New Store - LeftOvers4Dinner

I went on vacation a couple weeks ago, and my life has been turned completely upside down (but not in a terrible, awful, Lifetime Movie way), and I need to catch up on a few things.

Look for a great review/interview of Black Mountain Yarn Shop,  my new forays into other arts and crafts, and some new knitting projects I've started.

For now, I've come to realize that there is such a large market for larger crochet items, that it's hard to break through.  I've had very few sales through Bender Oak Gifts on Etsy, though I provide items using high end and unusual yarns, as well as customized requests, special orders, and I'll even work with people on creating a really interesting keepsake within their budget.  I'm researching ways to break through and reach a larger, interested audience, but keep falling short.  I'm starting to really slash prices, so if you haven't already, check out BenderOak Gifts on Etsy, and see if there's anything you might like.  I plan on re-designing the business model, and as much as I hate to, start moving toward smaller accessory items and toys.  I have some nifty ideas for accessories, and I'll be working on those in the next couple of months.  Stay tuned for a re-launched BenderOak Gifts Etsy shop.

I've started to realize with the way business has gone with the crochet item online, my best bet is to keep pushing forward with smaller, more unique accessory items, such as pins, brooches, Amigurumi, Jewelry, and Household items (ALL CROCHET!!!)  That, and if I spend 20 hours working on a Shawl, it kinda hurts my feelings if that shawl sits in the shop for months, unsold.

In the meantime, I have started to explore my old interests, Vintage, Kitsch, and Retro items.  I'm in love with old stuff, but I find that many times, I grow out of old stuff, or I really buy it because I think it would suit a different type of person that I know (or know of).  I used to collect Vintage Clothes, and still have a stash of those tucked away, and I have more Vintage and Kitsch trinkets than I know what to do with.

... So....I've opened a different store!!!  BenderOak Gifts would now like to present: Leftovers4Dinner!!!!  This is my new shop, and it's doing fairly well, I'm so amazed and happy!  I encourage you to take a look, read each listing, and see if there is anything you like.  If now, there's definitely something to make you smile, I can't help being funny at heart.

I'll be posting more really cool vintage items, as well as books, magazines, and retro yarn in the upcoming weeks.

Now, if you don't excuse me, time to do some Vintage Jewelry photography!

Mountain Spirit Cards & Gifts and the Bona-Fide Bakery Pet Shop

When I went down to Black Mountain, Greg's Sister-in-Law had mention there was a new yarn shop in Down-Town Black Mountain, so I really, really wanted to go.  I like tourist-type places, but since I'm trying to watch my money these days, I've been avoiding Touristy impulse shopping situations.

My Boyfriend and I wandered around, but since it was the 4th of July, most places had closed or closed early.  The Black Mountain Yarn Shop, in the heart of downtown, was closed, so I'm gonna have to go back sometime and check them out....I love the idea of a yarn shop in the heart of such a pretty area.  I hope their nice!

We stopped in at a Rock Shop, New Earth ,which was very pretty and New Age.  They had a few interesting fossil thingies, and we purchased some beads for the Bus.

When I first got BenderOak, I went to the Bona-Fide Bakery & Boutique, but it was really nice to stop in there again.  You know that wonderful, deep, yummy smell that happens when you walk into your local bakery?  That's the same experience for any Dog (or Kitty) when they skip their little paws into this completely adorable pet shop.

 This slightly high-end Pet Boutique carries great pet accessories from well-known companies, smaller businesses, and food from local Pet Bakers.  We got a couple of cute bumper stickers for the bus, and a small cookie jar's worth of treats for Mr. Bender.  I don't normally pay 2.50 for a Lollipop, but when it's got healthy yogurt frosting, Elk jerky, and Oatmeal for Ben-Ben, and it smells so good I want to eat it, then I'm spilling my cash, LOL.

In fact, here's a little Pet-Testimonial from Bender:



Around the corner from the Rock Shop was a little shop tucked away on the first floor of the shop complex.  We weren't sure what it was, and since I was on a mission to find postcards, we started to turn away, when the shop owner, Ms. Kate Shawgo hurried past us to take care of something, turned quickly and said:

 "Don't Be Scared! There's no actual Spirits in there!  It's okay to go in!"

