The Wren's Nest

Harvest Tea Time Again

2011-10-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

I feel like every blog I begin to write lately starts with "I can't believe it's...". And here I am again saying "I can't believe it's Fall!" It's funny how this year it really caught me off guard. With all the major changes that I've gone through this summer, it's as if I've gone from task to task with blinders on and haven't taken the time to look around. A couple of weeks ago, I was driving in

First you make a plan....

2011-07-15T05:04:00.000-07:00

....then life comes along and changes it! Things have been a whirlwind of activity over the last few weeks. And if you had asked me a few months ago where I would be in July I can guarantee it wouldn't have been in a new location with a new exciting direction. It's amazing how things can really change when you step back, stop fighting to make a round peg fit into a square hole and look at all

Spring Plantings

2011-04-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Every spring I look forward with great anticipation to planting the window boxes and wire baskets that decorate the front of the shop. Many rainy winter days are spent searching the internet, pouring over magazines and books and reading blogs to find just the right look. Last years plantings were all about color; vivid red geraniums, deep purple lobelia... The vivid colors of the plantings

Reclaiming Rosehaven

2011-04-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Life has been a bit crazy for the past few years. Seems that since I moved The Wren's Nest to Florence a little over 3 years ago, life has revolved around making things work at the shop. As a result, our home has suffered. We bought this place in 2001. It's a wonderful 1928 farmhouse with almost an acre of land. Make that an acre of overgrown, blackberry covered land. The first few years I was

Piles of Dishes

2011-03-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy few weeks around here. Last week, high winds caused a branch to fall on the power line that goes into our home causing us to file our first ever homeowners claim for the lost computers, T.V.'s, range, microwave. This week we woke up on Friday morning to news of a possible Tsunami headed our way. Scary stuff. Our home is located about 16 miles inland and on the hill above the

Coming soon to a Nest near you!

2011-03-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

About 10 years ago, I was re-united with a boy that really 'gets' me. Well, most of the time. I have to admit that in the last 8 years of marriage there have been times that he's looked at me like "WOW, I don't get you at all..." but generally, he really does 'get' me. I tell him on a pretty regular basis that he's a lucky guy to have a wife like me. While he could have married a girl that

Embracing Change

2011-02-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

It's a fundamental fact that we as human beings (for the most part) dislike change. We're creatures of habit and we create our own little comfort zone and then freak out a bit when we have to move out of it. For the past several years I've been working on building my business in the way that I thought it should be. And, as its grown, I've found myself often overwhelmed at all that needed to be

And here we go!!

2011-01-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's January. The start of a new year, with new goals and already a "to-do" list long enough to paper my shop walls. Last year I said that I was going to cut back and try to find more balance in my life. I had every intention of spending more time at home and getting my house back in order. Seems like I'm away from the house so much that things just don't get done. I used to love driving into my

The Crazy Baker Chick

2010-12-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, we added a feature to The Wren's Nest that we call the "Saucy Tart Pastry Bar". Every week, my friend Becca who just happens to be the owner of Rebecca Ottensmann Baking and an amazing baker, supplies me with a variety of cookies and muffins that are the perfect accompaniment to the tea that we offer. Starting next week and into Christmas, we will have a variety of bagged

Christmas in Old Town Florence

2010-12-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few weeks! Ken and I spent Thanksgiving getting the shop all decked out in its Christmas finery and things in place for our Holiday Open House. Every year I work to come up with theme areas in the shop and generally each area gets its own tree. I was really excited to decorate the new shop. I could just imagine how wonderful it would look with all the lights and ornaments. I

Lucky Me!

2010-10-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

I LOVE fresh flowers. And I'm one of those lucky few women who are blessed with a man in their life that brings them beautiful flowers every week. I know, lucky me! Every Tuesday morning, around 7:30, this truck pulls up right outside my shop door... I know it doesn't look like much, but when you open the big double doors in the back you see this... ...big beautiful buckets of cut flowers

TMI

2010-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know me, I'm sometimes guilty of giving 'TMI'. That's Too Much Information for those of you not fortunate enough to have a child or grandchild around to teach you the current lingo. Case in point? A week or so ago, I re-planted the flower baskets and pots on the front porch of the shop. I was so ready for fall and as soon as I saw the kale come into the garden center,

