getting to know 5 of the "CHICKS"...

Many of you think the shop is all me and my items but in reality it's not just me but rather a group of "chicks" that makes the shop as you know it.  I never call them "vendors" but rather a group of my dear friends...and this is why...
  First there's Cally who I got the chance to meet a few years before I opened my shop and who has been a part of the shop since the first day we opened...I have learned to love her not only as a great addition to the shop but also her great eye for the smalls and her cleaver way of displays. When she runs the shop I call it being "cally-fied" because she arranges stuff in ways that I just can't explain any other way as simply awesome!  BUT... really she is the friend that everyone wishes for but few get. She is as true as they come and all that know her will say the same! She has a way of making me smile and laugh even when I am not in the greatest mood. She is one that if she can help...SHE WILL! If you need someone to talk to ... she's your gal!
  Then there is Marie also know as Olde Lady Morgan who sews her heart out and is one of the best prim doll maker I know. She tells it how it is and that is why we all love her so much. She doesn't just sew but she also hunts for the good ole' primitives for the shop as well. If I am in a bind and she can fix it she will! She is well known by many and have to say she is a great addition to our team.
  Next is Cheryl who is so well known for her Industrial & architectural items. She finds a way to blend the true primitives with the industrial and slaps a architectural  item in there and it flows like it was met to be together. She adds many outdoor elements in her space that sets herself from all the rest. She is the soft spoken, level headed, avoids all drama then add down to earth to that and you have the definition of Cheryl! She is a awesome addition to our team and a great friend to me but I knew she would be from the beginning!!!
 On to Sandy which you all know as Poppyseed Primitives. Many of you know she has a shop in downtown Genoa. She also has a spot inside my shop. She is the one I tend to turn to when I have to talk business to someone. I think we would all agree that we wish we had her energy. She comes in and redoes her area way before many of us are out of bed... She is always out and about getting the next great must have item for our homes. I have never seen her anything but happy & that is just one reason she is so dear to me.
  Now onto the Queen of the shop....Jane! I have talked about her before in my blogs but really she bring a calmness in the shop that is so welcomed by us all. She is the go-to "chick" when I am not around. She know everything and probably more about the shop than I do... She also does have a area inside the shop and is extremely good at buying and displaying her items. She walked into my life right when I needed her the most and I am so blessed to have her in the shop and as the QUEEN and in my life as the friend that she is. I can't imagine the shop without her that's for sure!

 So the next time that you walk into The Primitive Chick take a good look around and remember what I wrote .... I bet you will be able to pick out who's items belong to which friend.



  My life isn't about "the shop" but rather filling my shop with good friends that love the same kind of things just in different twists. You put all them different twists together and you have one awesome shop with the greatest team and best friends I could wish for! There are a few more "chicks" inside the shop and will blog about them next time but for now I hope that you enjoyed reading a Little bit about them.

This week is for the memory book!!

