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Guest Post by Kim: Hidden Treasure

Posted on: Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Looking for something fun to do? Have your considered going to "Art After Dark"? On the first Friday of every month from 5-9pm, different studios and businesses open their doors to host an evening showcasing artwork.

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In our own SLOHO neighborhood there is a studio that is part of this event. IDREW art studio is tucked away behind the Marine Shop on Pacific street, in the SLOHO district. The artist in residence is Drew, and can be found inside, surrounded by diverse artistic offerings. There is a lot to see in his small studio. Here a sampling of his talent.

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Visit Drew this Friday during Art After Dark and tell him "RUBY ROSE" sent you.

SLOHO really does exist, just ask anyone at RUBY ROSE..............

A Million Miles Away in Paso Robles

Posted on: Friday, November 25, 2011

We have been wanting to visit Inn Paradiso in Paso Robles since its opening about 6 months ago. Mr. innkeeper and visionary, Steve Werndorf, has been stopping by Ruby Rose to visit and shop for this bed and breakfast and share stories on his way to and from L.A. Steve has wrapped up his career in L.A in the film biz. This is his second inn, the first being in Mexico.

We couldn't help but feel like we were a million miles away, although the inn is actually centrally located in Paso, minutes from downtown and minutes from wineries. Here, there is a shared love of wine and good food, a lot of which is grown on the premises. Just recently, an abundance of fruit trees were added for a spring harvest.

When we are out shopping, we will buy something and often say, "Steve will love this.". He has been a kindred spirit to our little store and we couldn't have been more excited to share the world he has worked so hard to create. Oh and did we mention his inn was the editors choice in the October issue of Sunset Magazine? Enjoy the photos!

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Driving up to the inn.

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Our greeters--Dawna Masterf (the lovely innkeeper/chef) and Steve.

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The grounds.

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These photos show the detail in the craftsmanship and the priceless settings.2011-11-16
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All the items that have been perfectly selected.

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A little peek into the the private quarters.

We didn't even show you the luxurious rooms! So we will go back and take more pictures in the spring when the surroundings are beautiful and there are endless blooms and greens. We can't wait! Thanks for having us, Steve!

Fundraising is Cool

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We came across these super fun sunglasses from the 60's. They havent been worn, they were packed up in a warehouse for many a moon. There are a handful of fun styles, it will be hard to choose just one! We are asking for a minimum donation of $5 each. Yep, 5 bucks, and 100% of the donations will go to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.

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(image via)

Team in Training and The Rose

Posted on: Tuesday, November 22, 2011

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While you are out yard sale-ing (or whatever you do!) early Saturday mornings, you may have noticed a group of people carrying water bottles, wearing purple singlets with the Team in Training logo. These people are ages 16 and up--some walking, some running, some a bit of both. They are all like us, in that they are all motivated by 'something'--to train for a half or full marathon to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Most have never attempted an event like this let alone a 5k. The team and its coaches, mentors, and an amazing campaign manager, will literally take you from couch to the finish line. All the participants commit to a half or full marathon and raise funds towards a cure--and these funds will help families while fighting these blood cancers.

Why are we talking about this??

For a few reasons, one is that we are going to have a team here at Ruby Rose. We are signing on to fundraise and do the miles! There are going to be fun events at the store that will enable you (our support team) to get something while giving. If one or more of the events interest you, then you can join in! If you are involved in another charity and give all you can to it, or simply, not interested, that is great too. Simply honk and cheer if you see one of us runnin' on by!

Another reason is that next year is the San Luis Obispo full and half marathon. We will be able to put in the miles and fundraising and will be able to run in our home town and be supported by all of our friends and family.

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(us before the Nike marathon, SF)

What we have learned since being involved in this charity these past years is that everyone wants the same thing. We all want a cure, we all want to help, but sometimes we simply dont know what will make a difference. We intend to make it easy for you.

Thankful (and our hours next week).

Posted on: Friday, November 18, 2011

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With Thanksgiving around the corner we can't help but feel thankful for all of you--whether you are blog readers, shoppers, supporters, Ruby Rose enthusiasts, etc. Thank you for being here for us, for supporting us through thick and thin, and for helping us thrive.

Good news...we will be open next week on Friday and Saturday from 11-4 (we'll be closed on Thanksgiving of course). Enjoy your turkey!

Remodel Episode #2 (Couch Intervention)

Posted on: Wednesday, November 16, 2011

As I mentioned in Remodel Episode #1, for years we had been planning and dreaming of adding an attic suite and remodeling our very tiny kitchen. My job had consisted mostly of the dreaming part.

As for the downstairs living room, I had one tear sheet (a Ralph Lauren ad.--no suprise there) which was my vision and would be my inspiration.

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While at an estate sale about a year ago, there was a lot of excitement over all the small and art and my eyes were having trouble landing. I reached for my mantra (focus focus) and as I was standing there looking around, I hear one of the sales gals say, "I'm suprised this couch hasnt sold yet" and gal # 2 says, "Probably because it's loaded with boxes and merchandise and no one has even seen it!". I watched them unload the debris and what unfolded before my eyes was a version of the couch in the picture from the RL tear sheet I saved. This particular couch was chocolate brown velvet as opposed to the amazing leather one--but I saw what I saw and loved it.

