Day Two of the Transformation

Two days - two people and a dog - I would have never thought it possible. The transformation in the barn at Really Great Finds is complete! Of course I could add more - and will - but this is a great start!After the paint dried...We starting moving in furniture.

Our rescue dog Cali helped out both days. When she wasn't following us back and forth and up and down the stairs, she cuddled up on her bed by the heater.

TA DA!

A little further along - with a dining table and chairs, little red, kitchen cupboard, end table, and a large wood framed vintage mirror.

A corner of the room with a closer look at a great 1950s mod pink and grey tea or coffee set.

The cutest red hutch! Perfect in a cozy kitchen, dining room, or even the family room!

Cozy corner with some of my hand painted signs, a 1930s green painted one drawer table and more.

A beautiful silhouette of a bed with coordinating nightstand - vintage 1960s Ethan Allen.

My handmade 100% cotton cloths paired with yummy soaps - private labeled for me by Dick and Julie at The Parsonage.

So there it is - Fresh, bright and pretty - just in time for Spring - a breath of fresh air and new beginnings!

A Clean Slate at Really Great Finds

Here's the latest news from Bittersweet Design Studio at Really Great Finds:

I am moving from the Garden Room in the big house - out to the upstairs back room in the barn. My husband Bob, pictured below, graciously painted the back and side walls (Sherwin Williams paint - color - Aqueduct), as well as the floor ($5.00 gallon of paint - Sand color - from the Re-Store - Habitat for Humanity's retail store in Purcellville). So here it is - a Clean Slate - just waiting for goodies from Bittersweet Design Studio. We will be moving in some furniture and smalls tomorrow. Donna Horton - who has tons of cool vintage stuff will be moving most of her goodies from the barn into the house.
Check back here tomorrow - we'll have more pics of our work in progress!

French Provincial Bedroom Furniture from Bittersweet Design Studio at Really Great Finds

Vintage 1960s Bassett French Provincial Bedroom Set

Included in this newly repainted set are: a bed, chest of drawers, dresser, mirror, and night stand. Also available - a slightly newer (late 1960s!) coordinating desk. Dressing the bed and also for sale - two Pottery Barn toile shams and a spread, and an awesome 1960s/70s vintage flower power, spring/summer bedspread. Interested? Contact me for prices! bittersweetdesignstudio@gmail.com

'Breakin' Up is Hard to Do Open House'

'Breakin' Up is Hard to Do Open House'
Fri. and Sat. Feb. 12th and 13th
12 noon to 5 pm both days

We are going ahead with the final open house at our Paeonian Springs shop this weekend despite the snowfall!

Wear comfy clothes and warm shoes.

There will be limited parking in the plowed, but snowy lane out in front of the shop.

Please pardon the French Provincial Bassett furniture in front of the shop tomorrow - it's on the way to create a little girl's room over at Really Great Finds in Purcellville.

We hope you are able to stop by!

Elizabeth and Virginia

Pin the Tail on My Donkey Happy Birthday Card

I spent the other day making more of my Donkey birthday cards. They have been relatively popular on Etsy and have sold well at Really Great Finds also.

We took this photo of Donkey for our Trulinos Family Reunion a few years ago. We had him enlarged and laminated at Staples and then printed out a whole bunch of tails. The kids had such a great time playing 'pin (tape, actually) the tail on the donkey' with a real donkey.

He is just so cute. Needless to say this is a photo of him in the summertime. Right now he is a shaggy little beastie - warm and fuzzy with his winter fur.

Holiday Nesting Open House

Holiday Nesting Open House

Bittersweet Design Studio and Moonshine Essentials
December 18 and 19 from 12 noon to 5 pm

Directions: From Route 7 east or west - Take Route 9 west - go approximately 1/2 mile - immediately after the traffic light get ready to turn left on to Simpson Circle.
The shop is just up the gravel lane from the first house on the right. There will be a sign. You can park along Simpson Circle.
We hope to see you!

Welcome and thanks for stopping by! Please join us for our last event of this Christmas season, our 16th annual open house. Not only will we treat you to some yummy homemade breads,a db somehting hot to drink, we will also send you off in style - everything you purchase will be packaged or bagged for gift giving.

If you have been here within the past year, you know that we are an ever evolving shop, and that once more we have honed our focus. In many ways, our focus has shifted towards ‘hearth and home’, and being ‘green’. You will find many more of our handmade products (knitting, jewelry, note cards, wreaths), and those of our friends (handbags, candles, soap) and more, as well as a larger variety of vintage items, from furniture to home décor - and of course cool vintage Christmas. My daughter and I have also included clothing and accessories in our vintage line – including outerwear, formal wear, lingerie, handbags, and hats. As usual we are having just plain fun!