This has been one of "THOSE WEEKS" to mark down in my book of weeks to remember and this is why...
We have to back up one week to start from the beginning of "MY WEEK" I really thought that life was hectic to say the least but GOOD...NO GREAT to be honest!! The shop has been making changes to try and improve it and make it run like a "well oiled machine" as many like to say. With any change comes a bit of confusion in the beginning until it becomes what eventually will call "normal." To get there requires nothing more than time and patients to workout any "kinks". Some people know this... and others don't! People will either will run from change or embrace it with open arms.
About now your probably wondering why is she babbling about this...Well, because for one I like to babble but honestly because this change inside the shop (although these changes has proven to be a GREAT thing) did pushed someone away from me that I supported and cared for deeply. This friendship for me was deeper than any friendship I have ever had before but the person simply walked out of my life like I didn't matter. It hurt so terribly bad and still does and probably always will! Although this happened I can't let it STOP my life! I must continue to hold head up, and march forward!
This happens to be the week of the "HOLLY days" for downtown De Kalb which is a huge event so I must NO I have stay focused! As the shop is cleared of her things this means that I MUST fill in the huge voids with inventory that I have stocked piled for this winter. We work for 3 days loading, unloading and displaying the shop and I have to say it looks GREAT...SAD without her but GREAT! Many of the vendors inside my shop have also been working non-stop cleaning, stocking and getting ready for this huge weekend! We all put in MANY long days and plenty of over-time to say the least. All the while I remember the year before this one as me and my "friend" who just walked out on me worked together to get ready for the weekend...We had a blast and now she is gone and it feels so different! I know that I have to continue forward!!!
Friday morning I am at the shop by 8:30am hauling in trays of cookies and the final boxes of inventory to be put out... Jane pulls in by 9:15am will her arms filled as well and we are both hustling NO RUNNING back and forth inside the shop nearly trampling each other over from time to time! The crowds are forming outside and taps on the windows from customers wanting us to open a bit early... We are NOT ready so we cant! Finally 9:58am we unlock the doors and I don't think I looked up from the desk or made eye contact with anyone until 9:15pm that night! It was totally amazing! By time I got home I was so tired and sore I didn't know what hit me! Saturday came and to be honest it made Friday look SLOW! We had so many people in there that you couldn't walk from one end of the shop to the other without asking people to kindly move. I have never seen the shop be so busy! Customers started coming in and asking if I have been online yet to see the local chronicle?? I said "NO" so as soon as I got home I went straight into the office and pulled it up and ....THERE I AM!!!
I am SOOO happy with a smile from ear to ear!!! I just simply can't believe that my shop and ME made the front page! It's not a good picture of me at all but I don't care!!! I am simply doing the "happy dance" inside my heart and it fells GREAT! We have all worked so hard over the past week and it was truly a roller coaster ride for me & one that won't be forgotten for a long time. Maybe one that will go down as the worst then best week of my life! The shop went from filled with goodies to suddenly a huge loss to filled right back up... to FRONT page chronicle! Started out the week SAD and ended HAPPY!!! Life is good... NO GREAT & not because of the chronicle but because I might have lost a friend... but I didn't quite realize how many other friends I have that want to be a part of my life regardless of what is going on inside or outside the shop.... until this crazy week happened!!
So I guess this meaning of this blog was to say no matter how bad you think life is... you just never know just how great it can be in a few short seconds, minutes, hours, days or even a simple week until you take the time to look back! A very special HUG to all my friends, family and especially my husband that continues to support me and guide me through my life... I love you all and thanks for wanting to be a part of my life!
If you wish to checkout what was in the chronicle here is the link ..http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2011/11/19/hollyday-open-house-draws-shoppers-to-downtown-dekalb/ac5tgis/

A step back in time...

  

  Thought that I would back up a bit and share with everyone how I got this passion for the antiques and certainly for primitives…

 I can honestly say it’s my parents fault to a degree! They love antiques and would have sales at there home a few times a year and god forbid us drive past a garage sale, antique shop or a auction no matter what we where doing we where stopping. My parents where always stripping off old finishes and paint to make the old look new and “better” but, I do remember loving the pieces that had the chippy old paint on them or the old grazing varnish. I remember thinking how “awesome” it looked! I loved going to the grandparent’s farm and the floors being uneven and the furniture was dated but the barns had old boxes and cubbies that I remember so vividly in my mind. I even remember me stacking 3 different wood boxes up one time while in the “big barn” and loving the look of them.  I remember looking into mirrors and thinking and wondering how many people have seen there reflections thru the same mirrors. I remember when I first had my first shop that I wanted it to be all shabby which was such a “IN” look but when I would see a old cupboard that looked like it was about to fall apart I would tell my mom how much I loved it and she would look at me and laugh. She would say it looks like it needs to be cleaned or stripped but in my eyes that would ruin it. I love, love, love the aged, grungy, dark, drab, full of life to me look.

