Target Tuesday.

In honor of our make-up wearing, costumed loving Halloween merriment, I wanted to slip in a little holiday festivities for our TT today. Typically I wouldn't add Halloween to my category list of Target Tuesday must haves. But this year will be my nieces last youth, dress up to get free candy before you are an adult, Halloween. She is delighted and sad all in one big plastic pumpkin container of candy. Oh to be young again!

Halloween isn't really one of MY favorite holidays. But, I do love the magic, excitement, and anticipation it brings to young faces everywhere. I enjoy seeing the wonder, fear, and make believe pleasure it brings to young and old alike. And who doesn't love candy! IT HAS SUGAR IN IT!!!

So for my lovely niece, and her bon voyage to youth, I will design a decorative over-the-top acrylic candy container. Carved and molded into fun ghouls, princesses, and Vampires (what is halloween with out vampires?) They will be light to carry, clear so candy can be visible (you have to SEE the potential sugar count) and they will have ribbons for handles. Once the night of Halloween has wrapped up, the decorative acrylic holder can be used as a candy dish, candle holder, or a vodka mug, I mean beer mug. Candy and vodka! Who doesn't love that combo?

And I suppose for those of you are caring, involved, and conscious these delightful containers can be used to plant a tree, or shrub and give as a gift. Multi functional. Love that!

Mecca for furniture buyers!

Me and Tobi Fairley at the withit breakfast
Tobi and some adoring fans

Me and Annie Selke at the Vanguard showroom

Mary Knackstedt during her educational seminar fro designers

Karim Rashid. THE best product designer out there. He designs everything from cell phones, vacuums, trash cans and furniture. Most likely, you have used a product, or own a product designed by this man!

I have returned from the glorious and infamous HIGHPOINT furniture market. It was larger than life. I could not believe how amazing it was. But most importantly I couldn't believe how many people were at HIGHPOINT!

I wandered around aimlessly trying to find my way out of the airport in my rental car on the first day. After four failed attempts and a wasted hour, I began to get frustrated. Holy Mary and Joseph bring me closer to Jesus! Finally after an hour and a half I found the holy grail, CHIPOTLE. After I consumed my yummy and delicious burrito bowl I decided to head to HIGHPOINT. I got on my shuttle to head downtown. Unsure of what I was about to see I grabbed my seat in anticipation. The shuttle driver pulled out of the depot and headed down the road. He made a left and then a right. We started driving down a residential neighborhood. The beautiful old oak tree branches slapping the bus windows. All of a sudden we made another left and the furniture mecca opened up! I couldn't believe my eyes. Furniture showrooms everywhere! Sparkly, shiny, calling out to me.

I went to several seminars and so many incredible showroom's. with celebrity designers promoting their lines everywhere. Here are a few pics of the many great people I met!

Amanda Burdge Nashville Designer headed to High Point Market

Well as if I wasn't busy enough, I am running around the house frantically trying to pack! Can the cat go in the overhead compartment? She is insistent that she goes. I guess I can shove her under the seat, but she will be disappointed to find less than perfect accommodations. She is convinced that this trip includes kitty food, kitty toys, and grandma. Well she is right about grandma!

I leave at midnight. First time in highpoint, so Im a bit nervous. Its large. Showrooms are sprawled out all over. But I will have mom, and her and I plan to hit the town (all in the name of furniture manufacturers) whoo hoo, what fun! SO I will report back, with pics of course, about all the happenings and mishaps that we encounter. Hopefully we will find all sorts of good stuff! Happy weekend to all!

Busy, busy, BEE!

Im sure all of you have been wondering where I have been. And if not, I will pretend that ya'll care because it makes me feel important. ( It is essential to my existence, without it I and my fellow designers will go extinct; it's a proven fact) To put all of you at ease, I have not been ignoring you. I have been incredibly busy. (eating oreos, brushing my hair, and watching Oprah) hehe Actually, I am participating in the Living Green in Green hills show house, of which I have one week to put together a plan, and install. The event planner, and builder of the home had another designer pull out at the last minute. So who does she call? Yep, AB HOME Interiors, AKA the don't worry, we will fix it, holy Mary and Joseph crisis, FIXERS! I have quite a knack for pulling things together in very short amounts of time. I suppose it is the combination of stupidity, lack of time to procrastinate, and pure ADRENALINE!

