Affordable Luxury...

Yesterday was a slower day at Gillyweed but I was able to get tons done... changing merchandise around, cleaning out back room, the usual.  Then 20 minutes till closing a gorgeous brunette came into the store with a heavy spanish accent- you all know I am a sucker for accents- and started telling me about her leather accessories from her country, Paraguay.  I'm not a big fan of reps coming into the store sans appointment...especially 20 minutes before closing!!  But I am so thankful that I listened because we are now carrying Hand Tooled and Cruelty-Free Leather wallets from Paraguay.

 

Paraguay is located between Brazil and Argentina and is very rich in culture.  Embroidery & Lace are the two main exports of this country which is quite evident from seeing the designs in the leather.

 Look at these beautiful colors.. tab over wallets, $29 each.

 

These enveloppe style wallets are also handmade in Paraguay by skilled leather artisans, $33 each

 

I think it is a fabulous addition to Gillyweed and we will be developing the line further with hand bags, passport covers, key chains, and much much more.

Enjoy!!

Week 26... The Color of Texture

Sat at the Tennis Courts all weekend watching Olivia play her tournament and looked down to see the shadows of the fence on the ground.  Don't they look like fish scales??  I seriously need a beach vacation ASAP!  Just a few more weeks before we head to Tybee Island for some R&R...

Enjoy!!

Da-da-dadada......

Da-da-dadada-da-da-circus, da-da-dadada-da-da-afro-circus, afro-circus, afro, polka dot, polka dot, polka dot afro!

That was one of many great lines from the movie Madagascar 3 that the kids and I saw recently... have you seen the movie?? A must because it is hilarious. It also got me thinking that I need to add some more whimsy to my paintings. Color I've got.. but sometimes it would be nice to have whimsy too.  I do fun little paintings from time to time for my son's elementary school when they need a donation but I really don't do any to sell in the shop.  Here is one that I did for my daughter's bedroom back in 2007!

 

That year I took my 2nd Encaustic Workshop with the very talented Gina Adams.  I was adamant during this workshop to perfect my landscape paintings and horizon lines.  The owl painting was a quick last minute painting I did.. I didn't even think twice about it.  But you know what, this little painting gives me the biggest smile every time I walk into Olivia's room.

 

So with whimsy on the brain, I practically fell over this vintage suitcase the other day while junkin!  Suitcase with the flowers + Circus images from Madagascar = my next painting class at Corner Arts!!

Spring Fever 38x19, $400

This is the larger version of the workshop which will be on display at Corner Arts Gallery during the month of July for Jenni Jones "Birthday Celebration" show.  The gallery show celebrates her 1st year in business and all of her artists were asked to participate. 

 

Here is a close-up of the flower detail.

 

Bringing on the whimsy with these circus themed borders... for the class I will have some fabulous scrapbook papers with great border ideas!!

So here is the skinny-

Class July 18th

 Wednesday 10:30am - 1:30pm

size of finished board is 12 x 20, framed

Cost $70.00

Please pre-register by Saturday July 14th so that I can order your frame in time for class... frame colors are white, baby blue, pink, mint green, yellow, and natural

We will be learning a wax pour technique with this class, carving in our design, and of course- painting!  Pre-registration is a must for this class.  Please call Jenny Jones @ The Corner Arts Gallery at 678-633-5705.  You can also reserve your seat by emailing me at vdumas@numail.org or cornerartsgallery@gmail.com.

enjoy!!

Yes Indeed...

Enjoy!!

Angel's House + Espadrilles

Philanthropy is a good thing!  A couple weeks back, Sally and I were discussing all the wonderful charities in Newnan and how Gillyweed needs to contribute back to the community.  So we came up with the idea to donate a portion of the proceeds for every pair of Soludos espadrilles sold to the Angel's House in Newnan.  I mean it's great that the other shoe company sends a pair to Africa... but we should help out the children in Coweta County, right??  The Angel's House is an emergency safe haven for children so you can feel good knowing that the money stays right here, helping our community out.

I'm also happy to be partnering up with Nabzie, another local company.  Similar to the Groupon phenomenon, Nabzie offers deals on local establishments in Newnan and Peachtree City.  Portions of their proceeds goes to the Montessori School in Newnan and the American Cancer Society.  So for this week only, take advantage of a $10 off coupon towards a pair of Soludos.  Click here to Nab it!

Enjoy!!

HGTV 2012 Green Home...

My BF Noelle is a very busy realtor with Keller Williams so when she got the opportunity to tour the HGTV home at a discounted rate, she dropped everything and took me with her!  Love that girl!!

The home is located in Serenbe which is about 15 minutes from our back door.  This small town boasts a huge arts community with amazing restaurants, unique shopping, galleries, a top rated spa, and bed & breakfast.  A great place to go if you are trying to impress company.

 

This stone feature is probably my favorite part of the house... well 2nd favorite.  Wait to you see the counter tops!!

Must wear your booties in the house!

