OPEN says Me............

Summer , summer, summer.......oh my gosh do I LOVE the summer.  I have been right in the midst of show season, and on my usual crazed agenda, however, I just finished Atlanta, and then a quick trip to "fluff" at the Los Angeles Showroom, then home again.......When I pull up, my gates are even MORE covered than when I left.  I strip all this ivy off in the spring, and this grows back it seems right before my eyes. In the fall it turns bright red and orange, but I cant bear the thought of that right now........

    I took the early 5.40 am flight out of Los Angeles and the sun was just starting to rise.........

   You can see catalina island off in the distance....If you have never been...it is fantastic. Once owned by the Wrigley family...(as in gum), it is as pristine as when they had it as their private retreat. It was the scene for many westerns and buffalo still roam as a result.

 I used to live in California, so to me this is like going home for a bit.  I took a drive to see the sun set over santa monica blvd.  In santa monica no less !!!   Yes, I was humming  the song the whole  time...I can be quite a dork. I think Cheryl Crow would have been mortified but Hey....who cares right ?

But to get to that beautiful sunset look what you must endure.....URGH.....the dreaded gridlock of LA.  Oh, it is just part of the vibe there, from 3-7 it is solid...so that is the price you pay to live in paradise. Notice the hills in the background. I don't mind the traffic, because I love the scenery.

 I toured some local stores in LA and I must say, the displays were fantastic....this is Big Daddys Store.

 Of course I like that there are real birds in the store...that has ALWAYS been true for any store I had....I would have birds of all kinds....They bring such life to a commercial space, as long as the cage is sufficent size, and his were!!!

 This made me want to buy every single one of these bikes and do a display....I can image these on an exterior wall and put baskets on the front and back, and fill with flowers and moss.......Aaaahhhh.

 When I got home, I had to go to a function near one of our Customers here in Michigan called.....Detroit Garden Works......

Oh, do I love this store...It is such a fabulous display of garden ornament, antiques, gifts and goodies, you can't help but to stand and wonder if you haven't walked into a shop somewhere in Europe....

 They carry the unique items for the garden and home.....like this tall basket weave fence panel....I LOVE this....Privacy with Panache'

 I spied this fabulous distressed mirror cabinet amongst some terrific terra cotta, and stone....

 There it is....so pretty. Yep....It is a Peacock Park Design Product....It is funny, it is like you see your kids when I walk into a store and my products are on the shelves. It is so nice when they are displayed so well too.....It's like they went to a good home.  Yes, I have to say....this one made Momma proud  :)

 Believe it or not this birch wood table is CONCRETE.....Yes...I kid you not!!!   It is Faux Bois ( pronounced  FO BWAH)  It means false wood in French. And they make this by hand here at Detroit Garden Works.  It is some of the best I have seen, and believe me I have seen ALOT over the years.

Our tin cubbies, fit right in the mix with their wonderful array of antique tin and zinc garden goodies.

 Look how good our wall bird cages look against this amazing greenery covered wall.

I hope you enjoyed the shopping tour....... I know I did, and slowly I am trying to get better at all this cyber stuff, and keep y'all more up to speed on what Me and " The Peacock Flock" are up to.

announcement

Next post we are going to be starting up our new give a ways of goodies that are coming into the warehouse to random selects of you who follow us on your side bar....I thank you so so much for your sweet comments, emails, and notes that truly make our day!!!!!.



Something about Lavender......

 What is it about lavender that is so appealing?    It has the most wonderful fresh scent. It reminds me of France. The color is an unmistakable shade of dusty deep light purple.

 I dont claim to have a great green thumb, but ....... Not to toot my own horn but (TOOT TOOT).  My lavender has been looking pretty fabulous these days.

 Okay, okay.....I will fess up.  Actually Lavender is THEE most easy plant to grow on the planet. The only way to really hurt it is to fuss with them too much.  They like sandy soil or any soil that drains well. They dont like wet roots.

 They LOVE heat and dry conditions. So it is the dream plant for anyone who isnt much for spending too much time in the garden.

 Seriously....the more you ignore it, the better it gets. These plants were tiny little bits only two seasons ago...now they are busting over the walk.

 You can harvest the lavender right before the buds all open, tie it in bundles, and hang upside down. Then hang it in your closets for a terrific lavender scent that lasts for a very long time.

 Lavender is also edible, If you make some simple sugar cookies, and add some blooms into the mix, they not only look fantastic, but they taste great too.....and of course it looks like you are quite the pastry chef as well.

 There are many types of lavender, make sure its a hardy variety, and trust me you wont be dissappointed.  If you dont have a garden, then pop them in an urn or pot for a repeat performance every year. I like to add Ivy to the perimeter of the urn, so it cascades down the sides with a fountain of purple spires on top....and it will come back year after year.............

A Bad Influence !!!!

Well I returned from another round of shows.   Atlanta was a super special show this year.

My mom "Diva Dee" was in the house for the first time ever !!!!!!

She has had numerous knee surgeries, so beings the mart is so huge I rented a scooter for her to use for the week.  Well................. The whole Peacock Flock got in on the action and we decorated her diva mobile.  It was hilarious.

Mom is such a good sport and played it up to the hilt. Waiving all the way to the elevator.  Only from the wrist of course.

Everyone fell in love with Dee, and I hope she can become a regular in the Showroom for the future. She does recommend that I move the checkout to the middle of the showroom, so that she can be more in the midst of it all....HAHAH.....we just may have to re-arrange for the next market.

My daughter Jazz  was also there to debut her line. (Thank you all who ordered from her.) it was a great success and she is already thinking of 2013 introductions to "All that Jazz".

Anyway, we do get slap happy during these shows, and I must tell you this is COMPLETELY sober.  Yes, I am not a drinker, but if I was I think we would be really in trouble.   We stayed in the westin, which is in a round tower, and so I thought, oh, lets have a race and see who can go the fastest.....and let me tell you, those things FLY if you push the button on "RABBIT".

Anyway................ one thing led to another, and before you know it, Kelly, Jeeves, and my daughter Jazz....(all decked out in their matching pajamas I might add). That is another story....but I made such fun of those, that they planned it so they ALL had them, and presented me with my own set.  WOO HOO.....But then Zsa Zsa called and wanted them back, so I shipped mine off....LOL.

So here is a little video of what we do at midnight in the hotels with 11 year olds. Yes, I think this is something you should not try at home, they are definately highly skilled and trained professionals as you can see..........Trained Monkeys in the circus that is.   Enjoy .............

 

Saturday's score

I endured 100 degree heat and humidity today to get to a local summer flea. With my trusty trailer in tow I scored tons. Car and trailer stuffed I pulled out feeling good that at least it wasn't all for nothing
So watch for these treasures coming to a showroom near you!!!