Stocking Stuffers and More

We're really ready for the holidays now that we've unpacked all of our travel-sized candles! Of course, we have quite a few full-size (up to 100 hours!) candles, home fragrances, and lotions available also. I think the travel-sizes make great stocking stuffers though - we have both tins and jars with very decorative packaging in a variety of scents. These little petite maison jars are my current favorites!

Holiday Open House

You're invited! The shops here in the Belair Courtyard are hosting an Open House tomorow (Friday) from 5 'til 8. Join us for refreshments, sales and discounts, prize drawings, and a fun evening of crossing gifts off your holiday shopping list. :-)

** Visit our Facebook page for more information!

Holiday Craft Fair

Cocoa Village's annual holiday craft fair is this weekend! Saturday and Sunday, 10 - 5, come check out your favorite merchants (like us!) as well as over 140 art and craft vendors. It should be busy and fun and a great way to accomplish a little (or even a lot) of holiday shopping. Shopping in the village ensures that your gifts will be unique and is a great way to support our local economy!

Small Business Saturday

Have you heard about Small Business Saturday? It's a nationwide movement intended to increase patronage of independently owned small businesses on the Saturday after Black Friday. Here at Village Home, we'll be offering special holiday sales and discounts. As an incentive to visit small businesses this Saturday, American Express is even giving statement credits for qualifying purchases! Just go to www.smallbusinesssaturday.com/enroll to sign up, and then spend $25 or more at an independently owned business tomorrow in order to receive your $25 credit. That's a free Christmas gift for someone on your list!

Christmas Gift Idea

Village Home has your holiday shopping list covered!

Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? Need thoughtful gifts for multiple kids? These personalized necklaces are always a hit!

~ 20 inch multicolor nylor cord with silver clasp.

~ Spell out your child'd name in quality 9mm ceramic alpha beads. Perfect for that hard-to-find name!

~ Adorn each end (or inter-space) with decorative glass beads - .925 sterling silver end caps (fits Pandora) - you pick the colors.

Prices are as follows:

$2 base price for each necklace. $0.50 for each ceramic letter bead. $0.75 for each Pandora-style decorative glass bead. Discounts available on orders of five or more necklaces! **Key chains or bracelets can be substituted for necklaces - just ask!

Nursery Bear

This bear is an old favorite at Village Home - a real best seller. She's from the Gund Fun line and is just mesmerizing to little ones of the right age! Nurserytime Bear holds a baby bear and tells five nursery rhymes when you press her paw. Like all Gund gifts, she is super soft and sure to be cherished.

Shopping Time

Do you realize that Christmas is only five weeks away? I am REALLY not prepared and need to get started on my holiday shopping! I like to have time to wander the stores, picking up little things here and there. I find this to be much more enjoyable when I'm not rushed and do not absolutely have to find everything in one afternoon. I think I'll visit my favorite shops this weekend to give myself enough time!

More Beads!

We have a great selection of beads right now - AND we just ordered more! Not only are these glass beads perfect for decorating the personalized necklaces and keychains that we offer, but we've been selling quite a few to shoppers "filling in" their existing beaded bracelets. At less than a dollar apiece, our beads are hard to resist!

Pucci Print

I just love the look of this new racerback! The Pucci-print dress is a blend of silk and rayon with a tiny bit of spandex and feels great. It has empire seaming and a longer, flowy shape that is both casual and a little dramatic. Best of all, it can be machine washed and dried. We just put out a few new styles of dresses, wraps, and scarves, so come by and check them out!

Philbin

Meet Philbin, our newest bear friend! He's a very floppy, chocolate-brown bear with the softest paws ever. I think he'll make a special someone very happy indeed!

Bloom

I think many people will wake up Christmas morning to a pretty new Envirosax in their stocking! We just restocked with our favorite styles and even picked a couple of new bags for the line-up. I've been waiting for this design to be available for months and it's just as lovely as expected!

Baltic Amber

I think this is the best-selling fragrance from Voluspa. Baltic Amber blends notes of amber, sandalwood, cedar, and vanilla into a deliciously soothing scent. Right now, we have the three-wick decorative candles, mini reed diffusers, and shea butter hand lotions. The lotion has saved my hands during these last few cooler days! They feel much better and smell great too!

