lucky to have the community of people that I've met through this blog, Facebook, and other social media outlets. I would have never guessed how many awesome friendships I would have made in these ways, but I'm so glad for them.
I'll probably be adding my right now type posts to my Project Life album at some point, and when I eventually do go over my album with you, I'll show you how I incorporate those. I hope you're having an amazing week and I'll check in with you soon!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint is Here!!
Hey friends!
Yesterday was a great day at Gather, our first shipment of Miss Mustard Seek Milk Paint arrived!!
If you're not familiar with milk paint, check out www.missmustardseedmilkpaint.com for more information and some tutorials on how to use the product. The reason I'm interested and wanted to sell it at Gather is because I think it offers so many painting options, between the different finishes that can be achieved, the ability to mix colors, and so on.
So, I thought it would be fun for you to go through all the product I received. I took a quick video on my iPhone in the store last night, so it's not the best quality, but you'll get the idea!
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint is now available at Gather - and we also happen to be open on Saturday from 10-3! This is a great chance for you to come in and check out the paint for yourselves. It's also plenty of time for you to finish that last minute Christmas shopping if you're not done by then!
As I'm sure you can tell on the video, I'm so excited to have the opportunity to work with a great product, and I can't wait to experiment with it in the next few weeks! I have a ton of great pieces in the store that are just waiting to be painted, so I know Mike and I will be having a lot of painting parties over Christmas break.
For those of you who are new to my blog, Facebook, or Gather Boutique, we are located in Elmwood, Nebraska, which is between Lincoln and Omaha. We'd love to have you stop by and check out what we offer, from vintage finds, to gifts, to painted furniture...and now, Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint!
We've also just set our hours for the first half of 2013! For the most part, we'll be open the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of every month from 10am until 3pm. As I mentioned in the video, we want to start offering some classes in 2013 as well and those will be outside of our regular store hours. If there's a class you'd like to see us offer, please let me know by commenting on this blog post or on our Facebook page!
If you'd like to follow us on Facebook, the address is www.facebook.com/gatherboutique. I also Instagram a lot of photos and store updates, so follow me there if you're an Instagram user! My username is Gatherboutique.
Please let me know if you have any questions about Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint. I look forward to seeing you soon at Gather!
Yesterday was a great day at Gather, our first shipment of Miss Mustard Seek Milk Paint arrived!!
If you're not familiar with milk paint, check out www.missmustardseedmilkpaint.com for more information and some tutorials on how to use the product. The reason I'm interested and wanted to sell it at Gather is because I think it offers so many painting options, between the different finishes that can be achieved, the ability to mix colors, and so on.
So, I thought it would be fun for you to go through all the product I received. I took a quick video on my iPhone in the store last night, so it's not the best quality, but you'll get the idea!
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint is now available at Gather - and we also happen to be open on Saturday from 10-3! This is a great chance for you to come in and check out the paint for yourselves. It's also plenty of time for you to finish that last minute Christmas shopping if you're not done by then!
As I'm sure you can tell on the video, I'm so excited to have the opportunity to work with a great product, and I can't wait to experiment with it in the next few weeks! I have a ton of great pieces in the store that are just waiting to be painted, so I know Mike and I will be having a lot of painting parties over Christmas break.
For those of you who are new to my blog, Facebook, or Gather Boutique, we are located in Elmwood, Nebraska, which is between Lincoln and Omaha. We'd love to have you stop by and check out what we offer, from vintage finds, to gifts, to painted furniture...and now, Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint!
We've also just set our hours for the first half of 2013! For the most part, we'll be open the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of every month from 10am until 3pm. As I mentioned in the video, we want to start offering some classes in 2013 as well and those will be outside of our regular store hours. If there's a class you'd like to see us offer, please let me know by commenting on this blog post or on our Facebook page!
If you'd like to follow us on Facebook, the address is www.facebook.com/gatherboutique. I also Instagram a lot of photos and store updates, so follow me there if you're an Instagram user! My username is Gatherboutique.
Please let me know if you have any questions about Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint. I look forward to seeing you soon at Gather!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Gift Certificate Sale!
Hey all,
Happy Cyber Monday to you!
