A Moment in The Life of This Shopkeeper

I woke up this morning at 5am...... which is unheard of for me!
A thought popped into my head....

"I don't think I mentioned the dates of the Red Tag Sale in the email I sent out yesterday!!!!"
"Oh #@*^!!!!!!!"

So I try to roll over and go back to sleep, but it just was not going to happen.

So I get up, and then discover, I was supposed to get coffee filters, as I had used the last one yesterday....

But I forgot!

I am nothing without my coffee!

NOTHING, I tell you!!!!

I then remember I have a 4 cup coffee pot packed away in a box somewhere, with 4 cup filters....also packed away in a box somewhere in the house!!!

So at 5:30 I am rummaging through all my boxes of stuff, that probably will go unpacked until 2015 (at which time I will decide to have a yard sale, but that is another story!)

Eureka...I found them!!!!!

Now, I can get the caffeine running through my veins and I will go check the email, that I, and Angela, and Barbara had all reviewed before hitting the "send" button......

Barbara and I were obsessing over the spelling of vacuum.....I have been spelling it wrong for my whole life...... I could have sworn is was "vacumn"!

Anywho, long story short.........

I did neglect to provide the dates
for the Red Tag Sale!

They are..........drum roll please......

January 2, 3, 4!!!

So that, my dear friends, is a moment in the life of this shopkeeper!

Do you think it should become a regular addition to the blog?

Please leave a comment......
I am going back to bed.....

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Another great recipe from Stonewall Kitchen!
Corn and Black Bean Salad

1 jar of Stonewall Kitchen Spicy Corn Relish

1 ~15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 ripe avacado, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

And this IS THE BEST PART...............
Directions....combine all, toss and serve!
And I think this is one of those healthy , good for you recipes....
Beans are good for ya....
Avacado is green, so that has to be good for ya.....
Corn is a vegetable....
Tomatoes are very good for your health, especially the guys....
And we all need a little calcium!

Seed Lights

Finally................................................................
The seed lights (50 count) are back in stock!!!

These are teeny white lights that are spaced close together.

They are on brown wire, so they blend fabulously with your primitive garlands, grapevine wreaths, and more!
We use these all year, they are not just for the holidays!

We've placed them inside mason jars with potpourri or garland....

They really make our bubble glass vases sparkle!

Brighten up your space with the addition of these adorable lights!

They are also available in 35 count and 100 count, but currently we only have the 50 count in stock!

Let the SALE Begin!

Our Holiday Sale
begins on
Friday ~ Dec 26th at 10am!
We are open from 10am to 5pm!
Sale Ends Sunday ~ Dec 28th
50% off All Christmas Items!
20% off Everything Else....some exclusions apply!
All Sales are final...and

with deals like this,
we regret that we will not be offering gift wrap.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays
from all of us at
Brown & Hopkins!

Liz~ Angela~ Barbara ~ Linda ~Taylor~ Marcia

The Most Beautiful Christmas Card

A good friend recently sent me the link to this e-card....

Make sure you have your sound on.....

and make sure to follow the instructions on the screen....

Tip.....this is a good one to enjoy with kids from 4 to 104....

http://ecard.ashland.edu/2004admission/index.html

Project Blue Light

Yesterday a customer "enlightened" us to
Project Blue Light.......

It’s just one blue light bulb,
but it can have a profound impact on those who choose to protect and serve.
Project Blue Light, a long-standing tradition that involves placing a blue light in the window of a home during the holidays, has become a way of recognizing the service of law enforcement officers who are serving communities and those who have fallen in the line of duty.
Ricky Parks, a Rocky Mount senior police officer and sergeant-at-arms for the N.C. Fraternal Order of Police, said the gesture is appreciated among the law enforcement community.
“One blue light in the window honors those injured or killed in the line of duty, and those on the street,” Parks said.
Project Blue Light was initiated in 1988 in Pennsylvania, after a woman whose son-in-law was killed in the line of duty began the practice of putting a single blue light in an electric candle in the window of her home, according to the Concerns of Police Survivors Web site — an organization for families of fallen police officers that promotes Project Blue Light.
Parks said he encourages as many people as possible to display a blue light in the window of their homes to show support for all law enforcement officers.

