Who knew?!

I'm really embarassed to admit this, but there are parts of this store that I didn't know existed.  Did you know there's a patio at Paply's?  Well, I didn't!  An easy mistake, as I seldom navigate to the third level of the store, which is where the door to the patio is located.  And, yes, there are three levels at the store.  To explain...when you come in the FRONT door, not to be confused with the PATIO door, you enter the first level.  That is where the checkout area is, plus lots of glass showcases with all kinds of neat stuff in them.  From the checkout stand, you climb a couple of steps and you are on the SECOND level of the store.  You can take a right turn after the first vendor space on your right, go down a couple of steps and you are on the THIRD level.  You can also NOT take that first right, continue down to the last walkway on your right, go down a couple of steps and you are on the THIRD level.  Once on the third level, take the last possible right turn and you will eventually run into a glass door.  THAT is the door that leads to the patio!  Who knew???  Here's a couple of things I saw on my very first journey to the patio...

That first pic is a wicker patio set.  Sofa, two chairs, coffee table and a sofa table...you can't see the sofa table.  It's behind the sofa.  But you can see a white iron candelabra that is sitting on the sofa table.  Pretty neat.  The second pic is a glass patio table and four chairs.  The tablecloth is 'kicked' up so that people will know that the table has a glass top.  I know this because I overheard Brenda explaining that to a customer.  There are also cushions on the chairs that match the tablecloth.  People, we are styling at Paply's!  :>)

And get a load of this...

It's a porch swing!  And it's hanging really high, right off the rafters.  There's an old tub sitting on the swing and a bunch of flowers.  I doubt any of you human-types could swing on this baby in it's current location.  But I can!  A couple of jumps, a death-defying leap, and it's rock-a-by-Vinnie-time!  Nobody loves a good swing like Vinnie.  :>)

Better scoot.  I've got some swinging to do before Brenda and Mike show up to open Paply's for the day.  Until the next time, it's Vinnie Mouse saying, ""Au revoir!"

We have a winner!

Olga Anderson won the Mother's Day flower arrangement give-away!  I watched all the action from my mouse-hole, so I can verify the drawing was conducted in a proper and fair manner.  Unfortunately no one thought to take a picture of Olga with her vase filled with beautiful flowers.  If I had been in charge, you can bet there would've been pics taken.  And you all know what a skilled photographer I am...okay, so maybe that's stretching the truth a little.  :>) 

Everyone at Paply's Gifts and Antiques sends heartfelt wishes to all mothers everywhere!  Even mouse-type mothers, like mine!!

If you are in the area, drop by the store this weekend.  Lots of new merchandise has arrived in many of the vendors' booths.  Boxes filled with dishes and goodies of all kinds.  Furniture of every size and shape. Thank goodness noone asked ME to help haul all that stuff in!  I'm pretty strong for a mouse, but I hear all the grunting and groaning as they pass by my mouse-hole.  That stuff is heavy!! 

Until the next time, this is Vinnie Mouse saying, "Au revoir!"

Mother's Day?

I keep hearing all this talk about around the store about Mother's Day. Being a mouse, I wasn't sure what all the fuss is about. . . I'm a mouse, after all, and a non-mother, so all this chatter kicked my curiousity into high gear and I went on a hunt through the store, trying to figure out what all the fuss was about. I saw this pillow in Cow Palace's booth...

Does this mean that human mother's are like fertilizer?  Sheesh.  I hate to think what my mother would do to me, if I were to tell her she was fertilizer.

And then I saw this pillow...

Okay.  Now we are getting closer to what a mouse-mother is like.  My mother raised me and my sisters and brothers all by herself.  She found us food, made us wash behind our mouse ears and lectured us about never accepting cheese from strangers--especially when attached to a mousetrap!  So maybe I can see why everybody is so caught up in Mother's Day.  It's a special time to say thank you to our mothers for all the nice things they do for us.

To celebrate Mother's Day, Mike and Brenda have this big bowl by the front desk where people can write their names down and maybe win a floral arrangement.  And there's another drawing that one of the vendors is sponsoring.  If you spend a hundred bucks on items in her booth, you have a chance to win a $50 shopping free in her booth.  Cool! 

I better scoot so I can start stuffing the bowls with MY name.  Vinnie Mouse.  That's me!  And I'm gonna win the flowers AND the shopping spree, so don't even think about dropping YOUR name in those bowls!

Until the next time, this is Vinnie Mouse saying, "Au revoir!"

Valentine's Day/President's Day Sale

I've heard all this talk the last couple of days about 'Valentine's Day Sale' and 'Presidents' Day Sale'.  What???  Did someone say SALE?  My ear is all but hanging out of my mouse hole!  I don't care which it is---Valentine's Day or Presidents' Day---noone loves a good sale more than me.  I've already had my eye on a couple of Valentine baskets.

That is my FAVORITE!  Snickers AND a cute bear AND a balloon AND a tin container to keep forever and forever.  Who could ask for more?!

And this booth has handmade valentine cards and the cutest beaded slippers.  Unfortunately there is not ONE pair in mouse-size, but there are a ton of human sizes, and all different colors.  And can you see those crystal champagne/sherbet glasses?  May be champagne or sherbet for you humans, but for us mice, that's an elevated, see-thru swimming pool! 

