Faith & Finances...IN GOD WE TRUST

I would be lying...if I said...that as the owner of a small business...
the economy hasn't had an effect on my business.


It has been & continues to be very difficult to run a small business during this "Great Recession".


With that said...


I am going to share with you a story.


One...that many may not believe.


On the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving, I wrote a blog entry about Small Business Saturday...but I also wrote about the true meaning of Christmas. I hadn't posted the blog, but planned to post it on the Friday after Thanksgiving (the day before Small Business Saturday). The next morning (Wednesday, before Thanksgiving), my first customer of the day told me that she just recently moved back to Staten Island. She told me that for many years, in the late 1980's, she had passed by my store, but never came in. She then purchased a gift for her granddaughter & as she was walking out the door she turned to me & said...

 "Jesus told me to come in this store & purchase a gift".

Okay, it is now 5:00 on the same day (Wednesday) & I am getting ready to close for the evening. A woman comes in to purchase a gift for someone for Thanksgiving. As I was ringing up her purchases, she told me that she hadn't been in my store in a long time & that her mother had recently passed away.  She told me that she was passing by the store and...

Jesus told her to come into the store...that she would feel better.

I was stunned!!! Both my first & my last customer on that Wednesday (the day after I wrote the blog post, but hadn't posted it yet) told me that Jesus had told them to come into my store.

The story does not end there...

It's Friday night after Thanksgiving...I am at my sister Lorraine's house eating leftovers & remember that I have to post the blog about Small Business Saturday & the true meaning of Christmas. The time I post the blog is 10:00 pm. Twelve hours later at 11:00 am the next day (Saturday morning), NY1 (Time Warner Cable's NYC's local cable network) walks in the store to film "Our Store"" for Small Business Saturday. I ask the reporter..."How did you find our store?" Her answer...She found us  through our blog!!!  

All I can say..........

With God there are no coincidences !!!

Believing...
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237


Websites:
www.kathleenrosescollection.com (an eBay Store)
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Blogs:
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com
www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com

Christmas Decorating...Store Displays at Town & Country Gifts 2010

Okay, the countdown is on...23 days until Christmas.

Here's a peek at our store displays...

Snowman & Bottle Brush Trees...

Angels...Picture Frames...Snowman...Mirrored Dresser Tray...

Vintage Crystal Glasses, Silver Ornaments, Feather Tree...

Angel Cage Dolls...Vintage Cherub Vases...

RAZ Snow Woman & Naughty & Nice Sign...mmm

Vintage Santa Glasses & Black Ice Bucket

 RAZ "i believe in Santa sign"...

Annalee Ribbon Candy Mouse & Elf

 Vintage Fenton Hobnail Milk Glass...

New Year's Display...

EAT...DRINK...and be...MERRY SIGN

LIFE'S SHORT EAT COOKIES SIGN

Vintage Hats, Handbags, Shoes & Glasses...

Vintage Mirrored Dresser Tray

Fenton Perfume Bottles & Lidded Jar 

Antique Silver Comb, Brush & Mirror Set...

Byers' Choice Carolers with Candy

Nutcracker Ornaments...

Vintage Cookbooks & Pyrex Dish

Annalee Ribbon Candy Mouse & Sweetie Pie

Byers' Choice Caroler "St. Lucia"...

Vintage Mink Hat, Pearl Collar, Tole Tray...

Retro Christmas Room...

I remember this...My _____had one just like it !!!

I'll have a Blue Christmas...

RAZ Snowman & Ice Cream Cone Ornaments

Vintage Cornflower Blue China & Blue Satin Christmas Ornaments...

Vintage Mantel & Antique Amber Depression Glass

RAZ Angels & Cosmo Collection Picture Frames...

Next post...Our Christmas Windows...

Still Decorating,

Kathleen Sforza

Websites:

www.kathleenrosescollection.com (an eBay Store)

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Blogs:

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com

www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com 

AMEX...Small Business Saturday, November 27th 2010...

American Express has launched a new initiative this holiday season. They have declared that Saturday, November 27th 2010 will be "Small Business Saturday".

Of course, as the owner of a small business, I am embracing this...It has been a tough go for many of us during this "Great Recession". I am always an optimist & I want to think that all is well, but it has been and it still is a scary situation for many of us. In order to succeed...I must run a lean, mean, operating machine. And when all is said & done, it will be a matter of "Survival of the Fittest". 

