Another Sleepless Night

Okay, enough is enough. I need my sleep.

Does anyone have any ideas about how to get rid of stuff? If it were you, what steps would you take? Your thoughts will be listened to and appreciated.

J is helping me with pictures of furniture this week.

 

 

This is the master bed, or should I say BED! I found this in a barn in Pennsyvania in 1970's. Love it. But we have no idea of age. Looks like it is handmade. Much of it is pegged. Through the many family moves it has some splits in the frame, but it is still sturdy.

I'm finding that craig's list is a limited tool. Most responses are spam! "Send us your private email because we like your 'posted' so much." That is one example of the responses to my listings. A little aside, I have met 2 amazing crocheters who between me have given great homes to my yarn stash!) Now we (J and I) are thinking about trying Etsy. We'll see if that is a better audience.

AND, what am I going to do with Annarella Girl? Any ideas? I've never been wildly successful but steady orders and a few shows have been good to me. I've kept busy while exercising my creative muscles. At the end of a year I usually break even or a smidge on the plus side. I can't see quitting - I need a reason to get up in the morning. But what form will my business take? One idea that niggles at my dreams is to do 3-4 shows a year. Keep participating in Red Poppy Festival, Georgetown, and Wilmington Flower Market, Delaware. I'd love to find a late summer and fall show - maybe near Chattanooga or Jacksonville.  Now all I need to do is sucker, oops mean entice, someone into helping me. I'll be toying around with this dream for a while, so you have plenty of time to give me input. (If you think the time has come for me to stop making dresses, I'd like to hear from you, just be gentle!)

Oh, my, I see more sleepless nights heading my way.

Last weekend continued & this weekend begins

There are a few impressions of Bloomington, Indiana that I want to share. We had a fantastic brunch on Saturday morning at Farmbloomington on Kirkwood Ave in downtown. I've eaten a lot of meals in very good restaurants worldwide, and this meal was among some of the best I've ever had. If your are ever near the area, eat here. Biscuits and apple butter were memorable, french toast was sinful and eggs were fresh. Wait staff was mid-west friendly and professional. Decor was interesting and unique. See collection of old bed pans on the wall.

You can tell by the smiling faces, we were all very happy. Good job FARMbloomington.

To walk off the good meal, we strolled around the farmer's market. Although it is off season we did find some flowers and plants to buy.

Bloomington and the surrounding countryside reminded me a lot of northern Delaware/Southern Pennsylvania with its rolling hills, tall trees, and many streams. With early spring flowers giving splashes of color against the new green of the grass and just budding trees, it was a great place to relax and enjoy family. We had sunny, warm weather so we basked in the spring sun.

Coming up this weekend here in Georgetown is the annual Red Poppy Fest. See the website for a schedule of all the music, headliner is The Bellamy Brothers. You can also find a driving map to many of the Red Poppy yards in downtown.

There are lots of vendors. In front of Annarella Home will be Nick Conde Dudding. photograper, and Mary Louise Poquette, jeweler, who also has many interesting items such as aprons, scarves and totes. Annarella Girl will have a few things outside and inside the store.

As in all festivals there's food and a children's area. The weather is suppose to be warm but not hot, so come and enjoy.

Taking advantage of the large crowds, Annarella is holding a SALE - 75% off all remaining furniture. There are even some bigger bargains for other assorted items. The sale runs for just Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 1-4. Its a great opportunity to buy quality furniture at low, low prices. Cash or check with a surcharge of 8% for credit cards. See you this weekend!

Seeing Red...in a good way

Red states, blue states.... Forget politics and the presidential race for a moment and enjoy the red at Annarella.

We just received this smashing red hutch. The finish is rubbed for a rustic but elegant look. what a spot of color for a dining room or kitchen. Frankly I'd like to design a eating nook in my kitchen around it. Where would you like to put it?Here's a close up of the finish. Although it looks fire engine red on my monitor, it is really a tad more subtle...like a red velvet cake red.

And I know it's a little early for holidays and winter (especially here in central Texas) but Tea Forte has released their holiday collections.

This winter warmer has a red cafe cup with the hole in the top for their signature leaf and stem which will only be available for a limited time. It comes with two infusers in holiday blends: Sweet Orange Spice - an enticing blend of black tea, cinnamon and orange; and Crimson Nectar - a ruby red, herbal fruit tea. Yum! Here is a box of twenty infusers for the holiday season. This is great to have on hand for guests. Its so much fun to choose the flavor that fits your mood...Crimson Nectar, winter Chai (herbal blend of rooibos and spices), Sweet Orange Tea, White Ambrosia (white tea melded with vanilla and coconut) and English Breakfast (organic black tea).

If you're a tea drinker and haven't tried Tea Forte, we urge you to sample some. This is a product which is sophisticated and simply the best.

So come in and see some red.