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I was lucky that John has a building for his buisness that I was been able to store my finds at during the process of building the attic. At times, it seemed like it would never happen, but the time finally came to arrange my rooms. The living room had some good pieces and I thought when John recovered from the craziness of attic add-on, I would ask him to build the bookcases or contract them out. We set up the brown couch, two leather chairs that I brought back from Colorado, and a rustic dresser with the T.V. on it. It was nowhere being done at this point but it was becoming clear that it was not looking like the picture...nor did I look like the gal on the couch. I knew I could get it there, it would just take more time and patience.

In the mean time, Ruby, John and I avoided this area because it just wasn't done. We were eating dinner one night and it was very enjoyable until Ruby said, "Mom, we need to talk." (I knew this couldn't be good). "We hate the couch." she said very cool, "It's so uncomfortable--the pillows slide and you have to sit up straight.". I look at john for a rope to help me, and he says "We hate it." (thanks for the help).

Our house is very, very small, so this room is really the main hub for our family and friends--for T.V. watching, Wii, and the fireplace...so you see, it really needs to work for everyone. Ruby and John continued, "We like the one you took upstairs.". Well, we know that bringing it back down wasn't going to happen--you may remember what we had to do to bring it up (see Episode #1). After dinner, I had to digest what they were saying. Hmmm, everything that they were saying was valid, I did have my comfy couch upstairs, and they were left with an unfinished, uncomfortable room. At this point, I realized my "Ralph room" wasnt meant to be for now. Who wants a room that only you can enjoy? I surrendered to re-group and go to plan B. I did get to keep the leather pair of chairs and the dresser, but everything else changed. I will show you the finished product in episode #3.

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Garage Sale Signs

Posted on: Monday, November 14, 2011

As you might imagine, the Ruby Rosers go to a lot of garage sales. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. We all have our different neighborhoods. We use Craigslist, smart phone apps, iPads or the back of envelopes for notes. But even with the latest technology, we still rely on signs along the way. Signs are also a great way to find sales that are not on your list.

We have become connoisseurs of signs and are here to offer some tips to would be garage salers.

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This sign is cute, and fairly easy to read. The lettering is large, it is on cardboard or some other stiff material (no flapping in the wind). The flower is eye catching and does not distract from the address. The only thing that could make it better would be an arrow. Thanks, we made it to your sale.

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This sign, on an old cardboard box, was at the corner of Broad and South Streets in San Luis Obispo. Broad is a 4 lane street with a high speed limit. Even stopped at the corner in the right lane, we could not read your sign. Invest in a big fat pen. Sorry, we could not find your sale!

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There were recently two signs at the corner of South and Higuera Streets in SLO. The top sign is bright and painted with black paint, but it is on paper and blowing in the breeze. The bottom sign is big but could have used the paint from the pink sign.

When you are making your signs, remember that we are looking at them while driving, early in the morning, before fully caffeinated. Use big pens (or thick markers) and write the address, time and date--and don't forget arrows. Don’t list items for sale, or other directions. Remember 35 miles per hour!

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Good friends of Ruby Rose, Jenny & Joe, recently had a garage sale. And they rocked the signs. This monster sign was at the turn in to their neighborhood.

And at every turn along the way, they posted matching signs with arrows.

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And lastly, please please please take down your signs once your sale is over. Otherwise we might be knocking on your door next Saturday at 7 am.

Guest Post by Kim: Holiday Baking with the Grandmas

Posted on: Sunday, November 13, 2011

One of my favorite childhood memories revolves around holiday cooking and baking with the grandmas. Each grandma had her specialty, grandma C's was fudge and cookies and Grandma M's was breads.

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Next year I will be a grandma and am looking forward to the day when I can bake with my grandchild. I uncovered a fun little cookbook for children we used when I was little. I remember the fudge sauce because we had it with ice-cream. Grandma C thought it was too runny so she added Karo to the recipe.

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We made the uncooked fudge, but I was just noticing that you need to melt the chocolate over boiling water...so how is that not cooked?! It was easy to make and I thought it was good at the time (especially since I made it), but it didn't compare to Grandma C's fudge, so we never made it again.

Hope you are able take some time to make memories with your family and friends during the upcoming holidays. Especially the little ones. --K.

The Weekly Six

Posted on: Friday, November 11, 2011

This week's six items were all found from our recent 17-hour road trip. The funny part is that we were only two hours away! Yes, we are proud of the fact that we can "shop til' we drop", or for the most part, "shop til' they kick us out"!

1. For this surf cowboy look, we bought a pair of these mid century end tables and this lamp with a great combo of colors on the ukelele. Love the whip stitch shade with it.
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2. Don't feel blue, flow blue! Just in time for Thanksgiving, we have a beautiful "hotel silver" platter + cover to house your turkey. It won't matter if it's overcooked 'cause it will look so pretty!
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3. Continuing our love of the mexican cowboy, we have more art and textiles.
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4. It was love at first sight! A hand-painted card table that adjusts to two heights, and metal legs to boot!
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5. An SJP pleated blush dress, topped with an ABS tuxedo jacket. This jacket is a savvy alternative for the holiday season!
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6. Jewels, a girls second best friend! We have been wanting to develop this category for some time, and we are off to a stunning start.
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