Happy Saturday!

I said in the last post that I would be blogging a little each day….that was Tuesday…today is Saturday….Point made and proven!!!

I had a very busy week.  I am continuing a project with a client that has been going on for about 3 months now.  We are gearing up for another round of window treatments and furniture.  It has been a great project and I am very pleased with the way things are coming together.  I am also very thankful to have such a large project at a time when the economy is so sluggish.  God is good!

I am also preparing for the Southern Christmas show.  It’s hard to believe it is already that time again.  I have decided to go in a very different direction this year.  I am steering away from the whimsical lime green, red and white, of which I have used over the past couple of years.  I have to admit it is hard for me to wander from this color combo.  To me, it is so much fun and truly represents  Christmas.  But, I think it is important for people to know that I can accommodate many different tastes and styles.  I never want to back myself into a “one kind of style” corner!  I hope my space is well-received.  I am looking forward to meeting new people, seeing old friends, and ushering in another Holiday season! 

The project list continues as I get my shop spruced up for the Season.  Ornaments, ribbon, wreaths and garlands have been arriving daily!  I will be preparing for my “After Hours Christmas Open House” coming up on Tuesday October 26 and Thursday October 28.  Choose  your night, show up around 7:00pm and have a fun night out with the girls!  And, of coarse, I will have some goodies to nibble on as you choose your special Christmas treasures!

As I have been typing away, my husband and his brother have disappeared off to Linville Gorge for a day hike.  I am sure the scenic views and the quiet wilderness will offer them a day of much enjoyment.  I, on the other hand, am enjoying sitting on my sofa, finishing my last sips of coffee, peering out the back door at the sunshine and completing a blog…Ahhh.  I am relishing the moment, as I know it will soon be time to get my elf suit back on and head back into the workshop!

Making a Change

Change is happening.  The seasons are changing.  The leaves are changing, the plants and flowers on my front porch are changing.  I also need a change….Let me explain.

In regard to Blogging, it seems to always be a challenge for me to complete a Blog.  I put a lot of pressure on myself to find just the right content, to express the content in a  pleasing manner, and to create almost a masterpiece of text and pictures.  I have come to the conclusion that my Blog has become a thorn in my side and I was almost ready to close the curtain never to return!  Alas, I decided that maybe a change is in order. 

SO,  rather than face putting this so-called “masterpiece” together once a month as I have been attempting to do (once a month because I was trying to avoid it!), I want to try to blog a little each day.  Content may or may not be design-oriented, but will hopefully be a happy, easy read and also a much simpler, more enjoyable approach to the process for me!  My blogs may be very personal, but I am a “personable person”, so I think this will reflect who I am, and in essence, that is exactly what I want my blog to be.

Tomorrow is the first day of the “changing of the blog guard!”  I hope you will enjoy the changes and I look forward to a new, relaxed process!

Whew!  I feel better already!

All A-Buzz About….

I was recently asked to assist with an upcoming baby shower for a family member.  It seems I have become the go-to for such events and I gladly accept the invitation!  I love helping find and implement those little details that make all the difference- for the one in which the special event is being given and for those who attend! (Although this blog post does not exactly address interiors design issues, it does reflect the importance of creative flair and pulling all the pieces together to make a complimentary ending!)

Why not a bee theme, I thought? All parties, no matter the type, must have a theme- or at least in my world they do!  Just take a look at my business logo…I love the look of the bee and thought with a few creative touches, it could make a baby shower endearing, special and elegant.  So, the search and thinking began.

In my hunt for baby shower-related items, and to my delight, I found all types of bee paraphernalia. I wanted to share a couple of my favorite things, most of which have nothing to do with the shower, but have been added to my “Most Wanted” List…

 

 

“Bee Yourself “ Bracelet by Molly Helsey Designs (Etsy.com)

 

 

Bee T-shirt by Evolution  (Etsy.com)

 

 

                                                        

Beehive Locket by Contrary(Etsy.com)

 

 

 

 

Wedding Shower Favor Tags by luvs2create2  (Etsy.com)

 I loved the novelty of each of these items.  As shown, these can be found at Esty.com- a site in which all the items are hand made!  Love it!

Okay, back to the task at hand- the shower!!  The invitation, of course, sets the stage.  So it is a very important choice.  I found this one on zazzle.com and thought it was perfect. 

