Graduation Gala

Sweetest Sophie, my dear friend Linda's daughter, graduates from High School this month . When in the world did she get this old? She has been part of my life since her birth and wasn't that just several years ago? Linda is my main support friend in the face of my most overwhelming tasks, and we (Sneelock and myself) could be no less to her as she faced the daunting task of preparing a party for the 100+ guests invited to honor Sophia at a backyard barbecue.

So, we packed the car with...

20 bags of Herr's ketchup flavored potato chips (a requested favorite from the graduate and not available in the Charlotte area). 10 were for the party guests and 10 were for a "Sophia stash"!


Two giant loaves of Susan's sheepherder's bread (archive back to find the recipe).

Fresh gerbera daises in hot pink and orange delivered from Susan's wholesale florist.

Along with these items were multiple boxes of glass straight-sided vases to use on the tables, (Good thing we were driving!) aprons, silver serving trays, samovar for our cucumber drink..the list goes on!

After arriving in Charlotte at about 2:30 a.m. , we got started bright and early the next morning to begin the baking marathon. Linda and I donned our aprons and knuckled down for a day of entertaining chatter , baking and kitchen prep for the next day's event.

First of the schedule was the making of two more of the giant loves of sheepherder's bread for the many guests expected. Each loaf will serve about 20-25! The loaf is impressive as a centerpiece as well. The first batch was rising by noon, and another shortly behind it.

Combined with the two I made ahead of time and brought from Philadelphia, we now had enough for the masses.

I think we must have used at least three giant bags of limes. On the menu was a lime based marinated chicken for grilling, my favorite "green-green salad" with a lime based dressing and an accompanying side salad of black bean, corn and tomato with avocado, also with a lime dressing! We gave Linda's citrus juicer a workout that sounded like she may need to invest in a new one!

While the bread was rising, cookies were being baked , and I whipped up two double batche of my mother's famous brownies (later to be frosted with chocolate butter cream frosting). We were "really cooking" I guess you could say.

We steamed large bundles of asparagus (seen here in an ice water bath) and put them aside to chill for the salad recipe.

Among the tasks for day 2 was shelling and cleaning lb after lb of fresh shrimp.

We set out the serving trays, utensils, table cloths...Linda made a large batch of dill potato salad, and we started praying for good weather. The forecast was for scattered thunder showers right about party time.Oh, dear.

I cut the long stemmed gerberas down to scatter in assorted vintage glasses that I had brought from home. Those colors are just happy!

Linda brought out a darling candle holder/vase that she had purchased years ago on one of our buying trips for Black-eyed Susan. I used hot pink roses along with several of the orange and pink gerberas. I mounded them low and tight to be used as a centerpiece on one of the serving tables. It's hard not to smile when you use these cuties!

We began the task of our "special recipe" for the color of the tinted water to be used in the vases for the tables. Food coloring is added to the water to tint it the desired color, and it takes a little finesse to get it just right! (It's a bit like a science experiment). A drop of green, a drop of yellow...more of this, less of that, a bit more water to dilute the color when needed, and so on. Finally, we arrived at the perfect hint of lime colored water to surround the inner vessels. My cute friend Jan brought fresh ferns from her yard and we picked bright colored green hosta leaves from Linda's yard to add to the water lined glass vases. I love using this glass/glass idea with candles. It's magical and you can choose your water color. Try it!

Of course, Sneelock didn't just come along for the ride! In between playing the ultimate Grandfather role to our darling granddaughters who live in the neighborhood, he found time to run multiple errands, do some pruning, and hang these tiny glass hurricanes from a large tree surrounding the tables. They were lit just before the guests came and added quite a magical glow to the party scene.

Linda stayed up the previous night till the wee hours of the morning going through years of school year photos with Sophia's friends. We printed them and put them on the tables slightly under the glass and candles for all to reminisce about. The small glasses with bright gerberas dotted the tables.

Paul (Linda's husband in blue) and Timm (my daughter's husband) manned the grills and started the chicken, shrimp and chili dogs. The rain was holding out.

A shot of the masses!

