The Loss of a Close Friend and Colleague

Top- Penny, Candy, Laurell, Susan, Molly Bottom-Julie, Gail

Romancing the Home Team in 2006

Sometimes one meets a person who changes your life. Gail did that for me and many others. It is with great sadness in our hearts that she has left us for a better place. Gail worked with us at Romancing the Home ( her first and only job- what can I say- she loved to shop!) and became the center of our friendship. When she surprised us with buying a new home several years ago, we became intimately involved with the process. Her parties for the 4th of July and Christmas were a must go to! But it was her generous spirit that captured our hearts. The most giving person that I have ever met, she took care of her family and friends. Here's a few things that I learned or valued from Gail's friendship-

1. Take care of your family and friends.
2. Teach your children to be polite and respectful of others. ( Her four children are exemplary in this regard- so polite and kind.)
2. Don't take yourself too seriously- laugh at your own flaws.
3. Enjoy your grandchildren and indulge them when you can.
4. Enjoy your home and be spontaneous with its design! (She was the master of moving things around, especially at night. We called her the Midnight Decorator !)
5. Design is a study of contrasts - one texture or one color is just not exciting.(She loved bold color and large print fabrics - animal prints were a favorite! And while she said her style wasn't Asian influenced, I certainly learned to appreciate her global style!)
6. Entertain spontaneously with your friends - invite them over for nothing special! We spent many hours around her kitchen table or on the back patio solving the world's and our problems.

7. The best appetizers are salted peanuts and Gail's Famous Tuna Dip with Fritos- always the first appetizer to go at a party! ( Liverwurst was a close third according to Gail!)

8. Create your own personal style and don't be worried about current fashion styles. ( Gail's style of dressing was whimsical, fun and artistic- it always inspired me)
9. Humility is an important virtue. Practice it!

10. Good friends are one of life's greatest treasures - keep them close to you and take care of them. ( Gail's gatherings at her home were often large parties for engagements, weddings and holidays. All friends were invited, so people got to meet each other and establish friendships that might otherwise have never happened. She connected people together.)


Gail, you will be forever in our hearts. You have changed our lives in positive ways. We love you.

I couldn't go on blogging about anything else until I wrote these special thoughts down. We all seem to be stuck . On Monday, all the RTH girls gathered at the store and cried and shared our thoughts about Gail. That's what Gail valued- friends support each other.

Romancing the Home will be closed on Friday, March 16th for her memorial service, a celebration of her life.

Please feel free to leave a comment!

Spring Open House Continues

Yesterday was a great day at the store - Joy's antiques were quickly snatched up and taken to a new home! In addition to the excitement of her displays in our front windows, customers lingered for quite a spell and enjoyed food tastings and fun displays. One of my favorite displays was the Santos doll holding the loaves of bread. Bread sticks were placed in the Jan Barboglio candelabra. The brightest spot in the store was the Herve Gambs candles and home fragrance area. Their scents are unique and delicious. Biggest sellers of the day were vintage china and crystal stemware. There was for something for everyone, lots of laughter and competitive shopping attitudes!

Savvy City Farmer Arrives!

Today's the Day! Joy, aka the savvycityfarmer.com, has arrived with a big truck full of goodies. Come on it and get your antiquing fix- two days only at Romancing the Home. Joy has brought some awesome stuff, all re-painted, re-purposed, and re-designed for your home. My favorites are her incredible painted frames and the little organizational cabinets-so adorable. Both front windows and the front porch are full and waiting to satisfy your needs for unique home decor!

Accessories Fit for a Castle

Decorate like you like in a castle, villa or a French Chateau! Even it's a small one, these pillows and throws would be divine on a sofa, bed, or chaise.

Simply two of my most exciting purchases from the Atlanta Gift Show arrived today- just in time for our Spring Open House. We displayed these little works of art on our French day bed sporting a tufted muslin mattress- such a contrast of elements! These gorgeous pillows are made of velvet and are hand painted with a beautiful design. Some are embellished with crystals. All are available in a choice of colors and have pretty trims and tassels. They look divine on our rabbit throws- available in grey, brown or stenciled leopard designs. I can't wait for our customers to see these on Friday! Join us for our Spring Open House on Friday and Saturday, March 9th and 10th from 10 am to 5 pm. Don't miss the Special Antique Trunk Show from Savvy City Farmer these 2 days only!

Accessory Collections- White Books and Pottery

Old books make perfect companions to most home accessory collections as they serve as great risers. Yesterday, I rearranged my Turn-Teplitz Bohemia Amphora Pottery collection using my new set of white books as the contrasting element. I love the organic shapes and colors of these old vases with the white and gold books. In the past I have used old brown leather books, but I think the white ones really show off the colors of the pottery. So I am now on the hunt for white books for my Romancing the Home customers.

Don't forget our big event this weekend- our biggest spring event ever! Joy from Savvy City Farmer will be bringing an awesome collection of French and Nordic antiques for your shopping pleasure. Angela, "the Parisienne Farmgirl" will be sharing with you a snippet of her "about to debut" new magazine - "the Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine". Join us for food tastings, a silk fabric trunk show, and talk to the representatives from Jan Barboglio and Casa Fina dinnerware!

So much fun and so many new things to see- you won't believe the antiques that I found this weekend for the show! Don't miss it- please!

Antiquing Around Chicago for Spring Open House

A set of pink and gold etched cups and saucers- imagine them with Strawberries Romanoff!

A 25 Volume Set of John Galsworthy - 1932 Nobel Prize for Literature

I love the white and gold bindings.

Pretty set of etched wine glasses with unusual stem.

Sugar and creamer with my initial!

Chocolate set in pretty turquoise and pink- ready for an Easter table!

Our spring open house is next weekend, March 9th and 10th and we are so so so excited. We have such exciting merchandise in the store right now and it is really selling quickly, especially the antiques. So to get ready for next weekend, yesterday I went out to gather some more antiques for the upcoming event and found over 300 vintage pieces for the store! My SUV is loaded to the top with gorgeous china, crystal and home decor. It was an especially good day for gold and white china which works with everything. All of these finds will be unveiled next Friday, along with Joy's antiques from Savvy City Farmer! This is going to be a great event - don't miss it! And as usual I found a few things that I can't seem to part with - yet! So I'll just enjoy them for a while!

Bathroom Vanities- Time for a New Look!

Today I am sharing with you a few fun ideas for the sink areas in your home that are quick and give immediate rewards! We have just received some of the most beautiful linens at Romancing the Home. It's important to embrace the motto " linens are OK if they are wrinkled" if one is truly going to enjoy them! Use them every day, throw them in the laundry and don't worry about the ironing! Beautiful colors and textures make these hand towels extraordinary. Pairing them with gorgeous scented candles or our new scented floral bouquets from Paris makes an intoxicating vanity, a place you use every day! And use those crystal pieces you have put in some forgotten cabinet - as pretty vessels for toners, cotton balls and jewelry!