Fall Semestre 2008

Set the tone for Autumn with one of our posh and gothic-y 18th Century Bust Candles. They glow from within when lit. Available in both white and black (to be added to the Online Boutique very soon, but e-mail us at sales@theblissful.com for advance sales!).

It occurs to me that both of the careers I've had--teaching and now shop ownership--have been forward-focused occupations. Back in the days when I was "Miss Kerr" instead of "Abby" during work hours, my teaching partner and I would start meeting the second week of July at our favorite coffee shop in Columbus, Ohio (Cup O' in German Village) to begin writing our unit plans for the school year. By the time school started at the end of August, we'd be roughly planned out right up to Spring Break in March. As a teacher, you're always planning with the end in mind...student success. And now as a shop owner, I am always thinking at least six months ahead, if not a year. While this mindset certainly puts you ahead of the curve in certain ways, it also fosters an inability to truly relax and settle into the present moment--at least it does for me. I find myself having to constantly remind myself to be present, to relax, to lean into today and not just let my mind skitter out two, four, six months into the future, where it naturally wants to dwell. The thing is, I think the anticipation factor is one of the things I love most about this business. There's always something new to look forward to.

And so Autumn, for me, is all about anticipation. There's a subtle current of discovery and reinvention in the air. We're ready to nest, to tuck in, to let our imaginations run freer than ever while our bodies nestle in for some much-needed down time.

And just like the teacher I was trained to be, I am eager to unveil all that is to come.

Old book "topiaries" flank the front entrance.

The colors, textures, weights, and motifs of Fall just speak to me and I hope they will for you, too. So without any further ado, here's just a small peek at what's on the syllabus for Fall Semestre 2008 at THE BLISSFUL:

Our side window display sets the tone.

Alphabet bracelets take us way, way back to our elementary days in a style both witty and sophisticated.

One of my favorite accessories finds for Fall/Winter, the Question Clutch. Got to love that reactive patent handbag (an organic "leather"), too. This one fades from deep black cherry near the zipper to candy apple red at the bottom.

I chased this Brasserie collection for a good six months and finally tracked down the vendor. Made in France since 1818, it's all dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. Alléluia!

Imagine a life where you could use these everyday!

I love the intensity and the lavishness of fall colors.

Punched up pastels and one-off primary colors, too.

But I never truly get away from those soft muted tones I love. So soothing all year round.

And of course, nothing is as easy on the eyes as neutrals upon neutrals. These Italian tumbled marble coasters and trivets are the hot new hostess gift around here.

For your own villa, be it grand or humble.

Simple entertaining made sublime.

And a nod to Hallowe'en.

We keep it decidedly uncreepy, preferring to focus on the harvest and the richness of the season's colors. But we do have a few spooky touches thrown in for those of you who crave them.

I think all of us at one point had a schoolmistress who looked a little like Mrs. McMeanie. We've sold her exclusively online for several weeks now, but there are still some left for our local customers, as she just made her debut in our spooky display.

Ceramic "faux bois" teacups and dessert plates.

I must admit I do like the skull thing. To me, the look is campy chic. A customer came in last week wearing short J. Crew-looking white chino shorts embroidered with little black skulls. She said her daughter asked her if she was turning into a preppy goth!

But I like our Peace Clutch even more. These are slated to be featured in the October issue of About Magazine, a local magazine about Stark County, Ohio.

My new favorite kitchen "necessity": vintage-style glass tumblers, shown here in opal and crystal.

And jadeite and milk glass cellars for my favorite condiment...salt! (Come on, everybody's got a favorite condiment, right?) See the green opal tumblers in the background?

I would drink just about anything out of these Jadeite Juice Glasses.

Les objets interéssants. French Beaded Candelabra and Mineral with Wing also to be featured in the October issue of About Magazine.

Check out these cute quilted velvet handbags.

Vintage cuff bracelets reborn as modern.

The Lioness Cuff is destined for a bold and stylish customer.

Earrings crafted from vintage findings.

I'm flipping for these pieces from another vintage-reworked collection, especially the multistrand piece in the upper left corner of the photo. Made of five distinct chains of varying materials (from rhinestone to grey leather cord), this doubles as both a necklace and a bracelet.

Some favorite pieces in silver. And for display, deep red coral objets travel well from summer right on through the cooler months.

Speaking of silver...our olive and nut spoons with wiggly cast iron handles are selling like...nuts. (Sorry, I just had to.)

Gunmetal grey silk clutch with crystal cross and old fashioned pocketbook closure for a special evening out. (Kind of reminds me of Tory Burch's icon.)

More metallic organic "patent leather."

This Cross Milagros necklace, made of vintage findings, was sold by the time I finished this post.

My friend Margo, candlemaker extraordinaire of Tatine, has just launched her Le Vieux Monde (Old World) collection for Fall 2008. In Margo's own words, this line is a romantic reminiscence of Old Europe: its abbeys, cobblestones, and chateaux lit by a thousand flickering candles. Now available in three haunting fragrances with evocative jar designs and letterpress packaging. My personal favorite, Cathedral Spire, is shown above.

And there's Marie Antoinette.

And Noble Knight.

The new Vintage Modern Numbers Bracelets flaunt large charms counting one through five.

And our Antibes Bracelets were mostly all sold out by the time I posted this blog. Count on a reorder!

Now straight back to the kitchen, the heart of the home. New soy candles poured into recycled wine bottles in subtle, kitchen-y fragrances. For Fall, we're digging French Pear.

A tile trivet featuring vintage Italian advertising imagery.

A little something to top off your café. One side of the shaker features the flavor in French.

And French lessons for all at every turn.

