| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 4:50:30 PM
I just read 4 stores closed along with the rest to ALL be closed soon. Oh dear!! Now what am I going to do. I am not a 100% Shabby Chic-er but I do like the pinks, blues and whites and the clean, simple style.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| vintagediva1 |
Posted - Mar 28 2009 : 10:05:00 AM
I'm with Dutchy. Make your own Shabby. You can tea dye anything to give it some instant age and keep checking out the trift shops.
Michele
www.2vintagedivas.etsy.com
Love that good ole vintage junk |
| queenofdreamsz4u |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 7:59:21 PM
Oh gosh, I think someone may have mistook my statement about the economy line that Target carried....by all means..yes, it's a Rachel Ashwell line of her beautiful designs that she licensed Target to sell BUT they are a lower thread count than what comes out of her Shabby Chic shops or from her website sales. But of course they come at a fraction of the cost too. The line sold at Target is not produced in England as her upscale line is.
I had a set of her fabric samples back when I was making memory quilts. They retailed from $43-$55 per yard. English produced fabrics are divine! 
Rachel had the business sense to appeal to everyone's budget...unfortunately, she was sucked into the vacuum of expansion when she knew in her gut NOT to do it...funny how we ignore our intuition at times and sadly it can cost us dearly....but if a lesson is learned then we can spring back and be exactly who we are supposed to be and we will not feed into the "good opinions of others" (again) As Rachel said over at her blog, "She's just a Flea Market gal" and didn't understand all that needed to be...Now she does and I pray for her return and her spirit to be renewed and for her future prosperity.
I have great faith in the spirit of those that will still spend their money and not develop this "get it for free or next to it" mentality that seems to be running out of control.
I hold Walmart and other giants responsible for that mentality manifesting in this country....there again, this is just my opinion...I don't know about you but I really do miss having the "local" hardware store, etc....Walmart put the "indie businesses" out of commission..it's a very sad story..Now Lowe's IS the local hardware store at least in most the areas I've lived lately. I guess I miss the old days. *sigh* And no, I'm not that old..LOL...only 50 but that just shows how much has changed in my lifetime ...so far.
And please, please, please remember that these are just my opinions. They are not meant to reflect how the rest of you may feel.
Cheers to the Entrepreneurial Spirit and all the passion that it encompasses....may it live forever!!!
 Queen of Dreamsz ~ keeper of dream kingdom
www.queenofdreamsz.blogspot.com ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ My Creative Journey
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass…it's about learning to dance in the rain." |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 5:12:17 PM
Very well said Rene! I don't have a lot of money right now but what I do have I choose to spend very wisely. I may not be able to shop often at MaryJane's or other businesses but when I need something those places are where my dollars will go.
When we closed our store in 2004 we had lots of traffic for the going out of business sale - people that had never stepped foot into our store but came for the bargains. Our regular customers were heartbroken. They would come up to us and ask why we were closing and we told them that it was because of lack of business. People would drive into Vancouver or Portland to shop at Wal-Mart or some other chain store for cheaper places. The stores that they frequented could never offer them the unique things that we carried or come close to our personal customer service. It is so important to support something that you love and believe in even if it is a little more expensive.
Handmade Soap & Lotion Bars http://www.therusticcottagebath.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
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| catscharm74 |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 4:58:22 PM
Actually, the one's at Target fit our Cal. King bed..and they last longer than some better know or supposedly better quality brands. It's the only place in the house I was able to sneak in pink roses without Scott complaining too much!!! ; )
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| KJD |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 4:47:09 PM
Completely agree...and just to clarify - the Shabby Chic found at Target IS from Rachel Ashwell - and it's a beautiful quality product. |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 3:38:00 PM
I agree with you Rene. I do try to shop local or a brand I love and admire. It is tough. Everything is so intertwined.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| ruralfarmgirl |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 2:15:35 PM
These are hard times and few of us really understand what it takes to run these kinds of organizations. So when we find things like Shabby Chic (or MaryJanesFarm for that matter), it is so important that we put our $$$ where our hearts are. Often times we "see" something that we "love" and yet we don't "invest" in it the way we should. I overheard a gal the other day who said, "why would I buy that, I can get the "same thing" from Walmart for 1/2 the price... then she was talking about all the ills of Walmart..... LOL. It all comes down to where we decide to put our $$... I hate when these great companies go under...as a whole they give so much, I hope that we don't fail to give back.. especially now when it matters so much. I don't have any ill will for Walmart.. I think there are a lot of things that they do right... but if given the choice of buying organic flour from MaryJanesFarm or Walmart.. I will always choose MaryJanesFarm.. as I am more vested in the farm's success than I am Walmart's... Often times we think we can't make a difference... but we can.. If all of us committed to this one thing..............WOW. A personal example is... I love to read........I have in my husband's assessment spent a small (or medium) fortune in books and magazines in the past. When we were faced with tightening the old belt, I knew giving up books would be my down fall.... So I made the commitment to 1) buy used and 2) buy only ones that are recommended reading for the sisterhood. I got rid of all subscriptions but 1 (you guessed it) why.. because I knew all the topics that I love would be touched in that magazine. So when it came time to purchase my sisterhood membership.....No problem, I knew I had saved SO much, there was no spontaneous buying when I was bored.. because the merit program never allows me to be bored. I have made some of the greatest things and never buy materials.. I find them (like wood along the road with a free sign), or trade, used old clothing, etc.
Our $$$ always follows our heart.. I knew I was "growing" into the woman I wanted to be when I started making my money work for me and support the things that supported me.
It is sad when these companies go under... but more sad if we don't learn a lesson from them.
