Happy New Year...

My bucket list seems to be growing longer and longer but the Elephant Festival is definitely in the top ten!!  This annual event is held in Jaipur the capital city of Rajasthan on the full moon day of Phalgun Purnima (February/March). Elephants have always held an important place in the Indian society, Lord Ganesha, the Hindu deity with the head of an elephant is greatly revered and is the lord master of all ceremonies and happy beginnings. The elephant is associated with Buddha and the Indian deity Ganesh and can be used to symbolize power, wisdom, strength, protection of the home, fertility, and general good luck.  Therefore, elephants are part of many major religious ceremonies, processions and even marriage ceremonies.

The elephants are the main attraction at the Elephant Festival. These majestic animals are washed, painted and groomed in all their finery.  They are then decorated for the festival with chunky elephant jewelry, large anklets decked with bells, their bodies are painted with traditional Indian motifs, gold embroidered velvet rugs grace their backs along with silver and gold plated Howdahs and gold embroidered velvet parasol’s . The large ears of the elephants are adorned with ear danglers and brightly colored brocade scarfs. Even their tusks are ringed with gold and silver bracelets and rings.

Love the detail in her trunk!

These ladies are smiling.

The next Elephant Festival at Jaipur is scheduled to be held on 16th March 2014.  Who wants to go with me??  In the meantime I can enjoy looking at these lovely Elephants that we have here for sale at Gillyweed.  Elephants with their trunks facing upwards represent prosperity, good luck, and success!  So here's to a Happy New Year!!

All in The Details

I've been working on a new website for Gillyweed and boy is it time consuming.  But perfection is in the details!!  My "out of town" Gillyweed peeps have been asking me about shipping the items they see on our facebook page for some time which I was happy to do. Then recently, one of my BFF's, who has a wonderful shop call Greenhouse, showed me her new website and I was smitten!!  I needed that kick in the pants to finally update and re-design the Gillyweed site!! So keep checking back as I add new items every week.  Also be sure to "like" us on Facebook as this is the place where I post our clothing collection.

Oh.. and speaking of the details...  our amazing pom pom key chains sold out before I could get the website up and going!!  We have a new batch coming this week and they are fantastic..

Hand Crochet Sea Star Pom Pom keychains $7.95 each.

A Year in Review...Happy New Year!!

What an amazing 52 week journey this was.. Thank you for sharing it with me.  Happy New Year!!

Week 52... The Color of Christmas

Making sugar cookies brings back the fondest memories of my grandmother, Denny, and her cozy kitchen.  She lived in upstate New York so we didn't get to visit her very often.  But when we did, she would always have a jar full of sugar cookies on the counter for me!  I would devour them... and I still do!  Sugar cookies are my absolute favorite, especially ones with red hots!!

We are having a 50% off Christmas sale at Gillyweed this week.  Yes we will be open!! 

Merry Christmas!

Week 51... The Color of Wishes

Week 51.. I can hardly believe that this year long journey is about to come to an end!!  These last few weeks have been zooming by and I always forget to relax and enjoy the special moments this holiday season brings.  So I was very excited to go to my friends' annual holiday Christmas party.. it even had a special name, The Bow Tie Eggnog Bash.  I love themed parties and had fun picking out a special bow tie for my husband to wear.  Ahhh... a few hours out of our busy retail season to mingle with good friends, drink some good Bourbon spiked Eggnog, and let my dancing feet take me where they wanted to go.  About 2 hours into the festivities I get a call from 11 year old son,

"Mom, I found the Christmas presents... I am so sorry"

Me FREAKIN too!!!  You see my son still is a believer of Jolly ol' Saint Nick.  And while most would think that it was a blessing that he actually found all of his sister gifts and only one of his.. Diary of a Wimpy Kid book... what was I going to do now about Santa's gifts???  I couldn't very well say some of her gifts were from the big guy on Christmas morning.. the jig would be up!  So I've been rushing around this last week adding more items to each of their lists (Cha Ching) in order for Santa to save face.

Crazy... but truly I am loving it!!  Merry Christmas!!

Enjoy!!

Christmas Tree Designing

 

 

 

  I love these tree skirt alternatives!  We've done the tree on table thing many times at the Dumas house over the years.  The presents just stack up perfectly when the tree is slightly off the floor!!  I think I will have to try the wicker basket idea for next year... and I have the perfect one too.

I walked away with this beauty after visiting my friend Kenya's Barn Sale in Senoia.  She will be having a spectacular set up this weekend at the Serenbe Christmas Market.

Enjoy!!

Week 50... The Color of YUMM!!

Out Christmas shopping.... have you gotten all your shopping done??

Enjoy!!

Week 49... The Color of Gotcha

Gotcha Santa... I know you think I was talking on my phone but I was actually stalking you with my camera.  What were you buying at Big Lots????  I loved how he was dressed up in his jolly red vest too! 

