Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!

While we all know I love candy corn (Brachs only, no knock offs!), I will confess that I don't really like Halloween.  Sandy was clearly the trick that none of us needed and I am hopeful that the treat will be watching people help their neighbors come together to rebuild and do what they can to help after the storm.

The storm raged around us, but somehow the power stayed on and even more shocking, our 200 year old tree that was scheduled to be taken down next week stayed UP.  We are still having it taken down and it is not safe, but letting our tree guy take care of those who need trees and debris removed ASAP.  Would you believe our contractor's team worked all day Monday, was back here yesterday and again this morning at 8am?  Both Mini K and Baby C are back in school today!  Both have Halloween parties and parades at their schools today and both are super heroes, monogrammed of course!  I promise to post photos, once they are in their costumes!

The candy from trick or treating won't be staying in our house this year and I am thrilled about that!  I am a big believer in finding little acts to teach kids about helping others.  Mini K and I are coordinating candy donation for her school this year.  All of the classes (pre-K through 8th) are bringing their candy to my truck and off it is going to Mattie's Miracle Foundation!  Mattie was a little boy, not much older than Mini K who lost his battle with cancer.  His parents now run a foundation in his name and all of the donated candy will stock the snack cart that visits pediatric patients at Georgetown University Hospital.  Such a simple way to help out and I am sure all of you have something like that in your town and I encourage you to reach out to them this holiday season.

I have been a blur of orders and ribbon and cello in the Grove, but tomorrow marks the start of the holiday season!  For those of you that have emailed, our Holiday Cards are still 20% off and if you want to save yourself time you can get your envelopes printed or return address stickers for 50% off when you order your cards through this SUNDAY.

November is also the month that my beloved RED CUPS return.  Call me crazy, but there is something about a Starbuck's Red Cup that gets me in the holiday spirit!

I am off to do some last minute Halloween party prep and a conference call or two!  I hope you all have a Happy Halloween filled with treats and no tricks!




Sunday, October 28, 2012

Grease Lightening

YES!  I know Sandy is a hurricane, but thanks to Mr. G the grease theme song is stuck in my head.  Our weatherman claims this storm will be EPIC, the grocery stores have been cleaned out of frozen food, because when they predict you will lose power, the one thing you should buy is frozen food right?

Mr. G claimed my hurricane checklist includes monograms, a manicure, a trip to UPS, a Big Gulp of diet dr. pepper and some lip balm.  I told him I was able to not worry about it because he took care of everything when he had our generator installed!  We spent today running some errands, and I will confess to purchasing a few new Essie colors of nail polish, a new coat for Mini K and we did drop off a few orders at UPS to go out tomorrow morning, but I spent this afternoon processing orders and adding some new products to the Grove.

Schools have already been cancelled for tomorrow and Tuesday and I have lost count of the number of times Mini K has "checked" on her itouch battery life so she can be ready when the power goes out....even though the generator will turn it back on 2 minutes after it goes out!

Today is the last day of our 30% off sale on coaster, gift tags, enclosure cards, stickers and bag tags.  The code is:  HGIFT12.  We have had a lot of brides order these gift tags to attach to their out of town bags!

Despite their season this year, a lot of Auburn fans ordered these coasters yesterday, so we know their tailgating will be done in style!

A big thank you to our customers that have made me feel like I am not the only one by ordering stickers that just say:  TO:
                      XOX, The Smiths
I ALWAYS have stickers that say this so I can use them year round and not just during the holidays.  My two favorite designs are these colorful stripes and these grass green stickers.

I finally got around to adding all of our new hair bows and you can find them HERE.

In case you are wondering what time the storm will hit, you be on time with our new double wrap Sasha Rhett watches!  I have one in orange ostrich and LOVE it.  You can find them HERE.

Some of you may have seen the preview of our new weekend Getaway Bag on our Facebook page, and now it can be found HERE.

