Well, if you read last months update then you will see that my old machine seized up on me. If you look to the photo on the left you will see a completely different machine...what an adventure! So it started with the seized up machine and wanting a larger throat space. I couldn't find a larger throat that would fit on the old wooden table (what a shame because I LOVE the wooden table). I ended up finding another angel (this time a literal one) on Marketplace. 

The story of Mary Paulin, Mentor, Ohio

Mary passed away at 85 years of age in 2019. She was a highly skilled quilter (among other things). Mary's son Dan and his wife Angeline have struggled to part with Mary's beloved sewing possessions since her passing. I think the Lord preserved Mary's things waiting for me, and I am honored. The longarm you see in the background belonged to Mary, and I am honored to put it to good use here in the store. The relationship with Mary's family became so beautiful that my husband and I made another trip out to Ohio with a cargo van and loaded up a vast majority of Mary's passion for sewing. If you stop into the store I would be honored to tell you more about Mary and show you one of her finished quilts (graciously on display in the front window thanks to Dan). 

With the new additions it's been a bit messy in the store but no worries, I'll have it cleaned up in no time. Mary's stuff has provided much needed supplies to the classroom and I'm excited to see what everyone creates. 

Also, if you didn't see...we are offering sewing machine repair service now. You drop your machine off to us, Family Sewing picks it up and repairs it and then delivers it right back here to the store. We look forward to helping everyone with their sewing machine repair needs.

It seems I am always up to something 🤣. It started with wanting to put together a few quilts from panels we have available in store. I thought it would be good to give some inspiration to customers. Well I finished the first quilt top and then thought, now what! I had only ever made a quilted table runner. How was I going to quilt this wall hanger on my domestic machine. I started practicing with free motion on my Designer Diamond. I was not a fan of moving the fabric around through the throat of the machine...and this was just a small test piece. Well, I ended up on FB marketplace and found an angel on there that sold me this setup for an amazing price. God always provides! 

I got the table all set up, bought some sheets from the thrift store and started learning the machine. After about a week of playing the machine seized up 🥺 That's ok, I learned a lot and I learned that I like this method MUCH better than free motion on my Husqvarna. 

This year Castle Mercantile is focused on growth. We want to grow the fabric part of the business...a lot! I'm also hoping if I can get back in business with longarm then maybe that can bring some revenue in as well. I am so grateful to God for always providing, even when I'm feeling discouraged. I am extremely grateful to the growth that has been seen last month and this month. I pray it continues ✝️

It's been an exciting month to say the least. Our youngest daughter got married last Saturday at the Holly Dickens Festival. It was a beautiful ceremony and we had a wonderful time celebrating afterward. My best friend Sabrina covered our entire kitchen island in a charcuterie board and created such a nice playlist for dancing. It was a blessed day with incredible people for sure.

At the store we've been having fun with the open sew every other Thursday and have so many cute items for Christmas gifting. I had a meeting with another fabric store owner in Ohio. It was a great connection for learning how I can become the lowest priced, good quality, fabric store in the state of Michigan. 2026 is looking good for making that happen. I can't wait to see what blessings God provides in the New Year.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you, may it be blessed with love and continue into the New Year! 🎄🥳

Well, it took SO much longer than anticipated, but as of December 2 I will be back to regular business hours. I am trying to get my house ready to list for sale which meant going through so much "stuff" and having a huge moving sale. It is over now and while I still have a lot to do before I can get the house listed, I am coming back to work (thank you God). I have missed being here regularly. Additionally, the gorgeous fabrics you see to the left are Castle Mercantile exclusives. These are 100% high quality quilters cotton that is fully designed by me. They can not be purchased anywhere other than here. I look forward to continuing the Castle Mercantile fabric line with more to come so please come check it out, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Exciting things are in the works for 2026 so keep a look out. God is so good ✝️

It sure has been a rollercoaster this last month...to say the least! If you are reading this then you care about my little business and for that I am SO grateful. I greatly apologize for the odd schedule recently. Here's the scoop, because I am human just like everyone else and am not immune to the same struggles we all experience. My marriage has been put to the test and while we are holding on and doing all that we can to remain together and make the necessary changes to be a strong, united team focused on God, it means a lot of work and a lot of life changes. I also have a teenage son that struggles with mental health issues which pulls me away at times. On top of all of that, my youngest daughter moved back to Michigan from the Army (YAY) and had her first baby last week. Whew, it's been go, go, go, and I don't see much changing for a bit. 

