Becoming a grownup

This past Sunday, I headed out to Farmville, Virginia to help my son, Watson, get his little cottage organized and spiffed up.  He lives on an 800 acre farm in a little house.  It is planted in soybeans now, but it used to have cows.  The cowpies could be a problem since they could come right up to the windows!
(It's at this point that I realize that I didn't take a picture of the house--bad on my part!)

Now, he didn't let me know that we were doing this until Friday night.  AND, I didn't know what he needed until Saturday afternoon.  So after work, I took off to Target and Tuesday Morning looking for new bedroom and bathroom linens.  Not knowing what I was in for, I overbought with several selections to choose from---good idea because half of the bathroom stuff is going back.  (ALWAYS SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS!!!)

Then I went to Allison and Jon's house.  She reluctantly gave up their Grandmother's pie safe---on a long term loan of course.  They also found 2 wrought iron chairs they were no longer using to send along.  Then I came home and shopped our house.  Accessories, end tables---you'll see them later.

This was me as I headed out.

Gotta love the van.  It holds an AMAZING amount of stuff.  The kids call it the "Afghani - van" since it looks like it may have been through a war zone. I've found that you really need to watch out for the brackets on the side of a dumpster because they will make BIG scratches on your car.

Stay tuned to see the BIG changes in the little cottage!

Blogging the Blogs

When I have a moment, or when I want to escape someone or something, I get online and read the blogs I subscribe to.  Now, once I learned about blogs and what great information/fun they were, I was hooked.  I subscribed, and subscribed, and subscribed to any and all.  Then, I realized that my inbox was TOO full and there wasn't enough time in the day, so I started un-subscribing.

Now I'm down to a manageable (kinda) few.  There are some I can skip without much hesitation, but some I just can't wait for.

My fav is Design Indulgence.  Sherry is a hoot, a little irreverant, and has excellent taste.  She shares all kinds of design info and finds.

Another favorite is Design Chic.  They are a couple of gals, again with excellent taste, who show their own places but will share places they have found on the web.  They have re-modeled a place in South Carolina that will make you totally envious!

Lastly, the first blog I started reading was Miss Mustard Seed.
Marian is a cute young mom with 2 boys and a husband who is a youth minister.  She has been so successful that she has started her own line of decorative paint finishes called Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.  She is always fixing, finishing, changing and blogging it all.

There are many more: Chattafabulous, Chinoisserie Chic, and Aesthestic Oiseau to name a few.

Getting out there and exploring these blogs will link you to other blogs you may enjoy.  Just keep on linking!


                                                                 Karan

A holiday and a bride

The past weekend we did flowers for a bride who was married at The Williamsburg Lodge.  Since it was a holiday week, we had to get the flowers in on Wednesday.  They arrive in large, flat cardboard boxes, usually with exotic labels from places like Columbia or Nicaragua.  I had a picture of the boxes all stacked but didn't have memory card in camera---still trying to remember these little details necessary for blogging!

It takes several hours to open, re-cut, and condition the flowers.  Here is a photo of them all in buckets waiting their turn to be used.

However, they had to wait until Friday because we all had to celebrate the Fourth!  It is a big deal in our neighborhoods with lots of kids, dogs, strollers, bikes----and whatever else creative folks come up with.



On Friday, we started working on the flowers.  We worked on the juleps cups first.  There were 75 of them.  Packed them up and put them in the storage bathroom---the coolest place in the shop.  (I know you are thinking "Storage bathroom"?  It is an extra bathroom that we turned in to a storage space because WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH!)

Next up were the bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages.  They always get a special space in the fridge---we put the wine down in the bins!

Saturday morning we finished everything and loaded up ready to head to Williamsburg, BUT my battery was dead.

However, no problem for us gals.  We hooked it right up to Allison's car, got it started and off we went.

To off load flowers at most places, you are relegated to the shipping/delivery dock.  Then you find and/or ask for a cart which you get if you are lucky.  The Lodge could not have been more helpful.  Then you make several trips down halls past kitchens and storage rooms to your destination.

Here are photos of the final product.

There were 10 tables with the tall arrangements and 15 tables with the tray arrangements.  

There was also a wedding arch for the outside ceremony. However, since it was around 93 degrees and we were setting up at 1:00, we moved it inside the ballroom and they moved it back out right before guests started arriving.  Reports are that it worked out just fine.

Thus the tale of another lovely summer wedding.

             

           Karan

A happy wedding

One of Allison's friends, Sarah, got married last weekend. They have known each other since elementary school.  In fact, Sarah is the one that first introduced Allison to her hubby, Jon.