The small business owner in me knows that this time of the year is crucial to my survival as a retailer...but the spiritual human being in me knows the true meaning of Christmas. It is a wonderful, magical time of year "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

I must put my faith in God that all will be fine & that things are as they should be. So, as the season of Advent begins...I will try to remember that JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON.
 
Keeping Christ in Christmas...
Kathleen Sforza

Websites:
http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)
http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Blogs:
http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com/
http://www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com/

Decorating for Christmas...

Okay...We know that Halloween  has just passed & Thanksgiving is a few weeks away, but because we are a staff of two, me & my sister Lorraine, we have to start decorating our store for the holidays. It takes a great deal of time to mark in the merchandise, make room for trees & move displays. We wish that we could wiggle our noses & blink our eyes (alla I Dream of Jeannie) & everything would be perfect, but that's just not the case.

A great deal of planning goes into Christmas. It starts in January. We no sooner take down the trees & we're off to the NY Gift Fair to buy Christmas for the next year.

We loved it all...Dear Santa..."We want it all !"

Most shipments start arriving in June...with the bulk being delivered in September. Then the fun begins! Cleaning & setting up the displays...Trees need lights...we all know how much fun it is to put lights on trees...try putting lights on 5 or more trees. Fun is not the word ;).

But, in the end something magical occurs...

Visit us this Christmas season...& here is a preview of some of the exciting things in store for this year...

Baking is a must...

Gingerbread for sure...

and we all know...

LIFE IS SHORT...Eat Dessert First! 

because...

"STRESSED" is "DESSERTS" spelled backwards & that is "Why" we must eat Dessert First...to relieve "STRESS".

Lots of Fun Stress goes into decorating for the holidays...Stay tuned for more photos of Christmas at Town & Country Gifts...

Eating Dessert First,

Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts

1213 Castleton Avenue

Staten Island,  NY 10310

718-447-8237

Websites:

http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)

http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Blogs:

http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com/

http://www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com/







"Each one of them is Jesus in disguise" Mother Teresa...

Years ago, I read an autobiography on the life of Mother Teresa. One thing she said stayed with me. It is how I live my life everyday & treat the people I meet everyday. That quote is...

"Each one of them is Jesus in disguise."

 This past Saturday, a mentally challenged gentlemen, came into my store. He comes into my store everyday & I always smile, say hello & ask him about his day...but, on this day, I had customers in my store & I was busy. He asked me if he could give me 300 pennies for $3.00 dollars. My first reaction (thinking in my head) was "Oh No" I really don't need 300 pennies. I almost said "No" & then I remembered this quote "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise". This quote, by Mother Teresa, was in response to a question on how she was able to care for the sick & dying. If Mother Teresa can help the sick & dying...then, of course,

 I can give a mentally challenged gentlemen...

 $3.00 dollars for 300 pennies!!! 

 With that said I think that if, everyday, each of us did this...

the world would be a much better place.

What happened next just proves that there are no coincidences...

Today, I opened up an email from one of my companies with inspirational prints from various people. The first print I opened up...a print with a poem...written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India & is widely attributed to her:

"Do It Anyway"

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

 Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

 

All I can say is........With God there are no coincidences...

 

Kathleen Sforza

 

"Do It Anyway"

Artist - John Jones

SKU # - 3352-6194

Width - 15.50 inches

Height - 19.50 inches 

A sepia toned tree with the "Do It Anyway" verse.

Arrives glassed and framed in a mahogany finish.

SOLD OUT

Town & Country Gifts

1213 Castleton Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10310

718-337-8237

Websites:

http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com/ (an eBay Store)

http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Blogs:

http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com/

http://www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com/

Thank you eBay, Google, Facebook...& Bill Gates

Keys to Success...

When starting out, don't worry about not having enough money. Limited funds are a blessing, not a curse. Nothing encourages creative thinking in quite the same way.

~The Complete LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK

AMEN...Ain't that the truth! (Pardon our grammer)! With that said...Trying to survive this Great Recession has required us to do a great deal of creative thinking with little money.

Trying to grow our business in this Great Recession may require a MIRACLE.

My sister & I have exhausted every means in trying to establish our business with little money. All we can say is thank you...Ebay...Google...Facebook...& Photobucket. These companies have revolutionized how we have managed to survive this Great Recession. We have had to learn a great deal about the world-wide web. Neither I, nor my sister Lorraine, knew how to email. Thanks to the help from my nieces (who were all under 18 at the time we started), we learned how to email, cut & paste, and download pictures. That along with all the tutorials on eBay www.ebay.com, we managed through trial & error, to design our eBay Stores:

www.kathleenrosescollection.com

&

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com.

