Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Decorative Boxes for all your Needs


For as long as I can remember I have had a slight obsession with boxes... From storage boxes to jewelry boxes to little trinket boxes, I have always been attracted to them in all colors and finishes. Maybe it's the idea of hiding my treasures away and being able to organize and find them easily. Mostly though, I think it's the memories of going through my Grandmother's jewelry boxes as a child and exploring all the treasures she had collected over the years. From simple pearl earrings to large statement necklaces and lavish pins to foreign currency from her travels abroad to old family pictures, going through my Nana's many storage and jewelry boxes always took me on a journey through her life.

Luckily, one of the perks of owning a store is I get to surround myself with the things I love, in this instance decorative boxes! 


Here's a sample of some of the charming boxes we currently carry in the store.



Elle Lacquer Storage Boxes in Black & White 


Elle Lacquer Storage Boxes in Orange & Brown


Elle Lacquer Storage Boxes in Turquoise & White


Cococozy Black & White Lacquer Box


Black & White Pattern Boxes


Silver Finish Glass Boxes



Saturday, August 25, 2012

New Handbags




We already got our first order in from the Gift Show and are so excited!  It's our first venture into some fashion pieces.  I loved this bag so I had to get it for myself.  It's big enough to put Wally in but not so oversized that things will get lost in it.  The bag is $340 and available a ton of different colors and styles.  

While in the process of transferring my possessions I started thinking about all the things I tote around.

Obviously, chapstick, lip gloss, and mints are necessities.  I'll keep those things in one of the cosmetic bags ($48) shown above.  But what else do you keep in your bag?  I always keep a safety pin.  I've had the same one since 2004 and it has saved me more times than I can count.  You can MacGyver anything with a safety pin.  

Owning a furniture store I also keep a tape measure in my bag at all times.  You never know when you'll need to measure some treasure you find.  Next up is tape. I like to have duct tape but anything will work in a pinch.  I like to keep tissues too because again, they have such a variety of uses.  You get the point.

Come check out the new bag and cosmetic bags that we just got in!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Taking on the New York International Gift Fair


After a busy few days at the New York International Gift Show we can finally sit down and put up our feet...at least long enough to go over our orders. This being our second year at the gift show as store owners, I'm glad to say that it was a lot less stressful than last year. This could be in part due to the fact that I wasn't up in the middle of the night with my 4 month old daughter (she's now 16 months and sleeps through the night... well at least most of the time). I also didn't have to go through the awkward ordeal of finding an appropriate and comfortable place to pump. Although, I am glad to say and I’m sure all the mothers among us can appreciate that the Javits center did have a room set up to be used for just this purpose.  

New motherhood aside, the gift show can be a quite tiring experience for anyone, especially for your feet. I'm grateful that this year I decided to wear my TOMS.  They kept me blister free and comfortable for the past two days, while being stylish all at the same time. I now know what all the hype is about. And who doesn’t love the fact that for every pair sold they give a pair of shoes to a child in need? I will definitely be picking up multiple pairs.

Besides being exhausting though, the gift show can be exciting. Finding new vendors, seeing new items from old vendors as well as seeing what the new trends are kept me going through what at times felt like never-ending aisles. It also helped that I got to spend the day shopping with my BFF, something Margaret and I don’t get to do together often these days.

All in all I would say this year's gift show was a great success for The Summer House. We're bringing in some new lines as well as some great new items from the amazing vendors we already work with. 


I'll leave you here with a few of the great items you'll be seeing coming soon to the store! 


Megan 


 

This large tray is such a brilliant blue and can help add a pop of color to any room




 Simple yet elegant tableware with gold interior and porcelain exterior



 
  
This gray chain cosmetic bag is just one of many styles we picked up while at the show



 

These aren't for sale, I just thought my TOMS deserved some extra credit!