Atlanta buying trip July 2014

It's time for another blog about Market in Atlanta!  If you're not familiar with wholesale markets, it's basically a huge show that happens twice a year where retailers can order their product to sell in the store.  We like the Atlanta show because it has a good mix of furniture, home decor, holiday items, jewelry, and bath products.  We can see most everything in one place, including a few booths with handmade items.  It's also a great way to see upcoming trends in decor because it's where the brand new products are shown a season ahead.

 During the July market, we ordered Spring of 2015(and we always end up buying things to ship now too!)  I hope you enjoy the pictures I took.  I tried to get a few close ups of what we ordered as well as some general pictures so you guys can feel a little bit like you're there!  Oh, and, we ordered a LOT of things that I didn't get pictures of.  It was too hard to concentrate!

 Above, standing on the corner with lots of other people trying to get to Market.
Below, I was trying to show that there are 3 large buildings with bridges connecting them.  It's so confusing and hard to find things because not all the floors are connected.  It took us 3 ten hour days just to get through the first building.

Our favorite showroom overall is Creative Co-Op.  They have such a variety of items and reasonable prices.  Here are some pics of their showroom and what we ordered. These items are coming now.  Yippee!!!

Above: A jewelry display

Below: Some cool darts you can use as picture hangers.  They also looked great piled into a clear glass jar.  They're vintage inspired but the colors make them look modern so we need them for the store.

 Below:  We saw LOTS of Southwest and Native American influences in the decor for 2015.  Not the ugly, 80's kind, but a modern version with brights mixed in with deep colors like the blue on the wall and natural elements like skulls and unfinished wood.

 Below, we are always looking for cool wall art and thought this map print looked like it was actually old.  We hardly ever find vintage wall art this large so if we can find a good looking reproduction, we're happy.  I'm pretty sure we ordered the dog prints below it too.

 My mom loved these old looking game wheels.  The trio would be awesome on a sofa table or buffet.

 Below, we reordered the gold petal mirror and the gold bar cart.  We saw lots of gold and brass bar carts at market but most were very high end. :(

 Got this chandelier.

The picture is terrible but we got this pale yellow, 6 ft tall floor clock.  I've never really seen one this color so I'm very excited to put it in the store. It will be about $425.

We've ordered their wooden numbers before and begged them to make letters too.  We were so happy to see that they finally made them!  They're lightweight and colorful.

 Lots of things to look at in this showroom.  It's so hard to decide what to get!  We always spend like 2 hours here.

We saw a few chandeliers we liked in a place where we've never ordered.  We hesitantly walked in and looked at the prices.  Not too bad!  They aren't CHEAP but they are obviously made very well and the finishes are nice looking.  We often find that chandeliers we like are in the $1,000 range and well, that isn't very fun!!  Below are the styles we ordered. They will all be around $450 retail and they're the right size for dining rooms. My mom is taking one of them home for her entryway.

 The one below is surrounded by glass.  I just love it!

We were able to walk to our hotel each night.  We used to stay far away from market to save money but we figured out quickly that it's totally worth it to spend a little more to be close to the buildings. Here's the view from our floor.

Our view at night.  Instagrammed of course.

One of the popular themes we saw for home decor was a blue and white, sort of hand painted, hand dyed look. Not a preppy blue and white, but a sort of bohemian look.
We ordered these plates.

 Below: These pillows look purple in the picture(darn cell phone!) but they're actually blue velvet with a hand dyed look.  I love them so we ordered a few.

 Here's a rug we got to go with the blue theme.

 I really wanted the chandeliers you can see in the picture below but my mom thought they were too pricey.  Darn it!!

We had to really be thinking about Spring which was so hard because we're prepping our Fall and Christmas items right now.  Below are some of the things we ordered for Spring of next year.  Sorry, these items won't be here for a while.

 Above, those are real dried hydrangeas.  They'll look good in the baskets we ordered below.

 This sign is wood and very large.  Great colors for Spring.

 This huge cage was on sale so we snapped it up.  We've been debating about getting some finches for the store.  Wouldn't they be cute on real branches in here?!  Our only worry is that it might be messy.  Do any of you have experience with finches??

 White framed botanicals?  Yes, please! They'll go with everything!

 This is a sweet little light that looks like a cage.  I love when people put a pair of lights like this over nightstands.