LOOK at this counter top!   OMG!  I have to have this in my next renovation or house.  It is polished concrete with shells and brown beer bottles embedded into the surface.  Stunning.

The Dining Room & Living Room

Another section of Living Room

The Master Bedroom was so tiny.. it would be hard but I could learn to love the cozy feel.

 

I was happy to see one of our Kantha throws at the end of the bed.

This room we dubbed the Georgia room because it was black & red.  It was a covered porch right outside the patio.  So relaxing.

This unique light fixture looked like it was made from sticks and extension cords.

 

2nd bedroom upstairs.

 

Kids room with stairs leading to a TV nook.

 

2 washers & dryers were in this house.. one for upstairs (shown) and one for the Master.  Overall a great little house!  This house was one of HGTV give aways homes with house, furniture, car and an extra $100,000 as the main prize.  I sure wish I had registered more than 1x now that I've toured the house.  Still.. wish me luck!

Enjoy!!

Week 25... The Color of Motherhood

I almost DIED when I saw this beautiful nest sitting inside my Boston Fern this weekend! 

The poor mother must be working over time flying about because the fern is right next to our side porch door that gets lots of traffic between pets and people going in and out.  She doesn't seem to mind too much because as of this morning she has added another blue egg to her family.  Total count so far- 4!

 

Enjoy!!

Happy Father's Day!

Did some junkin today while the kids had quality time with their Papa... that meant watching international soccer on TV which is totally not my thing!  Off to Alabama I went and scored some great new finds for Gillyweed!  Seriously, how could I pass up a face like this??

vintage paint brushes, colorful boats, some awesome cowboy boots (not shown),

  

and a few interesting artsy pieces.

 

Happy Father's Day to all the Papa's out there!!

Enjoy!!



Week 24... The Color of ... well you'll see

Yep.. this is the color of the week.  My daughter went to Destin with her best friend this week so Brice and I decided to head up to the Fernbank Museum to see their latest exhibit.  I'm not kidding.. it was all about poop.  We giggled the whole way through and loved every minute of it!!

Have a great week!

Enjoy!!

Wish Upon A Star...

Several years ago I visited one of my favorite stores in Savannah called One Fish, Two Fish.  On one of their walls they had about a dozen starburst mirrors in this gorgeous antique gold finish.  I wanted to get one but they were over the top out of my price range.  So I searched and searched to find a similar mirror to sell at Gillyweed that didn't break the bank.  I think I found her.....

Our large (35" in Diameter) Starburst Mirror retails for $145...

 

which is a steal compared to this Mirror at Wisteria for $749!!  Now I am seeing Starbursts everywhere...

 

 

 

I actually own this one.. bought it 8-10 years ago.

 

There are many DIY tutorials on Pinterest that show you how to make starburst using shims and picket fence parts... even silverware.  Although the above picture is not a DIY project, it sure does inspire me to get out the saw again.  If you are interested in our starburst mirror, please call the store at 770-683-9200.  Only one in stock so it will go fast!!

Enjoy!!

Week 23.... The Color of Discovery

Today I had the pleasure of taking my 13 year old daughter to the America's Mart in Atlanta.  Do you know this place??  Well it is where retailers from around the world come throughout the year to purchase the new "latest" and "greatest" for their stores.  The America's Mart has 4 buildings with most of them housing 20 floors of showroom after showroom of new product.  It is truly unbelievable.  Children under 13 are not allowed to come to the show, babies are the exception.  So it was definitely a special day for both Olivia and I because she could finally go with me to a show.... better yet, The Apparel Show.

I wish I could have taken a picture of her jaw hitting the ground the moment we walked into the mart.  Building one is where we parked but building 3 had all the action!!  We walked the temps together, going over possible clothing collections to bring into Gillyweed, saw a few fashion shows, and went shopping for ourselves.  I loved our Mommy & Daughter bonding time together!

She was a wonderful side kick helping pick out patterns and styles for our kitchen textiles coming soon from Funktion.  She also assisted in choosing some baubles from a new jewelry supplier.  Seriously she was a great assist and I loved that she saw another part of my job of store ownership.  And from the long nap she took all the way home, I'm guessing she had a fun filled incredible day with me as well.

Enjoy!!

The Inspiration

I've been getting lots of questions lately about our new door at Gillyweed... like where did you get your inspiration?  So this quick post will take you on a journey to a magical place called Serenbe!

Serenbe is located about 15 minutes from my house in Palmetto, Georgia.  It has amazing shops, art galleries, gorgeous homes (The 2012 HGTV Green Home is there), and fantastic restaurants.

Even their friggin' stop signs are artistic!!

And viola.. Here is the inspiration for the Gillyweed Door.  I eye-spyed this thing many years ago and it has made quite an impression on me.  My plan was to make a "salvage wood" screen door for my house but decided to give the Gillyweed door some personality instead.

Hopefully the Gillyweed door will inspire a few passerbys just like this door inspired me.

Enjoy!!