New author for I love Abingdon blog

I tried posting this information a couple of weeks ago and the post never published.  The social media coordinator for the Town of Abingdon will become the new author of this blog.  I am sure she will allow me to send information for the blog, but keeping up with it is more than I can manage right now.  She will be able to add updates on a regular basis.  If you have followed us in the past, stay tuned!

Some of Abingdon's finest

I love this photo of Daniel Shew and his mother Norma, soon to be Rev. Norma Shew officially.  Daniel, with his mom's help, runs Hidden Memories Antiques and Art on West Main Street.  There are 30 separate dealers who occupy his space.  My favorite, although I'm probably not supposed to have favorites, is Ms. Bland with all her fabulous vintage jewelry.  She is responsible for much of the contents in this sweet little chest where I store my treasures.  I try real hard not to look at her showcase when I enter this shop.  Unfortunately, it's very near the front door and well, that's bad.  I sometimes have to sneak things into the house without my dear hub knowing.  Those tiny little bags are "sneakable."  Daniel is somewhat of a social butterfly and knows most everyone in town.  If you didn't see the promo video for Barter's Xanadu, then you missed one of his finest moments.  Daniel and his mother are good folks all the way around.  Oh, not only is his shop filled with antiques and vintage stuff, he has a framing studio in the back.  I heard that he is framing a Kyle Buckland for the upcoming Tisket A Tasket, A Literary Basket auction that benefits Washington County Library.

The above two photos are from Hidden Memories, the second one from the Shady Business booth owned by Nancy Harte.  I love this business name!  As you might guess, if you need a lampshade, you'll find it here.  Need a lamp repaired?  This is the place for that as well.  And Nancy is usally pretty close by or just a phone call away.

Abingdon has become an antiques destination.  That's because of the quality of the stores in its domain.  Anyone can throw together some vintage items and slap an antiques sign on the door.  I've seen a few of those places in my day and that's not what you will find on Abingdon Main.  A good example of high calibur treasures can be found at Foxglove Antiques, also on West Main.  Come to think of it, all of our antique stores are on West Main and within easy walking distance of each other.

The three photos just seen are from Foxglove Antiques.  As you can see, Karen McClanahan, proprietor, has a flair for merchandising and design.  I love the upclose view of the rocking horse.  It's been a while since I snapped his photo, so he may be long gone.  I was quite taken with him. 

Karen, on the right in this shot, has a developed a regular client base in this region.  I had a delightful time when I visited and yes, my bank account saw a small debit.  Abingdon's stores are dangerous places for me!  I believe that Karen should get an award for maximizing the small space her store occupies.  Last time I visited, I had an up close and personal encounter with the sweetest kitty named Annie.  Karen has been trying to find a home for this little one-year old stray that she's been looking after.  If you know anyone looking for a friendly, loveable, attention seeking feline, I know she would love to hear from you.

I met yesterday with two Main Street business owners, Cynthia Yontz of inourneighborhood.com and Lynda Wise of Blackwell Associates. These inspiring women work in partnership to help businesses in our region reach success. If you are a client, you can expect to get service & results that are over the top. inourneighborhood.com was created to provide our region with a resourceful “go to” website which offers advertising opportunities for SW Virginia & NE Tennessee locally-owned businesses. This site is a GREAT way to sell your unwanted items and post them for FREE (yard/garage sales, too). Another benefit this site offers to both users and local employers…is the “JOBS” section…companies can list their open positions for ONLY $13.95/month….WOW! Check out the site…there’s so much more it offers. Blackwell Associates is a full-scale marketing/ advertising agency that has been instrumental and successful
in providing small to mid-sized businesses with their marketing & advertising needs. Lynda is also the graphic designer behind the creative advertisements on inourneighborhood.com. I must add that these two women are just plain fun to hang around with!

So many photos, so many words, so little time...

Valentine's Day Events in Abingdon

 Valentine's Tea Tasting

Camella's Remember When will be hosting a Valentine's Tea Tasting event on Saturday, Feb.12 at 12:00-2:00.  Participants will explore the finest loose-leaf teas inspired by Love, Paris, and Chocolate!  Ooh La La!  A lovely Valentine's Afternoon Tea will be served during event and all participants will receive a complimentary gift bag.  Cost is $35.00 per person.  To register for this event contact Camella's Remember When (276-676-0089) at 165 E. Main Street,
Abingdon, VA.  Hours:  Wed-Sunday 11:00-5:00.  Reserve soon as seating is limited.

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J & M Sweet Spot

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             THE PEPPERMILL

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!