Like I said, some life changes are necessary which means I have to lessen the stores hours temporarily so that I can get those things accomplished. I am going to work super hard so that I can get back to regular business as soon as possible. I have always vowed to put my family first, above all things, and that is what I need to do currently. I hope that my wonderful loyal customers will understand and continue to support this business journey. I can't thank you all enough!! Stay focused on God and allow Him to work in His timing ✝️

A giant of a man with a heart to match. He showed me nothing but love from the day I met him. My mom raised me that it was better to be a smart a** than a dumb a**, but not every girl is blessed with a Father-in-Law that can keep up with a sassy little smart a** daughter-in-law. Fred's sense of humor was pure joy to be around and there wasn't much he wouldn't joke about. However, he never joked about his love for his family, he wore that love like a badge of honor, and you could see it in his welled up proud eyes when he talked about them. I don't know how many times he told me the story of falling in love with his wonderful wife, Penny, over a banana split, but you could feel the love he felt for her each time he told it. As a father he rightfully mourned the loss of his oldest son Troy while remaining present and proud of his daughter, Rose, and youngest son, Neil. I remember him telling me with that proud dad face, "they didn't turn out to bad, huh." 

Unfortunately, Lewy Body Dementia is a thief that robbed this happy loving man of a peaceful passing. I only had the privilege of knowing him for five years. I can't imagine the loss felt by his children, his siblings, and mostly his wife. They had to watch their "Superman," the hunting, fishing, National Guard, running, bicycling, man fade into a death that steals away life long before the actual death.

I pray that Fred is at peace with his oldest son Troy, and I pray that those mourning him allow themselves time to mourn and then to live with that same funny, joyful, love filled passion for life that Fred did.

Love "Trouble"

It's been a month since my last update...must have been busy!! Yes and no. The Back to the Bricks event that takes place annually in downtown Mt. Morris was a lot to prepare for. I also renovated my thread cabinet and filled 1/4 of it with Gutermann all purpose thread! Anyway, I added some car related merchandise and some Lions merchandise to the store for the big event. The day of the event, thanks to the incredible help of my loving husband Neil, best friend Sabrina, and daughter Hailey, we were serving up donuts, coffee, water, Faygo, ice cream, popsicles, nachos, and fresh popcorn. It was a lot of fun to see the store so full of life and I look forward to next year.

We are considering doing popcorn Fridays or Saturdays because the popcorn was SO good. Also, trying to grow the sewing classes.

Hopefully, all that busyness generated some publicity. The days are rough when all we sell are a few donuts. I trust God's plan at all times though and I know that He will work out for his perfect purpose.

It seemed as though the fabric room was a little confusing. People weren't sure if they were allowed to go beyond the front room, which is completely understandable. I would have felt the same way. So...I added a neon sign to light the way! Hopefully this helps everyone not have to wonder. Can you tell I love the sign 😁

I have added new products, my mom has added new products, and a few other makers have added new things. I am very blessed to have such wonderful and supportive makers because I have not had much time to get to my studio and make more items. In fact I think my mom is keeping the doors open, lol. 

Donuts are still stressing me out but not as bad. Coffee is adding to the stress now, haha. I don't how people run businesses that are nothing but perishable goods. I would never be able to handle the stress. Luckily, the local Herald newspaper wrote a beautiful article about the store so that has helped get the word out there that we are now open and have FABRIC!

The store is closed on Mondays so I used that time to get our camper ready for an upcoming trip. Well, there was a broken glass that I put into the trash bag along with a bunch of other trash. I took the bag out to put in the outdoor can and it was heavy so I tried to use my elbow for a little extra push. The glass caught my elbow and sliced it open. The result...my first ever stitches 🥴 I spared you guys the photos 🫣

A little banged up but still pushing on I'm looking to growth. Me and the others involved here are always thinking of new products and offerings that will be in demand. We want to serve the community the best we can. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have suggestions or ideas about sewing classes. We want to accommodate and hear from you. I continue to look into adding more sewing supplies (fabric and notions)...hopefully news on that soon.

I love that little coffee sign! I sure do need my cup, or two or three, of ambition each day, lol. While I do love the Texas Pecan coffee, I am determined to offer Michigan made products throughout the store wherever possible. That being said, we are now brewing ABeanToGo coffee. If you have never heard of them, they are a coffee roaster nearby in Goodrich, MI. They started as a small family business and are growing rapidly. Their flavor selection is absolutely delicious, and they have a caramel pecan that holds its ground against the Texas pecan. Soon I will offer their coffee for sale in the store that you can take home for brewing yourself. 

As for business, things have been steady to slow. Still hoping things will pick up, but blessed for the support received. We have added quite a bit of new product over the last week (thank you to my Mom and Annie). 

We have a new grandbaby on the way so I am planning a baby shower and preparing for that daughter to move back to Michigan...super exciting! 

