Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Lately


Happy September! Can you believe that it is already the 9th month of the year? I really can't!

We are still away having the best time, but it's crazy when we get back, Labor Day will have passed and we will soon be into the fall season. Wild. I don't want to rush a thing. I love September and October sooooooo much that I want to take my time and really try to focus and savor the season and all of the wonderful things that come with it!
Wearing: Newly in love with the brand D'Ascoli and this dress, specifically! 

drink poppi
Drinking: I'm newly loving this drink called Poppi. You can find it at Target and Whole Foods. I've only tried the strawberry lemon so far but I've heard there are many other delicious flavors. It's hard to describe what it is like but it's sparkling water with a heavier flavor to it compared to drinks like La Croix. I guess what sets it apart is that it has apple cider vinegar in it and can be considered a 'prebiotic'. It's short on the ingredients and contains 4g of sugar so it's not completely calorie-free like regular sparkling water is... though the calorie count is minimal, I think the strawberry lemon only has 15 calories for the entire can! Anyway, try them out. They are SO good! 

Eating: I already placed my Hungryroot order to arrive when we get back. It's making me feel so organized because I know we will have fresh, healthy groceries delivered right when we get home. Their pesto is my absolute favorite thing but everything we have ever ordered is so delicious. I did a collaboration with the brand back in April and have since continued to be a paying customer. I LOVE this grocery service.

Sale: SO many good Tuckernuck items on major sale. Code YOURULE give you 20% off!! 

Watching:
 As we head toward the fall season, does anyone else crave to watch the Harry Potter movies? I've watched all Harry Potter films about a million and one times- I saw them all in theaters when they came out and yet it's one of those things that just never gets old. Anyway, I think they give me a 'cozy' feeling for some reason that I associate with fall! 

Reading: Continuing on with the topic of Harry Potter, have you all re-read the books recently? I've been thinking about starting from the beginning again. They are just my absolute favorites and I have not read them in SO long. The movies are wonderful but the books are a million times better, in my opinion. 

Listening: This Jazz for Autumn playlist on Spotify is so good! 
Loving: My favorite, Lake Pajamas, sent me this beautiful nightgown from their new arrivals. It is SO comfortable and done in their signature super soft Pima cotton. I brought it with me on our trip to use as a 'getting ready' dress to have on as I get ready! 

Pittsburgh: I'm not a big smoothie person but every once in a while I will crave something fruity. I got this delicious acai bowl at Salud in Pittsburgh and it was SO good. If you are local, definitely check them out!
Amazon Rec: This sunglasses and scarf combo has me feeling retro in the best way! Horrible photo, but you get the idea! You can find more of my Amazon favorites, here!

Traveling: We don't really have anything crazy planned in terms of travel for the rest of the year. We are going to Charlotte to visit my sister and we might be doing a trip for my mom's birthday to Niagra on the Lake (Canada) and then we are likely going to Florida after Christmas! I am SO sad we will be missing Keeneland again this as we have a wedding to go to (the same thing happened last year- we had a wedding) but I am really hoping to be able to go in the spring or next fall. I personally prefer fall Keeneland vs. spring! 

Quoting: 'To make living an art itself, that is the goal.' - Henry Miller // See more of my favorites, here.

How To Buy Quality Furniture





This post was originally published in May 2020. It is one of the most popular posts I have written and it has gotten a lot of interest as of late so I am updating it with more photos and information! I moved some of the original photos to the bottom and put new photos at the top of this post of similar areas. It is fun to see how my decor has slightly evolved!

This has been one of my most requested topics since I've been adding new pieces to our home over the past several years and sharing here and there on instastories. This post took me ages to write so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it! As many of you noticed, most of them are antiques/older pieces. I grew up in a very old home and my mom typically decorated in a traditional way. 

We live in a new construction home and because of that, I really wanted to lean into antiques and older items as I find they are an easy way to add character to a home that started out as pretty darn bland!

I've always liked my parent's home style as well as my Grammie's interior style and subconsciously, I think that's where my home decor taste comes from. It's a style that isn't really popular within my age group, but I'm OK with that. Although with the term 'Grandmillenial' recently coined, I do feel seen!! I've never wanted my home to look trendy or look a certain way for Instagram likes. I decorate for myself and to my taste... luckily my fiancĂ© likes it!! 

