Why Smelly Is Like He Is

The fridge magnet (designed, of course, by Smelly Himself) says it all!  If you want to sell magnets like these (as a super impulse-purchase item) in your retail store, without the stupid watermarks of course, you can check out Smelly's new "Bits of Wisdom" magnet website.  We'll have them available individually for retail sale sooner or later, but for now if anyone's interested, just call or email Smelly or, better still, come visit him at the Smelly Gourmet in Metamora!

Living In Your Business

People have often asked me what it is like, living upstairs in our old historic home with the shop downstairs, in our lovely little village of Metamora, Indiana.

My wife and I would not have it any other way. Whereas we've had commutes to work in the past that were as long as an hour, now our commute is only sixteen steps. Convenient. When its snowing outside, or below freezing, I used to hate the time it took to thaw out and warm up the car in the dark to get to work.  Now, I just let it sit- if I have to go somewhere, I can usually wait until the sun is up.

Some couples like to get out of the house for work so they can have their "own" lives apart from each other.  Me, the only life I want is shared with my bride- we've spent nearly 24-7 together for most of the past eleven years and it just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter.  Living here, working together here, is the only life for me.

And we've got a full-service quality coffee bar just downstairs!  They let us sit there and drink our cappuccino in the morning in bathrobes and bare feet (well, before the store is opened to the public anyway.)

I probably isn't the life for everyone, but it certainly beats having a job for us. 

Of course, you don't make any money at this like you do with an actual job, but money is overrated anyway. My Navy retired pay covers the basics.  So we do this at the Smelly Gourmet for love- of the lifestyle, our little pre-civil-war village, interaction with our customers, and time with each other.

Retirement?

Was talking about retirement the other day with some friends. What IS retirement? Fishing? being bored?

Naw, I think I'll just stay here in tranquil Metamora making the best cappuccino this side of the Atlantic, converting dead computers into sculptural clocks, and talking with new friends (customers in our shop the Smelly Gourmet), growing old with my beautiful bride! THIS is retirement!

The Smelly Gourmet has moved - but not far! - just next door into our newly purchased historic home built in 1845- the Jonathan Banes house. Still working on rebuilding the coffee bar area, will be back open soon! Come visit us this spring.

Smelly Gourmet Coffee Bar Specialty Drinks

Stop in the Smelly Gourmet in Metamora, Indiana and ask for one of our Iced Coffees. You can choose from over 25 different flavors.

You haven't experienced excellent Iced Coffee until you tried one from the Smelly Gourmet. We go the extra mile to assure that you're getting the best coffee available. Don't believe us? We back it up with our money back guarantee!

At the Smelly Gourmet we make our Iced Coffee different than anywhere else. You have to come and try one to see what it is we do that is so different from all the other coffee bar. Our customers agree that this extra step makes all the difference in the world.

Stop in and try it. What do you have to loose? It's guaranteed.

http://www.smellygourmet.com

Getting Ready for Christmas

Busy busy busy! The shop is currently loaded with boxes full of stuff to get unpacked, priced and displayed for the Christmas Walk. Got clock "Geek Sculptures" to finish, more Smelly Jelly's to make, more cleaning to do, schedules to write, signs to paint........

Hanging Christmas decorations on the outside of the building ranks right down there with accounting for my favorite things to do with this business. But its a necessary thing, and now complete with beautiful weather today.

"Geek Sculptures" a Christmas Walk Hit

Steve has been making wonderful clocks from old computer parts for some time now, but his newest additions, such as the one pictured below, have really drawn a lot of attention - and purchases- this year. Clocks are made from whatever old dead computer parts are available and put inside Steve's hand-crafted wood boxes made in his shop from maple, red oak, walnut, cherry, whatever wood is available. His carpentry skills improve with every batch of clocks made.

He calls them "sculptures", not clocks. Over a hundred different clocks are available at the store in Metamora. Each one is different and unique. The addition of colored CD's for clock faces (instead of the previously used all-silver CD's) has made a big improvement in the variety and appeal of the display.

We are hoping to come up with a system that allows us to post photos of each individual clock and make them available for purchase on this blog, but for the time being, you'll have to visit the store in Metamora or the All Occasions Gift Shop website to purchase.

Tastiest Popcorn

We've found the best tasting popcorn we've ever tasted. At our store in Metamora, customers have been going crazy buying the stuff! Click here to find gourmet, hull-less delicious popcorn to make on your stove at home! Wonderful popcorn!