A New Year..The Year of the Snake!

Hi everyone!  It's been so long and I don't even know if I have any followers any more...but no matter, it's a New Year and a chance to start all over again!

I was meeting with an Advertising Sales Rep the other day and talking about my desire to try some new things involving Clutter.  She mentioned that she had been to yoga the other day (we are in Boulder after all) and her yoga teacher was mentioning that this is the Year of the Snake, which is the 6th animal sign of the Chinese Horoscope.  In yogi speak, the interpretation is:

In India, the snake is said to be the guardian of the yogi and gains immortality by continually shedding its skin.  Because the snake sheds it’s outermost layer, the snake is a powerful symbol of rebirth and transformation.

Snakes ask you to shed your old ways and transmute into the new you. A new cycle is about to begin and growth is at hand.  Many yoga practices will be dedicated to making space for the fresh year that lies ahead.  We will be encouraged to shed our old skins and make space for the year to come.

I find this so interesting...as 2012 was coming to a close, I was reflecting on what we could do at Clutter to change things up, shed some old ways and become an even better store for our customers and consignors.  I am so excited about 2013 and have already made some changes.  We have signed up for MyResaleWeb, which allows our consignors to check the status of their accounts and hopefully that will make information and understanding that much more accessible.  I hope to focus a little more on Social media this year...widening our Facebook audience, posting more on Craigslist, and writing more on this blogspot!  You can LIKE us on Facebook by clicking HERE.  I also hope to focus on Customer Service this year...I think we do a pretty good job but we can always get better.  We know we can't please everyone all of the time but hopefully we can better explain why we can't take your consignments or why we merchandise the way we do, or do a better job of understanding how hard it is to let your earthly possessions go.  I also intend to advertise in some new publications...Boulder Magazine and CU Presents/Boulder Phil...so if you attend any of these concerts, please look for our ads.  You can pick up a Boulder Magazine or Boulder Home and Garden at many of the fine retailers in Boulder....please look for the Clutter ad and come and see us!  After 3 years of advertising, I have definitely found what works for us and what doesn't, and I am shedding some of our old skin!  

I used to post photos on this blog but we are now posting photos on our Facebook Page, so the photos will be minimal on this site.  I hope to post photos of neat things that I see during my travels, which will enhance this Clutter My World blog as we journey through this year.   

The Year of the Snake and my interpretation:  Shed that which is no longer of use to you....whether that is attitudes, emotions, or earthly possessions...I think if we can do that, we will all be better off for it!  

Happy 2013!  

Clutter My World with a trip to the Follies!

Clutter my World with a trip to the Follies...the Palm Springs Follies, that is! Just because you are O-ld...does not mean that you are O-ver and I saw a great example of that this past week in Palm Springs. I had the pleasure of visiting my parents last week in Palm Springs. This was many years in the making. My Dad is 91 and my mom is 85 and they have lived in Michigan all of their lives. I think they spent a few months in Rockford, Illinois when my dad was in the army, but other than that, they are Michiganders through and through! Don't get me wrong..they are very worldly, having traveled all over Europe, a cruise here and there, trips around the country to visit their children ( who all decided not to live in Michigan) and they are also very stubborn! We 3 kids have been trying for years to get them to leave Michigan, at least for the winter....the answer was always "NO"...until this year. For some reason, they agreed and so in mid-December, they got on a plane and landed in Palm Springs. It helps that I have a brother who has a home there. They have been there almost 3 months and now it's time to go home...they are happy to be going back home to the house they have lived in for over 47 years...but I know that they were happy to spend 2 1/2 glorious months in the wonderful town of Palm Springs!

My parents aren't the only "mature" adults who have landed in Palm Springs. Palm Springs has been around for a long time...for thousands of years, the Cahuilla Indians established their village there in the winter months because of the natural hot mineral springs. Jump to the early 1900's when Hollywood discovered this quiet desert town...Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry, Lucille Ball...many stars had homes in Palm Springs or visited often to get away from the craziness of LA. Palm Springs soon became a year round home and many older retirees found their way there. And with year round living came schools, restaurants, parks and post offices...and 21 years ago....the PALM SPRINGS FOLLIES! There is lots to do in Palm Springs...there is a casino, a ball park for winter and summer league baseball, a desert museum, a tram to the top of the mountain on the western boarder of the city, lots of hiking trails, great restaurants....but there is nothing like the Follies!

The Follies was founded by a man named Riff Markowitz and a woman named Mary Jardin. In their program, they say that their "post-retirement Third Act (the starting of the Follies) may well be the greatest accomplishment because of the profound effect the Follies has had on the way we now look at aging in today's society." Why do they say this...because the performers in the Follies range from the age of 58-78! They perform 9 shows a week and sing and dance as if they were 20! All of the performers have show biz histories...whether in Vegas, on Broadway, in Film or TV and all of them are amazing. From the minute you walk in the door, a smile appears on your face and it doesn't come off until you are in bed asleep! It was truly a wonderful experience to see men and women....who have a few miles on them....living their life to the fullest and not letting age get in their way. If you ever are in Palm Springs...go see what the new 80 is!

