We will wearin' our aprons at HCCC!

This delightful apron-themed email was forwarded to us from our sweet friend, Christine, from Faces of Astarte. We just had to pass it on and remind you that next weekend, the 13th & 14th of November, we will be selling our homemade wares at Herkimer Community College's craft fair. It is a juried, fantastic show. Stop by...we will be the ones wearing aprons!

From an unknown source:

The History of Aprons

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.  

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few.  It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material.  But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
 
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.      

    

 From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
     

 When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
     
And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms.
     
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.     

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
     

 From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
     

 In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.      

 
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
   
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

 It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
   
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
 
I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love...

Still standin', still smilin'!!

Oh, how we love the Garlic Fest. We get energized a couple of weeks prior, work ourselves into the ground, and put on a helluva party! Both of us get so tired that we could cry and then....the people come in the gate, laugh, dance, visit and absolutely have a blast. It is all worth it.

Chicks Along the Canal

Juli and some of our favorite "chicks" dreamed up a festival featuring local, extra-creative women. The day they dreamed of is almost here!

Join us Saturday for Chicks Along the Canal, a music, art, antique and so, so much more-filled day in the park here in Canal Place. Can't wait to see you again!!

Lilac Time

Juli and our Aunt Kate (a.k.a. A.K.) have been cutting lilac bouquets. They scent the shop and spur us on to charming displays. As soon as the lilacs come, we gather the china, linens and prints that have lilacs, violets or any purple floral designs, mix them with bright green and white pieces and "Ta Da!" Spring has arrived at The Seed.

One of our favorite products to include is the Violet Lilac German-made soap from Kappus. The packaging is delightful and the scent is heavenly. We mix those two scented oils into our own products such as hand soap and lotion, too. You'll find them in our signature dark green bottles!

You can sniff and sample more of our products if you join us this Sunday afternoon, May 16, 12-4 at General Herkimer Home Site just outside Little Falls, near the Thruway exit. They are hosting the annual Garden Faire and we will be returning as vendors, dressed in period costume. Activities really do include something for everyone, young and old. See you there!

Killer Stuff and Dead Guy's Stuff

Sharon Fiffer has added so much laughter and entertainment to our lives. Her first book, Killer Stuff and her second, Dead Guy's Stuff, started us off on a series of books that we steadily recommend to our customers. The main character, Jane Wheeler, is a "picker," someone who scours sales and thrift shops for antique dealers. She is sort of a "middle-woman," if you will. Jane and her assorted friends and family get into many mysterious predicaments and there is always a dead body involved. Jane is our kinda gal...a collector of fine junk! Don't miss this fictional series! G.

Speaking of Herbs

The Weed & Seed garden club invited Juli and I to talk about herbs and how our original herb garden grew into The Mustard Seed. We met with them at the New Hartford Library and shared a delightful Tuesday morning. The above picture is a snap from Juli’s phone that shows the mini-shop we set up to give them a sniff of the wonderful things we offer at The Seed.

Tuesday afternoon was spent talking and shopping with an emphasis on shop vision planning for the next year. Look out! That ALWAYS means that we are about to turn the place topsy-turvy. This time we are starting with our desk area and refining a space to create our herbal products and sew while we shopkeep. Those are the things that make our hearts sing and that is, after all, the reason the shop grew in the first place. We started making herbal things back in 1994 and here we are…stop in soon and check out the creative chaos! G.

Globes, globes and more globes

Aren’t these vintage globes fun to look at? Chris Takas brought them into the shop the other day and Gail couldn’t resist putting them all together on this old green cupboard. Some of them are banks, one lights up, all of them are just too cool!

We are still operating under Winter Hours during March. Sundays 12-5, all other days 10-5. Hope you come by soon to check out the globes and all of the other new goodies here at The Seed.