Today's Country Store

PROUD TO BE A FARMCHICK!

Here we are last year in front of the Farmchick dairy truck!

 We are honored once again to be part of this MAGNIFICANT Show! It sounds like Serena has gone all out this year,  even King 5's evening magazine is going to be there! So we sure hope you are going to be there too!

We have been packing and hoarding great stuff all year long for the one and only FABULOUS Farm Chicks Antique show in Spokane! June 4th and 5th www.farmchicks.com. We are in our same location bay 2 booths 90,91,and 92 to the right of the main entrance smack dab in the middle of the building! Please stop by and say Hi!

GET YOUR JUNK SALVATION COUPON HERE

It's that time again The Funky Junk Sisters are putting on another one of their fun shows this coming Friday and Saturday May 13th and 14th in Puyallup! 
                                 **** Print this coupon off and save a BUCK!**

Happy Mother's Day!!

To all our wonderful Moms out there we'd like to say

"Have a great day!"

It's Garden Party Time!

You are all invited to join us Thursday, April 28th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. for our Second Annual Garden Party!

Bring your friends and come out enjoy our great vintage garden treasures, good company, some yummy food and a special gift with every purchase!   We can't wait to see you!  If you can't make it Thursday evening - we'll have "Garden Specials" throughout the weekend!

 

 

Come see us at Monticello's Home and Garden Show

We are honored to be Guest Vendors at the Home and Garden Show at Monticello's Antique Market in Portland , Oregon.
For more info go to www.monticelloantiques.blogspot.com 
Here are a few shots of our booth We just heard it was an AMAZING weekend, so we are headed back down to Portland in the Morning to restock!
 There is a HUGE  selection of FABULOUS garden decor and wonderful antiques
 
So please come and see us in Portland, the show runs for 7 weeks! With fresh finds coming in everyday, plus an amazing Antique Market Place that is open everyday and full of Wonderful dealers with fab stuff!

Whatever happened to the lamb???

Okay, so I thought that if March came in like a lion it was supposed to go out like a lamb??? Well, if you are living here in the northwest I'm pretty sure the ferocious lion killed our poor little lamb.  We have been patiently waiting for Spring - but I'll be honest, our patience is running out! So this Saturday, the shops and restaurants in downtown Sumner are celebrating Spring with our "Bring in Spring" Open Houses.  You will find specials throughout town - some shops will have sales or be serving samples - we will be giving away a sweet little handmade treat with each purchase (while supplies last). 

So, grab your umbrella, put on your galoshes and bring yourself down to Sumner - where we will be celebrating Spring - whether it's here or not!  

Bring in Spring Open Houses

Downtown Sumner Shops

Saturday, April 2nd

10 am - 6 pm

Spend St Pats day with us we are open late till 8 on Thursday for our Late night out

Please join us for another fun filled Late night out this Thursday, March 17th St. Patty's day from 5 to 8p.m.

March Madness This Thursday Night March 17th

 
Okay, do you want to get "lucky?" Then you don't want to miss this Thursdays Late Night Out!  The store is PACKED with new and old fabulous finds - and don't forget to wear your green for a lucky treat! Elizabeth of fussbucketsworld has brought in some new wonderful soldered charms just for our little Irish celebration! 

 
Come in and get inspired, we are tired of the old winter blues and have pulled out all the stops to bring in spring! 
Super cute wire shelf! 
This is a FABULOUS old farm table that just arrived! 
We can't wait any longer, so we are shakin' off those winter blues, springin' up the place and inviting all of our friends down for another FUN filled night Thursday, March 17th, 5 to 8 p.m. Don't forget your green!

Ruffles & Rust Show Pictures

If you weren't able to make the show last weekend, here are some pictures of our booth.  We had a lot of fun putting this booth together.  We never know exactly what we're going to come up with...but this time we were pretty proud of ourselves!

We were lucky - the weekend was chilly, but nothing like this last weekend!

I coined the phrase no-color color years ago to identify my favorite palette.  So, here's an example of some of our no-color color stuff!

We're getting ready for garden season at the store now...well, as much as we can with the weather as wacky as it's been.  But soon enough the clouds and COLD weather will give way to the longer days of Spring - we can't wait!  So come see us soon and see what's new in the store!

Thanks to everyone who came to see us at the show - and welcome to the new customers we've recently made. 

Ruffles & Rust Vintage Market

Once again we have tickets available for purchase to the Ruffles & Rust Vintage Market being held February 18th & 19th at the Monroe State Fairgrounds!  In addition, we have $3 Off coupons for Saturday!  This is a great show and we are looking forward to a fun-friend-filled weekend! Hope to see you there!

WINTER WHITE SALE

Everything in the store is 10-50% Off

Now through the end of January!

Each year we celebrate Winter

with a White Sale -

marking down furniture up

to 50% Off

in order to make room for new

"old" stuff for Spring!!