First, I just have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to support us this weekend for Small Business Saturday and our Holiday Open House! It was one of our busiest weekends yet, and I loved every second of it! If you follow me on Instagram (@gatherboutique), then you probably saw a photo I posted of the front of our store on Saturday. In the description, I wrote that when I used to dream about this store, I always imagine it at Christmastime. I could just see the store decorated for my favorite time of year. This is a Christmas season I will never forget, and I feel like Saturday, one of my dreams finally came true. Thank you to those of you who were a part of it!
Okay, now on to the sale...
Gather is offering a $25 gift certificate for only $20!! Not bad, right? You can make your own sale with this offer, or save a little money on a gift for a friend. Here's how to purchase:
1. E-mail your name and e-mail address to gatherboutique@gmail.com and let me know you want to purchase a gift certificate (only 1 per customer allowed, sorry!)
2. I'll send you a Paypal invoice for your payment.
3. Make your payment by 11:59pm on November 30th and I'll e-mail you the gift certificate and the terms for use (see below).
4. Print it off and bring it to Gather next time you shop!
And, because everything has terms, here are mine (they're not too bad!):
Pay $20 for a gift certificate valued at $25. The gift certificate may be used by you or given as a gift. Only one offer per customer, please! The gift certificate will expire 1 year from the date of purchase (expiration date will be listed on certificate). Certificates may only be used on products for sale in Gather Boutique, not for online purchases or custom orders. If the full amount of the gift certificate is not used on a purchase, a new gift certificate for the remaining amount will be issued at the time of purchase. Gift certificates that do not have valid promotional codes issued by Gather Boutique will not be accepted. The value of the gift certificate will not be replaced if the card is lost, stolen, destroyed, altered without permission or used without your permission.
If you have any questions, please let me know, I'm happy to answer them for you. I'm not limiting the amount of gift certificates that can be purchased, so be sure to tell your friends about this offer! I'm really excited about it...it's our first "sale" at Gather...and I can tell you, they won't happen that often, so take advantage of this one!
We'll also be offering gift certificates for purchase in the store where you can determine the gift amount. They won't be part of this special promotion, but if you're looking for a gift idea for someone and have no clue what to buy them, this is a great option!
A couple of other Gather announcements:
1. If you didn't see it on Facebook, (you should follow us if you're not already...www.facebook.com/gatherboutique), we're thrilled to announce that we've been accepted as a seller of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint! We expect to see our order in the next few weeks, and I'm hoping to offer some classes in 2013 showing you how to use this awesome product!
2. Our holiday celebration continues throughout the rest of December. We're open for Gatherings on the following dates:
Happy Cyber Monday to you!
First, I just have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to support us this weekend for Small Business Saturday and our Holiday Open House! It was one of our busiest weekends yet, and I loved every second of it! If you follow me on Instagram (@gatherboutique), then you probably saw a photo I posted of the front of our store on Saturday. In the description, I wrote that when I used to dream about this store, I always imagine it at Christmastime. I could just see the store decorated for my favorite time of year. This is a Christmas season I will never forget, and I feel like Saturday, one of my dreams finally came true. Thank you to those of you who were a part of it!
Okay, now on to the sale...
Gather is offering a $25 gift certificate for only $20!! Not bad, right? You can make your own sale with this offer, or save a little money on a gift for a friend. Here's how to purchase:
1. E-mail your name and e-mail address to gatherboutique@gmail.com and let me know you want to purchase a gift certificate (only 1 per customer allowed, sorry!)
2. I'll send you a Paypal invoice for your payment.
3. Make your payment by 11:59pm on November 30th and I'll e-mail you the gift certificate and the terms for use (see below).
4. Print it off and bring it to Gather next time you shop!
And, because everything has terms, here are mine (they're not too bad!):
Pay $20 for a gift certificate valued at $25. The gift certificate may be used by you or given as a gift. Only one offer per customer, please! The gift certificate will expire 1 year from the date of purchase (expiration date will be listed on certificate). Certificates may only be used on products for sale in Gather Boutique, not for online purchases or custom orders. If the full amount of the gift certificate is not used on a purchase, a new gift certificate for the remaining amount will be issued at the time of purchase. Gift certificates that do not have valid promotional codes issued by Gather Boutique will not be accepted. The value of the gift certificate will not be replaced if the card is lost, stolen, destroyed, altered without permission or used without your permission.
