Shop Online With Us

Click here to be transported to our Online Boutique, where you'll find an ever-changing array of items sold in our brick-and-mortar shop. New items will be added daily throughout this Holiday season.

Quantities are limited on all of our Holiday finds and you'll find a selection of our Holiday bestsellers here in our Online Boutique. Also, be sure to check out all of our other online departments for new items, like this and this.

Please check back often as the girls and I are earnestly working to shoot and upload new finds each hour. And if you see anything in our blog photos that captures your fancy, feel free to e-mail us at sales@theblissful.com or call the shop at 330.492.2500 with your inquiry. We almost always respond within one business day--and often within the hour--with pricing and dimensions. We are thrilled to hear from our blog readers by e-mail and phone.

By the way, the 'Poste' tile in the photo above can be found here in our Online Boutique.

Now I'm off to upload more goodies. . .

The Mommy of All Holiday Party Posts

Hot off my digital memory card, this is the first batch of photos from Sunday's Peace on Earth Holiday Open House. Commentary to be added little by little as I can get to it! As you know if you've been in the shop, what we show on the blog is only a taste. We hope you'll come in and say hello and experience our Holiday story live in living color.

Above, our glowing silver ball topiaries flanking the front entrance attracted a lot of attention. We wrapped giant beach balls in tin foil {matte side out} and rested them atop our enormous cast iron urns to make metallic ice globes. The snowflakes we created from paper doilies in white and silver purchased from a local party supply store. Zoey, Jamie, and Debbie then cut out some of the edges into snowflake shapes and cut peace signs into some of them. The flakes were then affixed to the windows using double sided tape. Voila! Instant winter flurries.

Getting closer. . .

The theme of the event being Peace on Earth, we wanted to create a sort of otherworldly, celestial feel...but not in an expected way. Not sure how well all the detail translates in a photograph.

I love oblique, interesting shots like the one above. One of our color palettes this Holiday season is deep gothic red with zinc, pewter, and dove grey. Accented with silver glitter glass, I find this look to be just a step off from the traditional red and green. Not so hard for most of our customers to work into their existing palettes.

Our shopgirl Francie models fingerless gloves.

A yellow-vested shopper peruses what we've been calling our "Man Display."

Earthy, burlap-py 19-foot garlands for tree, mantel, or staircase were a favorite at the open house. These come printed with either Merry Christmas or Season's Greetings.

Shopgirl Becki and I caught in a tête-a-tête. This was a rare moment for me away from the register. At one point, Zoey looked over at me and said, "Abby, do you realize you've been ringing for three hours straight?" I love events like these because it reminds me just how many people we've come to know over the past three years. It's great to see so many of them at once!

Silver mercury glass adornments in every shape, size, and use.

Noël. If only they could've gotten the two little dots over the 'e.'

One of our top selling tree ornaments so far this season. Packaged in a white organza bag, we think it's an instant hostess gift and destined {if they last that long} to be a favorite for ornament exchanges, which one of out every three of my customers last year seemed to be invited to.

The pièce de résistance of this year's theme: the Silver Peace Wreath, comprised of vintage-style metallic silver bulbs. So glowy and shiny and perfect for the front door. I think we can all walk around bearing a bit more peace in our hearts toward one another, be we Republican or Democrat. This morning, when I ran into my favorite bagel joint for my Everything {untoasted} with cream cheese, I sensed what I'd describe as a muffled sense of dismay. Perhaps I was reading into things, but I saw quite a few tense-lipped conversations in progress and even more grim expressions squinting over today's newspapers. But on my way in and then out, I was greeted warmly by three complete strangers. No matter which side of last night's outcome we personally come down on, I think there's a real sense of the need to pull together as an American people and as neighbors.

An array of grabbables meets you at the front display.

These Peace Sign Ornaments are mercury glass in a warm cappuccino color, very spotty, encrusted with silver peace signs.

A customer totes a handful of ornaments through the shop.

Initial mugs inspired by 18th century France pair perfectly with one of our coffee toppers. The silver shaker canisters bear the flavor in French on one side, English on the other.

Fireplace scape in cherry red, silver and zinc. These funky oversized felt stockings make me smile every time I pass by them.

We always do a nod to Santa. These foil wrapped Germanic ones got me this year at Market.

St. Francis santos figure.

Scarves in all of the rich Autumn colors.