A few of Sophie's younger fans! ( My two grand daughters and Sebastian)

Early in the evening, Bella (granddaughter) had mishap with a soccer ball and was in distress. She reluctantly posed for her grandfather to take our photo.

The darling graduate and not so darling lifetime friend. (I agreed to use this only because it was so darn cute of Sophia!)

A photo of the darling mother and daughter team together! How could she have a daughter that age?

The guests lingered. The weather held out. The food fed the multitude. The candles died.

All in all, the event was a success and enjoyed by all.

Sophia has grown into a beautiful young woman of integrity and a joy to all who know her.

Congratulations, Sophia!

The next chapter of life begins.

Sneak Peek!

After only one more night until the wee hours of the morning...Black-eyed Susan (retail division) has been thoroughly flipped and we've ended up with a whole new look! And I will tell you that it's quite a bit different than giving my little Yardley 900 sq. ft. store a new look. Good and bad.

I haven't taken any fun shots of the new inspirations yet, but tonight at dusk I took a few shots of the new window display. Take a look!





I promise the window mullions are not royal blue! Whatever! The vision started with these three dining room chairs that were past their prime for everyday use. Several cans of favorite paint colors were scouted out from the stockroom-voila! A few coats later, darn cute props!

My new windows are proving to be quite challenging to work with. The visual distraction of the muntins and mullions are difficult. Having established quite a reputation for striking windows that are changed on a monthly basis, it's a bit frustrating. I guess time will help me figure out the best way to configure my displays.





I'm finding that daily, we have new customers stopping in saying "I keep passing by the store and wanting to stop in! Today's the day I finally pulled in." The windows are a big part of the draw. I decided to use my tag line of "MORE SPACE MORE STYLE"...

along with "YOUR COLOR" framed in an old baroque frame to suggest creative thinking.


The windows are a challenge, for sure. I"ll keep you posted every time I make a change and we'll see how I work it out!

And, for the record, Sneelock is very frustrated with photographing the windows as well. I'm pretty sure he would want me to admit that I'm the one who took these snapshots.

*sigh*

Note to self-new store challenges=bigger footprint/longer hours/difficult windows/hotter in summer/colder in winter...what else will I discover? Still, basically, it's all good.

Come see the magic.

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!

Fresh Flowers are My Drug of Choice

I feel like I've fallen off the blogger cycle! The move to my new location preoccupied me for far too long...Princeton Designer House took it's toll...multiple traveling distractions...designer house tear-down (more about this later)...well,you get the picture. I feel like I have a lifetime of posts saved up in this creative brain of mine, and no time to get to them. Thus, the hour at present, EEK!

Last week I had a fun assignment from a retail client to design fresh flowers for a big event that she was hosting. As much as I love my beautiful selection of artificial (to fool the eye for sure) flowers from Black-eyed Susan, fresh flowers make me simply heady with delight! The designing is a different ball game all together, and it's taken some experience to get to feel competent with working with fresh. I think I have it down now and I love my designs! This particular client gives me total creative license and a fabulous budget. Those two together spell joy and creative delight!

My dear friend and creative coheart Shannon, came to the rescue to help do the design and made the day even more fun! It was really hard to edit the photos to a manageable amount, but here goes.

This is how we started the design process,with bucket after bucket of beautiful bunches-colorful, strong and heady scents filled the kitchen. (I have yet to install a utility sink at the new location, thus my kitchen became the design center).


One of my personal favorites, Jade Roses. Fresh, green (!) and neatly packed in rows. What a sight to feast on.

Sweet tulips! Soft peachy-pink and white. Note the cymbidium orchids gracing the background.

Just couldn't resist the closeup of these beauties.



I had established the pallet to be mainly whites and greens , hints of coral-y pink and lavender for one particular areas. These kermits are always welcome in my designs!

A closeup of one of the finished arrangements

Ferns and hosta leaves lining the glass containers.

This design was made for my client's daughter's closet! Yes, I said her closet. She is a dancer and her mother had a small kitchen budget in mind when they built her closet! Her favorite color is lavender, thus the hydrangeas. I love grouping like flowers and the weepy tulips were the perfect choice for this. Note the green hypernicum berries as filler! Way cute.

