Busy Little Elves!

We've been busily creating special holiday things for the Sand Point Antique & Design Market in Seattle next weekend...

Any guesses what these are?!

Yep... stockings! I heard that recent shipments of Joan d' Arc Living products are low on burlap stockings, so I am determined to have lots of them to offer lovers of Scandinavian style.

I've made some brand new 'Ice Queen' Crowns, too, and I just looove those vintage 'ice chunk' crystals we found at the Rose Bowl. We'll have more ornaments & decorations, and our signature 'upcycled' home furnishings & accessories - Bob is busy out in the shop, creating more of his fabulous pieces for you to enjoy!

We hope to see you at Sand Point next Sunday!

It's Time...

Thanksgiving is done, the turkey is history, and the pumpkins are packed away.

Now it's time to haul in the bins of vintage Christmas & Winter decor! We are spending our weekend Decking the Halls of our beach cottage with winter whites. We are so inspired by this color palette right now - we will also be featuring it in our booth at the Sand Point Antique & Design Market next Sunday. We'll share photos next week - meanwhile, enjoy the Holiday weekend!

Good Day, Sunshine!

We awoke to this glorious sight this morning.....

                                       

No alarm, no shocking sound nudged us from sleep.... nope. Just opened our eyes to a quiet peaceful morning, and discovered this beautiful rosy glow in the sky to greet us.

Now this may not seem like anything special to some of you - but remember that we live in the Great Gray NorthWest and haven't seen the sun or the actual sky for weeks now! It's been nothin' but gray clouds and rain. And wind. Lots of wind. So seeing this was a real treat, in more ways than one....

                                                      

We've asked the Universe a few questions lately.... mostly having to do with what our next step is. Our biggest concern is missing an opportunity, or not being clear on what to do next. Last night we went to sleep with one particular question on our minds. This morning's light show was like an answer straight from God: "If I can wake you up so you won't miss something as beautifully simple as this sunrise, don't you think I'll make sure you notice the opportunities and path before you?" Indeed!

We wish you all a most meaningful, wonderful, and Happy Thanksgiving, friends. We are so grateful for your friendship, support, and presence in our lives. You inspire us to be all that we can be, and to contribute to this marvelous world in a way that makes it better for everyone. Thank you for visiting us, coming to shows, reading our blog, and connecting with us. Blessings to you all....

The new magazine is on its way - debuts in February!

Stay tuned to the Flea Market Style Mag blog for more details

Swanky Season: Retreat Style

So Mr. Deb is a saint to put up with me, we all know that..

But last year, I think he outdid even himself. I swanked up the tree and the house with the au courant theme of the year: Black & White and Hip all over, and he let me have carte blanche with everything! (Considering that we moved into our house on November 5 and left for Texas on December 11th, I'm still amazed that I decorated for Christmas at all last year...) Here are a few shots of how it turned out:

These crystal snowflakes and the flocked ivory & white ornaments from up above - and also seen in the 'Tattered & Torn' style a few posts back - will play into our Winter White theme for this year, too. Which just goes to show that the way you mix things up can change the look completely! (We will also feature the white tree - AFTER we are done using it as a display prop at the Sand Point Market on December 6th...)

Let's Try This Again......

Somehow when I was taking final shots yesterday afternoon, I neglected to get the 'full shots' of the setup in our room. DUH. In my own defense, I was really, really tired! So we went back this morning and took a few - 

now you can see how our little 10 X 9 room shaped up for the Season:

It was a busy day at the shop for the Open House Block Party (see post below) and a lot of our vintage goodies sold (including our vintage-style tricycle!). So, if you see something that you like in these photos, get into Poppyseeds tomorrow or it might just be gone... 

The bed shown, by the way, is a regular twin size. It is set up as a 'short', as used in window displays and such.  The price of $125. is for the headboard & footboard only - they will attach to a standard metal bed frame (like the ones you get from Sleep Country when you buy a mattress.....) OR if you want to create a toddler bed, you can attach a few boards from Home Depot! ;0)

It's a Ho Ho Holiday from Retreat

'Twas the night before the Open House' and all through the store,

Little Elves are creating Christmas Joy galore!