I swear every single time I go to purchase a brown wood antique, the person selling it to me comments on my 'young' age and says that no one seems to want to buy these things anymore. Well, that's good news to me as I'll have more selection, ha!! 

My parents always hammered into me that I should not be 'cheaping out' on furniture but rather living without until I can afford quality pieces that I will truly have forever. If you are replacing that $200 Ikea piece every few years or every other move, that $200 eventually adds up and you might as well have purchased a high-quality piece in the first place. So I've always lived by this. It's definitely not for everyone but it's how I think in terms of purchasing furniture.

It's like that saying 'buy the best and you only cry once.'

Everyone is on different budgets when it comes to furnishing their spaces but what I love about shopping for antiques and older pieces of furniture is that you can truly often find incredible high-quality antique pieces of furniture for under $500. So you don't have to spend crazy amounts to still get a much higher quality piece than a big box store would offer. It's honestly insane to me how popular brand-name furniture stores can sell their pieces for the prices that they do and more often than not, the furniture is so poorly made. That's not to say that all new furniture is terrible. I've scored beautiful things from places like Ballard Designs and Serena and Lily! And there are just some things that are hard to find as antiques- like a big wine rack- buying new is necessary because it doesn't really exist as an older piece. 

The thing about really scoring is that you have to know what you are looking for or at least know enough to know that the price for what you're buying is decent. A pretty-looking piece of furniture could be on sale at a consignment store for $200 and it could be an amazing score or it could truly be junk. The same thing goes for a $5k++ antique- you could be getting a terrible deal or it could be an incredible buy. 

Another thing about buying antiques, consignment, etc. is that you must have patience. I shared that I just recently scored my dream dining room table. I literally waited 3 years to find this table. Patience is absolutely necessary and will pay off in the end!

Another great thing about buying on consignment or from antique dealers is that it's a great way to reuse rather than buying a new piece of furniture that is likely not good for the environment and will eventually end up in a landfill. A lot of new, cheaply made furniture (and I say cheaply made in terms of crappy quality and not really in terms of the selling price. Prices on new furniture are usually not indicative of quality) is actually made with a lot of chemicals! So buying used has a lot of really positive qualities. Buying at a consignment store or antique store is also a wonderful way to support small businesses. I love the Resplendent Crow. She takes older high-quality pieces and lacquers them or slightly modifies them for a more modern look and you can shop online! Her prices are incredibly reasonable. 

I am no expert, but I have been buying pieces for years now and have picked up a lot of good tips and tricks. 

Brands I look for:
Pennsylvania House
Henredon
Thomasville
Dixie Furniture 
Hickory Chair
Baker
Ethan Allen (the older the better with this brand)
Stickley
Hooker
Councill
Hooker
Century
Henkel Harris
Kindel
Kittinger
Drexel
Duncan Phyfe
Statton

**This doesn't mean that I stick to only these brands, but typically, these are name brands that have produced quality pieces of furniture and fit within my own personal decor style. To find out the brand, look for it stamped somewhere on the piece. It is usually underneath or in one of the drawers. A lot of these brands don't even exist anymore. It's such a shame, people just don't make furniture like they used to. If you are questioning a brand, just google it and you'll likely be able to find out enough to decide whether or not it's a quality brand. 

Keywords for Searches:
Chinoiserie
Federal
Regency
Blue and White
Tole 
Georgian 
Williamsburg Reproduction
Burl Wood
Inlay Mahogany 
Flame Mahogany
Faux Bamboo 
Wicker
Hand Carved
Rattan
Queen Anne
Mahogany 
Cane
Brass
Chippendale
Heppelwhite
Chintz
Solid Wood
Dovetail
Traditional

I mostly shop for furniture at places like consignment stores and antique stores, but if I'm searching online, these are just some of the keywords I search on places like Etsy, Google, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay. They're decor words or words that describe a style or type of furniture. You can sometimes put a brand and a keyword together and it can help narrow your search. 

As you learn more over time, you'll start to recognize the 'collections' that some of these furniture brands had. For example, I have a chest from the Henredon Natchez collection (it's a stunning collection) so if I ever wanted to hunt for a matching second chest, I'd know what collection to search for. 

