Saturday, April 24, 2010

CREATIVITY...A Cluttered Desk



If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk? - Laurence J. Peter

YIKES........




OMG my desk is always sooooo cluttered. I try... every once in awhile to clean it up...and in less than 24 hours it's pretty much looking like it did before...

I do like a clean desk & I do think I function better & waste less time looking for things. One thing I'm always losing is my glasses & that is why I have 3 or 4 pairs lying around the desk.



Of course, my Diet Coke is always by my side...



My magnifying glass to analyze my "Vintage Treasures" (costume jewelry this week).



My Vintage Treasures...









A bunch of garbage things that I don't want to throw out yet because I'm not sure what they go to...



and last but not least my makeup.



I think it is against my nature to have an organized desk. I have so many interests & hobbies cluttering my mind that I guess it's just manifests itself via the cluttered desk! And maybe...just maybe...a clean desk is the sign of an empty mind.

If you need to get organized somewhat here are some items that help do the job.

The desks of "My Dreams"...













All "Dream Desk" Photos courtesy of Ballard Designs...



Longing to be clutter free...
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://accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com/

Saturday, April 17, 2010

If Shopping...


This sign says it all & with summer fast approaching, I really need to start an exercise program. You'd think that with all the shopping I do, both personal & for the store, I'd be a size 5. Unfortunately, that's in my dreams. With that said, I am going to tryyyyyy on Monday (of course...always a Monday) to get healthy. I have a goal...I am going on my "Dream" Vacation in July (Mediterranean Cruise...Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey...) & I really need to get physically fit for all the walking & touring I will be doing. Not to mention the fact that I have to put a bathing suit on :(.

So here goes...the official start...of my "Life" change.

At the store, we are also getting into the "Summer Groove" and Heritage Lace offers some of the lightest, airiest (is this a word ????), beachiest (????? word) linens & lace in the Beach Cottage Collection.

Blue Crab...

Crisp graphic art transfers add crustacean character and bold color to home textiles. A tasty denizen of the deep marches across the placemat and both ends of the runner, which are just right for casual seaside dining and entertaining. Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.



Sand Shell...

A great look for décor at the shore: Delicate starfish and seashells with natural shell trim. Distinctive crushed lace features marine motifs accented with dainty trim (optional) of real seashells.




Shell Linen...

Embroidered shell motifs accented with soft neutral bands make a great seaside collection.Maritime motif of scallop, shell and starfish has well-defined detail and texture. Machine wash. Imported.




Tiki...

The clean, casual look of bamboo adds visual and textural interest to these home textiles. With the distinctive look of bamboo, these table textiles do more than reserve place settings; they make a statement. Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.




Sandscape...

You're on a sandy beach, littered with shells, starfish and the usual marine flotsam. Except for the occasional seabird, it's quiet, and the soft, soothing colors of sky and sand go on into infinity ... that's "Sandscape". Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.



Lighthouse...

Home décor with a maritime motif and a shoreline view -- no matter where you are. Each component of the Lighthouse collection features well-known maritime sentinels on each seacoast and the Great Lakes. Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.



Tropical Breeze...

Tropical Breeze can lend any room an exotic view, a center of interest and instant personality.

This exotic design brings the islands and the South Seas as near as your window. Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.



Crab Damask...

Inspired by the infinite variety of sea life, this is a reminder of those lazy days at the shore. Intricate marine motifs give Crab Damask a salty sense of the sea. It's woven of special yarns with two-tone dying to achieve this unique look. Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.



Dory Bay...

Rustic woven fabric has the natural texture and feel of the outdoors or a breezy beach. Dory Bay is in a natural shade called "Spa", with the attractive colors of sand and beach glass, and the authentic look and feel of natural fibers of linen and cotton. Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.



Dolphins...

A unique alternative to "hard" vertical blinds.Features scenic or all-over designs knit into soft fabric vanes. Beautiful as a stand-alone treatment or as a base for your personal decorative scheme. Made in U.S.A.



