OUR POP-UP SHOP AT THE HILLDALE SHOPPING CENTER

HERE WE GO AGAIN

We thought we'd left the mercantile aspect of our lives behind us but once you've gone shop owner you never go back. So I wanted to get this out before our brief venture back into retail disappears like the steam off of Lake Mendota.

When Leslie Watkins approached us with her brainchild, a pop-up event centered around the home, we were flattered. She oohed and aahed about our linen collection and seduced us into participating. We thought we were being asked to come in with a table, a couple of chairs, and our tablecloths, pillowcases and napkins. It wasn't until we did our walk-through and she started showing us complete store spaces and asking us, which one we'd like to take that we saw the undertaking of a shop meant more than a table or booth. If we thought we could have backed out then I think we would have if it weren't for Leslie being such a good friend.

We went back to the drawing board to see what we could do to expand our vision. We called our furniture manufacturer, Black Wolf Design, to see what furniture samples we could ship down for the shop.

We went through our storage area to see what we could pull.

We took apart the closet where we store all of our flatware.

We even trashed our garage pulling items we had left over from our store on East Wilson.

Then Rick set up a sweat shop in our basement where we batch dyed vintage linen that needed weeks of ironing and a case of spray starch.

We'd really like to see any and all of you who can make it over to Hilldalle to say hello. The event continues Friday through Sunday, February 12-14, starting at eleven all three days. Hopefully some of these pictures will entice you to make the trip.

And for all of you way to far away to hit the actual shop we hope you can enjoy the scenery and make a purchase in your mind where the price is always in your budget.

Let us know if you see anything you like or just give us a shout out so we know you're out there.

Rick and Lee