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THINK OUTSIDE THE CARDBOARD PIZZA BOX

I'm going to make a call out to all parents to think outside the cardboard pizza box. When it comes time to plan your child's next birthday party don't just make a call to the local bounce-a-teria, vinyl foam block gym, or pizza place with characters and games. Let's take it back to when we were kids and your friends came to your house for your birthday party. Remember all the kids gathered around the picnic table? Well, I do, probably because I grew up in California and my birthday is on the Fourth of July.
















We did a Little Chef's Party recently for my daughter's fifth birthday, the kids and parents all had a wonderful time. We met parents that we really liked and had never really met in passing at school. If I was following a five year old around putting tokens in games I never would have been able to meet and talk to these people.

The home furnishings business has been booming over the last decade and I've often wondered why people spend all this time shopping, looking at the internet & decor magazines, doing the weekend warrior thing at the local Home Depot, then they don't entertain in their homes? I'm perplexed. I just want to let everyone know, it does not have to perfect. And it doesn't have to be just for fancy holiday dinner parties either. Kids parties are just as (sometimes more) fun as adult parties. Use smaller gatherings in your home as a goal towards redoing certain areas, finishing up projects, or just cleaning the house and getting organized.

The other trend lately is saving money, doing a home party is really inexpensive. You may have to tap into your creative resources (or a friends), which is better than your wallet. This is where you will need to think outside the box, ask your child what type of party they would like then go from there. We came up with the Little Chef's because my daughter had received a Fairy Cookbook from Grandma for Christmas. We spent weeks going over which recipes we would be making and what color her My Little Pony cake would be, the final choice was vanilla cake with pink icing and purple writing.
My younger daughter Gianna's birthday is December 15th, so for her we started the annual "Trim the Tree and Celebrate Little G" party. We've only had two so far, but its a hit. We invite over our friends and their kids (our family does not live near us) for a tree trimming party and casual dinner. Dinner consists of a variety of casseroles and lots of yummy baked goods since we are in the holiday season. You can bake the casseroles the day before, there are also tons of take and bake options these days (another trend). Neither of these parties cost more than a party at the previously mentioned places. Cookie Magazine's website has a great list of party ideas, as well as the recipes.

And I'll save you even a little more, don't do goodie bags! Please! Tiny little toys are being scattered around parents cars every Saturday and Sunday afternoon throughout the country. The Playdooh and stickers are the worst offenders. If you must do a parting gift, a friend of mine did a mix CD of all her child's favorite songs (which were also a lot of my daughter's favorites too) or coloring pages that you can print off the internet (Nick Jr. & Noggin) tie up with some ribbon and a new box of crayons which are always appreciated. Or just give them a great time to remember.

A home is a much better place to talk and meet the children and their parents that your child will most likely be spending a lot of time with over the years. Invite them in & get to know them! You can't get to know someone in a loud, smelly, visually unappealing place, remember the bars in college?

THE 3/50 PROJECT

If you think there is nothing you can do to help the economy, think again, and think locally. Read about The 3/50 Project and please forward this on to your three favorites local business owners so they may get involved. We are fortunate here in Charleston to have so many great small businesses and if we want to continue we must all get out there and support them. Make that extra trip to the great local toy store (Hollipops) to pick up a party gift instead of just grabbing something while at a large chain store. And before buying wine for your next party at a warehouse store talk to your local wine shop (Avondale Wine & Cheese), tell her your price range and what you're looking for and it will be a much more pleasant shopping experience. 

WE'VE MOVED

We have moved our retail location.

Our new address is:

280 West Coleman Blvd. Suite L-2

Near Copper Penny & Southernbelles

Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Please stop by and see the new digs!

NEW AT THE SITTING ROOM

We have just put the Henry Headboard on the floor, Gianna has been with us since we opened. The Henry comes in all sizes, including twin. It is a headboard only that easily mounts to a metal frame. There are numerous fabric choices and you can do the welt and/or buttons in a contrasting fabric. The price point is excellent, the starting price (as shown) is $595 for a queen size. Please call or email for additional photos, dimensions, swatches, or if you would like to babysit.

