Last weekend continued & this weekend begins

There are a few impressions of Bloomington, Indiana that I want to share. We had a fantastic brunch on Saturday morning at Farmbloomington on Kirkwood Ave in downtown. I've eaten a lot of meals in very good restaurants worldwide, and this meal was among some of the best I've ever had. If your are ever near the area, eat here. Biscuits and apple butter were memorable, french toast was sinful and eggs were fresh. Wait staff was mid-west friendly and professional. Decor was interesting and unique. See collection of old bed pans on the wall.

You can tell by the smiling faces, we were all very happy. Good job FARMbloomington.

To walk off the good meal, we strolled around the farmer's market. Although it is off season we did find some flowers and plants to buy.

Bloomington and the surrounding countryside reminded me a lot of northern Delaware/Southern Pennsylvania with its rolling hills, tall trees, and many streams. With early spring flowers giving splashes of color against the new green of the grass and just budding trees, it was a great place to relax and enjoy family. We had sunny, warm weather so we basked in the spring sun.

Coming up this weekend here in Georgetown is the annual Red Poppy Fest. See the website for a schedule of all the music, headliner is The Bellamy Brothers. You can also find a driving map to many of the Red Poppy yards in downtown.

There are lots of vendors. In front of Annarella Home will be Nick Conde Dudding. photograper, and Mary Louise Poquette, jeweler, who also has many interesting items such as aprons, scarves and totes. Annarella Girl will have a few things outside and inside the store.

As in all festivals there's food and a children's area. The weather is suppose to be warm but not hot, so come and enjoy.

Taking advantage of the large crowds, Annarella is holding a SALE - 75% off all remaining furniture. There are even some bigger bargains for other assorted items. The sale runs for just Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 1-4. Its a great opportunity to buy quality furniture at low, low prices. Cash or check with a surcharge of 8% for credit cards. See you this weekend!

Change is good

On Inaugaration Day 2009 change is a key word. It's exciting to see such crowds and such enthusiasm. Even if America must face reality and a lot of tough work tomorrow, it is fun to celebrate change and possibilities today.

As a lot of you know already, Annarella is making some major changes. We've been selling our inventory at 50% off so we can consolidate into 2 rooms and become Annarella Home, Pamela's design services. This week we should be able to begin to move all the fabrics into their new home, our second room. We will be vacating the atrium and adjoining design studio. Although there is a little sadness, this feels more and more right as we progress. The current economic climate means we have to tighten our belt and find ways to trim the overhead without hurting the wonderful design services that we can provide. So we are reducing the gift items we carry as we reduce our retail presence in downtown.

Our new store hours are Tues -Sat 11-5. But Pamela can be reached on her cell for questions and appoinments 512-818-6026. We welcome appointments for before or after regular hours. For the time being we will remain at 800 S Austin Ave here in downtown Georgetown. We promise to keep everyone updated on all coming changes.

Ellie will expand her Hugs from Mimi girls handmade clothing line. Right now I'm working hard at developing new designs and looks for spring. I'm building up stock with an addition of two skirts. Meanwhile I'll be working with Pamela. My smiling face will still be the one behind the desk. So stop in and see me. Any questions about the clothes can be emailed annarella@thegateway.net as I work on a schedule of art fairs I'll attend and on a website.

So change is good here. Thanks to everyone who has had such good things to say to us. Thanks to everyone who has said they'll miss us. We're still here just morphing.

Final floor clearance for 2008

For a year we've been changing here at Annarella. Our thrust has been to find furniture and accessories that are price-friendly and eco-friendly.Its been an exciting challenge, but we found Lee Furniture who make stylish, comfortable and durable upholstered sofas, chairs, benches and stools. For tables, armoires and wood goods we've decreased our imported stock and bought American. Not only are these solid wood but the carbon footprint created in their making is less. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged and supported us through this adventure.

Now the final arrival of new floor pieces is near. In order to keep our signature look - uncluttered, airy and bright - we have a select group of furniture we want to sell to make room for our last shipment. Here are some pictures and info:

corner armoire with removable shelves - originally $1898, now $898

loveseat with pillows - originally $1850, now $925

chair - originally $1619, now $800

solid mahogany armoire with leather trim and TV ready - originally $3550, now $1420

vineyard table with 2 arm chairs and 4 side chairs - originally $3965, now $1750

trestle table with hand carved apron - originally $3800, now $1900

You can see we're serious about these special savings. There are several more chairs and a gel-burning fireplace also. If you see something interesting, come in as soon as possible. At these prices we don't anticipate that these pieces will last long.

Annual Summer Sale

As the dog days of summer settle in over Georgetown, Annarella Home gets ready for the Annual Storewide Summer Sale. Its time to clear out space for new arrivals. This is always fun. We love working with customers who are so happy to be getting great bargains. This year we're even including custom orders for furniture and window treatments. There is nothing off limits except some of the art on the walls. Sale starts tomorrow, Friday July 25 and runs through Saturday, August 2. Can't wait to see everyone!