Trash building on the kitchen floor...only the beginning!

I consider lizianthus trash flowers! I've never been fond of them and my supplier sent them as options for items that he was unable to get for me. No way. It doesn't look so bad here, but trust me, they're not desirable.

Another completed design with cymbidium orchids and monstera leaves...I love those things! Note the limes in the water. Just plain style. Some sliced, some whole. Oh, so cute.

I'm not sure why these look so large in this photo...remember when I documented the baby cabbages used in floral design in Paris? I've been a fan of them since! I ordered them for my designs, but my supplier was unable to get them at the last minute. Luckily, I had these fake ones in my store! I used them in one of the arrangements and you couldn't even tell! They are really only about the size of a large lemon. Great save.

A favorite low packed arrangement-flat sided,low round container. It's perfect for the full mounds of roses, spider mums (oh, the color!), hypernicum berries, monstera leaf and kermits. The jade roses and fresh whole limes can't be seen on the other side, but I love the shot of the sword fern wrapped around the outside edge of the vase.




Bear with me. Just a few more! I repeated an idea that I had used for a dinner party that I had hosted some time ago with this tiered wire basket filled with fresh leaf lettuce, granny smith apples, coral hypernicum berries, parsley, basil, and cilantro. Wow! It was a big hit and the fragrance was to die for. Definitely worthy of repeating. This one is so easy to create at home. Try it!

A closeup of said cool arrangement!

I used a bunch of sweet tulips on one side of the bottom tier. I recommend this for an instant centerpiece. A bit on the expensive side, but definitely worth it.

The occasional request for fresh arrangements keeps me looking forward to the next assignment. There's not much like the thrill of working with these natural elements to create style.

I'll be happy to create something unique for your next event, large or small. Just give me a few weeks notice. Ahhhhhh.

Welcome all and come back soon!

Linda has departed.

Entertainment over...

Hard working friend, gone.

Sad,sad,sad, so sad.Very sad.SAD.

I'm am happy to report, however, that we had a very successful Grand Opening. Four days of entertaining our clients, old and new. Four days of replenishing inventory after busy days. Four days of making our refreshing drink (compliments of my daughter, Jessie's recipe), and four days of nightly baking.

As promised, here is the recipe for Jessie's refreshing and super easy drink! (The glass samovar helps make it glamorous, and shortly, you can purchase your own from Black-eyed Susan).

One two litre bottle of Sprite Zero

One packet (pitcher size) crystal light lemonade

One sliced cucumber (I think it's prettiest sliced on the diagonal)

Plenty of ice!

We had many great responses and good reactions to our new and larger space. More room for jewelry! More room for vintage furniture finds! More room for accents, small and large. More room for art and mirrors! More room for my design studio and all of my favorite resources!

I'll have to say that I'm looking forward to having a wee bit more calm life. The old space is completely empty, the new space completely redesigned and merchandised (that is, for this moment!). After all, more traffic means more sales and more sales means more work...you get the picture. The Princeton Designer House is progressing (so far, without any appearances from me, but I hope to resolve that issue this week), and it does, indeed, seem like life could take on a bit slower pace.

I hope you'll take time to come by the new retail space and see it for yourself. We're settling in and beginning to feel quite at home...even have visions of turning some additional space into something fun. Christmas has begun to come in the back door (yes, truly) and it feels like summer is upon us. Thanks for all the support and for the many personal visits and wishes for success.

This image give you some idea of the end of the day...grand opening completed! Change is always a constant at Black-eyed Susan. If you come often, you'll see new inspirations and changes all around. Come see the magic.

Deadline for Style!

Press day...an early start to the day, and many times "just another day". We are always promised lots of important contacts walking around with "Press" badges. Seldom this is the case!

But, at any rate, this day is the one that marks the end of the line for being ready to open. It's generally a sigh of relief; all deadlines have been met, sheer exhaustion sets in, and most of the designers are on hand making the final preparations for the opening night preview and exciting gala that kicks off the next month.

