Greetings!
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April Showers Bring May Flowers... I thought it was supposed to be rain showers but it seems Mother Nature is still toying around with winter snow showers! I am hoping that she smiles on us soon!
April, to me anyways, is one of those months in the year that marks a fresh starting point. Trees and flowers are returning, we have all the animal babies being born, and farmers are getting ready for planting crops. We clean out closets to get ready for summer warmth, do spring cleaning to freshen our homes and let fresh air in after being "closed up" during the cold winter months. For some of us it means getting everything together to open up the cottage for the summer, in anticipation of BBQ, water activities and maybe just lounging on the dock with a good book and a glass of wine! (The latter is my personal favourite!) Birthdays are another time of the year when I think it's a good time for a fresh start. For me, April is a mashup of the 2! I turn 58 this year and I can't believe how fast time flies. At the store we are always looking ahead to the next season to make sure that we are offering our customers all the best we can find for the season - I think that makes it feel like time has sped up that much faster! My birthday also coincides with Good Friday so I am excited to have an official "Day Off" hahaha. I believe that age is just a number and it's about taking care of yourself physically & spiritually whatever that means to you. Thankfully (knock wood) I have no health issues and I have taken up Yoga (I recommend this to EVERYONE) to help me to deal with stress and to increase my flexibility & balance of both mind and body. So this year I am going to get back to doing all the things I used to love doing and try a bunch of new things that I think will be fun! I am going to do a mixed media class with our very own Marissa Sweet on April 14th & indoor skydiving (for the second time) on April 17th as a kick off to a year of adventure! I have a TON of cross stitch and embroidery projects to do, and I want to try a few new things like wood burning and scratchboard. Most of all I am happy and grateful to be 58. It's a privilege that many people in the world did not get and I am not about to waste a precious second.
In keeping with freshening up....We have switched up our window for spring and it's LOVELY! Our window for spring is featuring glassware from all over Canada. When the sun hits all the beautiful colours and shapes it's simply breathtaking. Whether it's painted glass, fused glass, blown glass or stained glass, we have it here!
Easter is happening this April and so is the Annual DT Kingston Golden Easter Egg Hunt. This has become an annual event and it's family friendly with prizes for both adults and children.
Our featured artist this month is Alice Melo. I'm in love! Her work is perfect for spring... fantastical whimsical and colourful. When I think spring I think garden faeries, blossoms, green grass sprouting and warms sunny days. Alice's work fits beautifully into this magical time of the year!
This is the time of year when Lisa and I are contacting artists and ordering pieces for the store. We were at a the OOAK show last week to see what is new and upcoming on the scene... It's so good to see so many people taking the initiative to follow their hearts & dreams to create new & interesting things for us that are Canadian & handmade.
As always, we are offering classes in Zentangle. If you have a group of friends that would like to spend a a few hours on a Sunday learning this meditative art-form then call us at the store to arrange a date with us! Keep a lookout on FB for news on our Zentangle club that we are creating!
From our heart to yours,
Penny & the wonderful staff at Cornerstone
