Blog entry

Fall in LOVE with Charlie Bears!

Preview Image: 

Straight off the boat from England; a new family of Charlie Bears. These collectable bears (and other animals) are designed by Charlie at The Bearhouse in Cornwall... 

Each bear is lovingly made by hand in extremely limited quantities... 

While bears may look similar, no two are alike. They each have extremely different personalities; maybe because they receive personalized haircuts as a finishing touch.

There's a reason why Charlie Bears are known as 'bears with personalities!'

Up for adoption this Valentine's Day... 

Cheers! Capers Restaurant in Dahlonega is the BOMB.

Preview Image: 

If we had a dollar for every time we were asked where to eat on the square, in the words of Maren Moriss...we'd be rich. Our most consistent recommendation? Capers Greek Restaurant. While they do have the traditional favorites; Spanakopita, Moussaka, Gyros - they're not afraid to branch out and seasonally add more regional choices to their menu. This rotating choice of dishes adds to the fun ambience that keeps us coming back for more! Here's a few of our recent favorite dishes:

 

Eggplant Napolean

Athena Salad

Coconut Curry Mussels

The Dog Days of Summer Are Here

Preview Image: 

Before we know it, the leaves will be changing and visitors will be flocking to our historic town square in droves. BUT until the bustling days of fall, we're making our way through the very last dog days of summer 2018. You know who's helping us beat the heat? This 4-legged fur baby. 

Your Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Preview Image: 

It's February!  You know what that means...you've just recovered from Christmas gift buying - now it's on to Valentine's Day gift buying.  Don't fret, Dahlonega's most eclectic gift shop and Kranberry Kathy will hook you up!  We've got everything you need to make your loved one feel...loved on February 14th.  First, the most important thing - we've got Valentine's Day greeting cards! Want to make a big impression?  Let Kranberry Kathy assemble a custom gift basket for you...

 

Of course we've got candy and fudge...

 

 

Jewelry?  We've got you covered...

 

 

Give the gift of our hottest selling category...hats!  

 

 

One-size-fits-all Soulmate Socks...you can't go wrong with gifting these.

 

 

Need help assembling the perfect gift for your loved one?  Stop by or call Cranberry Corners today.  Kranberry Kathy will be happy to help you!

Help Us Place Our First Order Of Peony and Moss Socks!

Let's talk about socks, baby.  As in - we just discovered the most adorable new line of socks and we need your help deciding which styles to order!  Each pair is made with a super soft and stretchy cotton, nylon and spandex blend - the perfect weight for any season.  Leave a comment and let us know which pair is your favorite!

New Arrivals For Fall 2015!

Oh my goodness.  Your eyes are gonna love this post, your wallet is not!  We've got so many new, cute arrivals arriving daily.  Shawls, scarves, boot cuffs, knee socks, leg warmers and amazingly awesome cloche hats.  Oh yeah - and new leather + gemstone bracelets.  Be careful, don't drool on your computer keyboard!  We will not be adding these to our online store, if you see something you like, you can give us a call and we'll ship it to you.  Better yet, plan a visit to Dahlonega and come see us in person!

 

And these bracelets hold money!  How cool!

(Summer) Lovin' these Mona B. Bags!

Where are your travels taking you this summer?  Kranberry Kathy plans on taking at least one day a week off to visit nearby North Georgia spots...AND she just booked a trip to Vegas for this merchandise mart.  How exciting!  What bag will she be taking on her escapades?  A Mona B. tote, of course!

We heart this line because each purse features interesting fabrics on the interior and plenty of pockets for storage.  The variety of sizes are a plus too -   it's easy to find one that fits your needs!  There are even cute little wallets that could double as a casual clutch...

2015 Bear on the Square Festival Recap!

First off, everyone always asks the story of how Dahlonega's Bear on the Square Festival first started.  This year was the festival's 19th year.  Since this is Cranberry Corners' 20th year in the gift shop business, Kranberry Kathy was there to witness the invasion of the bears and the origin of this fantastic bluegrass festival...