Italian Tumbled Marble Tile Coasters and Trivets.

And more.

Signs of the season.

These cool Snowflake Saucers and Serving Platters were a hot seller. Microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe. One among many new items recently shot and being prepped for uploading to the Online Boutique.

Bapchi's Caramel Toffee by Vosges and a glass of white wine sounds like a perfect after dinner treat to me.

Cowl neck scarves and caps with leather brims for cooler days.

Rugby stripes, organic reactive patent "leather," and herringbone tweeds.

Petit chien for minding your personal library.

Vintage-washed burnout tees.

Possibly one of our most sought after Fall items: the 2009 Day Book in an inspiring vintage-y design for the nature lover. Nesting 2009 also available.

Fluted Optic Hourglasses keep Fall's fleeting moments {imperfectly} in chocolate grains of sand. Small is sold out.

Our Gothic Church display.

Ditto.

Creamy Bistro Cubes by Tatine.

Every season there a few items I just really adore. This season, one of those is our Mercury Glass Snowflake Votive. Available in Large and Small {Large shown here}.

About Last Night

Last night's Peace on Earth event was our best Holiday Open House yet. Over the next couple of days, we'll be posting photos of every big sweep and little corner of wonder here on the blog. Thanks to all the great customers who came out to support this shop for the third Christmas debut in a row. Nicole, one of our regulars, came up to the cash wrap to say congratulations and I assumed she meant congrats for pulling off another store event. Instead, she asked, "Isn't this your anniversary?" In all of the hubbub, I had forgotten that we're coming up on our two-year anniversary in this location. On December 1st, 2006, we opened our doors here on Fulton Drive. So one month from now will be our anniversary. This weekend's event marked the anniversary of our opening.

Stay tuned for a photo tour of Peace on Earth. Now if only tomorrow's election could promise us as much. May the ticket of destiny prevail!

Incarnations

I saw our first snowfall this morning outside THE BLISSFUL. In my mind, that's a wonderful sign of things to come: Winter is on its way and the Holidays are almost upon us. But the current in the air is that of waiting. As the nation holds its breath awaiting the results of next week's Presidential election, it's a little difficult to completely surrender one's thoughts to Thanksgiving plans, etc. {though my sister-in-law is putting up her Christmas tree as we speak!}. Though this may seem a bit early to most of us, I think she's got the right spirit!

This is an unusual week for us at THE BLISSFUL, but one that we prepare for essentially every other week of the year in one way or another. This Sunday the 2nd, we unveil Peace on Earth, our Holiday Open House. We hope you'll join us that day for some peaceful shopping adventures through our unconventional Parisian-esque Christmas story. Festive bites and beverages will be served and we're throwing a special sale to trumpet the new saison. Maybe it'll even take your mind off of the pollsters and pundits!


In order to pull off the big feat that is our annual Holiday Open House, the shop will be closed this Wednesday the 29th through Saturday the 1st. We've got all of our favorite girls lined up--Zoey, Jamie, Lindsay, Lisa, Francie, Krystal, Kate, and Becki--and we're ready to go to town on this place when the clock strikes 6 PM tomorrow. As usual, it'll be a whirlwind of four 15-18 hours day in a row, but with a well-trained creative staff, I am more at ease than I ever have been going into one of these events.

If you're going to be traveling from some distance to attend, our staff would be happy to make suggestions for hotel accommodations, great local places to eat, etc. Just call the shop at 330.492.2500 or e-mail us at helpdesk@theblissful.com and we'd be delighted to help out!


I may try to blog periodically throughout the week with progress shots, but I'm not promising anything. My goal this year is to get more than an hour and a half of sleep the night before. Some of you will recall last year's 1:45 AM pizza-box-as-pillow debacle, which I blogged about here.

Speaking of that link from last November, it's kind of cool and kind of deflating for me as Proprietor to see what we accomplished last year. As a shop keeper, your eye develops so much from year to year that you tend to astound yourself. I look back at past displays as captured on my blog posts and from my own photo archives and think, "Wow. We did that? I probably wouldn't do it that way had I the same merchandise now." It's both humbling and an interesting objective exercise for my stylist's eye. I can just promise that this year when we emerge from our new incarnation at twelve noon on Sunday the 2nd {after shaking off a good coating of glitter}, we will feel that this year's Holiday story is so much more right, so much more us. In this business, you are perpetually trying to surpass what you did last year, last time. . .and I don't necessarily mean in terms of bigger and "better" {whatever that might mean}. I'm talking about creating and re-creating a shop that is ever more aesthetically apropros, ever more soul-stirring, ever more evocative of your concept, ever warmer and more approachable, ever more buyable {especially in these crazy economic times}, ever more true to the present moment than yesterday's shop.