This next photo is my absolute favorite thing from all of market!  We saw lots of arrows in general and I fell in love with an arrow table in a really high end showroom.  It was like $400 wholesale for a tiny side table. I almost cried.  The very next day, I found almost the exact same one at a great price!!  I can't wait for them to get here!!!  Look at the legs!

 I know that you guys like to see pictures of market so you can pretend like you're there so I took a few of just showrooms and displays in general. Here they are: 

Keep in mind, I only took pics of the good ones.  There are a LOT of ugly things there too!

Jewelry is always a really fun part of Market.  There are TONS of vendors that sell jewelry and it's nearly impossible to figure out what to choose.  I pretty much wanted everything.  Our strategy is basically to focus on things that seem like great quality, but aren't high end.  There's sort of a sweet spot in there that only a few vendors fulfill.
One of the good ones is Grandmother's Buttons.  They use antique and vintage buttons in their designs.  It's all handmade in Louisiana.  They were so nice and excited that they had just won an award for Best Display.
I asked them to take our picture and it's the only one of the 2 of us at Market.

Above left-Me, Lindsay Mathey 

Right, my mom, Angie Mathey

 Here are just a couple of the many pieces we ordered.

Another artist had some cool vintage looking jewelry that we loved.

 Below, another artist we ordered from.  She uses more metal in her work.

 We saw lots of natural crystals in both jewelry designs and home decor.  They're going to be popular soon!

Above- I'm probably the most excited about these constellation necklaces.  I'm going to take home a Scorpio one!  These are coming for Christmas!  What a cool gift!!  The back says which sign corresponds with the constellation on the front.  

As far as kids decor, we didn't find a lot.  My mom and I both loved these map themed animal heads though.  Great for a boy or girl and they don't look too babyish.  

 Below: Little handmade bibs with pacifiers.  We just love them for baby gifts.

 My mom has been wanting to order Blabla dolls for years!  I've always hesitated because they are a little more expensive than some of our other baby gifts, but my goodness, they're cute.  They're also handmade and organic.  I'm hoping the grandmas that want to spoil their grand babies will buy them!

 These are just a couple of the styles we ordered.  I love that the bunny has a little bag on his side and that the boy kitty is named Sardine.

One last thing to show you guys are these hand poured candles.  They are made in hand painted bowls and they are already at The White Rabbit!  They must have shipped them before we even left the show! I think these make awesome house warming gifts!

As everything comes in, we will post them on our Facebook page.  Check it out if you haven't.  It's the best way to see all of our newest items.  I only took pictures of a small handful of what we ordered so there is a lot more to come!  Thanks for reading! -Lindsay

Our Top 10

Ten is a very tiny number when it comes to listing our favorite things.  The true list is endless, but for now, we'll give you the abbreviated version.  Here are some items and or design concepts we're currently in love with.  Some of these you can find in the store now.  Others are things we have on our own wish list and will be looking for when we buy for the store.

*Please note, these are in no particular order.  Don't make us choose! 

Starting off the list is one of our all time favorites; silver! This is a staple in the store, and the older and unpolished, the better.  We love teapots & water pitchers for flowers, trays for serving, as well as displaying, and cream and sugar cups, just because!

Another constant favorite of ours are curtain crowns.  We get them in the store from time to time but they are hard to keep in stock!  Our customers share our love for these.  Great for little girls' rooms but can be transitioned into gorgeous master bedrooms.  Obviously you need the perfect curtain to go with them, but we can help you with that too!

Copper; a new favorite around TWR!  We haven't found much yet but we have our eyes out.  Use it similarly to silver; decorate and repurpose it for this and that.  But do not use it as a replacement for silver.  Number one rule at The White Rabbit: DO NOT BE AFRAID TO MIX!!

Okay, when I said not to ask us to pick our favorite of the 10, I wasn't thinking about this one.  This just might have to be at the top of our list.  And really, no description is necessary. 

There she is, in all her glory.  We found her a week ago and it took three days to clean.  It was worth every minute. 

The next of our favorites could be an underestimated gem.  Books.  It's as simple as that.  Old books can be used to create height within a display or bring color or texture to any nook in your home.  We have them around every corner at the store! 

Some may think this next one is seasonal, but we think shells can be used all year round.  Why wouldn't you want to?  It's that small reminder of the beach.  Who doesn't need that from time to time?  Currently, we are loving sea fans.  We will be ordering more due to the fact the first shipment sold out within the week.  In addition, we love coral, and obviously starfish. 

