The Green Goose Resale and Consignment

greengooseresale.com

Today we celebrated Lindi's Birthday, 

an opportunity to thank her for the joy her life brings to our lives...

a time for gifts.

Gifts are easy in the world of local shopping because the possibilities are endless.

However, she had a specific need for black picture frames. The kind that are readily available at the big stores,  

but could I find them at a small shop?

I remembered the Green Goose Consignment and Resale Shop had many, many pictures hanging all over the store.  One phone call to a friendly clerk at the Green Goose and I knew the sizes and prices of the four black frames they were selling.  Because of her willingness to answer all of my questions, I knew she had what I needed. 

 A quick drive to the Green Goose and my gift shopping was accomplished.

Business is brisk for Robin as she enters her second month of operation.

So much so, she is excited that she now needs to hire another person to work at the shop.

"Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises 

are responsible for almost all the 

economic growth in the United States."  
Ronald Reagan

Green Goose Resale and Consignment

www.greengooseresale.com

Alli was visiting a new resale shop in South St. Louis a few days ago. 

Its whimsical name is inviting.

Its use of an old florist shop preserves our charming old buildings in the city, 

  its location on South Hampton is very convenient,

and its tastefully arranged showroom provokes all sorts of ideas to try at home.

There are couches

and chairs

and tables

and accessories galore.

I spoke with Robin McNabb, owner of the
Green Goose

 and with her niece and her  sister-in-law who work with her in the shop.  

Isn't it wonderful when families are able to work together?

The Green Goose opened about 3 weeks ago. They are all delighted and a little surprised by the abundant support of the community.  Robin had a large collection of furniture for the store's opening. Since its opening most of that original inventory has already been sold  and the floor is now filled with consignments that have been coming in steadily.

Robin is happy that her business is able to support three ideas and groups that are important to her.  

For many years Robin has volunteered with Safe Connections, an agency formed to serve people who have suffered domestic violence.  With this new business venture she will continue to support them in a very tangible way.  A portion of her profit will be given to Safe Connections and items that don't sell within 60 days or are not claimed by their owner will be available for clients of Safe Connections as they try to give their lives a new start.

Robin also sees resale as a key component of responsible use of natural resources.  By using items to their fullest, we have more left over to share with others. 

AND near and dear to my heart is her belief in locally owned businesses which she demonstrates pretty clearly by all of the energy she is putting into this one.

So what did Alli find while shopping at the Green Goose?

Tablecloths, lots and lots of matching tablecloths.
May there be many happy parties in the future of those cloths.
And may the future of the Green Goose
be just as bright as the first three weeks have been.

Home Sweet Home Productions

homesweethomeproductions.com

It is time to do some work on our old house. 

Well, it is always time to do work on this house, 

but it takes a while to save the money to do it.

Save we have and the work has begun.

 We take it one side at a time and this time it's the east wall.

When it comes to remodeling there is one extremely significant player: 

the general contractor.

Let me introduce you to Mr. Mark Bisig,

owner of Home Sweet Home Productions, 

our friend and one of the finest men I've ever known.

 Choosing a contractor is not a place to cut corners. 

 With the cost of wood and materials, mistakes are very expensive, so finding someone with experience whom you can trust is essential.

 A few wrong cuts can cost hundreds of dollars.

And if the contractor isn't trustworthy, these errors can easily be hidden to cost you more or create huge problems in the future when the unreliable contractor is long gone.  

Believe me the horror stories are frightening.

Once again we find this truism of shopping locally and small: 

it is about developing relationships,

 knowing each other well enough to trust and respect one another.

A part of this is understanding the need for these folks to make a living wage.

  An independent contractor has no insurance-retirement benefit package, no paid vacation, no paid lunch hour and break. 

They are responsible for the purchase of van, tools, uniform, office equipment and space. They handle all marketing, paper work, customer service issues AND know how to fix or build most anything. 

Oh, and I haven't even mentioned keeping up with the ever changing government regulations that dog their every step. 

A quick example: next week during a contractor's busiest season, it is necessary for Mr. Bisig to take two "vacation" days (unpaid, of course) to drive to Chicago (all expenses are his, of course).  While in Chicago he will attend classes to keep him apprised of the changed government regulations since he attended the class last year.  Things such as: the $700 vacuum we required you to buy last year is no longer safe enough, so you'll need to buy this new $800 machine, or if you would rather not spend every penny you earned this last week,  we will need to fine you $10,000 dollars.

So if their hourly rate seems high, these are good things to remember.

 On the other hand, you are trusting your home to this person, so it is essential to protect yourself by doing your homework and finding someone who is both capable and honorable.  Once you've found this person, appreciate them....for they are rare. 

And don't worry if the bill is a little higher; what you save by avoiding problems later is definitely worth it.

 You might take a few minutes to visit Mark's website posted at the top of this page. 

 There is a great story about him that will introduce him better than I ever could.

Whether you need remodeling work or not, it is just nice to know there are people like 

Mr. Bisig in the world.

Mark offers a fringe benefit that is hard to beat...my personal favorite.

Since our sons have been big enough to hold a plastic hammer they have been along side Mark, learning the many things he has to teach them: 

how to drive a nail, 

how to treat customers fairly,

how to paint a wall, 

how to work long and hard to fulfill a commitment, 

how to hang a ceiling,

 and most of all the knowledge that honesty is a basic human virtue

 and if it is missing not much else matters.

