Laundry Day Blues

Laundry rooms can be a fun place to be! So I like to treat them like they are an important room in a home. And I just love my big blue washer and dryer - so cool to watch do the work! Old painted tiles were collected over several years to form a backsplash over the washer and dryer. An old kitchen sink was refinished and given a new purpose in the laundry room. It's a great size for flower arranging or handwashing delicates. The vintage flower shop door was found and built into a shelving unit to showcase majolica. The old green painted cupboard provides lots of storage for flower pots and decorative containers. A collection of old french painted pottery sits above the washer and dryer. Baskets hold laundry and the usual selection of single socks waiting for a mate!
An antique chandelier shines brightly in the center of the room, creating romantic ambiance for the laundry experience. French linen water and scented lavender dryer towels make doing the laundry more enjoyable. It's a room I really don't mind being in - bright, good scents, and surrounded by things I love!

Critters Romance the Home

Fall is here, so the pumpkins are out and they look so cute with our fall squirrels, owls, and birds. The owls look adorable perched on top of one of our heirloom pumpkins, and the squirrels are running wild on our tablescapes! Our resident peacock is not impressed by the oohs and ahs the owls and squirrels are getting from our customers - it seems he has been ignored as of late, and has taken up with the hummingbird. Oh well, fall is short and he will reign supreme again as soon as the pesky critters have all gone on to their new homes.

Harvest Moons, Unbelieveable Foods, and Great Customers

Last night, we had our Romancing the Home Fall Kick-Off and invited our best customers, the best personal chef in Atlanta, and a group of awesome vendors. Representatives from Jan Barboglio and Bella Notte debuted new fall products. The store is full of new surprises, including antlers from Montana! And Lynda Sue, my friend from Atlanta, prepared some delicious new appetizers. Fall florals, lots of candlelight , and good wine made for a fun evening. The simplest dessert, and the no-brainer salami roll were the most requested appetizers of the evening, so here they are -

Simple Salami Appetizer

1 package 16 oz Wonton Wrappers

1/2 lb thinly sliced hard salami, from the deli

Lay a wonton on table so that a corner is toward you. Place a slice of salami on the skin. Roll up like a cigar from corner to corner, and moisten tip of wonton with a little water to hold together. Place on cookie sheet seam side down. Continue rolling the rest, and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Serve hot with honey mustard for dipping.

Caramel Apple Tartlets

1 T. Butter

2 granny smith apples, peeled and diced

2 cups caramel sauce

1 t. cinnamon

2 packages phyllo dough cups

Walnuts, finely crushed

Melt butter in saute pan. Add apples and cook until tender. Add cinnamon and caramel sauce, mix, and remove from heat. Spoon into phyllo cups, and sprinkle with nuts. Bake in 400 degree oven for 6 to 7 minutes to lightly brown and crisp the phyllo cups. Serve warm!

Absolutely Delish!!!!

Cockscomb's Magnificent Color

The farmer's market in Lake Bluff is especially bountiful in the fall. Not only are there lots of vegetables, apples, peaches, and the usual baked goods, but the sunflowers and cockscomb are gorgeous. The cockscomb flower is like a velvet pillow and such a luxurious color. We are having an event in the store next week, so I am hoping that they last until then! If they don't, oh well. --- I love them on my kitchen island and in the sitting area, where I enjoy breakfast every morning. The cockscomb color of jeweled deep red is awesome with the garnet vintage pillows, and is a great contrast to the leopard slipper chairs. I'll just have to go the Highland Park farmers market on Wednesday morning and get more for the store!

Halloween in the Store

It is evident that fall is near by - acorns are dropping from the trees, leaves are just starting to turn, and the sun is shining differently. So it's time for Halloween in the store. We have fun every year with an adult party theme, Evenings of Gothic Romance! Absinthe decanters, witches brews, and black veils bring on the party atmosphere. Fancy witches riding peacocks, and crows wearing their finest crowns, it is a party for the whimsical spirits. This year we found a great Absinthe liqueur called LUCID, black with green eyes peeping at the party goers! We love the venetian glass Absinthe decanter, and it's great for a Listerine dispenser in the bath room after the party is over!(Absinthe is a liqueur from France and has been illegal in the US since 1905, and was just recently legalized.)

Since Halloween is supposed to be for the kids, this year it's Halloween at the Circus! Cute little mice, riding the backs of elephants, play with their ringmasters! Too Cute to believe!