It's a HoHo Holiday for you from Retreat:

We've got cute, we've got bright, we've got happy and we've got sweet!

We've done marvelous things with what used to be beds

You can now rest your seat instead of your head!

We've filled every nook, cranny, cubby, and shelf

with vintage decor - it's divine, if we DO say so ourselves!

The chandeliers are hung from the ceiling with care,

and ornaments sparkle EVERYWHERE!

We've lit up the place with red, white, & light

sure to make your season Merry & Bright!

Peek in the mirror, glance thru the door,

you'll be amazed by what we have in store...

We've loaded the room with furniture, decor, and a gift or two -

you'll find something that is the perfect gift from YOU!

...or maybe FOR you!
We've got it all ready, it sparkles & shines

So come to the party and have a good time!

*<|:o{D>

Santa Says:

Visit Retreat at Poppyseeds
Friday Nov. 20th and Saturday Nov. 21 

10:30 AM to 8 PM Friday
10:30 AM to 5 PM Saturday

'Block Party' Open House
Christmas music, refreshments, and 20% off almost every single item in the store! (Many other shops and restaurants in Stanwood are participating, as well. And make sure you also drive another 2 miles West to Terry's Corner on Camano Island and check out the artist shoppes at Brindles Marketplace!)

______________________________________________________________________

Mod Holiday: Retreat Style

So just to clear up any misunderstanding, I'm NOT decorating for Christmas already! The photos I'm sharing here are of our past Holiday celebrations, in our former home. I'm still in the planning-choosing-collecting mode for Christmas '09, and will get around to decorating after Thanksgiving. I'm a traditionalist that way, especially after 34 years in retail spent decorating Christmas trees on Halloween night!
 
Here's a peek at another of our Holiday decor schemes from the past: 

I decided to go a bit more contemporary than I usually do with my holiday decor one year. For me, who usually revels in excess, it was a HUGE challenge.But I was inspired by clean lines, chartreuse green, and the very hip 1960's. So I cued up some Dean Martin tunes, polished up Bob's collection of chrome martini decanters, and got started!

I filled the bowls and trays and glasses with SnoWonder, one of my very favorite tricks as a display designer and photo stylist - it's a powder that you mix with water and voila! It becomes SNOW. As in cold, a bit wet, mushy, formable SNOW. I extol its virtues every chance I get.

Coming soon, yet another Holiday decor scheme we've enjoyed in the past...

Tattered Holiday: Retreat Style

So many people who see the varied styles we present in our show booths ask us what our home decor is like.... Well, our business has quite literally grown out of our practices of thriftiness, recycling-reusing-restyling, and the constant rearrangement of furnishings & accessories that I tend to do. ;0) I love decorating seasonally, changing rooms around to fit how we use them at different times of the year.

You might guess that our Holiday decorating is not exactly 'normal'.
Every year, it's a new theme with a new color palette. I have boxes and boxes and boxes of ornaments and ribbons and accoutrements for the Season, and every year I combine different elements to create a whole new look. (Our kids can not remember ever having the same Christmas tree twice.) I like to play with new ideas, what can I say?! In my other life as a retail visual designer/display stylist, I am constantly coming up with new ideas and concepts for my clients, so home is just one big design lab for me.

A few years ago, our previous home's Holiday decor was my version of a 'Tattered & Torn' look, inspired by Deb Dusenberry at the Curious Sofa and Carol Hicks Bolton of Homestead. (My travels to see my daughter in Texas have helped, too!) Lots of warmth in ivory/cream/brown/copper tones, elegance & sparkle with crystals and silver serveware, texture in burlap/ torn muslin/velvet and natural elements all combine to create a look that is new & old at the same time....

Hope you enjoyed the tour! This year, it's looking like we'll be heading toward a 'White Christmas' around here... every shade of pearly warm white imaginable, with lots of texture to keep it interesting, and seashells thrown in for good measure. Something along the lines of this:

What are your plans for holiday decorating this year?