Sarah was having a family-only wedding so she didn't need a tremendous amount of flowers, just a few bouquets, a boutonniere for her groom, a table arrangement and then something for the pergola under which they said their vows.  We were so happy that she asked us to provide the flowers she wanted.  

The flowers were bright and happy and were fun to work with, just like the Bride and her family. We were able to get a good idea of what she liked from perusing her Pinterest board.  

This is the arrangement for the pergola on top of a bookcase in the back of the shop.

Flowers are 3 varieties of roses, hydrangea, snapdragons, ranunculas, and hypericum berries.

Best wishes for a happy send off into married life!

                                                          Karan & Allison

P.S.  Here's a snap stolen from Sarah's Instagram of the flowers at the site!

It's about time!

Well, it's about time.  Here it is at the end of June, and I have just now managed to get my side porch ready for summer.  There was the pollen issue and probably, if truth be told, a few Christmas tree pine needles scattered about.  I'm not showing a before picture because it is just too darn embarrassing!

When I was sweeping, the rug I had started to shred, so a new one was in order.  The cushion that had been in the chair was mildewy, despite being an indoor/outdoor one.  So off I went in seach of a few things to spruce it up.

Found this one, which was one of two, at Tuesday Morning for $5 for both--what a deal!  Now the side p0rch has a new mat.  

This corner was just cleaned and straightened.  I went with an asparagus fern this year--mostly because I found it at Kroger for $5.99.  And, it was a different look.

Found the chair cushion at Tuesday Morning.  It has enough texture to hide outside stuff that gathers.  It was indoor/outdoor, so it was on sale.  And, that cute dragonfly pillow is my accent.  Found it on sale at Target.  It isn't indoor/outdoor, but for $5.90 I can replace next year. 

So, finally done.  Now maybe visitors won't think they are at the wrong address.

I am still working on screened porch, however, I do have two areas finished.

The Italian bunny planter is one of my favorites.  I got it at a warehouse sale in Atlanta years ago.  The hydrangea is a new look----only $7.99 at Trader Joe's.  They definitely have great plants and prices.

Finally, here is the only wall on my screened porch.

The shutters are ones I found on our trip to Cincinnati last summer.  The wonderful cement wall planter was a birthday gift from my sweet daughter.  The lamp was a consignment purchase.  I had to have it 'cause I do have a love for Chinoisserie/Palm Beach looking things.  It reminds me of something that would have been at The Cloister before they remodeled it (but not with a burlap shade!)  

These may be all of the pictures of the screened porch that you will get, unless I can make myself finish it.  I tend to be a 2/3 finisher---think of it, start it but not finish it!

                                                              Karan

A gallery wall

I've been in the process of painting my living room for a couple months now.  I finally got tired of staring at all of the art I took off the wall.  I couldn't come up with where I wanted to put everything, so I knew it was time to call in the big guns. I promised Mom some cold Pinot Grigio if she'd come help me get out of the mental block I was in about hanging things back up.
  

Here's the before shot of my stairwell, pre-paint.  The color was Alexandria Beige by Benjamin Moore. It was a lovely color and did well for me for 7 years, but it was time for a change. I wanted something lighter, fresher and a good neutral palette for all my junk collections. Since my humble abode only has one bathroom,  most everyone has to travel upstairs at some point or another to use the bathroom.  It might as well look nice right?

Same stairwell, post - paint and pics! The new color is Grant Beige by Benjamin Moore. It's a nice transformation if I do say so myself!

Allison

I forgot our anniversary!

Oh my - I feel like the stereotypical spouse who forgets their anniversary.  We just realized that last week we have been in business for 11 years!!!  Woohoo!! Time flies when you are having fun.

Here is a photo of Allison and me on the first day of the first shop, dated June 5, 2002.  Seems I may have picked up a few wrinkles.  However, I did learn about hair color! 

For those of you who didn't know us at our first location down the street, this is a picture of our front door.  We had killer, big, picture windows on either side that we were constantly filling with goodies.              

After three years, we knew we needed to expand.  So, we decided to move down the street to our current location.  While Allison and I were at market, the girls moved us.  It was a BIG job!  Hazel and Anita are getting out the last dregs.

They were still pouring the concrete as we were moving in.  Anne was in a supervisory role.

It took us almost a week to get things moved and set up.   Wow, we felt so good that we had so much new space.  We finally had room to have Lucy come to work.  She loved it, and the customers loved her.  

Naturally, we had to celebrate with wine!  Anita was on it :)

I have been so blessed to have such good friends help me through this amazing journey.  Some have moved on and we have 'adopted' some new ones.   My family has also pitched in at one time or another.

Of course, none of us would be employed without our consignors and customers.  

Many thanks.

                                                Karan