Week 22... The Color of Green

On my way to the recycling center today, one of my best girlfriends called me and asked me what I was doing.  I told her that I didn't have garbage service at the new store so I now take my cardboard boxes to the recycling center here in Newnan.  She said "you are such a good egg, you should blog about it".  Well this one is for you Noelle!!

Enjoy!!

Mosaic Monday... Sail Away

I've been noticing lots of sail boats lately in home decor magazines and pinterest.  For example, in the June issue of Country Living magazine, there are not 1 but 3 shots of sail boats taking center stage!!

 



 

Even in my own home, boats are a focal point.  Here I have a small but growing collection of boat paintings that I treasure.

At Gillyweed, we have 2 boats for sale.  The Union Jack was originally $95, now it is on sale for $65.

And the little yacht was $45, now it is on sale for $25.

 

Last year I made several paper sail boats and hung them in the shop's window for a magical display.  I think I might have to do that again using the driftwood idea below.  Love it!

 

This mosaic has been linked up with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.  All pictures were found on pinterest under the search Sail Boat.  Have a wonderful rest of the week!!

Enjoy!!

Almost Famous

I've been keeping a secret from you....  well kinda sorta, I did hint at it on my facebook page!  The article about Gillyweed came out today in the Lifestyles Magazine and I couldn't be happier.  Donna did an excellent job figuring out my babble, making me sound intelligent.  Monica took a great picture although she forgot to photoshop the 10 lbs off like I asked her!! I am so honored to be mentioned in the same story with the other 4 ladies interviewed.. it is surreal!  So get on out there and get yourself a free copy!!  You'll read all the scoop about The Honeybee, The Bilt-House, Lizard Thicket, Beyond the Door, and of course, Gillyweed!

Enjoy!!

Week 21... The Color of Treats

So I had this whole other blog post in my mind for Week 21... The Color of Treats.  Yesterday Olivia and I "treated" ourselves to pedicures and I picked out the coolest chartreuse color for my little toes!! Yes I know what your thinking.. chartreuse??  You see tonight was the annual Mama Fest that my dear friend Sally puts on at her house.  It is the who's who of Newnan and I am always honored to get invited.  Long story short, I was showing off the green piggies to another friend this morning.. telling her to look at my "Mermaid Toes".  When she promptly replies, "Mermaid's don't have toes".  Darn!  There goes my funky week 21 post idea.  Not a problem.. I have another "Treat" that we indulged in recently to show off! 

So there you have it...my week in a nutshell.  Full of fun treats with daughters, friends, and one very delicious monster!!

Sea Island Spyce

Southern Bayberry Herbs + Soft Oils = The Best Ocean Fragrance ever and it's called Sea Island Spyce!!  Okay this is my confession.. I love this scent so much that I steal it from my husband wear it on occasion.  Love Love Love it!!  The perfect gift for Father's Day!! 

Enjoy!!

Mosaic Monday

Something about a collection makes me swoon... I love seeing beloved treasures hung on walls as precious art or grouped together on tables/bookshelves.  It just screams sophistication to me.. yes even my crazy pan faces that I have in my pantry makes me feel sophisticated!!

Sea Shells especially are gorgeous grouped together by color, style, and/or shape.  Hang shells on burlap backdrops for a more casual look.  Arranging the shells inside a wide frame makes them elegant.. here is a great tutorial by Sand & Sisal.

Above and below are great examples of how color can make any boring wall pop with interest.

So how do you color your shells???  Many recipes are out there on the net from Kool-aid mixes to food coloring & vinegar solutions.  One beautifully documented blog post from Dusty Lu shows the use of Rit Dye for staining shells.

Et Voilà!!  So next time you are at the beach (or at the Gillyweed store) get yourself a bucket of shells and make some art!!  This mosaic has been linked up to Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.   All pictures were found on Pinterest, Etsy and Google.  Have a great week!

 Enjoy!!

Week 20... The Color of Innocence

The Color of Innocence is what I am calling this beautiful picture.  This poor birdie was found in my house being tortured by my misbehaved hound mutt named Mollie.  I threaten to take that girl back to the pound every day!!  So this poor thing was playing dead.. smart bird... when I found it and rescued it from the

red headed, four legged monster.  She just sat in my hand, breathing really hard and fast.  I think she was in shock!   Brice and I checked her wings & legs to see if anything had broken which would have been a sure sign that she'd be dead in a few hours.  She was 100% fine.  We stroked her gently and soothed her down with our voices.  We placed her on a very high tree branch... because by this time we had attracted the attention of our 2 curious cats... and hoped for the best.  Several hours later, Brice went to check the bird and it was gone.  Hopefully she flew away to sing another day...and to stay away from open patio doors!!

Speaking of birds.. only 2 bird pillows remain at Gillyweed.  Only $35 each!

Enjoy!!

Mosaic Monday... Chalkboard Font

Yesterday evening I happened to catch a new HGTV show called Junk Gypsies. During the 30 minutes, they transformed an airstream trailer for country music star Dierks Bentley and they mentioned hiring a professional chalk writer to do a custom chalkboard sign.... who?? what??  Wait a minute... rewind please.  What the heck is a professional chalk writer??

So researching a bit I found that this is a big time career option in some areas of the country, New York and Portland to name a few.  Graphic artists are hired to scribble, draw, and write on chalk board for major companies on a per square foot basis.  One amazing site to visit for this profession is Custom Chalk.  CJ Huges specializes in wedding signs which can be purchased on his etsy site.

