We'll be closing the store a little early on Thursday, July 3rd - at 4:30 instead of the usual 5:30pm.  We will reopen on Monday July 7th at our usual time of 10:00 am.

We are going to visit our family in Ohio!  I have a granddaughter to see for the first time, and I have missed my kids and friends something fierce, so I'm looking forward to even this very short pitstop.

Just so everyone knows: We have renewed our lease and are committed to another 2 years at Roseland Plaza.  We had looked for a new location, but after much soul searching, decided this was not the time to make such an ambitious change in location.  Perhaps when the economy changes, we'll be better able to make these choices.

Since we took over the store just a bit over a year ago, we have not made plans to shut down the way the previous folks sometimes did, so every sale is a big one!  Thanks for your patronage, and please please Shop By anytime in July!

Welcome all.  We have been updating the store with the new engraving products (which you'll see from our main page if you watch the little photos scroll or click on the "My Pics" link under the store name.)

I'm very excited at the recent experiences David and I had at the class in Orlando.  I do wish it had had more on technique, but I got a lot of great ideas and input.  Now to put them to work for you, as our customers!

For anyone who may be wondering about our website storefront, it will be down effective June 1.  We have not had nearly the response we had hoped for, but that's ok.  We're trying new things and it's just not time for it yet.  As we develop our engraved/carving lines, we'll see about changing the look and appearance of the site so we can bring our new products to your attention.

The tile on the pics page is a representative of some of our new home decor products.  We are also looking at a line of carved or engraved pet products: from brushes and bowls to memorials and "yard tools" (read: pooper scoopers?)  Ok, maybe not.  But we have the capability of engraving on virtually any hard surface.   So come in with your ideas and requests.  Let's see what we can put together for you!  I bet we can come up with something you'll like.

Oh, my.  Nearly 12: 30 and here I am still up.  I've got a store to run!  Good night all, and please Shop By anytime.

Connie

We're always looking for new ways to make life easier.  Even if you don't buy from us, you might want to check out some affiliated companies that might just intrigue you.

Go through our BigCrumbs link and tell us what YOU think:

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Welcome back!  Updates on the engraving system: David and I are learning our craft and enjoying the time with the new equipment.  It's really fun learning how to use the system, and discovering all the capabilities -- whether we are carving on stone, wood or metals, each has it's own requirements to be aware of, so before we bring new things in to the store, we want to make sure it's something we would want for ourselves!  We will have a few featured items in the store very soon (I already have my first 3D carving: a mouse!) for you to check out.  Come in and see it!

Next, I want to tell you about our featured artisans.  Hidden Harbour is very interested in reducing our reliance on foreign products, primarily Chinas'.  No offense to anyone of Chinese descent, but I think our local communities can support each other.  So, who do we currently have in our store, and who might we soon be adding?

We first welcome local author and American humorist, Michael Shane Glover.  Shane lives in Grant-Valkaria.  His first book, "Rings Of Life" is in our store waiting for you to come and discover his unique expressions and to laugh right along with him!  We hope Shane continues his writing and brings us more grins and giggles over the coming years.

Stretchy Bracelets by Rosie: Gorgeous bracelets made from Swarovski crystal, mother of pearl and other semi-precious stones, these treats are selling well!  Rosie started making her special bracelets after surviving cancer.  She has a beautiful line of Salvation bracelets too, or you can special order by size, colors and tastes. Rosie lives right here in Sebastian, so please come out and support her work.

Ocean Treasures by Ann:  Beautiful sea glass pieces, wrapped by hand in gold or sterling by Ann Richter.  These are outstanding jewelry pieces at amazing prices.  Her creations should be found on everyone because we all deserve the kind of class Ann's products express.  Ann and her husband live in Barefoot Bay and spend weeks in the Outer Banks and here on Florida beaches finding the sea glass that make up her lovely work.

Our newest addition are the CD's by Dynamic Destony.  (Check out their MySpace: www.myspace.com/dynamicdestony).  Tony and Rosanna Carlucci have collaborated on this neat techno-electronika CD that offers a great club beat.  We have their remix too! 

Rebeca Darden brought her great handmade jewelry in to our store recently and it is fantastic!  Her creations feature beadwork and filigree in either gold-fill or sterling silver.  We have necklaces, bracelets, anklets and earrings that are sure to please even the most difficult-to-buy-for shopper.  Rebeca and her husband live in Sebastian and are currently expecting a new baby in October.

Another unique Sebastian artisan is Patricia Woolwine.  Pat came in recently with some amazing sewn creations.  We are currently featuring her Mug Rug sets and pot holders.  Mug rug sets come in 4's and the quality is second to none.  You know you need them here in Florida, so come on and take a look!  You'll love them!

