Laume's Studio

The good news - Yesterday evening my kitchen floor got a good washing. The bad news - it got washed with water from the kitchen sink that for some reason has decided to go straight down the drain onto the floor, bypassing the use of pipes altogether. Hubby and I took at look at it this morning and could see where it was leaking but it wasn't a junction we could tighten. We apparently need either a new pipe or a new garbage disposal or perhaps both. We definitely needed a plumber. The plumber couldn't come until tomorrow morning.

I should have stayed home and gotten a lot of cleaning and sorting done today but instead I had to go out to the health food store and somehow, instead of driving home, I found myself driving to a furniture store afterwards. My mom bought all her furniture there long ago, it's a town focal point. I've been to flea markets in their parking lot a half a dozen times. I cut through their back loading dock on the way to Walmart at least once or twice a week. But in thirteen years I've never been inside.

I was surprised how huge it was. I got lost for ages. I bought a lamp. I'll take a photo for you later. I brought home a linoleum sample. There were lots of other beautiful furniture and decorative things but I wasn't tempted even a tiny bit to buy any of it, placing it at the mercy of my clawed felines. No, I just wanted the inspiration. It was fun.

And since I'd already wasted most of the day I thought I'd go visit Every Bloomin' Thing, a local nursery about three miles outside of town. Melissa, the owner, just built a huge new building and filled it full of lovely gifts and interior decor (to balance all the lovely plants and exterior decor they already sell) and I thought she might have some holiday displays out already and then I could be inspired in both a designer home way and inspired in a holiday decorating way.

She had decorated, boy had she! And she was kind enough to allow me to take photos to share with you. I'd offer you a website but alas, she doesn't have one for the store. But you can still enjoy the luscious prettiness and feel all holiday spirity after viewing them, like I did. I wish the photos gave all her displays justice - it was all so wonderful in person. You have to imagine quiet holiday music playing in the background, the sound of various indoor fountains burbling in accompaniment, and all the tiny details that my blurry photos don't pick up. Oh, and a friendly sweatered pooch that helped give me a tour of the place. I'm sure you can see more if you click and open the photos.

Here are three of the numerous trees she had decorated. The thought of decorating ONE tree seems like a daunting task to me these days. This woman and and one or two staff decorated about a dozen of these wonders! These particular ones had a sort of rustic country style. She had another tree, an entire room actually, done up in cowboy style.

This spot was more a winter warm table display than any specific holiday. I liked all the old iron elements, the oversized dried arrangement and what looked like an old quilt. Peeking from behind it is...


this corner that looked like a tiny flower market. You can't see the little water fountain just to the right of the flower tins.

She has an entire room devoted to baby, children, and pet lovers. It had it's own tree full of baby ornaments. I think it had a pet tree too but I can't remember. I really got a kick out of this. You know the advent calendars that have little windows that open up into tiny pieces of candy or chocolate? Well, this one has windows that contain doggy treats. To help dear little Fifi and Rover wait for their big gifts wrapped and waiting under the tree. It's completely over the top but if I wasn't in a "less is more" and "save for Paris" mode, I so would have bought it. This is the degree to which I have become one of those old ladies with their little dog children. I didn't buy it though. So Rosie will have to make do with daily doggie treats out of the plastic bag from Petco.

A lot of the holiday display was color coordinated in old fashioned red, white and green. It's not a color scheme I tend to display in large amounts anymore but for some reason it really got me in the holiday mood. Don't you just want that Naught but Nice scarf?!

The one exception to the red, white and green was this "Wine Country" holiday tree. It's sort of blurry but you can make out that it's in gold, burgandy, purple, orange and what's this green called - chatreuse? I might have to go back and buy something off this tree.

I really fell in love with a little red ornament on a tree at my favorite french decor store too but I haven't bought anything yet. Instead I'm just window shopping and trying to decide on an overall theme or plan before buying things willy nilly. Not that buying willy nilly isn't FUN, and I certainly adhere to the Willy Nilly Purchasing Plan when it comes to antique shops and thrifting, but I kept reminding myself that everything that comes into the house needs a spot and might also need to be packed up part of the year. Already have too much to play with, don't need more. (Yes, I am absolutely aware of the contradiction between applying practical buying rules to new stuff but not old stuff. I'm not dissuaded by logic however, so don't bother pointing it out.) Anyway, back to the fun photos...

Here was the reddiest and whitiest room. Well, greeniest too I suppose as the trees are green. Like I said, I don't want to decorate in red and white this year but it still delighted me. The table display dinnerware is all about peppermint candies and candy canes. Oh, and if you look just to the left of the quilt, on the floor, you can see a three tiered metal tray painted like peppermint candies. Can you see it? I was tempted by it, so tempted. Fortunately it was pricey enough for me to come to my senses before I got it to the cash register. Not that it was overpriced. There was a lot of work in it. Anyway...

I've got a candy cane, candy house theme started for our outdoor decorating. We love throwing our giant candy canes up into our corner tree every year. For some reason I always end up trying to decorate the tree on the coldest, windiest day. Sometimes even the darkest evening. Not sure why, I haven't planned it that way. But it's practically a tradition now. Then two years ago I found those icicle lights that are so popular in red and white - more candy cane! I want to find or make some giant lollipops and candy ribbon and gum drops and gingerbread cookies and other holiday treats and do a whole "gingerbread house" outdoor display. That's not gonna happen next year, but it's on my "wanna do" list.

For the last five years or so I've moved away from our traditional hodge podge holiday decorations into more celestial blues with gold and silver. I love it, my family hates it. I've tried a couple of years just putting up the blue and sparkly decorations and I always break down and add all the family favorites after a few days. It's not just my holiday, sigh. I've also done some little retro display corners with old decorations my mom passed down to me a couple of years ago.

This year I'm imagining something more botanical and nature themed. I've always been pulled in that direction but this year I want to incorporate a more European and lush look. Who knows, I may go in a completely different direction when I end up pulling all my boxes out. But that's the idea I'm germinating at the moment.

Since I was already two thirds of the way out to my friend Shelley's house from the nursery, I drove out there to her country home to see the new house color they'd painted a few weeks ago. She was really unsure about it but I loved it. It was the mossy green color that I had invisioned when we painted our house. We ended up, after buying a half dozen greens and finally giving up, with a more gray blue green than I wanted. Her home looked really nice in a mossy gray green with cream trim. She invited me in and we shared some of her tea stash from her visit to Betty's Tea Room. Ooooh, what a treat!

One more photo from the nursery -

I might be half a month behind where I planned to be by this time but I still "B.E.L.I.E.V.E." I can still find a way to do some crafting and and gift making and tag designing and decorating and holiday fun activities. I'll get started on it immediately. First thing in the morning. Just as soon as I take down the Halloween decorations. And I deal with the plumber. And the messy kitchen. And the rest of the boxes. No, no, really. Look at the photo again. I BELIEVE!

If you'd like to see some outdoor photos I took today, check out Beach Treasure.