Laurel Canyon Make over; by Amanda Burdge

I had really IMPORTANT tasks to get done today. A whole list of VERY important "to-do's" and "must get done". That list, currently glaring at me from the corner of my eye, on yellow note pad paper, is giving me the stink eye as I roam about on the internet. Now in all fairness I have accomplished, lets see... five things on the list. That my friends is a GOOD day. A FOCUSED day. Never mind the fact that the list is two pages long, neither here, nor there. I will just turn my head that much further to the left. There all better.

Ok lets get down to it. As I mentioned I have been doing "research" on the internet (before that stupid list got in the way) to find something to inspire, captivate and intrigue me. Well my friends I have found it! If these pics don't captivate your imagination I'm not sure anything can. This home, featured by HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, and written by Alexandria Mott is breathtaking. So pull up a chair, take a looksy, and pour yourself a cup of tea for our "Accomplished 5 things, and were done for the day" tea party!

Nashville Interior design on Barbara Cosgrove lamps

The classics:

(I would say one of their most popular lamps)

(In the line since the beginning)

We here at AB HOME are so pleased with the new direction of the company. We feel grounded, and very assured that the economical debacle is behind us, and we can FINALLY focus on fun, pretty THINGS that make us HAPPY!! Ok so maybe it is a bit fantastical to live in candy land, but 2009 is in our rearview mirror and CANDY is SO much better to focus on. Remember students it has SUGAR in it! The greatest and most significant of the food groups. That could be why we are so bloated...I mean grounded....

Our trip to Market unearthed many new finds, and brought us back to some of our tried and true basics from years past. One of my most favorite discoveries, Barbara Cosgrove Lamps. My first encounter with this beautiful line was 7 years ago when I lived in Las Vegas. Her original catalogs were leather bound with beautiful black ribbon ties. Obviously a true creative, Barbara left no stone unturned. Everything from packaging, presentation all the way down to the actual product was certainly thought out. My first purchase was on looks alone. Yes a vain designer choice, but show me something SHINY, colorful, and FANCY and I turn into a giddy screeching three year old!

I had not forgotten about my beloved lamp line, but merely set it aside in my nest of thoughts. They are rather expensive but very unique. I felt that it just wasn't time to introduce them. So I waited, and waited and you guessed it; I waited. At this past Market I made my way to their showroom and purchased some very cherished and NEEDED candy! Alas, my lamps arrived and we are very excited! Have a looksy, give us your thoughts. We hope you likey.

Congratulations to us!

We have had many exciting changes occur over the past month. One very exciting announcement is that AB HOME now carry's the wonderfully charming, FUN, and colorful line, by none other than, Jonathan Adler! We hoped. We prayed. We crossed our fingers that we were WORTHY and IMPORTANT enough. So when the news broke that we had been "APPROVED", my girls and I skipped through the halls of AB HOME with joyous glee, smiling ear to ear. Could it be true? All this hard work, sleepless nights, and endless functions? Playing the bookkeeper, sales clerk, manager, assistant, stocker, receiving crew, and janitor? Has it really paid off? OMG, yes!!

We at AB HOME are so proud of where we are today! My staff and I have worked so hard over the past year to make this little company that could, into something GREAT! 2010 is proving to be a fantastic and optimistic year, and what better way to bring in the NEW YEAR, than with one of our most favorite designers. Did I mention we are EXCITED??

Well as a little treat I have posted a few of our favorite things from the JA line. We are doing a complete overhaul on our website (another new and exciting change!) and we will hopefully have all our new JA products up on the site with in a month! WHOO HOO! Hope all of you have a fabulous Saturday and I will continue to post about all our new and exciting announcements over the next couple of weeks!

Hanukkah-dreidel, dreidel, dreidel 3 things to celebrate!

For eight nights Jews around the world celebrate the seaon of light during Hanukkah. This year allow light to prevail over darkness with bright decorations that bring in a feeling of Joy, (or "OY") with a handmade menorah, fresh new dreidels, or fun new gelt bags. Who says tradition has to be predictable?