Here are a few photos of my room through the lens of my camera. Sneelock was busy taking the real professional photos, and I'll share some of his with you later. Looking back over the last month, and peering into the rooms of my fellow designers, I was pleased with the outcome of my room. Plain and simple, I'm not afraid of color. It seems to have paid off! And that chandelier doesn't hurt either!

Overall view of the upholstered bed, Paris botanicals, and hints of the custom pillows, bedding, and mirrored side chest. Yes, I like it! Tiny upholstered footstool, a "gift with purchase" with the vintage chairs. I placed it strategically over a very bad spot on the wood floor where a stain from many year's use could not be cleaned up. Great idea! At first I thought it was just a quick fix, but I actually love the ottoman there. A little unexpected and alot of style.

The vintage secretary hand painted to perfection by my son, Ryan. A beautiful job, way better than I would have done myself. He meticulously primed, sanded,and painted this rather tedious piece of furniture. The only contrast is the interior of the glass doors. We painted that Sherwin Williams Sea Salt. Soft, grayed blue. The exterior is another favorite, SW Warm Stone . I've found this color to go with just about everything! It is one of the main colors we used last year in the Bucks County Designer House. The beautiful compliment it offers to SW Yam is soothing and delightful. I recommend it!

Another shot of the right side of the bed. Look carefully, and you will see a photo of one of my granddaughter's, Eva. She is turning 5 in just a short time. These fabulous lamps are the perfect compliment to the linen colors and textiles used throughout the room. They are about as close to SW Warm Stone as you can imagine! Great find. Good work. The taupe lampshades are fabulous too!

A closeup of the orchid garden that graces the deep windowsill. Totally realistic and delightful. No water necessary! Smart colors and lively motion. What is it about orchids, anyway?!

Closeup of the left side of the bedside chest. Our realistic maidenhair fern, always a stack of books and a coveted glass decoupaged alphabet plate. These two frames came home with me tonight for added photos...hopefully my other to granddaughters! (There are still a number of details to complete prior to 5:00pm Saturday night. *sigh*

I am totally in love with these authentic vintage chairs that were gifted to me by my friend, Paul Giler. In the home he grew up in, they reined in the 40's and live again in this new fabric, a beautiful taupe velvet stria by Kravet. The orange piping just completes the picture! I won't be sad if they are not sold...maybe the beginning of a new color pallet for my own family room! Thanks, Paul. While I must admit that I wasn't totally sold on using them in the beginning, they have now taken first chair on my "love that detail" list. You may be able to see that one is slightly shorter than the other..."his" and "hers"! So cool. They seem to be a hit with all who enter.

Take note of the linen fern fabric used on the kidney pillows! Trimmed with the simplest eyelash fringe, they soften and add interest to the room. This shot also gives a closeup to the cool drapery fabric I selected-Robert Allen contributed this piece of the style to my room. Linen with orange harlequin grid---oh, so Susan!

My shag rug is peeking out in the corner of the frame also. This retro look has been showing up in all kinds of Black-eyed Susan projects! So soft underfoot. So welcoming. So cool. Many colors and available in any custom size. I recommend it! Call me for details.

A closeup of the detail on the matching ottoman to the vintage chairs. It's a great closeup of the fabric detail as well. Those tea cups are the absolute perfect match! Such a homey touch. Once again, I like it.

Just one more closeup of the custom pillow shams and headboard. A long boxed sham sits in front of the two queen shams, the drapery fabric making another appearance. Man, do I love that fabric! Several other designers commented today that it is one of their favorites too!

Note the nail head trim on the bed and the warm stone porcelain artichokes on the bedside chest. Perfectly placed details. Perfect color. Perfect style!

Lastly, a closeup of the deep window sill behind the vintage chairs. I just love deep window sills!

The beautiful draperies frame this deep sill and stage the white porcelain pears, books, and lovely female bust. I'm loving these new supple "fresh-touch" leaves that are leaning out of the palest of aqua spherical vases.

Well, there you have it! Your own personal preview. If you live in the area, come see it for yourself. If you are a follower from afar, hope you enjoyed the view!

Welcome, style. Here's to a successful run for the next month.