Friday, December 2, 2011

Holiday Shopping & Stuff

There's something going on around here. Little shops are springing up and it's exciting! Last Saturday, MJ and I galivanted about Williams County visiting shops. To give you a bit of background...Williams county lies in the very northwest corner of Ohio bordered by Indiana to the west and Michigan to the north. With a population of less than 38,000 you just know there's room to stretch. The county was hit hard by the economic woes the country faces and as of October 2011 the unemployment rate continues in double digits at 10%. 

So what's a rural area that relied on Detroit to do?

Get creative!  Set up shop! And oh how imaginative entrepeneurs are grabbing on to the possibilities and making them work...

Our first stop was at a holiday shop in West Unity.  You'll hear more about that shop in a later post, so let's travel down the road to Stryker, Ohio and...

The Green Awning

Yep, I've given you a bit of insight into the Green Awning in a previous post,but let me tell you...Kathy & Tom Short do it up right for the holidays.  Everything was bright, cheerful, and beautiful from antiques & old stuff in the window...

to the clove-studded oranges beneath an old stove...

After catching up with old friends and laughing at Kathy's Christmas hat, with a wave we were on way to Bryan and the...

East Mulberry Gift Cottage


What vintage love is found within the whimsical vignettes of Sharon & Gary Gyurnek's shop.  Birds in purses, perched on iron farm implement seats and everywhere creates a natural ambiance that pulls browsers and buyers into Sharon's world.  Look up....
  to find teacups hanging from twiggy branches on soft, silken ribbons.

Look down...
and there it is... a vintage suitcase just waiting to come home with me and be filled with dreams of far away places and crazy adventures.

Across the square sits Special Ocassions,one of my favorite stores in the area.  I'm saving this little gem for another post, so let's hurry out of town and to...

Fox Farms Christmas in the Barn

A clutch of hens and roosters greeted us as we walked toward the big barn.  Just outside the barn, a whimsical arrangement bid welcome and enter

Within the barn everlastings hung in huge bundles, ready to be crafted into wreaths, swags, garlands, and more. 
A loft circled with tiny white lights held more drieds

Karin Fox takes the everlastings and fashions one- of-a-kind-wreaths-and-designs. The Barn is open every Saturday through December 10th.
The Green Awning Gallery
Tom & Kathy Short
106 Defiance Street
Stryker, Ohio  43557
(419) 682-7432

E. Mulberry Gift Cottage
Sharon & Gary Gyurnek
847 E Mulberry Street
Bryan, Ohio  43506
(419) 630-0100
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10-6  Saturday 10-4

Fox Farms
Jerry & Karin Fox
09 319 Rd 750
Edon, Ohio  43518
(419) 272-2278
Open every Saturday through December 10th 10-4

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A December Photo Challenge: 25 photos in 25 days

 December 1 Berries & Bokeh

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I'm not quite finished.  Don't forget about the Holiday Planner under the Gift for You page. You're welcome to download, copy it, print it, and share it anyway and anywhere you like. 

Have a delightful December Day!

7 comments:

  1. hi teresa, wow you are really into the holidaze over here ;) and it's all gorgeous and i can practically hear snow crunching... what a lovely area to live in and the shops all look so quaint! i could happily spend time in any of them. thanks for stopping by today xxxxoooolinda

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  2. We sure did get snow earlier this week. A day of wild weather ending in snow. Snow always gets me in the mood! Thanks for stopping by, Linda, and thank you for your kind comments.

    *hugs*

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  3. Hello Teresa O!
    Your banner looks festive and fabulous and so did your shopping adventure! Thank you for letting us come along and spy! This is one of the things that I so appreciate about blogging!!

    Especially adored seeing the tea cups hanging from the ribbons, but ALL photographs lovely!

    xox
    Constance

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  4. It was a fun way to spend the day!

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  5. I just love little one of a kind shops. Sounds like it was a wonderful day :)

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  6. Oh my goodness..I want to go into all of those antique shops! I love the old suitcases...and the idea of filling them with dreams. Gorgeous photos!

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  7. It says much of human nature in that it rises over and above to create and delight; this is waht I love about us as humans. Thank you for sharing these beautiful ventures with us; may they prosper.

    Fantastic photograph!!!

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