CHEF PAUL’S FEATURES

FEBRUARY 11th, 12th & 14th 2011

'BE MY VALENTINE' DINNER FOR 2

$90

Start your special dinner with one of these tasty appetizers:

Artichoke Dip with Herbed Pita Chips

Chicken Satay with Spicy Dipping Sauce

Cajun Fried Crawfish Tails with Creole Remoulade

Then enjoy a fresh House or Caesar salad, or a bowl of one of our delicious homemade soups:

Potato Chowder        Creamy Tomato Basil

Curried Mushroom with Orange Marmalade

Jack Daniels French Onion with Bleu Cheese Crumbles

The lady will then be presented with a 4 ounce house-cut filet mignon, and the gentleman with an 8 ounce house-cut New York strip steak, each paired with your choice of the following:

4 ounce Lobster Tail

Charleston-Style Crab Cake

Jumbo Lemon-Basil Shrimp

Finally, finish off your perfect meal with 2 of our perfect desserts!

Choose from:

Tres Leche Cake

Classic Vanilla Crème Brulee

Chocolate Espresso Pot de Crème

CHEF PAUL'S VALENTINE'S DAY FEATURES

WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI WITH NUTTY CREAM SAUCE

Tender ravioli stuffed with shitake, portabella and porcini mushrooms complimented with a pecan and walnut Parmesan cream sauce

$25

SURF-N-TURF

Choose our 4 ounce hand-cut filet mignon or 8 ounce New York strip steak, grilled to perfection and paired with your choice of a 4 ounce lobster tail, a Charleston-style crab cake, or jumbo lemon basil shrimp, served with rosemary roasted new potatoes and sautéed fresh vegetable du jour

$32

FEATURES SERVED WITH A FRESH HOUSE OR CAESAR SALAD OR A BOWL OF ONE OF OUR DELICIOUS HOMEMADE SOUPS AND OUR HONEY WHEAT LOAF WITH PECAN HONEY BUTTER

DESSERTS

Turtle Cheesecake      Crème Brulee

Chocolate Espresso Pot de Crème

'Fruits of the Forest' Pie

Tres Leche Cake

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The Blabbing Blogger is Behind, but better late than never

Hello Fans of Abingdon.  I am way behind on this new venture I've undertaken.  I'll blame it on a winter cold, an old computer and internet connection issues, but the truth is I've just got to do better.

The photos below are not new, but I just couldn't resist throwing them in.  Yep, it's Miss Piggy Wolf Pup, Daniel Shew, her artist, and yours truly, her sponsor.  I thought these might whett our appetites for what's coming this spring, hopefully late May.  It's wolf time again.  The new pup design is so cute, I can hardly stand it.  If you haven't seen his photo, look for Advance Abingdon's facebook page and there he will be.

Okay, so let's have a look at my most recent visits.  It's been long enough that some of the merchandise you'll see has sold to lucky buyers.  I hope so!

This young fella was helping his mom shop at A Likely Yarn, a most fine establishment.  I am not a knitter, but a visit here makes me want to be one.  So little time!                                                                          

More of A Likely Yarn's shoppers.  They were so nice to allow me to knit them into my rambling.

The oh so nice lady behind the counter is none other than Helen Morgan, one of Abingdon's many talented artists.  She is, by the way, the wife of Abingdon's Mayor.  Dare I call her Mrs. Mayor?     A Likely Yarn offers tons of classes.  If you want to learn to knit, crochet, or needle felt, this is the place.  I learned to needle felt with them and it's easy and very satisfying.  I even felted a three dimensional bird!                        

Oh, this was my feeble attempt at creative photography.  I did not note the date, but it was snowing that day

and I could not resist my freshly imprinted snow boot on the sidewalk.  Like I said, it was an attempt!  I'm sure that most Abingdonians are sick of the snow, but I love it.  I'll take snow all through winter, in small doses of course and preferably, with temps in the high 20s and 30s.  That's not exactly what we've been getting, but it's not as bad as some of those places farther north.

           

The two churches above are Sinking Springs Presbyterian and St. Thomas Episcopal.  Okay, these are not merchants, but they are so beautiful in the snow.   And this blog is about the wonders of Abingdon, right?

The photos above and below are from My Lady's Shop located on West Main Street.  Proprietor, Doris Shaffer carries Brighton, those tummy tucking jeans that so many of us need, and much more.  I love the Foxcroft shirts she carries.  They fit and feel so good and are wrinkle free.  I have two in really neat prints that are very eye-catching.  Doris has done a wonderful job of maximizing her small space.

  

The Muffin Man bakery is also located on West Main Street.  Dean's place is open for breakfast and lunch and late enough in the afternoon to get a snack (4 pm).  One of my favs in his place is the cinnamon rolls as seen below.

He was out of Devonshire cream the day I took this photo, but that's the normal topping for this yummy pastry.  For lunch, you can get sandwiches, soups, salads.  He is doing specialty cakes for any occasion.

 His wife Janet, one of those talented crafters whose hands are never still, sells her wares inside his place.  She makes clothes that fit American Girl Dolls.  Bet you didn't know that!  I bought some really neat hand-made holiday cards there during Christmas.

Well now, if I blab too long, y'all might get bored.  I'll sign off for now.  I have lots more photos thought to share and I'll do it very soon.  Here's to Abingdon, the best small town on earth! IMHO.