I hear a lot of people say that brown furniture looks dated and I completely understand why people say that. It's not everyone's cup of tea! BUT! I do think brown wood furniture gets confused with being 'dated' because not too long ago, before you could order furniture on the internet, you could walk into a furniture store and buy an entire 'set' of furniture. I mean, you still can do this today, but it was much more popular years ago. For example, a bedroom set would consist of nightstands, a dresser, a bed, armoire, etc. and it would all match. When things come as a set, that is typically what people are referring to when something looks dated. Now, there are pieces that do look dated and different wood stains that are unpopular and that kind of thing, but my biggest decorating tip when you are decorating with antiques is that everything should be siblings, not twins. That will give you a collected look. There are, of course, exceptions to this! I think furniture sets can look good in a few instances... like if you have a very formal dining room. But if you have a set and want to freshen things up, you can break it up throughout your space. For example, put the dresser in one bedroom, two nightstands in another bedroom, and the armoire in the upstairs hall for linen storage. 

I have an inlaid mahogany wood dining table that I just got. It came with 8 chairs, which is amazing, but I felt that the beautiful, intricate wood chairs made the table feel a little outdated. So I put the chairs in our basement storage so we can use them when we need more chairs, but day-to-day I have light linen upholstered dining chairs from Serena and Lily to make things a little more casual and feel more updated and fresh. I also think it's important to break up all of that brown! 


Types of furniture keywords:
Bachelor's Chest
Highboy (the piece you see in the photo above)
Sideboard/Buffet
Demilune Console
Bowfront Chest
Armoire
Breakfront 
Serpentine Chest
Cocktail Table
Butler's Tray Table
Drop-Leaf Table

These are just some terms I could think of off the top of my head that is used to describe furniture but this is a big comprehensive list. You don't see these words often on big-box brand name furniture websites... these are kind of like the 'vintage' descriptors. For example, a Bachelor's chest is a small chest- often used as a nightstand or as a dresser in small spaces. Rarely are they called Bachelor's chests anymore, but traditionally that is what they are called. It helps to know this because you can search 'Bachelor's chest' on sites like eBay and get better results than just searching for nightstands. 


I typically look for signs of high quality. The process looks a little like this:
- Find the brand... if you see a higher-end brand stamp, you can usually assume this will be a well-made and high-quality piece of furniture. No brand makes it a little trickier and requires more investigation. 

- Check for signs of quality craftmanship like Dovetail drawers. Dovetail is a term that means that the pieces of wood are put together kind of like a puzzle. You can see what that looks like in the images above... Every single piece of furniture in my house with drawers except for one has dovetailed joints. This doesn't necessarily guarantee anything, but it is a good sign.  

- I make sure there is no particleboard/MDF- it's that material that gives something a cheap look/feel and is used in a lot of furniture today. Here's an example of something that looks cute online, but when you read the details, it is made of MDF. You see this a lot with painted furniture.

- Figure out what the wood is made of. Cheap wood is typically painted and even though they can say it's 'solid wood' it's really cheap wood that will ding and scratch easily. Cheaper wood is usually softer and you can tell! My favorite hardwoods are mahogany and walnut. 
- Easy open/close drawers/cabinets/etc. Usually, a sign of quality is that no matter how old the piece is, as long as nothing has been damaged, the drawers, cabinet doors, etc. should be easy to open and close and the drawers should guide easily. 

- Feel the weight of something. This doesn't go for everything but typically, if it's lightweight it's probably not made of real wood. 

- Watch out for reproductions that look like the antiques but are of poorer quality. Reproductions are not always bad but oftentimes they are mass-produced to look exactly like an antique but are made of extremely cheap materials. My best example of this is my eagle convex mirror. I searched for years to find one that wasn't Syrroco. I think back in the 1960s, they reproduced the originals of the mirrors into a plastic mold called Syrroco. Syrroco mirrors are a dime a dozen and while yes, it's a nice way to get the look for less, it's literally just plastic. So I held out for years until I found a true, quality eagle regency mirror that fit within my budget. Mine is hand-carved wood and that is actually a reproduction of the true original which is made of real brass. The true original brass ones typically go for $10k+. Syrroco goes for about $50-$100 on resale sites and hand-carved wood is around $500-$1000. 

