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The Purple Cow Mall is Proud of Its Press Releases |
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1st Annual Business Star Award Winners! This year marks the beginning of a wonderful new tradition for the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce. As part of the 6th annual "Party with the Stars" event, the Chamber implemented a new program to recognize area businesses for their achievements within the community. The program kicked off in January with the nomination process, whereby members of the community (members and non-members alike) nominated local businesses for their contributions to the community as a whole. Then, in early February all members of the Chamber were sent out official ballots and asked to vote for the organizations they felt exemplified the characteristics of each category. The race was tough! There were many wonderful businesses included in each category. Each and every business should be proud to have been nominated by their peers and while not everyone could win this year, they are certainly doing a wonderful job to be nominated for these awards. Keep up the good work and strive for the award in 2006! The nominees and winners in each category were recognized at the "Party with the Stars" event held at Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino on Sunday night! Congratulations to all! STAR SHOWCASE - local area business with the most creative or unique storefront display or "street appeal." Purple Cow Mall: |
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In The Sierra Star Holiday Gift Guide, 2005 : |
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Open Daily, 10 am to 5:30 pm |
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WOW . . . For 15 years now The Purple Cow has been promoting the fine artistic creations of 40 local artisans and their seemly endless supply of ideas and heart warming gifts and decorating accents. Several Thousand items are on display for purchase at any one time. You are sure to fine the perfect one-of-a-kind gift or decorating item you are looking for to create that magical holiday we all look forward too, and remember with delight the rest of our lives. "Moosy" on in any day of the week, and get lost in a magical award winning store . . . The Purple Cow, 39935 Hwy 41, Oakhurst. (559)683-2112 |
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The Purple Cow is proud of their talented Artists, and always welcome new and creative talent to their family of artisans. Ryan, local artist from Oakhurst recently joined our family with his chain saw sculptures. The Purple Cow has a large selection of Ryan's 'cartoon' bears, a real life bear, wall hung eagles, and tree sculptures. His art is great for the mountain area, and some pieces have already been sent to Florida, Austria, and Italy. The Purple Cow is open every day 10-5:30 and located at 41, Oakhurst. |
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A Juried Shop Filled With Pride ! |
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By Rochelle Frank OAKHURST -- "Cowboy Charlie" Davis finishes his vacuuming just a few minutes before customers start coming into the shop. As visitors begin to browse, he rolls the cleaning machine over to the patriotic display, where he quickly covers it with a whimsical stuffed fabric bunny rabbit wearing a very long dress patterned with stars and stripes. "It's very convenient," he says, hiding the upright vacuum beneath the bunny's long billowing skirt, "right out here ready to use again tomorrow. I used to haul the vacuum in and out of a crowded closet back by my office." |
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AMERICA |
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Land Of The Free Home OF The Brave |
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Inside the unique boutique, Davis not only vacuums and dusts, but also rides herd over an incredibly large assortment of country-style decorative items in Oakhurst's Purple Cow Mall. The craft-filled shop is a fanciful yet carefully planned jumble of unique handcrafted gifts and decorative items, with a floor-to-ceiling collection of home and garden accessories. Hoof prints on the floor lead visitors through the rooms and passages of a building that has obviously been added to at various times throughout the years. There is now 2,200 square feet of generously filled display space. Carefully wrapping customer selections in tissue and placing them in purple bags, the amiable proprietor greets guests with a friendly smile and prefers that people refer to him as "the head herdsman." The Purple Cow Mall was born from the imagination of Davis and his son Chip as a visionary and romantic alternative to their original plan. Their dream evolved from a disappointment when Davis, the self-described country boy, found that his hopes of establishing a dairy farm created a lifestyle conflict. Though he has a degree in dairy science and actually worked as a herdsman, he had put that aside to help his father in the construction and hardware business. After 18 years he decided he really was a cowboy at heart. Since Chip wanted to be a dairy veterinarian, it seemed a logical choice for their thinking to take a bovine bent. At about the same time, Chip found out he was allergic to cows. A dairy farm was out of the question. Their alternative was to create The Purple Cow. The colorful critter they lovingly call "an anorexic cow" serves as the logo and focal point of the boutique, which features appealing country and Victorian-style items to give a distinctive touch to home decor. Seasonal accents are a specialty of the shop, which has won numerous awards from the Eastern Madera Chamber of Commerce and the Mountain Community Women's Club for decorations and seasonal displays since its establishment in 1991. All items sold in the store come directly from handcrafting artists who contract for space in the shop and establish long-term working arrangements with the shop to produce original work. "It looked a lot different when I started," Davis says, explaining that the store was originally laid out with individual booths for each crafter renting space. Some of the displays looked great, but others were not given the attention they deserved. One of his original fabric artists, Donna Whitehorn, who also has interior design experience, suggested that Davis give the place an overall decor, mixing and matching items from different crafters in various themed areas and using unique decorative touches. The artist continues to produce a large variety of items for the shop, including scarecrows, tablecloths, garden stakes and miscellaneous gifts. The entrepreneur caught on to Whitehorn's concepts, making the transition from practical, well-organized hardware merchant to purveyor of country charm. Davis now does most of the arrangement himself, coordinating merchandise in settings that include a shingle-covered "country mercantile" built inside the store. Stained glass art, hand-thrown and cast ceramics, wood and metal creations are interspersed with imaginative birdhouses, traditional wooden toys and garden sculpture throughout various areas of the building. Many items are one of a kind. One corner features a classroom theme, with items featuring apples and books. There's a bed and bath area, complete