Hotlanta!

Atlanta was a blast! Visions 10 Expo was interesting and informative, and I met so many great people. Renae Moore was my hostess with the mostess! She drove me all around Atlanta taking me to all the hot decor shopping.

We had planned to go to BoBo's and Provenance, but they both were closed on Saturday, the first day we had a chance to see and shop. Friday was spent at the expo touring the floor, picking a favorite, meeting the other bloggers on the panel, speaking on the panel, and wrapping up a very full day with a cocktail mixer and a dinner.

Renae took me to her favorite Buckhead shop, Boxwoods. She has blogged about it herself, and I can see why she loves it.

It's a combination garden and gift shop, with a healthy dose of home decor merchandise.


It is in an old house, with a rabbit warren of small rooms, one unfolding unto another.


There are treasures tucked in everywhere, and the fun of the place is exploring the exxpert layering of pretty things.

Table top merchandise is artfully arranged. There was perfect styling everywhere your eyes landed.



The mix of plants and flowers with all the home decor items inspires you to do this in your own home.


There is a charming garden behind the house, with winding paths and nooks and crannies, where the discovery of a shell encrusted bird bath made me smile.


Inside there is a room dedicated to pretty fashion accessories for the Buckhead gals. I loved the way the scarves were draped and tied on a mannequin to look like a dress. The display guy said he was having a Sarah Jessica Parker moment. So get out all those scarves laying around. and make yourself a Summer frock!


Lots of containers are available to put plants and flowers in.


There is the favorite mix of antiques and vintage and modern goods.


There is a greenhouse feeling on a porch that is stocked with orchids and hydrangea.



They will assemble plantings and do flower arrangements for you to take away.


Large planters, urns, and sculptures are also shown off to inspire you, and of course they are for sale.

Candles, paper goods, table linens...Boxwoods has it all. And they have a great little section dedicated to gifts for baby.



A feed-sack pillow with Buckhead printed on it is pretty funny considering the style of the mansions in the hood.


Here's another fabulous table setting using all blue and white china and accessories.


And what garden shop would be complete without an antique style bird cage?


Boxwoods Garden and Gifts has a web site HERE for your shopping pleasure!

Our next stop was a place called The Stalls. It is a huge barn of a place with a ton of antique dealers. Each little stall is expertly styled with interesting wares. It is an education just to browse.

The Stalls is located in a little area called Bennett Street and it is a treasure trove of antiques, and source for top designers. Visit their web site HERE

Renae and I loved this mid century chair covered in black and white cowhide. It's the perfect "mantique". It is one of a pair!


This was described as an antique carriage, and we thought it would be a very fancy dog bed! Just add a fluffy cushion.



Madame, may I interest you in this cute English style breakfast set?


Here's a budget frindly alternative to the anitque books all the girls are craving. This are modern books like The Readers Digest books rebound and recovered to look antique, and they are only $35. each (as opposed to about $1000. for an antique book). The vintage dog memorabilia is also very charming.


There is a framer on the premises, and these unusual frames really made these black and white botanical drawings stand out.



Intaglios are hot, hot, hot! Do you agree? I spy the intaglios that Holly from Things That Inspire offers for sale HERE


And here's a set of intaglios in a pretty display box.


Out of town vendors are also here. I found Kathy Slater from New Orleans, with Fifi Laughlin's lamps displayed!!!!


Need a lantern??? This stall had plenty of cute ones to choose from.


This pair of mid century modern metal lamps look very Giacometti like. It's so hard to find a pair of good looking lamps like these.


This display is a lesson is symmetry! The coral is faux, but it looks so good with the blue and white export ware. And the three rectangular framed pieces are more intaglios!


This beautiful folding screen just arrived from New Orleans! It's mid 1800's, a work of art with just the right amount of tat. The wing chair is upholstered in Lee Jofa's Confetti by KWD, a favorite of Jenny's from My Favorite and My Best, and a fabric I have used for a client or two.
You can order it from the shop I work in perch. 504 899 -2122.


These shell valances are quirky, and make me want to get out the hot glue gun.



There was one fabulous antique Suzani circa 1850, a little tattered, but oh so beautiful.


I was in Atlanta for to be a speaker on the panel Jackie Von Tobel arranged (and brilliantly moderated) for Visions 10. Jay Hesler sent me these photos. He's sitting next to me. He has a terrific hardware company called Helser Broithers HERE, and he writes a great blog called Why Helser HERE

Jackie Von Tobel moderator, Valorie Hart, Jay Helser panelists at Visions 10 Expo

Deb from Minutes Matter, Skyla from Sanity Fair, Brian from Decor Demon
the other half of the panel at Visions 10

Here we all are with Grace McNamara who brilliantly heads up Visions 10

PS My favorite shopping spots were the ones we do not have in Louisiana - Home Goods, Ikea, and the Ballard outlet store!!!! The best one was a place called Richards, an old fashion dime store that had everything you could imagine!

Richards in Atlanta

Place Holding

Home tonight. Been in Atlanta for the weekend. Thus everything do to with the laptop is on the back burner.

So here's some eye candy laying on the desktop. I'm collecting inspiration for two big projects we have underway: The ghetto yard revamp, and the kitchen revamp.

Right now I'm blowing in the wind, all airy fairy.


I have had the most wonderful time this weekend thanks to these girls. You know who they are...
Go HERE to see what we were up to.

Just wanted to let you know I'm here, and to please hold a place for me.

Behind Closed Doors 2 - June and David Tureau

June and David are two cool (and very sweet) people that I know. He is a landscape designer who has been working non stop on various movies being filmed in New Orleans for the past few years, including winning an Oscar for Benjamin Button. She is a project manager, overseeing complex contracting jobs.

They live in a garden compound in the Bywater neighborhood in New Orleans, just across the street from the Mississippi River.
An extensive article was recently written about them HERE

They invited us over for dinner poolside the other night. It was one of those fine New Orleans nights, cool with low humidity, the sky filled with stars.

The garden is fantastic, though a bit perverse since we cannot see the river over the top of the high levee.

The place still feels like a beachy vaaction home.

Dinner was delish, grilled steak and shrimp, with Key Lime pie for dessert.

I took a few quick snapshots of the inside of the house, a single shotgun situated horizontally across the property, instead of the usual way that looks like a trailer parked on a long narrow lot.
French doors open unto the garden,

The living room has a great collection of retro furniture.
All the walls have a Venetian plaster look, and some of them are actually Venetian plaster.

Quirky touches are everywhere, like the shrine to pearls, and the mask hanging in the kitchen.

The kitchen is basic and functional, and the big window overlooks the garden.

The dining area is simple. I love the finish on the walls. It looks so soothing and cool to the touch.


There are three large bedrooms and a couple of large bathrooms.

Furnishings are simple and pretty.


Here's some Venetian plaster in one of the bathrooms.

Now if only Sandy Bullock would invite us over...