Wednesday Night Magic

So here is my late night Wednesday Magic report! 

We got in multiple new orders with some great selections this week. That always makes my work more fun!

I rearranged one mantle, found homes for loads of new items and switched things up all over the store with darling Ann's help. She is a trooper and we had a creatively rewarding night with good help from Patty as well. Of course Sneelock was there to lend a hand for all things that needed to be hung. Whew!

Here's a look at some of the new displays including some of the new things just waiting to inspire you.

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This chrome yellow glass base took our breath away! And what about that mirrored tray? Glamorous for sure. The cloched candles are wonderfully scented-birch bark. Delightful!

 I received a number of the most interesting clocks. Multiple sizes, stylish and oh so Susan! Note the tip card I had printed for the mantle. I spent a good amount of time scripting various tip cards to place around the entire store. They are fun to read and I hope they give you loads of ideas to fill your creative needs.

 These stylish (and orange!) leather frames have been in the stockroom for about a week. I've been salivating to get to them and finally had time tonight to find a home for them. Oh course, if you've been following the column I write regularly for Bucks Life Magazine, you've most likely figured out that one of these most certainly will need to come home with me...

 This is another of the new clocks that came in. There are some beautiful and sophisticated delightful selections in clocks! So many times the clocks are more rustic or cottage-y. I'm truly in love with the new ones. They are suitable for mantles, desks, bookcases and consoles. I'm afraid they won't last long (which as you know will make me sad!)

 About a year ago I saw these zodiac figures. I placed an order and had actually forgotten about them until they showed up this week! Great surprise. The gray lidded urn (set of three sizes) are beauties and favorites as well. I think you'll be pleased.

Another category that we filled in was photo frames. Look at this hammered chrome-like finish! Square, no less! Paired with this glamorous mirrored table, who can resist?!

These are just a few of the exciting new things we put out tonight. I always say, Thursday is the day to hit the store for the best new surprises! Hope to see you there.

Atlanta Market Day 6

The sixth day of market has some advantages;

1.  Less elevator traffic

2.  More sales help

3.  More tables in the lunch cafes

4.  No bumping elbows in the showrooms

5.  Passed the mid week slump

6.  Christmas plans completed and placed neatly in a folder to be filed away until orders begin flooding the stockroom

7. Spring retail ordering begins!

8.  Breakfast at The Corner Bakery has no lines

There are of course, some disadvantages as well;

1.  Not a comfy shoe left in the closet

2.  One too many showroom treats has made our pants fit a little tighter

3.  Rolling cart is permanently out of shape

4.  Room service selections have been exhausted

5.  Hotel room beginning to look like a dorm room needing attention

6.  No umbrellas in the rolling cart for the rain

7.  Phone plan media minutes are overdrawn

The Market slows remarkably after the weekend and that is good for navigating and finding help. Only the die-hards remain and frankly, the creative thinking is taxed. At this stage of the game, we feel a pang of panic, realizing how much there is left to do with two days left to work. We re-work our punch list of "must sees" and add several new ones, listing the vendors by importance. Oh, and there's the new emails from the home office with new requests from interior clients to fit in the hunt.

I guess you could say we're nearing the end of the hunt. 

Take a look at a few of the photos I recorded today. The new Ipad is saving a good bit of time and we're getting to be inseparable. My new aps are working great!

Way cute felted wool pins!

We bought some happy bright stories to chase away the winter blues!

How cute is this jewelry display?! Even this taxidermy deer loves coral!

I loved these paper banners...sold by the yard.

I tracked down this favorite and reordered one for me and one for the store.

 

 

We've really got our last two days planned and will need maximum energy. Linda's shoes worked great today! Thank heavens for a darling witty friend who shares my shoe size, has good taste, and is a financial wizard as well. Now that's a package.

No More Shoes

Today we packed up and loaded the car and then headed off for one more day of buying. About an hour into the trek, I realized that I had exhausted my shoe wardrobe of anything that could remotely carry me through another day in even slight comfort! It's time to go home.

We spent the day shopping for fun things for the store, as well as a few customer requests that I needed to resource. The market was absolutely empty! It was bliss. No lines. No waiting for the elevator. No crowds in the elevator. On other hand, there were also no salespeople. No food. No complimentary water. You get the picture. The last day of market is only for the die-hards. Anyone who is left roaming the floors is a kindred spirit.

We selected 4 floors that had a concentration of home accents and went to work covering every showroom on each floor.Here are just a few of the great finds that I ordered today for the store. I think you'll be excited as I when they arrive!

Delightful course linen printed chair with colors that were calling my name!

Equally fabulous coffee table (never mind that rug!). Great style. Great size. Great price.

I love this new interpretation of a dining room chandelier with glass drum shades.

Yes! A chartreuse lamp!! Be still my heart.

In another showroom altogether, this artwork themed around, you guessed it, chartreuse!

While perusing multiple art showrooms, I found this very exciting print of a baby grand piano.

I placed an order for this favorite of years past in the hope that my darling friend, Lisa, will fall in love with it for her new Ralph Lauren inspired den now being designed.

Trophy vases. I love them! I have a collection of vintage ones, and I can never get enough. These reproductions are a great fools eye addition, soon to be arriving! (I'm sure Ralph would approve).

A box of old books, made to look even older could not be resisted. I'll find many uses for these treasures.

At the end of the day, we came across this quote by Henry Thoreau! My mother and I used to have favorite calendars with quotes that we would share each day. I kept a file of my favorites, and this was one. It brought back many memories of good times with my hero. Who wouldn't want this as an office statement piece?!

