Barking for Dollars

We just finished our annual fundraiser for the Humane Society (Mollie the shop dog's preferred charity), and have to shout out to those who were so generous. We raised $297 this year. Kind of a miracle, given A) how it we set it up (Robert's great idea a few years ago), and B) the merde economy.

Here's how it works: after the holidays, we gather all our testers, samples, onesies, bits and pieces and oddball or slightly dinged up things, put them in a big basket on the front porch with an honor jar, a sign, and bags. You get to dig through, take what you want, and pay what you want. After a month or so, we add it all up and bring the proceeds to the Humane Society. Some people wrote generous checks, some emptied their change jars, some threw whatever they could in the jar. It all added up! It's not a particularly pretty bit of merchandising, all thrown sort of hodge podge on the porch, but, it's fine for the dead days of winter. Now we're getting all our spring and easter goodies put out, and flipping everything around for the next few days.

Oh, and speaking of flipping around, our lovely canal in back of the shop is going underground, starting this week. A few trees and lilac bushes are coming down, and our parking lot is going to be closed, due to giant truck activity. Sigh. But you can park right across the street at Macy's and hop over. We hope you brave the chaos and come visit.