By the way, the fabric shown is micro fiber velvet that is super soft AND stain resistant.

MOM'S IN BUSINESS

I am currently in the 2009  Leading Mom's in Business Competition. If anyone would like to get out their and vote for me, it would be very much appreciated. Please click on the link above to vote, you can vote everyday up through March 31st. 

INTRODUCING....

The Lady Litton Lounge. This is the first of many pieces to come in The Sitting Room's new Fabulous Finds Collection. She came to Charleston from France in the 1950's (possibly looking for Rhett Butler). She has a gorgeous silver crackled finish, we gave her new glamourous seat cushions and added the beveled mirror on the table top. 

Her stats are:

Length: 81"

Depth: 19"

Table Height: 16-1/2"

Seat Height: 18"

$1,900

Please call or email with inquiries, we would be happy to get you a shipping quote if you don't live locally. She's been in Charleston for a while and would be very interested in being carried off to another part of the country, or even the world.

PRIVATE LABEL UPHOLSTERY SALE

NEW WEBSITE

Click below to view our new website. E-Commerce website will launch in 2009!

The Sitting Room Website

POWDER BATH BEFORE AND AFTER

Here are the before and after photos of our clients new Powder Bath in Wellesley, MA. 

AFTER

BEFORE

HAMPDEN CLOTHING GREENVILLE

The Sitting Room is now doing commercial jobs as well as residential. Hampden Clothing which has been in downtown Charleston since 2007 has opened their second store in Greenville, South Carolina. 

Stacy Smallwood (Owner) has a great eye for cool, stylish pieces that you will wear over and over again. We gave the space a sophisticated, modern interior to compliment the clothes. There is a very relaxed atmosphere and lots of comfortable seating for husbands and boyfriends to lounge while waiting. 

Definitely stop by if you are in the Greenville area, its quite close to Charlotte & Atlanta. By the way, Greenville is a great little town that working on this job gave me the opportunity to visit.

Stacy and I had a great time working on the store together, as well as her fall photo shoot which we did here at The Sitting Room. This is one of her fall ads shot in the store.

The Sitting Room also did the remodel of the Bluefish Fitness Club in downtown Charleston. Photos to be posted soon.

WHERE ARE THE HOLIDAY GUESTS GOING TO SLEEP?

How about at a charming local inn. I know its a tough subject to broach with family members, but really, wouldn't everyone be more comfortable? I know I would definitely rather be in a cozy inn than on an air mattress or family room sofa of my relatives. Although, when I mentioned it to my mother a few weeks ago Ido think I heard a gasp.

Here in Mount Pleasant we are lucky to have two excellent choices. 

The first is the Inn at Longpoint, located in what is now the central part of Mount Pleasant. It's a quick jaunt from Old Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, and Highway 41/Park West area. It is a charming log cabin style building with five cozy rooms. The inn has numerous areas to relax indoors and out, choose a book from the shelves and let the holiday stresses melt away into the surrounding marsh. If you are feeling adventurous and would like to do a some exploring, borrow one of the inns bicycles to explore Palmetto Island County Park or one of the areas beautiful beaches. 

Sunset on the marsh is available daily. 

Now doesn't this seem more comfortable than the air mattress or sofa I mentioned?

Another local inn (this one in my hood) is the Old Village Post House. This is where my girlfriends stayed when they came to town to g

ive us (and our 6 month old) some space. Okay maybe they didn't want to be woken up by a crying baby or a late night toddler. But whatever the reason, its a nice escape for us too when are guests are at a get away in our own neighborhood.

The Old Village Post House is where my husband, myself, and our 18 month old daughter stayed when we first visited the area. I think the inn had a lot to do with us buying a house down the street in the six days we visited. I don't know if we would have moved here if were just staying in some big hotel. Seeing my daughter dancing around the bar to Robert Cray and the bartender filling her bottle with milk was all we needed to feel right at home. 

The Post House is convenient to the more west part of Mount Pleasant and super close to downtown Charleston. They have six rooms (one or two of them are suites) and they have a continental breakfast each morning. The restaurant owned by Maverick Southern Kitchens is delicious and they do happy hour specials each night in the bar.

