After Christmas Sale!

20% - 50% Off

Monday, Dec 27 - Friday, Dec 31

11:00 - 3:00

Now is the time to get the best deals on everything in the store.

Christmas items are 50% off

Jewelry, Handbags, Scarves, Mittens, Hats, & Socks are 

an Extra 20% Off (that's a double discount)

Everything else is 20% Off

Remember - we're happy to put things on Lay-Away at

no extra charge.  Not a bad way to take advantage of the sale prices.

All of the fresh wreaths from Soules Creek are at least half off - 
lets make a deal!

You can still deck out your house for the New Year celebration. 

Snowstorm!

Any doubts that winter has arrived are banished.  It looked like a scene from "Dr Zhivago" yesterday morning.  I'll be traveling up to The Gables later this morning and am a bit apprehensive about what I'll find.  The parking lot should be plowed and the walks shoveled, but still ....with unmentionable wind chills and drifting it makes me want to stay at home.
Please note that my hours have changed (see post below).  But if you come in I'll make it worth the trip!  There's a Sale and now I've added extra discounts, too. 
Stay warm!

Extra Discounts & New Hours

Extra Discounts 

Get an extra 20% off on 

Jewelry

Handbags

Scarves, Hats, Gloves, & Mittens

Mention this blog and we'll give you 

a Thank You gift!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.  It's only 2 weeks away, so 
remember to breathe and enjoy this special time of year.  
The Fox River behind our house is frozen over this morning.  
But the birds are busy flitting around the bird feeder 
and keeping us entertained.   

New Hours - Monday through Saturday 11:00 - 3:00 
closed Sundays


 

  

December Clearance Sale

Wow, it's December!  Today is the  first day of our end-of-season Clearance.  Lots of great gifts and everything is 20% off right now.  I bought a lot of jewelry this fall so there's an amazing selection to tempt you.  Not to mention all the home decor that's on sale - furniture, lamps, rugs, wall decor.

There's some snow in the air and a bit of snow dust on the ground this morning.  It's beginning to look like
Christmas!

Christmas at The Gables

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee and watching the first ice floating down the Fox River.  Thanksgiving Day is over, but the memories linger.  I hope that you had a lovely day.

Today (which I guess is "Black Friday" in the wider world) is Open House for the Gables.  No, we're not opening at 5.  Try me at 10:00!  We have some great store specials and a drawing going on.  Tomorrow is the famous   Cookie Walk.

But - starting December 1st, the December Clearance will start.  Most everything will be 20% off (or more).

Meanwhile - here's a glimpse of Christmas at The Gables.

Shop at Sunset

Thursday, November 11th

4:00 - 6:00 PM

Wine - Cheese - Chocolate

20% off Sale

Thank you gifts for customers

Those are the pertinent details!  It promises to be fun and we'll find out if this is an event we want to repeat.  We just got a new shipment of jewelry, some very nice birch bark baskets, new scarves and hats, "texting" gloves (really cute and they give you quick access to your fingertips), Christmas accents, and all sorts of wonderful stuff.  Look for some photos that I'll be posting soon.

Meanwhile, plan on getting to the Gables on the 11th if you can.  For those who can't make it, we'll see if we can't do it again.

Upcoming Events

Sunset Shopping
Thursday, November 11
2:00 - 4:00 PM
Enjoy wine, cider, delicious treats,
20% off purchases,
"Thank You" gifts with purchases,
plus anything else we can think of to make you happy.
Sounds like a party!  


Saturday, November 20

Christmas Tea 

2:00 - 4:00 PM

 Our 3rd Annual Christmas Tea and always a lovely time.

Saturday, November 27

Cookie Walk

Buy your tins ahead of time and area businesses will do the baking.

Questions from visitors

I'm kind of new to the "Blog World", so I'd like to thank  everyone who visits this site and also to explain about how you can contact me.
You can always post a comment at the end of one the posts and I love seeing those.  Those comments are then available for other people to read also.  However, I cannot respond to a comment since your email address is not attached.
If you want to ask me a question, you can email me at thegables22@gmail.com or call me at the store.  920-787-7475.
So, for the person who just wrote a comment and also asked a question with a request to respond - I'd love to talk (or email).