Delicious Autumn

2010-09-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite quotes is by George Eliot: Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. It's exactly how I feel. I love Autumn. I feel like I spend the entire summer biding my time until I see the first hint of color on the Vine Maples and I wake up to that crisp feeling in the air that tells you fall is

Rods and Rhodies

2010-09-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

It was beautiful this weekend in Old Town. The weather report had said that it was going to be overcast with a chance of rain, but boy were they wrong. It was sunny and warm and the perfect setting for Florence's Rods and Rhodies Car Show. This year The Wren's Nest sponsored an award for "Wren's Choice for Most Wild Ride". I walked from one end of the show to the other looking at all the

Our Trunk Show for September

2010-09-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Last week, Twyla Brazille, owner of Primitive Lights Candle Company, dropped a few boxes of her hand rolled beeswax candles off at the shop for our September Trunk Show. The smell was amazing and before I could get them to the back room to wait for their September 1st debut, they were selling. People love them. I love them. They just have such a great comforting fall smell that you can't help but

Come sit awhile...

2010-09-01T04:55:00.000-07:00

I love having my shop in Old Town Florence. One of the things you notice right away here is that the pace seems to slow down a bit and people stop rushing around and take the time to just enjoy the atmosphere. Couples walk by holding hands and large, loud happy families stroll the streets with ice cream from BJ's or caramel corn from the corner candy store. And it's a great place to just sit and

Sewer Pipe and Sedums

2010-08-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

My friends Cindy and Diane have started a side business they call Archer and Wobbe Estate Sales.They do estate sales for clients, but they also do some 'picking' on the side. Every few weeks they open their warehouse for an event they call the Paris Flea Market. I admit that I'm addicted. I get an e-mail announcing the next Paris Flea Market, and I tell myself that I'm not going. I have enough

Trunk Show Artist for August

2010-08-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a very beautiful August so far. The weather has been beautiful, the tourists have finally started coming into the shop and business has been hopping. We've been so busy the last month or so getting the shop exterior painted and some outside projects done that the inside has suffered a bit. I went to dust the shelves the other day and was shocked to see how bare the candle shelves were.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

This year just seems to be flying past! I can't believe that we're halfway though it. I'm getting ready to head in and open the shop for the 4th of July crowd and it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day. Yesterday was one of those days where you almost feel like you're lost in time. Old Town was filled with happy families pushing strollers, walking dogs; eating caramel corn. You could

So far behind.....

2010-05-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here it is May 16th and I'm still playing catch up. Can't believe how far behind I am! We have a new Trunk Show Artist that I haven't put information up for (sorry Vickie) and a blog that has been neglected. Oh, and a May newsletter that hasn't gone out yet. If you looked at my blog you would think that there was nothing going on at The Nest. Couldn't be further from the truth. The first week of

Trunk Show Artist for April

2010-04-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

My Trunk Show Artist for the month of April is Rachel Whetzel. Rachel is one of those people that you just know that you were suppose to meet. I had posted some things on freecycle.org and Rachel responded. She had a link to her blog and website at the bottom of her e-mail and for almost 2 hours I sat and read all about her, her family, her art. I fell in love with a picture of a nest filled

Trunk Show Artist for March

2010-03-11T21:57:00.000-08:00

My Trunk Show artist for the month of March is Deborah Peterson. I really love the way that she combines old with new and her designs are not only unique, but beautiful as well. Come in and see all of Deborah's awesome designs this month and take home a piece or two to add to your own collection! ARTIST STATEMENT A life-long love of beads, jewelry and expressing myself in various artistic

Miracle on Maple Street

2010-02-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

Just when you think you're getting it all together.... BAM! The Universe throws you a curve. At least that's what it's been feeling like the last little bit. After weeks of trying to get the shop moved from one location to another, I was finally starting to feel at home in my new space and was getting thing put away. I hadn't really been feeling good for quite some time, but chalked that up to

Trunk Show Artist for January

2010-01-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

Our featured Artist in January/February is Debbie Kiturkes. Debbie has lived in Florence for the past 17 years. While taking a pottery class at LCC, she fell in love with the art. Round bowls turned into heart shaped and small hand painted ones. The hearts turned into jewlery items too and it has blossomed from there into a craft business called "Hearts Etc." Debbie has done arts and crafts shows

Making Progress...