His work makes me think of my friend and ex-employee Julie McKinney.. she made incredible signs for The Vintage-Flea when I owned that store.  I don't know what I missed most when she left.. her bubbly personality or incredible penmanship!!  Another artist that I admire is Kyndal Frazier.  He makes these gorgeous signs for Resurrect Antiques in Opelika, AL.  I need to improve my handwriting!!!!!

Well.. at least I can fake it by purchasing a Chalk Font to use in Photoshop!!

 

Two Peas in a Bucket

To see a chalkboard artist in action.. visit here.  You'll be so impressed, you will want to raid your kids chalk stash and give it a whirl!!

Here are some more wonderful examples of chalkboard signs found on Pinterest for Mosaic Monday.  If I had a do-over, I would have gone to school for Graphic Design instead of Marketing!!  This mosaic has been linked up to Little Red House.  Have a great week!!

Enjoy!!



Local Honey & Allergies....

Gillyweed is now selling sweet, delicious honey made right here in Coweta County by Craig & Josie Exner of Clay Creek Farms!!!  Although nobody in my house suffers from allergies and the dreaded Georgia pollen, I've always heard one way to help ward off allergy symptoms is to consume locally grown honey.  Here is a great article about that very same question written by Robin Shreeves...

 "The theory about local honey and allergies is this: your local bees are more likely to collect pollen from the local flowers in your area. That pollen will end up in small amounts in the honey produced. By ingesting that honey on a regular basis, the person eating the honey will build up immunity to the pollens from the flowers in their local region. It’s sort of like a vaccine taken little by little.

 

That’s the theory. There doesn’t seem to be any scientific evidence to back that up, however. I can’t find any scientific studies that test the theory. Even without scientific evidence, this seems like one of those ideas worth trying. There are other proven benefits, too. Honey can immediately sooth a sore throat (whether it’s caused by seasonal allergies or not). It’s a natural, temporary energy booster. According to the National Honey Board, it “contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.”

 Most importantly, bee farmers are on the front lines of helping to save our decreasing bee population.  Purchasing local honey helps to support the local honey farmers and local community!  Small 8oz Honey Bears start at $4.50.... yum!!

 

Enjoy!!

Week 19... The Color of Observation

Last week I was acting like Tour Guide Barbie, showing my High School Best Peep around the quaint little town of Newnan.  We stopped real quick at the Greenville Street park to see 4 beautifully decorated horses when Helen said to me, "You have a Taqueria?".  "A what, who, huh??" I then responded.  She made me look across the street to see the Spanish mini market! 

Interesting, I've never noticed it before.  Later, while working at Gillyweed, we were looking through our stack of take-out menus and had 2 customers tell us where to find authentic Mexican food.  You guessed it.. The Taqueria!  So now we were more curious then ever.....

Inside the market you will find aisles of Spanish grocery products, unique veggies,

unique meat options,

and an amazing selection of spices.  But go a little further and you will find...

the restaurant.  Advice.. download an Spanish translator app on your smart phone before you go!

The menu is all in Spanish!!

I got the Steak Empanadas... OMG they were AMAZING!

 

And the Sangria flavored soda (non alcoholic) was the cherry on top!

The Market/Taqueria is open M-F from 10-8:30pm and Sat/Sun from 10-9:30pm.  If you are up for an adventure in downtown Newnan.. I would highly recommend this one!!

Enjoy!!

Mosaic Monday.... Before & After

 How funny it has been this past week having customers ask me.. "What was here before?"  I asked them if they remembered the aluminum siding and monstrous wooden awning.. "No" they would say.  I guess the "before" was so plain Jane that nobody really paid much attention to it.  So this Mosaic Monday I am taking you down memory lane with some before/after pictures.  First up.. the outside!

I'm still waiting on my Aruba blue awning to go up over the door.  Look at how much the outside look is changed just by having larger windows put in.  I can't tell you how much light now comes inside too!!

 

The brick wall was what sold me on the building when we first looked at it but I knew the walls had to go..

On the other side I was faced with concrete walls.. the solution, to put up strips of wood so that I could hang up artwork.

The view looking to the back.. having the green walls come down opened up the space tremendously.

The view of the front... so much light.

The famous bookshelves.

And that is the tour!!  It took 2 months to complete this project and what a whirlwind it was.  A huge shout out to my best peep Noelle.. amazing realtor, motivator, furniture mover, and Diet Coke distributor.  Also to best high school peep Helen.. carpenter, IT tech, DJ, and comedian extraordinaire.  And to all my other friends and  family that came by to lend an extra hand during push week.  Hugs & kisses to all...

This mosaic has been linked up to Little Red House. Have a wonderful week!

Enjoy!!

Grand Opening

After several months of renovations, Gillyweed finally opened for business this past Tuesday!!

We had a great crowd on Tuesday and then again yesterday for our Preview sale.  I'm glad some were able to take advantage of our in store promotions.  Thank you to everyone for your wonderful compliments, words of encouragement, and overall excitement. 

Along with the opening, I've been busy with two large custom orders that are due this week... 50 tiles for a wedding and 100 key tags for an amazing shop in NJ.  Busy, Busy, I tell ya!!

Here are some pictures of the shop that I took right before our opening.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to check back next Monday for my Mosaic Monday (Sorry I missed it this past week) where I will show before and after shots of the shop!!!  You'll be amazed at the difference!

Enjoy!!