Saturday Gift Post, Outdoor Edition--Gardening and Croquet and Sending "Wish You Were Here" Postcards.

Whereas I felt I was a little short of gift product in January and early February, now I feel we have plenty, perhaps a wee bit too much.  We're slowly building a gardening display, with new whimsical watering cans for kids (or kid-ish adults) and watering can mugs for when you take a break.  We've also got pretty cute garden stakes, but we are still contemplating how to best display them.  And oh, we have little butterfly pots on display now, plus frog ones I haven't put out yet.  All in good time, I guess.

With the weather turning nicer, it's the time of year when customers come in looking for Milwaukee postcards.  My goodness, we could probably develop a side business printing our own, but instead of the generic glossies, I decided to bring in some vintage reproductions.  It's Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River and the downtown skyline and some famous buildings, like City Hall and the Milwaukee Gas Light and the Milwaukee Public Library.  I couldn't help bringing in a few images long gone, like the Chicago Northwestern train depot.  Hope someone doesn't buy this and tell the gang back home that this was the nicest building in town. 

Our kids outdoor activity table has been up for about a week now.  The kites are going well, as are the kickballs.  Go figure.  I brought in item at a high price point to sort of anchor the whole thing. It's a happy giddy croquet set, which is $49.95.  We've already gotten some enthusiastic comments on this--and hopefully it makes everything else look cheaper!

The Mother's Day table is also coming together.  The books land this week and next, for the most part.  I've still got nice New Yorker puzzle order outstanding; they have some new designs since last fall.