Ready for a new year with beauty

“Rocky Beach” 24x36, original acrylic by Donna Reed, $155

 

“Rolling Waves” 24x36, original acrylic by Donna Reed. $155

  "Fjord Country" by Solveig Berg, 34.5"x28.5" framed

Seeing the Christmas story through a child's eyes

Here's my attempt to create an alpine lake vignette by setting June Evanoff's beautiful portrait of Mt. Rainier next to an old mirror. Now while you are enjoying your tea at our window tables, you can imagine you are sitting high in the mountain meadow!

While you are waiting till we re-open on the Tuesday after Christmas, here's a link to a beautiful, funny, touching story of what it's like to see Jesus' full gift for the first time. Found by way of a line of links to antiquers and junkers and repurposers!

Enjoy!

http://rockinm.blogspot.com/2009/12/through-childs-eyes.html

Through a Child's Eyes (Author Unknown)

God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior.

Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup.

Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart.It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watches as Joseph and Mary travel to the Inn and is thrilled when she sees the baby Jesus in His mother's arms.

When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As he neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, "Jesus, Jesus! There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words but exclaiming them with every fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming his name and hugging us. "It's Jesus. Look!" I thought she might actually pass out.

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Jesus through the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first time. How like the blind beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus, Jesus!", afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. (Mark 10:46-52) This was so much fun.

Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Bad soldiers, stop it!" As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending." "They are hurting Jesus! Stop it!" She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!". Then they quit smiling and began watching her watch Him.

In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten. Bailey was now hysterical. "Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it," she screamed. She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!"

People all around us began to weep as we all watch this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had. Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught. I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are just people pretending to be soldiers. She looked at me like I was crazy.

In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!" The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A Super Bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!"

I prayed that she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus' suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.

Following the pageant the actors all assembled in the foyer to be greeted by the audience. As we passed by some of the soldiers Bailey screamed out, "Bad soldier, don't you hurt Jesus." The actor who portrayed Jesus was some distance away surrounded by well-wishers and friends. Bailey broke away from us and ran toward him, wrapping herself around his legs, holding on for dear life. He hugged her and said, "Jesus loves you." He patted her to go away. She wouldn't let go. She kept clinging to Him, laughing and calling His name. She wasn't about to let go of her Jesus.

I think God in heaven stopped whatever was going on that day and made all the angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, 'Of such is the kingdom of heaven?'" Bailey's reaction should be our reaction every day. When we think of Him, who He is, what He did for us, and what He offers us, we have to say, how can we do anything less than worship Him?

Christmas week!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas from everyone at The Living Room!

The Living Room will be open Tuesday and Wednesday this week, December 22 and 23, then closed for Christmas Eve through the following Monday.

If we miss you this week, have a wonderful day celebrating the Savior's birth, and see you next Tuesday, December 29.

~ Katie, Elisha, Noah, Christopher

Carols! And more Step-of-Faith on Saturday, December 19, 2009

Here's a sweet picture taken as Living Room co-owner, Elisha, and Step-of-Faith friends, Brittany and Emily, headed out for an evening party.


The amazing Step-of-Faith will be performing at The Lighthouse Foursquare Church in Kenmore tomorrow night, 12/19/09. Tickets, if there are any left, would be $7 at the door. Better check first, though, with Step-of-Faith's business office: 425-344-9700.


My son, Chris, and I are working at the shop after hours tonight; we just heard hauntingly beautiful choral singing wafting into the room, but couldn't place its origin. We went as pilgrims out into the misty evening to track it to the source.

The soaring voices seemed to come from this direction and that as the sound bounced off building walls in the downtown area. We finally spotted lighted ships on the water, just offshore beyond Kenmore Air and Log Boom Park. A choir onboard was singing carols glorifying God. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful blessing to rest over our city than these heavenly voices proclaiming the gospel of Christmas: God's gift of love to the world in His Son, Yeshua the Messiah, given to us.

As the concert was ending, we came back to the shop and learned from Laurie Sperry's Kenmore Blog that we had been enjoying Con Brio Women's Choir from the Christmas Ship's visit to Kenmore! I'm so grateful we were here to hear!

