You Blockhead!!

Okay okay...it's not nice to call someone a blockhead. I like to think of it as a term of endearment for people who love quilts!! (get it quilt, blocks....ahhhh nevermind!!)

Anyway, one of the mainstays here at the shop are these wonderful quilts designed by Denyse Schmidt. She is a graphic artist who loves to sew; as evidenced by her design aesthetic.

We love her contemporary take on the traditional handcraft, the fact that she works with an ethical, woman-owned manufacturing company, that she works for historic preservation in her home town, and that she drinks bourbon and is a former ballerina who will put her cigarette out on the bottom of her boot!!!

Have you seen these quilts elsewhere? Maybe.

What you may not know is that Comfort & Joy is the ONLY store in PA and one of very few in the entire country that have Denyse's WORKS line of quilts also.

You definitely won't find those anywhere else. And when they're gone...they're gone!!!

Come and take a look! Blockhead!!

Photographic memories

I'm not sure how many people there are like me out there. I don't remember much about my childhood. I have memories but not details like special birthday parties or family vacations. The events happened in my life, I just don't remember being there!! I do, however, remember special toys, cartoons, games, my favorite red white and blue jeans or my bike. Which is why I LOVE this jewelry!! The pieces are all designed by a woman named Ruth. She actually owns or owned everything that she has photographed and then turns those photos into jewelry. They are available on resin, glass or sterling silver, as bracelets, necklaces and earrings. The images can also be created as small wall pieces. Images include vintage halloween and christmas decor, plastic circus animals, Fisher Price people, dolls, doll clothes, toy furniture, sewing tools, on and on and on.

I think she's been inside my brain!! Maybe THAT'S why i've been having such trouble using it!!

Stop in the shop to see a small sampling. We can special order but hurry if you'd like something for the holidays!

you can't catch me...

Since we opened our doors almost seven years ago, we have sold Mrs. Meyers cleaning products. We love them and so do our customers. Usually, it starts with the dish soap or the laundry soap. Little by little, it creeps in and takes over all of your cleaning supplies.

Wouldn't you rather have YOUR house smell like lavender than say, chemicals??

For those of you that don't know, Mrs. Meyers products are environmentally friendly, biodegradable, cruelty free cleaning products that are available in 3 fragrances: Lavender, Lemon Verbena, and Geranium and all of them happen to work phenomenally.

What I REALLY wanted to tell you about is the release of a holiday collection... GINGERBREAD!

You don't even have to bake, just clean...wait...is that a BETTER option?

Anyway, the gingerbread fragrance is available in a cleaning kit, hand lotion and hand soap set and a soy candle.

You gotta smell it to believe it!!

Run, run as fast as you can....

By the way, it's only bad to give cleaning products as a gift if it's NOT Mrs. Meyers.

tea for two...

About three or so years ago, we brought this tea into the shop because we LOVED the packaging.

Turns out, it happens to be FABULOUS tea also. Looks and substance....hmmmm.

This year, along with some beautiful gift sets, they have added two new tea collections.

Hang on to your hat Marge!

DOLCE VITA is a collection of dessert teas. Flavors like raspberry nectar, coco truffle, and vienna cinnamon fill this box. Think chocolate, fruit, and spices. YUMMY!!

Also introduced this year is the limited edition, read: get it before it's gone folks,

WINTER COLLECTION. Perfect for holiday giving in a rich red box. Warm and festive flavors fill this assortment. Favorites like black currant and brand new belgian mint.

Just the right gift for the person who has everything (or those of us who'd like too!)

This stuff is so good it even made the O LIST, but we had it first!!!

Herbal teas, exotic red and white teas, black teas, teapots and teacups. Come and check out all the offerings! Do yourself a FLAVOR!!!

mi casa es su casa

LOVE IT!

These are so cute. They measure about 5 inches high and 5 inches wide. You can put a tealight underneath if you like. (we recommend one of those battery operated ones.)

