Dare I Say, Too Much in May!

Mother's Day came and went by all too quickly. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I had a lovely day, but it just seems like each year we all try to pack in more and more events in May. Is it just me or don’t you find that May is totally over-scheduled, over-loaded and extremely hectic? Here we are at the tail end of the month and I have already lost track of how many work events, birthday celebrations, recitals, graduations and bridal showers I’ve attended this month. Don’t even get me started on the TV season finales that all take place in May. I missed all my favorites!

I have a great idea. I want to launch a campaign and lobby to take some of our totally under-used months (January through April) and stick them with a few of these “May Happenings”.

Ok, we start with January. I don’t know if it’s all the resolutions that are so easy to break on January 2nd, but January can be a total let down after all the holiday hub-bub. I think we all need to kick it up a notch by the end of the month, otherwise we’ll go into complete hibernation. This could be a great month to have "online" events - so people wouldn't have to freeze their tukas's off by venturing out in the dead of winter. Think about it, we could save so much money on wardrobe alone if people would just start to be thoughtful and have their birthday celebrations in their own homes and broadcast live, on-line for us all to enjoy. I’d be happy to raise a glass to a dear friend from the comfort of my own home. No getting dressed up, no driving in bad weather, no boring small talk with the person they would have sat you next to at the dinner table. Win-win.

February. Well, yes we do have that hallmark holiday “Valentines Day” that’s slipped into the most miserable month weather-wise just to make us all feel equally miserable about our lack of relationships, or better yet, a perfect month to realize how un-perfect our “sweethearts” are! Let’s stick all of our recitals into February, and once again, let’s make them all virtual. It’ll be so easy to sit in our cozy pj’s, sipping hot chocolate while we pretend to listen to our friends 4th grade daughter play her clarinet recital via on-line! But, for those adventurous types we could create a “Martini Ground Hogs Day” celebration and, YES, let's make them "dirty martinis". Now that could get me out of the house!

March. If you’re feeling Irish, you have your St. Paddy’s day. Great night, but it’s only a night. Let’s throw all the bridal showers into March. Girls, you should be going away with your friends to Aruba for your shower anyway. Sun, friends, beach, margaritas. Come on, it should be mandatory.

April. Of course in New England we are coming out of our winter thaw so I think this is the perfect month for work events so they won't overlap with graduations in May. But let’s limit our work events to only ones where they have really good food, and really great drinks and offer some really easy parking!

May. Has to be reserved for MOMS and Grads. It’s the end of the school year and the college grads are finally giving their Moms what they really want by hopefully getting off the payroll! (Although I have been told by my adult children that living at home is now considered "cool".)

June-September. My favorite time here in New England, as we may be guaranteed at least a few weeks of beautiful weather. Of course there will always be some weddings filling the calendar. I have no problem with that. I love the Macarena.

October. So beautiful. The time of year we start getting our groove back from the relaxing summer, but before the craziness of holiday planning. Perfect time for those fundraising events. Happy to go.

November. Before you know it, it's Thanksgiving and right through to Christmas and New Years and my gosh, where did the year go?

Buzz.

What's All The Excitement About?

Wow...there has been so much action at our Cambridge store in the past few weeks. No, we're not all sporting crew cuts and wearing the names of Celtics players written on the backs of our shirts. The action is all about "Buzz and Ruby". If you're not an avid bird watcher than you may not be aware that there is a family of Red-Tailed hawks that have built a nest right at the top of the building next door to Circle Furniture on Alewife Brook Parkway. People are lining up DAILY with their fancy cameras and telescopes to check out the scene. Buzz and Ruby, the happy couple, were named by a local bird enthusiast who has been blogging about them since he spotted them back in February. Well, love was in the air because now they have three little baby hawks that people are going ga-ga for! If you get a chance, hop over to Circle Furniture, get out of your car, look up and to your right, and you can't miss them!

Then...I must insist that you come over to our store and check out the ONLY Ekornes E300 sectional - brand new - that is being shown in Boston. So if you haven't heard about Ekornes® Stressless® recliners, sofas and sectionals please come check them out. Ekornes doesn't use the tagline "The Innovators of Comfort" just for show...these products are truly remarkable. And for the time being our Cambridge showroom is the only place you can feast your eyes on the new sectional with chaise lounge. Stressless fans have been waiting anxiously for this day. Come visit. We promise after you're wowed by all things Stressless we'll take you out into the parking lot and let you borrow our binoculars to check out Buzz, Ruby and the kids!

Bag Lady, Who Me?

I was sitting in my co-worker Sarah's office the other day and we were discussing the upcoming "What's in a Bag" event she has been working on. You know, it’s a silent and live auction of gorgeous handbags next Thursday, at our Cambridge store, where all the proceeds go to the Mass Coalition for the Homeless. Anyway, it really got me thinking about bags. Do I have a bag obsession? Maybe. I think my friends do for sure! I have a few good friends who are so obsessed with color-coordinating their bags with their outfits. Little over the top, I think. Who is that awake in the morning? I’m lucky if I put two matching socks on!

You need to understand that buying a new bag is a pretty easy and stressfree sale for me – no trying on in front of a full length mirror! Oh, isn’t that the best! So I’ve been known to go over "budget" on a bag here or there (wow, I hate that word "budget"). Now I don’t consider myself a label-conscious person, I buy for the romance of it all. I actually have fallen in love with certain bags for some reason or another. Maybe it’s the color, maybe it’s the Italian leather, maybe it’s the smell, maybe it’s all the cool and handy pockets you can put everything you own in and you will finally be organized. Yeah, right! You can’t imagine what people walk around with in their bags. The bigger the bag is, the more I tend to throw everything in. Need a hair dryer? No problem, I have one right here in my bag. Looking for a bottle of fish oil? Sarah has a Costco-size bottle in her beautiful T.J. Max bag. Maria has a sippy cup and a plastic bag of Cheerios and Fig Newtons. Judy has 3 brushes, 2 combs and a lipstick from 1994. See what I mean about everything?