Now, it's back to paperwork, accompanied by some of the same carols sung by David Shelton on the CD Deb brought in this morning. Wonderful :^)

Not that we're clock-watchers, but...

The lovely chiming wall clock was a fun way to check the time during the day.

Now it has found a happy new home, and it occurred to me that some of you may have a clock you'd like to consign.

Consign your clock and help us pace ourselves during the busy day :^)

Just when I said, "We have no more room!..."

... we are blessed with the opportunity to help with an estate sale and to help a neighbor who must suddenly move for an out-of-state job.

So, we're filled to the gills! Come before lunch, so you can squeeze through what remains of our aisles.

Some of our prices are negotiable, some are not, so please ask. Come enjoy browsing through the really lovely items that have just come in:
Mahogany highboys








 
 dresser,

 

 end tables,

 a sweet, ivory brocade sofa,

vibrant sunset-colored striped swivel arm chair with ottoman.




Stitched Christmas trees. Corner curio shelf, antique oak workstand, bed tables and twin sleigh beds with very good mattresses...

Added to our usual--the unusual--at The Living Room today :^)

Gift wrapping at The Living Room!

Need your Christmas gifts wrapped with care?

Come to The Living Room today, Saturday December 5th, or next Saturday, December 12th, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.! 
 

Gift wrapping is a fundraiser for Bethany Bible Church's mission trip to Mexico in 2010. Wrapping is free, with donations gladly accepted!

Beauty, hard-slogging, and merciful touches of joy

Just to have something pretty on the blog, here is the prancing reindeer that Margo brought in! I'm debating whether to sell him in the store or try him on ebay. Despite my camera's tricks, he is a silvery color, not gold. Made of steel welded by a Bellingham artist whose name is not known to me. Does anyone recognize the artist?

What is steel called when it's not stainless steel? This is not a set up for a joke; I need to describe the reindeer as made of steel, without resorting to "steel-not stainless" :^)

Do you sometimes feel giddy after finishing an exhausting job? Just installed new consignment software, entered what feels like years of backlogged data, paid our consignors, and got all our accounts up to date. Gotta crash (not the software, me!!) but want to stay awake just long enough to enjoy the small swells of joy and hope that come as a gift after a hard slog.

See you soon in the fresh new month, December 2009! We've never been here before :^)

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the closest thing to a holiday picture that I have to share with you, and it's OK since an attitude of thanksgiving is good preparation for Christmas!

This picture shows just a few of the fun holiday consignments that have come in. Made some nice settings instantly.

We'll be with family on Thanksgiving Day, but back in our fun shop on Friday, looking forward to seeing you there!

Katie et al.

Treasures small and large

Of course, the most important "things" in your house--or our shop-- are the people. We have been so blessed by the "treasures" who come our way each day, whether they buzz through quickly with the hunter's focus, or leisurely enjoy a browse and a visit. Thanks to all of you who have come to see us (I was going to say "each of you", but the requisite verb just didn't sound right, so I bailed :^)

Noah spent hours today putting up Christmas lights in the windows. We are so glad to have them now that night falls sooner. And especially since our big outside sign isn't working until we get a ballast replaced!  It's on our prayer list :^)

Thankfully, Geri had come by for a visit and to consign her latest creation: tea cup candles, prettily packaged with a chocolate bon bon. So, when Noah and the ladder and the miles of lights got tangled, she was on hand to do the unwinding. I think you will agree the fruit of their labors was well worth the effort. Again, pictures will have to follow!

So, here are a few of the pictures promised for the previous blog entry about the gorgeous hooked rug. [You can see more by clicking into our flickr website at www.tinyurl.com/tlr-flickr]

Here's the overview of the entire 70" x 109" rug:

Here's a closeup:

And here's one way we enjoyed displaying it, draped over the camelback sofa!

Doesn't that look rich?