You see, they were building the Wal-Mart, and the clearing of the land left 2 bears homeless, and...

...either smelling the food cooking on the square or needing to purchase a few gifts - both cubs ran toward the square!  Once arriving, they climbed a tree to scope out where to start shopping.  This alarmed the people of the town, so professionals were called in to tranquilize the pair.  People stood at the base of the tree with huge tarps, and as each fell asleep, they were caught by the folks below.  Tagged, then released - both bears were last tracked in North Carolina.  So what do 2 bears on the square have to do with starting a bluegrass festival?  Nothing!  It's just that the people of Dahlonega love music and a good excuse to throw a party.  Hence, the birth of the annual Bear on the Square festival!

Each festival starts with the Friday night charity auction.  Check out Kranberry Kathy and daughter Shelley doing their best Vanna White impersonation while displaying a Billy Roper painting...

Proceeds from the auction (and festival) benefit the Dahlonega Pick 'n Bow program, and the $5 dinner catered by Shenanigans before the auction is always a delicious place to catch up with friends. 

Saturday's forecast called for sun and Sunday's called for rain...so the crowds were out in force for the first day of the festival.  That's why this guy, Farmer Jim from The Buzzard Mountain Boys, kept takin' a load off at Cranberry Corners...

Here's a buckdancer from the John C. Campbell Fok School struttin' her stuff on Saturday...

...and an impromptu jam on the square!

 

Kranberry Kathy...doing her best impression of a face jug.  Close, but no cigar!

Catching up with Cranberry Corners jewelry and accessory designer, Lee Johnson.  She had a booth on the square...

Day 2 of the festival called for rain, but that did not hamper the spirit or attendance at Sunday morning's gospel hour!  Glenda Pender emceed, and a house band accompanied professional and amateur performers who each did 1 song.  This year Kranberry's daughter, accompanied by Jason Kenney, surprised her mom with an impromptu attempt at Miss Loretta Lynn's 'God Makes No Mistakes'...

The rain really started to pour after the Gospel hour, and unfortunately most of the artist market and food court was forced to pack up and go home.  However, the square's pickers and grinners retreated indoors - and the big tent continued to jam right on throgh the festival finale...a set by local favorite Jason Kenney...

Despite the rain, the festival was deemed a success.  Cheers to the next year's Bear on the Square Festival, which will be April 16th and 17th, 2016.  The event's 20th ANNIVERSARY!  See you there!

 

WIN One of Our New Cloche Hats!

We're so excited about these new 1920's style cloche hats arriving in-store next week...that we're giving one away!  How do you win?

1. Read this blog post (check!)

2. Decide which of the 3 new styles and which color is your favorite.

3. Click here to view a post featuring the hats on facebook - leave a comment on the photo of your favorite hat style ; tell us which color you'd love to win.

That's it!  The winner doesn't have to be a Dahlonega resident - we'll ship anywhere within the US.  Winner will be announced on the day we receive the hats so enter asap!  We know they're coming sometime before April 15th, but they could arrive sooner... 

When we spotted these cloches in Las Vegas at a merchandise mart, we had to have them.  If you're fans of Downton Abbey then you'll understand why...

We're in love with the clothing they wear on the show!  Our new hats remind us of something they'd sport to a...tea?  A garden party?  Accompanying the boys on a dove hunt?

Good Luck!

 

Wildflower Festival of the Arts Dahlonega | May 17th + 18th 2014

It's Wildflower Festival of the Arts time in Dahlonega!  This annual festival features an artist market, a selection of locally grown plants, flowers and vegetables, and we're sure plenty of musicians picking and grinning on park benches and under tents around the square.  Stop by Cranberry Corners if you're in town for the festivities.  We'll be featuring lots of specials for the weekend and would love to see your face in our humble gift shop!