Pick 3, Spend 50, Save Your Local Economy

I've had the button on my sidebar just about since the beginning...

I really believe in this project.

So, I've decided to document my OWN efforts with this project in hopes of inspiring someone who might be reading this blog. (This project requires mostly shopping, so how could I not participate?)

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If you don't know about the 3/50 project, let me explain:

3

What 3 independently owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared?

Stop in. Say hello.

Pick up something that brings you a smile.

Your purchases are what keeps those businesses around.

50

If just half of the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.

If you're not sure what an independent business is, click here for more info.

Basically, it is a business that's owned locally without a big "name brand".

So about once a month, I would like to record my 3/50 shopping on this blog.

It doesn't have to be retail stores. It can be restaurants, dry cleaners, coffee shops, movie theatres, etc.

As I'm writing this, I can't help but think of some of my favorite places that have disappeared. I just heard, this week, that one of my favorite tiny gift/floral shops The Wild Violet is closing. I stopped by and everything was on sale, and the store was near empty.

*The $50 is TOTAL, NOT $50 at each business.

*And just for the record, this project doesn't recommend that you NEVER shop at big name stores.

It simply suggests that you keep the little guys in mind!

So here's what I found for February! I had so much fun!

My first stop was to Her Alibi Antiques
I found this cool cupboard in their bargain for dirt cheap. It has possibilities, can you see them?

Then I went to lunch with my friend to our favorite spot, Bouillon Soup.
I LOVE their turkey sandwich on focaccia bread, my friend orders Hungarian Mushroom Soup.
Last, I went to Scrapin' Fanatics to get paper for my Valentine's Fortune Cookies.

So, I spent more than $50. But I had lots of fun and supported the little guy.

If you have a blog and would like to record your 3/50 efforts, please feel free to join me and I'll add your link to the sidebar.

Vintage Farmhouse Style and Old House Creepiness

On my last buying trip, I had just posted about Pottery Barn's new catalog.

Everything farmhouse seemed to pop out at me!

These are some photos of the displays I have done in the shop with some of these items.

(They are selling quickly, displays always evolving.)

I'm just loving all of these muted tones, galvanized metal, burlap, rust, cream ironstone, and chippy paint.

I wanted to show you these displays before they are all gone!

When I first moved my shop into this old building, this room was a closet.

I don't have any before shots, but I wish I did. There were ugly shelves and a false ceiling. My friend (the amazing and talented Danny Hansen) helped me remove the false ceiling. He was coughing from all the dust, but when the dust cleared and we went back in the room, we noticed something kinda cool and a little creepy.

This room has very high ceilings (once the false ceiling was gone). The wallpaper goes all the way up and is likely original to the house which was built around the turn of the century. It also has an amazing art nouveau style border.

But on the wallpaper, there are children's drawings. It would appear that long ago, a child climbed up above the false ceiling (there was a small opening) and made it their hideaway and drew on the walls.

I kept the wallpaper and drawings on the wall.