Now we want to make this clear, nothing will ever replace our beloved Cottage White paint.  It's been our most popular paint color for YEARS.  Lately, however Perfect Taupe by Behr has been a top seller around here.  The color is very neutral, with just a hint of gray.  It looks great next to unpainted hardware, like the pull of a drawer.  It also brought new life to one of our china cabinets.  Needless to say, both of these pieces are sold.  

Each employee at the store has their own unique style when it comes to home decor.  With one exception; we are OBSESSED with anything gilded.  I do not say this lightly.  "I saw it first" is a common statement heard at the store.  Mirrors are something we all collect, but any little trinket with a bow, heart or cherub will really get us going.  

Another item we are looking for lately has been rugs.  They are harder to find because the older ones are not in the best condition, but sometimes, when we're lucky, a perfect one will come our way.  Vibrant colors, intricate patterns; we can't say no.  And don't think for one second that you just need one rug per room.  NO! Layer, layer, LAYER! 

*PS: These pictures are from two of our employees houses.  Can you guess which employees?? 

Rounding out the list are peonies.  Both fresh and dried, we have no preference.  They are great in any arrangement, in any part of the house.  I mean really, what makes you happier than flowers??

We hope that our list brings you some inspiration.  Come into the store and we'll help you create your own Top 10 List! 

Tokyomilk Mother's Day Display Contest

Tokyomilk has been a staple at our store for a while now.  We are obsessed with all the scents, different products and adorable packaging.  Our customers love them as well. We can hardly keep the French Kiss and Dead Sexy scented items in stock! 

Around special occasions such as Christmas and Mothers' Day Tokyomilk will ask their distributers (boutiques like us) to participate in display competitions.  Needless to say we jumped at this recent chance.  

Take a look at what we put together for our Mothers' Day promotion! 

We already love the French inspired look of Tokyomilk but we wanted to add some of our own elements such as the shabby shutters, vintage chair and elegant chandelier. (Some of our favorite things) 

This particular contest theme was thought up by Margot Elena, a designer at Tokyomilk who has done some amazing things for the brand as well as others.  The image provided to us is one of a beautiful French woman which matched a French bust we already had in the store.  How perfect? 

Come in and check out the display in person! As a promotion we are giving away a free umbrella with a purchase of $50 or more of Toykomilk products*. 

*While supplies last. 

******UPDATE!!!!!!  We won FIRST place!!!!!!!!  Whaaaaaat?!?!?!?  So exciting!  Here's what they posted on their site!!!!  We seriously have the best team of ladies at The White Rabbit.  I'm just so proud!

Tabletop for Children's Hospital

As you know our store is constantly changing. We are forever moving things around and creating new displays.  We love it! So when get the opportunity to work on something as amazing as a tabletop display, we jump at the chance.  Especially when it benefits a great cause like the St. Louis Children's Hospital.  We've participated before and it's always so much fun.  It's hosted at the Ritz and so many local organizations and private designers are there creating amazing displays!

Here's a look at what we put together.

We chose to work with moss as the base of our table.  It's really easy to work with and not messy at all... yeah right. 

We added burlap, to soften it up and bit, along with pretty bows and navy accents. 

Keeping with the natural elements, we used ivy, lavender and white roses.  

We do love our gold at The White Rabbit so we chose to use a gold starburst mirror as the base of our centerpiece.  It tied in perfectly with the gold trimmed white china.  Simple crystal candlesticks and glasses kept the table feeling 'light and airy' next to the amazing wood chargers from Knollwood Lane (coming soon to the store).  

We were pretty happy with the end result!  It took a lot of time but it was definitely worth it.  Anyone is welcome at this event.  Join us next year! Info at https://www.stlouischildrens.org/classes-events/table-tops-annual-spring-event

And the winner is....

Congrats to Kimberlee Johnson for getting the most votes in our Spring photo contest!  We counted 76 votes for her fabulous room. (some people had trouble voting on the blog so I counted a bunch of Facebook votes too)  I see lots of things from The White Rabbit in this photo.  I especially love the barn door propped against the wall and the old suitcase adding height to the chest.  Kimberlee is getting a $125 gift certificate for winning the contest.  Good job Kimberlee!!  We'll see you soon!

The person with the second highest number of votes was Krystal Brinkman with her creative use of our wooden numbers.  She got 59 votes for this photo and because she got so many votes and we loved how creative she was, we have decided to give her a $50 gift certificate for second place!  Woohoo!  