This blue star bulb is available while supplies last at Brown & Hopkins. It fits into our little electric window candles, just perfect for your window sill.

What A Weekend!

It has been a wonderful holiday season
at Brown & Hopkins....so busy and festive!
And I needed a couple days off....

So I booked an exquisite room at
The Villa of Westerly, and Bruce and I were off!

It was a much needed quick get-away!

The room was picture perfect,
the inn keepers so hospitable.....

Ahhh.........

And I wish it lasted longer,
but it is back to reality for me tomorrow!
Another shop owner asked me..."How do you get to go somewhere in the middle of the holiday season!?"...and I said, "I am fortunate to have very competent staff who can handle the store when I am away! I am so lucky!" Thank You Barbara, Linda and Angela for "covering" for me this weekend! As always, you are the best!
Thank You...Thank You...THANK YOU!

Guess What I Do When It Snows??

I start baking!!!!!
We are supposed to get up to
13 inches of snow tonight!
OMG....it's already started!!!!
Oh, that's just on the 'puter screen! Phew!

Last night after candlelight shopping,
I ran over to the liquor store to buy some brandy...

No, I don't drink brandy!
For the cookies, silly!

I am making cherry cookies,
and I have to soak dried cherries in brandy...
doesn't that sound yummy?!

I'll let ya know how they turn out!

Here are some pics from last nights
candlelight shopping in our town...

That's Angela and Taylor!
I sent them to take pics of the horses.....and
those girls found Santa!!!
I am not sure who looks happier, them or Santa!

That's Maggie dressed in a Santa Suit!!! With Vinnie from Scituate!
The town was hustling and bustling!

Oh, just look at these candy faces!

Oh, and starting today through Christmas Eve at 3pm,
All our Christmas items are on sale at 25% off!
Remember, it's always a good idea to call the store
during inclement weather,
to be sure we are open..... safety first!

My Sugar Daddy!

I bet you thought I was talking 'bout Bruce.......Braah ha haaaaaaaaa!!!!

Fooled ya!

But wouldn't this big Sugar Daddy be a great Yankee Swap gift???!!

I bet some of you are wondering..."Yankee Swap?? What's that?"

A tradition in our neck of the woods is to have a Yankee Swap at holiday gatherings. There is usually a $10 or $20 limit. Everyone who participates, brings a wrapped gift, sometimes they are nice gifts, sometimes funny gifts.....the funny ones are always the best! You then draw numbers. And then you choose a gift in order, unwrap the gift and then the fun begins. (if you are the first person to draw a gift...that is great! I'll explain why in a bit.....) If you don't want to keep the gift you have opened, and you see another gift that has already been opened that you do want...you can take that persons gift!!!!!!!! Or you may choose to keep your gift, but that doesn't mean you are going home with it!!!! Someone else might just take it from you!!!

The reason it is best to be the first picker (ooh, that doesn't sound right....where is my high school English teacher?), is that you get to choose your gift from the entire loot!!!!!!

Whew.....now aren't you glad you asked what a Yankee Swap was??????

I am participating in one at my sisters home this year.........oooh, I can't wait!!!!

Back to the Sugar Daddy...we have 'em...come on in and get one!
It's an awesome stocking stuffer too!

Oh, and that red box is full of yummy fudge.....a pound in all!

Don't forget to tell your sugar daddy that our Men's (and kid's) Shopping Night is

Monday, the 22nd from 5pm to 8pm!
They can buy $100 Gift Certificates for just $90!
And we'll even gift wrap it for them!

"As Time Goes By" is HERE!!!

It just came in the mail today!

The new book by Judy Condon!!!!!

It's here! It's here!!!!

And it's a great one!

Available in the shop for $28.95 or online for $32.95 (SHIPPING included.)

Hurry in......only a dozen in stock!

Straight to the Top!

Maybe this was bold of me, and maybe it wasn't bold enough.....

but I emailed off a letter to The Today Show this morning!
Here is a copy.....no fluff, just laying it on the line.....