I am a tad worried about the overall look. Because of the lack of time I am using what I got from my own showroom. No time to think, and analyze. No time for research to come up with a killer plan, and no time to be clever. I must say I have put myself in these situations before. With fairy dust, and a little magic I pull off miracles. I believe that the finished product will be awesome. I always amaze myself once the crazy psycho in me calms down! EVERYTHING MUST BE PERFECT!!!

On top of the one week deadline for the show house I am working with my clients and their time constraints,( I currently have 35 active clients!) and we are preparing for our annual WAREHOUSE SALE!!! Over 600 skus go on sale for one day only. It is absolute madness!!! Incredible, stupid prices, on everything from dishes, accessories, lamps, holiday, gifts and more! It takes us six weeks to prepare for this event because it is so big. As if there wasnt enough crazyness to go around I am leaving for Market next Friday for over a week. I feel like an on coming train is approaching me at warp speed and instead of moving off the track to avoid harm Im just staring at the pretty light and listening to the honking horn, walking closer and closer to the explosion!

Hopefully things will slow down as we get closer to the holidays. Just know that I am around. I may not be blogging as frequently as you all may like. (I know how much you love and adore, and wait on pins and needles for my next post!) I suppose it will make each post that much sweeter. I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday, and if you would like more info on the warehouse sale send me an email and I will give you the details!

TARGET TUESDAY!

So have ya'll noticed a little lapse in my presence? Yes, yes Im fully aware. I have a laundry list of excuses. Ive been so busy clipping my toenails, washing my hair, catching up on guilty pleasures, eating doritos, and trapping raindrops on my tongue. Gotta wash those oreos down with something! As much as I love fall, it definitely plays havoc on my mood and motivation; or lack there of. I have been motivated about as much as a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. Ehh!

We had 23 straight days of rain. Then like church is to Sunday's the sun came, the angels were singing and I found myself frolicking in the office, and skipping through the halls. But all good things must come to an end. The frolicking turned to angry A.D.D and the angels left only to be replaced by lucifer, I mean doritos and oreos. It has been raining, drizzling, pouring blah, blah, for the last two days. I swear to holy heaven on earth if I eat any more oreos, sugar snaps, juji fruits, dots (lord have mercy they have SUGER in them) Im going to catch ADHD, with a side of no attention span, and a week long overdose in the form of a much needed nap. So this week my TT will focus on one of my favorite, favorite garments-ROBES!

ioffer.com

Robes are toasty warm, and best of all ONE SIZE FITS ALL! Plenty of room for oreos, fruit slices, and olive garden; OH and don't forget a slice of homemade peach pie. YUM! But despite my love for the frumpy, solid colored terry robe, I have decided that I am going to amp it up a notch. My robes will be made of silk, but lined in flannel. I want to have gorgeous colorful patterns that remind me of fall, winter and spring, so when Im stuffing my face there will be a small reminder of the importance to have the shape of a woman, and not Mr potato head. No guarantee that the silhouette you once donned over the summer will return, but remember ladies, one size fits all, so plenty of room for expansion!

They will have the warmth of flannel but the exterior luxury of silk. (You have to feel pretty when you're munching on doritos.) The patterns will be large over exaggerated paisley's, damasks, polka dots, and florals. They will be fun, pretty, warm and most of all COMFORTABLE! And when Spring returns, the birds start chirping, and the snow melts you will have the ability to remove the flannel lining for a comfortable summer cover up.

http://www.hillesodesigns.com

I hope all of you are making your way through this fall frolicking and skipping through the halls. But if you are not, grab a bag of oreos (double stuffed) throw on your beautiful silk Target robe, and plop in front of the tube to watch a new episode of CSI-Miami, and maybe even a little Oprah!