Living the Fancy Life

Slather on the butter...

Well it came yesterday!  

It is already flying off the shelves.  Apparently I was the only one who didn't know it was the happening thing in polish.  Butter's claim to fame is that it is free of the bad 3.  3 Free is what they do and it means No Formaldehyde, No toluene, and No DBP (Phthales). Ever. It also means you will find the coolest colors!  I can't say I am a purple girl however the lavender is lovely even though I am a traditionalist. 

Also for my blog fans only.  It is my birthday today and as a present to you this weekend come in and save 20%.  I am not putting this in an email or on the door or anything, it is just for you so come in and say "Happy Birthday"  and I will give you 20% off. Of course you can tell your friends but only if you remind them how cool you are for reading this blog!

 

longing for a day of sunshine

 So I was longing for some signs of spring. I have some new paint that needs to meet the sun. I know we need the rain and I love a long shower so I am willing to put up with a fair amount to ensure I can keep them. That being said I just need a nice day.  No overcast, no rain, no wind, just a plain day that is 65 degrees or better.  I don't see this happening anytime soon so I went wandering on the internet. So here are some signs of what I am dreaming about:

    
I dream of having this beautiful floor someday.  It wouldn't work in my house.  Someday I will find out I had a lovely Uncle that had a house on the Upper East Side of NYC, somewhere not too far from the park. This must be the foyer. Maybe it is in Boston on the park and then I could walk down to eat at Todd English's Figs on Charles Street. Anyway if he leaves me this humble abode, you will have to come for a visit.

Photography from House Beautiful and Martin Cederbland. 

Going for it and feeling the love of 2056-60

 OK, my going for muted blue or a whispery olive green is like most people going for Indian Beige.  It is what I do.  At first that was the color theory for the new paint at Daisy's. But I had a few muses and some inspiration and decided to go for it.  First I have been utterly obsessed with Eddie and Jaithan's window for Elle Decor at The big window challenge from apartment therapy. Second, I love the stuff on House of Turquoise.  

I bought the most amazing cabinet at the antique faire in December it is the most amazing shade of green with blue paint inside on all the shelves.  I keep trying to put things on it but almost everything seems unworthy.  So with all that in mind I hit the link on Eddie's Blog to Benjamin Moore's regal velvet paint in blue seafoam color #2056-60.  

 
 By the way, not much more time to vote for Eddie & Jaithan and the Elle Decor Window.  Thursday is the final day.  So go to big window challenge and text 89800 and then enter 1 in the message. It will text you right back and let you know they got it. 

Rhymes with Horn!

 
 This is my centerfold girl, Charlotte Moss. OK, you all get to know a big secret but I don't want rumors spreading around town about things that just aren't true. Michelle knows and she isn't any better when she spies a new cake plate coming out of the box at Daisy's. 

The feeling that I get when I see something beautiful sends tingles up my spine and makes me loose my mind. Perfectly placed beautiful accessories and the feel of amazing silk ribbon make me forget all other things in this world exist if only for a minute. Sometimes I wonder when I am completely absorbed in the kitchen of the month in house beautiful if I could even tell you my children by name.  My dirty little secret is I would fail the test.  I love them and I would never want them to know.  When I see a velvet couch in the perfect color I am like Hugh Hefner. I am willing to face the fact that to me a beautifully set table and green depression glass are porn, along with many other X, XX and XXX collections I have acquired.  I have given up fancy cars and vacations for just the right objects of my desire. It is truly an addiction. 

Lots of people with different tastes have a similar problem and may not even know it.  Face it some people watch hours of HGTV and it doesn't come with a child warning. The good thing about this addiction is, it is so much fun to do it in public.  The paint store is like the naughty store and the Alameda Antique fair is like the magazine section.  Of course the amount of my porn on the internet is vast as design blogs rule the day right now.  Last night while cuddled in my favorite chair with a cashmere throw I was searching for just one more peek when I found my mecca, welcome to Decorno! You got it a blog dedicated to people who think amazing design is porn. There are certain things in some postings that aren't my style but that is what makes this addiction so great is the amount of choices.  Some people are into mid century, others Chinoiserie, while many love Arts & Crafts and I am sure it is the same in the world of Charlie Sheen and Tiger Woods. 