If you'll be attending the Country Living Fair at historic Ohio Village in Columbus, Ohio next week (Friday, September 12th through Sunday, September 14th), please be sure to visit our friends Kara and Darcy from McMaster and Storm--you know, Greenville, Ohio's petite department store? In my opinion, their booth (if you could call such a marvelous confection a "booth") took the cake last year. I'm sure they have lots more in store for us this year.

Happy back to school!

Way, Way, Way, Way...

way beautiful sunset seen from the beachfront balcony I marooned myself on last week.


And these steps took us all the way down from our condo to said beach, where I definitely logged some sun-filled hours of pleasure reading.

I've been way out of the loop of blogland while we've been working like crazy around the shop for the past month. One week of sand, surf, and sparkling sun was just what I needed before the big dive into fourth quarter retail. This past week away in a warmer climate, my one un-work-related vacation of the year, was therapy for the soul. The beach wasn't overly crowded at this time of year. Lots of young families with kids under school age. That and retirees. All the rest were getting ready for the arrival of that first yellow bus, sharpening pencils, buying new notebooks and school shoes, and all that accompanies a fresh start.

There's something about the promise of autumn in Ohio that never fails to inspire this former teacher. I've got so much to show and tell, including our new looks for Fall Semestre 2008. Please sharpen your pencils and stick around.

The Online Trunk Show is Here!

Welcome to the start of Pyrrha & Sid in the Summer, our live virtual trunk show! To give our blog readers and customers around the country a chance to taste the breadth and depth of both collections, we are featuring them on the blog (for Sid Dickens tiles) and in the Jewelry department of our Online Boutique (for Pyrrha jewelry). Both collections are always sold in the shop and by special order if we are sold out of a particular style, however, this is an opportunity to receive immediate shipment on any styles we currently have in stock! We are pleased to offer free shipping on all Pyrrha pieces, which can be viewed here. (Be sure to click through all nine pages to view all offerings.) In-stock styles will ship immediately; special orders will ship to you in approximately 4-6 weeks. Many styles are only available through Sunday, August 3rd; special order only on some styles after that date.

And here, my friends, is our current in-store selection of Memory Blocks (please double click the photos to enlarge them):

The big wall.

Several more that didn't make it onto the wall.

The Zodiac Collection which premiered Spring 2008. These are available in Blond (a creamy plaster finish, shown here, except for Taurus in center, shown in Silver) and Silver. These come in a complimentary black Collector's Box.

We do not publish our prices for the Blocks online, so please drop us an e-mail at sales@theblissful.com or telephone us at 330.492.2500 and inquire. Prices are different for the Active Collection, the retired tiles we have in stock, and the Zodiac Collection. We also sell the new black Collector's Boxes which just debuted. If there's a particular Block you're looking for and not seeing in the photos above, please inquire because it's possible it just didn't make it into a photo. Any styles we have in stock will ship immediately; styles we're sold out of will be special ordered and will ship to you in approximately 4-6 weeks.

Online Trunk Show Coming Soon!

Our Summer Trunk Show featuring Sid Dickens Memory Blocks and Pyrrha Jewelry was a smashingly fun success this past Saturday. Devoted collectors, regular customers, and new discoverers were all on the scene to choose their favorites in person. We also took special orders for some of our most popular tile styles (they go quickly--kind of like potato chips) and for those wanting to handselect gifts from our extensive Pyrrha catalog in plenty of time for pre-holiday delivery.

Here are a couple of sneak peek photos. I'll be uploading a nice big batch this evening or tomorrow; you know, all those juicy close up shots...


Our Online Trunk Show featuring the Sid Blocks and Pyrrha jewelry will begin later today. I'll be working diligently throughout the day today to get every item ready to show in the Jewelry department of our Online Boutique. Watch for another blog post later today announcing that all the jewelry has been uploaded and is ready to purchase...with free shipping! (Or, keep watching the Jewelry department throughout the day, as pieces will be added hourly. We're already in progress!) In addition, we'll be posting photos of Sid's tiles here on the blog later today. You'll be welcome to e-mail or call with inquiries about pricing and ship time.

I meant to come in and work yesterday (Sunday, the day the shop is closed) so that we could begin our Online Trunk Show early this morning. Instead, I spent most of yesterday at the hospital with my family. My twenty-six year old cousin Michael Kerr lost his life in a motorcycle accident early Sunday morning on his way home from work. Michael, a big teddy bear of a guy at 6'8" tall, will be remembered for his warm smile, his great hugs, and his way of making everybody feel comfortable, even if it was the first time he'd ever met you. We'll be taking some time off later this week for the funeral. Please keep our family, especially my uncle Joe and aunt Jan (Jackson Township residents) and my cousins Molly and Kristin (his sisters, who adored him), in your prayers. And please, please, please, if you're a motorcycle rider, slow down and wear a helmet. Life is so precious and can be taken away in one moment. We'll never forget the warmth that Michael brought to the world and to everyone who knew him, and we believe that his life goes on in Eternity.

Countdown to the Trunk Show

With twenty-two hours to go until we open the doors for our Summer Trunk Show, we're closed for the day creating vignette magic with Pyrrha...


and unpacking every last splendorous Sid Dickens Memory Block.


The staff is hard at work. Wait 'til you see!

Please join us tomorrow, Saturday, July 26th, from 10 AM-5 PM for this one-day special event. And if you're not going to be in the area, please watch for the debut of our online Trunk Show beginning Monday, July 28th, held here on the blog for the Sid tiles (you'll be able to call or e-mail for pricing) and in the Jewelry department of our Online Boutique for Pyrrha. All Pyrrha pieces purchased online next week will be shipped for free!


Now back to work!