I am off to cook dinner (read order takeout once I decide what everyone wants!) before the Sandy blows through!  I hope you all keep your power and your sanity through this "epic" storm.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Weekend Sale!

Please excuse the lack of posts!  Tuesday threw me a curve ball!  My internist had told me that my foot was badly bruised and my arched had fallen.  It hurt so I went with it.  By Tuesday morning, I could barely walk so I called, or Mr. G actually insisted I call my orthopedic surgeon.  One appointment and 2 x-rays and a shattered sesamoid bone later, I am in a walking boot on my right foot.  I have a cat scan on Monday to see if surgery is needed which I pray I can avoid.

SO while I may be moving a bit slower, I think we really need to celebrate the weekend and look forward to the holidays....hopefully a walking foot free holiday!

A lot of our clients have asked us if we are going to do a sticker sale and we thought we could do a little better than that!

So.................

From tomorrow until Sunday ALL stickers, bag tags, coasters, gift enclosures and hanging tags are 30% off with code:  HGIFT12.

These coasters make a great hostess gift, stocking stuffer or present for neighbors, coaches and college kids!  Help someone entertain in style!
These classic khaki coasters are one of our best sellers!


I love giving people gift stickers as gifts.  You always need them and you could do a couple of designs and wrap them up in a box.

Bag tags are the perfect stocking stuffer for everyone on your list!  Your black suitcase won't be mistaken again!  I LOVE these square orange and pick tags!  Personalize them with name and address or your child's name on one side and emergency contact information on the other.

Baby C has these gift stickers and I can just write in the name of who the gift is for and off we go!  At 30% off each one of these stickers is less than 1/3 of the price of a birthday card and you don't have to make a trip to the store!

I love the clean modern lines of these stickers and often give them as hostess gifts.  I simply wrap them in a cello bag and tie a lollipop or two for the hosts minnies and know they will get more than a one time use like a bottle of wine.

As much as I love a good sticker, there are times, when I just need an enclosure card so I can write a little more!  The Grove carries both flat and folded enclosure cards, but I am partial to a folded enclosure in a tiny little envelope.  There is something about the envelope that I think is better suited for more formal and special circumstances.  Polka dots are everywhere this season, including on my enclosure cards!

Our 30% off sale ends on Sunday!  We hope this makes your weekend a little brighter!  Just enter code:  HGIFT12


Monday, October 22, 2012

FREE MONDAY

Please excuse the random post, but I love saving money!  I especially love saving money when it's holiday season and my must purchase list is long.

I saw a deal on Facebook that I was doubtful of...FREE prescription eyeglasses and frames, but too much time in front of the computer (it simply cannot be age) has left me with a prescription for glasses.  This is busy season at the Grove and I just don't have time between work and house construction to go to the store so online I went.

I was surprised, very surprised!  I got a basic pair of Ray Ban wayfarer tortoise glasses ( we all know how much I LOVE that style!), lenses and I upgraded to the anti-glare coating.  My total cost with shipping was $28 for over $200 in merchandise!  How bad can the week be when it starts off saving that much money!  That is like getting your holiday cards for FREE!

You can see all of the frame styles HERE and when you order, just enter code FBDEAL.  It is good through the 30th!

I will soon be sporting these in front of the computer!


And if Mini K wore glasses, these would be so adorable!



The reward of free glasses was soon followed up by another great deal.  If you have a boy or girl on your list this year and are looking for stocking stuffers, I have one for you!  Half priced monogrammed belts, or in Mini K's case glitter belts!

I purchased a buckle and some straps over the summer for Baby C's stocking, but you can get a much better deal on them today!

You can purchase a $36 gift certificate for $18 which is half price HERE.

These days anything that makes a Monday better and is calorie free I am for...have a great day!


Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday FIVE

It was a rainy day here, but fall has arrived.  I don't mean the weather, it officially starting to get dark in what still seems like the middle of the day!