If you have any questions, please let me know, I'm happy to answer them for you. I'm not limiting the amount of gift certificates that can be purchased, so be sure to tell your friends about this offer! I'm really excited about it...it's our first "sale" at Gather...and I can tell you, they won't happen that often, so take advantage of this one!
We'll also be offering gift certificates for purchase in the store where you can determine the gift amount. They won't be part of this special promotion, but if you're looking for a gift idea for someone and have no clue what to buy them, this is a great option!
A couple of other Gather announcements:
2. Our holiday celebration continues throughout the rest of December. We're open for Gatherings on the following dates:
Saturday, December 8th 10a-3p
Sunday, December 9th 12p-4p
Saturday, December 22nd 10a-5p
I hope to be popping in to the blog more often during the month of December with photos of our Holiday Open House, new products for sale, info about Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, and some updates about what's going on in our life. This is a busy time of year for everyone, so once again, I want to thank you for all your support!
Have a great day, friends!
Friday, November 09, 2012
Holiday Open House
Hi everyone!
First up, a reminder that Gather will be open tomorrow (Saturday) from 9a-3p and Sunday from 12p-4p! This is our last Gathering before we turn the shop into a winter wonderland!
Speaking of which...
Mark you calendars for our Holiday Open House!
If you can't make it on the 24th, come see us any of the rest of these dates before Christmas:
First up, a reminder that Gather will be open tomorrow (Saturday) from 9a-3p and Sunday from 12p-4p! This is our last Gathering before we turn the shop into a winter wonderland!
Speaking of which...
Mark you calendars for our Holiday Open House!
If you can't make it on the 24th, come see us any of the rest of these dates before Christmas:
Sunday, November 25th 12p-4p
Saturday, December 8 10a-3p
Sunday, December 9 12p-4p
Saturday, December 22 10a-3p
Hope to see you soon!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
October Gathering!
Hi all,
Just a quick post to let you know that Gather will be CLOSED this weekend. I hate to change my schedule, but Mike & I are still recovering from the accident and working constantly probably isn't the best idea for us. We just want to make sure we're taking care of ourselves.
Gather will be open this month on October 27th, from 10-4, so I hope you'll come see us then. There's also plenty of junking to be done this weekend if you're looking - Junkstock is Friday, Saturday & Sunday, and Junk Jaunt is also this weekend in central Nebraska.
Thanks for all your support & see you on the 27th!!
Just a quick post to let you know that Gather will be CLOSED this weekend. I hate to change my schedule, but Mike & I are still recovering from the accident and working constantly probably isn't the best idea for us. We just want to make sure we're taking care of ourselves.
Gather will be open this month on October 27th, from 10-4, so I hope you'll come see us then. There's also plenty of junking to be done this weekend if you're looking - Junkstock is Friday, Saturday & Sunday, and Junk Jaunt is also this weekend in central Nebraska.
Thanks for all your support & see you on the 27th!!
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
We Are Lucky
Hey everyone,
I wanted to share a photo from this weekend:
Our truck is the silver one. We both loved that truck. Mike picked me for our first few dates in that truck, he hid my engagement ring in it the night before he proposed, and he drove to our wedding in it. It was part of a lot of great memories, and it will be missed.
I don't want to write the story of the accident. It was horrible, but everyone walked away with only minor injuries {including the horse that was in the trailer on the right side of the picture}. What I do want to write about is how extremely lucky we are.
Mike & I have been in a couple of scary situations in our time together, and we've gotten through them with only minor injuries and thoughts of what could have been. This accident wasn't like I thought it would be...I didn't panic, I didn't tell Mike I loved him just in case, and unlike most ridiculous chick flicks, my life didn't flash before my eyes. I was scared. I still am scared. But I also knew then and know now how lucky we are.
We are lucky that something worse didn't happen. Thanks to my husband's quick thinking, he was able to steer our truck for the least amount of damage and chance for injury. I took the bulk of the impact, and as I've said about a hundred times in the last few days, I am fine. Bruised, cut, and emotionally shaken up, but I'm fine.
