Under the Toadstool

One Never Knows!

ali — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:57:14 +0000

What or whom may wander down the main street of Bowmanville. Thursday, I did a double take! Sitting at my desk and watching the front door I was amazed to see a giant elephant passing by on the sidewalk outside my door. If only I had a camera handy! With the Bowmanville Zoo just down the street, the keepers often take the animals for a walk. The animals are lent out or rented out for town functions, so I am sure there was something on the go downtown. While I like to think of Bowmanville as a unique shopping experience with its many interesting shops and services, I think in the end it is just our pretty little small town destination. The street was buzzing after our visitor passed by. I am sure the kids and old folks loved the action. I wonder if elephants like to shop!

Don’t forget the Maple Festival is this Saturday. Starts around 9:30 and goes throughout the day. All the shop keepers are hoping for great weather so everyone can share the success of the day. I will have treats on hand and will be offering a gift basket to some nice customer. I enjoy these special days and look forward to greeting all my guests! This week I am working on quite a few surprises to put out for the festival. Do come by and take a look.

Spring is Here!

ali — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:58:41 +0000

All is going well at the new store. It thrills me no end that everyone comments on how pretty the store looks. It makes me smile.

Lots going on! A few yard sale finds are out and ready for purchase. I think it is still a bit early for the yard sales. I am not finding many. I did find a few treasures this morning on the way to the store. I enjoy the hunt for pretty items that will look good in the store.

I am gearing up for the Maple Festival. It will be held on Saturday May 5th. Starts at 9 A.M. This year I am going to set a table up outside. Joe has promised to help man the outdoor display. I do hope for a good day weather wise. These downtown events bring out thousands of people. Not only is it nice to take part in this family day, people really enjoy browsing the stores. I am trying to get some special treasures ready for the day!

I am waiting with baited breath for my first baby girl to arrive. Dave and Lindsey are having my first little girl. My six little boys are thrilled there is a little lady on the way! My Bowmanville boys are well and happy and my 3 little Englishmen are as busy as ever.

Allison always has a funny story to tell me about one of my little men in England. I laugh at some ot the antics. I often tell her to write down some of the stories, so she can tell them when they are young men.

Well I am getting ready for the day. My signs are out and the lights are bright. I do hope to see many of you at the Festival!

Everything Vintage!

ali — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:01:10 +0000

More News!

My vintage clothing is doing very well. I have found so many pretty vintage garments for the store. As always the hunt tickles me no end. I have everything from frilly undies to hats, accessories, and jewellery. The vintage evening bags and purses are a huge hit , as well as the beautiful negligee sets It pleases me that word is getting around that I offer the vintage fashions at very reasonable prices. My wedding gowns are getting a great deal of attention and I seem to have attracted some vintage clothing dealers. It is well worth the trip to Downtown Bowmanville to check out the vintage fashions. If you have questions, please feel free to get in touch with me.

I Love New York!

ali — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:04:06 +0000

Oh what a wonderful four days I had exploring for treasures. I managed to visit all my regular stops and then found a few new

ones. We found a huge Antique Mall with 1000 Venders, en route. I thought I died and went to heaven! I can never explain the joy I feel when I am on the hunt. Again Joe was wonderful. He is my driver, my packer, my info man, and he is very patient. I can spend hours looking and he never complains. I just make sure to feed him well and he is happy. It is so nice to have his support with my venture. It was nice to enjoy his company for the trip as well. We are both busy and time together is a happy time.

I found some nice Easter Items. I did not want to overflow the store, but I did manage to get a few things that I thought would sell. This trip I found quite a few old scales. They sell well so I bought a half dozen of them. Vintage Hats and Vintage Pins, were also easy to find. I was also able to get more green jadite. It is very popular and very hard to find here. There are many collectors that love the Jadite.

I found a few old suitcases. They were packed full by the time I was finished. Very good storage, so it maskes extra room in the truck. The old luggage is in demand at the moment. Quite a few Photographers buy the suitcases for their shoots. I also found some pretty vintage pictures. Oval framed floral prints continue to be in demand. Also added to the mix are a few nice old bird cages. The brides to be are looking for the Bird Cages for their vintage wedding themes. The cages now replace the boxes which house the wedding cards. I try to keep up with the trends. There is always someting new on the go. Well I could go on and on but I just wanted to give readers a little update. Should you have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch. All inquireies are most welcome. See You At the Store!

Grand Opening, Coming Soon!

ali — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:38:00 +0000

Just wanted to update my customers and friends on the opening of the new store. Everyone is working hard on making the new store pretty for my Grand Opening on Sat. Jan. 7th. We will open at 10:30 A.M.

I have loads of new and exciting treasures and a lot of interesting shabby chic items. Plus furniture as well. We are painting like crazy! The new store is shaping up nicely and I hope my customers will be as pleased as I am. I have lots more space at 43 King Street, and I’m excited to be expanding my line of goods and treasures.

The Grand Opening on January 7 should be a lot of fun. Some give aways are planned and there will be yummy refreshments. I hope the day will be a hit. In the meantime I am still open at the old location through Christmas and New Year until Tuesday, January 3rd. I do have many items on sale at the moment. It will be a few less things to pack up so do stop by and see what is available at very reasonable prices.

Looking forward to seeing you at the new store!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ladies Night Once Again!

ali — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:38:24 +0000

What A Girl Wants!

Wednesday, November 16 5-10pm

It is that time again. The lady shop keepers in downtown Bowmanville are hosting another Ladies Night. Sadly, I won’t be there. I am off to England on Sunday to visit my daughter and her family and will miss this event. The store will be open and hopefully it will be another successful ladies night. Jenny, Jen, and Marg will be on hand to take care of our guests! I am really sorry I will miss this night but I had already had my ticket to England booked when the date of this event was announced. We do have some gifts and goodies in store. We do well with these special events so I expect good news when I get back.