So, now on to Clutter...speaking of being O-ld but not O-ver...we have many wonderful, old, "used" pieces of furniture and when they are put in a new home..they look (and feel) young again! Here are some pictures of these pieces. Come down to see them or call us at 303-386-3423 and we can give you prices or tell you more about them!

Clutter your world with a day to reflect....

It's a beautiful snowy day outside and things are quiet at the store...people are shoveling out of the 12+ inches of snow Boulder received last night! We have had a few customers but for the most part, I've had plenty of time to reflect on this past year and I'm loving it! It has been a wonderful year and I am very blessed...

I have the best employees in the city! I have wonderful consignors who trust me with all of their beautiful furniture and home decor. I have great customers who appreciate the standards that we have set and know that we do the best we can to offer them quality furniture at a great price. I have a wonderful location on the West End and great neighbors! I have a wonderful family who have supported me since I opened Clutter in August of 2009 and continue to support me as I put in the hours to keep my consignors, customers and employees happy!

I have been absent from my blog for a long time....things just got a bit busy..but I understand the importance of communication so I hope, in 2012, to do a better job of keeping up with it. My blog is Clutter My World and there is so much to talk about as I journey through this world and life.

I wish for all of you the joys of the season and a wonderful New Year! I hope that we get to see you sometime!!

The pictures are pictures of wonderful, down, white cotton pillows that I have in Clutter...

For pictures of furniture, please like us on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/clutterconsign

De-clutter your world by passing it on...

Hi everyone! We have been getting so many wonderful consignments lately and with many of them, there are stories. Some of them are sad and some are happy and all of them have to do with passing it on. It's hard to get rid of stuff....so often, an item reminds you of something...it could be the rock that you found when you were 10 and decoupaged a picture of you on it (I actually did this!), or it could be the painting that you bought on the streets of Florence when you took a vacation there. It could be the aluminum vase that your mom used to put flowers in, or the set of china from your wedding so long ago. Yes, it's hard to get rid of stuff but think about where it goes once it leaves you and smile.....here's one story:

The other day I had a little girl (around 9 years old) come into the store with her mom. She was looking for a jewelry box. I'm sure you are picturing a jewelry box right now like I pictured one...kind of like the one I had as a little girl with a wind up ballerina. Anyway, we didn't really have a jewelry box that I thought she might like but then I showed her this beautiful carved wood jewelry box with a drawer, brass accents, an asian motif. It had been the consignor's Grandmother's and she was ready to pass it on. It is now in the bedroom of a darling little girl...a present from her Grandmother (that's who paid for it) to her granddaughter....things can't get much better than that.

That jewelry box will store many treasures over the years for this little girl...she will grow into a beautiful young woman and the box's contents may change....from best friend necklaces to diamond earrings. And she will remember shopping in a consignment store for a jewelry box and thank the person who passed it on.....

Here are some things that people are passing it on...I hope that you come into Clutter and give them a new home...

Clutter my World with a trip to the Galapagos!

Hi everyone! In March, my husband, youngest daughter, and I experienced another trip of a lifetime! My list of must dos and must sees is growing: An African Safari, a trip to the Amazon, and now, a trip to the beautiful Galapagos Islands! My youngest daughter, Alex, studied the Galapagos Islands when she was in 4th grade at Crest View Elementary school here in Boulder. Ever since then, she has asked us if we could take a trip to see what she had studied. She just graduated from Boulder High School and we don't know how many more trips we will be able to take with her, so we decided to make this her Senior year, Spring Break trip...and it is something that we will always remember.

How often to you get to visit a place that has been virtually untouched for millions of years...at least, untouched by humans? The Galapagos islands are such a place. Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos on the HMS Beagle back in 1835...he was 22 years old and invited to be the captain's companion because he was educated and interesting.  While traveling the world, they landed upon the Galapagos Islands and to simplify things, Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution based on what he saw there...the crazy thing is that he really didn't "publish" it for 20 years...he took that long to "perfect" it.  Today, the Galapagos Islands are really one big National Park..only 3% of the islands are inhabited by humans, the rest is occupied by Giant Land Tortoises, finches of every shape, size and name, marine and land iguanas, Blue footed boobies, nasca boobies and red footed boobies, Galapagos sea lions, frigate birds, penguins, and so much more, including those animals and fish that we see under the water...hammerhead sharks, rays, octopi, etc. etc.  We spent a week aboard the Flamingo...a 20 passenger boat with approx. 8 crew owned and operated by EcoVentura  http://www.ecoventura.com/home.aspx, a company that has been "leading the way in Expedition Cruising in the Galapagos Islands since 1990.  We had 2 guides, Alexis and Maurice...I think the best guides in the islands...between them, they have more than 40+ years of Galapagos guiding and they were so knowledgeable and eager to share.  As I mentioned earlier, it was the trip of a lifetime and if you have the time and the wherewithal, I highly recommend that you put this on your bucket list...