2010-01-01T05:50:00.000-08:00

Boy, I forgot how much I really hate the whole moving process. Right at this moment, I have a big mess at the new shop trying to get things painted, cleaned, arranged, a bigger mess at the old shop trying to get things sorted, packed and moved, and a huge mess at my house since I'm either at the old shop or the new shop or sitting on the sofa wore out!The thing that keeps me going though is

We're Making the Move!

2009-12-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

Big excitement is in the air today at The Wren's Nest! We're packing all of our wonderful things and moving into a new shop at 129 Maple Street. We'll be closed from Sunday December 27th through mid January to make the move. Watch for an announcement of our Grand Re-opening date to be announced soon!

Kicking off the Holiday Season

2009-11-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a great couple of days. First, Thanksgiving with my daughter and her family in Central Oregon. It was so fun to get to cook with her and enjoy the beautiful young woman that she has become. And the grandsons were such a kick. Prestyn, who's 6 had some very interesting turkey questions that kept us all laughing. But after dinner and hugs all around, it was a mad rush back over the

Christmas Tree Central

2009-11-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it. I might have a slight addiction. Slight. I really don't think it's a big deal, but my family tells me that the fact that I have to pay for a storage shed to house all of my Christmas trees proves that I have a problem. Thing is, I love trees and Christmas is the perfect time for me to indulge in my passion. This year I'll have at least 4 large theme trees in the shop with several

Novembers Trunk Show

2009-11-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

For the month of November, we're pleased to feature Tisha Thompson of Mill Valley CA. I first admired Tisha's jewelry designs when she came in the shop with her sister PJ. Very unique beautiful handcrafted silver pendants and rings that really caught my attention. Says Tisha:"I started designing jewelry with my first strand of love beads in 1967 and have been experimenting with making jewelry

September's Trunk Show

2009-09-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait to see the designs that our September Trunk Show artists were bringing in. I wasn't disappointed. Each piece is so unique and hip. I keep going over and looking trying to decide which is my favorite. Both Mallory and Corey are very creative people and their designs show it."Since 2006, I have been designing and creating jewelry. It began when I started working at a bead shop and

I LOVE Fall!

2009-08-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

This week before the first of September is a busy one. By September 1st I like to have the shop switched into Harvest mode. September has always been my apple month. Out come the Baked Apple Pie candles mixed with a bit of vanilla. I just love the warm comforting scent and the cooler weather that fall brings. Yesterday I pulled all things red and my new Apple and Cinnamon Spice line from

Tons of Color!

2009-08-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that when I'm designing flower arrangements, I tend to go toward the more muted tones and the romance of roses and snapdragons. I have a true love for vintage garden type flowers and the way they look put together. But over the past few weeks, I've had the opportunity/challenge to work with more vibrant colors and I find that I really like them.We had one of our local galleries

It's Wedding Season...

2009-07-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

I was just sitting her drinking my coffee and checking my mail when I remembered my blog. Can't believe I forgot about it. But then again, it's wedding season and life tends to take on a frantic life of its own filled with tulle, flowers, ribbons and lists. My house is a mess, the back room of the shop is a mess, and my car is filled with wedding left overs. But it's an awesome feeling to step

Beautiful Glass Creations by James Lais

2009-06-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

I'm blessed to live in an area rich in very talented artists and very honored to call many of them my friends. One of my favorite people is James Lais. I got to know James when I first moved to Florence. He owned a sign company at that time and I had gone to get a quote. I liked him from the start. When I opened my shop, James mentioned that he did some glass work and brought me out some great

June's Trunk Show

2009-06-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Our Trunk Show artist for June is Laurie VandeStreek. Laurie's designs are beautifully glitzy and girly and the trunk just sparkles in the light. Laurie has brought in a collection of bracelets, earrings, hair accessories and matched sets and even offers beaded napkin ring sets a great way to add a unique touch to your table settings. "My husband, Marv, and I own and operate the Edwin K Bed and

Mother's Day Madness

2009-05-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Let's just say that I wasn't prepared. I thought that I was ready, but really, how could I have been when I've never owned a flower shop?! The FTD orders started rolling in on the 1st. Just one or two every day. And then on the Tuesday before Mother's Day it kicked up to a few more. By Thursday the computer was spitting out orders on a regular basis. I worked at a fever pitch designing

The Truffles are Coming, The Truffles are Coming!

