June BUZZZZZ California Style

Recently I was on a vacation in California and since my husband and I hadn’t done the beautiful “coast drive” in years we decided to go for it and visit many places we were nostalgic for. Well, I know I’m getting older, so of course my memory is spotty, but I think I might have filled in those spotty areas with better memories. Anyway, I’ve decided that some memories are just better off as, just that, great memories and you’d be better off if you don’t try to re-live them because you might be disappointed!

It was hilarious. Here we are driving in Big Sur, one of my favorite places on the planet, and we happen to pull into an Inn which we stayed at a few times many years ago and loved. When we first pulled in I said maybe we shouldn't stay the night as we were trying to get to San Francisco, but my husband said let's just stay. Of course he knows me too well… I would have been bitchin for weeks afterwards that we had the opportunity but we were rushed as always and missed it. So we booked a room. We got a “cute” room that was very much like a bunkhouse or a camp (except unlike camping you pay a lot of money for this “rustic” experience). I am telling you the bathroom was so tiny (or maybe we were so much "smaller" 25 years ago)…it was a very tight squeeze. We took a nice, long walk in the woods behind us and waited for the magical experience from years past. Something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it. Well, the last time we were there was a very long time ago so I guess we were in a different mindset - the only thing we were taking to “alter our state” was cholesterol pills and an occasional martini. I noticed that there seem to be a lot of older "hippies" or people our age but still dressing in tie-dyes and sporting long hair. I asked my husband if it was my imagination or were there a lot more “young people” around this place in the old days and he filled me in that the young people who wanted a camping experience could go down the road to the campground for 25 bucks…remember we pay “big” for this experience.

I really got to thinking about a lot of things that seem so different now that I’m older. When I go home and visit places I played as a kid they seem so much smaller than I remember. The pond we skated on used to seem gigantic and I now I realize it’s the size of a puddle. In the woods we used to play in there was "the big hole", which is more of a little ditch. The town fair they held every year was "huge", it is in fact only a few rides, some lemonade and cotton candy if you’re lucky.

I guess what I’m saying is that some things are best left to our memories and in those certain cases where those memories start to fade, remember, you can always just re-work them to create even better ones. Why not give it a try?

BUZZ

Right Around the Corner

If you count today, which I am, Father's Day is only ten days away. Yikes. What to get Dad. Hmm. Tie? No. Fishing pole he may never use? No. Another pair of plaid pj's? Don't think he needs another pair. Hasn't Dad done enough good deeds in his time to deserve more than the appropriate "Oh no, it's Father's Day and I have to get something for Dad"?

Come on. Think about all the soccer, field hockey, baseball, football, lacrosse, basketball and hockey games he showed up to. Or maybe it was a spelling bee, a swim meet, a tennis match, a music recital, a theater production. Letting you take the car on your first date. Letting you "borrow" money whenever you needed it. Dropping you off at college; picking you up from college; letting you move back in after college! Buying you your first "interview suit". Giving you advice about your first job, and second, and third! Being there when you needed him to be. Dad deserves more than a tie.

Ekornes is the way to go. The "stressless" recliners that we offer from Norway are the closest thing to heaven-on-earth in a chair. Perfect for the Dad who is in great shape to the Dad who suffers from a few aches and pains or more (who doesn't?). These recliners are so amazing they're even backed by the American Chiropractic Association (no pun intended).

So, think about it. Dad invested in you with his time, his patience and a whole lot of his hard-earned cash...why not invest in an Ekornes recliner for Dad this Father's Day? We guarantee he'll be psyched....and you'll be the hero!

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.