Why we love Fall!

October 4th

It's a frosty morning and it looks like it really is Fall.  I love this time of year and it seems that many of my Gables customers feel the same (of course, there are a few who feel sad because summer is ending....).
A personal note: I was not posting to my blog this summer due to family obligations.  Sometimes you just have to concentrate on the really important stuff and trust that things will work out.  Well, they have and life is going on again.
The Gables has been a big part of my life for over 20 years ( gasp) and I'm looking forward to what unfolds in the future.

Handbag Sale starts Oct 1st

 Baggallini Madness!

 

OK - it's not really that crazy.  But it is a really good Sale on all handbags.  A double discount of 15% off

plus an additional 15% discount.  The sale is just 3 days long, Oct 1st through the 3rd.  If you can't make 

it to the store, respond to this post during October and we'll honor the sale price.

Fall is Here!

My favorite time of year.  

The clear, sunny days - the pumpkins and mums - the fantastic colors.

We've tried to bring some of the magic of fall into The Gables.

We've had some really great new things coming into the store for the season and have been having fun making new displays.  Among the new goodies:  hats from SanDiego Hats (wow), fun little

accents for Halloweeen and Christmas, seasonal flags and floor mats, slates, and of course 

some fabulous silk flowers, pine, & accents.

Jewelry Day!

Just a reminder - this coming Saturday, June 19th, is our first ever Jewelry Day.  All jewelry will be 25% of  plus we're bringing out a lot of back stock and pricing it to sell. 
You won't want to miss this one, so hope to see you!  It's also the last day of our Spring Sale and everything in the shop is 20% off.
We do have Lay Away in case you'd like to do some early gift shopping.

On another note, last Saturday was our Garden Tea.  While we couldn't set up in the garden on account of rain, we had great time serving tea and delicious treats on our 2nd Floor.  Watch for a posting of the recipe for the Almond Bars that Judy baked.  Everyone seemed to want the recipe so as soon as I get organized I'll post it.

For those of you who may be interested, I'm in the middle of caring for both of my parents and am not able to post very often.  But they're my priority right now, so hang in there and I'll be back.  Thank you to everyone for their kind words and support.
Betty 

Spring Sale & Events

The Spring Store-wide Sale started on June 5th and continues until the 19th.  Everything is 20% off  - and that includes the stuff we're just unpacking.  Lots of new things have arrived recently:  small accent tables from Leick Furniture, garden decor, scarfs from Tickled Pink, jewelry from Desert Heart, some funky and inexpensive jewelry for summer (hope to get that priced today), great new wall decor, and whatever the delivery trucks bring us the rest of the week.

Garden Tea on Saturday, June 12th

1 - 3 PM

 Join us for tea and treats on Saturday.  There will be door prizes, so don't

miss out for a chance to sip tea and play "Grown-up"

(Remember tea parties when you were little?  Wear a hat and we'll

give you a special surprise!)

Jewelry Day - Big & Bigger Sale

June 19th - one day only

We're going to be giving extra discounts on all the jewelry and offering you some real deals on some of our backstock.  Now's the time to do some pre-shopping for birthdays, Christmas, and maybe even yourself.

Memorial Day & Upcoming Events

Happy Summer

Here comes Summer and here comes Memorial Day Weekend!

We hope everyone has been enjoying this beautiful spring.

I don't know about you, but I've been bitten hard by the Garden Bug.

I'm planning another stop at a garden center this morning.....

Anyway, back to business.  We have a bunch of stuff coming up

at The Gables.

June 5th - 19th is our annual Spring Store-wide Sale

*To celebrate our 21st year in business, everything is 20% off *

Saturday June 5th  -   Art on the Lawn

(jewelry, baskets, original artwork with area artists)

Saturday June12th  -  Garden Tea

Saturday June 19th  -  Jewelry Day

Hope to see you at The Gables!

