New look for Paply's!!

Woohoo!  Paply's has a new look.  Get a load of this sign that was erected this week.

How fab is that?!  I heard Claudia, one of the vendors, say, "Now we don't have to explain to people about the Oma's Flea Market sign any more!"  (You'll have to imagine that said with a German accent, 'cause I don't know how to write with accents.  :>)

Seems it always confused people, when they were trying to find the store.  The store is called "Paply's Gifts and Antiques Mall", but the big sign on the pole said "Oma's Flea Market."  Well not now!  Here's another pic that shows part of the building and the new sign. 

Can you find the smiley face in the photo?  I'll give you a minute to look.  Found it yet?  Here's a clue...look for the white painted wall on the building, just to the right of the yellow front door.  That's it!  Mike made it, and it's formed out of wagon wheels and an old two-man saw.  And, no, the parts that make up the smiley face are NOT for sale.  Mike is so proud of his creation, he refuses to sell them! 

And there is a new arrival in the shop.  Take a look at this monster-big table!

I watched Claudia recover the seats on the chairs, then Mike put the chairs back together.  Really neat toile fabric.  Better grab it quick, 'cause this table and chairs set won't last long!

And then there's this thingy-majig.

I overheard someone call it a round-top trunk.  I thought trunks were the rear storage area in a car?  Hmmm.  Guess this old mouse has got some lingo to learn. 

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

The Official Vinnie-Tour of Paply's continues....

Last time I updated the blog, I told you about the patio.  Well, I've found more new area for you to explore!  One step outside the patio there are some neat chairs with flowers on the seat.  I guess that means these chairs are decoration only, huh?  :>) 

Some days the flowers look really pretty.  Some days they don't.  The day I took these pics was one of those 'don't' days.  It's this Texas heat.  There is nowhere outside the store where there is shade to protect the plants from the broiling sun...I know because I heard Mike explaining all this to a customer the other day, who was telling him he needed to water his plants.  Oh, well.  I guess you just have to imagine the chair seats filled with the beautiful, colorful flowers that YOU would put in them.  :>)

Back to the patio, pass through the glass door to the third level I told you about before, and look what I found! 

Whoa, baby!  Is that real money?  Must be because it's locked up tight inside a glass display cabinet.  Wonder if I could talk Mike and Brenda into making me a 'small' loan?  I'm thinking there's a trip in my future.  Las Vegas, maybe?  teehee  But we all know that I won't be asking Mike and Brenda for a loan.  If I did, then they'd know I'm living in their shop and they'd start slinging mouse traps all over everywhere.  And who needs that kind of abuse??  Besides, the money in the glass case isn't the kind of money you spend.  It's the kind you collect!  A guy was in the other day and bought a whole bunch of silver coins.  He said the price of silver had just gone up and no one had raised the price of the silver coins in the case.  Oops.  

   

Until the next time, it's Vinnie Mouse saying, "Au Revoir!"

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!"