SATURDAY SHOPPING

The November 8th shopping event at The Sitting Room was a great success. The 74 degrees and sunny definitely helped! For those of you who missed it we still have Clara Luz Handbags and Cindy Johnson's Handmade Pillows here at The Sitting Room. We will also be hosting another event like this in early spring. I've put links to designers next to each photo below.

Dee Ruel Jewelery

Clara Luz Handbags

Jane Pope Collection & Balboa Jewlery

Margo Kaufman Gallery

Cindy Johnson Handmade Pillows - Available at The Sitting Room

Cindy will customize to coordinate with your colors.

Candace Romeo Handbags

Nicholas Lane Jewelry

Hamden Clothing

Bluechickadee

MOUNT PLEASANT DESIGN JOB

This is a job I've been working on here in Charleston. We used a lot of pink accents which was really fun, you just don't get husbands agreeing to that one too often (although he called it red). We still have a bit of accessorizing to do and need to place a few rugs.

You can't tell from the photo, but the dining room window treatment 

is a pink on pink houndstooth and the table is light grey.

The fabric on the slipper chairs is Sunbrella.

I think this is is one of my favorite fabric schemes ever. 

INTRODUCING KOKA INTERIORS

My friend Nika in Los Angeles has just opened her new design company, Koka Interiors. Her style is relaxed and elegant with an urban attitude. She does everything from consulting to full remodels, and will work with all budgets. Here are a couple shots, to see more visit her website that just launched this week. www.kokainteriors.com

STORE PHOTOS

Here are some current shots around The Sitting Room. We have a new upholstery collection and lots of new accessories and summer tabletop items.

OUR DINING ROOM

We recently (or finally) started working on our own home here in Mount Pleasant. Here are some dining room shots and the article that are featured in the Summer issue of Charleston Home Magazine.

Photos By Chris Brown - www.christopherbrownportfolio.com

PORCELAIN PETALS

Check out the Porcelain Rosette Wall Plaque from The Sitting Room that is featured in Domino Magazine's Style Editor Kim Ficaro's "Editor's Cravings" this month. These cheery wall plaques really do add pop to a wall with or without color.

You can check it out on the Domino Website.

And how about those rosette pillows!
There is a very good possibility of those making there way to The Sitting Room.



This is how we currently have them displayed in the store. I've used them in bathrooms for clients; they're great in bathrooms because they aren't bothered by moisture and are decorative but not overly fussy. Just the large rectangle or a vertical cluster works well over the toilet, who really wants to look at a painting there. Another place I would like to try them is if you want something on the same wall as a television, a painting or other colored piece is distracting, these would work well to add some style and texture.

AFTER CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Let me just start by saying, I love these little trees! They were the only Christmas decor I bought for the store. They are so simple and elegant, they looked beautiful displayed throughout the store, the perfect holiday accent. A few of our super stylish clients bought them for their homes. Then it came time to either put them on sale or pack them away for next year, I decided neither for these little beauties.


Last week I took one home to see how it would work to hang those pesky tangly dangly earrings, this is the result. Now I can enjoy my precious little trees year round!

My three year old daughter saw the tree and was quick to tell me she would like one too. So the next evening I brought another tree home. Annabella and I sat down and put her jewelry on her tree, all plastic, mostly princesses, with one Darth Vader ring from Daddy's last birthday bash. Here is Annabella's tree.

WELCOME TO THE SITTING ROOM

The Sitting Room is a home furnishings boutique and full service interior design studio in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Housed in a charming two-story 1950's farmhouse, each room has stylish vignettes of furniture, accessories, lighting, artwork, and gifts. Design Services are available

As well as items are available off the floor, The Sitting Room clients have access to a variety of custom home furnishings, including upholstery, casegoods, window treatments, wallpaper, and rugs. Please join us in our new Design Center to sit down and discuss your design needs and look through our catalogs, finishes, and fabric library. We offer design consultations as well as full service design for your project.









Our new blog will be announcing and covering sales and events held at The Sitting Room, as well as posts on design ideas, tips, and trends. We also focus on gifts and accessories for entertaining here at The Sitting Room, so from time to time you may see us post a new recipe or two.