Wintry days as seen from our window

The early darkness of Northwest winters is here. I'm grateful for our cozy setting, looking out into the dusk through the lampglow of our tea tables. I will, however, need to clear those tables of the seasonal and Christmas treasures that have just been consigned! Come in to find new treasures for your seasonal decorating! Have you ever seen Santa driving an Model-T?

The newly consigned leather sofa, sectional, and ottoman is gathering many admirers. It's sidelong down the aisle, waiting for space to open up, currently occupied by formal, floral sofas, a top-lifter mission coffee table, a couple of drop-leaf tables, and so much more.

Deborah came in looking for scented candles for a friend, and we're happy to oblige. Using therapeutic grade essential oils, we can custom-scent candles quickly.

Sandra came in with an antique, hand-hooked wool rug. This is one of those pieces I will be sorry to see leave, it is so beautiful. Gotta go get new batteries for the camera so I can share it with you!

We'll be back in touch soon!

- Katie

We're taking the show on the road!

Come see us at St. Brendan's 2009 Craft Fair!


Saturday November 7, 9a-5p
Sunday November 8, 12a-4p

http://www.saintbrendan.org/school/CraftFair/CraftFair.html

Pickles, cloche hats, magical tables, beautiful sofas & chairs...

I know we are eclectic, but this is getting too wonderful for words!

PICKLES!

Our friend Sheryl's pickle recipe, carefully guarded through generations, is hitting the big time, and we've been able to score a Pickle Connection! Now professionally produced and taste-tested by Sheryl to ensure faithfulness to the original, McSweet's Sweet N Sour Dills are available at The Living Room.

Now, which of our 3 target markets do these fit?
... Secondhand home furnishings? Definitely not! A jar would not last unopened long enough to be passed from mother to daughter to consignment shop.
... Original works of art? Absolutely! These pickles qualify. The perfect balance of sweet, tart, and salt. (And we're pretty sure there's fiber in there, too :^) I don't like sweet pickles, but these keep me coming back. Please come and get yours here before I open another jar!
... Tea shop and cupcake mecca? Yes! Another score! For those of you who want a little salt to balance the sweetness of a cupcake, McSweet's Sweet N Sour Dills are a perfect match.
16-oz $5.00
32-oz $8.00


CLOCHE HATS!

We've been thrilled with the response to our crocheted scarves. Now we have a collection of cute and warm cloche hats to go with them!
$25 each.
Hand-warming mitts soon to follow.


MAGICAL TABLE!

You may have seen these before, but I hadn't. A charming Mission-style coffee table that, with just a touch, lifts up to bring the top into workspace or eating space height. The hidden hinges operate so smoothly, it seems to float up magically on command and then stay exactly where you place it.
$125.

Thank you, again, to our wonderful clients. Your delight with The Living Room makes every day a pleasure to come to work.

What we're looking for... (updated 10/21/09)

We are looking for:


- a round bistro table, 30-36" diameter. Can have marble or granite or wood top; must be beautiful.
- a tall dresser for a girl's bedroom, and
- a simple vanity for a grand-daughter's bedroom
- tea cups with saucers
- fruit crates from bygone days (wooden slabs with metal corners)
- maritime art
- 4 sturdy bistro chairs
- white bedtable or nightstand
- 4 white kitchen chairs

If you have any of these that you are interested in consigning, please contact The Living Room!
425-877-1074 or tlr.kenmore@gmail.com

Coupon for Facebook fans of The Living Room

Let me see if this will work. My goal is to put up a coupon on this page, to thank our facebook fans for their support. Enjoy!

Thanks to you Hometown Value shoppers!

Just have a sec to say thanks to all the Hometown Value shoppers who have been streaming through The Living Room the last couple of days :^)

So good to meet all of you!

Thanks, Laurie Heston, for putting together such a terrific savings venue for the community!

The Tuesday report

Tuesdays are our Monday, but they are never blue. Today, our customers braved wind and chilly rain to come in for coffee, cupcakes, and our newest addition: mildly spiced hot cocoa.