  Now jump to where I am today… I am known as the “Primitive Chick” not only in my shop but to anyone that really knows me because that is what I know and love. I am by far the most random whirl winded, going in every direction at times kind chick, but yet a perfectionist, and at time a soft hearted, but brutally honest and have a vision of what thing can be and try hard to make it get there, ALWAYS right and hates being “THE BOSS” but can to do it well, hates paperwork because it is stationary and boring, loves change no matter if it’s in my home or at my shop, I love being a mom but whoever said that it gets easier as they get older is very wrong,  by far the best friend anyone could have and I cherish my friendships probably too much which leads back to “wears my heart on my should” statement but most of all I am ENJOYING life to the fullest and this is turning out to be the best ride so far and my husband is truly my better half, my best friend and someone that I can’t see me ever being without. He tries to keep me grounded but I am too much of a flutter bug to even think that I will ever slow down enough to be grounded for too long… I am a work under pressure kind of chick and wouldn’t know or have it any other way…This is who I am and have always been.

  As I describe myself it is clear to me why I love the worn and primitive pieces. Primitive stuff starts out as perfect and clean all put together and not wobbly, chippy, all shiny. It’s not yet” loved” enough but as it ages and years get the best of it people might try and bring it back to life because they do love it and don’t want to let it go yet. They might try and repaint or repair it, change it in ways to be “in” again to the point that it becomes unwanted junk… In life everyone wants to be wanted and loved that is only human. We often try and change or fix ourselves so that we fit in with everyone but there is a small group of people that don’t and they learn to love something about themselves no matter if it’s in or hip... That is ME! Thru my life I have tried to be” in” and “hip” but was very unhappy because that is NOT who I am! I guess I am as true as they come but as primitive as can be and so darn proud of it that I can’t think of me any other way.  

Change is...GOOD

             BREATH.....is what I have to be reminded to do from time to time!!!

  There has been some changes happening inside my shop over the past few weeks... and have to say that it's a breath of fresh air! I was super nervous at first but super excited at the same time and now that I can see the results as they change I have to admit that I am extremely ecstatic for everyone to see how GREAT the new vendors are turning out to be! Through this week all 4 of them will be moving in and getting ready for the "Primitive Christmas Open House." It's so easy to stay the same even when you know in your heart it's not the best it can be... but to disrupt what is "working" in hopes that it can be better is a scary thing!!! There's lots of "what-ifs" that sit on your shoulder and whisper in your ear...saying "are you making the right decisions?" and I am happy to say...I DID!!! But, I certainly can't take all this credit because Jane has been the hand in guiding me in the right direction! She is one of them people that through your life you know they have been sent to your for more just the obvious reasons. She was sent to me for reasons that I and her know but for our customers to enjoy! She is the breath of fresh air I forget to take from time to time :) She reminds me that I need to breath and everything will workout in the end...I am and will be forever grateful for what she is teaching me! So, this is a SPECIAL "THANKS" to Jane and ALL four of the newest "CHICKS" to join us...GOOD JOB! You are all such a wonderful addition to my shop! I can breath easy again...'cause I know we made the right choices!

A Primitive Holiday...Open house

All the chicks have been busy finding, cleaning, waxing, painting & pricing there things to bring into the shop next week for our Primitive Holiday event!! There will be all kinds of goodies to eat and drink along with drawings for gift certificates and a wonderful gift basket filled with Prim goodies for someone to enjoy! We have been moving things around inside the shop to make room for even more CHICK'S to join us! This will be a even unlike any that we have had so far! Make sure you mark your calendars for Friday, November 18th 10:00am until 9pm and Saturday the 19th 10:00am - 5pm and Sunday noon until 5pm. Make sure you bring your friends and enjoy the whole town's holiday weekend! Many if not all the shops will have something going on as well! Hope to see you then!!!

November...already

Oh how it does NOT seem like it should be November already...This year has flown by as so many in the past have too! My mom was right when she told me to Cherish everyday because time flies by but what a ride it has been... At the shop we are busy busy busy getting ready for our Holiday open house which will be help on November 18th, 19th and 20th. We will have treats to eat and drink along with a basket filled with prim goodies and 5 gift certificates will be given away.  We have all been painting, sewing, cleaning, waxing and preparing for this event! If you haven't been to our shop before you just might want to take a ride and check it out. I have to say I have to have one of the best group of chicks any shop owner could ever wish for! Together My husband and I along with every chick inside our shop have built a shop that is so different from many around. Not only will you find us if you come to De Kalb but many other shops and great places to eat or just have desert. All of the wonderful shops are located within walking distance of one another.