Just as I Clutter My World with trips to wonderful and interesting places, I try to clutter Clutter with wonderful furniture and home decor...much of it from places around the world.  Right now we have a piece of painted art from Bali, a large open front cabinet from India, a Mexican Trastero, A hand hewn Poplar table from Boulder, a red lacquer cabinet from China, and so much more...

 Pottery Barn Wine Cabinets-3..priced individually

Bar Height Dining Table with one leaf

 Bar Height Dining Table with 4 chairs

 Leopard Print Chair...we have 2!

 Mitchell Gold Leather Chair

 Natuzzi Brown Leather Chair...swivels!

 Green Painted dresser

 Red Dresser with gliding drawers

 Green Sleeper sofa with air mattress

 Beautiful Plush Green Sofa

 Design Within Reach Red Futon

 Red Lacquer Cabinet from China

 Open Front cabinet from India

Really neat Orange patterned chaise

I hope that you come in soon to take a look...don't wait too long....the things I mentioned will be gone soon!  

Clutter My World with a Guide Dog Graduation!

Alex, Mercury and Keith

Mercury looking at Keith

Mercury as a puppy!

Hi everyone! I have to brag just a little bit....I am so proud of my daughter, Alex, for raising a Guide Dog puppy that actually graduated! That's not an easy feat...approx. 50% of the guide dog puppies don't make it to graduation so when you have one that does, it's quite a wonderful feeling. Alex started raising Guide Dogs when she was in 7th grade after hearing the a blind woman speak about her life with her Guide Dog. This woman was the sister of one of Alex's middle school teachers at Centennial Middle School and she inspired Alex so much, that Alex came home that day and said that she wanted to raise a Guide Dog. I kind of nodded my head and thought..oh my gosh, that sounds like a lot of work...and then tabled that discussion! A month or so later, I was at a training session at the Humane Society for people who wanted to foster puppies (yes, we were going to do that...shorter duration, cute, darling puppies) when I met a woman/puppy raiser from the Boulder Guide Dog Puppy Raiser group...a wonderful group of volunteer puppy raisers for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Jill talked to me about raising a guide dog, the sense of accomplishment, the paying it forward aspect, how rewarding it was...that I went home and told Alex that I was ready to help her raise a Guide Dog puppy. Mind you, I said "help" not raise! Anyway, that started our journey with raising Guide Dogs...and to date, we have raised 3....or should I say, Alex, has raised 3. We co-raised our first one, Bosley, with a classmate of Alex's. He was a beautiful Black Lab with a stubborn streak and didn't make it to graduation. Our second one, Rufus, was also co-raised and he was a darling, lovable Yellow Lab that due to excessive flatulence (yes, flatulence!) and excessive drooling, and stress induced colitis...didn't make it either. Then along came Mercury, a darling, energetic black lab that Alex raised all by herself (with some help from Mom and Dad!). Many of you met Mercury at Clutter...he was often sitting behind the cash stand with his nose out in front...observing all who came in and went out. It wasn't easy to raise Mercury, Alex had to wake up with him in the middle of the night when he had "issues", she had to clean out kennels that had been soiled (fortunately, this didn't happen often), she had to take him to school and the movies and the mall, etc. etc. She had to feed him and walk him and care for him. She had to endure the teasing of classmates when they said that he was going to fail because he was so unruly. It's a big job and at times, we wondered whether it was worth it....and now we know it is! Last Saturday we were fortunate to go to his graduation in Portland, Oregon at the beautiful Guide Dogs for the Blind Campus. We met Mercury's new "handler", the man, who in a year will be considered his owner, if all goes well. Keith Bundy has been blind from birth and he is the Associate Dean of Students at South Dakota State University, where he is charge of the counseling office and he also teaches computer skills to disabled students, he hunts and he goes to sporting events, he's active on Facebook....and he does all this blind. He has had 2 previous Guide Dogs and Mercury is his third. Guide Dogs only work for about 8-10 years, then they just get a bit too old and they retire and live out the rest of their lives as pet dogs. Keith is a wonderful man with a wonderful family...a loving wife and 4 handsome sons. Not only is he the Associate Dean but he is also a pastor. We came away from this experience knowing that Mercury is going to have a wonderful life and Keith's life is going to be made that much more wonderful because of Mercury! I am so proud of my daughter and of the wonderful, darling, energetic black lab that she raised! If you want to find out more about Guide Dogs and raising them, check out the Guide Dog for the Blind website: www.guidedogs.com. You can also check out the Boulder Puppy Raiser group by going to this website: www.boulderpuppies.org

While there is no longer a guide dog puppy at Clutter (who knows, maybe someday we'll raise another one!), there are a lot of other great things....check out all of the pictures below and come on in to see them in person!

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