Small Business Saturday, Nov 24th: Featuring Creative By Nature

If you haven't heard already, November 24th, this coming Saturday has been slated as Small Business Saturday.  Which means get out and visit your local favorite mom and pop store that enriches your life and would be so missed if it wasn't there. And no....I do not mean TARGET, ugh!!

My first thought when I heard about this, was to pay a visit to one of my favorite decor shops in the South Charlotte area, Creative By Nature. They are located in the Blakeney Shopping Center at the corner of Rea Road and Ardrey Kell.  http://www.cbnhome.com/

I absolutely love looking in this shop for unique items like hurricanes and frames, and for staples, like Vance Kitira candles, Dash and Albert rugs (I bought one this year and don't know how I lived without it!!!) and great smelling fillers, like their signature rose hips.

Dash and Albert cotton woven rugs are great for the front door/mudroom or the kitchen. Easy to clean, very durable. 

The pear shaped candles are so lovely from Vance Kitira and they are also affordable. When they burn, the top burns inward so you have a beautiful shape and it lasts a long time.

These are the rose hips, there are several different scents, I love these lime ones, they smell so good! (not edible but I wish they were!!!)

 In addition they always are well stocked with beautiful seasonal decorations. They also specialize in dried and preserved floral arrangements (gorgeous and only high end quality) and will even fill an existing container you bring in from home.

What's great is that they are so reasonably priced for their merchandise. The mark up in some areas of Charlotte is ridiculous, but for the quality of the merchandise, you can't beat this company. The staff is always helpful and nice, I love that. It makes it more enjoyable to shop longer when you know the people there are sincerely sweet and never pushy.



Today when I walked in they were busy getting all the holiday decorations up for Christmas. Although I must say I personally am not ready for the holidays, they certainly are, and have tons of merchandise, all beautiful and displayed so well. It smelled so good, lots of different holiday fillers which can really change the look of your accessories from one holiday to another.

They have this baby pine cone filler that would look great in a glass hurricane.

I adore all of the mercury ornaments and votives. They look so good mixed together, like you've had a collection for years. This type of finish also mixes well with other finishes, which is why I also love using them.

These sparkly nests are perfect for the tree or would be great on a table setting as well.

The robin's egg blue glass and pewter ornaments are STUNNING!!!

They really have a wonderful array of different types of ornaments. There are beautiful Christmas trees in gold, silver, rustic wood and bronzed colors that I thought were really nice.

These stockings are gorgeous in person.

 I am not a wreath person, but the wreaths they have are very tasteful, simple greenery with a few pine cones and I LOVE the natural cotton ones!

In addition to ornaments and fillers, there are plenty of decorative elements such as moose, Santas and reindeer. I especially thought these neutral colored angels were unique and would look great in a casual tone on tone house.

Maybe the only thing I didn't see are any Hanukkah decorations...but then again, I didn't ask, and I could have missed them.

If you are in the market for a gift for a friend or family member, or want to add a few items to your holiday decor, do not hesitate...get in your car on Saturday and head to Creative by Nature, have lunch @ Zoe's Kitchen and top it off by sending your kids to the outdoor playground with the spouse as you peruse the cute clothes at Bevello right around the corner. But if you only have time for one pit stop, head to Creative By Nature, you'll be glad you did. Like them on facebook too.

http://www.facebook.com/CreativebyNatureHOME

Thanksgiving in the Hills

I just finished reading the latest publication of Lonny Magazine. Have you ever read it??? If not, you must stop now and subscribe. It's one of the best online shelter magazines for interior design. I wait anxiously for the next addition to come out. The editor in chief is Michelle Adams, formerly from Domino Magazine, who's successful venture is as inspiring as the magazine itself.

This month, they featured a home in the Hollywood Hills, which is in Los Angeles, California....my hometown hub for design. I love how interior designer, Mark D. Sikes created beautiful rooms mixing traditional and contemporary pieces and artwork. I am a sucker for a house that mixes textures like rattans and Asian antiquities with contemporary furniture.

The dining room was set for thanksgiving and it shows how simple and easy one can create an elegant setting for this holiday. Just a beautiful white pumpkin on china!!!Done!

 How gorgeous is this kitchen layout!? Every kitchen should have a living space in it to sit and hang out.
I love the built-in book shelves around the windows and the sofa under the window.

I don't know about anyone else, but I spend most of my day in the kitchen. I love to cook, putter around, it's where I also do most of my "crafty" stuff, work on the computer and as a family we have all of our meals in the kitchen, so a layout like this makes so much sense...and it's stunning. I love how they mixed director style bamboo chairs with a simple contemporary table like the Saarinen table above.

