LoLLia....bath and body products

The packaging is delicate and decorative. Satin sashes, crystals, silk screened bottles -- what more could a girl ask for? Fill the tub to the rim with romantic bubbles with the "relax" bath foam. The gentle whisper of ruffled lavender and honey are blended into a luxurious formula to create a beautiful bath time retreat that is totally Lollia.

Gifts for all of your favorite ladies...

Jewelry for your tree...you won't want to pack it away after the holiday. These elegant ornaments are by John Toole. The perfect hostess gift for any holiday party.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!

Customers are welcomed into the shop this Christmas Season by a beautiful angel. She is surrounded by glittering branches filled with songbirds and backed with tea-stained sheet music.

PANDORA TRUNK SHOW

On October 29th and 30th The French Hen will host a Pandora Trunk Show. The trays will be brimming with beads including the new releases, hard to get murano glass and the 14kt. The special of the show will be a $35 credit towards the purchase of a base bracelet for every $100 spent on Pandora products.

Start planning your holiday shopping and take advantage of this wonderful offer. The $35 credit can earn you a FREE lobster claw clasp bracelet or allow you to purchase the classic Pandora snap bracelet at $15! Come in and shop where we have fun, enjoy refreshments and a fabulous selection of Pandora.

September: time for home decor

As the summer wraps up and the stiff new backpacks are filled with sharpened pencils and fresh notebooks our attention naturally goes to our indoor environments. It's time to lay down a beautiful carpet, paint the walls and hang new art. Company C has introduced some beautiful new rugs this fall and the colors are very happy.

Wow! new stuff at market

I don't mean to sound so shocked but I am thrilled to have found many NEW things to stock The French Hen with this fall, winter and spring. One of my favorite finds is absolutely brand new. It is a line of soaps, perfumes, lip balms and greeting cards. The packaging is perfection. The soaps, lavender and honey scented, are wrapped in stunning papers strewn with dragonflies and Elizabethan-era dancing ladies...highlighted with the tiniest bit of German glitter. They are so pretty that you will gasp... I can't wait.

My big focus at this market has been jewelry and you won't be disappointed. I delved deep into the layered chain look with multiple pendants and pearls. I like this look so much because you can mix and match the pieces, adding enhancers and initial pendants. The pearls make them "classically-Connecticut" as I discussed with a designer today.

More to come...

my long absence

Sorry for not posting in such a long time. I have been busy with the opening of a new art gallery. Left Bank Gallery Essex opened on May 15 with a bang. It's a 5000 square foot gallery that houses the works of over 60 artists. The space itself was a gallery before so the improvements were "minor" although they were costly and time consuming but the outcome is frankly, fantastic! I am back in the game now however and will be posting new and exciting info about the shop on a much more regular basis. I sit in the airport in Providence on my way to Market in Atlanta and hope to be able to post from Market to give a preview of my finds.

A visitor

Susan Wallace Barnes came by the shop today to say hello. What an amazing individual! It was my honor to meet her and hear about her adventures.

Some newer displays from "the hen"

This lush Easter and garden display is meant to remind everyone (including me)that Spring will come. March came in like a lion here in Connecticut, let's hope it goes out like lamb! Easter is so early this year...March 23 and we are almost sold out of our romantic velveteen bunnies. But we have lots of teeny,tiny nests complete with 2 perfect blue eggs and a delicate spray of woodland violets. The nests would make ideal party favors or place-markers for the dinner table. We have egg shaped boxes decorated with vintage easter images and paper trimmings that are perfect for gifting everything from jelly beans to a gorgeous piece of jewelry. Your imagination is the limit.

Coming soon: Spring!

Happy Valentine's Day

The sweet scent of lilacs

A bowl of lilacs in every room, before, during and after the brief season when my favorite blooms fill the breeze with the most wonderful of fragrances.

Sunday morning in SOHO

This window display caught my eye yesterday morning while strolling with a couple of friends in Soho. It is so romantic, perfect for Valentine's Day. If you look carefully you can see Paula and Susan in the reflection.

Think Spring

Atlanta Gift Show

Well, it's Day 4 for me here at the Atlanta Gift Show and I have found some really great new merchandise for "the hen". I picked out beautiful new linens for your tables, stunning dishware with a beachy theme, subtle beachy...no tacky flip flops here. Don't get me wrong, flip flops can be very cute but I think we have seen about enough, don't you? I have selected adorable PJs in a pink and green toile and plenty of very feminine bath and body products. Lollia has expanded their line again and has added new fragrances. Plus, they will soon be offering Relax in a cologne! I know, I know, finally they have listened to our many requests and should be offering it this summer. I, for one, adore the Relax fragrance and plan to use it as my signature scent. There will be lots of new delectable surprises for you, your valentines and your Easter Baskets.



One of the highlights of the show was a "curious dinner" party held at the Pleasant Peasant restaurant. The dinner was arranged by the owner of the Curious Sofa in Prairie Village, Kansas, Debbie Dusenberry. Twenty of her blog readers, who happen to be shop owners from all over the country, met for a lovely dinner and lively shop talk. What fun! Debbie and her home were most recently featured in (and on the cover of) the January issue of Country Living magazine. Check out Debbie's website and blog, she rocks. Her talents are more than numerous; photo stylist, makeup artist, successful business entrepreneur and fun. http://curioussofa.blogspot.com. I will post some photos when I get home.

Spring is coming

It sure doesn't feel like it now but Spring is coming and we are off to market to find treasures that will delight our customers.

Sale Sale Sale

All Holiday merchandise is on sale including mariposa. We still have some of the adorable little gift boxes of the mariposa holiday buffet plates, napkin holders and candy dishes. Snap them up now at half price for next year. Trimmings, ornaments, sparkling trees, Christmas cards and wrapping paper are all on sale. There is still a nice selection of the Cody Foster, Bethany Lowe and Nicole Sayers Christmas Collectibles.
All ZENTS products are on sale at 50% off!
Monogrammed notes are only $5 a box. WOW!
Deals are in absolutely every corner of The French Hen. The winter items must be cleared away inorder to bring in the "new" exciting spring merchandise.

It won't be long until the shop is transformed into a magical, mossy, enchanted garden. Urns, doormats, nests, a new selection of antiques, lamps and clocks are sure to entice.