Would you be my Valentine??

If you are looking for some unique Valentine's treasures - you need to visit the shop soon!

Ever have trouble finding that perfect Valentine's card? Have you considered sending a one-of-a-kind vintage Valentine? 

 

These postcards are mostly from the 1920's or before. They are mini pieces of art- I just love them! Remember to save the date for our upcoming Winter White Night Out, January 27th!  Seeya then.

Winter White Night Out!

Winter White Night Out

Thursday, January 27th

5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Join us for an evening of fun, food, refreshments and more!  We had such a great time in December with our late night of shopping we decided, "Why not do it again?"  So, mark your calendars and keep your fingers crossed we're not knee deep in snow and be sure to join us for a great night of celebrating winter...which in the Northwest usually means short rainy days - but whatever - we'll celebrate it anyway!

You will want to come and see all the great stuff we've been bringing in since the holidays - especially our new "Little Old Country Store!"

One more piece of news from our Today's Country Store family - our very own Jeanine Corey's home is featured in the March 2011 Country Sampler.  Jeanine has been with us since the store opened and she and her husband, Les, live in Puyallup. We will have copies of the magazine available for purchase in the store next week - or look for it at your local newsstand! 

 

What a Great Party!

Fun was had by all at our annual Vintage Christmas Open House on Thursday night. Here's Amy, Kari, Jeanine and Wendy taking a break! 

Here are two friends who came all the way from Gig Harbor to join in the fun!  Thanks Mary and Jules!  We had folks come from all over the Puget Sound -  Bothell, Issaquah, West Seattle...we love our customers!

And we love our helpers too!  Here's Rita - our resident cheerleader who is always ready to lend a hand when we need one!

This is our twelfth Christmas at the store and we really want all of our devoted customers to know how very much we appreciate their support and friendship! Sometimes the store feels more like the bar in Cheers - where "everybody knows your name!"  If you couldn't make it Thursday, do stop by soon!

 

 

Vintage Christmas Open House

Vintage Christmas Open House

Thursday, December 9th

5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

 

So sorry we haven't been keeping up this site for a couple months....it's been really crazy lately.  Speaking of crazy - don't you love this crazy Christmas Tree?  Can you imagine the work it took to cut, bend and paint all those tin cans?  LOVE IT!

We are getting ready for our annual Vintage Christmas Open House this Thursday from 5 - 8 p.m.  Don't miss it!

If you are anything like me - you have lots of shopping still to do!  We have our Open House this week, but we are open each Thursday this month until 8:00 p.m. so there's plenty of time for you to come and get inspired!

 

FUNKY JUNK SISTERS SHOW OCT 15th and16th, RUFFLES AND RUST SHOW OCT 22nd and 23rd

Mark your calendars and let the shows begin! Countdown to Funky Junk Sisters fall show is only 8 days away! This is one of  the BEST flea market/Antique shows in pierce county! We will be there with tons of wonderful , fun junk and not to mention our sweet little 65 Shasta Compact vintage trailer that will be the center of our booth and offered for sale at the show. Here is just a snippet of what you will find at the show go here for more info on their website 

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The following weekend we will be taking an entire different array of fabulous inventory and heading up north to Timi's show Ruffles and Rust at the monroe Fairgrounds the chatter on this new show is causing quite a stir in the antique world! We are thrilled to be apart of two wonderful show venues and look forward to seeing all of you there! Don't forget you can buy your early entry tickets for Ruffles and Rust opening night ball at our store, you can only get in Friday night with a pre-purchased ticket, there will be NO tickets for -sale at the door on Friday night! for more info go here
 

Well it's almost time for our big shopping trip to RoundTop Texas. We're heading out on Friday for 6days. 4 of us girls, me .Kris, Wendy and the corky. We are all getting pretty excited, we will hit Austin first, then make the three hour drive to Roundtop stay in farmhouse #10 and then on to Warrenton and marburger Farms too! We will be shopping from sun up to sun down, because we have three big shows coming up soon! It should be a blast as long as everyONE is on their best behavior! Girls you know what I'm talkin about, "what happens in Texas stays in Texas!"

will miss ya'all

xo

Amy

Kids are back in school! Time to go shopping!

Hard to believe that summer is coming to an end!  I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for the days to get shorter, darker and colder!  We haven't had enough summer yet!

Check out this cute Elephant Cookie Jar!

Fun stuff is arriving every day!  This unique wire corner shelf would look great in a bathroom.  I have always looked forward to back-to-school week so I could get the house REALLY CLEAN and then I usually redecorate just a little bit!

We have the most wonderful customers - the summer months bring so many visitors back to Sumner.  We see customers who come once a year, those who've moved away and come back and new ones who find out what a great place Sumner is to spend the day!

Don't these flash cards remind you of going back to school???