Mantel Garland

Print this template and blow it up 150 to 200 times. Print on a good quality card stock and paint in fun colors of teal, cream, gold, and slate blue. After you paint cut your template and follow the instructions from the template to fold and glue. Thread silver cord through a large needle and string up your custom dreidels onto the mantel!

Gelt

Chocolate coins are not only pretty for decorating the table but fun party favors as well. Chocolate coins inside an organza bag creates a shimmery gift that adds sparkle, and delight to your guests. Find shimmery 4 x7 organza party bags at a craft store and fill the bag up to the top and tie off with beautiful 1/4" gold ribbon, or cord.

Put your decorated coins into a beautiful tray to hand to guests, or use as part of the 

table setting on each plate.

The gifts of Hanukkah

For eight nights, the Jewish culture celebrates the season of light.  Each night of Hanukkah theres a small gift that awaits that part of the celebration. Wrapped with pretty papers, ribbons, and embellished with The Star of David, dreidels, and coins.

Cut stars from foiling metal to add shimmer. Take a stylus (found at a craft store) and gently create a beaded edge, for added fun.  Buy rubber stamps and have custom messages of good wishes made and apply them to ribbon, packages, or gift tags. Add other seasonal embellishments by buying inexpensive favors like dreidels, and gelt that can be glued directly to the packages.

Don't forget to follow us on twitter!

And become a FAN on our AB HOME facebook fanpage!

All images 

Warehouse SALE Nov 21st!

SO I am at work today rushing around preparing for this warehouse sale that is next Saturday. Once again, Im still not totally convinced that I should have to give my stuff away at ridiculous prices for the sake of MY anniversary. Isn't this suppose to be MY day? Shouldn't I be lavished in Vodka and expensive gifts like mallomars, oreos, and pinwheels to celebrate MY day? And shouldn't I be generously showered in congratulations, good wishes and bouquets of compliments? I think this whole celebration for MY day is well deserved. BUT, instead of sitting on my throne of salutes and honor, Im schlepping around in my AB HOME apron frantically trying to get everything ready for ALL of YOU!

No hard feelings, really. But sitting on my throne, vodka in hand, and pinwheels in the other sounds so much more fun, and less tiring. Do you have any idea how long it takes to vacuum a damn 3000 square foot warehouse with a shopvac?? TOO MUCH TIME!! Can someone please invent an upright industrial vacuum for a warehouse? I suppose I will just get back to tagging, dusting, and boxing; and the shopvac can shove it where the moon and stars don't shine!

A little bitter, yes. While all my friends and HUSBAND are out enjoying this beautiful 70 degree day I am stuck in this warehouse for ALL YA'LLs benefit. Good to be boss lady! SO be kind, and when you arrive next Saturday at 8AM, tell me how great everything looks, and if you want to make me feel EXTRA special you can bring me a bottle of booze and MAYBE even some cookies!!!

Target Tuesday.

I must say that this has been the rainiest year I can remember since living in TN. I'm already engulfed in a torrid affair with my beloved vodka, and oh so delicious oreo's. If there is any hope of me surviving this gloomy grey covered sky from lack of motivation, laziness, and sleepiness, the sun must come out. Otherwise, I am going to continue down a path of a 17 year old teenager with no direction, driving determination or enthusiasm. My biggest spurt of energy these days comes from the motivating force of walking to the fridge or the slightest chance of grabbing a cat nap. Oh those are good days! What is it about the rain and gloom that sucks all the life out of us? I really do need to invest in a comfy sofa for the office so I can slip in a quick nap or two.

(Nothing like a good old fashion CAT NAP!)

In an effort to boost my spirits, and ambition (did I ever admit to having any? I mean really, is it required or necessary to run a business...??) my target tuesday is going to be on candles. I have been lighting candles as big as a forest fire in my office and home, to TRY and kick start an ounce of inspiration and gusto into my everyday routine. Although I would rather make a trip to the fridge, and take a quick nap. In pursuit of this so called "motivation" (who really needs it anyway?) I have awakened a passionate, obsessive monster that prefers the recreation of doing NOTHING. So lets light some candles! Makes perfect sense.

