Time for Us to Say Thanks!

Tis' the season for me to get mushy - I can't help it. Trust me, I'm usually the girl that hears a Christmas song on the radio on November 15th and thinks "Oh, please! Not yet...Bah humbug". Then I see the Christmas toy commercials, or the car commercials and think "When is someone going to give me a Mercedes with a big red bow on it"? Again, bah humbug. But then... something starts creeping in right after Thanksgiving. We have our family Thanksgiving gathering, you know...eat too much, drink too much. My brothers get the kids outside to play soccer while my sister and I drink wine in peace and quiet. We laugh watching my nephew and brother perform their annual "dance-off". My mom let's go of having the house have to look perfect. We joke at the dinner table about past holiday diasters. The kids get in their feety pajamas and give us goodnight hugs. And there it is. The holiday spirit has arrived.

Since we can't always be near our families during the year, the holidays really just are a wonderful excuse to see each other, listen to each other and enjoy each other. These days are not just about giving gifts but showing the people we love that we really do appreciate them, no matter how different they are from us.

At Circle we are fortunate to be involved with another type of family, The Rodman Ride for Kids. The Rodman Ride for Kids is an umbrella matching gift charity raising funds for at-risk children in Massachusetts. Their mission is to have every child in our communities live as we would want our own kids to live. As our Charity Promotion winds down today we just want to say thank you to all our customers who donated to The Rodman Ride for Kids. We feel strongly that the annual Ride is crucial to the health and well-being of so many children in Massachusetts. So, thanks! We want YOU to know that we appreciate you!

Happy Holidays Everyone! Oh, and about that Mercedes, my favorite color is Metallic Navy, just in case you were wondering.

Holiday Marketplace - Join Us!

Haven't even started your holiday shopping? Me neither. No worries. Tomorrow at all Circle Furniture stores we are having our first ever Holiday Marketplace. We thought it would be fun and festive to invite a few local artists to each store to sell their crafts for the holidays.

In Cambridge you'll find our friend Jodi, of jodi's jems, selling her gorgeous hand-made belts. Perfect gift for your sister, mom or best friend! Also in Cambridge will be Helen Ray selling hand-made soaps and bath products; Amanda Clifford selling jewelry and prints, Marcia Cohen selling notecards, aprons, hats and scarves, and Carla Klaussen selling her jewelry.

In Pembroke, Sally Dean Mellow is selling her artwork. There's a cool twist. Sally has a blog where she showcases her "365" flowers. She paints a flower every day and then tells a little story about the painting. You have to check her blog out! So the cool twist? She's painting her flower at the Pembroke Circle Furniture tomorrow. Stop by and you'll also find Chelsea Brega selling her jewelry, and Marty GirlZ selling handbags and decorative pillows.

Drive North to visit our Danvers store and you'll find Kristi Birchenough selling great jewelry, scarves and purses; Teresa Capela selling doll clothes and Eileen Russ selling fun pocketbooks.

Stop by the Acton store to check out the Fashion Bus selling clothing and jewelry; Tracy Cassidy selling belts and jewelry; Jane and Ted selling cool housewares made from press wine bottles; Cathy Cahill selling custom wooden figures and cards, and our own Erin selling her hand-made, beautiful Merino wool arm warmers and hats. Tis' the season!

In Framingham we have Juanda Siddiqui selling African and Indian crafts; Teeru Bihani selling jewelry, Diane Robinson selling hand-crafted housewares, and our own Besty selling her hand-made nightlights...which I've seen and they are awesome.

So please visit any or all of the Circle Furniture's tomorrow from 12pm - 4pm to get some shopping done and celebrate the season. We'll have snacks and refreshments and a store full of beautiful furniture too!

Managers We Love!

Meet Cindy, the manager of our Acton Circle Furniture...

"As a true lover of everything that works within the home, I found my true passion during my high school years directed towards the all-inclusive “Home Environment”. Somehow the concept of putting colors and textures together with different woods and metals in varying sizes was all I could think about. After completing my degree in Interior Design thirty-something years later, I am still as addicted as I was in my teen years, and the urge gets stronger each year with every new fascinating accessory and style available today.

What I like about Circle Furniture is that we are a "Fashion Forward" furniture company…in other words, we are always right on top of all the trends available today with color, design and style.

I love being a manager for Circle Furniture and helping everyone get the Very Best look for their home!!!

My other passion is working to raise money for the Jeannie Geiger Woman’s Crisis Center , Anna Jaques Community Hospital in Newburyport, Ma. and the Firehouse Center for the Arts.

I love to go to concerts, watch the Patriots, attend a Red Sox game and, of course, shop for bling!!!"

Hip Hip Hooray!

We want to congratulate our friends at Copeland Furniture on winning this years Sage award. Ok, so you may not have heard of the Sage award, not a problem. Here's how it's described by the experts. "The Sage Award was created to seek out and recognize innovators with a commitment to sustainable practices, social equity, and profitable growth in the home furnishings and bedding industries."

So who are we talking about? A company we've been buying gorgeous, hardwood furniture from for years. A company we trust and respect. Here's the nomination lowdown - check it out.

"Copeland Furniture has been committed to sustainable manufacturing practices long before eco-friendly became a trend in the residential furniture industry. The company holds a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certificate and currently manufactures eight product groups that qualify for FSC on-product labeling. They are a founding members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, and one of only eight companies worldwide that qualify for the Council’s silver exemplary status.

Their environmental initiatives touch every aspect of operations. Sustainably-grown raw materials come from within 100 to 500 miles of the plant. Ninety percent of the electricity used to power their manufacturing equipment comes from sources that are low emission. They are converting their heating plant from oil-fired hot water to wood-fired and using their own waste scrap as fuel. They are taking steps to reduce the use of non-recyclable materials in product packaging and are working with finish suppliers to formulate finishes that use water as the primary solvent. They’ve stopped printing their catalog and now post it entirely on the Internet. Despite all of their accomplishments, Copeland views sustainability as an ongoing process of improvement, rather than as a finite goal."

Thanks Copeland for what you do! We're proud to be founding members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council right along with Copeland and continue on our path to sustainable practices. As we say...the environment, our local economy, it matters to us. It's our world and we have to take care of it! Don't you agree?