- Beware of fakes. These are similar to reproductions, but again, with reproductions, you can often find a lot of high-quality options. For example, Williamsburg reproductions are often really nice. But it is the downright fake things that you want to watch out for. I see this a lot with furniture from places like Target where they reproduce a popular piece of furniture and it's actually made of cheap materials. I see this a lot with popular (and expensive china). There is a pattern called Chinese Rose Medallion and it's incredibly beautiful, hard to find, and expensive. There are about a million and one knockoffs and you might not even be able to tell what the knockoff is until you see the original. I actually have no problem with people buying the fakes from antique stores because it's a nice way to be able to achieve a similar look for less, but the problem comes when the consignment store or antique dealer doesn't know their stuff and they are selling the fake Chinese Rose Medallion at the 'real' price. This is a good example of how you just need to learn over time to get to know prices and all of that! You see that often on eBay where people just google what they are selling and they find the 'real' thing and then charge that price when they actually have the cheaper knock-off. They're not trying to scam you, they just truly don't know. 
- Check the condition. I personally think there's something charming about a few dings here and there, but if a piece is totally trashed, it's sometimes just not worth it. You see the most wear on the feet, corners, and tabletop of the piece. If you are in love with a piece and it is high quality but badly dinged up, you can always have someone refinish it or have it lacquered. 

Where to buy older furniture:
Estate Sales
Consignment Shops
Antique Shops
Goodwill/etc. 
Craigslist
Facebook Marketplace 

Buying online is WAY harder than seeing something in person. I recommend buying in person when you can! But, different furniture styles can be very regional. So, for example, I love the look of faux bamboo furniture. It's a popular furniture style right now but it's also pretty classic and there are a lot of higher-end brands that used to produce high-quality faux bamboo furniture. However, people in Pittsburgh don't typically have that decor style. It is much more common in warmer climates like Florida. So it's easier for me to hunt down faux bamboo online just because it's literally not here in Pittsburgh. 

There are so many more tips and so much I don't even know. It just takes years of 'practice' and even after a few trips to your local consignment and antique stores, you'll start to get an idea. My number one biggest tip is patience. You'll more often than not walk into antique and consignment stores and leave without purchasing. It's a waiting game and if you can wait until you find the gem, you'll be so happy you did. A lot of the pieces in my home are pieces I truly waited years for. Again, this is not for everyone but I wanted to share these tips in case you have a similar style!

How To Buy Quality Furniture

How To Buy Quality Furniture

How To Buy Quality Furniture

How To Buy Quality Furniture

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

My Dining Room Table






Where did you find it?
I am so excited to talk about my dining room table today. Some of you are probably like 'why are you so excited about a dining room table?!' BUT, I've been on the hunt for the past 3 years. 

I've had my sights set on a banded border mahogany pedestal dining room table and I never waivered from that. They are HARD to come by if you don't have access to an interior designer. Plus, new, they are pricey... usually around $8-$10k++. Not only that, but I really wanted to find one second-hand because typically with furniture, the older it is, the better made it is! 

I found this table on Facebook Marketplace. I have to say, I follow some people on Instagram that share their Facebook Marketplace finds and they are always incredible. I check FBMP almost daily and let me tell you- in Pittsburgh, it is SLIM pickings. Selling this way has either just not caught on yet in the area or Pittsburghers are not parting with their furniture because I rarely see anything I even remotely like. 

I was at the lake just relaxing and scrolling FBMP and I spotted this table and messaged the seller immediately! 

We scheduled a pick-up date and rented a Uhaul and the rest is history. Until I had that dining table in my house, I literally thought it was too good to be true, that's how excited I was! 

I also got 8 chairs that match the table. They are beautiful but a little more ornate than my taste typically goes so I figure I would store them in our basement and when we need more chairs if we are hosting, we can just bring them up. I'd like to have the seats recovered- it's a jacquard cream fabric which is OK but I'd love something more to my own taste. 

It also has two leaves so it can seat up to 10 people. We don't have any of the leaves in it for everyday use and it comfortably seats 6. 

I am so glad I waited to find exactly what I was looking for it. It literally paid off because I spent a minuscule fraction of what I would have paid for something new! 

Who makes it?
It is by Hickory Chair Co. which is a high-end furniture company out of North Carolina. The collection is called 'Historical James River Plantation'. The collection was re-released in the early 1960s and was similar in style to the furniture that Jackie O chose for the White House at that time. 

What do you like about it?
Literally everything. I love that they have ball and claw feet, the flame mahogany is stunning, the banded border, the shape, the size, it's all just exactly what I was looking for! 