Bittersweet Design Studio at Really Great Finds

Just a few photos from the Garden Room at Really Great Finds in Purcellville.

Some great vintage Made in USA glass cookie platters - I have about a dozen? of these in various designs.

Aluminum 'feather tree' showcasing vintage ornaments.

The Christmassy red hutch has a variety of hand painted snowman items and snowflake plates, platter and tray. The top - not shown - is filled with those wonderful vintage, glazed greenware, electrified Christmas trees with the little plastic 'bulbs'.

Big Event Purcellville VA Town Wide Tag Sale

Look for this sign to find me!

This Weekend - Saturday and Sunday (however - We are starting Friday!)- over 200 yard sales and loads of other vendors selling their wares. Great stuff, including all the normal yard sale items - but also amazing items from artists, designers, etc... This is a shot of my stuff from last year's sale.

I will have vintage furniture, vintage table top items, accesories, fun kids stuff, and more. My daughter will have many of her amazing and unique clothing items from her shop.

We will be set up at The ReallyGreat Finds store in Purcellville at 600 Main Street, under 2 10x10 canopies. Stop by and see us. Mention this blog post and we'll give you an additional 10% off the already bagain prices!

Bittersweet Design Studio Happenings

A view of the Garden Room, with our items for sale, at Really Great Finds, Purcellville, VA

Hello everyone - NO - I did NOT fall in a well or get swept out to sea... I am so sorry for 'blanking out' on you this summer - See my "Sorry Excuses" below.
OPEN HOUSE "It must be Fall" to be held this weekend at our shop in Paeonian Springs, VA We will be open Friday September 18 and Saturday September 19 from 12 n00n to 5 pm. As usual, if you need to come by earlier or later we are happy to accommodate your schedule.
ALSO on the schedule for FALL:
September 1st - I have been graciously invited by Suzanne at Really Great Finds, to take over part of the garden room (AKA sun room) at the store in Purcellvillle. I moved in some pieces of furniture and a boat load of smalls two weeks ago. If you need a Bittersweet fix and are in Purcellville - Really Great Finds is open every weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Also September 1st - The 25 finalists for the Handmade Moment were chosen - I was not one of the 25 - However I still think "If Etsy were a person" video is an awesome thing. Thank you to everyone who took time to view my video. I greatly appreciate the support.

September 4th - Pushing the Envelope - Crafty Packaging for Cards of all Kinds by Marthe Le Van, published by Lark Books, a division of Sterling Publishing Co. arrives in the mail! My submission "TOP SECRET" is on pages 34 and 35! I will have copies available for sale in the shop. I'll even sign it for you :P

September 18 and 19 - Open House in Paeonian Springs, VA

September 26 - Historic Homes Walking Tour, Paeonian Springs, VA at 1 PM, during the Paeonian Springs Fall Festival. I will be conducting the walking tour and discussing the beginnings of Paeonian Springs, and some of it's architecture. This is will be approximately a 45 minute tour. This is only the beginnings of a comprehensive walking tour brochure/guide thatI will be working on for our town.

October 9, 10 , 11 - Fri and Sun 10 - 6, Sat 8 -5 - Open Air Market at Really Great Finds to coincide with the Purcellville Town Wide Tag sale (October 10 and 11 Sat 8 -3, Sun 10 -3).

October 17 - Paint the Town Green - Purcellville VA 10 am - 2 pm - to coincide with the Fall Farm Tour. I will be bringing my "Top Secret" Recycled Envelopes cards, as well as two new lines of 'green' items designed and made by Bittersweet Design Studio.

SORRY EXCUSES:

4 days after my last post, our dearly beloved dog of 15 years Abby, a Black Lab, passed away in our arms, amid kisses, tears and belly rubs. I can hardly even write this, because I can't see through my tears... frankly I think that's a pretty damn good excuse!

Now some other ones...

We had the good fortune of having 2 young enegetic sisters - Anna and Amy Reynal, helping us over the summer, as well as our nephew, Kenny Kopp. I'd like to see you keep the three of them busy, and try and squeeze a blog post in!

We were busy making the video "If Etsy were a person", and being a peer reviewer for the videos.

We listed and sold a boatload of stuff on eBay (that's a lot of packing and shipping!), and listed stuff on Etsy, where we had brisk sales there also.

So - enough for my sorry excuses - I gotta shake a leg and finish getting the shop ready for this weekend, and get some more small tables up to Really Great Finds to replace ones that I have sold!