We have two kids and my favorite part of the day is when all four of us climb in my son’s bed to read bedtime stories.

It’s a nightly ritual. Each child picks a book and then I read it. And, only me, because my kids like it best when I read to them. (I have to say that I take great pleasure in this fact!)

Our library consists of the classics like Where the Wild Things Are (my personal favorite) and the soon-to-be classics like Knuffle Bunny. It is ever expanding. I take a lot of pride in my children’s love of books. My two-year-old daughter loves them so much that she even takes a book to bed with her!

At least I’m doing one thing right…

Because books are such a big part of our family, it was really important to include them in the store. Just in the last two weeks we have received oodles of great children’s books! Here are just a few of our titles…

• Where the Wild Things Are (of course!)
• Madeline, Madeline’s Rescue, Madeline in London
• The Giving Tree (my other favorite!)
• Cowboy Small
• This is New York, This is Paris, This is Rome, This is London
• Corduroy (Preston’s favorite!)
• Kitten’s First Full Moon
• Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
• Blueberries for Sal (Sara’s favorite!)
• Yummy Yucky (Will’s favorite!)
• and Goodnight Gorilla (Kate’s favorite!)

Children’s books are so personal. They teach so many important lessons and are filled with so many memories.

As we opened the boxes to find these treasures, we found ourselves sharing our fondest recollections. Preston spoke of reading Corduroy at her grandparents house each time she visited. Sara told tales of visits to Maine and reading Blueberries for Sal on her mother’s lap. And, I spoke of making memories with my kids every night.

If you have a special memory or a favorite book, we would LOVE to hear about it! This weekend is the big Scottish Walk in Old Town. If you are in town come by and share. If I can find the book I would be happy to add it to our shelves… and to my library at home!

Warm regards, Amy

Looking for a new couch but don’t want to feel guilty about clearcutting old-growth forests, polluting waterways with toxic chemicals or stuffing landfills with cushions that will take eons to biodegrade?

Then stop by and check out our line of Cisco Brothers furniture.

In 2006, this Los Angeles-based furniture company made a conscious decision to use only Forest Stewardship Council certified wood in its upholstered furniture. Earlier this year, the company announced that all of its styles would be available in its “Inside Green” method of sustainable construction. Inside Green uses non-toxic materials such as water-based glues, natural latex foam, and hemp. All of its materials come prewashed in phosphates-free detergents. And, premium natural wool batting makes the collection completely hypo-allergenic.

“By offering all three-hundred-plus Cisco Brothers styles in Inside Green construction, we make sustainability available on a scale you can’t get anywhere else,” says Francisco Pinedo, CEO and founder of Cisco Brothers. “Best of all, when you choose Cisco Brothers, you don’t have to compromise on beauty and quality.”

Come into Red Barn Mercantile and see our Cisco Brothers sofas and chairs. Special orders are available.

Treat yourself this holiday season, and don’t Scrooge the environment.

Stop by the store within the next two weeks to give your holidays a fresh old look and save money too.

We just decked the Red Barn with our new holiday decorations and trimmed the trees with some of our vintage-inspired ornaments. Take a peak at what we’ve got, or come on in to see the entire selection today.

If you shop before December 2, you can take advantage of our 20%-off coupon.

We were barely able to get stuff out of boxes this weekend. The store was packed on Saturday and we were busier than average on Sunday. I hope a trend is forming.

There was only one customer service glitch — my first experience behind the cash register. My apologies again to the very sympathetic woman who had to wait while Amy showed me the ropes. But don’t worry, I’m sure to get plenty of practice during the next few weeks.

Stay tuned for more adventures in retailing …

I just noticed that we’ve been added to WashingtonPost.com’s City Guide. And, we’re also listed in Yahoo Local.

We plan to add ourselves to more online search tools. Any suggestions?

As a new business, we welcome your reviews and hope you could take the time to share your experiences with other potential shoppers. Thanks.

Today is a red letter day for Red Barn. We just got our first mention in the mainstream media and I’m sure it won’t be our last.

The Washington Post got the scoop. You can look for our story on page 2 of the Home section or read it here. The story also included photos of the store and of Amy. Thanks to Meaghan Wolff and the editors of the Post for doing such a great job.

We’re working on placements in other publications. If you’re interested in writing about Red Barn Mercantile, please contact Amy or me.