Longing for more days by the seashore????

Well, it's time for me to stop whining about summer, because ready-or-not here comes fall!  Give yourself a break from buying the kids pencils and notebooks this weekend and stop by Sumner for a relaxing shopping trip!  - Kris

CLASSY CHASSIS VINTAGE CAR SHOW SUNDAY AUGUST 22nd

11th Annual Classy Car Show this coming Sunday in Downtown Sumner from 9-3. You can register Sunday Morning starting at 6.00am or go to Sumnerdowntown association.com  to pre-register. This is one of my favorite events Sumner puts on. The streets will be closed and lined with beautiful old time cars.

SUMNER DAYS THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AUG 6th and7th

Dont forget the Annual summer arts festival this Friday AUG6TH AND SATURDAY AUG7TH  in downtown sumner.Lots of fun vendor booths and great food!
DON'T FORGET THE RHUBARB PIE!

We have the greatest customers!

We are so lucky to have such dedicated, loyal super nice and super talented customers like our friend Tami of Butterfly Kiss Photography She was so kind to feature us in her newsletter this month, so please go check out her wonderful photography. Thanks Tami!

Featured Business: Today's Country Store   Each month I will be sharing with you one of my favorite small or local business finds.  I love to support these businesses; they epitomize "living the Amercian dream" and work really hard to offer the best products and services to us. Small and locally owned businesses build strong vibrant communities, contribute to local causes, and keep much needed dollars in the local economy. The month of July features Today's Country Store, my favorite place to shop for unique props and great finds for my home.   Welcome to Today's Country Store    Today's Country Store on Main Street in Sumner is chalk full of vintage goodies. Owners Amy and Kris are two of the sweetest girls around, and love helping customers decorate with a flair.  Their personal service is unbeatable.  Here is what Kris had to say about their store.   Q: What is Today's Country Store? A:  We are primarily an antiques store. We also carry some jewelry, gift and decorator items.      Q: How would you describe the style of TCS? A: I tell people all the time that we were shabby long before it was chic!  Our style is...a little country, a little primitive, a little cottage...a little bit of everything.     Q: What makes TCS different than other antique stores? A: Our store is unique because we focus alot of energy and take pride in our displays.  When you come into our store you notice right away that it is much different from other antiques stores.  We have so many repeat customers that we have to move things around and change the displays in order for it to look different.  We also try to show folks how they can mix older pieces into their homes.  Because most people have both - old and new.     Q: What advice to you have for someone interested in decorating with vintage style? A: First and foremost, buy what you love and can live with. Like I said, most homes have a mix of old and new - whether it's the old dresser you were left by a grandmother or a box of old family photos.  Don't be afraid to place something very old next to something new - that makes a room interesting.       Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the 3/50 Project? A: This is a grassroots organization that is trying to help small businesses in America.  The project encourages folks to shop in their three favorite small stores each month and spend $50 in each of them. [for more info check it out online]   Q: What is your favorite piece currently for sale? A: In the store???  I love the french bed in the window...but, there is this stuffed duck that looks like the AFLAC duck that I'm bringing in soon...I kinda like it in my living room though...so it's been hanging out there for awhile!   Q: So, what is your guilty pleasure this summer? A: This summer it would have to be watching the Bachelorette - I can't believe I just admitted that!     Next time you are in Sumner, take a minute to visit Today's Country Store, I promise you will love it as much as I do!   1008 Main St Sumner, WA 98390 (253) 826-6646   Mon-Sat: 10:00am-6:00pm Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm

"What's up with all this shabby junk vintage cottage farm country stuff???"

My twenty-one year old daughter, Abby, has been once again helping me with this bloomin' blog.  And the roles have been reversed now, so I am the student and she the teacher...and I don't like it one bit!  Anyway - we've been trying to clean it up a little and redesign the banner.  So I took her on a tour of some of our favorite blogs and after looking at about a dozen she asks me, "What's up with all this shabby junk vintage cottage farm country stuff??" And it made me laugh.

She took some new pictures for the banner and what follows are some random shots that were leftover of the store "in flux".   After Funky Junk Sisters, Farm Chicks and the Tag Sale it's taken us a little while to get back in the "groove" - but I'm happy to say, we're nearly there!  - Kris 

As always, the summer weather has finally arrived here in the Northwest - after the fireworks!

This old pink locker basket makes a great planter ~ and our plants are sure welcoming the sunshine.

These fun bow ties remind me of the Fuller Brush Man that used to sell stuff to my mom. Remember them? 

We just got in an order from Shannon Martin - Girl Designer.  Her cards, napkins and notecards are a hoot.  I hear customers laugh out loud all the time when they're reading through them.

A Personal Note...