This is why we so appreciate those customers who grow with us, those who have been there from the beginning {even way back to our first incarnation in a Barn} and those who just discovered us for the first time today {thanks to you, Pat and Cher, if you're reading}. You are the people for whom we create the shop anew, season after miraculous season. We dedicate Peace on Earth to you.

Next time you hear from me, I'll likely be knee-deep in a mound of cherry cordial red XXXXX or stacking up boxes full of XXXXX dusted with pink Himalayan sea salt. Or maybe I'll be folding our new grape and persimmon-colored scarves and XXXXX. Or trimming a tree with recycled XXXXX and our Merry Christmas XXXXX, you know the burlap ones in earthy tones of XXXXX and charcoal. Did I mention, by the way, that one of the looks in our Holiday story is in a palette of deep blood red with zinc, XXXXX, and XXXXX? I know, it sounds a little out there but I see it as traditional with the cool quotient turned up a few notches. Several notches, in fact. Oh, and one of my favorite things we found are the mercury glass XXXXX XXXXX embossed with XXXXX! They will be amazing with the new Falling Snow XXXXX from XXXXX. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!

Okay. I'm going to get out of here for the night and go home and rest. I have a big week ahead of me!

Peace.

Clock Sale

Through October 31st, we're offering a SALE on select 31" clocks {double click the image below to enlarge}. Normally these clocks are priced at $310. Through the end of the month, we're offering them at $210 before tax. Shipping to any U.S. location outside of Canton, Ohio is $15 by UPS Ground. All clocks are manufactured in the U.S.A., are of very nice quality, will arrive in an attractive box, and most run on two Double A batteries. Orders placed this week or next week will arrive at the shop most likely by mid-November {barring backorders}. Take a look and telephone us at 330.492.2500 for more information. Or e-mail our staff at sales@theblissful.com.



This is a nice opportunity to finish that one blank wall in your home before the Holiday entertaining season is underway!

Attention Sid Collectors

From the Sid Dickens camp, here are the tiles that will retire on December 1st, 2008. {Double click the image to enlarge.} We have most of these styles in the shop and ready to sell {and ship}. Anything we are sold out of can be special ordered until December 1st. Please note that the artist and company are notorious for making no exceptions, so please get your orders in early or stop by the shop soon.

Don't mind the smudge in the lower lefthand corner of this image. It's not a secret cypher from Sid Dickens, just ink on my scanner unit.

Some of my very favorites are in this Retiree list, including The Letter {T149, second to last on the top row}, Watermark {T177, first tile in second row}, and Cerulean Sea {T184, third to last on second row} . We'll never really know why the Sid camp chooses to retire which Blocks when, but I can promise you it has nothing to do with how well they sell!

Interested in learning more about the history of Sid's works? Curious about the market value of your retired tiles {they go up in value afterward, you know}? Check out Sidclopedia, billed as the internet's Ultimate Resource for Sid Dickens Collectors.



Someone sent me this postcard in the mail this week and I logged on to check it out. You have to create an account in order to get into the site, but it's worth it if you're an avid collector wanting more info, a new collector looking for inspiration on how to hang and display tiles in your own home, or just a fan. Lots of great photos of collections displayed in people's private homes. Eye candy for Sid fans! Please note that THE BLISSFUL has no affiliation with this site other than that I created a personal account so that I could review the content.

Peace on Earth's in just ten days {THE BLISSFUL version, at least}! Back to picking glitter glass shards out of my fingers. . .

Scribe's Note: Another Sid fan website worthy of checking out: SidDickensCollectors.com. Great home photography and a message board forum for collectors. If you're looking for a hard-to-find Retired Block, this may be a good place to start. Cheers!

Invitation to Peace on Earth

Please click here to view the invitation for our Holiday shop event, Peace on Earth. We hope you'll join us on Sunday, November 2nd from Noon-6 PM. We'll be debuting our Holiday story and offering a special one-day discount on all regular priced merchandise in the store.