friday

.....we will be opening at 9 am for you early birds!

we may even stay open til 7, dunno, we are wild and crazy like that.

gratitude

Gratitude

What did you notice?

The dew snail;
the low-flying sparrow;
the bat, on the wind, in the dark;
big-chested geese, in the V of sleekest performance;
the soft toad, patient in the hot sand;
the sweet-hungry ants;
the uproar of mice in the empty house;
the tin music of the cricket’s body;
the blouse of the goldenrod.

What did you hear?

The thrush greeting the morning;
the little bluebirds in their hot box;
the salty talk of the wren,
then the deep cup of the hour of silence.

What did you admire?

The oaks, letting down their dark and hairy fruit;
the carrot, rising in its elongated waist;
the onion, sheet after sheet, curved inward to the
pale green wand;
at the end of summer the brassy dust, the almost liquid
beauty of the flowers;
then the ferns, scrawned black by the frost.

What astonished you?

The swallows making their dip and turn over the water.

What would you like to see again?

My dog: her energy and exuberance, her willingness,
her language beyond all nimbleness of tongue, her
recklessness, her loyalty, her sweetness, her
sturdy legs, her curled black lip, her snap.

What was most tender?

Queen Anne’s lace, with its parsnip root;
the everlasting in its bonnets of wool;
the kinks and turns of the tupelo’s body;
the tall, blank banks of sand;
the clam, clamped down.

What was most wonderful?

The sea, and its wide shoulders;
the sea and its triangles;
the sea lying back on its long athlete’s spine.

What did you think was happening?

The green breast of the hummingbird;
the eye of the pond;
the wet face of the lily;
the bright, puckered knee of the broken oak;
the red tulip of the fox’s mouth;
the up-swing, the down-pour, the frayed sleeve
of the first snow—

so the gods shake us from our sleep.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(What Do We Know)

happy thanksgiving to all...

scout loves o'suz

so there's a gal in town, susie matheson, who of late has made hunting and pecking for gems in charlottesvile her pride and passion. be they restaurants, shops, realtors, artists,winemakers and the like, susie "scouts" out the reasons we love charlottesville and have chosen to make it our home. you can subscribe to and read her blog scoutcharlottesville , as it posts almost daily about something she loves in this wonderful place. today she posted about us, thanks susie!!

SCOUT PROMISE
On my honor, I will try:
To serve locals and local businesses,
To help people at all times, And to live by the Scout Law.

I will do my best to be:
honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Scout.

Harvest Time Cookbooks

this time of year, one of our favorite things to do is to share a warm feast of comfort food while the cold is brewing outside. whether you are preparing for a thanksgiving meal, or just a casual meal at home with friends, our collection of cookbooks can provide you with an endless number of downright delicious dishes to keep you full and cozy all season long. my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

come find inspiration for your future feasts!!

2009 hostess gift guide

#1 beehive heart measuring spoons cast in lead free pewter, $40 for the set

#2 sachets from charlottesville's own lotta helleberg of inleaf, $20

#3 hand soaps from la compagnie de provence, 25 g for $2 and 100g for $6

#4 tag squirrel salt and pepper shakers, $12

#5 roost wood slice cutting board, $44

#6 modern twist coasters in a variety of designs $26

#7 jonathan adler vases, $30

#8 caskata note card box sets for the correspondence loving hostess, $18

#9 kikkerland champagne stopper, $8

#10 charley harper serving bowl from tag, 4.5" high, 10.5" diameter, $46

24 hours from now....

i know where at least 80 of you will be- AT O"SUZ being festive and sharing in the holiday cheer we plan to spread around with glee. are you coming? 4-8 at o'suz (on 4th street northeast).
at the very least there will be bubbly spirits (with alcohol and without), serious 2 4 1 goodies, perfect for gift giving including lots of kids and baby goods 2 4 1!!! .....and don't forget the 15 % off storewide during those hours, just for you!!!!

'tis the season to be jolly and so...

....o'suz is having a holiday bash to kick off the season in style-with spirits and sweet deals.

date: november 19th (next thursday) 

time: 4-8 pm

details are as follows:

we will have spirits to share and it will be the big reveal of the 2 for 1 for this year.

as well, we will be offering 15% off regular merch storewide during those hours, (no exceptions here). the party is casual but private. it's not the party you bring everyone you know and their kids to. not because we don't want a big turn out, but because if rsvp's mean anything at all, we will have a full house. in other words, with this get together, we are hoping to thank our blog readers and our mailing listers,  so if you are reading this, that's you! 

come and see all the xmas goodies we are putting out as i write, including amazing ornaments, cards and stockings as well as the 2 for 1 which is seriously juicy people, just ask aaron: she has been tending to it for months now as we work our way towards the season of giving. we did it last year, much later and it was a huge success, but with much less hooplah. this time we want to make it a treat. so between the xmas cheer and goodies and the 2 for 1, there will be much to see and buy!!! get it while the gettin's good. 

please rsvp to: osuznews@gmail.com

books for tots that remind us of autumn....

one of the many joys of parenting is reading to your kid(s). though we are not reading long stories to red yet we are not far from a time when i hope redford will want a story every night at the very least. when he is ready, we will be too, as the book collection just gets better by the day at o'suz (and in red's bookcase). here are just a few titles we have at o'suz that seem like fun fall reading.

those darn squirrels!

the little yellow leaf

"i have a little problem", said the bear

HELP! a story of friendship

a seed is sleepy

peek a who?

scarecrow

autumn an alphabet acrostic

in november

stellaluna



little pea little hoot little oink

squirrels are lining up at o'suz

Carrie: "You can't make friends with a squirrel. squirrels are just rats with cuter outfits."

unlike carrie, from sex and the city, we are nuts for our squirrels at o'suz. it's hard to resist such a cute and furry little woodland creature. be sure to come in and check out all these critters before they scamper back to the forest with their winter stash of acorns.

mcnuttie the squirrel from bla bla holding his acorn ornament from roost

pyrrha squirrel necklace
(represents a lover of nature and the woods)

bla bla 6 month squirrel sweater and hat

mark poulin squirrel necklaces

sukie agenda, tomo tomo squirrel lunch box,
and the boygirlparty magnet squirrel playing a guitar!

enormous champion i heart you card, squirrel postcard by the claudettes, and modern twist keepsake box

jonathan adler porcelain squirrel ring box

fun little tag acorn magnets, as well as these fantastic acorn tokens

roost squirrel lamp

save the date!!!!!!!

so you might remember we had a big 2 for 1 thing going last year at o'suz during the month of december. well this year, we plan to expand on that idea and begin the madness in november. ideally, our plan is to invite you, our loyal readers, and those of you who have so kindly given us your email address, to a preview party on november 19th. we will have the 2 for 1 out for you to peruse and purchase first. we will also have out all xmas merch by then as well as some libations. we are thinking 4-8. mark you calendars and stay tuned....