Christmas Tea

Join us on Saturday, November 21st for the 2nd annual Christmas Tea! From 1 to 4 PM we'll be serving up tea and Christmas treats in the upstairs gallery. Everyone attending will receive a special treat to take home and possibly a special gift certificate.
The store is decked out for the season and we're ready to welcome this very special season.

New items for the Season

We just unpacked a big box of Pashmina scarves in some really great colors. These are in solids and also some very 'with-it' patterns of circles and paisleys. Since they're about 26" wide and 72" long, they can also be used as shawls (I packed one in a little shoulder bag this summer so I could use it in chilly air-conditioned restaurants).

Pashmina is a fine cashmere wool and these are soft, soft, soft. Plus the price of $18 - $22 is unbelievable.

Also new - more sterling jewelry from Roggio. These are the handcrafted earrings and bracelets that I've had on the counter. Thought I'd better get in enough so there's a good selection going into winter.

Other new items include greeting cards and books. I'm now carrying a better selection of kids' birthday cards and am getting back into childrens' books. I used to sell a lot of kids' books and have always loved great illustrations with a great story.

Be a Gables Follower

Become a Follower of The Gables blog and get in on exclusive discounts, sales, and give-aways. (Yes, I'm considering giving away some goodies!). I'd like to offer some new products to a select few and have them 'reviewed' for my customers. But more on that later....

You can sign up in the "Follower" box on the right side of the screen. There's an option to be anonymous if you don't want to be public about it. It will mean that you receive notice when there's a new post to this blog.

Greeting Cards and Handbags 20% off

Until Oct 20th, all greeting cards (including boxed Christmas cards) are 20% off.

The New Special (running in the Argus this week) is a 20% off sale on all handbags that runs until Oct 27.

Print off this notice or mention that you saw it on the blog to receive the discount.

Winner of the $100 Gift Certificate

The Fall Sale is over. Thank you to everyone who was able to come in to the shop and help make it one of our best events ever!
Yesterday we drew names of people who had entered the Email drawing. The winner of the $100 Gift Certificate is Mary from Waupun. (I emailed you on Monday, Mary).
The winners of the other certificates will be contacted today. And just to encourage everyone, I'm awarding all entrants with a prize. You'll be contacted soon.
Thank you again and please keep checking this site.

Sale Update

Update, Monday Sept 28th.
Wow - we saw a lot of people this past weekend. Phyllis manned the cash register and I was busy carrying things out for people and trying to re-arrange furniture as things were sold. We loved it! Gave away a lot of coupons for discounts and gift certificates that people can use over the next 3 months.
If you haven't registered for the $100 gift certificate, make sure you do so now (see the post below). We'll draw for the winners on October 13th.

September 26 - October 10

Storewide Sale - 20 % off everything

Receive a set of Gables Coupons for great discounts
and gift certificates that you can redeem in the next few months.
(Coupons given out with in-store purchase)

September 26th
Selma Glunn was here with
her exquisite gourd art - baskets, vases and containers
that have been incised and carved, embellished with ceramics,
weaving, and beading.
Selma sold a number of pieces of her new clay-art jewelry and I'll
just bet she's working on more this week in anticipation of
this coming Saturday.

October 3rd
Artists Mary Anne and Marv Nielsen will be here with
Mary Anne's fine baskets
and Marv's great brooms and whimsical walking sticks.
plus
Selma Glunn is here with her gourd art and her jewelry.
plus
Sample Wild Tree gourmet foods from 10 - 3
(this stuff is tasty!)
Bonnie Kaiser will be laying out 'the spread'
in our upstairs gallery.
Read more at www.bonniek.mywildtree.com
(click on link at bottom of this page)

Check back for further developments...

Win a $100 Gift Certificate

Enter our email drawing
and win a $100 Gift Certificate!
10 - $20 Gift Certificates will
also be given away.

Send your name, address, and phone number
to trowbridgeb@yahoo.com
(write "Gables Drawing" in subject line)

And accept a big "Thank you" for taking the time
to look over this blog.
I owe all of you so much for your
support over the past twenty years and wish I could
send everyone a $100 gift certificate!

Fall Sale Events

September 26 - October 10

Here comes September and here comes the semi-annual Sale. Starting on September 26 we'll be offering discounts on almost everything in the store. The standard is 20% off the regular price.
We've also been marking down a lot of merchandise to clear the way for new things coming in.

Just to make things more interesting and fun, we'll also be having a Wild Tree Tasting on Oct 3rd. That's a Saturday and as of this writing we're planning on 10 -2:00 PM. If you've never tried the Wild Tree products, you're in for a treat (literally).