 

Wheeling and walking on Main Street

I wish I could say I strolled Main Street today, but I started out in the car and walked as much as I could amidst the thawing snow and ice. Or as Rob might say, I "hoofed" it. I can just hear him now. Anyway, in my new position with Advance Abingdon, my goal is to visit as many merchants as possible, introduce myself, find out the whats, whys and whos. My first stop was Greer Jewelers (253 West Main). Oh, I already know Susie and Carson, so this wasn't an introduction. I had some business do with Carson and he was hard at work as you can see. I've been drooling over a pair of diamond and tanzanite earrings in one of their cases. I have a very nice photo that I'd planned to post here, but I am afraid someone else will like them as well as I do. You know, someone who can show them the money a little quicker than I can.

Next, off to Anthony's Desserts. Well, I assumed that the fella behind the counter must be Anthony's son. There was no one else around, so I asked him right out loud. "Are you Anthony?" Affirmative. What an utterly delightful person--that perpetually youthful face is quite deceiving.

 He looks half his age. And I was uplifted by his love for his craft. He poured me a cup of his own coffee blend provided by Zazzyz...and I ate one of his specialties, cheesecake, for lunch. I had the cherry and it was to die for. He does individual round cheesecakes, not a big dessert that is sliced. Every bite included a chunk of delicious graham cracker crust.  I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about this young entrepreneur's dreams and believe he has what it takes to go the distance.  He's open late, but I forget the hours.  Oh and he's at 401 East Main.

My next stop was Magnolia located at 792 Baugh Lane.  For those of you who know what this means, it's not in the Main Street footprint.  I'm trying to include any "town" business in the scope of my work, so I ventured out of downtown a little.  I really wish Magnolia was downtown where they could get walk-in traffic.  This is a beautiful store with upscale contemporary furnishings, accessories and gifts.  They have a focus on lighting as you can see in this photo of a driftwood chandelier which just caught my eye.

Now this would not work in my house, but there are lots of homes where it would really shine.  Oh, I made a pun! 

Magnolia carries Hobo wallets and handbags, candles, books, lamps, sofas and chairs, and so much more as the above image shows.  As neat as the place is, so it is with the proprietor, Lori Noonkester.

Here she is with Cynthia Yontz of inourneighborhood.com.  You need to check out that website.  Anyway, Lori and her daughter, Jessica, have a wonderful thing going in the young Magnolia.  By the way, they are having a sale.

I headed back into town where I had a brief chat with Anna at The Male Ego (500 East Main).

I'm afraid I did not get inside photos.  Anna is as pleasant as can be with an enviable short hairdo.  Would you have thought that their busiest time of year would be around the holidays?  For some reason, I would not have guessed that.

I stopped in the Chamber office and interrupted Suzanne and Neta's lunch.  We had a lovely, educational visit.  These two ladies know what's going on.  And this is a popular place to hang out.  There were several other visitors and we had the chance to talk about my new home, the Fields Penn House.  That place is really a jewel with such a nice story, all true!  Have you ever seen Estelle Penn's name scratched in the window?  Turns out Ms. Penn was a teacher and she never married.  I talked with one of her student's at the Chamber office.  Come to think of it, that's a fact I might need to double check.  Maybe there was a mother who was the student.  Hmm.  Didn't take photos of Neta and Suzanne, but bet I could have if I'd asked.  Did a brief intro at Camella's Remember When tea shop, but they were busy with customers, so I did not get a shot there either.  Will work that in another time.

Stopped in The Gallery at Barr Photographics (152 East Main)  for a visit with Dean.  His current show is his own work of photography which I found quite impressive.  He helped me take this photo since my skills are somewhat limted and my photo looked like it was taken by a vertically challenged person!

Was able to take in the Yogi bear movie with some friends tonight at Abingdon Cinemall.  I grew up with Yogi Bear!  It was a cute movie!  You know, when I first moved to Abingdon, we did not have a movie theater.  I'm thankful I don't have to leave town to see one!  If you run into me soon and you hear "Hey hey, Boo Boo," just remember where I've been.

Advance Abingdon wreath contest winners and snow scenes

Hello friends of Abingdon,

This is my inaugural post on Advance Abingdon's "I love Abingdon" blog.  As I visit merchants and other folks in town, I see sites that are noteworthy and meant to be shared.  Blogging is so easy and not as limiting as facebook.  So, here I go.  Let's have some fun.

Susan

There were only six entries for AA's wreath contest, but they were wonderful.  I am posting photos of all the  entries with the three prize winners noted.

Designed by Lorie Ellis, "2$ Smile", First Place, located at Pop Ellis' Soda Shoppe

Designed by Cindy Large, "Let Heaven and Nature Sing", Second Place, Zephyr Antiques window

Designed by Penny Hite, "Naturally 'Cheery'", Third Place, Brandywine Antiques

Designed by Penny Hite, "Merry, Bright and White", C.M. Owens's office

Designed  by Doris Shaffer, "Christmas Dawn", My Ladies Shop

Designed by Kim Price, Holston Mountain Artisans



I could not resist adding photos from 12/26 including some neighborhood dogs enjoying the snow.