Hello Today Show!

My name is Liz and I am the shopkeeper for Brown & Hopkins Country Store in Chepachet, RI.The store will be celebrating its 200th year in continuous operation in 2009!!! Yes, that is correct, Brown & Hopkins has been open since 1809! And despite the economic crisis, this store is not only surviving, some days it is thriving! And I bet you haven't ever been to Chepachet, RI, have you????? Geez, half of the Rhode Islanders have never been to Chepachet!!

Anyway, just wondering if Al or Matt or Meredith could come by and check it out!

Afterall, it's not everyday you turn 200 years old!!

I hope to hear from you......the publicity would be well deserved..... and then maybe we could afford to give the old lady a paint job and a new roof..... : )

Thank you for your time.

Liz McIntyre

Wouldn't it be so cool if Al did his weather report from Chepachet?????
Maybe we have a snowballs chance in
H ~ E Double Hockey Sticks
of that happening, but it never hurts to ask.....

Wish us luck!

It's beginning to SMELL alot like Christmas!!!

We just received our luscious delivery of premium potpourri!

Preserved cedar, orange slices, pepper berries, and more....

this one is called Evergreen......

Come on in for a sniff!

We also have matching fragrance oils!

Have you tried a scent ring on your light bulb yet????

By now, your fresh cut tree has lost most of its scent....

We can help you get that scent back into your home....

Just ask!

14 DEGREES???? UGH!

Most folks that know me, know
I don't like cold weather!

If it were up to me, I would be living in a sunny location, with low humidity (oh, how my hair frizzes up!), and temperatures between 60 and 90 all year long.......

Where is that? Aruba? Jamaica? I've never been to either!

One of my dreams has been to go away to a tropical paradise when it is frigid here!

A drink in one hand, and my toes in the sand...ahhhhh.

Kenny Chesney has a new song out about
"All I want for Christmas is a tan...",
and that sounded pretty good to me!
What the heck was Renee thinking
when she dumped Kenny???!!! LOL

Oh well, someday I'll get away, maybe......

But for now, we are bundling up in Rhode Island!

We just put the lights on our tree last night,
and it snowed for the first time yesterday!

So winter is on its way.

But it is warm and cozy inside Brown & Hopkins!

Everyday we make the hot spiced apple drink with our instant spices!

We add them to plain (inexpensive) apple juice for a nice spicy apple cider!

You can even add it to cranberry juice or cran-apple juice!

Just $3 for one package and it makes up to 128 ounces!!!!

Ooh, I can hear it percolating now.....it smells wonderful.....

come on over!

Remember, everything tastes better in
a Brown & Hopkins Mug! Just $6.95

P.S. Just remember, don't do what I did......

I turned on the percolator with just the spice mix
and no apple juice and set off the fire alarm......

the whole town knew I was cooking again!!! Oopsie!

Man's Best Friend

A friend sent this video link......it is of a soldier coming home after 14 months in Iraq and being greeted by his dogs.....

They look like Springer Spaniels,
which I believe my Cassie

has a little part of Springer in her..
they are such loving, smart and affectionate dogs.
Get the tissue box out now.....This video actually made me cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziWoyLpXQyc&eurl=http://anenchantedcottage.blogspot.com/&feature=player_embedded

Do You Ever "Google" Yourself?

Here is something I found online when I googled "Brown & Hopkins"....
A nice review on TripAdvisor!

“Amazing”
Brown and Hopkins Country Store

adsm19113
Pennsylvania
Jan 12, 2008
I have traveled to just about every country store imaginable and I have to say Brown & Hopkins is one of a kind. Shopping there is a wonderful experience. It is a must see if you're traveling anywhere near it!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

How nice is that!!!
That fluffed my feathers a bit today!
Keep those nice comments coming,
they sure keep the staff and I energized during this busy holiday season!

Flat Stanley Paid Us A Visit!

Countdown to Christmas!

There are just 24 days til Santa comes down the chimney!
And we will be open every one of those days for your shopping convenience!
That is correct...everyday from
10am to 5:30pm and Thursdays til 9pm!
We'll see you soon!