The jigsaw puzzle table set up by our friend Geri netted a true addict who enjoyed putting together a fair bit of it until she really...had to...just one more piece...go :^)

We are still topsy-turvy, setting up new craft displays on the south wall, but no one seemed to mind as they wandered through the narrower-than-usual aisles, browsing through our furniture, art pieces, crafts, and books. We're sustained by hope that soon The Living Room will be put back together, and be more charming than ever before!

Before and after photos coming, when we reach "after"!

It's a good thing I like rearranging furniture :^)

Today is Saturday! Yay! Noah is not at school, so he can help me move things!

So, come see us today...

Is the key thing today (after the ultimate key that God loves us) that our delicious cupcakes from Kittyhugs Baking Company are all $2.25, including red velvet!

Or is the key thing that we are rearranging the south wall of the store to make room for display shelves to rent to crafters?

I'll report back on this important question, but now must go. Rearranging is afoot :^)

Katie

Of Cupcakes and Curios, Scarves and Scones...

What are days like in The Living Room, now that the days are growing cooler and the evening comes sooner?

We still have the morning sun streaming in our east-facing windows to start our day. Now that October has come, we are grateful for this jump start on warming the store before REZNOR has to pitch in. Reznor is our noisy, ceiling-mounted gas heater. He's pretty quick about warming things up.

Now that we have a shop, I notice things in other shops that I never noticed before. Reznors abound. (Hey, fellow business-owners, bring a photo of your store's Reznor for a 10% discount on your next shopping trip to The Living Room!)

So, back to a description of autumn in The Living Room:

...A warm seat by the window, a cup of tea, a KittyHugs cupcake, while you ponder whether that pecan-wood coffee table is right for your living room...

....A few minutes spent on the jigsaw puzzle that our friend Geri set up...


...A growing representation of cats in our art! Check out Liz Marshall's wild marmalade George in her new collection of cards. $2.50 each, or buy 4 and get the 5th card free...

 ...An influx of furniture, artwork, and SCARVES!...

 

These soft and cuddly scarves are priced to warm up your winter at $15. Hand-crocheted, hand-washable, and beautiful!

Beloved Storyteller, David Shelton

David Shelton is nationally beloved for his ability to hold an audience rapt with humorous and stirring tales that leave us feeling closer to God and to each other.

Own these performances in book, CD, or DVD format to enjoy in your home and share with your family:
~ The Great King
~ The Innkeeper's Dream
~ Root, Blossom, and Thorn

Now available in The Living Room.

Praying, partying, and sweeping up. Also: New books in The Living Room!

Pre-Script: Almost forgot to mention one of the highlights of today: Laurie Sperry dropped by and announced the very good news that the U.S. Post Office has signed a lease and will be moving into the current city hall building in the very near future, right on the border of our parking lot! Thanks to God for His favor on our community.
United States Postal Service approves long term lease for Kenmore Post Office

This morning, The Living Room hosted Kenmore Prayer Circle's prayer for the city, as we do every Friday morning at 8:30. It's always a blessing to consider how we are connected with others in the city, in the region, and around the world in prayer to our amazing God.

When we opened TLR at 10, it became like being at a party, so many people coming and going! I'm continually delighted by the many people who stop in on their way to or from Dr. Minahan's dental clinic (always raving about the wonderful care they receive there), from The Jewel Box (always proclaiming, "I love John!"), from Ichiban Teriyaki (sorry we've made some customers late for their pickup when they get distracted looking through The Living Room :^), and from Master Shin's TaeKwanDo. And of course, we love the folks who come through after shopping at Grocery Outlet, but they can't stay long because they've got food in the car that needs to get home to the refrigerator! Now they've found us, we know they'll be back :^)

One of our consignors, Olivia Cohnheim, came in with new swatches of fabric for those who might want to take their new purchases to Jeffries Upholstery for new covers [425-485-7363‎]. Can't you just imagine this beautiful old camelback sofa restored to its original splendor?

We also learned from Olivia that the little retro kitchen stool on sale in TLR for $20 was a wedding present to a Kenmore couple 62 years ago:

Good thing the afternoon slowed down, so I could take care of some of those little administrative details, like sweeping the alley and ordering more cupcakes from Kittyhugs Baking Company. One of our authors, Karen Olson, was so kind to keep an eye on the store while I was out back sweeping. Her two books, "The Nixons: A Family Portrait", co-authored with President Nixon's brother, Ed Nixon, and "The Platinum King: Andrew Olson's Story" are among the latest additions to our growing book shelf.