2009-04-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

The last time I was in my hometown of John Day, I happened to stop in to a little flower shop called A Flower Shop and More. Terri the owner was there and we had a great conversation about the floral business. She was a wealth of information and was so willing to share her ideas with me. I came away from that chance meeting with a yellow pad page full of information and ideas and ready to hit the

May's Featured Artist

2009-04-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Our featured artist of the month for May is Petra Lorenz. Petra came into The Nest a few months ago and I liked her instantly. We had a great conversation about jewelery and I asked her if she wanted to do a trunk show at the shop in May. I love her things. Petra is very creative and I really like the way that she mixes vintage beads with new to create beautiful unique designs.There were several

New Shop Displays

2009-04-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

Almost 7 years ago I married a wonderful man. Not only is he my best friend and biggest supporter when it comes to my ventures, but he's also a carpenter! He swears that I only married him for his building skills, but that's not true. Ok, maybe it's a little true. But how cool is it that I can see something that I think is really awesome and with a little sweet talk and eyelash batting and a

Oregon Coast Magazine Lists The Nest

2009-04-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Pick up the June issue of Oregon Coast Magazine and you'll see an issue full of summer fun ideas in and around Florence. The best part? They've listed The Wren's Nest!"Nearly everything in this lovely shop embodies the spirit of it's multi-talented owner, Wren Smart. From the aromatic selection of soy candles that she hand pours to the private label scone mix, fragrant hand made sachets and

Candle Making Day!

2009-04-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been major candle making days. The shelves had gotten so bare and I knew that I needed to just buckle down and get things done. Yesterday Ken got a crash course in candle making and kept the pour pot going while I ran to do my other job. He did great, and it felt so good when I walked back into the shop and saw all the filled jars sitting there cooling. I went into the shop

Scones and Cookies

2009-04-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

When I moved The Wren's Nest into Old Town Florence almost a year ago, I was excited to be able to bring in a line of scone mix from Victorian House Scones. Debbie, the owner of the company, was kind enough to private label the mix for me and I was beside myself with childish joy at the site of those beautiful white bags with my shop name and little black Wren on them.As awesome as the bags are,

Birds and Butterflies

2009-04-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those perfect days on the Oregon Coast. No wind, about 70 degrees and beautiful sun. After all the rain we had the few days before, this day was the biggest gift. It was like everyone was emerging from a long winter nap and they were just basking in the day, soaking up all the sun they could. Boy, did we all need that! Another great side effect of the sunny day on the river

The 3/50 Project

2009-04-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Most every morning I start my day with a good cup of coffee and a quick read though a few of the blogs and newsletters that I follow. This morning I found the newest edition of my friend Debbie's newsletter from Victorian House Scones . I started doing business with Debbie about a year ago and, even though we have never got to meet face to face, we've become very good friends. She's much like me

Strand Tea

2009-04-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about my little shop is that I get to sample every new kind of tea that I bring in. After all, you can't sell it if you don't try it can you? Well, I guess you can, but I would so much rather give you an honest opinion. Ok, to be really honest, I just love tea and by selling it here at The Nest I can feed my habit as well! I just got off the phone with Jack Strand of

New Candle Scents

2009-04-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

Our new candle scents will be in stock within the next couple of weeks, just in time for spring cleaning. I've always been a seasonal scent girl. Some of my customers love one scent and one scent only, but I like to mix it up. As summer winds down and September comes around I've got the Hot Baked Apple Pie candle ready to go. Add a Vanilla Nutmeg and maybe a Spiced Pear and you have an amazing

We've gone Floral!!

2009-03-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that we have taken a huge step and decided to offer our floral designs for sale at the shop. For the last few years I've only done custom floral jobs for weddings and special orders. When the opportunity arose for me to become an authorized FTD florist, I took a deep breath and dove right in. It's such an exciting time here at The Nest with all kinds of new things in

It's Spring at The Nest

2009-03-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Officially, Spring began on the 20th at 4:44. Of course this is the Oregon Coast and that means that not only are we blessed with beautiful spring flowers, but also torrential rains, sun breaks, wind, hail and then more rain. It's just the way it is here. And for the most part I've gotten used to it. But the other day it was just too much. I wanted Spring and I wanted it now. And the weather just

An easier way to connect!

2009-03-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

Someone made the comment the other day about how they were surprised that I didn't have a blog. Got me to thinking that a blog would be a much better way to connect and get the news out than the little post-it notes that say things like 'don't forget to tell people about......' or the newsletter that I started to do once a month, then went to every other month, and then seasonally. It's the end