We are lucky to be able to laugh in times of stress. It wasn't more than a couple minutes after I realized I wasn't seriously hurt that I was making jokes and trying to lighten the mood. Yes, it's a serious situation, but I was so thankful to be able to laugh.
We are lucky our sweet Molly Monster wasn't with us. We often let her ride along when we go to visit family. She normally has a spot on my lap. The most horrific moment of the whole day for me was thinking of what could have been if she was with us. It still makes me cry uncontrollably. I love that little pooch. {On a similar note, we are also lucky the horse in the other vehicle wasn't hurt. I have a soft spot for animals, and I'm not sure I could have handled it if she had been hurt.}
We are lucky to live in a small community with amazing volunteers. All the firefighters and paramedics that day were from our village's volunteer department. They were amazing. Our community {and so many other small towns like ours} are so blessed by these people.
We are lucky that we were together. I was waffling on not going with Mike that morning, and I'm so glad I did. If we had to be in an accident, I'm glad we were in it together. I was so scared to let him drive to work by himself yesterday while I rested at home for one more day. We lean on each other in bad times, and celebrate together in good. Now, Mike might have wished he'd gone alone so I wouldn't have to hurt. And I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be in that truck by myself...I'm not as quick on my feet as he is. But it's nice to have someone who can understand how I'm feeling, both emotionally and physically.
We are lucky that this {hopefully} won't affect our lives all that much. We're fortunate to have other vehicles to rely on. We didn't have to spend any time in the hospital, and all of our injuries will heal. It sounds like insurance should do what it's supposed to do and help out with the financial piece of things.
We are lucky to have supportive employers. None of our injuries were so serious that we absolutely needed to take time off work. Monday would have been an exhausting and painful day if we'd gone in to our offices, but we could have done it if we were forced to. Fortunately, we were able to take the opportunity to rest. Gather, on the other hand, is a demanding workplace! More about that in a minute... :)
We are lucky to have amazing family and friends. We didn't tell a lot of people what happened. I didn't share the story on Facebook or post pictures to Instagram {though, my first thought when I was climbing out of the ambulance was that I wanted a photo for our PL album. Yes, I'm weird.} This may be the first time you're hearing about it. It's difficult for me to talk about. Writing this post is hard, but I want to remember the things I'm thinking about. Those friends and family who did know, though...you are awesome! We knew you were great before, but it's so comforting to know we have people we can lean on if we should ever need help.
It's so easy to focus on the negative aspect of this. It would be really easy to say, "Why us?" And let me just say, I haven't been all sunshine and roses these last few days. Sometimes though, I appreciate the opportunities {though I don't care to repeat them!} that remind me to count my blessings.
I said I'd get back to Gather in a minute. For those that don't really understand how product gets to Gather, it isn't a matter of simply ordering from a catalog, or visiting a warehouse to fill my store. Searching for junky treasure is a physically demanding job. That being said, I'm not 100% sure that I'm going to be able to do my job for the next couple of weeks. We'll still be open 3 days this month {October 13, 14 & 27}, but I'm not sure how much new inventory you'll be seeing if you come in the next time we're open. I'm trying, and I'm committed to getting as much new stuff out as possible, but I'm also trying to listen to my body and know my limitations. I know many of my loyal customers travel a long way to see us, and I wanted to make sure to give you all a head's up before you make the trip. I'll be updating more as the time gets closer about what you can expect from October's Gatherings.
Anyway, I really challenge you to think about all the ways in your life that you're lucky. And, if you want to leave me a comment and tell me about them, I'll help celebrate with you!
I wanted to share a photo from this weekend:
Our truck is the silver one. We both loved that truck. Mike picked me for our first few dates in that truck, he hid my engagement ring in it the night before he proposed, and he drove to our wedding in it. It was part of a lot of great memories, and it will be missed.
I don't want to write the story of the accident. It was horrible, but everyone walked away with only minor injuries {including the horse that was in the trailer on the right side of the picture}. What I do want to write about is how extremely lucky we are.