I am thrilled to be heading across the pond. I have not been for some time. I have three very excited little boys waiting for my visit. It will be a chance to spend time with Ali and the boys and Gavin. I do enjoy the hunt for treasures over there as well. I’m sure I will come back with some pretty nice items for the store. I think everything will stay packed until I move in Jan. The new store is coming along. It is a slow process, but I am seeing it take shape. Once I get back from my trip it will be full steam ahead. Some work will be done while I am away. It is a daunting task to take on a project like this but in the end I think it will be a very postive step forward for me. My goal is to have a bigger and better store.

I am moving right across the street. The new store is located at 43 King St. East. Watch for signs and updates. I will keep you posted on what is happening. I am hoping to open on the first Saturday in January. I am really hoping to be ready. If not it will be the second Saturday in Jan. I will know better a couple of weeks ahead of my schedule.

Well Ladies, do enjoy the evening on Ladies Night. Wish I could be there! See you when I get back!

Apple Festival 2011!

ali — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:42:59 +0000

I can’t believe another year has gone by and we are gearing up for the Apple Festival. Hope it is a good day. As with every Bomanville event, the street will be closed down and hundreds of people will wander down the main drag. Venders will be set up on the street and there will be apples galore. Lets see! Apple Pie, Apple Fritters, Candy Apples, Apple Cake, Apple Chips, Apple Cider, Baked Apples, Apple Crisp….. Apple everything! Lots of Crafts and goodies will be on tap for the many buyers who will attend. The street will be filled with stands, tents, and tables.

All the stores will be open and lots of surprises are in store. We will be doing sales and probably no tax on that day. We plan a few other surprises as well……………..so mark the date. Sat. Oct. 15th. The fun starts early and goes on all day. We will be looking forward to seeing all our friends and neighbours!

Autumn News

ali — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:43:29 +0000

The buying trip to the US went very well. As usual, the hunt was a dream come true. I just love finding the treasures! This trip we were knee deep in flood waters. Literally we saw so much damage, we were re-routed, we saw washed out bridges, houses, and so many sad helpless people. Irene certainly left her mark. We drove through flooded roads, a little scarey, but the truck did well. Most of the damage was in Vermont, and New York State. We also ran into floods at Brimfield. So many vendors flooded out. It did not stop me though. I still managed to wade my way through the puddles and mud. I had to throw my shoes out once we finished our tour of the fields. I was able to purchase quite a few finds for the store. Many vendors were selling their inventory at low prices. I am sure that attendance was down, although I still saw hundreds of people wading through the streams to buy, buy, buy!

Now onto other news. I am leaving most of the new stock packed up, as I am planning a move! Though Under the Toadstool isn’t moving far: Just across the street. I need bigger digs and this store will provide me more space. I think the move will be in Dec. not sure yet, as I have some work to do on the new place. I get the keys mid Oct. so hopefully, I will be ready to open in mid Dec. I wish Jenny at City Cottage well! We have had a good almost three years together. I am looking forward to setting up the new place. Lots of new ideas and dreams. I will still have the vintage clothing, little girls dresses, china, and glass, and the furniture. I would like to expland on the furniture so watch for some nice pieces. I also will have some very nice light fixtures and lamps. I am busy buying lots of new display pieces so that the look is a little more shabby chic! I have been busy painting and buying fabric. I hope that my customers will enjoy the new look. I am going over magazines and books for ideas. My head is full! Do feel free to get in touch if you have questions. I will keep you posted on any news about the move!

Labour Day Adventures

ali — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 19:49:26 +0000

Leaving next week on a hunting expidition for new treasures and finds. I enjoy the trips to the New England States. I find so many barn sales down that way. Lots of antique shops and flea markets. So many choices. On route we never have to drive very far before we hit another interesting spot to check out. It is nice to have a break from the every day grind. I am my happiest when I am out looking for pretty new items for the store. For the past few nights I have been pouring over magazines looking for new ideas and checking out vintage decorating trends. I enjoy looking over the pictures many times, so I don’t forget! This is my week off from the store so I am out and about looking for china and glass and anything else that peaks my interest. If I like it I buy it! I do have some painting to get done. I have a few little furniture pieces I am working on. I want to make sure the store is full before I head out. Oh! I am going on a sister outing at the end of the week. The yearly Antique Show is on in Lakefield this Fri. Sat. and Sunday. We do lunch before we hit the fairgrounds at 2 P.M. I always make a few nifty finds at this show. I will update on my trip when I get back home! I hope everyone has a great Labour Day Weekend!

Mid-Summer Moonlight Madness!

ali — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:09:48 +0000

We are gearing up for another special event in downtown Bowmanville.

Moonlight Madness is being held Friday Aug. 12th. The streets will be shut down after 5 P.M. and the fun begins. Lots of treats and surprises as usual. We hope for a very busy night. These events bring out the crowds, so do take the time to check out the festivities. Lots of food and street vendors.

On another note, I am getting ready to head to Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. I find the nicesest things for the store when travelling the New England States. I am so looking forward to the week away. Hoping for a few lobster meals as well. We will end up at the Brimfield Antique Show. I am doing my happy dance that I am able to attend that show again this year. Never in my life have I seen anything like this show. Field after field of everything from fine furniture to fishing lines and more. I am in awe. I walk for miles taking in all the wonderful treasures. Hopefully I can post a few pictures when I get back.

Just to let people know I am getting in some really nice old barn boards over the next week or so. If you are looking for the boards at reasonable prices, visit Under the Toadstool.