A few hours left in this 3rd week of business, and so many changes. Business has been better and donut sales are picking up (thank you to the community). I am trying to get new product on the floor as often as possible. Speaking of, just so no one ever thinks I am being rude. When you come into the store and see me on my computer, please know that I am doing one of two things. I am either designing for store inventory or doing schoolwork.  Yes, I did just open a new business and I am in a Master's program in college 🤪. 

So what changed this week...WE HAVE ICE CREAM! As of yesterday we are now selling Cook's Farm Dairy ice cream. If you have never had it or been there, they are amazing! Their ice cream is so rich and creamy. It is made right on the 4th generation dairy farm. Yum 😋

Also, sewing classes are now live and ready for booking! So far the calendar goes through mid July and we will continue to add more. Let us know what you think or if you have any suggestions, recommendations, or anything else.

If you have been in store and tried the coffee, thank you! I would love to hear how you liked it. I am looking to source coffee made in Michigan so I do have a few meetings set up for that. Stay tuned!

We have been open for 20 days today. The community has been SO welcoming and every person that has come in to visit has been wonderful! Business is slow to get started, and I have been stressing about donuts. I decided to offer donuts last year when I saw the community wanting them, so I convinced my husband to travel to Ohio for this vintage donut cabinet that I fell in love with. The idea was that, although we are not a bakery or ice cream shop, we could sort of fill the need for the community. We live in Grand Blanc so it isn't difficult for me to swing in to Dawn Donuts and grab fresh donuts to provide to Mt. Morris. I love coffee so that was a no brainer. I thought ice cream would be easy to supply since I had done it previously when I was in the chalet. However, that has not been the case as of yet, but I will not give up on it. 

So why are donuts stressing me out? Donuts are fairly perishable. You have fresh donuts and then you have day old donuts. After that they are take home to the teenager donuts. The teenager however doesn't pay me for donuts. Figuring out the balance of how many donuts to bring in so that I'm not stuck with a bunch of teenager donuts has been difficult. 

Aside from donuts stressing me out, today we had a torrential downpour and when I came in to the building I found a few water leaks. Ugh, water can be so destructive! Luckily they are not major and I know my lovely husband will take care of them. I am looking into grants to see if we can get some help paying for a few building repairs. The love of historic buildings costs a ton...but it's so worth it!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

It's been awhile to say the least...almost a year! I have been working on the building renovations and the rebrand. When I left you last I was not even out of the Chalet in Grand Blanc. I did move out of there at the end of the season and continued working on the Mt. Morris building. I came a LONG way in the renovations over there. So far that I don't want to share a photo with you because I don't want to give away how beautiful it is becoming.

That being said, there is still a lot to be done there and I wish I could say that I have an opening date but I do not. I did finish the old wood floors, which took me weeks, but they look so good! I still need some plumbing work, HVAC work, and to finish the two back rooms. In the big picture of everything that has been done over there, it isn't much that needs to be finished.

If you look back to my previous post you'll see that I have a vision for what that building will provide to the community. I felt like with all of that Castle Reuse & Repurpose didn't fit. That name felt like a thrift shop that repurposed furniture. I decided to rebrand as Castle Mercantile. The building itself was built in the 1880s and an old Mercantile, or General Store, would be a staple in the community.

The old ice cream shop that used to be housed inside the building used a slogan "just a little what not shop," and I decided to keep the slogan as a ohmage to them. This shop will be just that, a little what not shop. You never know what you may find day-to-day, but you will always find a friendly ear.

I look forward to opening sometime in the near future but until then please reach out to me if you want to order something custom - castlemercantile@gmail.com

God Bless

I have been working hard in Mt Morris so that I am able to get the shop over there open when I move out of Grand Blanc. It still makes me sad to think I won't be in Grand Blanc but I have also been in the Chalet on a chilly day and it wasn't the most fun. It is certainly a climate dependent location.

I know it doesn't look it from the photo attached but Mt Morris is coming along nicely and I am getting very excited about all the possibility over there.

I have this wonderful vision of a little coffee area and some seating. I know the town was disappointed when the ice cream shop closed. I want to give them a place where they can shop for unique items and sit and enjoy some coffee and treats. The treats part...I intend to bring my Cook's Farm Dairy ice cream to that location as well. In addition I intend to partner with a donut shop and a baker I know to provide additional options.

Currently in that building I am working on making the ceiling pretty, changing the lighting, and then my husband can re-route the HVAC duct. After that I can paint and wallpaper. Then the fun part of finishing the floor. After that the main room will be ready!

I may not be able to finish the whole building before opening but I have every confidence that I can have the main room ready to open in November.

It's all in God's hands so pray for me!

It seems like so much has happened since my last update. I rearranged the shop again, with the help of my sweet husband (sorry, I guess I haven't taken a picture of the new layout).