Pomegranate Patchouli

Our Voluspa order arrived yesterday and it smells great! We have our old favorites, of course, but couldn't resist trying something new also. Here's the Pomegranate Patchouli candle from their new Maison Rouge collection. Slightly musky and a little sweet, it's a perfect fall fragrance - just in time for our cool weekend weather right now!

Swingin' Good News

Coming back this week: Swingsley the monkey! Dennis will be so excited - he loves these little guys, but they were unavailable the last few times we ordered. Come check them out Saturday evening during the Gallery Walk (6-10pm); they'll be hanging around with some adorable new bears and dolls, also from Gund.

New

We're gearing up for the Gallery Walk next weekend by finding new ways to display our larger lithographs (more on that soon) and doing lots of ordering. I should have more than a week's worth of "new" posts by next week! For now, how about some more new jewelry? New this week are new sizes of platinum / CZ hoops and these lovely teardrop-shaped studs (that just happen to have a matching pendant). We should really have something for everyone by the time the Gallery Walk starts up next Saturday evening!

New Necklace and Jewelry

Our pretty new jewelry just arrived! This necklace features a one carat bezel-cut solitaire and I'm so glad I ordered it. It's classic and beautiful AND it matches these earrings (total weight of one carat) and delicate tennis bracelet. We have quite a pretty display set up here! Each CZ stone is cut on 58 facets, giving a realistic diamond look at a small fraction of the price.

Lucy Shoulderbag - Kashmir

My favorite thing about this purse is actually the interior - the coordinating print is beautiful and I could really use its four pockets! This cute little bag is at just the right price ($32) and even has an optional matching eyeglass case ($10). Of course, it also matches the predominant colors of the shop. As nice as it looks sitting on our shelf, I don't expect this purse to be here long!

The Just-Right Wallet

Songbird Cotton Company makes these cute little change purses / wallets. I love the unique prints (these three are my faves, but we have quite a few more) and slim size. Sometimes you just don't want to carry a large wallet! Each has 6 interior card pockets for maximum organization in a minimal package. At just $8 apiece, you can pick out a few favorites yourself!

This Just In

I thought you might enjoy a blurry photo of our newest beads. :-) They are moving quickly and I think they'll be a hit at this weekend's craft fair!

Eclipse

Another pretty set of bags from Songbird Cotton Company! The yellow and grey fabric is one of my favorites. This Stella shoulderbag ($45) has a magnetic closure and six (6!) interior pockets to keep you organized. The foldover wristlet clutch ($20) also features a magnetic closure, two ID-card sized pockets, and a detachable carrying strap. A coordinating zippered wristlet and wallet are also available here at Village Home!

October

So far, I am just loving October. Here's why:

1. The weather has been fantastic - a little crisp, even. I get so excited when the humidity drops like this.

2. TropStock was a lot of fun. We met lots of nice people during the treasure hunt and some of them really got into the pirate riddles!

3. Dennis and I are looking forward to the Fall Craft Fair the 16th and 17th. We have plans to lure visitors off of the streets and into the shop.

4. Holiday shopping has started! We have definitely sold a few Christmas presents in the past couple of days.

Optic Bloom

This roomy bag from Songbird Cotton Company has pockets galore - both inside and outside! Best of all, it has a long sturdy shoulder strap. I especially love the unexpected pink in this fall-colored, 100% cotton printed fabric. The Lola Shoulderbag ($40) is pictured with a coordinating zipper wristlet ($13) which features a durable and detachable carrying strap!

Design Your Own Bracelet

Great news! Now that I have worked out our bead necklace issues, we can make bracelets too! You choose whichever beads you like and we'll string them on either a multicolored or aqua cord with a silvery lobster clasp. We have a nice selection of 9mm ceramic alpha beads and glass/silver decorative beads to choose from. In fact, I ordered more glass beads today, so we'll have more to choose from soon!

New - Songbird Cotton Company!

It was a dreary and gray day today until our new bags arrived this afternoon. As I inventoried and displayed the printed cotton purses and accessories, the sun finally started to shine! I'll be posting some more detailed shots in the next few days.

New and Improved

We've upgraded our personalized necklaces and bracelets! I was not very happy with the ones we originally ordered (and consequently made mostly personalized key chains instead), but I procured supplies and fixed our little issue. I think the new necklaces look much nicer and can't wait to sell the first new and improved personalized accessory.

