Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from YesterNook!

Please stay safe if you're going to a party or trick or treating.  We want to see you in the store for a long time to come!

YesterNook will be open regular hours on Halloween (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), so you can stop by and pick up a "treat" for yourself!

If you've used anything that you got at the store for a decoration or costume, please share the photos with us.  You can post them to Facebook or email them to yesternook@insightbb.com.  We love to see our customers' creativity in action!

Making the Most of It

If you haven't been to YesterNook recently, this post is for you.  If you don't go frequently, it's for you as well.  And, if you haven't been at all, this post is especially for you!  Even if you shop there all the time, you might find something to ponder in this post, so keep reading.  In other words, this one has something for everyone, kind of like the store itself!

Sometimes, walking into YesterNook can cause a kind of sensory overload.  There's so much stuff there!  So much to see!  So many rooms!  Which way should you go first?  What do you look at?  Can you possibly see it all?  Sure you can!  To help everyone out, we'd like to offer some hints for making the most of your trip to YesterNook.

First, give yourself plenty of time.  With two floors, plus part of the basement and the garage, not to mention over thirty vendors, there's a lot of ground to cover.  You want to be able to browse slowly and check things out.  It is possible to pop in for a few minutes, but nearly everyone who does says that they'll be back to spend more time.

Next, try to just wander freely and look at things as you come across them.  Don't rush.  Allow small things to catch your attention.  Check out the detailing on the furniture.  Feel the cushions.  Look at the small figurine with the gold trim.  You can practically lose yourself in one room, so allow yourself to savor the experience.

Come with a friend, if you can.  Special experiences should be shared.  Plus, it's easier to look for a special item when two pairs of eyes are searching.

If you find something that brings up a memory, share that with someone.  One of the happiest things to see in the store is a parent or grandparent sharing a story with a child about something they see or a family member who had a similar item.  "My Nana had one just like this."  It's educational and personal at the same time.

Think creatively about the things you see.  That suitcase doesn't have to stay a suitcase.  Maybe it's ready to become a pet bed!  Many customers have re-purposed items they have found and turned them into new treasures.  Even a fresh paint treatment on a dresser makes it something new and unique.  If you need some ideas, there are magazines and reference books in the lounge.

Speaking of the lounge, stop down there and take a load off if you need to.  Have a drink or snack and recharge before getting back to browsing and shopping.

If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to ask.  Patti and Sharron are more than willing to help in any way that they can.  Even if you don't have a question, stop at the counter and chat for a bit.  We love visiting with customers!

Speaking of visiting, if you do see a vendor there, take a minute to talk with them too.  Nothing makes a vendor's day like being told that that a shopper likes their booth and the items there.  Everyone loves feedback!

Finally, just have fun while you're there.  Enjoy the music and the atmosphere in the store.  Smile and laugh.  Treat yourself to something special.  Look for a unique gift for a friend.  Part of the YesterNook experience is about having fun.  We want everyone who steps in the door to feel welcome and enjoy themselves.

And a good time was had by all!

Note:  We're a day late, due to some unavoidable circumstances.  While we're sorry about that, we're also thankful that several readers inquired at the store about the blog yesterday.  We're glad it's become a part of your YesterNook experience!

If you missed Saturday's Autumn Affair event at the store, you missed quite a lot!  Take a look.

The placed was decked out in its Halloween finest, both inside....

Unless otherwise noted, all photos are by Keith Evans.

...and out.

There was a ton of wonderful food to enjoy, with fresh, hot cookies and popcorn available.

Resa has a booth upstairs in the store.

The first floor smelled totally delicious from all the baking going on.  The goodies were provided by the vendors, and much of it was homemade.  Not only do the YesterNook vendors work hard to provide you with interesting merchandise, they're also fabulous cooks!  (There may still be a few leftovers at the store.  Head on over and ask at the counter.)

Then there were the vendors who came in costume!  There were characters running all over the store.
We had hippies running the place.

Owner Patti Cape spread the message of peace all day. (Photo by S. Smiley)

As did Sharron Smiley, manager.

There were gangsters running around.

Eric and Shane are new vendors upstairs.

 (Photos by S. Smiley)

Rosie the Riveter dropped by to make a few repairs.

She's a handy gal, that Rosie (aka Kathy from Booth 240). Photo by S. Smiley.

This strange dude who called himself "The Mad Monk of Schnitzelburg" came wandering through.