We also feature Honey Care Products "Orange Blossom Honey Cream".  Honey Care Products come from right here in Roseland, Florida.  Developed by Phyllis A Balch, CNC and James F. Balch, M.D., the Orange Blossom Honey Cream has a comforting, clean scent and dries without the oily feeling many creams leave behind.

We will soon be carrying some products from Belles' Place Farm from Pauline, South Carolina.  Liz and Brian Dotson started Belles' Place just a few short years ago and their products are catching on like wildfire!  Products include Goat Milk Lotions, Soaps, Bath Products and Pet Products that are almost completely natural.  Many people manufacture goat milk lotions but what sets theirs apart is the amount of goat milk used in each batch. Check out our store over the next few weeks and try some of these products.  We're excited to have them coming in!  By the way, Liz' mom lives in Barefoot Bay, and we thank her for bringing them to our attention!

I can't forget another local artist who is doing some amazing things!  Leslie Ann Curry has a selection of peace pots and candleware that will bring comfort and  quality to your home.  If you've been developing your feng shui, or perhaps have an interest in Native American culture, or maybe you love the symbolism of your faith, Leslie can put it in clay, creating something so personal you're sure to enjoy it for years to come.

As we add new artists and products, we'll feature them here on our blog, and we sincerely hope you will take the time to stop in to our store and check out their work.  We try to find products that are priced well, that we believe our customers will enjoy, and that have the quality we would expect to find in our own homes.  Thanks for joining us!

Connie

Hi Gang,

It's good to be back on here.  Now that the New Year has begun,  I think you'll enjoy taking some time to shop and check out the many products we have available for you and your friends and family.  So, come in, visit and shop, or just chat a bit. 

The categories of products are many, so stop by often.  You never know what we'll be adding.

I have one other new announcement, but I'll post it later.  It's too exciting, and it deserves it's own mention, it's own space.  So, keep looking for updates to my blog -- in fact, if you haven't subscribed to our myspace blog here at HiddenHarbour, you'd better!  You just don't know what you might miss if you do!

Thanks for taking the time to visit and read up on our events.  I really appreciate it!  Come by again soon.

Connie

Many folks have asked us about our website and when it would be up and running.  We won't have our cards online, but if you contact me I might be able to work something out with you.  Remember, every card is AT LEAST 50% off the marked retail price.  We also carry a very nice line called "Heartfelt" that is 50c per card.  Our fixed income shoppers love it, and are delighted at the sentiments and quality of this line.  We are developing a new website that we hope to have up before too long, so keep your eyes open!

I really think our new gift product lines add a lot of options to our customers, so please don't be shy -- tell me what you think of the new lines even if you don't order anything.  Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  We want to provide you quality gifts at affordable pricing.

Sebastian's best kept secret is going public.  :) 

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to everyone.  I'm sending out a prayer for peace and for a safer, cleaner world environment for us and our children.  And, I hope everyone will do their part to see that their own corner is a more beautiful place.

Love to all,

CJ

Well, OK.  I know everyone has to wonder what in the world "this strange person" is doing asking to be my friend...  heck you don't know me, do you?  Well, for a really GOOD idea as to who I am, check out my personal myspace:  www.myspace.com/cnstarzkaraoke.  My blog and my 'Space tells you more about me than you would expect to know.

The highlights: I have a sense of humor.  Not sure if it goes along with yours, but we're all entitled to a giggle now and then.  Hope you like it.

Family is very important.

Don't sweat the small stuff because you never know when it's your time -- or someone you love -- and it will hurt like hell.  Yep, I said hell.

Business doesn't have to be hard work.  Sometimes you can actually enjoy what you do!

I'm a disc jockey.  I KNOW you didn't know that.

This is the longest I've ever been away from Dayton, Ohio.

OK, that's an effective synopsis of what you can read on my personal blog and see on my MySpace there.  You can also visit my kids and my friends and see just how much fun I have had with them.  I miss and love them all.  (Do you hear that gang??) 

I have to go now since it's very late and I have to be in court in a few hours.  No, I'm not a celebutante or a felon; get over yourself.  My welcome to Florida was to delay getting my license longer than I should have.  Then, I got stopped by a police officer and was cited for failing to properly establish my residence here.  And, yes, I HAVE to appear in court.  I can't fax or send copies of the documents.  As I said, that was my welcome to Florida.

I know it gets better than this.  Doesn't it, fellow Floridians?  I'm still figuring it out.

Chat with you later!

CJ

My last post talked about those infernal critters called Webkinz.  Ganz has decided to start a new program with the 'Kinz called the Pet Of The Month program.

The first month (October) the pet is going to be the frog, aka HM001.  He's a cute little bugger!

The way this works is this: at the beginning of each month, the following months Pet will be released on the Webkinz site.  The pet can be purchased at any time, BUT IT CANNOT BE REGISTERED BEFORE IT IS THE PET OF THE MONTH!

