The Happy Woman Store

Here is a sneak peek at our store in Suttons Bay, Michigan after our redecorating shenanigans! We’re opening April 3rd! We hope you’ll visit when you’re in the area….

The meltdown is complete!
With temps in the 60’s this weekend, it appears that spring has sprung in northern Michigan.
The mermaid has been unveiled — in all her glory!

And, to that I say:

We’re about to become the proud owners of a Yorkie Poo that we have named CoCo. Isn’t she precious? What is happening to me? I don’t normally say or write the word precious, just as a matter of principle. This little puppy is turning me to mush!

And for a little perspective, here’s CoCo with the breeder’s granddaughter. Hope we don’t accidentally squish her!

Woo-Hoo! We’re making some progress:

An initial impression of Julie yields the following: happy, happy, happy.

She is a warm, friendly, cheerful soul and after meeting her, you can see that her art comes straight from her heart. Her studio is in northern Michigan in a sweet house across from pristine Lake Leelanau. Last year, we began to carry her blessing bowls in our store.

Aren’t they beautiful? Each one is made by hand and they have been a huge success in our store because they are beautiful, meaningful, and just the right price for a shower, birthday, wedding, graduation or ‘just because’ gift ($25). Each bowl type has a different blessing written on the outside. We are currently offering four types of bowls on our site.

Julie’s talents aren’t just confined to the kiln. She’s also a very gifted writer, painter and minister. Throughout the year, she performs marriage ceremonies and dabbles in other artistic venues. In addition to creating ceramic pieces for the various galleries & shops that carry her work, she always has a new project on the back burner. A visit to her studio yields glimpses of her artistic soul at work. Julie describes her artistic process as being pregnant with an idea. Her ideas incubate until they are ready for creation or, as she describes it, until she gives birth to them.

We feel fortunate to be able to feature her work at The Happy Woman store. And, as we tell each new owner of one of her bowls: you are now the proud owner of something that was truly created with love.

We’re beginning to spiff up our store in Suttons Bay, Michigan for the 2007 season. Every year, I like to change SOMETHING, just to keep things different & fun for my customers. This year, we’re painting and rearranging some furniture. Oh, and hanging these really cool things from the ceiling which I saw when I was in Florida. That picture will be available later. Here are a couple of before photos.

Boy, do we have a lot of work to do!

Last year, I bought this really cool mermaid sculpture from my pal, Nicole, next door at Up North Antiques. I’m using it as my personal snowfall measurer (or whatever that thing is called). Hopefully, this mermaid will continue to be revealed in the coming weeks. She’s my hope & inspiration that, yes, indeedy spring is springing in northern Michigan! Stay tuned for further meltdowns….

>After a week long visit with mom and dad on southwest Florida, my hubby and I set off for Anna Maria Island. It’s a tiny island, near Sarasota, which loads of charms and beaches to die for. We stayed in a charming little cottage within a group of charming little cottages called Anna Maria Island Beach Cottages. We had a studio with a roomy bathroom and little kitchen with fridge that allowed us to keep cold beverages available at all times!

Over a charming bridge (which was, literally, steps from our cottage), this was “our” beach for the week

We beached, biked, hiked, shopped, and ate to our heart’s content. And, since we’re in business ourselves, we’re always on the lookout for businesses we think are stepping it up. Here are our favorites from this trip.

Best Beer & Desserts - Waterfront Restaurant, Anna Maria Island
Once my husband discovered their selection of draught microbrews, this was a frequent stop for cocktails. He liked the Harpoon IPA, while I favored the Dead Guy Ale. Our beers came in glasses that had the name of the beer on them! We also imbibed on a couple of desserts here — the key lime pie was delicious and the Red Velvet Cake — YUM! The setting is beautiful — across the street from Tampa Bay. They have outdoor seating out front overlooking the water and also in a courtyard near the middle of the restaurant.

Best Use of an Old IGA Store - Ginny and Jane E’s at the Old IGA, Anna Maria Island

This was far and away our favorite hangout. These two girls have turned an old IGA store into the Island’s most happening place. Part coffee shop (the best cappuccinos on the island), part lunch spot, part antique shop, part florist, this place is simply enchanting. Lots of great Florida antiques, some repainted in bright colors, plus lots of other cool stuff made this place a daily stop for us. Oh, and the apricot & cream cheese scones? Addicting.

Best Burger — Duffy’s Tavern, Anna Maria Island

You gotta love a place that knows what it’s about. Duffy’s is about hamburgers. You can also get hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and bean soup (homemade — with a new bone, according to the menu). No fries (you can get chips if you want), no onion rings, no nothing else. Except the coldest beer in town (it’s true, too) in a frosty mug. You place your order at the bar and pick it up when it’s finished.

Best Thing to do on a Rainy Day (yes, we had a rainy day!) -
The Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL

For $15, you can tour the Circus Museum (very interesting - a miniature of a circus in Knoxville, real circus wagons, lots of circus posters, and other memorabilia), the Ringling Mansion (Ca d’Zan) and the Art Museum (lots of Renaissance paintings and while we were there — an exhibit called 5000 Years of Jewelry). It’s only a 30 minute drive from Anna Maria and it was a really fun day.

Our vacation was fabulous and I’m glad that I have these pictures so that I can forget that this is what I came back to!