Friday, October 29, 2010

Christmas 2010

Banners made with Christmas lyrics and Bible quotes
were used throughout the store.


On Thursday night, Curious Sofa celebrated our Tenth Year of Christmases!! For months we unpack, for weeks we prepare, and for two days we close the store to transform the shop into what you are about to see. This year our holiday decor did not have any particular theme. I just design each department around what I find that inspires me and what vignettes we haven't done before.

We always open our doors the night before our public reveal for a private party with 65 special customers who sustain us throughout the year. Champagne, food and music are flowing as they get a sneak peek at the goods. During all of this, my incredible staff is still standing, smiling and helping after a grueling week of getting everything together. Come 8 p.m., after the doors close, we are all spent. (And the Open House hasn't even begun!) Later over dinner, we concluded there is a much needed energy that happens when customers see what we have been up to. The squeals are heard from across the store, everyone gets in the Christmas spirit and the cash register is ringing. After all, that is what we do it for.

Take a look around and see what we have in store for you this Holiday Season. Here is just a sampling of what to expect and much more is to come over the next six weeks. Only 56 days 'til Christmas!

I posted an APB on Facebook for all my friends to send me tree stump sightings!

As you enter, I opted for a simple, Scandinavian style setting
complete with firewood bed frame and antique bedding.


If only I could wear this leather coat with fur collar,
... so Valley of the Dolls!


My all-day project: Birch branch display and yarn ornaments.

Another DD project: Lace trim, doilies & scrap images on old plates.

The white room.

Our spin on a white Thanksgiving.

"For the Fruit of the Spirit is Love..." Gal. 5.22
Wire wrapped fruit near our religious display.

Behind the counter, our snowy rooftop and lighted houses.

Pale blues used in another bedroom area.

...and all things silver of course.

The Boudoir with a touch of pink.

In the center of the store, our chalk busts displayed with new and vintage
ornaments, pearl trees and layers of vintage necklaces.

I layered my antique photograph collection along the
back wall with our winter hats and scarves.

Who's Don and why is he wearing gay apparel?


And waiting patiently for the mayhem to end:
(Not for sale)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

SAVE THE DATE


Let it not be said that Curious Sofa is slacking. While the rest of the world will be painting their faces and eating candy corn, we will be dusting the glitter off our clothes and bustling about our store like Santa's elves. This is our TENTH YEAR celebrating Christmas at the Sofa and we have made it special once again. Please join us this coming weekend for our annual Christmas Open House.

SHOP 24/7 at curiousofa.com

Sunday, October 24, 2010

New Items Online


Greetings all!
A quick note to let you know I have added 24 new products online this week. I am also slowly adding antiques to every category now. Eventually, my goal is to eliminate the antique category and have 95% of all merchandise vintage. (YEAH!)

We're spending this week getting Christmas out in the store so I will add more Holiday items online in the coming weeks. Thanks for shopping Curious Sofa online. Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Back in the Saddle

John Dusenberry 1929-1982

I am back in the store today after a little vacation celebrating my 54th (yikes) birthday. I haven't had any none-business related time off since, well... forever! I spent the week at a friends house at the Lake of the Ozarks. The weather was perfect and doing nothing was divine. (Of course I antiqued for you! Those pics to come.)

This birthday was especially important to me as my father passed away at 54. Back then, even at a young 25, I knew my father died at an early age, and now that I have hit this number too- it seems even younger. My dad loved to fish and taught me how as well. He bought a vintage trailer at Sunrise Beach (where I was) and he and my mom would head down there after work every Friday for the weekend. He loved the lake and it seemed to bring out even more of the calm, centered man that he already was. My mom said he would get very quiet come Sunday when he knew they had to pack up and head home. I know now just what she means. There is a tranquility that comes from sitting by the lake, nestled in the woods, doing as little as possible.

The Dusenberry Family, circa 1960

He died of cancer 29 years ago and when I think of him now, the tears flow like it was yesterday. He was a good man and had none of the issues you sometimes hear of today about fathers. He adored me and my mother, I never heard him swear, I never saw him drunk, he never had a negative thing to say about anyone, he was never mean or even angry. (Well maybe once when I lied at 14 that I was at a girlfriends house but I was driving around with a 24 year old guy) So you can see, this number was big. When your parents die young, you're never really sure you're going to hit that number yourself, so when it arrives it is a very big deal...

And just for grins, a picture of Pearl waiting for mom to unsuccessfully catch dinner.

And now...
Announcing the winners of our Press Junket Giveaway!


Sandi F. from Canton, MA and Katie C. from Ithaca, NY. Congratulations to you both and your package will be mailed this week.

Thanks to all for entering. Never fret! Your names will be saved for future giveaways.

ALSO! All Halloween items, in the store and online are 20% off.
SHOP ONLINE 24/7 at curioussofa.com

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Fabulous Fonts

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Isn't it funny how we are all glued to our computers, we probably have not written anything more than a thank you note in years, and yet anything showing handwriting is now all the rage! As I was preparing this post, I was even more amazed at what products are now available to us reminding us of the lost age of pen and ink.


I am a big fan of all things done in Spencerian Script. Back in 1850 Mr. Platt Spencer decided our handwriting needed to be beautiful as well as personal and voila! Spencerian Script was born and to this day the design stops all of us antiquers in our tracks for its sheer beauty. Take a look at some of my favorites and newest trends.



Below many font and handwriting items found on Etsy.
(Just search french script)





And not to be left out, Curious Sofa has added a few of our favorite
lettered items to the website too.



Monday, October 04, 2010

Press Junket Giveaway

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Read on to learn about our first
CURIOUS SOFA GIVEAWAY


The term 'Feast or Famine' comes to mind this year when referring to Curious Sofa press. I knew there was going to be a fourth quarter insurgence of glossy magazines featuring the store but while I was in Minneapolis the staff calls to tell me that we also made the pages of a hardcover book! Aged To Perfection is a new book published by Hearst and Country Living and although putting any book together has to be a huge amount of work, this is a compilation of some of the best editorials from past issues of Country Living magazine. They have included many pictures from the editorial they featured on my home from 2007. We all know hardcover style books are becoming more rare these days, so I am thrilled this is done well and filled with great images (and it helps us condense those piles of magazines we have everywhere!) I especially like the cover and their focus on the rustic side of interior design.

Curious Sofa press hit the stands first in August with Where Women Create. Then last month we were seen in Better Homers and Gardens Tricks and Treats. Hitting the newsstands this month is the October issue of Romantic Country. My BJF Carol Spinski shot a lovely spread for us when the editor Fifi O'Neill was in town this summer shooting for her new book.

Finally, the Holiday edition of Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas is available too which features a story about our Christmas display from 2009. (Which means none of that product is available!)

And coming up later this year is Matthew Mead's new Holiday magazine. I designed some Christmas decorations for him to use in a story and that should do it for 2010. Why I cannot have this press spread out over 12 months, I am not sure- but I'll take it! More images and posts on all of these issues to come.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!


Sign up here on our online customer form and we will choose
TWO WINNERS to receive our 2010 press package which consists of:

Where Women Create












BHG Halloween Tricks or Treats












Romantic Country












BHG Christmas Ideas












and the hardcover Aged to Perfection

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 19.
Good Luck!


Sign up here on the NEW CUSTOMERS category.