Those Ubiquitous Striped Paper Straws

Those of you who read food blogs have probably noticed those striped paper straws that come in fancy colors are everywhere. I've been looking for healthy smoothie recipes recently, now that it's basically summer here in Charleston a smoothie is the perfect breakfast-on-the-go while I'm walking to the store, and it seemed every other recipe I found had a photo featuring these straws (though not a smoothie, this Black Tea Lemonade recipe by honey & jam had some of the prettiest photos I had seen...also a great recipe, I went through so many pitchers of this stuff last summer). After seeing them over & over, I fell in love with their fun, vintage look, and I knew I had to have them in the store.

Well, I finally tracked them down and they're going to be available in the store in 10 different colors! In fact, our first shipment just arrived, here they are packed into one of the antique display cases in our back storage room...

I promise this isn't how they will be displayed in the shop. I have a special rack for the straws, and eventually that case will be filled with jewelry & tiny sterling silver trophies.

Sadly, I'm so busy dealing with the store right now I don't have much time for blogging...I did manage to find the time though to open a pack of the blue straws and make a Cheerwine float to celebrate finally having air conditioning in the shop! I can always make time for soda & ice cream.

 

The last bit of painting and building is just being finished in the store space right now. Soon I will get the signs up, and start with the displays. Once I get to that point I'm going to open part time. I wasn't going to do this originally, but downtown is so packed with people this time of year it seems silly to wait until I'm ready for a grand opening party. So, during that month or so while the finishing touches are still being added to the displays and merchandise is still being set up, anyone who wants to shop around the set-up mess is going to get a special discount to use once we are officially open! 

As soon as we're ready for those first shoppers, in a couple weeks hopefully, I'll be announcing it on our blog, twitter & facebook...and in the meantime I'll be popping back in here occasionally to share photos of displays & merchandise we work! For now I'll leave with with a photo of this antique orchard ladder (which will be a display) that I just found last week on an antiquing trip last week, and old wooden crates (just a small portion of what the crates I've hauled in recently), which will both be for display & sale...

(I feel like I have to point out the fact that those ugly red & green walls weren't my choice and will be gone soon. The finished shop is going to be a medium gray with white trim, with a gray & white checkered floor.)