It was so very much fun seeing all of the wonderful ways you all are using White Rabbit items in your homes.  We absolutely loved getting the photos and have decided to give everyone who entered a $10 gift certificate as a thank you.  We are already brainstorming other ideas for contests so check back for more fun!    

Spring Photo Contest

I cannot even tell you all how much fun it's been seeing the pictures that were sent in for our photo contest.  We love all of them!  Thank you so much to everyone who participated!  Now for the voting!!  Just leave a comment with your favorite photo's number or name and whoever gets the most votes by April 10th at noon wins a $125 White Rabbit gift certificate.  Woohoo!


Entry #1: Emily O'Brien-I'm a regular White Rabbit shopper--every room in my home has a White Rabbit piece! The store is also on my sister's "must list" every time she visits St. Louis. If I had to pick a favorite piece, it would be this functional and beautiful hutch. It holds all my old, mismatched china, glass, silver, and linens, and it looks gorgeous in the dining room.

Entry #2-Franny Powers-I love this mirror I got from The White Rabbit (my favorite store)!  It has moved with me twice and makes the room wherever it's placed. It's the feature of our living room right now above our fireplace (really fun around holidays to hang garland and decorations too).  It's the perfect neutral mirror and a piece I'll have forever!

Entry #3-Abby Manzella-This past weekend was my first time at the store! There are so many things I fell in love with but I had to get this little pink tutu for my daughter, Kylie! I bought it for her photo session next month! It is absolutely adorable :)

Entry #4-Claire Wiese-We owe a BIG thanks to Emily Murphy who selected this perfect dresser/changing table for our baby's nursery. She listened to exactly what I needed! This beautiful and functional piece of furniture inspired the shabby chic theme of the nursery. I know we will put it to good use for many years to come! 

Entry #5- Anna Guasto-My beautiful hutch! This lovely piece I discovered from the White Rabbit has become the centerpiece of my "country chic" dining room. It never goes seen without a compliment!

Entry #6-Krystal Brinkman-I purchased these numbers for my kids playroom! I love them! Not only do they add to the wall decor in a fun, colorful and distressed way - they are also educational! Perfect for a kids room without being too childlike! 

Entry #7-Karen Schmidt -This is one of my favorites from White Rabbit. We have a 14 year old beagle that this adorns out mantle in honor of!

Entry #8-Sandy Branson-I bought my peacock at the White Rabbit and I love its presence in the dining room. In fact, I love him so much that we have already named him! I also bought my mirror in the background from the White Rabbit, and I think it adds so much interest to the wall. I love this store.

Entry #9-Julie Thomas-I got this cute frame at The White Rabbit last week. It is a darling shop in Brentwood–I could outfit my entire home with their cottage and shabby chic items.

I added some homespun fabric for the base and then glued the button card on the front and voila–easy peasy decor. (Julie blogged about the frame too! http://www.juliestitches.com/2014/03/24/they-dont-buttons-like-this-anymore/)

Entry #10-Kimberlee Johnson-A few years ago, I decided to change the look in my home to a lighter, more vintage romantic style, discovering your store made that transition so easy! Thank you for all the inspiration your store has brought to my home, I love that you carry a mix old vintage and new pieces. Some of my favorite pieces from you are my vintage suitcase, old books, and mirror, I feel they add one of a kind character to the room. Some of my favorite newer pieces from The White Rabbit in this photo are the terrarium, stone, and boxwood pieces. I love mixing different elements and textures in my decor, thank you or carrying such a wonderful variety of things! 
                              

Entry #11-Kristin Weis-I love my faux leather love seat in my home office. It was important to me to have a statement piece that I look at everyday and love each morning. It makes my settle room look rich and inviting. 

Entry #12-Barbara Hopson Kasten-I got this mint colored mirror many years ago and made it the theme color and feature for my daughter's room. It is about 30 inches tall and still leans against the wall in her room. Six years later, she uses it less for less to watch herself during tummy time and more for dress-up and dancing.

Entry #13-Bob and Janet Hines-We love our  pretty White Rabbit etagere.  It provides extra storage for favorite cookbooks, fresh produce and our oxalis plant in our small kitchen.

Those are all the entries!  Now please leave a comment with your favorite!  Use either the number or the name of the person who entered.  Thank you!