I'm still working on other sale events - some give-aways, drawings, hopefully some artists.

If you're interested in being on The Gables mail list (either postal or email), contact me at trowbridgeb@yahoo.com. We send out a postcard twice a year, but would like to send out some email updates 4 to 6 times a year. You can also sign up to 'follow' this blog (see box in right hand column) and will receive notice when there's a new posting.

August Clearance Sales
We've got 4 sales going right now plus various
seasonal mark-downs. Time to transition to Fall!

Here are the big discounts:
Garden Art is 30% off
(garden stakes, slates, frogs, trellises, bird baths, benches, fountains)
Summer florals and foliage are 40% off
(Take an extra 20% starting today!)

Clearance on Yankee Candles (30%)
& Burt's Bees (40%)

We're looking at all inventory with a critical eye
- so there's no telling what's next!

Augustfest 2009 - Update

Another August, another Augustfest. Honestly, it gets better every year. The caliber of the artists and exhibitors just gets better. The quilt show was excellent and the hotdogs lived up to my memories. It rained hard all night and into the morning of the big day (exhibitors were setting up their tents in the rain). We held off putting up the Gables' tent until things dried out a little (kind of hard for anything to dry in that humidity). The crowds came out as the morning cleared up. It's so much fun to have that many people coming through the store. And we have the added bonus of being right next door to all the food and exhibitors.
Thanks to everyone who came out for Augustfest. It was a hot, humid day but a lot of fun.

Augustfest - August 8th

Look for our tent on the front lawn this coming Saturday, August 8th. I'm busy organizing and slashing prices on all sorts of merchandise. Most all of it is brand new. The day starts at 9 and the sale goes until 3.
There are a few clearance sales in the store. Yankee Candle products officially go on sale starting on Saturday at 25% off. We're also selling a lot of summer silk flowers at clearance prices.

This is a big day in downtown Wautoma. There's food, exhibitors, music, and lots and lots of traffic (for Wautoma).
We look forward to the corn roast every year. Not to mention the amazing hot dogs! The quilt show is another highlight - and the exhibitors in the big tent are fun too.

Here's a peek at some of our Pashminas and new purses. Lots of colors and I'll try and get some more pictures up.
Below is a pic of the rock fountain in the smaller size. It's lovely, as you can see. Not at all splashy and it's very quiet but adjustable so you can also get that water sound if you like.

Clearance prices on Burt's Bees

This is it! We're selling out on Burt's Bees and the prices are "slashed" (I've always wanted to say that).
We have a good supply of lip balms in 5 varieties. The original, Honey, Pomegranate, tins, lip gloss, and also some lip shimmers. Plus the hand salve in 2 sizes, the lemon butter cuticle cream, and some packages of foot and hair repair kits. If you need prices or more information you can call or email.
This is a great time to stock up. We're sorry to say goodbye to Burt's, but with everyone carrying it these days the time is here.
But check out our latest addition when you're in. Yellowstone Bees lotions and balms are going to be new must-haves. I've been using the 'Try Me' sample by our cash register and it's amazing. My hands have been in rough shape this summer (gardening can do that) and this stuff really gets down and moisturizes. They use only natural ingredients - Olive oil, beeswax, etc. Not bad prices either. Oh - and they have lip balms too.

Yankee Candle Sale starts July 25

For Blogspot readers only - Yankee Candle scents will be 20% off starting July 25th. Mention this posting to receive the discount when making your purchase.

You'll have lots to chose from. This Sale won't be announced until August 8th.

After about 3 decades of being a Yankee Candle dealer, I have to say goodbye to those wonderful scents. The company has undergone a lot of changes from the days when the original owner, Michael, was making candles in his parents garage. I bought them when I owned the Colony House in Oshkosh (anyone remember that?). We've sold a lot of Balsam Fir, Vanilla, Sage& Citrus, Fresh Cotton, and other delicious scents since then.

This was not an easy decision, but one that had to be made. I'm sorry that some of my loyal Yankee customers will have to go out of town to find their favorite jar candle, but I'd like to offer things that aren't so widely sold.

Watch for news about Burt's Bees next!

Summer at The Gables

Summer is flying by as usual, but we're enjoying seeing all the faces (familiar and new) at The Gables. Everyone asks how business is doing. An understandable concern in the present economy. I can truthfully say that business is pretty steady. Not breaking any records, mind, but pretty darn good considering the times.

So how does a small retail shop weather a tough economy? I'm trying to be really smart about how I buy for the store - not only how much and what, but trying to make the selection fresh and exciting for my customers.