Mike & I have been in a couple of scary situations in our time together, and we've gotten through them with only minor injuries and thoughts of what could have been. This accident wasn't like I thought it would be...I didn't panic, I didn't tell Mike I loved him just in case, and unlike most ridiculous chick flicks, my life didn't flash before my eyes. I was scared. I still am scared. But I also knew then and know now how lucky we are.
We are lucky that something worse didn't happen. Thanks to my husband's quick thinking, he was able to steer our truck for the least amount of damage and chance for injury. I took the bulk of the impact, and as I've said about a hundred times in the last few days, I am fine. Bruised, cut, and emotionally shaken up, but I'm fine.
We are lucky to be able to laugh in times of stress. It wasn't more than a couple minutes after I realized I wasn't seriously hurt that I was making jokes and trying to lighten the mood. Yes, it's a serious situation, but I was so thankful to be able to laugh.
We are lucky our sweet Molly Monster wasn't with us. We often let her ride along when we go to visit family. She normally has a spot on my lap. The most horrific moment of the whole day for me was thinking of what could have been if she was with us. It still makes me cry uncontrollably. I love that little pooch. {On a similar note, we are also lucky the horse in the other vehicle wasn't hurt. I have a soft spot for animals, and I'm not sure I could have handled it if she had been hurt.}
We are lucky to live in a small community with amazing volunteers. All the firefighters and paramedics that day were from our village's volunteer department. They were amazing. Our community {and so many other small towns like ours} are so blessed by these people.
We are lucky that we were together. I was waffling on not going with Mike that morning, and I'm so glad I did. If we had to be in an accident, I'm glad we were in it together. I was so scared to let him drive to work by himself yesterday while I rested at home for one more day. We lean on each other in bad times, and celebrate together in good. Now, Mike might have wished he'd gone alone so I wouldn't have to hurt. And I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be in that truck by myself...I'm not as quick on my feet as he is. But it's nice to have someone who can understand how I'm feeling, both emotionally and physically.
We are lucky that this {hopefully} won't affect our lives all that much. We're fortunate to have other vehicles to rely on. We didn't have to spend any time in the hospital, and all of our injuries will heal. It sounds like insurance should do what it's supposed to do and help out with the financial piece of things.
We are lucky to have supportive employers. None of our injuries were so serious that we absolutely needed to take time off work. Monday would have been an exhausting and painful day if we'd gone in to our offices, but we could have done it if we were forced to. Fortunately, we were able to take the opportunity to rest. Gather, on the other hand, is a demanding workplace! More about that in a minute... :)
We are lucky to have amazing family and friends. We didn't tell a lot of people what happened. I didn't share the story on Facebook or post pictures to Instagram {though, my first thought when I was climbing out of the ambulance was that I wanted a photo for our PL album. Yes, I'm weird.} This may be the first time you're hearing about it. It's difficult for me to talk about. Writing this post is hard, but I want to remember the things I'm thinking about. Those friends and family who did know, though...you are awesome! We knew you were great before, but it's so comforting to know we have people we can lean on if we should ever need help.
It's so easy to focus on the negative aspect of this. It would be really easy to say, "Why us?" And let me just say, I haven't been all sunshine and roses these last few days. Sometimes though, I appreciate the opportunities {though I don't care to repeat them!} that remind me to count my blessings.
I said I'd get back to Gather in a minute. For those that don't really understand how product gets to Gather, it isn't a matter of simply ordering from a catalog, or visiting a warehouse to fill my store. Searching for junky treasure is a physically demanding job. That being said, I'm not 100% sure that I'm going to be able to do my job for the next couple of weeks. We'll still be open 3 days this month {October 13, 14 & 27}, but I'm not sure how much new inventory you'll be seeing if you come in the next time we're open. I'm trying, and I'm committed to getting as much new stuff out as possible, but I'm also trying to listen to my body and know my limitations. I know many of my loyal customers travel a long way to see us, and I wanted to make sure to give you all a head's up before you make the trip. I'll be updating more as the time gets closer about what you can expect from October's Gatherings.
Anyway, I really challenge you to think about all the ways in your life that you're lucky. And, if you want to leave me a comment and tell me about them, I'll help celebrate with you!
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