A little about me ~

When I first moved to the Northwest, there was a little shop that carried the Wee Forest Folk. My little family and I left that store with our first mouse and from that moment on were totally captivated by them. One simply wasn't enough and I found myself and my family finding reasons to go back to that store and get another... and another....

In the early 1990's I had the extreme pleasure of meeting the Petersen's several different times. I was totally in awe of the creative talent and their unpretentious and kind nature. I found myself looking at "the mice" a little differently after meeting the three of them. I have so much more respect for them and for the many steps of bringing them to life.  I put those visits close to the top of my wonderful memory list. Having tea at Mrs. Petersen's home, however, is at the very top of those wonderful memories! To this day, each and every time Mrs. Petersen and I chat on the phone they are indeed treasured moments in time!

All the years my children were growing up, we never celebrated an occasion without that famous little square box involved somehow!  And the squeals of delight when we discovered what mouse had just arrived. Even to this day when that magical little box is found at the front door or in the mail box unexpectedly.. my heart jumps for joy! These Wee Forest Folk have captured so many of the good times along with some of the sad sad times and looking at them always make 'lifes moments' better!!!

My son and daughter are grown now  with children of their own. I have been blessed with two Grandsons, Tom and Ian ...and one little Granddaughter, Annabella.   One evening as we all were together, and of course looking at the mice, one of my children said, "Oh my gosh Mom! This is my whole life through the eyes of the mice!" My heart skipped a beat and I thought how very true this is! What a wonderful tradition we have...3 generations of collecting these wee mice... now that's a lot of love!!

My nine-year old grandson, Tommy, was over for a sleep-over and he was looking at the cabinets on the wall and said, "Gramma! Oh Gramma! You've got the mouse I want!!" Mouse Patrol (a policeman, which he wants to be when he grows up...at least for this month). What Tommy didn't know was he was actually looking at his very own collection of mice that I have been collecting for him since he was born!

So, as you can see, throughout the years the Wee Forest Folk have been an intricate part of my life and my family's.  And my passion for them has grown beyond measure, which brings me to the beginning of Sweet Hummingbird Lane.

Without telling family or friends, my dearest friend and companion Bobby helped me embark on transforming a caboose (yes... a real caboose dating back to 1905) into a rose colored haven. From the moment I unlocked the door, hung a hummingbird feeder outside the window, within a minute or two, I looked out to see a little hummer sitting on the perch sipping away on his new found home. Right then and there I just knew this was right!!!
After countless weeks of hard work of his "labor of love" my dream became reality. Thank you my dear heart!

Now, when you step through the door, you hear soft music playing, see little lights in the trees, the soft smell of roses everywhere, things that sparkle and shine, pretty things, pink things and lots of items I simply love. Friends seem to giggle when they come to visit me during the day because they say... Sweet Hummingbird Lane is simply your home away from home.  They are  so correct ~

So, from Wee Forest Folk, Susan Branch, Waterford Crystal to sweet Bunnies By The Bay, we offer some of the most treasured items. Deb Canham, Swarovski crystal prisms, Boyds Bears, Carruth sculptures, Susan Wheeler Cards and any and everything we can find dealing with hummingbirds and gardens are throughout our little sanctuary.

I love watching customers as they stroll through and hearing their oo's and ah's and telling me they don't want to leave.  I have met the nicest people, and I'm always waiting for the door to open.

So, whether you visit our store in person or come across our sanctuary online, welcome new friends! Come in, see what we offer, visit, laugh a little, and enjoy what our hearts have to offer from our home to yours.

Until then, Happy Mousing!

~Janine "Rose" ~ Owner of Sweet Hummingbird Lane

Oh! And to learn more about Country Village you can find a link to their web site at the bottom of our "Fun Stuff" page.