The bold colors are amazing and we love the graphic quality of the designs. Some are inspired by real houses, others are drawn out of the imaginations of Felix and Olga, a husband and wife team from Russia who are both award winning ceramicists.

Each piece is handmade from beginning to end so they are never identical. Felix and Olga believe in the value of the handmade object, that it carries the spirit of the person creating it.

Come on in and see for yourself. The pictures don't do them justice!

Speaking of pictures, they also make these fabulous frames!

Nightmare on Third Street

Don't tell Christmas, but Halloween is our favorite holiday and the build up is already starting!

Mark it on your calendar:

Sept 28-Sept 30

the second annual

NIGHTMARE ON THIRD STREET!

Our annual Halloween and Day of the Dead shopping event with

Home and Planet.

Our preferred customers, like you, get first dibs at the best of the best in our Halloween collection. We've become well known for our ghoulish gathering of goodies.

At Home and Planet, you'll find a fabulous array of Catrina dolls, retablos, and other traditional crafts of the Day of the Dead from South America.

Those of you that are on our mailing list will get a postcard in the mail.

If you're reading this, you're on our email list and will get an e-vite!

Bring your friends!

If you'd like more info, contact Comfort & Joy or Home and Planet.

Hello Dalai

okay so here's my new favorite item.

It 's called a Buddha bowl.

Great for coffee, hot cocoa, soup, cereal, ice cream, rice, lattes...

It's available in colors like shitake, snowpea and green curry.

At only $20, my prediction is it will be one of our best sellers this season!

What makes it so special is the shape the designer has created.

You cradle it it the palm of your hand with your thumb through the handle.

Come on in a try one out. You'll feel enlightened!

Namaste

Coming soon...baby buddhas and udon noodle bowls!

hotcakes and ice cream!

Maybe it's just me but wasn't it ike 62 degrees a couple days ago and now it's so hot you can't possibly breathe. OR if you just stand still you could sweat off a few pounds? NAH, not worth it!

It can do really bad things to a girls hair.

Here's a suggestion:

get yourself and your friends one of these bath ice creams and treat yourself to a spa at home.

Just chuck one in your tub. It fizzles, has moisturizers from mostly organic oils and smells delicious! In flavors like "Gotta Have It Pomegranate" and "Green Tea", how could you pass it up!

my dogs are barkin'

So I know these posts are supposed to be about the shop and new stuff and things like that, but...I gotta tell you about this place.
I have been spent the last three days at gift shows finding new and wonderful goodies for the shop. Saturday was Market Square where we find most of our more "country" handmades, and Sunday and Monday were spent in NYC at the Mecca of all gift shows at Jacob Javits Convention Center. I'm pretty sure I walked the equivalent of a marathon.

Aaaanyway, fortunately for me, I had an excellent travelling companion. I have decided that she is now in charge of all social event coordination.
Sunday after the show we went to this groovy shop called Toy Tokyo. They specialize in imported toys and collectibles from Japan. We spent at least an hour looking at all manner of Godzillas, anime figures, old cereal character bobbleheads and even Michael Jackson dolls. That was cool.

THEN we travelled to what I might call "Heaven on Earth" It's this little tiny restaurant called S'Mac. All they make is macaroni and cheese. Oy! The food was fab, the vibe was cool and the owners were lovely. Check it out next time you visit the Big Apple. Oh, and a little tip, go for the smallest portion size and try a couple different kinds. Even the medium is large!!

hotcakes and grilled cheese

this weeks best seller...hold on to your hat Marge!!

HOLY TOAST!

I'm glad to see our customers have the same sense of humor that we do! This thing cracks me up. You press it into your bread, toast it up, and VOILA! the Virgin Mary appears.

I know it ain't grilled cheese but...

soooo...what's new?

okay. So we got a little box from our favorite ups guy the other day. Ho-hum. Then, I opened it! Just in time for Musikpest, we got these groovy jazz guitar ice cube tray/drink stirrer doo-hickies. They rock! and so will your Mojito when you include one of these bad boys!