Download the list of participating stores below:

It’s Oscar time again, and that means it’s time once again for Red Barn Mercantile’s Red Carpet Sale!

From Feb. 22 through Feb. 24 — Oscar weekend — all of our in-stock and special order rugs will be on sale for 20 percent below their regular retail prices. This includes rugs from designers such as:

• Dash & Albert
• Surya
• Amy Butler
• Dwell Studio

Plus, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, you can enter to win Dash & Albert prizes during our special Dash & Albert Trunk Show.

We’ve invited a Dash representative to come by and introduce the rug manufacturer’s latest designs, colors and styles. This is your opportunity to view and order the coming Spring colors and patterns.

Since we’ve opened our doors five years ago, Dash & Albert has consistently been one of our most popular brands. We’ve sold thousands of these plush wool hooked and brightly colored cotton woven rugs to our customers, neighbors and friends. I even have several in my home.

Today, the packaging and paper is out on the curb and the kids are sleeping in, so, it’s a great time to do a little after-Christmas shopping. You know the malls are going to be a mess and the return lines will be long, so come down to Old Town and grab some terrific bargains.

While supplies last, all of our remaining Christmas decorations, ornaments and other merchandise are half off. We still have some ornaments left on the trees, a few pillows and other goodies. But come early because I don’t expect these items to last long.

This offer applies to Christmas merchandise only, but if you spend more than $100 through the end of the month, you will receive a $15 gift card that you can use in January.

Here are some of the ornaments we still have left:

• Anchor Ornament, was $17.50 now $8.75
• Horseshoe Glitter Ornament, was $7.50 now $3.75
• Skunk Ornament, was $17 now $8.50
• Wooden Bell, was $15 now $7.50
• Woodland Antler Ornament, was $9.00 now $4.50
• Whale Ornament, was $14.50 now $7.25

Mark your husband, boyfriend, significant other’s calendars for December 19th and then come in and make your wish lists. It is our mission to make sure your wish lists are granted this year!

I have been married for 20 years. Long ago I realized that, in order to get what I want for birthdays, anniversaries and especially Christmas, I have to spell it out for my husband. It’s not that he is particularly deficient in the gift giving department, it just makes our relationship run so much more smoothly. With my business, his full-time job and two kids, we have to make things easier. I’m sure you know what I mean. Can I get an Amen, Sister!

So, knowing that my husband is like most men, I wanted to make gift giving easy for them – and you – too. That is why we are keeping our doors open until 9:00 pm on December 19th. This is a night dedicated to the late night shoppers and last minute gift givers be they male or female. We will have drinks to get them started, free gifts with a $100 or more purchase and a staff on hand that knows you and what you want under the tree.

All you have to do is come in between now and December 19th to make your wish list. Have you been eyeing that sumptuous Brahms Mount throw or coveting John Derian’s decoupage? Do you have a hankerin’ for McClure’s Bloody Marys or have you been drooling over John Robshaw’s bedding? If you have, then put it on the list! Even if it’s not in the store, we can special order it for him to have for you. Our registry system is easy to use so come on in and get started. Be sure to leave any extra notes too, because we want to ensure you BOTH have a very Merry Christmas!

I’m really feeling the love this year and want to share it with you. This year, I want to help you fill your loved one’s stockings. So, when you spend $100 or more per in-store visit between December 1 and 31, you will get a $15 gift card to spend all January long. That’s right, we are giving you a free $15 gift card to put in someone’s stocking or to add to a gift or to reward yourself for another Holiday job well done. It’s completely up to you on how you share it!

I often find that after the holidays folks don’t treat themselves to something wonderful until the Spring. Well, we don’t think you should hibernate all Winter so that’s why we want you to treat yourself and your loved ones earlier this year. The free $15 gift card can be spent on anything in the store and on special orders starting on January 2 and going until January 31. It’s a nice way to start the year off right!

Happy Holidays!

We work in a competitve environment. The economy is coming back, but it’s still fragile and customers just aren’t as free with their money as they were a few years ago. For us retailers every sale counts. For us consumers, we want to make sure we get the best value, best service and best experience when we spend our hard earned dollars.

Yes, I put myself in both categories. I do run a business and I do shop for my family and friends. And, like you, I ha-a-a-a-te dealing with all the hype, traffic and crowds at the big shopping malls. So here are my tips, as a mom and a retailer on how to avoid the hassle:

1. Shop local whenever you can. I know this one sounds a little self serving, but it can really help you and your local community. When you shop at locally owned stores in Old Town Alexandria or elsewhere your money is paying for local jobs. And those salaries get spent elsewhere in the community creating a ripple effect. It also pays local and state sales taxes that pay for services you enjoy. And here’s a big plus, you don’t have to sit motionless in some multilevel parking garage wondering if you will ever find a spot.
2. Plan your shopping list to make your dollars stretch. This is the mom in me talking. My husband and I typically start the season with an amount that we allow ourselves to spend on the holidays. This is for everything: decorations, tree, gifts, etc. Then we make a list of everyone we’re shopping for and divide up the budget until everyone is covered. The important part is to include money for entertaining and decorations (especially replacing or updating), most people will make a gift list and forget about these other expenses. Also, when you’re making your gift list, don’t forget about those little items for colleagues, office parties, and a little reward for yourself (for all your good planning).