Now to the party favors, serving items, guest prizes,etc.  Love this piece for serving the beverage of choice and also the beehive and bee salt and pepper shakers, just to add that touch of whimsy.

I love to provide games to play at a shower, as they often serve as ice breakers for attendees who may not know one another.  Thus, gifts are needed for the game winners- I thought these items would be great….

The beautiful soaps are made by lusciouslather.com and the sink strainer can be found at littlegourgeousthings.com.  I plan to wrap them in cellophane with a pretty ribbon and special tag.

Party favors, which I like to think of as parting gifts, have grown in popularity and serve as a thank you for attendance. I plan to give these wonderful little beehive votives from Bee Hive Candles to guests.  I will also wrap these in cellophane with tags that say “As Cute As Can BEE!”

 

Finally, it is always helpful for the mommy-to-be (or bride) to get a little assistance with all the thank-you cards that will be sent post-shower.  Here’s a great way to at least do half the work for them.  Provide blank envelopes in a basket for shower attendees to self-address before leaving.  Mommy or Bride then write their thank you and pop the card into the already-addressed envelope and “woopty-doo” the work is through!  I loved these cards that, I again, found on Etsy.com.  (Queen Bee Flourish Recycled Craft Paper Card Set-the craftpantry.com) 

So, now all I have to do is gather everything together and hope that this not so typical baby shower theme makes for an afternoon of fun and memory making.  On a side note, this shower is extra-special because the parents-to-be were told that they would probably never be able to have children.  As we say, the Lord works in mysterious ways and I am so glad he chose these two to be parents!  That’s what “All the Buzz” is about!! 

Lighting Your Home

Energy efficiency is a popular subject these days.  In several recent design-related magazines, newspapers and internet articles I have  noticed that lighting is a big subject in relation to energy efficiency.  I just wonder how that will affect the aesthetics of our homes??

As a designer, I love the warmth and ambiance those good old incandescent bulbs give off and I am all for lowering energy costs and doing what we can to better our environment.  BUT do these new bulbs that I am seeing in stores and reading about provide the illumination I need to make my clients' homes “shine?”

After doing some some research I found that it’s probably not as bad as I feared.  There are ways to transition into the world of the new and improved where light bulbs are concerned….

By now, you have probably heard of the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb, or “CFL”.  CFLs consume roughly 30% of the power required for a similar incandescent, thus saving you money on your power bill each month.  They have also be shown to radically cut down green house emissions.  Okay, that sounds great, but when you are in the light bulb aisle at your neighborhood home improvement store, how do you know what to choose??  Here are some tips:

1.  Choose the right kind of CFL

• These “new and improved” bulbs do have limitations.  For example, the don’t like cold temperatures- they like to be warm.  In fact, their efficiency goes down with the temperature.  Speaking of temperature, CFLs can be used outdoors, but make sure that they are labeled as such.
• The life of the bulb can be shortened with vibration, so using them in a ceiling fan, for example is probably not the best choice.
• To achieve their level of claimed efficiency, a CFL must warm up to its “operational temperature”.  This can take any where from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, during which time they are at about the same level of efficiency as our old friend the incandescent. But, most modern CFLs have an almost immediate start up time.

2.  Quality, Quality, Quality

• You get what you pay for….that includes CFLs.  Buy brands that you know- GE, Sylvania and Phillips, for example.  The ballast quality is what separates the good from the bad.  Low quality ballasts will buzz and flicker and will not last as long as their better counterparts.  Spend more money up front for lasting results later.
• CFLs produce a very narrow color spectrum, but do come in “warm light” and “daylight”.  This does at least give us somewhat of  a choice when selecting our new bulbs.  When you begin to get rid of those incandescents, buy a couple of each type of CFL to decide what works best for the spaces in your home.  (By the way, just so you can sound really smart to all of your friends, this is called “Relamping”-  substituting one light bulb for another in order to save energy).

3.  Disposal of CFLs

Although an intact CFL will not emit Mercury, they do require a very small amount of it to function.  Because Mercury is poisonous, it is very important to dispose of CFLs properly, especially if you have a broken bulb.  If you happen to break a bulb, ventilate the area and clean up using latex gloves.  Place bulbs, cleaning materials, etc. in doubled zip-loc bags and treat as hazardous material.  Currently, there are very few CFL-specific recycle areas, but you can call 1-800-CLEAN UP to find the closest facility to you.