You really don't want to know.

There were a few more that somehow managed not to get in any pictures.  It was quite the show!

It was a great day for shopping too.

So many vendors were having sales that it was like the whole store was on sale!  Since the prices at YesterNook are so reasonable to begin with, you know that means that there were some super bargains that day!  Many booths also had Halloween candy for trick or treating, which made exploring the store more fun that day.

All in all, it was a ton of fun!  It was also a lot of work, which could not have been done without the many vendors who volunteered their time that day, brought food, helped decorate and performed myriad other special tasks.  Everyone played a part to make it an extra special day.

It was a fun way to mark what has turned out to be a super year for the store.  Thanks to everyone, vendors and customers, who have made YesterNook's first year so great.  We appreciate all of you much more than we could ever say.

At one point during the day, a young girl was leading a couple of other kids around the store, showing them where all the bowls of candy were.  She's the daughter of one of the vendors, so she already had the lay of the land, as far as the goodies were concerned.  They stopped at the counter to get bags so they could gather some treats, and she said:  "There's only a little bit down here, but there's candy all over the place upstairs!"  It was a sweet little snapshot of the day, for sure.  It also kind of sums up what YesterNook is all about:  Helping people find the good stuff that they're looking for.

Here's to a whole lot more really good years!

Don't forget about tomorrow!

We do hope we'll see you all there!

What's in a Name?

William

Gustaf

Hattie

Mattie

Carl

Aunt Fronie

As you walk around YesterNook, you will most likely notice these names and several others.  In fact, starting this week, you'll find them prominently displayed on lovely trays that have been repurposed into nameplates.  You'll find one in every room of the store.  The names have been there since the store opened, the new signs will make them more noticeable.  They'll also fit in with the decor and theme of the store.  Look around and above the door in each room and you will see them.

So what do these names mean?  Why do the rooms have names?

There are actually several answers to that question.  One is actually quite practical.  When the store opened, we wanted to have a way that would identify each area that would make it easier to direct customers to the items they wanted.  Names were used because they're easier to remember than booth numbers.

Other reasons are more philosophical in nature.  The names used are the names of deceased family members of YesterNook owner Patti Cape and her husband Doug.  In a store that pays homage to items from other eras that still have use and worth, it only makes sense to also pay homage to persons from the past who have been a part of the lives of Patti and her family.  Another family tie comes from the trays used to make the signs, which were all lettered by Patti's daughter-in-law, Sarah.

Finally, when you consider that the building used to be a funeral home, the connection with relatives who have passed on kind of makes sense.  Many customers come in and tell us about relatives who had their funeral service in the building.  It kind of connects people with loved ones from the past, just as the room names do for Patti.

As you come up the steps from the front door, if you walk past the register into the room that is straight ahead of you, you'll come into a large room that is divided into three sections.  Carl is on the far left, Edith is on the right, and Jessie Edward is straight ahead.

Carl and Edith were the parents of Patti's father, Wayne.  According to Patti, Carl was a woodcrafter.  "He could make anything."  He also owned almost "every tool imaginable."  Edith lived to the age of 94.  Jessie Edward died when Patti was a baby.  He was married to Hattie, who was Patti's great-grandmother.  (More on her in a minute.)

If you turn around and come out of this room and turn into the little hallway with the showcases on your left, you'll see the entrance to the front rooms, which are named for Arch (the big room) and Virginia (the smaller one with the windows).  They were Doug's grandparents, who were very influential in both Doug and Patti's lives.  Patti recalls that she and Doug spent a lot of time with them.  They were both "very" German and "super people."  At one time, Arch owned a filling station in the Iroquois area.

Across from the register, you'll find Hattie and Mattie, large rooms named for Patti's great-grandmothers.  Patti says that Hattie was the first collector she ever knew.  "She had cases and cases of salt and pepper shakers."  She died when Patti was 12, but the shaker collection made an impression.

Also in this room is a shelf named for Aunt Fronie.  Interestingly, Patti had an Aunt Fronie on both sides of her family, but never knew either of them.  One day a customer came into the store, saw the "Aunt Fronie" sign and told Patti that he had  an Aunt Fronie on both sides of his family too!

If you go to the back door of the store, you'll see the room called Shirley Ann.  She was Doug's mom, who passed away not long ago, after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.  Nearby, just before the back staircase, you'll find a tiny room called "Clem's Closet."  Clem was the longtime companion to Dolly, Doug's grandmother.  (More on her in a minute.)

