We are getting ready for the Annual Downtown Glendora Holiday Stroll, full speed ahead. It’s taken a couple of weeks to recover from Halloween and I haven’t  given a ton of thought as to what the store is going to look like for Christmas. But, with just over a week until the biggest event of the year, we kicked it into high gear.

Weekly goal number 1:
A trip up to Big Bear to pick up the second largest piece of furniture I’ve ever purchased.

Over eight feet long with 59 total drawers, this newest display piece will house all of our knobs for sale.

Weekly goal number 2:
Paint the second largest piece of furniture I’ve ever purchased so that it is ready to go in the store.

Weekly goal number 3:
In order to make room for the second largest piece of furniture I’ve ever purchased, I had to do some major reconfiguring with the furniture and existing displays.

The plan was to have the large knob cabinet mirror my other massive paint display cabinet.

(Of all my files of pictures, you’d think I’d have a photograph of this all finished, but no…can’t find one anywhere).

Unfortunately, currently mirroring this display was my wall of crates.

15 crates staggered together to create a jumble of display space. I liked how it was, but I didn’t love it. And, it always ended up being a catch all for the stuff I didn’t know what to do with. So, the fact that it needed to be disassembled and moved was a good thing.

Weekly goal number 4:
Make the crates look old and re-arrange them in a new place.

Audra, Karene and I spent ALL day yesterday and part of today dark waxing every single one of these crates…inside and out. I’m seriously going to have dark wax in my fingernails for a few days. I didn’t realize how much I disliked the blonde color of the crates until we finished covering them in dark wax. They look so much better…richer…a bit more authentic!

I re-stacked them in a more symmetrical pattern and attached them to the back wall of the store to display all of our more crafty items.

You can see the “treat bags” pennant from the front door of the shop.

Washi tapes and our new line of cotton ribbon hang on tension rods so they are easy to see. And, I attached a yard stick so that it is easy to measure and cut the ribbon by the yard.

Burlap ribbons, glue sticks and our Lumiere pearlescent paints…

Michelle E. Black’s greeting card line and packaging materials…

Vintage ribbons, more burlap, jute twine and bakers twine…

And a host of miscellaneous decorations and accessories thrown in the mix…

Including Michelle E. Black’s newest horse picture! LOVE!!!

I utilized the space clear to the ceiling.

My day was consumed with putting this together along with the knob display. At this point in the store, we are in the phase of “worse before it gets better.” And, I’m learning to be okay with that and embrace it as a part of the process of freshening things up. It’s fun to have a place that is ever-evolving and constantly changing. If that means you have to step over a few stacks of books or push aside a chair to browse…well…it’s just the way that it is.

I promise you that by next Friday night, we will be re-assembled, decorated and ready with live music, a photo booth by Killer Cupcake Event Photography, goodies from Sweets Indeed and rustic Christmas decorations all over the place!