The Chalet's held a vendor pop up event and my mom came with the handmade items that she makes. Mostly she does purses and crocheted stuffed animals/dolls. They are beautifully made, she is VERY talented! She didn't do too great the day of the event but she left her stuff with me to sell in the shop so that has been a nice addition to my variety.

I had major dental surgery and missed a few days at the shop but I'm starting to feel better and the swelling is beginning to go down so that's great news.

To say things at the shop have been slow would be an understatement. I still LOVE what I do and I'm pushing through but it sure does get discouraging.

I received a large inventory of blank materials for creating custom designed items as well as a new machine to assist with that. FUN

The Chalet's in town, in case you didn't know, are really just shed's. They don't have any heat or air and so the Michigan winters have roughed them up a bit. The City is asking that all of us (there are 7 chalet's) move out at the end of October so they can do maintenance to them and then move back in March. Ugh, I am very much not looking forward to that. The situation has however forced me to think of my options. My husband and I own a gorgeous historical building in downtown Mt. Morris that we have been renovating for awhile. So far I am thinking that when I move out of the chalet I will move in to the building in Mt. Morris and hope to be open there by November.

This could be a hidden blessing. The space over there is much larger and I would be able to carry a much larger variety of items. I would also be able to move my workshop to that location. The down side would be that I wouldn't be in downtown Grand Blanc...which is where I live and enjoy being.

I think that I will open shop in Mt. Morris in November. In March or April I will move back into the chalet and keep both shops open alternating days. It may just be a perfect storm.

Keep checking back to see what happens!

Like I said before, it seems things change daily, and this change is a super yummy addition. I got this ice cream cart a few years ago. I had originally dreamed of opening a vintage ice cream and penny candy shop but as it goes one thing led to another and God had other plans for my life, which is always great because if he hadn't I wouldn't be here now. Well, me and some of the other shops were discussing how to attract attention to the shops, to let people know we are open. I mentioned that I have an ice cream cart with a big bright umbrella. Once I decided to bring it over to the shop I knew that I had to have good ice cream, not just the stuff you can get anywhere.

I made an arrangement with Cook's Farm Dairy in Ortonville and now I am the only place in Genesee County that sells their products.

It has been a great addition to the shops. It helps attract attention and people get to buy great ice cream!

I am really having a ton of fun with the shop. I did move my table over to the other side of the room so that if it's raining I can have the cart inside.

This Saturday there will be an art fair in town so we are having additional vendors at the shops. My mom is going to come and sell some of the stuff she makes. I'm looking forward to that. She makes gorgeous bags, purses, stuffed animals...all kinds of stuff, it's beautiful!

Business is still slow but better so I'll take it :)

Well, it's been a few weeks and wow! I swear I change things around daily. The most time consuming struggle has been getting the online stuff set up. I have spent so much time making sure my inventory is accurate and that it has good pictures and stuff. Then I learn that I forgot an attribute (like item weight) that I need to list for each item and have to go back through all of it again. I "think" I'm finally done with all that now and I can just update and add things as I create them.

I am loving how the shop is forming it's shape though. The table in the photo is from my wedding, I painted the Formica top with a few coats of black and then used some of the lace from my wedding to spray the ivory over the top. I love the way it turned out so of course I use it in the shop (although I need more inventory to cover it). The pegboard display sitting on the table. That was a butcher block lazy suzan I got at a thrift store. I sanded it down, painted it pink then teal and sanded it so the pink would show through. Then I attached the pegboard to it and now it is a rotating display...awesome, right!

The ladder in the background I found online for $10. It is a vintage wooden, made in Michigan ladder, ugh gorgeous. Don't worry I know it's not level in the photo. It is now and no, I did not drill or hammer anything into the wood.

Things have been slow to take off as far as customers but I have faith that it will turn around, and I am grateful for the time to get this online stuff all fixed up.

Maybe in my next story I'll tell you guys a little about some of my projects.

Thanks for listening, I appreciate you!

WELCOME! I am Carrie Castle and I am so excited that you are here and taking the time to read about me and my little shop. This picture is day 1 at the Chalet. I got into all of this last year because I love to buy old items and give them new life. That turned into a love for sublimation and then I decided to run with it.

A little background on what led to the Chalet. Last year my husband and I purchased this gorgeous historic building in downtown Mt. Morris, MI. We didn't really realize the amount of time (and money) it would take to rehab the building and so it is a backburner project. This is what landed me here in the Chalet. It's a small space but for now it's all I need, I don't have that much inventory built up yet. I try to always create my own designs and so it takes a bit of time to build up inventory.

Eventually we will move to our permanent home in downtown Mt. Morris but for now I can't wait to see you in downtown Grand Blanc!