One of my all time favorite bags is a fantastic fabric valise with a patch of a martini glass where the olives are sliding down a stripper poll. Now, if you have read any of my previous buzzes you know how much I love to order martinis "dirty" (and of course exercising and watching the food channel) I just enjoy saying “dirty” out loud!

I went out the other night and found myself "bag watching". People sport some pretty incredible bags these days. Gym bags, diaper bags, tote bags, laptop bags, overnight bags, clutches - some very utilitarian, some very chic-chic. Messenger bags are very hip and they cross all genders, where man-purses really didn't make it big in the states, did they? Maybe the iPad will change all that! As mentioned before, some women carry their life in their bags and sizes can be enormous – definitely future back and shoulder problems. I noticed some bags are used as pet carriers, sporting those little critters with them everywhere. Please let’s not forget the recycle bag. Every store in America has their own recycle bag now (just be sure to wash it regularly!) Diaper bags are really cool now, I would have loved those back when I was shoving everything into my martini bag (what was I setting my kids up for?) Point is…everyone could use a new bag in their life…Let’s have fun next week and bid often (and high!) on your favorite bag.

Check out our site for more information about our event.

Buzz.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone! I want to give a shout out to all our eco-conscious vendors and say thanks for all you're doing to create earth-friendly sustainable products for Circle to sell! Copeland, Cherry Pond, CR Laine, Lee Industries, Vermont Tubbs, Vermont Furniture, Gat Creek, American Leather, Company C, Brown Street, Ultrasuede® and many more are all fighting the good fight and we appreciate it. Thanks to all our customers as well who recognize the importance of sustainable furniture!

And...

In reading up about the 40th anniversary of Earth Day I can't help but be excited for the events going on in Boston. For those of us working today and tomorrow, here are some fun ideas for the weekend taken from our friends at boston.com.

1. Celebrate Earth Day at New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods, Saturday, April 24, 2010. Enjoy free admission to Garden in the Woods all day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Take a guided walking tour and learn the history of the Garden, the design of the various garden areas and habitats, and the conservation elements being addressed. Tour the unique New England Garden of Rare and Endangered Plants. Visit the Invasive Plant Jail to see what these plant scourges look like and how to rid your property of them. Special events take place between noon and 4 p.m., with tours given on the half hour. Families will enjoy searching the Garden for signs of spring with our Scavenger Hunt Sheet. Other family activities include face-painting, seed planting, and making a pine cone bird feeder to take home. Look for mystery creatures in the Garden.

2. Oh, Charles River. You've been our running partner during 5 a.m. marathon training jogs. You've posed for some of our favorite scenic photos of Boston. Now, we all have a chance to give back. Join more than 3,000 volunteers ready to pick up trash along the river and its tributaries from Cambridge to Newton. 9 a.m. to noon. Various locations along the Charles River. See website for a list of drop-in cleanup sites:

3. Are firefly numbers dwindling? The Museum of Science has teamed up with researchers from Tufts University and Fitchburg State College to track these winged nightlights. Chat with scientists, participate in activities, and learn how you can join the museum's Firefly Watch at this daylong event.

4. Or...if you really feel adventurous you can trek up to Burlington, Vermont and attend Earth Weeks Mudfest... "It's mud season in Vermont, and the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center is celebrating with "MudFest," a two-week festival where you can really get your hands dirty. Festivities will feature the mud fling (which is just what it sounds like), daily musical performances from a number of Vermont artists, as well as animal feedings and other demonstrations for the kids along the shore of Lake Champlain."

Anyway you slice it - it's Earth Day and we should all be celebrating one way or another! I get to welcome my newest nephew, Owen, into this world. I'm sure Owen will accompany his big brother to many Earth Day activities in the future. Happy Birthday Owen!

As I Was Saying...Sustainability Rocks!

We're getting closer to that big Earth Day celebration next week so we decided to give props to the vendors and manufacturers who make the furniture we so proudly sell.

Today, it's all about "Soy". What? Soy. As in, soybeans. Let me explain. Many of our upholstery vendors, such as American Leather, carry something called BiOH polyols, a soy-based ingredient used in making flexible foam for their seat and back cushions. Why would anyone use soy in making cushions? Good question. You see traditional foam is made from petroleum-based products. BiOH products are made from soybean oil, thus cutting back on the amount of petroleum-based ingredients. As they say on BiOH's website, "Foam cushioning made with BiOH polyols is comparable to existing foam used by the home furnishings and automotive industries while leaving a smaller environmental footprint. Products that incorporate BiOH polyols offer a responsible choice for consumers and businesses that are increasingly interested in sustainability." (There's that word again!)

I know, the $64,000 question is - how does a sofa with BiOH polyols sit? Is it comfortable? When you have guests over will they fall into the sofa and not be able to get up? Drum roll please...I can tell you from experience - these cushions are AMAZING. We should know; we have so many chairs, sofas and sectionals on our 5 showroom floors that get A LOT of use. Cushions made with BiOH polyols will last a long, long time and are just as comfy as anything out there!

Although my word is good...you should come visit any Circle Furniture and test out the cushions made from soybean oil. Hey, come to think of it...what a great school project for your kids, they could write a report about eco-friendly trends! While your kids are doing research at our store you can take advantage of our Spring Upholstery Sale featuring Ultrasuede® - another amazing product you'll hear about next week!

Quick Tip:
alt 0174 - a shortcut to creating a register mark (Thanks to Helen for teaching me that one!)

Happy Weekend Everyone!