When the month comes up, your pet may then be registered.  There will be alternate pages that are only accessible with the POM, so make sure you don't register him before he or she is actually the Pet!  Also, there will be additional prizes and so on, so having and correctly registering your Webkinz is a good thing for your kids.

Finally, I'll be getting in the packaged Christmas cards and new product lines before the end of this month.  We will be selling some gorgeous gift baskets, and if you want, you can place orders for those and we'll get you the breakdown on cost and shipping if need be.  You need to give me 30 days if you need it shipped, 2 weeks if you plan to come by the store to pick it up.  Baskets will be available in a wide range of prices, or you can purchase items in the store and "create your own" for a slightly additional fee.

Well, time to go for now.  Let me know how we can help you out, and please, "Shop By Anytime!"

Regards,

Connie

Hi There!  This is my first blog for my store, Hidden Harbour Cards & Gifts, so while I get myself in gear for this startup, I hope you hang in there with me.  I will post periodically on specials at my store, on things going on in the neighborhood and, in case you might be interested, in who the heck I am.

So, here's what's up.  My name is Connie.  My hubby and I came here from Ohio for a few reasons.  First of all, my folks needed family a little closer.  Secondly, my husband's job in Ohio came to a quick end as the company he worked for bought out all the "old-timers" (sorry, honey) and sent them on their way before they closed the plants.  Third, because of that buyout, we were able to make the move sooner than we had planned (we're a little young for retirement) and so we purchased this lovely card and gift shop in Sebastian in early May.

It's been a slow summer, which is pretty good, actually, because it gave me the time to get acclimated to the store and make some decisions on how I needed to get it set up, the paperwork and all that, and to begin to determine the products I wanted to bring in to the store.

This has traditionally been geared toward a population older than me by 15 to 20 years, so I wanted to do something to bring in younger people, people with families, to begin the process of adding new customers to our store's already solid customer base.  With that in mind, I kept our primary card lines in place (we are a half price card store, and I think that's a very good thing whether you have family or are on a fixed income -- we can all stand to save a little, right?) and I wanted to add some new products that would appeal to the younger crowds without getting too niche-y.  I guess the point is that I don't want our store to get pigeonholed into one thing -- a blessing for an independent store like us.

My research led me to one of the hottest products going: Webkinz.  These little guys are so much fun and I think they have more potential than the pet rock, cabbage patch kids and beanie babies all rolled into one!  Why can I say that?  Because they offer interactivity that most products don't, and they do it safely!  I am very proud that our store is one of the very few vendors in the Sebastian and Vero Beach areas to offer Webkinz.  Give me a hollar, and let me tell you about the latest Webkinz programs and what's currently available in our store.

Drop me a note and let me know your thoughts on Webkinz, or any new products for that matter!  We are always looking for something solid to bring in that will offer our customers what they want and need in gifts.

Now, to say that we have only addressed the needs of the kids would be very remiss on my part.  We are also adding some fantastic candle lines (no, not Yankee Candles, sorry) frames by Demdaco, and so many other new products will be introduced in the upcoming weeks and months that I'm going to play havoc to make room for it all!  One area that I'm also trying to find are quality men's gifts.  Any ideas?

Now, we are also keeping many of our proven products also.  Millenium products have added a lot to the store with the Austrian crystal lines and I'll be getting some new additions over the next few weeks also.  The Terra line of Bluebirds is just lovely and makes a fantastic gift, every one of them signed and dated and they come with their own history and gift card. 

We still have quality jewelry; our newest line is handmade by Ann Richter, from right here in Sebastian.  Gorgeous, these pendants and earrings are made using colored "beach glass".  Ocean Treasures they truly are -- you must see them to believe just how beautiful they are, and such quality in a handmade is hard to find!  Every one is unique and the colors are exquisite!

We have gorgeous waterglobes coming from Twinkle, featuring musical instruments and some lovely Christmas themes...  Yes, it's time to at least START thinking about it!  I found this line after been requested by a local teen who is part of Sebastian's High School Marching Band, that there really wasn't anything to appeal to the over 200 members of the band.  Waterglobes were her suggestion, and so here they come!  I think many of you will truly love these high quality products.

So, come in -- come by and visit.  Ask me what's up with our store.  Sign the guestbook and if you've been into the store sometime over the past 17 years, you might want to check it out again!  We would like to make it another 17 successful years at Hidden Harbour Cards & Gifts, and we hope you'll help us to get there.  I promise, you'll find quality half price cards (we also have a great 50 cent line too!) and quality gifts at a fair price for everyone's budget.

By the way, we are looking also for local artisans to feature some of their products also.  What do you create that we might show off or help sell?  Come by Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30 pm or Saturdays from 10 until 2 pm.  We're in Roseland Shopping Center at the corner of Roseland and US 1, and we look forward to helping you find the perfect card or gifts for your special occasions!

And, thanks for taking the time to read my blog!  I really appreciate it!

Regards to all,

Connie