I knew these last couple months were going to be doozies - and I had tried to psyche myself up for them for the last year.  You see, for me it wasn't just the two big antique shows and our biggest sale of the year that made me apprehensive - it was the graduation of my youngest, Libby. (Abby graduated in 2007.)

When Amy and I began this journey that is Today's Country Store neither of us knew what would become of it.  We had both been "antique dealers" for quite a few years by then and decided what did we have to lose?  I can only speak for myself ( but I'm fairly certain Amy's motives were the same) - this business was created largely because I wanted and needed something to do yet have the time to be a stay-home-mom. It's not everyone's choice, but it was always mine, and I was lucky enough to find something that made it possible.

But I never did stay-home much...from the time my girls started school I was the room-mom; the assistant coach, team parent, president of the volunteer parent group, chaperone and more!  So just weeks ago, my "little Libby" (HA!) flipped the tassle on her graduation cap and left the world we knew behind.  After fifteen years of volunteering in the schools I find myself a little lost...I won't ever have to clean another campus, or stand in front of the grocery store selling Girl Scout Cookies, or go to another Booster meeting, or make another salad for the teachers, or sell football concessions, or...proudly count the aces Lib serves in a volleyball game or cheer when the ball she hit sails over center field or sit through another concert mouthing every word to her solo or hear a kid yell  "Hey Mrs. Libby" when I walk through the halls of the high school...As much as I complain, I'm going to miss it terribly. 

So now I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who makes this business a success...the dealers who have helped us over the years fill the store with wonderful things; the customers, who have supported us after an earthquake and 9/11 and the recession we find ourselves in now; but most importantly, I want to thank my partner and friend - Amy.  She has truly given me a gift that cannot be measured.  I was able to be the mom I wanted to because I was lucky enough to go into business with her exactly eleven years ago this week!  I used to tell people all the time that I was a stay-home mom with a full time job...now tell me, who could be luckier than that? 

So what now?  Only time will tell.  But first on the agenda is maybe a tutorial on typepad so it doesn't take me two days to do a banner!  HA!   Thanks again! ~ Kris

11th ANNUAL TAG SALE NEXT SATURDAY JUNE 26th

It's that time of year again! TAG SALE TIME! This is our one and only BLOWOUT sale!

10 to 75%OFF everything in the ENTIRE store plus truckloads of new scratch and dent, project pieces, junk and more GREAT JUNK at unbeelievable blowout prices!

Fresh inventory brought in just for this sale!

DOORS OPEN EARLY AT 9:00A.M Saturday JUNE 26th only!

Get in here early for best selection on Killer stuff!

Farm Chicks 2010 Continued!

Well I have soooo many pictures this year of The Farm Chicks show it's going to take me awhile to get them posted, but here's part two!
Saturday Night at Chaps the VIP party is on!
We waited in line for about 20 minutes to get checked in, then we waited in line for about another  20 minutes to get this
Now we are some HAPPY Farm CHICKS! Wendy's outfit matched her drink! MMMmmmm!
Now the Party girls are having fun! Kris, Tiffany The Fanciest Farmgirl ever, and Miss Isabelle .We had some of the most incredible food ever, we were all so hungry after such a busy show day from 8a.m. till 8p.m we had only split a stinkin fiberbar 3 ways! Thank god for adrenaline, cause that.s all we were surving on!
These are the same gals I pictured last year , they are always sooo cute in their farmchick duds. Mom in the middle and her too babychicks! Sorry it's such a blurry pic.
Look at these two dolls! Rolaine from the vintage barn, and sweet Lisa from a thing for roses 
Tiffany The Fancy Farm Girl took home our last alterd doll "foofy Miss Pearl" She will have a great life in Tiffanys FAB studio!
Here's Vienna she went home with a Darling gal from Minnesota Cinder went home with a SUPER lovely lady, I wish I could remember here name, she also took Ima, (Ima little tea pot)

The girls were a complete success and all but one sold out in the first few hours! So thank you to all who loved them and we will be working on some more top secret girls in the near feature.
 

Farm Chicks magic

Here we go all packed up and ready to PARTY! Left me, middle Wendy, right Kris Thursday morning9:00 a.m.
Kari ( sister on the fly #724) and our new bestest friend showed up to help us out with a few things we just couldn't fit in the truck, well more than a few thanks Kari so much you were a life saver!It actually stopped raining and we had a lovely drive over the mountain.
I 
I drove, because I'm kind of a control freak, and a REALLY bad backseat driver!
Kari, probably thinking twice about caravanning with the three of us crazy women! 
Here we are Saturday morning posing in front of Serena's fab Milk truck! Oh so cute! Serena put on another UNBELIEVABLE show, can't thank her enough for letting us be apart of it!
Here is a shot of our booth right before the doors opened and the 4300 customers came in! The big white curved cupboard was the first thing to sell!

And here comes the shoppers! After that it's all just a blurr! I'll post more pics later.

xo

Amy