Pretty Display

I just love this scarf! As pretty as it looks arranged with some of our Crislu collection, I think it's really much cuter draped around the neck. It's a lightweight silk with velvety detail and the texture of the detail makes the colors really special. The design appears as either a soft pastel or bold print, depending on how the light hits. This Ocean Flower Silk scarf is a wonderfully unique piece at $40!

New Decor?

Our newest "artwork:"

Trop Stock (http://www.tropstock.com/) is coming up soon! The first weekend of October should be a busy one here in the village. We're expecting tons of visitors for the music festival and have lots of additional activities planned - family games, a boat show, a pirate-themed "treasure hunt," and much more. Village Home will be participating in the treasure hunt and I've been holding Dennis back from going over-the-top pirate in here before next weekend. :-) So far, we've put out our Pirates of the Caribbean attraction poster (just for display - we're actually kind of attached to it), but we have more coming soon!

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd opens at the Cocoa Village Playhouse (almost next door to here) on Friday night! We're very excited about the start of another great season. Curtains open at 7:30 and additional information can be found at www.cocoavillageplayhouse.com. If you have time, try to stop by either before showtime or during intermission!

Decisions, Decisions...

I'm working on a possible Voluspa order and contemplating which of their delicious scents to try next. Right now, I'm wearing their Santiago Huckleberry mist - I love it and firmly recommend it (it's really improving my mood)! Anyway, I have our order to replenish our favorites ready to go and am now trying to decide which "new to us" scents would be best. Their new Maison Rouge collection includes a few that sound perfect for fall: Fig de Bordeaux, Pomegranate Patchouli, Warm Perique Tabac, and White Currant Quince. What do you think?

Ready for Fall

We're running a little ahead of our Florida weather, but it's good to be prepared, right? We have some great throws right now - perfect for curling up on a cool evening (or a warm evening with plenty of A/C)! My current favorites are this camel bamboo throw from Barefoot Dreams ($128) and this cotton paisley from Blue Threads ($65). The paisley throw has a wild faux fur lining that feels great - I love that both of these are ultra-soft and cozy! Either will make a thoughtful and luxurious gift - for yourself or a loved one!

Beautiful

It is just beautiful in the village today! It's definitely hot (though the air was nice and crisp early this morning), but a little less humid and just wonderful. We saw more guests dining outside at lunchtime and I think they have the right idea. In central Florida, you have to enjoy the non-sweltering days when you can!

Yay for Scarves!

We received some pretty new scarves today - a nice selection, from casual mesh tie-dye to more formal silk and velvet designs. These are sure to perk up any outfit at a great price ($25 - $40)!

Blue Threads Tunic

Blue Threads makes a great tunic, perfect for throwing on over a bathing suit or pair of leggings! Made of soft, light-weight cotton, they fall to mid-thigh (or longer, if you're short like me) and come in three different prints. This one is my current favorite! These cover-ups are currently available here at Village Home and sell for just $38.

Nomad Bag

Our newest from Envirosax:

This bag is from their Nomad line and I love it! It's a little less floral than what we've been getting in and I really like that it has both a colorful pattern and neutral tones. I can see this matching lots of outfits!

San Diego Style

Here's a cute weekender canvas tote - perfect for getting away for a long holiday weekend like this one! I love that it's both durable and affordable. Best of all, it looks great with this dramatic striped sun hat. This set is making me long for a vacation!

Pretty Floral

This is one of our new Blue Threads skirts. Not only is it a pretty pattern - I love the colors - but it also has great shape! It flows gently to the knee, has a great swingy hem, and is super comfy. Best of all, it's made in the US and can be thrown in the washer and dryer!

Introducing...

We received some great new pieces this weekend. Village Home has recently partnered with Blue Threads to bring their beach-friendly apparel to Cocoa Village! Besides cute cover-ups, dresses, and separates, Blue Threads makes a cozy throw (and baby blanket) perfect for Village Home. I'll post some pics of individual pieces soon!

Sale - Crislu Earrings and Necklaces

Right now, you can save 10% off of any piece of Crislu jewelry! We have some truly stunning pieces. Each CZ stone is cut on 58 facets and really catches the light. All stones are set in sterling silver with either an 18-carat gold vermeil or platinum finish. With Crislu jewelry you get a stylish and expensive look at a great price!

New Beads

Check out the pretty new beads that arrived in the mail yesterday!