If I wanted to search for something similar, what keywords would be helpful?
- Banded Border
- Pedestal Dining Table
- Hickory Chair Co. 
- Flame Mahogany 
- Crotch Mahogany
- Inlaid band
- Historical James River Plantation 
- Georgian style dining table
- Regency style dining table 
- Ball and claw foot

How do you make sure the furniture you purchase doesn't look dated?
I think my biggest suggestion would be to break up your 'older' pieces with newer things. For this table, we have upholstered Serena and Lily chairs (they are done in Perennials basketweave chalk) with it to not only break up the brown wood but also the clean lines of the chair give it a slightly more modern vibe. The table is uber traditional, which I love, but I also think it pairs so well with the texture of the upholstered chairs. 

How do you entertain on it?
You can place things on it if you use coasters/placemats/chargers. It does have a lacquer finish on it, though, so it won't take too much of a beating. Otherwise, there is a felt pad that goes overtop of the table and then you can put a tablecloth over top and it is protected. I love the placemat look to really show off the beauty of the wood, but I do think a tablecloth is easier and best for a 'rowdier' crowd. You can also have glass custom cut for the top of any of your furniture to protect it! I haven't really entertained on it yet but will be sure to document it when I do! 

Monday, August 29, 2022

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Walking the brick-lined sidewalks around the Inn

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Morning Coffee at the Lodge (coffee is complimentary)
Dress (also comes in navy)// Sandals 

I first stayed at Old Edwards Inn, in Highlands, North Carolina, in April of 2021. I have a full travel guide for the first visit that you can find, here

When we visited the first time, it was considered 'off-season' as summer and fall is the busy season. We went in April of 2021 to celebrate my April birthday and loved it. This year, We visited on July 31st for our first wedding anniversary! So, this time we were 'in season' during our stay. We also stayed in a different area of the resort. Also, when we came in April of 2021, Highlands and OEI still had pretty strict pandemic protocols and restrictions. This time, for our July 2022 there were none that I noticed. And, as you would assume, it was more crowded July 2022 vs. April 2021. Because of this, I thought I would share another travel guide for our summer stay! 

About Highlands
First of all, if you have never visited Highlands, it is a MUST, even if you are not staying at Old Edwards. There are many cute hotels and bed and breakfasts and lots of VRBO/Airbnb rentals throughout the area. The main street of the town is incredibly charming. It is lined with shops and some restaurants. The shopping is really good, too. Lots of home interior shops, brand name and small boutique clothing and accessory shops, and more. They have brands like J.McLaughlin and even a tiny C.Orrico. You can spend an entire afternoon going in and out of just the shops! 

Not to mention, Highlands is nestled in the Appalachian mountains. It has a higher elevation so the temperatures are milder in the summer than what you might expect for North Carolina. There is a lot to do outdoors in terms of hiking and taking in the beautiful scenery. Old Edwards has a gorgeous golf club. 

The larger regional area is also rich with things to do. You have Cashiers, North Carolina which is about a 20-minute drive. To the south, you have Clayton, Georgia which is another absolutely adorable small town packed with cute shops.  Highlands is also about a 2.5-hour drive from Atlanta and a 3.5-hour drive from Charlotte. The reason we like going there is that it is only an hour from Hiawassee, Georgia. From Hiawassee, you hit Clayton 30 minutes into the drive and it's always nice to stop there, and then from there, it's just 30 more minutes to Highlands.

Getting There
I will warn you, though. The road to get into Highlands is SO windy. I'm not one to even. notice windy roads. I don't get car sick but this road is on another level. I have to keep my eyes out the window the entire time and even then, I get a bit nauseous. I have never driven it myself, my husband drives it, but that stretch of road is an experience. 100% worth it, but you have been warned, ha! I always say that this is why Old Edwards greets you with champagne upon arrival so you can block that road out of your mind!!! 

In that same vein, if you are flying, there isn't really a 'convenient' airport in the area. The closest airport is Asheville which is about an hour and a half away and it's just a small regional airport. The popular airport to fly into is Atlanta and like I mentioned that's a further drive. We have always driven from Hiawassee so it's easy and very convenient for us. From Pittsburgh, though, the drive would be about 9 hours. 
Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Falls Cottage Room

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Free Dove bars whenever you'd like! 