Enjoy!!

Week 48... The Color of DIY

I am SOOOOO going to make this, one day!   Found this gem in the latest Cottage Style magazine.

Now I know what to look for when I go to Scott's Antique Market next weekend!  Mason Jars, chandelier crystals, maybe even glass Christmas ornaments all in beautiful hues of blue.

Enjoy!!

Week 47... The Color of a Road Trip

Actually by the time you read this, I will be already done with my little road trip to Helen, Ga.   Meeting up with the family before everyone making their way down to mi casa for Turkey Day!!  Wanted to wish every safe travels this holiday week.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!!

Week 46... The Color of Pride

Loving my new door mat at Gillyweed!

Enjoy!!

Week 45... The Color of an Open House

 This afternoon was our Holiday Open House event at Gillyweed!!  For my first one, I think it was a huge success!!  We had a ton of sales, many new customers, visited with old friends, and had a wonderful time!  I think everyone appreciated that I was the only store in town NOT playing Christmas music.  Just couldn't do it!!  Especially with 70 degree weather outside.  Here are some sneak peeks of the store... before the stampede!

My whole display above was inspired by these gorgeous hand-painted bowls. 

Remember my tomato cage??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you get a chance to stop by this Holiday season!

Enjoy!!



Week 44... The Color of Forty Plus

I woke up this morning and needed readers!!

Dang Nabbit!!

(Sally and Mary you can stop laughing now!!)

A Girl with a Tomato Cage...

I've been getting lots of emails and facebook messages about my store Christmas display... that I still need to put up!!  So I thought I would do a quick post on how I made it so that you can make one too!!  Seriously you can do it too!

It all starts with one of these fabulous tomato cages that you can find at Home Depot.  Don't you love all the color?  Really any tomato cage, lamp shade, and/or wire structure would work for this project. 

Cut thin strips of fabric, 1/2"-1" wide and start wrapping them around the wire frame.  When one strip ends, tie on a new color and continue wrapping. 

I wanted my structure to look more full so I added fabric strips between each row.. just tie top and bottom.

 

  I blogged about the birdies back in April 2011 here. The template is very easy to follow but it does help to have a sewing machine. We made these several years ago at the old shop with wool sweaters that we felted in the washing machine. I know some of you like to make home made ornaments!!! This would be the perfect pattern for that.

As I said before... you can definitely do this project!  Enjoy!!

Sugared Pecans

Almost 11pm here in the Dumas house and I am finishing up the details for our Oktoberfest event which will be held tomorrow evening (5-9pm).  I racked my brain trying to figure out what to serve as snacks at the event... seriously, there are 27 beers to sample during the "beer tasting", y'all need to eat something!!  After a few minutes hours on pinterest, I found the perfect snack... Sugared Pecans.  Completely off topic here, the other day I read a blog titled, "the shiz I learned from Pinterest".  Ain't that the truth.. it's crazy what you can learn from that site!!  Anyways.. back to the pecans!!

 I thank The Gingerbread Blog for posting and pinning these incredible (aka can't stop eating) pecans.

Go to their website to find the recipe.. So good.  If you are walking around downtown Newnan tomorrow night, make sure you come on by Gillyweed to try a few of these treats!!

Enjoy!!

Week 43... The Color of Bait & Switch

I had intended this post to be titled The Color of Opportunity... I mean how often do you get a chance to take a Window Display Workshop from the one and only Anthropologie!!

Kenya and I found out about the workshop a couple of weeks ago and were so excited to go "learn" from the best in the business.  We got up to Lenox mall about 15 minutes before opening.. giddy as kids on Christmas morning!!  The doors opened up and we rushed inside, along with the others waiting to take the workshop.

 

 

Tables on the right were set up for arts and crafts...

 

Tables on the left were set up with yummy snacks and drinks...

 

We sit down and listen to Caroline, The Merchandising Manager for the home goods department, talk about the Anthropologie vision for this winter.  (Nordic animals I think)  Today's project was making paper garlands for the front window.. that explains the arts & crafts table.  So after a quick demo, we were off making geometric shapes by scoring, folding, and gluing.  After about 30 minutes of this, it was very obvious to everyone at the table that we were DUPED!!!  This wasn't a workshop to learn amazing techniques, inside trade secrets, rules of display, etc... this was a sweatshop set up in the back of the store!!

We spent the next 2 hours scoring and folding these templates so that the Anthropologie employees could tend to their customers. 

 Here is one of several completed bags that headed down the production line to the gluing table.

 

The finished dradle looking shapes.  

 

Our Thank You gift... A coupon would have been much more appreciated!!  Apparently this location will be hosting several more Display Workshops over the next few weeks.  Afterall, the shapes still need to be painted and strung together!!  I think I will pass.. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Enjoy!!