So, hopefully you know a little more than you did about the Compact Fluorescent and can make an informed decision when you begin the “Relamping” process in your home.  Happy Lighting!

This little CFL of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!  (I know, very corny, but I had to say it!)

Directions

View Larger Map

Why I have not included directions to my shop in previous blogs, I do not know.  Probably so engrossed with blog content that I left out obvious details!!  Directions are from Hwy. 85, Exit 22- the Cramerton/Lowell Exit.

Hope your day is constructive and productive!

 

Summer is Flying By!

Happy Independence Day (a day late!).  We had a wonderful time with friends and family yesterday and made lots of great memories.  It’s just so hard to believe that we are already into July.  I always think of it as summer being half over, which I know is not true.  But I treasure EVERY day of Summer, especially since thinking of Winter makes me cringe!   Hope your holiday was fun!

Business is thankfully moving right along.  I am very gracious for the opportunity of new clients and new projects.  Things are going better than I could have expected.  It has reminded me to look at life with expectancy and positivity.  Life is good and I am grateful!

I will be attending the Gift and Home Furnishings Market in Atlanta in a couple of weeks.  I am happy to have my mom attending with me.  She has never been to Market and because she is not a shopper, I don’t know if she will look at the experience as  fun or grueling!  Market is hard work, even for a shop-o-holic like me!  Shipments should begin arriving at the mid to late August.  I hope you will make plans to stop by!

I have decided to change the shop hours for the summer.  The new hours are: Tuesday-Thursday 10am-4:30pm.  I currently have special pricing on florals, outdoor planters, garden stools and more.  Hope to see you soon!

 

Happy Summer!

Tammy

Up and Running

It has been a couple of weeks since my shop and design studio opened and things are off to a great start!

                                   (Picture provided by the Gaston Gazette)

I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the items I carry at the shop, just in case you are ever in need of that something special.

Voluspa Candles

Upon first sniff of these candles, I knew I wanted to carry them.  Not only do they have a wonderful fragrance, but the packaging is beautiful as well.  Voluspa candles have been featured on Oprah’s “O List” and are a fav or many celebrities.  Voluspa also offers a line of luscious hand soaps and lotions that share that wonderful fragrance and packaging. 

Meri Meri Stationary

As a lover of the written note, Meri Meri greatly appealed to my stationary fetish!  I have always loved stationary and believe that there is no substitute for the hand written note.  Meri Meri offers a vast line of stationary, cards and invitations.  I chose to carry their “Note to Self” line, which includes purse notes, fridge notes and card sets.  

Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabrics

It was a “no brainer” when deciding on what wallpaper line to carry in the shop.  Thibaut has long been one of my favorites, as I love their use of pattern and color.  They carry many coordinated fabrics along with the wallpaper.  Great style and elegance!

 

 

Pine Cone Hill Bedding

What’s more important than a good night’s sleep?  It is a very important part of life, and why not make it a beautiful night’s sleep?  Pine Cone Hill bedding provides just that!  I love the pattern and color combinations the line offers.  In addition to quilts, matelasses, duvet covers, pillow shams and sheets, Pine Cone Hill also offers pajamas!  And why not?  Why shouldn’t your pajamas match your bedding??

Duralee Fabrics

Duralee has long been known as a leader in the design industry, so with such a trusted name, I thought what better line to carry?  There are unlimited fabric possibilities for all of your decorating needs- window treatments, bedding, shower curtains, upholstery, etc.  Fabric sample books are here, at your fingertips!

 

So, that is just a highlight of what is here for you to enjoy.  Now you know where to go for the special surcie- for a friend or for yourself!  I hope to see you soon!  And don’t forget, if you are in the midst of a “decorating dilemma” and need assistance, design consultations are available by appointment.  I offer a wide range of services for every need and budget!

 

STORE/STUDIO HOURS:

Wednesday-Friday: 10am – 5pm;  Saturday 9am –1pm

Other days by appointment.  (Closed on Sunday)

There are days that I will be out with clients during regular business hours. 

                See You Soon!!