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
The decor is stunning. The rugs in the Inn portion are my favorite!
About Old Edwards
The Old Edwards Inn is located so conveniently right in the middle of it all on Main Street. It is a large property and has 5 different options for accommodations. For our April trip, we stayed in The Lodge, and this past July trip, we stayed in the Falls Cottages. 

The rooms are beautifully and luxuriously appointed in what I would call a 'rustic chic' design scheme. I preferred our Falls Cottage room over our Lodge room but you can't go wrong either way. We will definitely return and try to stay in a different area again so we can experience all that the Inn has to offer! 

But, they have things like Molton Brown amenities, heated bathroom floors and towel racks, plenty of access to the outdoors, and the rooms are all very spacious. Our Falls Cottage had a wonderful fireplace. 

There are 10 different ways to eat and drink on the property, there are two outdoor pools, an incredible full-service spa, a workout facility with fitness classes, and a golf club. Plus, they have a calendar of events each week it is filled with things to do and even special events. 

Overall, everything is so well-kept. The rooms are beautiful and charming but up-to-date. The grounds are meticulously kept. 

There is something about Old Edwards and Highlands that makes my stress melt away. I really mean that in the literal sense. The 'real world' feels far away and it's like you are in your own little cocoon of wonderful! 

I'd say two nights is enough to get the full experience but even one night is worth it to get a taste of the area. I think 3 nights is ideal. There's plenty to do if you wanted to do a longer trip for about 4-6ish nights. 

Someone asked me about bringing their children to OEI. On our April 2021 trip, we didn't see any children, but this time, we did see a handful while relaxing at the pool. I'd say they ranged in age from about 4-11 years old (but I'm bad with guessing children's ages). But it looked like they were all having a blast. I still think it's more geared towards adults, but still kid-friendly. 

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Our Dinner At Madison's

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North CarolinaTravel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Lunch in the Wine Garden

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
One of the Outdoor Pools

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Pina Colada at the pool bar (it was delish!)

Travel Guide: Old Edwards Inn Highlands, North Carolina
Our dinner table at Madison's overlooking the Wine Garden. I think the window booths are the best- request if you can!
Dining
There are 10 food and drink options on the property. Madison's is their upscale dining restaurant which is incredible and the perfect spot for a celebration dinner. Outside of Madison's, they have their Wine Garden which is charming and cozy. We like the Wine Garden for lunch! They also have 465 which is a wood-fired pizza restaurant that is beautiful inside and a more casual option compared to something like Madison's. At the two outdoor pools, you can order food and they have bars set up for cocktails. There is a rooftop terrace which is beautiful and perfect for an outdoor lunch or cocktail during the warmer months. They have a cafĂ© in the spa which is delicious. At the Lodge, they have a bar set up for morning coffee or afternoon/evening cocktails. Hummingbird's is a handsome cocktail lounge with wood-paneled walls and live music on occasion. The Grille Room is the only place we haven't been and it is located at the Golf Club overlooking the course. All-in-all, the food is incredible and while there are many other restaurants located in Highlands, we don't veer out of the resort just based on the fact that the food is just wonderful. 

Service
The service is top-notch. This place is not inexpensive and so for the prices, you would expect excellent service and they definitely deliver on that. Check-in is such a pleasant experience with welcome champagne. They take care of getting you and your bags to your room since it is a large property. There is lots of parking available and usually right near your room. The towels at the pool are always fresh and well-stocked and there is even a little sunscreen station. The staff is friendly and attentive. We just celebrated our first anniversary there and upon check-in, they made a note to wish us a happy anniversary. In our room, they had fresh baked cookies, roses, and a box of chocolates- none of which we requested! It was such a nice touch. Then, for our dinner at Madison's they had rose petals on the table and our dessert came out with 'happy anniversary' on it. It's such a good place for celebrations as they go above and beyond to acknowledge what you are celebrating! Overall, the experience just makes you want to return again and again!

All-in-all, I would definitely recommend a visit to Highlands, North Carolina, and the Old Edwards Inn. You will not be disappointed. We already cannot wait to return! 

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Saturday Shopping

Friday, August 26, 2022

Vignettes From My Home II

Lamp Available:

Last week I shared some decor items throughout our home and today I am back for part II- more decorated areas of our home and I tried to link as much as I could! 




Lamp Available:
Similar Blue and White Lamps:


Cane Tray// Lettuceware Vase (was a candle, makes a great hostess/housewarming gift)

 

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