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/http://renenaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com/
Circumstances made us FRIENDS; MaryJane's has made us SISTERS :) |
| paradiseplantation |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 12:24:57 PM
Oh, rats! I absolutely love the shabby chic. All I have is from the Target line, too, but I won't trade my big old pink blanket for anything. It's so soft and so wonderful! I never knew she had a store, and it's probably a good thing, because I'm poor enough right now without making it worse. I would probably spend every last cent in that place!!!!
from the hearts of paradise... |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 10:27:58 PM
Her blog posts are just so sad! I remember how we felt when we had to close our one little store because business was not there. It was heart wrenching. I can't imagine how Rachel feels after 20 years and having to close all those stores.
Shabby Chic will always be around as long as we have flea market treasures, a coat of white paint, and pink roses!!
Handmade Soap & Lotion Bars http://www.therusticcottagebath.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
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| catscharm74 |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 6:45:59 PM
http://www.shabbychic.com/
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| harmonyfarm |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 6:32:56 PM
SHOW ME SHABBY CHIC! I'm dying to see! I decorate in Early American Dumpster....
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
| KJD |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 4:27:29 PM
Of course - Shabby Chic is an idea that she took and turned into a business. The only actual products of hers I have came from Target. You don't have to buy her stuff to have the look - I was just saying that she was a great entrepeneur to lasso the idea into a product she sold. Along the way, after reading her books and website, I came to appreciate the person as well as the product. |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 07:22:48 AM
Good news is, the shabby look is one that is easily replicated on your own! Using the right colors you can refinish, distress, recover, and repurpose to get the look you want!
The Biz www.tvalahandmade.com
The Blog: http://blog.tvalahandmade.com/
The Bits www.happydalehobby.blogspot.com/
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| kpaints |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 07:20:47 AM
Debbie you are so funny, that would have been my version of shabby chic when I was young!
Find your joy and live it. http://cheneybaglady.blogspot.com/http://www.kpaints.etsy.com FG #377 |
| harmonyfarm |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 06:55:09 AM
I must live with my head under a rock...what is shabby chic? Is it like the frumpy old couch you can't part with cuz you'll never find another, that is "sporting" Grandma's quilt so it won't look so bad kinda Shabby Chic?
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
| Linder |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 06:44:26 AM
Hey all, I don't know if it's the same but there is a shabby chic brand of linens at Target!
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom"
www.mylusciousjourney.blogspot.com |
| queenofdreamsz4u |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 11:23:57 PM
Such a lovely lady and a perfect example of the spirit of entrepreneurship that we as Americans have the freedom to pursue. It breaks my heart that she has to see her goods sold for pennies on the dollar...so sad. 
I also feel for her children..as she said....they have never known life without Shabby Chic...I loved reading how they told how proud they were of her...just touching in every way.
But she's reorganizing......she's got a spirit that has to create.
Her claim to fame so to speak was reclaiming the vintage, the junk, the forgotten art of simple designs that were rescued and reproduced as some of you know about..Her fabric line that she carried in her stores was the most divine. I've had the pleasure of holding some of it in my hands and petting it. :0) And I'm not talking about the economy line from Target...I'm a vintage fabric collector so I can really appreciate the heart she has for the those English rose designs. :0)
Her fabric designs and how they were used on her furniture pieces are timeless...meaning that they are not meant to change..it is "Shabby Chic" after all. It wouldn't be otherwise.
I read that she is writing a book right now..so that may show us a direction she is leaning towards.
Queen of Dreamsz ~ keeper of dream kingdom
www.queenofdreamsz.blogspot.com ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ My Creative Journey
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass…it's about learning to dance in the rain." |
| dutchy |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 10:56:39 PM
I love her style. I also don't have the money to buy her stuff but this saddens me very much as well. Her stores are not here as far as I know, but still a sad thing.
I always make my own shabby chic style with thrift store goodies and just my cleverness, lol
Hugs from Marian/Dutchy, a farmgirl from the Netherlands :)
My personal blog:
http://just-me-a-dutch-girl.blogspot.com/
Almost daily updates on me and mine :)
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| kissmekate |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 7:37:02 PM
Bummer, I love shabby chic!!! Not that I could afford it from her store directly.
Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it isn't packaged the way you expected. ~MaryJo Copeland |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 7:15:41 PM
That is so sad! I know lots and lots of people who love Shabby Chic - me included. I know they still carry the line at Target stores and you can probably get it on eBay. There are lots of fabrics out there that look like the Shabby Chic ones.
Handmade Soap & Lotion Bars http://www.therusticcottagebath.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
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| catscharm74 |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 6:46:16 PM
Yes, I feel bad for her. She hit big but never changed, ya know??? So sad. I hope she can regroup and come back.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| KJD |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 6:45:13 PM
More importantly, I am sad for Rachel Ashwell - a real person who has made this business on her own. I have all her books and love reading them. I have a shabby chic bathroom and back patio area and a few elements mixed in with my traditional/pottery barnish/farmgirl chic home - I'm going to her website to see what's going on - I hate to hear her business may be ending - |
| bohemiangel |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 5:28:30 PM
OMGosh I love Shabby Chic!!!!! :( Cry
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/
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| catscharm74 |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 5:26:39 PM
I try to make it Beachy chic..just so sad that another self made business is going under, yet the BIG BOX business is still going. There is stuff at Target but even that, I noticed was getting sparse. I am not too into the rose thing, but I like the bleached out look to go with my beachy house.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| Alee |
Posted - Mar 24 2009 : 5:21:11 PM
Well it won't help for the future, but maybe you could get some bargains when everything goes on sale?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