We are also glad to announce that Darren Twa's book, "God's Value System", is now available at The Living Room. Pastor Darren has developed a relationship seminar based on the principles found in the Gospels: What God values is sacrificial love for the benefit of others. The most potent example of this love is Jesus, God the Son, dying for us on the Cross. Twa's seminar opens up ways this truth can heal and bless our human relationships, as well. More information at this site: http://godsvaluesystem.com/seminars.html

Taking the topic from the sublime to the silly, I confess I get a little attached to certain items for the short time we have them in The Living Room. Among the pieces we said good-bye to this week were a couple of favorites: a lovely old writing desk and a 1929 Sparton Radio Cabinet:

Bring us your home furnishings shopping list!

So thankful for a Wednesday of many blessings as old friends and new gathered and mingled, as conversations, prayers, and visits ebbed and flowed through The Living Room. People came in with smiles, ideas, and shopping lists; went out with hugs, cupcakes, bracelets, and furniture :^)

Thanks to Sheila Amos for the wonderful floral valence. I've never seen such a long one, and it's going to be perfect over our eastern windows. Thanks to her husband and fellow Promise Player, Chuck Amos, who took the two electric typewriters away for cleaning, in prep for our ebay debut.



Thanks to Kathy, Margo, Kim and Robin for all showing up at once to keep me company while Elisha Ann is away at a conference. Your friendship and prayers were part of a memorable day in The Living Room. 


Thanks to all the shoppers and browsers who walked in to bless us with your presence.

Whose are These?

That's what I wonder as I prepare consigned furniture to sell to its new owner. That owner is out there, and it's our job to help them find this piece :^)

Reminds me of a poem that Winnie-the-Pooh wrote...hmmm, how did that go?...Thanks to the A.A.Milne fan who posted this gem on the internet so I don't have to rummage through book shelves to find our copy (the posting omitted the last line, so I hope I have remembered it correctly?):

"On Monday when the sun is hot,
I wonder to myself a lot,
Now is it true, or is it not,
If What is Which and Which is What?

On Tuesday when it hails and snows,
The feeling on me grows and grows,
And hardly anybody knows,
If Those are These or These are Those.

On Wednsday when the sky is blue,
And I have nothing else to do,
I sometimes wonder if it's true,
If Who is What and What is Who.

On Thursday when it starts to freeze,
And owl-frost sparkles on the trees,
How very readily one sees,
If These are Those, then Whose are These?

On Friday, ... on Friday, ... oh bother, what did happen on Friday?"

"Who doesn't like cupcakes?" Thankfully, the answer is, hardly anyone!

We are so encouraged by the many people who come in and love our ecclectic shop. I should collect the comments and replay them when we need a boost:

"Are you the cupcake lady?"

"Hey, you do chair massage? I'm so up for that!"

"I love this place!"

"Oh, look! This is so cute!"

"So lovely!"

And my favorite today (said with enthusiasm), "Who doesn't like cupcakes?"

As readers, can you match the comments to our merchandise? (Some answers may be used more than once :^)

• Quality secondhand home furnishings, art, and books
  
• Original art and crafts
  
• Books by local authors
• Coffee, tea and treats
• And yes, chair massage!
  

Am I overlooking anything? Hmm, yes, the IBM Selectric! It's either a collectible or a boat anchor, depending on the buyer.

Friday is a good day for cupcakes, chairs, and lamps.

Quite the combo==cupcakes, chairs, and lamps==but that's what we have plenty of in The Living Room this Friday, Sept 18. Lemon, chocolate, and red velvet cupcakes. Brocade, oak, and green velvet chairs. Brass, wooden, glass, but no velvet lamps.
 
We're still enjoying the small happinesses of new steps. Today our credit/debit card reader came, and it works. A coffee bought by any other means would taste as good, but sometimes that card comes in handy, doesn't it? Just as long as we pay it off each month.