Shells...

It's written in the sand, " ... one cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach."

A treasure trove of marine motifs and messages in the sand make these window dressings ideal for that beachside cottage. Machine wash. Made in U.S.A.



Dreaming of Summer...

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/

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Happy Easter


May God bless you at Easter, and keep you all year through. May God give you all the faith you need, to make your dreams come true. May His love and wisdom always help, to guide you on your way. May His light shine down upon you now, to bless your Easter Day" ~ Irish Easter Blessing



Happy Easter!


Kindest Regards,
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)


Thursday, March 11, 2010

Merci Beaucoup...Grazie...Gracias...Danke Schön!...Thank You SI Advance Writer Tevah Platt


Dear Tevah Platt,




Thank you in a very special way...
Kindest Regards,
Kathleen Sforza
Lorraine Razzano
Jeanette Sforza


Today, we were fortunate to have been mentioned in an article here: Women come of age in the marketplace in the SI Advance (our local paper here in Staten Island). I've never really given much thought to being a woman & being self-employed. It was something I just did. When Tevah came into the store, she asked me questions about being a woman in business. It made me think...how did I start the thought process of opening a business...

In 1986, I was about to be laid off from Ohrbach's (a store on 34th Street in NYC). I had just left Macy's (about 9 months before) & I started hearing rumors in the market (vendors in the fashion industry) that Ohrbach's was going to be purchased by Steinbach's. Everyone in the office thought these were just rumors, but I believed them to be true. Companies usually float these types of rumors so that there isn't such a shock when a store closing is announced. Well a few months later & sure enough, we were told that the store would be closing. The company offered us severance, but I saw women & men in their 40's & 50's who could not get jobs. I was only about 26 at the time & I had job offers (I was at the beginning of my career & therefore my salary was lower). I decided at that moment that I would be the one in control of my destiny. I was not going to allow a company to toss me to the street after I dedicated 15 or 20 years of my life. So...I talked with my parents about opening a store. My Mom was looking to do something since all of us (my sister & brothers were grown). So...together we embarked on a dream & we opened a "Country Store".

Throughout my career I always have a "Business Plan". My thought process is as follows...

It starts with an idea. I really only think about it for a short period & then I make it a goal. Then...I write down my goals...I usually give myself a time frame...a week, a month, a year. Then everyday...I make sure I do something to achieve that goal. I think that by setting goals you're more apt to follow through on them. I guess you might call this my business plan.

My nephews always tell me I try to do everything for free. My feelings are that you can have all the bells & whistle business plans in the world (lots of research...estimating sales...etc...), but in the end... you just have to start selling. Like the NIKE ads say "JUST DO IT". I invest little & then I sort of pay as I go. I wanted to sell on the Internet & I wanted to do it as inexpensively as possible. So, I listed a few items on eBay & sold them. I then opened an eBay Store for $15.95 a month selling new items. Later I opened a second eBay Store with my sister Lorraine selling vintage, antique & retro items. If we started with $100.00 inventory, that would have been a lot. From there, I registered our domain names with go daddy for both stores (cost $10.00 a year for a www.). Then we started blogging here on Google's Blogspot {That's Free!} I did have to invest in a digital camera about $150.00 & my sister & I already had a computer & printer, but if you had to invest in a computer & printer, it would probably be about $600.00 for both.

We sell here:

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



http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/ (an eBay Store) Vintage, Retro & Antique Items



Of course this year I have a long list of goals. One of my short-term goals (within the next 3 months) is to open an Amazon store & my other goal is to develop my own website by September. I do have some goals that some of my family think are impossible, but I always put "The Secret" out there...Dreams really do come true...magazines, books, television. All things are possible...








In the end, I would say that "TIME" is what I most put into my business.