Art on the Lawn last June

Garden Decor

  

We're getting in some wonderful new Garden Art.

The Dish Flowers are made from vintage dishes and have silverware "leaves".

The colorful turtles and pigs are back, too.

Look for more postings in the coming week.  I'm back on the blog again after a long hiatus - I'll post more pictures.

Look for more news about the upcoming Sale on June 5th through the 29th.

New Hours

Must be Spring, we're open Monday through Saturday from 11 - 4:00!

Unpacking garden items, purses, and all sorts of fun new things.  Check out our purse display next time you're in (I'll post pictures when we're done installing it).

I spent time ordering jewelry on Tuesday.  Louise brings me all these wonderful samples and I have to chose.  I always err on the side of ordering too much!

Meanwhile, we're enjoying the earliest Spring I can remember.  Here's hoping we have a long, beautiful summer to match.

Back to Spring Coupon

Mention this "Back to Spring Coupon" before April 15th and you'll get a store discount!

Just ordered spring garden flags and floor mats and they should be arriving this week.  Meanwhile, I'm monitoring the candytuft (white flowers in this picture from last May).  It's actually budding, thanks to the warm weather this month.  Now I'm feeling guilty for not getting out there and doing my garden clean-up while the sun is shining.  If only I didn't have to work on tax preparation.....

Spring?

Surely - this can't be March17th?  It's supposed to go up to 60 today.  Snow is going, going, and soon gone. 

              I'll be watching for these little guys to be popping up soon!

What else is New?

I posted pictures yesterday of some of the new inventory we picked out in Minneapolis.  Here's another sneak peek.  (To see To Market, To Market pictures, scroll down to yesterday's post).

First up are the painted recycled-steel yard critters.  They can, of course, live in your home.  But they're ideally suited to life in the garden.  We sold out on these last summer, so here they are again.

Mr Goat was a huge favorite.  Let me just say that he's gender "referenced".

Some pigs can fly, some are earthbound.

Turtles in all colors and 3 sizes.  They stack nicely but are happy to roam your yard solo, too.

 

Here's a new design.  Let the sun shine....

To Market, to Market...

Just got back from Minneapolis last night (in fog!).  We had a great time and found some wonderful things - which I bought, of course.  They'll start arriving at The Gables in a few weeks.

Remember,  you can click on any of these pictures to see a full-screen enlargement.

Baggallini purses!  If you're familiar with the brand, you'll understand my enthusiasm.  These are the greatest bags on earth if you're looking for really, really amazing organization combined with style.  I'm still working on this order, but look for these in April or May.  Baggallini has been on my "list" for awhile, so I'm a happy
camper.

Well, I went a little handbag-nuts and here are the pictures to prove it.  I just kept finding such great looking bags at some pretty amazing prices.

                  Du-Du Arts bags - colorful, bright, and well made
                    (Lisa is the designer)

Belgo Lux

Couldn't resist these great bags - they beg to be picked up and come in some fresh colors.  Take a closer look at the flower embellishment on the yellow purse in the 2nd picture.





And then there were scarves in beautiful new weaves, textures, and designs.  Lots and lots of scarves. I also learned a pretty clever way to tie a scarf into a neat little shrug.  I'll post some pictures of that nifty trick later.  Maybe I'll try doing my first mini-video...

       This is me, picking out the best scarves.  Aren't they amazing?

Second Helpings
We were really happy to find these colorful garden stakes made from vintage dishes.  Every one is unique. And beautiful.

Click on this photo so you can see the stems and "leaves".




That's all for today - I'll post more pictures later.  It was really a good Market for us.   My husband, Paul, came along this year and I was really happy to have his input.  We also enjoyed a fantastic meal at our new-favorite Greek restaurant on our last night!

Claim a Gift Certificate

Everyone reading this post and responding in the comments will receive a gift certificate to The Gables!  How's that for a winter pick-me-up?