Going up the front stairs, if you turn to your immediate right at the top of the stairs, you'll come into a large room called Mary Margaret.  Go through the arch on the other side of the room and you'll be in William, a smaller space by the windows.  These were the parents of Patti's mother, Patricia.  Patti says they were her favorite grandparents, because she spent a lot of time at their house.  She says that Mary Margaret "liked everything and collected everything, but none of it was worth much."  She describes her grandmother as the "sweetest lady."  She passed away in 1996.  It's kind of fitting that Patti chose this name for the upstairs room that she uses as a booth for her items.  William was also a carpenter and worked at a brickyard.

Leaving these rooms and turning towards the hall, if you take the first door in the hall to your right, you will be in Dolly, named for Doug's grandmother, who is known in family lore for her bold personality.  Walk through this room and you will come into a large room called Mayme's Ballroom.

Mayme was Patti's mother's grandmother and she says that the entire family has nothing but praise for her.  "They all say she was a saint on earth."  She died very young, in her forties, from pneumonia.  Patti chose this big room, which holds several vendors, to name for her as a tribute to the affection the family has for her memory.

Coming back out in the hall, the second door on the right leads to Amelia. You can walk through that room into Maggie, and from there into Gustaf, and finally to Dora off that.  Gustaf was Virginia's dad.  They have pictures of him coming over from Germany to this country.  Amelia was his wife.  Dora was Doug's great- grandmother.  Maggie was Patti's mother's aunt.  She tried to join a convent at 16, but was turned down because she was hard of hearing.  Patti remembers her using an ear horn and "always carrying a rosary."  She was known in the family for being very spiritual.

If you come out of Gustaf, you will be at the end of the hall.  Across the hall is Claude.  You can pass through there into Alice, and from there into Edna, which leads right back to the hall, by the front stairs.  Claude was Patti's great-uncle.  She remembers him as a great story-teller.  Edna and Alice were Mary Margaret's sisters.  Neither of them ever had children.

Head downstairs from the front door, and you will be in Lizzie's Lounge.  This room is named for Patti's paternal great-great aunt.

Finally, outside the back door, behind the store is Godfrey's Garage, the rough room.  It is named for Dr Godfrey Russman, the original owner of the building, which was built in 1915.  It became a mortuary in 1935.  Eventually, he moved across the street into the house with the stone front, and his son took over the building.

We hope you have enjoyed learning a little bit more about the stories behind the names you see around you.  We think it contributes to the unique atmosphere of the building, something that customers have often commented on.  Patti notes that "people love the peace that they find here."  Indeed, some of them come just for the sense of calmness that you can feel throughout the building.  Maybe this blog will inspire you to come down and take a "walking tour" of the store!  You'd be more than welcome.

Just a Reminder

We'd really like to see you next weekend!

Vendor Spotlight: Jody and Bob (Booth 459)

Bob and Jody have been with YesterNook as long as any other vendor in the store, but they were not a part of the original vendor group in the store when it opened.  Contradiction in terms?  Not really.  They signed up for a booth on opening day!  I guess you could say they were pretty taken with the place.

It turns out that opening day, November 1, 2011, was also Bob's birthday, so they had both taken the day off work.  They stopped by YesterNook, because one of the vendors had encouraged them to come by.  Bob says that they thought, "Oh, they're opening this place.  let's check it out."  That was all it took.  They've been a part of the YesterNook family ever since.

Like a lot of vendors, they both started out as collectors.  Selling became an offshoot for them to try to pare down their collections.  They operate their booth as a team effort.  Jody does the detail work, such as displays and tags, while Bob aids in the hunt for merchandise.  "We aid and abet each other," as Bob puts it.  It's a partnership that's been going almost from the time they met.  Jody says that one of their first dates was at an auction!

Jody likes antique dolls and anything related to childhood, particularly from the turn of the last century.  She's also fond of Christmas items and admits that she gravitates toward "anything shiny that catches my eye."  Bob, on the other hand. likes Early American clocks and watches and furniture, especially Kentucky and regional.  You can find these interests reflected in their booth.

They've been around as resellers for over 30 years.  According to Jody they've been in four different venues and were even "the seventh dealer at Goss Avenue."  However, YesterNook is their hands-down favorite.  "I look forward to coming in here," Jody states.  "I've never felt that way about any other place we've had a booth."