The store is open on Sundays, too, so if you romantic male types have forgotten what Sunday is---VALENTINE'S DAY---stop by and let Brenda and Mike help you select a gift for your sweetheart.  And that goes for you females, too!  There are a bunch of manly items in the store, and you can probably find one that will satisfy your honey's special taste.

Happy Valentine's Day from Vinnie Mouse!!

I Heart this Stuff!

It is Valentine's Day EVERYWHERE in the store!  Red hearts, pink hearts...it's enough to make you see...well, hearts.   And guess what I found last night.  C*A*N*D*Y!!  There are a ton of baskets filled with all kinds of treats.  Check this out:

I'm not usually a fan of bears.  I mean, really.  They can be scary!  But that little white bear is so cuddly, I curled up on his lap and took a nap!

I love you.  How sweet is that?  I love you, too, Miss Basket Lady!!

There's another area where there are handmade Valentine cards.  No goodies to nibble on, but the cards are pretty cute.  And, man, I wish my feet were bigger.  Notice those pink, beaded slippers at the corners of the table?  I just know I would be styling decked out in a pair of those!

Here's a close up of those sparkly slippers:

Well, that's all for me.  I've feeling kinda sleepy after eating all that Valentine candy!

Happy New Year!

Yeah, I'm a little late in the Happy New Year wishes department, but I'm a mouse.  I don't work on the same time schedule as you humans.  :>)  But the good wishes are the same...I hope ALL of you in blogland have a wonderful and prosperous 2010!  And that's straight from the mouse's mouth.  (Try saying that seven times real fast.  mouse's mouth-mouse's mouth-mouse's mouth-mouse's mouth.  It's a tongue-twister for sure!)

Did you know that people (and mice!) can leave comments at the end of a blog post?  Well, I didn't!  I guess that's another thing that makes us mice different from you people.  I was fooling around on Mike and Brenda's computer tonight, and I saw where this Laby Liberty Patriot person wrote something after my last two posts.  Who knew?!  I sure as heck didn't, so here's a shout out to you Lady Liberty Patriot!  And happy trails, to you, too.  But let's keep this between you and me, okay?  I don't want Mike and Brenda to find out I'm messing with their computer, or living here for that matter.  They're liable to pull out that mouse trap for sure!

I can't find my camera to show you any of the neat stuff that's appeared in the store recently, but there is some really cool stuff showing up around here.  There's a couple of porch swings I've been entertaining myself with, and a WHOLE bunch of furniture.  And there's a lot of "sale" signs tacked all around.  10%, 20%, 30% off...there's even one that has 50% off everything under $25.00!  All the Christmas-ey decorations are slowly disappearing and being replaced with hearts and lace and all kinds of lovey-dovey what-nots.  Guess that means that Valentine's Day is right around the corner.

Well...{{yawn}}...I'm gonna keep this short.  I'm a sleepy mouse tonight.  Until next time, it's me, Vinnie Mouse, saying, "Au revoir!"

It's Christmas everywhere!

I don't know where the time goes.  Last time I posted on this blog, it was Halloween and the store was filled with scary stuff.  And now it's Christmas and there are Christmas trees and twinkly lights everywhere!  I have an excuse for not being around lately.  A really good one.  I had a bug.  Not the crawly-spider kinda bug.  I had an animal bug.  Swine flu!!  I'm better now, so don't worry about picking up any germs from me.  And I'm loving all the new stuff I'm finding in the store.  I'm also feeling kinda of playful, and since I don't have anybody around to play with, I'm choosing YOU as my playmate! 

So here's how the game goes...I'm gonna post a whole bunch of pictures.  One 'thing' is in every one of the pictures.  Let's see if you can find that 'thing.'  Here goes! 

Well?  How did you do?  Did you find the one thing that was the same in every picture?  No?  Well, I'll give you  a little hint....I'm in every picture!  Me, Vinnie Mouse! 

What?  You can't find me?  Okay, I know I'm kinda small, but really.  You gotta try harder!  I'll give you another hint.  In two of the pictures I'm rocking. 

Now do you see me?  No?  What are you, blind or something?!  Okay.  This is the last hint you're gonna get.  This is a pic of litte ol' me, all by myself.
  

Well, duh, I guess you can find me now that I've told you exactly what...I mean, who to look for!  But thanks for playing with me.  It gets really boring around here, when I'm the only mouse around.

Do you like my dress?  This really cool lady named Charlotte made it for me.  Oops.  That's a little white lie, and I've got to be really good so Santa will come and see me Christmas Eve, so here's the truth...Charlotte really didn't make the dress for me.  I 'borrowed' it from one of the dolls in her booth.  Charlotte sews all kind of things!  Hot pads, toys, books, doll clothes and stuffed animals, too.  If you think my dress looks pretty in the picture, then you just gotta see it in person.  It's too die for!

Well, I better scoot.  It's almost time for Mike and Brenda to arrive to open the store.  Until next time, it's me, Vinnie Mouse, saying, "Au revoir!"