Vote for Eddie

We all know I am slightly political but I try not to bring it to work, but this time I can't help myself. Please go to Big Window Challenge and vote for Elle Decor.  Also you can text in a vote.

Here is why you should do it:

 

So my friends Eddie and Jaithan have been working hard in the window of Bloomies in NYC.  Eddie has been to Daisy's and we went to the point for some all important shopping but you have seen Eddie's work all over Martha Stewart Omnimedia and the Food network.  You might have also caught him around Alameda shooting the Halloween special he did for HGTV.  

He is working on this gig right now in a window contest at Bloomies against the VP of interior design and the guy from Apartment Therapy.  My little pal Terri has been a blogging mad woman about it on La Dolfina. Eddie did his window for Elle Decor magazine.  I love Elle Decor for lots of reasons.  First, who wouldn't want to read a magazine all the trend setting young hip chicks of NYC read and they have some amazing photography.  Anyway I think he captured everything a trendy NYC girl would love her livingroom to look like (a.k.a. Jillian in the future). So tell me what you think is the best part.  There are 3 things out of that window that make me squeal with delight, the candle stick, the gold chairs and the frames, oh my I need them bad. 

Have a great day!

Barb

I can't believe it

So yesterday I was shopping with the amazing Wendy Addison.  She had the best Christmas stuff of any of the 100+ showrooms I went in by the way.  Anyway she offered to make a Christmas ornament for Daisy's for 2010.  So I know January is a bit early to get excited about Christmas but I am! We will get the date set up very early this year so everyone can get it on their calendars. 

OK, I can say I am officially sick of shopping.  Today is day number six and I just want to get home.  I have about 12 places I have to go and just check some stuff out.  I am also trying to figure out which lamps I am going to carry in this amazing line I love. I fly home tonight and can't wait.  Come by the shop tomorrow and say hi, I will be there all day..

Barb  

Cool Stuff is coming...

Well yesterday was the start of the cool home accessories tour. Here are just a few of some of the things I thought were fun.

and of course the special item of the day! (please understand that there is tons of hideous and crazy than good and I can't take pictures of all of them for fear of the camera lens' safety)

 Tonight I will catch up on all that is going on.  Last night I thought I would just rest for 30 minutes or so and then get some stuff done after 3 whirl-wind days.  I awoke at 2 a.m., so I have a much better handle on life today with a good nights sleep.

Barb

Wow what a day!

So Saturday was my oh so secret meeting with 12 other retailers talking with a group of press people that report on the wholesale side of retail.  I can't tell you who as it was super secret but I can tell you I kind of sat in awe in the room.  Who cares about little old me when you look at the independents that were sitting there with me.  Little fish, big sea kind of feeling.  Anyway I was so excited and I left there exhausted.  It took hours to get back on buying stuff for Daisy's.  I kept reflecting on what was said and how I could better my business from what I learned.  It wasn't that it wasn't valuable, it just is hard to concentrate on tablecloths on one side of your brain when the other is tweaking a business plan. Anyway I bought some of the more predicable stuff, like the new lepi soaps. Yummy I must say the citrus black tea was my favorite. For all of you who desperately wanted Linden in everything I will have it in 2 weeks. They are a little more trendy than their regular line and will have lotions to match in about 3 months. 

So I know you have seen these but I have always wanted to do them and they have the best jewelry rolls ever for a really good price.  Cutest thing is the little attached leaf inside that holds post earrings.

 
OK, wait until you see these.  They are these really fancy trinket boxes.  The picture in there is just a little one they threw in there.  You can put a picture and make a little collage with it.  It is double sided so that opens up the possibilities even more. Sorry the picture isn't very good, but I didn't want to hold out on Michelle any longer. She will love these and so will Lana.

