It's time! The first official item for sale on my new online shop, Eclectic Finds! Please take a look and keep looking back for more items including furniture, fabrics, accessories, to-the-trade items, one-of-a-kind finds and custom creations that I have worked with local artisans to create! Whenever I debut a new item, I will put a photo in the top, left-hand side of this blog and all you have to do is click on over or (better yet) subscribe to the shop and you will be notified whenever new items are listed. Then email me if you are interested and I will send you a secure PayPal invoice. Happy Shopping!
So I've been taunting you with my big news and here it is...I'm opening a shop!!!
[Let's pause a sec for the cheers and applause...maybe even a lil' confetti falling from the sky.]
I think part of my delay in telling you is my shock that it is actually happening! A lifetime dream coming true! It will be called "Eclectic"-part design studio and part home decor shop where I will be selling home furnishings including furniture, lighting, art, accessories and more. The design studio will be very user-friendly so customers will be able to access it themselves. And the retail will be a mix of Eclectic Creations (custom items that I design and/or repurpose as well as items that I collaborate with local artisans to create), Eclectic Finds (things I collect from antique shops, flea markets, etc.) and Eclectic Picks (products that I have hand selected from chosen vendors). I feel that this unique blend of products will be unlike anything currently in the marketplace. And in case you are wondering, yes, I will still have my interior design business!
Eclectic is located at 875 Coleman Blvd next to Royal Hardware (where Belva's Flowers use to be). It is taking longer than expected (as these things always do) but I hope to be open sometime in June.
Here is a before shot...
(You know how I love rough before shots!)
Here is during shot mid up-fit...
I'll show you some after shots when I'm done! Or better yet, stop in and see for yourself! And I promise to keep you updated on the progress. Now you know why I have been so bad about blogging...I've been a lil' busy! :)
This was technically last week but never posted for some reason but I still wanted to mention it...While in Beaufort for Mother's Day/My Birthday, we went to some design shops and antique stores like Fordham Market and M Interiors, a super cute shop on Bay Street. We also went to a few antique malls over in Port Royal and Lady's Island. I got some gems you will soon see for sale on Eclectic Finds!
Saw Something Borrowed. I am so happy for Atlanta writer Emily Giffin who has already signed a four time movie deal of her books! You go girl.
Have I mentioned how much I heart John Krazinski?
(There ain't nothing like a good guy who is also sarcastic and self-deprecating. I'm just sayin'...)
Loaded lots of goods into Eclectic Finds! Something new will debut every day. Go check it out...
And all next week I will be selling remnants so look alive and grab up some quality fabric for a steal! Here is a little tease...
Ok, so I'm off for a girl's weekend. Woop Woop! Three guesses where I'm going...
#1
"Luanne, why don't we just go up there and say "This was our last weekend together, and we didn't feel like going to Fort Sumter and touring goddamn colonial homes. We wanted to go to the beach and meet boys and go to wild parties and dance." I mean why can't we tell them the truth?" -Carson
#2 This guy is in Spring Training there...
#3 She is from there but probably doesn't talk about it much...
I needed to recharge the ol' batteries as they say. They are still charging but should be at a full charge by Monday (I hope).
I finally broke down and joined Pinterest! Four hours later I uncrossed my eyes and went to bed. I am slowly adding stuff and ironically started with fashion and hair perhaps because I needed a little break from design (see: recharging the ol' batteries). Follow me if you want to!
Went to see this...
It's dang funny, especially for a sequel. But heck, I could watch Zack Galifianaki for two hours doing nothing and laugh my head off. I could also watch Bradley Cooper for two hours but I would be doing more than laughing.
Went to see Sarah Jarosz at the Cistern for Spoleto. If you are unfamiliar, get familiar. She is beyond amazing!
Here are some things you have missed if you aren't following my online shop, Eclectic Finds!
Next week is "Book Week" over at Eclectic Finds where I am selling some of my favorite fashion, design and coffee table books to add to your collection.
My dad and I went to Savannah last week to do a little shopping. It has become a bit of a tradition for us at Thanksgiving...a lil' father/daughter bonding. We hit up antique malls and some of the home decor shops. It's great, my dad follows me around and asks "What is that? Where would you use that? What are you buying that for?" It cracks me up but if I didn't love him so much it might put me over the edge. We laugh at all the "tourists" in line to eat at Paula Deen's restaurant then we stop for some lunch at Soho, a restaurant/art gallery that has the best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever had (and I am quite the grilled cheese connoisseur!).
The Paris Flea Market A great shop that has country French inspired items and one-of-a-kind flea market finds. Also a great place to pick up design books. And this time of year it is fun to see how they take their style and decorate for Christmas!
I love the deer antler wreath!
SCAD Shop A shop filled with student's art and creations from Savannah College of Art and Design. They have everything from oil paintings to dog clothes to organic soaps. I love seeing what creative minds come up with!
