Saturday, September 14, 2013

Saturday Shopping

Raven Top Hat  $44.95. 
 My former staff wouldn't be too happy to hear I would have wanted us all to wear these, they are fantastic! -and so many uses. Not just to wear but also for a mannequin or hat stand centerpiece.
September means Fall is near which also means most retailers are in full-blown Halloween regalia. For six seasons Curious Sofa was decked out this time of year, from top to bottom in whatever clever theme or vignette I could dream up, but now its time to come clean. I have a serious confession to make: I hate Halloween. There, I said it. Many fans will read this aghast- but its true.

So why did I celebrate Halloween all those years inside my store? Why did I pull out the stops; hang cheesecloth wrapped chandeliers, secure giant spiders on the wall, pin striped witch stockings from black umbrellas, and skeleton heads to mannequins wearing antique bridal gowns? Why did I paint a giant tree on the wall to secure dozens of crows? Why did I paint a doll house green and sit it on top of more striped legs? Because it was drama! Because it was a show. Because customers wanted, needed and expected it. And I was a retailer with a big store smack dab in the middle of a family neighborhood who celebrated Halloween. Now I know "hate" is a strong word so don't get me wrong because my other confession is I did have fun with it most of the time because it stretched my creative thinking.

Every year I tried something different with my three guidelines still in tow:
- Color palette: no orange, no purple! I would not use orange unless it was a darker, dustier version usually found only in fresh pumpkins.
- No cute Halloween. I used to tell editors, "I don't do Halloween with skinny little pumpkin people."
- No Devils. (After all, what holiday do you think he celebrates?)

I prefer dramatic Halloween, antique Halloween, a dark, dusty, gothic Halloween and a clever Halloween. Truth is, I love doing a fall display but one using burlap, wheat and corn stalks, pumpkins, wheel barrows, etc. (Not a bewitching item in sight!). One of my favorites from the store was using hay bales around a dining room table with American flags, turkeys and pictures of George Washington and Abe Lincoln.

Last year on the website I offered much more Halloween items and many sold well but I found it challenging to showcase these items without a dramatic display. So this year, I have cut back and left Halloween to the brick & mortar stores where it belongs. But I could not pass up these items below because they were just right for the web. Enjoy!

Pair Glitter Crows, $12.95
Mini Birdcage, $13.50
Black Magic Pillow, $44





AND BELOW, MORE  NEW ITEMS JUST IN
Vintage Dress Form, $150
Exit Sign, $12.95
BACK IN STOCK! Scrap Wood Heart, $47.50
Florentine Shelf, $48.50
Large Silver Tray, $49.95
BACK IN STOCK! Pair of Grey Risers, $52.95
BACK IN STOCK! Silver Fringe Necklace, $32
BACK IN STOCK! Amazing Grace Bracelet, $19.95
BACK IN STOCK! Floral Disc Earrings, $11.95
BACK IN STOCK! Antique Style Bangles, $16.50
BACK IN STOCK! Ethiopian Cross Earrings, $8.95