Just respond by March 15th, 2010.  Make sure you leave some contact information.  Or you can email me directly at thegables22@gmail.com.

Happy End of Winter!  Did I mention that I'm going to Market in Minneapolis in a week?

The Smart Shopper

We're making it easier for our customers to make shopping decisions. We've noticed that everyone seems to be more thoughtful about their purchasing - and that's smart!

So how can we help? First off, it's always been our policy to accept reasonable returns. We understand that sometimes you just have to see how that picture/lamp/candle-holder fits in your house. Or if the purse or scarf or necklace really goes with a new outfit. We try to mention this at the time of purchase, but it's always been The Gables policy to accept returns for a refund. (Returns must be made in a 'reasonable' time frame - please ask if you're unsure).

Second, we have Lay-Away available. This simple option makes it easy to plan a purchase. There are no fees or risk involved. Most Lay-Away purchases are paid off in 3 - 9 months and you can chose how fast, how much, and how long. We don't even have a set policy on how often you make a payment - it can be every month, every week, or every 8 weeks. You make the decisions.

I can't not mention the 'S' word! We have our regular Sales twice a year: 2 weeks in June and another 2 weeks in September. There's also our ever-changing clearance area and the after-Christmas
Clearance. This year I'm running a sale in February and March for the handful of loyal customers who haven't flown South for the winter! Thank you to everyone who's been in, by the way.

The last, and maybe most important point, is that I shop for quality and good value. There's a tremendous amount of wonderful things available for me to chose from, but I have to search for the absolute best I can find. Best price, best design, best quality. It's an exciting hunt to find items for The Gables.

We're all hoping for more prosperous times ahead, but shopping smart is always a good idea. I'm going to Market in 2 weeks (with my husband - first time for Paul!) and I'll be making a bunch of purchasing decisions. Look for some posts about what I find!

This will make you smile!

Opera en el Mercado from esoqueseconocecomolaopera on Vimeo.

Wish I had been there!

Winter Blahs??

Here it is , Valentines Day. Hope you're all having a wonderful day. It's been kind of sunny, kind of cloudy here in Wisconsin. But the days are getting longer and there are a few birds chirping away in the mornings. Spring is on it's way.

I'm preparing to go to Market in Minneapolis in a few weeks. Making those lists and checking them twice! Here's what I'm looking for: garden items of all kinds, some great lamps, new accent furniture, framed prints, and other fresh new merchandise.

We've had a few busy weekends this winter. It probably helps that we're running a clearance sale through February - but I'm always so happy to see people out and about in winter. Sometimes I feel like the chickadee in the photo looks: everyone has flown south but me. Anyway, if you're in Wautoma stop in and see me. I've got the hot tea and cookies waiting.

Happy New Year

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm happy to have a new year and a new decade ahead of me. The holidays were wonderful, but please don't show me another cookie...
This seems like a good time to thank all of our customers at The Gables this past year - it was definitely an interesting year and it was only because of you that we're still here and still enthusiastic.
So, what's the plan for 2010? We've talked with so many customers and been so encouraged that I'd like to share what we've heard.
First - a lot of us seem to be thinking a lot more about how we spend our money. Frivolous spending seems to be a thing of the past and careful planning along with selective buying is the new normal. That actually sounds like a healthy attitude to me.
Second - we're all interested in value and quality. Thinking about our needs and wants and deciding on priorities. Buying that piece of artwork that we fell in love with and that will make a difference in our home.
Third - we want the 'real' thing. Locally, regionally, and US made seems to mean a lot more.
Other thoughts we've heard: Re-using what we already have in our homes and making it fresh with new accents or moving it to a new location. 

And supporting the businesses we love is important.  This is the perfect spot to say once again how much I owe to my customers.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Those are my thoughts on this January day. I'll be posting more on how we plan to make things fresher and better at The Gables.  We're expecting good things this year.

Love to hear from you - what are your plans or resolutions or thoughts for 2010?