Not realizing that we looked like the type of people easily spooked by New Age or Metaphysical Names, we turned back toward the shop, and peered into Mountain Spirit Cards & Gifts.

We stepped into a very cute, well decorated shop that could easily be mistaken for what I would consider My "Dream Scrapbooking/Paper Ephemera studio".  Cards weren't just lined up in little Greeting Card shelves, they had their own bookshelves, counters, hang racks, even mish-mash piles (well organized and neat piles, mind you).  Cards, little momentos, Handmade Soap, Cute last-minute Gifts, and YARN AND DISHCLOTHES are the staple of this little, tucked away store.

Completely Beautiful Cards, and some of them are designed and created locally by Ms. Kate's friends! I picked up a cute one with a Brown Bear picking rocks out of it's toes and scratching it's foot.

Ms. Kate and her lovely dog Bella Joy moved down to Black Mountain a few years ago after her mother fell ill. As a direct result, Ms. Kate inherited a large stash of cotton yarn, created by the very nearby Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing company. Originally, she decided to share her Mother's stash and a few comfort-knitted dishclothes produced by her and her mother for a couple of dollars, donating proceeds of the sales to local Hospices.

The Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Company found out, and now assists Ms. Kate in stocking a modest, yet vibrant selection of cotton yarn.  I've always said it, but I'll say it again, Dish Clothes are a wonderful gifts: They make great comfort knitting/crocheting for difficult times, and everyone can use a cotton dishcloth/washcloth.  After learning about Ms. Shawgo's story, I'm now more in love with Pisgah Yarn.

Tucked away behind the Sales Desk was a pet bed, with a rather sleepy pup named Bella.  At first, I didn't see her, but she made some cute sleepy noises while I was sniffing some Goat's Milk Soap.  "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie", so I didn't want to bother her.

But was I in for a treat.  Miss Bella, Official "Doggess" of the shop, put on some of her wonderful Doggy Fineries and let us take some pictures!  Check out this very Dashing Dog and her Human:

I encourage you to stop in at Mountain Spirit Gifts on Cherry Street. For a few dollars, you can get an original, beautiful card, Far better than any small trinket available at any ol' Tourist trap in Carolina. And before you leave, be sure to give Bella a tip in the Doggy Bowl by the Door. Miss Bella "Works Hard for the Monies", and your Kindess will be rewarded with Warm Thoughts, and Amazing Doggy Tricks n' Treats!

Thank you Bella Joy and Thank you so much Ms. Kate!

Yummy Goodness from Black Mountain!

On my mini-vacation, many fruits grow wild near the place I was staying. It was so novel that I could literally wake up, throw on some clothes, walk a few yards, and go pick Breakfast. Yum-Yum-Yum.

During the warmer months, a fruit for each season grows rampant here. 2 kinds of Apples, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, something called Loganberries, Pears, Plums, Black Walnuts,
and Raspberries, creep in from the beautiful rustic foothills and onto the edges of people's backyards and driveways. It's awesome. Couple that with the gardens people naturally grow in this area, and you can have your own mini-orchard or farm!

Toward the end of June/early July, Raspberries are in season, so most of my pictures are of Raspberries. I've never seen Raspberries, only Blackberries where I am from. So I went a little silly taking as many pictures as I could. Here, check them out!

So, I picked a bunch of Raspberries, and froze them. I've got enough to add to my cereal and yogurt for about a week. Plus, they are so fresh, that it's like I just came home from the organic market with nicely chilled luxury fruit, minus all the guilt of paying $6.99 for a pint of Raspberries grown by a bunch of smelly hippies.

When I go down there again, I'm gonna look into what it would take to make jam, or preserves. From what I know, it takes a whole lot of fruit to make preserves, and I doubt I could pick 2 lbs of fruit just to make a tiny jar of jelly, but that would be so awesome. But for now, my new healthy breakfast and really cool photos will do.