Made in the USA
March 7, 2012
One of the many things I love about my store’s location is all the windows. With a full southern exposure spanning from east to west, the windows flood the space with brilliant sunlight. Hanging in every one of the more than 100 windowpanes in the sashes and transoms is a dazzling Pairpoint sun catcher.
Beloved for their intricate designs, rich colors, and history and heritage (more on that later), these pressed-glass medallions truly do catch the sunlight—and the eye of just about everyone who... more
January 19, 2012
I’ll admit it – I’m an almond junkie. As a kid, I think it was chocolate bars with almonds in them that got me hooked initially. Now I’m addicted to the True Nut Company’s Maple-Roasted Almonds, available in six perfectly blended varieties – Original, Cinnamon, Coconut, Ginger, Basil, and Cayenne.
My customers ask me which one is my personal favorite. Made with just the right combination of pure maple sugar, sea salt, and all-natural flavorings, they’re all so good that I have to say every one... more
December 3, 2011
Baking and decorating cookies for family and friends (and, for Santa, of course) is a favorite holiday tradition for many of us.
Who doesn’t love the sweet aroma and taste of homemade cookies? And when those treats are in fun, recognizable shapes, the only thing better than eating them is making them with your favorite cookie cutters.
(FYI: The gingerbread man is believed to be the first cookie cutter shape created. According to historical accounts, in the 1600s England’s Queen Elizabeth I... more
November 4, 2011
Let’s be honest, if you’re a dog lover, it’s nearly impossible to say no to those sad eyes, especially when you’re eating something right in front of your canine companion. But whatever you like to eat (e.g., BBQ potato chips for me) isn’t always the right thing to share with man’s best friend.
A Smart Alternative that Dogs Love
Luckily, The Organic Hound Company offers a smart alternative to the many commercially produced dog treats made with vegetable and animal by-products that would make... more
October 21, 2011
Back in the 1800s, villages along rivers witnessed the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Textile mills from England were replicated here, spawning the growth of entire towns and cities.
Not far from where my store is located, you can see sprawling brick mill complexes in cities that were once synonymous with textile manufacturing. When the textile industry migrated south in the mid-1900s, many of the mill buildings were shuttered and sat empty for years.
Though some mills were sadly lost to... more
October 3, 2011
I’ve liked making baked goods since I was a kid. I got my start with Betty (Crocker), Duncan (Hines), and the Dough Boy. As a teenager I discovered that muffins, cookies, brownies, and other baked items were generally much better when they were made from scratch instead of out of a box. Over the years I added quite a few favorites to my repertoire, especially bar cookies and brownies (more on that later).
Like most working people, life seems to keep getting busier, and I have less time to... more
September 8, 2011
The foothills of the western Maine mountains overlooking the Kennebec River offer the ideal conditions for raising superior quality apples. This is where two generations of the Dimock family cultivate over 30 acres of trees on their farm named North Star Orchards. Using the ecologically sustainable techniques of integrated crop management, the Dimocks grow some of the finest apples in New England.
Among the many varieties they cultivate, McIntosh apples comprise almost two-thirds of their... more
August 24, 2011
With the daylight hours waning and the nights getting cooler, my favorite season is approaching. There’s nothing quite like autumn. The air is refreshing, the sky is deep blue, and Mother Nature puts on a breath-taking spectacle of vibrant foliage. I think the best thing about the season is the wonderful smell of fresh-picked apples, pumpkins, and the aromas of baked goods made from the harvest.
The heavenly fragrances of crisp McIntosh Apples, Pumpkin Soufflé, Amish Harvest, and many other... more
August 11, 2011
According to a recent National Pet Owners Survey, 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 72.9 millions homes. Those households account for 86.4 million cats and 78.2 million dogs based on data gathered from the survey. Americans are expected to spend almost $51 billion on their pets this year, almost triple what they spent in 1994.
No wonder things that have to do with pets are popular items in my store.
People don’t hesitate to buy catnip toys and beds, dog treats, collars,... more
June 14, 2011
In my little retail shop that’s packed with hundreds of US-made items spanning a variety of categories, I never would have guessed soap – “Just Soap” – would be my #1 best-selling product. The soap’s natural eye- and nose-appeal is hard to resist, but it’s the ingenious use of a bicycle in the soap-making process that really sells these “pedal powered” bars.
OK, so what does a bicycle have to do with Just Soap? If you’ve ever attempted to make soap from scratch, you know your arms could fall... more
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