We left the market with a full bag of orders, new resources, and jewels from the cash and carry. Many pair of shoes later,and loaded with piles of purchase orders to sort, new Christmas stories to be revealed next October, preferred resources to share, and too many new ideas for two design minds to hold, we headed for Charlotte, NC.

I'd say we had a successful and productive trip. As for myself, I may have a nap on the plane ride home tomorrow.

Chartreuse Trend!

A week ago or so, I reported that I had several favorite new fabrics and a new favorite color! How pleased I was to find that it appears that this is an overall trend in the design industry! It always surprises me when this happens...my favorite blues of the past few years are now the hottest color trends everywhere!

Just take a look at some of the "chartreuse sightings" as I like to call them...in every category!

Literally in almost every showroom, chartreuse showed up and caught my eye immediately.

Fabulously large chartreuse lidded vessel...

A wee bit smaller, still the same great color!

Candlesticks...chartreuse, of course!

Finials are a favorite category:: chartreuse finials; the best!

...even dishes

This grey and chartreuse rug...absolutely perfect with my favorite new pallet noted a few posts ago!

One more hip rug with chartreuse playing a major roll. My flash has distorted the color slightly, but take my word for it...oh, yea. Chartreuse!

We spent a good hour in a favorite showroom ; Whitehurst. They specialize in the finest imported glass ornaments from about an inch to 8 inches! For years, Black-eyed Susan has been known for having these unusual sizes (you know, bigger is better!). Last year, I was really missing the addition of the 1" accent ornaments in as many colors and finishes as you can dream of. This year they'll be back! These little darlings have hundreds of uses and you can expect to see them in unusual settings throughout the showroom.

This long shot doesn't even do justice to the hundreds of selections available! Not only color, they are available in shiny, matt, and pearl ! We had to search the entire building to find them and query many vendors; voila! Success. You're going to love these as much as I do.

...and just one more happy surprise! A brand new color for this year! Chartreuse!

Oh, happy Chartreuse. My mother would love this new trend. So do I.


Tomorrow is our last day, 7 of 7. Whew. We're ready to get on the road to get home. We've found some great new offerings and look forward to presenting them to you. I'm thinking tomorrow will be a day for flats. Yes, flats for sure.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

....collective "style over comfort"...

My third try tonight rewarded me with Blogger cooperating allowing me to upload the remaining photos from yesterday's work! I'll start with this view of our closet showing a weeks worth of shoes to be worn between the two of us. I have mentioned before that Linda is my only dear friend that shares an untypically small shoe size with me! We often look into our collective choices to try to find a shoe for the day that will sustain our long and intense creative purchasing day after day. It takes great effort and stamina to scout out the best and most unique,and well priced items that we will offer for the next year. We work together well, and find joy in the journey. There are many entertaining opportunities throughout each day!

We found this beautiful and majestic glass urn, filled with snowy pine cones. :: on order.

We loved the fresh and unexpected combination of these over sized cone hydrangeas appointed with citrus green glass ornaments and winter icy branches. (While in this favorite showroom, Linda and I were invited to come to Dallas next October to work on the design team for their setup). We were honored,but exclaimed we would be setting up our own showroom at that time!

Our eyes lit up when we found this glorious wreath of sugared green apples. :: on order.

You all know my penchant for crows....this one did not make the cut. :: not on order.

On the other hand,this one with glitter appointments and a crown :: Definitely on order.


I'll end this post with the additional spooky witches that did not make the cut...oh, my!

I swear,one is worse than the next...

I'm having a hard time imagining what kind of store carries these...

Smug as she is, absolutely, she did not make the cut. :: NOT on order.

By the end of the day, we had our 2011 holiday stories planned. They will remain a secret until next October when the magic is unveiled once again. It will be worth the wait.

9:00 p.m. finds us back in our room, reviewing paperwork, blogging and having a favorite dinner...popcorn!



Tomorrow's another day. What treasures await us!

New Face

I just finished a total flip-flop of the retail space...at least 6000 sq. ft. of the 10,000 sq. ft. footprint. Holy moly....I was missing my little 900 sq. ft. darling of a Yardley store about half way through!

After the manpower went home about 9:00p.m. it was a one woman show.

My arms are sore.
My feet are aching.
My brain is hibernating.
My legs hurt.
My eyes are tired.
My stomach is growling.

After 16 hours on my feet, I'm dead.

I might be missing my little Yardley boutique, but at midnight, I'm loving the 5 minute ride home.

I'll try to post some of my favorite vignettes in the next few days. I didn't think to capture the chaos.

Come see the magic!

Welcome Spring!

Each morning when I leave for work and every evening when I return from work, this is what I see. Snow, snow, and more snow. Ugh.

Piles and piles of snow

I'm trying to give you a good idea of the vast amount of snow that surrounds my mailbox!

But, when I get out of my car and walk through the door at Black-eyed Susan, this is what I see! The first promise of Spring. Glitter bunnies, pale pastels...ribbons and eggs. Check out this darling glass cloche with a bird atop!

Pale pink hyacinths. So pretty.

Worlds best pet- pale pink bunny prop. Butter, mint and taupe ribboned bunnie figures.



All things egg-related! Bulbs herald the upcoming season of blooms.


Soft pastel eggs in robin egg, mint and pearly taupe. Smooth and cool.

Nests!

Tiny lambs. No shearing for these glitter babies!

Beautiful french tulips. These fakes can fool any avid gardener!

Check out these cool glass display cubes that just came in. I filled them with assorted nests, straw, plates, platters, and eggs. Take one home and put your favorite seasonal collectible on display. Very cool.

Another view of the larger display cube. The ideas for these are limitless.

So, if you're tired of this...

and this...

and this...

and this...

Come take home a chocolate bunny.

Welcome Spring!