Traveling

What a week! Last weekend was spent in Charleston, South Carolina with Carly for Parent's Weekend. Our version of Parent's Weekend is attending one function and then eating our way through the South. There was a great billboard on 95--Put some South in your mouth! It was referencing Moon Pies, RC Cola, etc. We definitely took advantage of the sweet tea, grits, Barbeque, hush puppies,banana pudding, oysters at Folly Beach, and a visit to Charleston kitchens for some Pralines to take home.

Today we traveled 95 North to Wesley College in Delaware to visit Quinn and check out Wesley Football. It has been a long time since I have cheered a college football team. And we were not disappointed. Wesley kept their undefeated streak going by winning against Salisbury!

Tomorrow I become an elf and decorate the shop for the holidays. I am still in my creating mode and Dan has reserved a chainsaw at Home Depot to help. I will keep you in suspense until the decorating has been done and the pictures are posted. I will need that extra hour tomorrow!

Blogs are amazing vehicles. One can read, shop, and create all in one sitting. It is like having a thousand magazines available at your fingertips. Not a good thing for me because I have spent the past couple of days getting lost in the world of blogs. However, I wanted to share 2 new discoveries with you. I have already confessed about my passion for magazines. This past year has been hard on the shelter magazine business. Three of my favorites folded: Country Home, Domino, and Cottage Style. All three were places I found ideas, inspiration and product.

I am happy to report that these old friends are being resurrected but in different formats. Somer of the creative geniuses of Country Home are morphing into Flea Market Style which will be hitting the shelves in the Spring of 2010. As for Domino, it has surfaced as an online magazine, http://www.lonnymag.com/. I was so excited that I had to share this with you all. I will keep sleuthing for more finds.

Fishs Eddy

Since I do not attend gift shows ( too overwhelming and exhausting), everyone always asks where I find new product and ideas. Simple. I subscibe to every design magazine known to man. Well, actually, not every one but close to it! In the back of each magazine is a resource page. I read these closely and write down every shop, website, and product that I am not familiar with or know. Then once again, I sit with the computer and check out each and every website. It is amazing what one can find!

During one of these marathons, I discovered Fishs Eddy, a shop in New York. Quirky, unusual, different. It has become a go-to store for me at Christmas in shopping for my girls. Kerry has received a Brooklyn mug, Morgan opened a hula girl glass set, Carly found an owl plate to commemorate her sorority, and Quinn found a glass with Milk on it. Little finds that don't break the bank and the girls look forward to opening.

So you ask, why don't I carry these products? Well, I don't have the capital to have my own ceramics factory in China. But I have some great local artists who are open to my suggestions and ideas. And http://www.etsy.com/ is a wonderful resource for finding new talent to carry in the shop. Just yesterday, a new shipment of handbags arrived from Frederick, Maryland from someone I found on etsy and inquired. There is a huge world out there and I am ready to shop!

And you can also visit http://www.fishseddy.com/ as well!

Rachel Ashwell

Rachel Ashwell has been one of my go-to inspirational designers for a long time. I was sad to read of her company going bankrupt. She has had a horrendous year with that and the death of her mother. We can all relate to bad years. But I am happy to report that things are on the upswing for her. She has begun a new company, Shabby Chic Couture and opened 2 stores, one in New York and one in California.

For me, this is important for two reasons (besides being a nice thing for her). The first is that I am always talking about reinventing yourself. When one door closes, open another! My four daughters will attest to this! The second reason for enjoying her success is white slipcovers! How else to have white sofas while having four children, a black lab dog, and 2 cats! Slipcovers in the washing machine and a couple of scoops of Oxyclean. Voila! White again!

So I am happy to share in Rachel Ashwell's success as well and my tip for white slipcovers!

Beginnings

The world is different now and everyone is connected through the computer. It has found old friends, opened new doors, and become a daily occurrence. So I am now blogging. Beginnings.

In the beginning, Gratitudes was a quote: " Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Then the idea became a bricks and mortar store and here I am today.

I am hoping to share new ideas, new shopping places, and love of all things pretty and most of all, fun!