  I am going to write about my amazing dinner last night later today.  I need to get to work but I am actually not going out tonight and that is a good thing.  But before I leave which thing is more distasteful the pig bank with princess written on the butt or a mini michael jackson glove for your tree? 

Have a fun Sunday, if you see Jillian tell her I miss her.

By the way one lucky winner will receive 1 bar of each of the 6 new lepi soaps. Just post a comment and I will pick upon my return. 

Barb  

Friday at the gift show!

Yesterday was long but great.  I did a lot of buying for the stationary room but some fun decorating treats too.  Long day, I had my first appointment at 7:30 a.m. and left the showrooms at 6:50 p.m. to head to dinner with a group of independent "lifestyle" shop proprietors.  I am not a personal fan of that classification but I don't have a better name so I will live with it.  Besides it allowed me to buy her...

For that reason alone you can call me what you like.  

I never thought I would go into the nail polish business but we are now going to carry butter for your nails.  It is nail polish without all the crazy bad ingredients in it.  I will tell you this.  They gave me a sample of the foot cream and if it can make these aching feet feel good I am sold.

My cute little Miss Peach and Jillian will be very excited about the fancy colors and I think you will too.  

For those of you who love the Tokyo MIlk perfumes, you will be glad to see their new lotions coming my way in April.  
Sorry the picture is so bad but I had to sneak it.  

So this morning is my fancy panel group and I am pretty excited because then I am going to the high design section so I should have amazing pictures for tomorrow. 

Have a great day! I am going to go get a jacket on now.  It is 13 degrees outside.

Barb

what should I look for?

OK, I am in Atlanta at the biggest gift market show in the world!  Time to shop for Holiday 2010 and look for some amazing little new finds for now.  For those of you looking for a glimpse this is how it works.  So the first of November hits and one gets a reminder the hotel reservations that were made the year before.  Before printing out the hotel confirmation number, a quick log in to united milage plus to book the ticket confirms that the flight matches the hotel.  Not much more happens until mid-December.  So just about the day where hourly fantasies about of some January time off start, this shows up:

Yes it is the 8# book of all the showrooms and booths one can't miss!  

This is the show where I can concentrate and stay focused.  That was until this trip.  I have never done anything in Atlanta but attend this show.  Literally the last trip I never even took a breath of fresh air. The airport in Atlanta has the MARTA (their subway system) straight into the airport.  It is really easy and cheap, $2.25 will take you right to the hotel.  MARTA has a stop at AMERICASMART, that takes you from underground right into the showroom lobby, from there you go through the above street level walkover and straight into the Westin.  The Westin has a lovely bar to meet some of my friends later in the evening.  At the end I just reverse the walk and bye-bye Atlanta.  Well that was then and this is now!  I am running to the most amazing ribbon store I have ever seen while I am here.  Also I am sitting on a panel with 19 other independent retailers from around the USA and we are talking with the heads of industry magazines and some other media types about what we see as the future for the independent retailer.  Yes, they asked me, I am not a white house party crasher. I can't believe they asked me, feeling pretty honored right now. 

Anyway since I am here, thought you might want to see the good the bad and the ugly.  Trust me the ugly might need one of those warnings before you view it.  I will post more about pretty tonight as it was mostly christmas stuff for day one and we are all sick of Christmas (for a couple of weeks anyway). 

So lets get the ugly out of the way:

So the big blob to the right is a fake evergreen pre-light 6' elephant.  Does anyone need one of those?  Call me on my call 510-387-3968 and let me know. 

Next check out what this lady has on:
You really has to see the hair.  You can't see her from the front but I am proud to tell you her name is Betsy and she is a proud grandma.    

Then when I thought my eyes couldn't take anymore and if I heard one more Christmas song I was going to take a hostage, I found this bell jar.  
They are made in Spain and so beautiful.  

Anyway if you thought I just walked around these shows and looked at pretty stuff all day remember I have to meet a whole lot of Betsy's and see a lot of 6' elephants before I find a bell jar.  

So you have my cell phone and my email.  So if you think of anything you would like to see at Daisy's text or email the magic iphone and I will get on it. 

Barb