Some Days...

I really look forward to a little quiet and solitude, with my favorite bath crystals and great magazines. We all need a little down time, don't we? This combo of Burts Bees for Mommas is magical and very restorative and discounted right now on this great website.




And then it's fun to sit down and catch up on my favorite blogs. Have you read Blond Design's Blog? It's one of my favorites.

The Scent of Fall

Have you noticed a sweet, fragrant almost citrus-like scent lingering around this time of year? It's the delicate flowers of the Osmanthus shrub or Tea Olive Shrub, as it's more commonly known. I first noticed its scent in Charlotte in early October but never identified it until I moved here and found one blooming in our back yard. I took a piece of it to my neighbor and garden center owner, Pete Gulley. Tea Olive shrubs grow nicely around here and require very little maintenance. You can keep them in a container (right by an entry would be ideal as a sweet greeting) but you have to water diligently. Right now is a great time to plant Osmanthus because it can establish a root system during the fall and winter months.

Queen City Living

I lived in Charlotte during design school and for several years afterwards and one of my favorite places to visit for inspiration was Circa Interiors & Antiques. I've been following their blog and keep going back to a previous post on this condo, designed for the Symphony Guild Desinger Showhouse. Created by two of Circa's designers, Catherine Walters and Patrick Lewis, this condo feels young and modern. I'm sure it's a small space but I like how they used over scaled accessories.

Whole Living

Here's a great article on how to incorporate "Wabi Sabi," the Japanese term for embracing imperfection in your life and home, from Whole Living. It truly is the simple things that can make everyday life more enjoyable. Also, I am inspired by Hilary Thomas' website and her approach to design. She follows the same mantra, to "find beauty in the imperfect." Although her interiors look pretty close to perfection to me. Enjoy perusing if you have a moment. She's also featured on One Kings Lane right now in a Tastemaker Tag Sale. Have you signed up for their e-mails yet? You won't regret it!

CoffeeTable Books

I'm guest blogging on Sandhillsdig.com today, a great website started by my friends and Moore County natives, Anna and Wes Smith. Click here for the post and enjoy checking out their site. If you live here or want to come visit, it's the best insider's guide around! Here's a sneak peek of the post:

Insider Tip!

Maybe this is just news to me but I was excited to learn that most big box stores like West Elm, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, will ship at no charge if you find something on line that you like and then call a store and order it directly from them. I was about to order these knobs on-line and the shipping was $14! But I called the Raleigh store and they shipped them same day at no charge.




Last year I found some outdoor pillows from West Elm that I loved and the website said they were no longer available. I called their Charlotte store and they had them in-stock, half price and they shipped them for free that day! Speaking of West Elm, they have some neat new collaborations right now with Benjamin Moore, Lutz & Patmos (above), Sesame Letterpress (above) and more!

Inspired!

Furniture Market in High Point did not disappoint this year!

A couple of my favorite discoveries were Charlie West Pottery & Lamps Charlie West is a potter from Cleveland, GA and his lamps are one-of-a-kind works of art (if ordering a pair, they should be ordered together). They begin as a piece of clay and after being shaped and fired, they are beautifully and artfully glazed. They are true statement pieces and I can't wait to place them in a client's home.



Beautiful pillows and accents from Busbin Fine Home Furnishings in Charlotte, below and at the top of the page.


Bungalow 5 is always fun to visit! Their brightly-colored furniture and accents are hard to pass by.


These products are sold exclusively to interior design professionals. By hiring a designer, you have access to a whole new world of possibilities for your home. No one should be limited to the same old catalogue of choices!