Kindest Regards,
Kathleen Sforza

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

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

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Vintage Dish Towels...Tablecloths...Barkcloth Fabric

For the past two days, my sister Lorraine & I, have been listing & laundering. Laundering old linens & listing them on eBay. We made this fabulous find at an estate. The woman must have had a fetish for linen kitchen/tea towels (there were over 150 of them). I've never seen anything like it. I own about 10 dish towels & use only a few (thanks to the dishwasher). But...as I was laundering these towels...I started to really appreciate the beauty of these vintage textiles. So Pretty...Here are a few of our favorites...

SOUTHERN LADY KITCHEN/TEA TOWEL...



RED ROSES KITCHEN/TEA TOWEL...



In addition to towels, there were about 25 tablecloths. Here is one...we love & think it's from the 1970's "Flower Power Era". Cheerful & Bright & much needed at this time of the year.

FLOWER POWER TABLECLOTH...



The woman must have sewn because there were about 100 pieces of fabric. Barkcloth, linen, cotton from every decade since the 1940's. Here are two of our favorite pieces of barkcloth:

VINTAGE BARKCLOTH...FARM SCENE...



VINTAGE BARKCLOTH...ROSES...



And last, but not least... and sooooo Anthropologie Like...

VINTAGE STRAWBERRY APRON...


If you love old linens check out our eBay Store here: http://www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com/.

Check back daily...We hope to list a few each day.

Laundering & Listing...
Kathleen Sforza & Lorraine Sforza Razzano

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)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Headband, Headbands, & More Headbands....


Spring 2010 jewelry is looking very retro to me. Flashback early 80's with a bit of Chanel thrown in.

Today, Me & my girls (my sister Lorraine & my nieces Alexis & Ashley, & Alyssa), spent the day in NYC buying jewelry for Spring. I took my nieces to get a feel for what the 16, 19, & 21 year olds like. Usually they "HATE" going into the wholesale jewelry stores. They are very, very small & there are racks & racks of costume jewelry from floor to ceiling. It can be a bit overwhelming to say the least. I like to get input from them. Shockingly...What I love is not necessarily what they love?!?!?

Like I said, in a previous post...everything is looking Very Coco Chanel. Loooooooong Necklaces. Lots of pearls...ribbons...lace. Over-sized Rings shaped like flowers & angel wings (one of my favorite). I personally like the look of black & gunmetal necklaces. My nieces also seem love everything black. Black a fashion must & is always in fashion.

The girls are really into headbands. The funkier the better! Lots of Jewels...Big Feathers...Touches of Lace.

Here are a few of my Favorite Headbands for Spring...

Retro Black & White Polka Dots...



Large Bold Blue Feather Flower...



Sequined & Beaded Gorgeous Grey Applique...



My Favorite Color Amber...



Black with Amber Polka Dots...



Amber Feathered Flower...



Fuschia Pink... matches nicely to a limited edition VIVA GLAM Lipstick named after celebrity spokesperson Lady Gaga.





All of these headbands are available here: http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com

When I shop for jewelry, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I want everything...but I only have X amount of money to spend. Stay tuned for some fabulous necklaces & bracelets...

Wishing for Spring...
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)

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Snow Snow Go Away...


Today we are having another snowstorm. So Pretty to look out...but very heavy to shovel. Opened my store today...wondering "Why am I here?" Then, Tony my UPS driver, arrives with two boxes...I rush to open them up & Suddenly Spring has arrived...

The handbags I ordered a few weeks ago at the Accessories Show are now arriving & I'm loving them. I so want to ditch the heavy dark leather bag I'm carrying & fling one of these lightweight fun color bags & fly away (preferably somewhere WARM).


Here's a sneak peek...

iMoshion Bag in three fabulous colors & available right now in my eBay store:
http://www.kathleenrosescollection.com

Beautiful Blue...





Gorgeous Green...



Yummy Yellow...



All trimmed in Chocolate Brown.

Tomorrow I'll photograph some of the fabulous bags made from recycled denim. Love them too!!!

Warmest Regards,
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)