with claw foot tub, and an old bedstead. Vintage appliances used by past generations of the Davis family, such as a green enameled range, a compact icebox and an old Maytag washer, become part of the display as well. There's not a plastic, mass-produced item in sight. The original structure, built in 1939, was originally a country store, which included the post office and a two-pump gas station. Davis thinks it was also a restaurant at one time. Though the Purple Cow was conceived only about a dozen years ago, Davis has actually worked in the building for the past 30 years, originally running a hardware business there with his dad. "I've been behind this counter for a long time now," he says. "It feels like home." Betty Harding comes up from her home in Fresno once a week to give Davis a break. She and her husband, Tom, have been contributing to the shop for about five years with their carefully crafted wooden shelves, cabinets and toy boxes. "Tom does the woodworking part, and I do the finishing, pricing and all the rest. You know," she says with a smile, "all the hard part." "It's great to be able to make our stuff, bring it in here, then go off and leave it," she says, explaining that making crafts and selling them are two different jobs. "Charlie is such a dear. He treats everyone well and really keeps things fresh around here, building new displays and making sure every crafter gets the best exposure possible. He is very concerned that his crafters make it in the business." Bunches of dried herbs hang from the quilters' frame suspended in the main showroom. Dry sunflower heads, strings of red peppers and plaited clusters of onions dangle there too. Though Davis puts in six to seven days a week in the shop, he says he likes to spend a couple of hours each morning and evening in what he calls his "sanity garden," where the herbs and vegetables were born. Many customers to the shop are local, but Davis says about 40 percent of his clientele are from out of the country, including Europe and South America. Several international visitors have made a point of returning. "They seem to like the tole painting and the items with cows," Davis says, "especially people from England, Ireland and France." He also says there are several cow mailboxes from his shop in places like Belgium and the Netherlands. Seasonal decorations are a specialty of "The Cow," and as the owner gears up for the busy holiday season, the aroma of hot-spiced cider and homemade cookies welcomes visitors as they browse the shop for unique gifts and decorative holiday inspiration. Davis is looking forward to his 12th Christmas with The Cow, which is annually transformed by holiday finery. "We actually keep Christmas all year," he says. An alcove near the end of the building displays ornamented Christmas trees, wreaths, nutcrackers and other traditional trappings. Under the pines is an avalanche of stuffed, carrot-nosed snowmen wearing vintage clothes and hats. They have top hats, slouch hats, straw hats, stocking caps and nightcaps. A few have earmuffs. In earlier years Davis himself created many of the craft items, such as cow mailboxes, cow napkin holders and cow towel racks. He learned woodworking from his father, who was a master builder and cabinetmaker in the Oakhurst area. A display of his dad's old tools occupies a place of honor on high shelves behind the sales counter. These days Davis is happy to let the 40 or so handcrafting artists who contribute their products supply the inventory. He says most of them are from the local area, and there are a few crafters who have been with him since day one. Several others have sold items there for six or seven years. Davis himself still occasionally builds the recirculating watering-can fountains, which burble enticingly in various corners of the shop. Selecting crafters who meet Purple Cow standards is a personal decision for Davis. "Items have to be of high quality, unique and worth the price," he says. He selects products with a country theme, and is careful not to duplicate what someone else is already doing. He actually has a waiting list for crafters who are hoping to place their creations in the shop. A ceramic artist brings in a smiling black and white ceramic pig, placing it on the counter for the cowboy's inspection. Picking up the cheerful porker with two hands, he surveys the well-filled shelves. "Let's see," he says, scanning the displays. He decides it fits in well beside some black and white ceramic cows. By their expressions, all of the barnyard animals seem pleased with the placement. -- Rochelle Frank is a free-lance writer living in Mariposa. |
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Article Briefs: Winners of the 2004 Holiday Decorating Contest The Ambassador Committee would like to thank all of the businesses that decorated during the holidays. Displays were judged based on creativity, beautification, and what we call the "smile factor": How the display makes you feel about the decoration, the holidays, and the business. There is one business above all others that goes above and beyond to create that special "smile factor". One of the best things about this business is that they are one of the first businesses you see when you drive into Oakhurst on Highway 41 from Coarsegold. They put their best foot forward to help make the whole community look good. The Ambassador Committee proudly presents The Best of the Mountains Award to the Purple Cow, Oakhurst. This award will be a perpetual award. It will be formally presented to the owner of the Purple Cow, Charlie Davis, at the Chamber Dinner on February 10th. If you get a chance between now and then, be sure to stop by the Purple Cow and congratulate Charlie. 1/19/05 5:12 PM |
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Dr. Adrian Buca, DDS, Charlie Davis of The Purple Cow Mall, and Jenine Haugh of A Bed of Roses |
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Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Purple Cow Mall Receives 2008 Best of Oakhurst Award U.S. Local Business Association's Award Plaque Honors the Achievement WASHINGTON D.C., December 8, 2008 -- Purple Cow Mall has been selected for the 2008 Best of Oakhurst Award in the Used & Rare Books category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA). The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties. |
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About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising. The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America. SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association |
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Mooving Inventory for father and son with bovine interests. |
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To Contact Us: Phone: 559-683-2112 ~ E-mail: mail@purplecowmall.com Shipping/Store Address: 39935 Hwy 41 ~ Mail: P O Box 478 Oakhurst, California 93644~0478 Open Daily, 10 to 5:30 All contents of this web-site are copyrighted (2000-2008), and may not be used without Written permission of THE PURPLE COW. Web Pages Designed, Maintained, & Built by Cowboy Charlie! Updated July 15, 2008. All Pages have sound and are best viewed with Internet Explorer |
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The Purple Cow Mall, A Country Store, with Country Charm, and Oh So Much More. . . |