I've misplace my glasses, so here's hoping this blog entry doesn't have too many typos :^)

Looking forward to another day sharing life in The Living Room.

A busy day, even though we're closed Mondays

It was fun to be in the shop today, puttering around on Monday when we are closed. Shared a late breakfast of peach pie (not on our TLR menu, sadly) with one of our watercolor artists, Liz Marshall, and her dad, Bob Marshall, back from the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival. As the day moved along, had a string of people drop by for coffee, tea, cupcakes, and a look around. Glad I was here for them!

When you are up in the Bothell/Kenmore area looking for good quality secondhand furniture, original art and gifts, along with coffee, tea, and a cupcake or such, here's what our sign looks like:

We're a hidden treasure worth seeking, to the west of Grocery Outlet at 67th and 181st in Kenmore, behind the old city hall. In addition to the market items on our sign, our book selection is small but growing. If you come by when we are closed, check to see if we're in here working; you'll be welcome to come on in. Check our google listing for coupons!


We've tweaked our open hours:
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. to 6 pm
Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sundays and Mondays: Closed.
Also, our lovely shop is available for special events by appointment after or before hours.

Sunny weekends are good...for being out and about

One good thing about a sunny day when you are in the store and your customers are out in the sunshine is that you can catch up on paperwork and research. Aside from greeting a few friends in search of a good cup of coffee and a cupcake, Saturday was a good day for paperwork. And for learning about rattan furniture.

What do you think of this lovely 5-band rattan chair and ottoman? This vintage set is at least 40-50 years old. Older ones often have 6 to 10 bands. The style shows the influence of Austrian-American designer Paul T. Frankl. His Art Deco furniture, in rattan and other materials, helped launch the modern, streamlined look of the 1920's through the 1950's.

Did you know that, unlike bamboo, rattan is solid, and although it is as strong as iron, it becomes as flexible as a garden hose when you steam it? It is relatively lightweight (I'm pretty sure these cushions weigh more than the rattan). Designers have had lots of fun with these qualities, as you can see in the photos.

The chair and ottoman of this set fit together to form a chaise longue (or chaise lounge, as it's come to be called in America). Reminds me of deck chairs on cruise ships in old movies.






Sunday, we had a great afternoon at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival. Saw lots of beautiful, creative, and fun art, some of which we hope will be found in The Living Room soon. And we're so glad, now the festival is over, that Liz Marshall's pieces are back on our gallery wall:

Triple Treat Thursday...

Before my Thursday report, let me remind you to head to the 44th Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival, tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday, Sept 11-13, 2009. Be sure to look for Liz Marshall and her beautiful watercolors. Info at http://www.mukilteofestival.org/







SO, today: In the game of "Daddy, may I?", our little business got a big "yes" for 3 giant steps, plus some forward dancing:

1) Enjoyed climbing the 10' ladder and changing the reader board for the first time myself. Agile Noah did it the first time. Hope to get the photo up soon, but here's what it's about:

     "Consignment Gallery Art Gifts and Tea"
     "Cupcakes Brownies Scones Oh My"

(Thanks so much, Kim R., for handing me letters that dropped and for guiding the spacing, as I was too close to tell.)

These brownies when warmed remind me of those little molten chocolate cakes.

2) Comcast Scott came! We now have phone and internet at The Living Room! Yay and thanks to God. 425-877-1074.

3) NW Merchant Services Stacia came! We are now signed up to take credit/debit cards, and hope to have that working by early next week. Another learning curve.

The dancing forward is all the wonderful people we were privileged to see in The Living Room today, coming in for visits, for walk-through's, for thoughtful pauses by favorite pieces, for cupcakes, for books, etc.