In typical Sidney fashion, I got a migraine so we had to cut the trip short however we did get to hit up a few of the main stops like Jere's Antiques a HUGE warehouse, I am talking 33,000 square feet HUGE, filled with antiques as well as a few other antique places along the river. All in all, it was fun and I bought some stuff that will be for sale on my new online shop, Eclectic Finds, debuting in January!
Went on a girl's trip to Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach (if you haven't heard the Sunny Ledfurd song please go do so now!). We stayed at a friend's house (see below). And to the reader who said mean things to me last time I "teased" about Myrtle Beach...CHILL. OUT. There are beautiful parts in every town...
And there are terrible cheesy parts in every town...
Just accept it. You can go to my home town of Marietta, Georgia and prove the very same point!
Me and my roomies. Sixteen women in one house...aye, aye, aye!
Big thanks to Danika over at Gorgeous Shiny Things for featuring my nightstands in her segment, THE SCORE, where she showcases people's fabulous finds!
Checked in on my friend/client who just moved back in after having his concrete floors stained. I think they look amazing!
It was Fabric Week over at Eclectic Finds! Lots of remnants for sale so go check them out! If you mention the phrase "I'M A FABRIC HOARDER" you get 10% off!
Grrr, a lil' alone time...
I hope all you local folks are coming out to our annual Memorial Day event!
All proceeds benefit local breast cancer patients so come enjoy some booze and bbq while listening to Indecision and Gaslight Street...get yo' tickets here!
Here is a brilliant idea for keeping up with the paint colors used in your home! Paint wood chips (found at a craft store) with the color of each room and the room's name then put them on a chain and carry them in your car or purse for quick matches while shopping. Absolutely genius! I am going to try to remember to do this for my clients as a lil' gift!
Have any other ideas? Please leave a comment.
If you are local, be sure to stop by the opening of Novel, a showroom for the talented artisans of these collections: Blue Chickadee (she made the custom burlap pillows available on Eclectic Finds as well as adorable children's items like canvas bags and mobiles), Jane Pope and Balboa Jewelry and Library (vintage clothing + accessories).
Finally debuted my new online shop, Eclectic Finds! If you haven't taken a peek, please doso! I will showcase a new item each weekday so keep checking back or better yet, subscribe to the blog and you will be notified each time I post a new item.
Finalized all my forms, systems, etc. for my e-decorating services. I will be giving you all that info next week! But for now, here is a sneak peek of one that I am working on...
Got to go tour The American College of the Building Arts in their campus that is in the old jail of downtown Charleston. Your's truly will be speaking at their event on March 19. I will have more on that next week!
Played 6 Degrees of Separation with some of my design idols...funny how small this world can be! It came to my attention that I have a 2nd Degree connection (meaning my friend is friends/relatives) with Ruthie Sommers, Palmer Weiss, Amanda Nisbet, Angie Hranowsky and Kelly Wearstler(l to r). Look at me name dropping...maybe their design talents will rub off on me by my 2nd Degree association.
Paid $150 for my IT guy to come install my scanner. After about 4 minutes, he told me my scanner was already installed. I had just not plugged it in correctly. Awesome. Reminds me of the time I took my car into the shop because the check engine light was on and they told me that my gas cap wasn't screwed on tight enough.
Dropped off the custom tables my carpenter made for some clients. Clearly it is not accessorized BUT wanted to show you an attractive way to store oodles and oodles of toys.
Helped my talented builder friend Richard Jackson of Jackson Built Custom Homes and his super sweet clients with a design dilemma. The clients were worried about the massive, super wide living room bookcases...they didn't want to have to fill it up with large amounts of chotchkies! I thought it was super smart of them to be thinking of that in the construction phase. Most people don't do that much forward thinking then they are stuck with either empty shelves or shelves filled with (pardon me) crap. The solution was an altered version of this set-up mimicking what is above the fireplace then working around windows and using some amazing architectural corbels on open shelving.
Southern Living
It is gonna be GORGEOUS!
Finally saw the installed wine racks (technically champagne riddling racks) that we hung for my client's who are wine enthusiasts (aren't we all?). I know it's a terrible picture...hard to see and still not finished. I'll have the money shot later on!
Saw a Goose hangin' with the turtles. I wonder what they talk about? (If you are reading for the first time...I see these turtles each time I go visit a client. They are usually lined up in a row, in order, by size. Not kidding. So cute!)
Don't forget to stop by Eclectic Finds and do some shopping!
Finally had the casters added to my project table. Now I look like a four year old sitting at my desk because my seat is too low. It is hilarious! But I must add, doing wonders for my posture. And yes, I did think of this before I added the casters but didn't think it would matter that much. I was wrong. Next up...I am painting the desk top grey. Pics to follow!
I went to the Wine&Food Festival of Charleston. I had never been before but if I ever go back, I will go later than 11 am so that I can drink more wine! I know that kills all true wine connoisseurs but I'm sorry, I refuse to spit it out. Anyway, I was loving all the wine barrels and thinking of all the things you could do with them...