I realize that there is every kind of candle known to mankind in our existence. Everything that can or could be added or subtracted has been done. The right ingredients the wrong ingredients, what ever necessary to sell that candle has been done. So why take on an industry that can easily run circles around me with precise execution? Well, it's simple really. Because I can! No good accessories line is complete without candles. And with Target as my driving force of support (they can be my motivation, ambition, enthusiastic cheerleaders) I can produce the BEST candles, at the BEST price.

My candles will burn for 80 hours or more. They will be soy based and have the best quality wax. Each candle will come with a wick trimmer to remind ALL of us that a trimmed candle is a better performing candle! They will have subtle but aromatic scents that eliminate everyday odors without knocking our socks off with over perfumed fragrances. There is nothing worse than bacon smelling freesia. And yes there are thousands of choices to choose from when selecting and buying candles. But I promise you this. These will be the prettiest, most fragrant and best quality candles you can buy for the money. So light up a candle, grab a bag of oreo's, and snuggle into your favorite Target blanket for a rainy day afternoon of movie watching.

They say it's my Birthday, whoop whoop!!

Once again Im sure you have all noticed my drunken absence....., a-hem, I mean lack of presence in the blogosphere. I was originally told that this blogging thing was a winter sport, or hobby rather. I find myself less interested in typing and more interested in gulping; it's so much more promising. I mean really, think about it, it's 30 something degrees outside, and Im wearing more clothing than an NASA astronaut headed to space. With all these layers of clothes I can barely manage to turn around or lift my arms without catapulting myself at warp speed to the ground of sludge and fall leaves. ( at least the leaves are pretty this time of year, and quite engaging. Might as well enjoy the view if Im going to be consistently stuck viewing them at microscopic distance.) So slushing down a few oreos and a sip of liquid warmth never hurt anyone.

The way I see it, if Im going to end up on the ground anyways, I feel the booze is just a better alternative as a winter sport. It keeps me warm, requires less clothing, and makes everything (even taxes, debt, and cranky customers) not seem so bad. Oh how I love the holiday season!!

Today is my birthday. So in true birthday festivity fashion I went to Costco and stocked up on my beloved booze of choice, VODKA. No need for work today. If any argument for self employment glory should stick (never mind the headache of payroll, taxes, employee bullshit, solicitors, paper work, staying late ALL the time, CUSTOMER bullshit and CLIENT bullshit) it is the shear fact that I can do what ever the hell I want with no doubt that the vodka will kick in quickly and the place could burn down with no regrets ( at least for today). Amazing little bottle of liquid courage and friend, oh how I love thee. Ha!

We at AB HOME have been in the midst of preparing for our HUGE annual warehouse sale. It is our anniversary in the grandest proportions. Why I have to give my crap away to the public for MY anniversary at stupid prices I will never know, thus, we have been knee deep in tagging inventory hell for the past three weeks. Over 700 SKU's of product slashed to ridiculous prices. Never lower. This is the time to buy, buy, buy. And at this moment, if I look at one more plate, deck of playing cards, holiday what-not, or accessory, well it just may require another slurp of my fruity vanilla liquid gold of, "AHHHH, much better."

Today my friends, it is good to be BOSS lady. It is 8am and I am still in my pj's . My intentions for the day...well no major plans. Everyday is a freaking roadmap of take care of this, make sure you do that, don't forget to call so and so, get blah, blah done before... and so on. No agenda other than:

1) write blog post so bloggyland doesn't think Im in a permanent drunken stooper under a bridge in elated bliss,

2) make turkey sandwich for lunch (with a few oreos)

3) Watch as much trash TV as humanly possible

4) MAYBE go for a walk to wash off the guilty pleasures of life, and get a little fresh air to rinse off the smell of booze, oreo crumbs and lord knows what else, before the family comes at 6 .

And not necessarily in that particular order. Yes, it's good to be BOSS lady today! Hope all of you in bloggyland have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend. Cheers!