3. Shop early. As a shopper I love bargains and waiting for items to go on sale. As a retailer, I hate them because it means I’ve overbought and have to reduce my profit margin to move my inventory. That said, many retailers like me are ordering less. So if you see the perfect gift today, plan on buying it soon because it may not be around in a few weeks. Yes, we may be able to order more, but shipping times, minimum order amounts and other issues could prevent us from doing so. This is especially true for high quality merchandise like ours, which you won’t find in most chain stores or warehouse retailers, and one-of-a-kind vintage products. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Shopping early is the only way you’ll be sure you get the biggest selection. Note: We’re starting to unpack some of our holiday items and gifts now. If there is something you’ve seen or a special order you’d like to make for the holidays, tell us now and we’ll see if we can get it for you.
4. Take advantage of extended hours. A lot of stores, yours truly included, will be offering extended hours throughout the holiday season or special hours for special events like our Black Friday Sale. From now on, we’re opening an hour earlier and staying open an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays. You can see our hours at the bottom of this page. The Alexandria Black Friday Sale offers special incentives to early birds. On Nov. 23, Red Barn Mercantile and other local merchants will offer 30 percent discounts from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., 20 percent discounts from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 10 percent discounts the rest of the day. And the city is offering free parking at all meters and city garages starting at 6 a.m. and lasting all day! The free Old Town Trolly will begin running up and down King Street at at 6 a.m., too. So come early, get a good parking spot and snatch up those bargains!
5. If you want good service and good advice, shop small. Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to getting good customer service, especially during the frantic times around the holidays. Also, a lot of holiday help that the big stores hire are part-timers looking to earn a few extra dollars during the holidays. There’s nothing wrong with that, but they don’t have the experience and product knowledge a serious shopper needs. As a retailer, my advice is if you have questions, if you need answers, if you value service and being able to talk to the owner, then shop at a small local retailer. I do this with the toys I buy, the clothes I buy and whenever I need a valuable service. I want to know I’m going to see people I like, people that are knowledgeable and people I can trust will be there to help me tomorrow if something goes wrong.

Do you have any great shopping tips? Share them with your fellow Red Barn Mercantile shoppers below.

Please join us for the grand opening of our new location, 1117 King Street, Alexandria Va., October 13-14.

This is also our fifth anniversary. And we want to invite everyone from across the Northern Virginia, District of Columbia and Maryland region to celebrate with us.

For us, five years is a major milestone. The Small Business Administration says nearly half of small businesses fail in the first five years. But we’ve succeeded through one of the toughest economic periods in a generation because we offer high quality products, an ability to listen to you and design to your tastes – not a catalog. It’s all about providing hometown customer service and a comfortable atmosphere where everyone feels welcome.

To celebrate our success, we will be raffling off prizes all weekend. Prizes include rugs by Dash and Albert, scented candles by K. Hall, bedding by John Robshaw and Red Barn Mercantile gift certificates.

Several events are also planned including:

• Saturday morning activities for the kids
• Saturday night anniversary party
• A free Sunday morning workshop
• A Free Sunday brunch

Think Fun Trunk Show

As a mother of two, I know how hard it can be to shop with one eye on your little ones, so we wanted to give moms and dads a break, and an opportunity to let their children play and have fun while they look around or discuss their design needs with us.

Your children will be able to play and learn Saturday morning during our Think Fun trunk show. Alexandria’s own Think Fun, is an international toy and game maker. They will be on hand to play games and get children’s input on their product. There will be a 15 percent discount on all Think Fun games.

Anniversary Party

That evening, we’ll warm up the band, chill the wine, and bring out the sweet treats for the anniversary party. The store will remain open until 9 p.m. October 13, so come by and say hi. We really want to meet our new neighbors and see our old friends. Guests will enjoy a tasting of cocktails made with Morris Kitchen’s delicious syrups and have an opportunity to pick a discount for their purchase that night.

On Sunday, October 14, we’ll open early to host a free workshop on current color and paint trends by Alexandria color consultant, Jean Molesworth Kee. The workshop will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at noon.

A free brunch – featuring virgin (and maybe not so virgin) bloody Marys, Mimosas and a light brunch buffet — also will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Our Grand Opening weekend will be all about having fun, relaxing and taking some of that warmth and comfort into your home. Being a small, independent business means we get a chance to know you as individuals. We get to know what you want and what you need. You can’t get that at a chain store or discount warehouse. If you’ve never been to Red Barn Mercantile, I want to personally invite you to join us. If you’ve been a customer before, I want to welcome you back.

Over the past five years, we’ve met and served thousands of people from around the region and around the country, and we hope to keep doing so for many years to come.

UPDATE 9/18: Sorry everyone, but due to the threat of thunderstorms and high winds, we decided to cancel the trunk show. We will talk to the people at John Robshaw to see if we can reschedule.

Join me, the Red Barn Mercantile Staff and our special guest from John Robshaw for a special preview of the company’s fall line of bedding and pillows. See mini samples of all John Robshaw’s pillows and enter our special John Robshaw Raffle!

Plus, all in-stock and special order John Robshaw bedding, pillows and accessories will be on sale for 20% off!

This will also be the first event in our brand new location, so if you haven’t had a chance to see our new digs on King Street, then join us for this John Robshaw fall trunk show, have a sip of wine, perhaps a few sweets, and let us know what you think of our new space. Registration isn’t required, but it would help us with our planning.

Thanks, and see you soon!

What

John Robshaw Trunk Show

When

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, September 18

Where

Our New Location: 1117 King Street, Alexandria, 22314

So I came across this attic makeover by Candice Olson on Pinterest. It’s lovely, the color scheme is cohesive and serene, the lighting is effective and there is a popcorn machine. All of that is great. But what I love the most about this is the space planning. It’s genius. She has taken a random attic and made it into an office/dining room/home theater combo and it doesn’t feel cramped. It feels cozy. This is a family room that a boat load of people could use in a multitude of ways and not necessarily intrude upon the others. Beyond the colors, the lighting, the finishes, this is good design. What do you think?

(all photos from www.pointclickhome.com)