Table is the obvious answer but I wanted more so I did a Google search and there was some crazy sh*t out there like pet beds, lazy Susan's, coolers, vehicles (yeah, you heard me). My dad is a landscape architect and he would use them as planters in our house growing up. Here are some other things I found...
via Elle Decor
via inspiredbride
And everyone know's this guy, the chandelier that put BoBo on the map.
Tyler Florence's shop in Napa
Any other ideas???
Went to happy hour (are you sensing a theme?) at the new Rice Market on East Bay. It was the old Boathouse and before that Arizona's if you are local. They had some cool things going on with the decor!
Driftwood stair railing...(the owner said they found all of the pieces locally)
Cool twig light fixtures...(anyone know if Ann Yancy made these?)
Dropped off a few things to be painted for my online shop, Eclectic Finds. If you haven't gone yet, go check it out!
So that's what I'm gonna do. Take off on a lil' buying trip and see some friends along the way and ultimately celebrate this lil' guy's birthday. Well, he's not so lil' anymore I'm sad to say. 9 years! Where does the time go?
I remember just the other day when he was a lil' bit. That's also when I was cool and he laughed at all my jokes. Now all he wants is to play with my iPhone. [sigh]
So forgive me while I take a blogging break. But it will be worth it when you see what Eclectic Finds I bring back!
Love seeing progress! It's gotta get ugly before it can look amazing. Tearing out the fireplace and preping the walls for installation of some new built-ins.
Smiled.
I think i'll go for a walk outside now the summer sun's callin my name (i hear ya now) i just can't stay inside all day i gotta get out get me some of those rays everybody's smilin sunshine day everybody's laughin sunshine day everybody seems so happy today it's a sunshine day -The Brady Bunch
Get to go see these adorable kids...
And I couldn't be more excited!!!
Am also going on a lil' buying trip for Eclectic Finds. Have you been over there lately? Lots for sale! Including the ridiculously cute pillows Way Way of Blue Chickadee helped me create!
I am excited to announce the debut of my new blog, OBJECTS, which is essentially an online shop! Due to the interest in the items that I was offering on this blog, I decide to create a blog featuring all of my fabulous finds like fabrics, wallpaper, accessories, furniture and more now available to you you at a discounted rate. I will update the blog frequently so check back often! Click here to go directly to OBJECTS blog!
We had a custom piece of furniture made for a client's outside entryway made. It is where they come in from the beach, boat, etc. and a great place to display all of their "finds" from the sea. So I was looking for inspiration on how to best display their treasures and found these great ideas on Pinterest...
In jars with the name of the beach you found the shells
Framed out and labeled with their proper name
Pefectly displayed!
Like no one else does!
All grouped together
In apothecary jars
How do you display your seashells?
Eclectic has been nominated for best interior design blog again this year and if chosen, I win a cash prize (yippie), so please take a second to vote for me here! Many thanks!!!
Some of these you will see again in "after" photos of client's homes!
In case you can't tell, I have such a schizophrenic design aesthetic. Everything I like is a mix of several opposing styles...Coastal Living (i.e. rattan furniture, coral and other natural items, coastal colors, sea inspired artwork), Domino (i.e. kitschy flea market finds and modern accessories) and Southern Accents (i.e. traditional pieces, gold framed art, Oushak rugs). Sometimes it is a stretch to blend them all together (and I am not entirely sure that I always succeed) but luckily, I named my company Eclectic so I can at least pretend, right?
Thank God for a new year! 1.1.11 has to mean something lucky, right? Can I get an amen? [Gee, that was for you!] Had a nice New Year's weekend out at Sullivan's Island where some friends rented a house on the beach. And my Christmas break was wonderful! On the way to Atlanta, I made a few stops to see friends and do some antiquing (more photos to come). Then I went to my brother's and got to spend some quality time with the fam + extended fam. My nephews were on a perma-Christmas high which was very contagious! Love, love, love. My brother had a lot of family videos put on dvd so we got to relive many great memories. And we got a white Christmas...very rare in the South!
This is near my bro's house. Christmas card worthy!
Our super cute Snowman!
My sweet brother was pegging snowballs and my dad and I as we were trying to take a nice photo. Some things never change...
And we consumed large amount of alcohol. So proud.
But looking forward in the new year, I have a lot of exciting things planned for Eclectic! Like...
For the blog, I am going to do some more Decorganizing posts, some inspirational Before & After projects, show you many of the projects that I worked on in 2010 and much much more!
I will debut some photos of my new and improved office (which is taking longer than expected. See clients, it isn't just you!).
And, if all goes accordingly, I will be doing some design/organizing classes (locally).
I have enhanced my e-decorating services and can't wait to tell you more about that!
And very soon my blog will have a whole new look!
But most importantly, I will be launching a new online shop filled with custom creations, one-of-a-kind finds, fabrics, furniture, accessories, lighting and to-the-trade products.