The Friday FIVE this week are all things that make me smile and I hope they make you smile too!

1.  Weekenders
I love a weekend away.  Even more than a weekend away is the joy of just throwing my stuff in a single bag and not having to think about TSA, 3oz bottles or the possibility of a flight delay.  Our new weekender bag is one of my new favorites!  For those of you that follow us on Facebook, you already know about, it will be on the website tomorrow!  The bag comes in black, navy, and my favorite, bright orange and like most items at the Grove, can be personalized with up to 2 jumbo sized initials!


2.  Postagram
I LOVE this app!  If you haven't tried it, click HERE.  Your photos are placed on a postcard and mailed, all from your phone!  The best, besides not having to actually stamp the postcard and go to the post office: the photo comes off the postcard and your recipient can keep it!  Mr. G sends them to the kids when he travels and Mini K loves to send them to her beloved summer nanny R!  You can purchase postcards in bulk and have them in your account, much like Shutterfly prints and your first few postagrams are FREE.  Currently their bulk purchase options are 25% off so you really should try it out HERE.

3.  Orange Tic Tacs
These babies have magical powers in the Grove house, or I should say car.  Both Mini K and Baby C love them and dare I say they can cure the D.C. traffic jam blues....even in the rain!

4.  A Good Sale
Kate Spade is having their Friends and Family sale this weekend.  Everything in stores and online is 30% off with code:  F12FFUS.  I have my eye on this dress:


5.  FREE
I love free stuff, especially when it is something I have been wanting or to use Mini K's word:  "needing."  We know the holidays are coming and if our mailbox is any indication so are a lot of bridal and baby showers.  All of these events mean one thing to us:  thank you notes!   So this weekend we will double your quantity on all flat and folded notecard orders for FREE.  If you order 25, you will get 50?  You can find them all HERE.  We hope this helps writing all of those thank you notes a little more enjoyable...after all we haven't  figured out a way to monogram champagne yet!  I love this design because there is something that always draws me to colored paper....maybe I never grew out of my love affair with construction paper.
This weekend is full of swim practice, a swim meet, a final trip to the paint store and a meeting with my talented friend E who is making two fabulous shower curtains for the new bathrooms!  Please let me know if you posted a Friday FIVE as I would love to check it out!

Have a great weekend.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Flip The Switch

It seems easy right?  Well....that assumes there is a LIGHT connected to the switch and right now the front two rooms of the house have no lights because I cannot make up my mind.

This is pathetic I know.  There are real problems in this world and my indecision over light fixtures is silly, but I have been staring at fixtures for the past 3 days and according to Mr. G it might be next Christmas before I finally decide and order.

Feel free to email amongst yourselves and make fun of me, because it is literally the joke of the house.  Mini K came home from skating practice and said, did you pick yet?  I said no and her response was:  "how about I can stay up until you decide?"  Seriously, even my 6 year old is in on the joke!

So two fixtures and a pair of sconces need to be decided on tonight and I am turning to my friends for their opinions because I just cannot decide.  For those of you who have been following our construction or know me in real life, the tile starts going in next week, the new front door arrived today and they are doing all of the prep work to begin priming next week.  At this rate we might be finished by Thanksgiving.....if I get the light fixtures!

What do you think?








Monday, October 15, 2012

Wall Charges and Sugar

Yes I realize the title of this post is odd and not at all related, but I am keeping it real.  I am thankful our contractor and his team are moving at amazing speed, but I wasn't expecting to spend all last week selecting finishes!  I am pleased to report selections have been made, the painters are prepping and floors go in next week!