 The rest of the design just continues to keep me inspired. It feels like they thought of every detail without over working the space. I tend to avoid the light blue shades when I design, but I love how this master below turned out. It's got a wonderful layout and seems super comfortable but elegant as well.

The chocolate walls in the guest room below, with the creamy white contrast of the furnishings and trim work is wonderful too.

You would think with the super white walls that the rooms would feel cold, but look at how warm this picture above is! The rattan and mix of animal textures along with the tortoiseshell and porcelain china, is so inviting. Let me get my book and blankey!

The cherry on top is the spectacular exterior landscaping. This is what I think of when I dream about the Hollywood Hills.

Love the dresser on the left...yum! And the wrought iron work on the right is fabulous too!

From the window in the guest room, the greenery in the background and that black and white awning can take you anywhere dreamy, but when you look at the vanilla colored stucco and the terracotta steps....oohs and aahs!

Give me a warm breeze and I've been transported back to outdoor living in L.A. I'm giving thanks to Lonny Magazine this year.  Check out the rest of the magazine as well, it's a low calorie holiday treat. www.lonnymag.com

Warm and Cozy Under Foot!

I have found my next rug purchase! I love this rug from Feizy Rugs.
http://www.feizy.com/UI/Product.aspx?sv=0&intCategoryTypeNo2=30&intCollectionNo=709

 As the days turn colder and we enter into the next season, warm and cozy comes to mind. Yesterday I took a day trip to High Point with a colleague (shout out to the fabulous Dickey Choate, http://upscaleurbandesign.com/ ) to visit some rug showrooms, on the search for some beautiful hand knotted, silk and viscose blended rugs. Two showrooms that we visited were Safavieh and Fiezy Rugs. Both had some really beautiful things. 

Are you in the market for a gorgeous new rug?There are so many great products from these two companies. Check out some of the fabulous things that we found there:

Gorgeous brown tones and accents in charcoal from Feizy Rugs,
Kashgar, brown/multi
http://www.feizy.com/UI/Product.aspx?sv=0&intCategoryTypeNo2=30&intCollectionNo=707

Another beautiful contemporary rug from Fiezy, so great in person, it has a silky sheen and a  rich pewter and chocolate color palette.  Dim Sum, Chocolate/Steel
http://www.feizy.com/UI/Product.aspx?sv=0&intCategoryTypeNo2=43&intCollectionNo=668

If you are looking for subtle, luxurious and traditional or transitional, this rug is absolutely stunning!!
Feizy Rugs, Ouray, smoke/ivory
http://www.feizy.com/UI/Product.aspx?sv=0&intCategoryTypeNo2=30&intCollectionNo=711

This contemporary graphic is another great design from Fiezy, very current for today's living spaces. Fiezy Rugs, Noor, light/blue-gray

http://www.feizy.com/UI/Product.aspx?sv=0&intCategoryTypeNo2=30&intCollectionNo=731

At Safavieh we spotted this beauty from David Easton's collection. Every colorway in this design was fabulous.
http://safavieh.com/rugs/david-easton/traditional/knotted/dve473f-paro-grid

Another stunner from Suzanne Kasler's collection at Safavieh, which by far, was the prettiest that we saw yesterday. The pictures do not do it justice.
http://safavieh.com/rugs/suzanne-kasler/traditional/knotted/szk271c-jaguar

I love Thom Filicia, he has a wonderful way of playing up the tailored aesthetic in an interior. This fun zig-zag would be a great addition to a casual space.
http://safavieh.com/rugs/thom-filicia/contemporary/hand-tufted/griffith-park-tmf906b

I can't seem to get enough of this cane detail. I know it takes the right kind of client and the right kind of setting but I just love it, and in the showroom, it looked great. This one is from the collection by Jamie Drake.
http://safavieh.com/rugs/jamie-drake/contemporary/knotted/jdk321b

I love this geometric tone on tone rug. It gives dimension and texture, but the subtle color keeps it simple.
Deco Garden

Another designer from the Safavieh line is Martha Stewart, whose is famously  always using the faux bois detail, I love it too. It has a wonderful texture with the silk sheen throughout, which shows as flat above. It really is quite beautiful in person.
http://safavieh.com/rugs/martha-stewart/contemporary/knotted/msr5843c-faux-bois

Next stop, some fabulous accessory finds....stay tuned!