Dining in Style - Chairs

Sooner than you or I can imagine Thanksgiving will be here. I find my thoughts going to the dining table. I love to break out the "good china" and silverware to set for the feast. As a family we all like to participate in planning the menu and then cooking it. It's a little early for us to really get into the spirit, but its not too early if I want to add any decor to my dining room.

I've been thinking about chairs. Since we like to eat and talk and eat and talk for hours, I've been looking at comfortable seating. I absolutely love these chairs from IDS.

Wouldn't these look nice around a dining table. There are over 60 fabrics to choose from. And notice the different leg styles.

Padded seats are very comfortable. This bench could hold 2 full-size adults or 3 wriggly grandchildren.IDS has just started making the occasional arm chair below. It is a little big for my dining room, but I'm tempted to use it to create a reading corner in my master bedroom.And finally I can't resist showing this square upholstered coffee table. Here, at Annarella, we've had requests for a piece like this. I'm so pleased that IDS has designed this. Love the legs. Check out their website under new items for some more designs.If you have furniture or window treatments you're thinking about for a festive holiday house. Come see us soon as we are getting cut-off dates for delivery from more and more of our manufacturers and work rooms.

Final floor clearance for 2008

For a year we've been changing here at Annarella. Our thrust has been to find furniture and accessories that are price-friendly and eco-friendly.Its been an exciting challenge, but we found Lee Furniture who make stylish, comfortable and durable upholstered sofas, chairs, benches and stools. For tables, armoires and wood goods we've decreased our imported stock and bought American. Not only are these solid wood but the carbon footprint created in their making is less. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged and supported us through this adventure.

Now the final arrival of new floor pieces is near. In order to keep our signature look - uncluttered, airy and bright - we have a select group of furniture we want to sell to make room for our last shipment. Here are some pictures and info:

corner armoire with removable shelves - originally $1898, now $898

loveseat with pillows - originally $1850, now $925

chair - originally $1619, now $800

solid mahogany armoire with leather trim and TV ready - originally $3550, now $1420

vineyard table with 2 arm chairs and 4 side chairs - originally $3965, now $1750

trestle table with hand carved apron - originally $3800, now $1900

You can see we're serious about these special savings. There are several more chairs and a gel-burning fireplace also. If you see something interesting, come in as soon as possible. At these prices we don't anticipate that these pieces will last long.

Magazine Inspirations

This hammock chair called "Slink" comes from American Leather. Doesn't this look comfy? Picture it in a living area as a seat for reading, watching TV or just looking out the window.If the chartruese is a little loud for your color scheme, there are over 60 different leathers or ultrasuedes to choose from.

One of Elle Decor's picks of their September issue. Don't you love seeing what the top design magazines think is inspiring?

Many magazines are talking paint this month. One of our favorite websites for exploring color is Sherwin Williams. You can go into the design ideas section and click on color visualizer. Once there you can play with colors for exteriors or interiors. There are different rooms that can be "painted" with 1000s of hues. Of course all computer monitors show color shades differently, but you can get some good ideas before you head off to the paint store. Have fun!

Ottomans That Lead a Double Life

One of the leading trends in furniture for the past several years is to design pieces with a double function. This is seen especially in benches and ottomans with drawers or lids making them useful for extra storage. Here are some of the favorites at Annarella Home.

American Leather offer this lovely cube, called Uno, in leather or ultra suede to be used as an ottoman, coffee table or stool. The upholstered top reverses to a tray when you need a hard surface to sit a cup or glass. It comes off to reveal storage inside.

Here is the Keifer model from American Leather which can be used as a bench in an entry or under a window as well as a coffee table in front of your sofa. Inside is plenty of room for throws, pillows, videos, toys or anything else you want near at hand but hidden.

This sleek and contemporary bench/coffee table is the Madera from American Leather. Cushion and trays are removable so they can be switched around. You can put your feet up in the middle and still have a practical surface for your drink. This also comes smaller with one cushion and one tray. I love the punch of red, but it is available in over 60 leathers and microfiber choices.

Lee Furniture, our favorite earth-friendly furniture company, has created this pie ottoman. Each section is a stand alone stool which is great for extra seating, but push four together and you have a stylish round ottoman.

This upholstered stool from Lee Furniture can double as an occasional table next to a chair or sofa. Or picture 2 under a window for a different take on a window seat ready to pull into the room when needed for extra seating.

Two benches from Brownstone Furniture offer extra storage in the bedroom. With drawers to hold spare linens these look pretty and can still serve as a place to sit and put your shoes on.

Don't you love furniture that can be super functional and look good at the same time?

Annual Summer Sale

As the dog days of summer settle in over Georgetown, Annarella Home gets ready for the Annual Storewide Summer Sale. Its time to clear out space for new arrivals. This is always fun. We love working with customers who are so happy to be getting great bargains. This year we're even including custom orders for furniture and window treatments. There is nothing off limits except some of the art on the walls. Sale starts tomorrow, Friday July 25 and runs through Saturday, August 2. Can't wait to see everyone!