Google allowed us to learn the ins & outs of blogging on www.blogspot.com.  Photobucket http://www.photobucket.com/  taught us how to download pictures & hosted our photos for our blogs & eBay. And, now we hope that Facebook will allow us to gather new friends & fans through our Fan Pages. 

All we can say is thank you, Bill Gates, for being the genius that you are. For your vision of the personal computer & it's impact on all budding entrepreneurs. We think perhaps history will have you right up there with the genius of Albert Einstein & Leonardo da Vinci.

Creatively Thinking...

Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts

1213 Castleton Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10310

718-447-8237

Websites:

www.kathleenrosescollection.com (an eBay Store)

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store)

Blogs:

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com

www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com

Today, we spent the day photographing some more displays for the contest sponsored by Retails Details. Since this is a momentous date, October 10, 2010 (10-10-10), we thought that some Halloween displays would be perfect...

Happy Halloween...Annalee Trick or Treaters...

Halloween Tablescape...

If the shoes fit...

Black Cats & Jack-O-Lanterns...

& of course...Misty Marie...

Stay tuned more displays to come...& pop over to our sister blog

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com  where we write about our "Estate Sales Escapades".

Loving Fall,

Katheen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10310

718-447-8237

Websites:

www.kathleenrosescollection.com (an eBay Store)

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Our Blogs:

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com

www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com

Retail Details Display Contest...

OK...We know it's a little early (for Christmas displays)...BUT...we've decided to enter our store in a display contest. We found it on Facebook & we thought WOW this could be fun. We can submit up to 20 photos. It is being hosted at Retails Details http://www.swirlmarketing.com/.

So here's what we've done so far...

& at the beginning of November we'll enter our favorites...

Stay tuned for more display photos...

& please tell us your favorites !!!

Kindest Regards,

Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts

1213 Castleton Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10310

718-447-8237

Websites:

www.kathleenrosescollection.com (an eBay Store)

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Blogs:

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com

www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com

Crisp Breezes & Crunchy Leaves...

Crisp Breezes & Crunchy Leaves...

Campfires & Apple Cider...

Fall my favorite time of the year !!!

Needing a sweater,
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
www.kathleenrosescollection.com (eBay Store)
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Blogs:
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com
www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com

9.11.01...A National Tragedy...A New Normal...for NYC...

All I can say...

is that I will never look at a beautiful day quite the same way...

When I see a beautiful sky...I will always remember those who perished that day.

It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. -George Washington

Pledging My Allegiance to the United States of America

& 

Praying that God blesses Her

&

holds Her in the Palm of His Hands.

Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
www.kathleenrosescollection.com (an eBay Store)
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Blogs:
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com
www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com

Shopping in Istanbul, Turkey

This summer I went on a Mediterranean Cruise...One of our "Ports of Call" was Istanbul, Turkey. Of course, we toured all historical sites in Istanbul...the Blue Mosque & a Castle.

But, of course, we managed to fit in some shopping !!!

First stop...a pottery shop. Where a craftsman showed us how to turn a vase...

Here are a few of the finished pieces of Turkish Pottery...all beautiful...

but a bit out of our pocketbooks.

'

Off to the Spice Market...where Turkish Delight is sold at every place. This is a Turkish candy...Very sweet & a bit mushy.

Not my choice for candy...I love chocolate!

Store Window of Beautiful Linens...I so wanted to do my bedroom over.

A vision in white...Ahhhhh

Another store window display with beautiful home accessories.

The beading on the pillows is to die for!

Beautiful Turkish lamps & candle holders.

Which should I chose ???

Oh Well... 

Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe !!!

If I ever get in shape...I'd love one of these outfits for Zumba...

Even in Turkey...They have genuine fake Rolex's...

mmmm...I thought that Canal St. in NYC was home to those.

We went to the Grand Bazaar, but unfortunately we did not have enough time to shop. My sister, Lorraine, called it Canal Street on Steroids. 

Lots of places to shop & big crowds.

Maybe on our next visit, we will be able to shop!

We may have to leave the men home !!!

Loves to Shop,

Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts

1213 Castleton Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10310

718-447-8237

Websites: 

www.kathleenrosescollection.com  (an eBay Store)

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Blogs:

www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com

www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com