I wouldn't be me if I didn't have a major home project going on, in an election year, during the Grove's holiday season!  Let's just say my iPhone has been working overtime!  I ordered the iPhone 5, it arrived and is still sitting in the box on the shelf above my desk because I haven't had a moment to unpack it and I am really going to miss all of my current iPhone accessories!  My absolute favorite is my wall charger.  I HATE cords, and yes I do know that HATE is a strong word.  I also spend a lot of time sitting on the floor surrounded by cello and ribbon this time of year.  The good news is that there is an outlet right next to me and you can usually find my iPhone sitting in one of these chargers.  I LOVE them!  Mr. G thought I was nuts when I purchased one for $30, and within a week I had to purchase another one because he kept "borrowing" mine!  I would pay another $30 for one if it fit the iPhone 5, but not yet.  While it won't fit the 5 just yet, I am happy to tell you that you can get my exact same wall charger for $9 right HERE.  I confess to being a gadget nut, but considering I use this every single day I consider it a NEEDED gadget.

This past weekend was a blur of soccer, swimming, a Crossfit fundraiser for a great guy that I will blog about tomorrow, orders and Mini K's favorite Halloween past time:  BOO'ing people!

Each year we make monster bark, that healthy snack of white chocolate, candy corn, crushed Oreos, sprinkles and an occasional pretzel!  We also make another treat to go along with it.  Mini K wanted to make coal bars this year, but call them Dracula bites since Dracula is also black and more Halloweeny. (She made up that word, can you tell?)

What is a coal bar/Dracula Bite you may be wondering?  it would be another one of our health foods, aka  4 tablespoons of butter (we used light), a bag of mini marshmallows and an entire bag of Oreos (we used reduced fat).  You crush all of the Oreos.  We used the food processor, but I am sure a wooden mallet and some arm exercises would work too.  You then melt the marshmallows and butter and then add the Oreos, spread the mixture out and let it cool.  Think Rice Krispy treat, but you replace the cereal with Oreos.

I am attempting an actual blog plan this week and I feel like my brain is bursting with things to type, but no time to actually sit down.  I had to be at Mini K's school at 7:30am today and once again I realized Monday's are just not my day!

In case you need a little pick me up this week, make sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page for a special weekend sale!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Short Week, Long List!

We need this long weekend at the Grove!  Baby C was thrilled to crash a pirate birthday party for Mini K's friend L and I was a fan of how the party left him:  still and silent for 3 hours which is rare on the weekends!

We are gearing up to post our new items on Facebook tomorrow night before they are on our website.  All items will be priced to include shipping and we hope you like them as much as we do!

I wanted to pop in and post and cannot wait to catch up on everyone's blog tomorrow morning with a mug of coffee before the minnies wake up!  I know it may sound odd, but the quiet of a 5:30am house is one of my favorite ways to start the day!

Friday, October 5, 2012

Friday FIVE

This week has been a blur of orders, school field trips and house construction!  I spent today helping a friend get her store windows decorated for Art on the Avenue tomorrow.  I have promised Mini K that we will wrap birthday presents for her two friends tonight, but I had to pop in and post the Friday 5!

1.  Holiday Cards
I LOVE seeing the photos that everyone chooses for their cards.  I must say, I think the Grove has some of the best looking customers with the cutest minnies!  This is our last weekend to save 25% off your photo card order and receive your choice of FREE return address stickers or envelope printing with code:  SHOL25


2.  Chevron (aka herringbone)
I am in LOVE with our herringbone marble tile for our new master bath.  It shipped today and I cannot wait for it to be delivered next week.


3. iPhone Charger Keyring
My new iPhone 5 arrived last week, but I confess I haven't made the switch from my iPhone 4 because I LOVE my keyring charger.  It has saved me more times than I can count!


4.  Hollie Dress
I am in love with this new dress from Kate Spade!  I am not sure if it is the short sleeves, the fringe or the color, but this will be making it's way to my new closet this season!


5.  Lockets
We all know I love a charm bracelet, but lockets might be a close second.  I spotted this Sissy Yates one the other day and think it is the perfect combination of classic and modern.


I hope everyone has had a good week!  I am hoping I can catch up on my blog reading at Mini K's swim practice as I am not supposed to watch her!

What's on your Friday FIVE?