Happy New Year!

Jill Colombo -left
Darcy, co-owner of McMaster & Storm - right

packets --more on this in a few weeks!

Dear Friends,
Darcy & Kara wish you all the best in 2008. Darcy will be learning to blog as Kara will be on vacation for awhile. Darcy adds alot of humor to our business; her one post she wrote in the summer was funny---check it out here.

Our goals for 2008

e-commerce by Feb 5th
organization for home & store (ikea opens spring of 2008 in Westchester, Ohio, yay for storage)
designing a blog to go with our website
learning to take better pictures for our blog.....lighting, lighting, lighting!

Blessings,
Darcy & Kara

Good Tidings!

Merry Christmas to our friends far & near!
We have lots to be thankful for and it has been lovely getting to know all of our "blog friends"!
There will be exciting news to share with all of you very soon!
Ohhhhhhhh, we can't wait!
Warmest,
Kara & Darcy

Going-ons

What we've been up to lately:
*A birthday party for Luke
*Darcy has been to a few family gatherings for Christmas already
*Keeping things up at the store---we're shopkeepers trying to keep up with store & home this crazy time of year
*& getting ready to have e-commerce soon! whew!
(and did I mention trying to get Christmas cards done)

It's Snowing

Our Storefront the Morning of December 5th.
This picture was taken by Amber, she is the head of
our Main Street Program in Greenville.
Seems so quiet, unaware of the world's hustle & bustle

You're Invited to a Gift Wrapping Event

You're invited to a fabulous tutorial on gift wrapping with

McMaster & Storm
via Melissa at The Inspired Room's blog!

We love to wrap------it's the details in wrapping that make for a memorable gift from the outside to the inside! We want to show you simple ideas, inexpensive & even being "green" with recycling, to make an "oh, I can't open that gift...it's wrapped so yummy"!


The tutorial debuts this coming Monday , December 3rd! Get your wrapping stations ready, make it pretty & get inspired. Stay in your jammies, pour coffee or tea in your fav mug. Better yet get your girlfriends together and wrap your gifts together, sharing supplies is soooo much fun! Get your shopping done & wrap on Monday with us!

Here are pictures of our "gift wrapping kit" compliments of McMaster & Storm!
A recipient will receive this "gift" containing our favorite things to wrap with.
Enter to win at The Inspired Rooms blog!

Kaari Meng of French General will be sharing photos as well to inspire you.
We love her things and sell some of them at our store.
Her store is worth a visit when in Southern California!

Now Darcy & I will hand it over to Melissa , our gracious host.

Gift Wrapping

Watch for details with another blogger on
our favorite thing we love to do....gift wrapping!
Christmas packages.......coming soon!

November 9th -11th event in Bexley, Ohio: Jeffrey Mansion

Contrary to previous post this "Shop Hop" event was to benefit:
The Shop Hop raises funds for scholarships for programs offered through Bexley Recreation to children from Bexley and surrounding neighborhoods.

Thanks to Victoria Zamensky & Karen Page for organizing this event, your efforts were well received. Bless you! We enjoyed our weekend at the Jeffrey Mansion. We will see you next year!

Here are pictures and some newsy news from this past weekend:

The gals behind Bloomsbury Loft:
Karla, Beth & Judith. A group of talented artists who run a darling shop. We want to
invite them down for an artist event next year. They make jewelry, hair accessories, etc.
made with new & vintage finds.



Take the path less traveled-- Stone steps at the Jeffrey Mansion

Tom owner of T. David Collection in German Village.
Dorothy of Tickled Pink & Todd.
(Todd is a twin & another set of siblings is twins, WOW, that's amazing!)
They kept us entertained over the weekend. Enjoyed getting to know creative people.


Package wrapped with a Christmas Curiosities ornament tucked on the outside.

White lights outside on beautiful hued trees

Outside view of back of Mansion

Edward Jekot of Christmas Curiosities. Amazing talent. We want him to come as well to our
store to present his line of Christmas wonders.

Anne Fletcher of Pistacia Vera, amazing Parisian Macaroons.
Lovely to have this in Ohio. My Mother spent a lot of time over there at the shop hop.
She said we'll just have their desserts for Thanksgiving & forget fixing a meal. Ha

Anne Fletcher, co-owner of Pistacia Vera.

McMaster & Storm is selling fresh Bay Leaf wreaths, and will be
reordering as they were a hit.

Beth, "the queen"

One morning we rose early to take pictures of the amazing older homes

in the Bexley, Ohio neighborhood.

This lady of the house was looking outside when we stopped
in front of her home. She made motion of a camera with her hands.
We laughed, she was smiling & waving. This was one of our favorites!!

Loved the shaped boxwoods & ornamental cabbage

Desserts at Mozart's Bakery

Our table at the Shop Hop

Another point of view of McMaster & Storm.

Things to come

1. We're doing a show in Bexley, Ohio at the Jeffrey Mansion, this weekend. The Mansion is near Columbus, Ohio.
It's called the "Shop Hop" to raise money for the restoration. We'll be taking pictures of the show & we're going to check out a couple of boutiques as well!

2. My Mother waited a long time for a new kitchen. I will be posting a series about using new & old materials in her kitchen, etc.

3. We'll be posting with another favorite blogger about ideas, that is still "under wraps"! We'll keep you posted.

4. Enjoy your weekend!
Best,
Kara & Darcy

Christmas Open House

Sara Vallo, who is now helping us out at the shop....she's the best!
Welcome Sara!
Our new Christmas hours are Monday - Friday 10-5 & Saturday 10-4 Sunday closed

We were closed 4 days to prepare for this Christmas Open House. We were happy we accomplished little details, as with some open houses we don't always get around to doing. Details, details....make an event!
We had a ball with this theme and loved hanging "soft pretzels" in a few of our displays, I'm thinking about hanging some from my own chandelier at home, for a party!
Thanks to all of our customers that came to our "Woodland Christmas Party"
We had a ball!

The Peaches are Milk Chocolate, perfect for hostess gifts and favors

Petite gifts

Reflections of the season

Wrapped gift for customer Jill

More of our Bavarian table

Our tokens of Parisian souvenirs


Our deer, decked out with a crown between his antlers, tucked in the crown is a nest of eggs and
a birdie.....he is the prince of our woodland decked store.


His frilly collar, adorned with ribbon, ornament bell & velvety flowers.
(ladies, you now have ideas for your husband's trophys)

Eye candy

artist who uses old & new beads...to create one-of-a-kind pins

A bevy of vintage coats

Practical, beautiful gifts



Melon & Marine scented apothecary just for her

Your passport needs another stamp in it....bon voyage




A top pick in our store, beautiful illustrations of the book of Psalms, created for his wife.

sweet party favor baskets

A side view of window display: our version of "woody cake stands" created by Kara's husband
in a medley of sizes & quirkiness. We have had requests to sell these...
The vintage wallpaper in background, we scored 5 complete rolls of this "woodland" design a week before our open house. meant to be.