Everyone seems to be really pleased at some of the changes we've made this year. The best thing we did was move things around so we could have all of the greeting cards, books, note cards, etc in the back room. Adding track lighting 'brightened' things up, as did doing some repainting. Mainly, the card selection is really highlighted. I introduced 3 new card lines, some wonderful boxed note cards, and a growing collection of cookbooks, nature books, kids books, and gift books. Look for more in the future.

As we march through summer and into the fall ( a long way off - don't panic), I'll be bringing in some new things that I'm in the process of selecting now. Shopping is so much fun!

But even more fun is catching up with all the people who are coming in during the summer. I've seen families grow up, kids get married and start their own families, and transitions of all kinds. I owe my customers so much for including me in their lives - it's like a big extended family.

So that's the lowdown on how business is doing. We're enjoying the summer here (hoping for rain) and seem to be keeping very busy. If I could only find the time to weed that back garden and spread my pile of mulch....

Special for June 26 - July 2

This week you can buy 2 greeting cards at full price and receive the 3rd at 25% off. We just received some new stock - Northern Exposure (laugh-out-loud guarantee) and the beautiful embossed line from Pumpernickel Press.
Look for the Christmas cards from Pumpernickel coming soon. We'll be offering an early special.

Wildtree Tasting

We're hosting a Wildtree Tasting this coming Saturday, June 27th. Bonnie Kaiser (gardener, book lover, and friend) is going to be here with a variety of treats for you to sample.
In case you haven't heard of Wildtree, it's a gourmet line of healthy, yummy food. Think dipping and cooking oils, tasty mixes for dips, breads, and more. I'm hooked on some of the oils - there's a butter flavored grapeseed oil that's incredible. You can go to www.wildtree.com to find out more.

Specials for June 19 -25

Just mention this post and receive 20% off any purchase of garden art. We have a great selection and have been 'refreshing' it all spring.
This special includes garden flags, slates, bird houses and feeders, frogs, colorful 'junk art' animals, and all the other arty stuff on the lawn, in the garden, and on the porch. It also includes the benches and tables.

Spring Tea

Our first Spring Tea - Sue and Karen were 'at your service' in our Tea Tent. The day was a bit breezy, but the sun warmed us up and we all had a lot of fun. May 30th was also the first day of the Sale, so things were pretty busy at The Gables.

Happy spring from the gals at The Gables.
Hope to see you at the shop this season!

Thereare some new arrivals on the
front lawn of The Gables. These colorful pigs, rabbits, turtles, roosters, and even a goat are made from recycled sheet metal. They'll make you chuckle and they're tough enough to withstand the elements.

Mr Rooster stands guard

New for your Garden

Garden "embellishments" are hot! Take a look at this seasons' offerings.
Frogs always seem to move into the garden and this year we found some new guys. I look for ceramic for the best durability. Also at the top of our list is glass for the garden. We have some great 'flowers' that are just plain pretty but could be used for rain collectors (butterlies love them) or Oriole feeders - use grape jelly.

Rock Cairns are back! We love them nestled into a garden spot. Shown here is one of the beautiful glass stars by Susan Corkum. You can just glimpse a couple of our resident geese in the background!

These are beautiful - artist made pottery bird houses with copper roofs. Also available as feeders and the roofs are either natural (as seen here) or verdigris finish. I met the artist while on a buying trip and bought these on the spot.

Spring Tea

May 30th - save the date! We're having a Spring Tea on the front lawn of The Gables. The Tea is from 1 - 3 PM and we're hoping, hoping for a beautiful day. But we'll move it inside and onto the front porch if we need to.
Wear your prettiest spring hat and we'll give you a Gables gift certificate that you can use on that day. Since our annual Spring Sale starts on the same day, it's a great time to check out what's new.
Meanwhile, I'm making little treats for the tea and planning how to decorate my big straw hat. Flowers for sure, maybe ribbons......
Hope to see you then.

Art on the Lawn - June 13

Art on the Lawn will be on Saturday, June 13th this year. So far we have Oreb Lram - jewelry, Selma Glunn - gourd baskets, Mary Anne and Marv Nielsen - woven baskets and hand made brooms, Ron Pixler - paintings.
This is also the last day of our Sale (which starts on May 30th). We'll have other events going on and will keep adding more information to this site as well as more pictures.

What's new for Spring

Now that April is almost over, we're in full-alert mode and scrambling to get ready for the season. The delivery vans are rolling up and new merchandise is being unpacked and priced. Look for pictures and information about all the goodies that we found at market.
Make certain that if you come to the shop you visit the new second floor space. This picture shows the landing at the top of the stairs. Plans are to fill this space with garden items, including a fountain.