Both of them cite the hard work that staff put into the store and the support they feel as vendors as some of the reasons they love being a part of YesterNook.  They also like the atmosphere in the store.  "It's just like visiting with your neighbor across the fence."

You can visit Bob and Jody's booth (459) by going up the front stairs to the second floor.  Take the first door to the right on the hallway (not the one to the right at the top of the stairs).  Walk through that room into the large room with several booths in it (Mayme's Ballroom).  They are the very last booth on the left as you walk to the far wall. 

It's Beginning to Look a (Little) Like Christmas...

Sometimes, it can get to be a little annoying to see stores sneaking out the Christmas stuff months early in order to hook some extra sales.  It's okay, however, when it's vintage Christmas stuff!

Seriously, for some of us here at YesterNook, some of the most awesome vintage items of all are Christmas decorations.  From Shiny Brite ornaments to flocked Santas to traditional Nativity sets, there's just something about vintage Christmas.

If you feel the same way we do, then you have to visit the Christmas cavern at YesterNook!  It's a whole room devoted to the wonder of Christmas.  We know it's a few weeks early, but when you see some of these treasures, we don't think you'll mind.  Everything in the Cavern is for sale!

 Of course, there's a Christmas village.

Maybe when you come down, Santa will tell you if you're on the naughty list or the nice list.

Or you can just lounge around with this pair.

Do we have flocked Santas?  More than you can shake a Red-Nosed Reindeer at!

This little guy seems to be working hard to get the place ready for you.

More YesterNook vendors will be getting into the act as we get closer to the holidays.  You'll see the store start to fill up with indented ornaments, Santa head mugs, and many other treasures.  If you remember last year, you know it will be a real wonderland.  In the meantime, though, you can check out the magic in the Christmas Cavern.  It will whet your appetite.

You can find the Christmas Cavern at the bottom of the stairs from the first floor.  Simply turn to the right, and the next room is full of the wonder of Christmas!

You'll know you're in the right spot when you see the pink tree.

Note:  All of the items in the photos were in stock when the pictures were taken, but may have sold since.  If you are interested in something in a picture, you might want to call the store to check on it.

October News

Wow!  The weather sure turned fall-ish in a hurry, didn't it?  Just remember that it doesn't matter how wet and cool it is outside, it's always warm and dry inside YesterNook!

There's a lot happening this month at the store, so please be sure to stop by and check them out!

First off, we have some new vendors!  All of them are upstairs, so you'll have three new reasons to make the climb.  Booth 524 is being operated by Beth and her family--brother, sister-in-law, sisters, and Mom and Dad.  The more the merrier, right? Be sure to check out this family affair in the back part of the room called Claude.

What's that?  You don't know where Claude is?  Just ask at the register!  You don't know why we would name a room "Claude"?  Keep checking the blog here!  We'll be explaining Claude, Godfrey, Lizzie and all the other room names in a couple weeks.

Other new vendors are Booth 720 in Mayme's Ballroom.  That's the big room with lots of booths in it.  Eric and Shane are running that booth.  It's the first one in the room, right when you come through the door.  Finally, Booth 264 and 921 are sharing a space in Edna, the first room on the left at the top of the stairs.  These booths are run by Teresa and Pauline and they're in the spot where the Hallmark cards used to be.

Three new sets of vendors mean lots of new stuff to browse through and check out.  Don't forget that all of our vendors update their spaces several times a month, so there's almost always something new to see.

October is bringing new stuff to the blog, as well.  Besides posting about the room names, we're going to begin our vendor spotlights next week.  We're hoping that you'll enjoy finding out more about the people who are bringing you such great stuff.

As always, our Facebook page updates practically every day.  You can also go to the Louisville Craigslist page and do a search for YesterNook to find details about some of the items vendors have for sale.  The store web presence will be expanding this month, as the YesterNook web page rolls out.  Keep checking here for details!

Finally, be sure to mark October 20 in your calendar.  That's the day of the YesterNook Autumn Event.  Yes, it's been a year already.  Can you believe it?  There will be special things happening on October 20 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. to celebrate and to thank you for being a part of this amazing trip.  Please plan to join us.  There's a flyer with more information at the store now.  Here's a copy for those who can't wait.  Look like it will be a fun time.

Thanks for being a part of the YesterNook experience.  We appreciate each one of you.