The Paper Warehouse

paperstl.com

Monday is a big day for our girl, Isabel.  She is getting better everyday and will be leaving the hospital for therapy at a less intensive facility.

Alli decided a celebration is in order, so she is making a cake.  And when Alli makes a cake, it is some cake!! I'll be going to my favorite locally owned party place for suitable plates and napkins: Paper Warehouse in Kirkwood on Manchester. There is also a store in Creve Coeur but Kirkwood is on our way to the Hospital. Paper Warehouse has been an independent retailer since 1976; they will have something beautiful, worthy of the masterpiece Alli will create.

With so many wonderful colors 

and patterns

to choose from

 this will be a cheerful decision.

Since a party is one of my favorite things,

I will allow enough time to browse 

for future ideas.

The Paper Warehouse is also a place to find gifts. 

They have all manner of ribbon

 and wrapping

 

to make a unique package.

In fact, one of my favorite gifts for someone who has everything is a basket of colorful paper plates, cups and napkins, so they have all they need to plan a casual lunch or dessert party.

But my mind wanders. Back to Isabel's party, I think daisies will 

represent our hopeful and optimistic mood!

Garden Heights Nursery

gardenheights.com

Yes, in spite of all,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall

From our dark spirits.
   -John Keats

Some of you may have read we are trying to get grass to grow in our front yard. Mr. Rudd did a great job getting it started, now we have to keep it going. He said a sprinkler would be a necessity.

Where to find one? I know where I would have gone last year but what about this year?

Garden Heights Nursery is a few blocks from our house.

You probably have a similar local nursery in your neighborhood.

I think these garden shops are lovely. In the midst of busy city commerce they provide a place of beauty.

Of course, they have all manner of plants,

and seeds

and pots to put them in

and cans for watering them.

Or if you want to decorate your patio, how about wind chimes and bird feeders

or Chinese lanterns?

But my mind wanders with the prettiness of it all, will they have water sprinklers?

As I'm driving to Garden Heights I'm thinking I could probably get a less expensive one somewhere else.

But then I think of all this nursery has given our neighborhood. They are

a source of endless information and expertise about all things botanically related and always ready with a list of trustworthy references. They offer an overwhelming variety of healthy plants, and a place of sheer beauty to enjoy each time I drive by.

I'm convinced. If they have sprinklers, it will be worth the few extra dollars.

I ask the helper behind the desk and am directed to the most vibrant array of sprinklers I've ever seen: yellow, purple, red, green, orange. How will I decide? I was expecting one choice: plain aluminum.

I decided on purple and I love it.

As I was checking out a man behind me said "That is a great sprinkler, it will never wear out! I've had mine for years!" Aw! High quality and purple, bonuses I hadn't considered.

So the big question has it helped the grass grow?

Yes, it has!

A thing of beauty is a joy forever;

its loveliness increases.

John Keats

Hibdon Hardwoods

www.hibdonhardwood.com

Hey, I have a proselyte! Will, my son, is catching the "little guy" fever, too. So when he needed some wood for a very special knife he is making, he wanted to find a locally owned business rather than the franchised store where he usually shops. After a bit of googling he found Hibdon Hardwood. I asked if I could join him to do some blog research....sounded like an adventure I couldn't miss. He welcomed me and we were on our way to 1410 N. Broadway.

A huge sign painted on the side of the building assured us we were in the right vicinity; after only a little looking we found the door to enter the old riverfront warehouse. I knew from the moment we walked in Will was going to love this place.

What fun for me to watch him go from bin to bin,

rack to rack,

shelf to shelf, marveling at the array of more exotic fine wood than he had ever seen in his life. And there was even a scrap bin to rummage through.

He was wonderstruck!

And when Mr. Hibdon offered to show him the 2200 square foot work shop, he could hardly contain his excitement.

There are two Mr. Hibdons, actually. Jerry was working today while his brother is out of town. The brothers, Mr. Hibdon's wife, and Leonard make up the entire staff of this woodsy business. And they do know wood. The Hibdon family has been in lumber for five generations. In fact, Jerry started working with wood when he was 6 years old, sweeping up under his daddy's sawmill. I'm sure no one knows more about wood, but with the true humility of a very knowledgeable person, Jerry hurried to deny my praise.

Jerry's brother started this business in the former Merry Widow Theater on Chouteau in 1978.

They moved to this Broadway location 2o years ago, an old warehouse that used to hold wheat and corn until it was ready to be carted or shipped out to other parts of the country. They do it all right here...

cutting,

planing,

drying in the massive kiln, and selling in the showroom.

The logs come in and they are managed extremely carefully to be sure nothing is lost. (click here to catch a glimpse of what is involved in this very demanding process of turning a log into boards)

Woodworking may not be your hobby but being at Hibdon's you will wish it was!However, if you do make knives, musical instruments, bowls and candle sticks or need some floors or cabinets for your house, or maybe you have always wanted to carve an elephant....this is the place to go!

And whether you want machiche, t'zalam, ziricote, cocobolo, bubinga,

or figured maple (spelted, bird's eye, curly, quilted, flamed, or fiddle back) Jerry will have it or tell you where to find it.

Or if you just want a little adventure head on down to Hibdon Hardwood.

Stand in the midst of this old river city warehouse

and imagine the history all around you...bales of cotton and barrels of grain, bags of corn and boats filled with it all rolling down the ol' Mississippi.

And also, take a moment to marvel at the endless diversity and wonder of wood.