Praying you will know that your Friday is blessed in God's love,
Katie

Exploring north of the Cupcake Belt

Do a Google search on "cupcakes 98028" and you'll see a string of cupcake vendors forming a belt across Seattle/Bellevue at 47.64 degrees latitude. But what's available for cupcake lovers searching for "a little something", as Winnie-the-Pooh would say, in the far north? Say, at latitude 47.76 in Kenmore?*

Look closer on that google map and you'll find us. Currently we are the dot (reminiscent of a cupcake sprinkle) at the top of Lake Washington. Help us turn our dot into a "letter A" listing by using our "$3.50 cupcake + coffee" coupon on google maps: www.tinyurl.com/tlr-map.

I don't think you can find a better cupcake than Kittyhugs' lemon. But then, again, there's the chocolate...
Pair either with our fresh-brewed coffee and dig in.

It's a win-win :^)

Especially if you bike. [We are so thankful for our new bike rack!] Take a "north" off the Burke Gilman Trail at 68th Ave NE in Kenmore, and head for The Living Room just across Bothell Way NE in Kenmore Plaza off NE 181st and 67th Ave NE.

*I was determined to find actual latitudes for this important Cupcake Report, and finally found a great interactive map at http://forecast.weather.gov/ If you know of a better option, please let me know. My fascination with these technical details has been stirred. Guess that makes me a piqued geek.

-KTR

New music in The Living Room: "Step of Faith"!

Today, we moved a little bit faster in The Living Room, enjoying the lively harmonies of "Step of Faith", the debut CD of 3 very talented local women: Emily Swanby, Aliya Rose Kunz, and Brittany Menzies. Their voices soar, their harmonies ring, their rhythm moves your feet, and their lyrics lift your heart.

I'm home now, enjoying listening via their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/stepoffaith0 The production quality is just tops.

You can buy their CD online, but how much more fun to get it at The Living Room for essentially the same price because there's no extra shipping cost. And, of course, no waiting. Mention this blog when you buy Step of Faith's new CD at The Living Room and enjoy a coffee or tea at half price :^) 

(Cash or check only until we get our credit card processing set up. Thanks!)

Read more about Step of Faith online at their myspace or http://www.step-of-faith.com

We've invited Step of Faith to sing in person in The Living Room, so stay tuned for details.

"He put a new song in my heart, a hymn of praise unto our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."

Phone number coming to a Living Room near you!

Step by step, walking in the light or waiting for more. We're looking forward to the next step: phone and internet in The Living Room. Thursday, September 10, Lord willing. Meanwhile, we're sustaining ourselves on prayer, hope, and KittyHugs Baking Company cupcakes. New delivery September 3 at 10 a.m., just in time for morning tea. Come join us :^)

Small things that made my heart soar today

Oh, I am so happy. Silly, really, but let me enjoy a lighthearted moment over a simple, temporary thing. Look what happened down at TLR today:

That's right, the sun set in soft beauty! (If you enlarge the image, you can see our beloved Kenmore crows spelling out praises to God in the sky. I can't read it, of course, because it's in crow, but I'm sure that's what they are doing.)

Actually, the big news is that Larry Ormbrek of Sign Up Sign Company came and lettered our big overhead sign. I wanted to capture the moment, but my camera is not working. Thank God for friends who are over and above the norm, as Laurie Sperry was when I called and rousted her from a quiet evening at home to come and immortalize Sign Up Day. She got to TLR in the dusk in time to catch these pictures of my son Noah with a friend, Michael DesGrosseilliers, setting the sign in place. Laurie's very able photographer son, John Hieber, was kind enough to lighten the first and last images so you can see us, even though the evening was farther progressed than it appears:

 

 

After this next picture was taken, we took down the paper signs and put up our first reader board message. Hope to show you a photo of that in the next few days. Or, better yet, come by and see it in person :^)

 
 

  

I'm so giddy, we are ordering LEMON CUPCAKES from Kittyhugs Baking Company in addition to our usual scones. I remember when my 12-year-old son, Christopher, took his first bite of a KH lemon cupcake, he was heard saying to himself very matter-of-factly through a mouthful of frosting, "I don't see how it could be any better."

This morning, I prayed to release a sense of continual pushing and climbing and scrabbling. So, I'm doubly grateful for an evening when a major step was finished, amidst the support and fellowship of friends. Thanks to God and thanks to all!