Wednesday's What If's…And The Grand Prize Goes To…..

"What If It Went To My Sister?"

If ever I had a "What If" post for you it is this one…

I don't know how many of you remember that I started my 'Wednesday's What If ' posts because of my sweet sister and her witty ways but I can assure you this one takes the prize!

 Literally!!!

The GRAND prize if you will!!!

I am starting this post off by saying "What If my very own sister won the award for best children's clothing designer in the Belk's Southern Designer Showcase"? After being in the first round of the competition she was called and asked to come back to Charlotte, NC because she and her company had made it to the final round! And guess what? She WON!

It would be just like her to do that!!  I'm so very proud of her and excited for her company, Hannah Kate! She has worked so hard and it has done so well but this is just like icing on the cake so to speak! I just knew I had to post this when she began telling the whole story to me as I was sitting on my beach chair!

I really was enjoying just talking to my sister and finally getting to catch up on life because we are both entirely too busy….I will admit I was half way paying attention simply because of the beach thing…you know, the waves, the sun, the water….

Not a care in the world….my toes in the sand, that kind of thing!

And yes, even some goofy beach pics!

When all of a sudden it hit me….I have a fabulous blog post now because YOU, my dear sister are the reason I started this anyway!

If truth be told, my attention was immediately grabbed as I was half crying and half listening to her because I was so happy for her when all of a sudden my ears perked up and I heard her utter these words, "We were all driven in a Hummer Limo and a young girl said, Don't look behind you or you won't want to get out!" "There is the carpet rolled out, the media, the crowds, etc…"

 Of course, Andrea said…to ALL of them in the Limo, "What if we didn't get out?!?" And she says they all died out laughing which I am quite positive that they did and she still said, "No, I'm serious! What if we just sat here!" 

Only my precious, full of life and giving you everything she has to give sister could make an entire Hummer Limo full of Belk's Southern Designer Showcase winners fall into a bout of laughter as they were about to be whisked off onto the "blue carpet" and into a media frenzy!

( yes, it's the Blue Carpet and not Red Carpet for Belk's signature color )

As the confetti fell Andrea said it all began to sink in…the surreal became real and she heard the announcer say that ALL of them had won in their particular category even though they had been lured back to Charlotte for a second time thinking it was still part of the competition! In my humble opinion…this would've made for a very good reality tv show!! We would've thrived on it!!

We would've loved her designs and would've commented on how cute they were and how precious the models were…

We would've all agreed that Emily is such a big help to her and that she has a great team behind her!

We would've all agreed that Andrea's talent and determination have gotten her this far! Her spirit shines through in every single piece of clothing she designs…even in all 14 thousand pieces she has to make by February for the exclusive Belk line….

But the most important reality of all would definitely be  that my sister has what it takes to win…and win big! 

If you want to see more of Belk's winners you can check it out here. 
I'm sure there are a lot of other blogs, etc to find it on as well.
On a side note…I often worry about a lot of the designers that I choose to do my Wednesday What If posts on and if they will or will not like the fact that I write about them…sometimes I put off writing about certain people when I feel like I shouldn't…I never, ever write about anyone that I don't truly admire and wish that I knew better! Or, for that matter… just wish that I knew! Of course in the case of my sister…I am not worried!! I just thought it appropriate that I should say that last Wednesday I chose to write about Beth Webb who is truly one of my all time favorites…I was very shocked and surprised and extremely grateful when I got a personal note from her two days ago "thanking" me for writing about her….I will never forget it! Thank you, Beth for truly being a gracious Southern lady! I really appreciate the thoughtfulness!
Have a wonderful Wednesday and I hope you will all check out my sister's clothing line, Hannah Kate!

All The Best!!

Wednesday's What If's…What If I Ran Into Victoria Hagan?

I hate to have to explain myself…but I started this Wednesday 'What If's' part of my blog because of a funny thing my sweet sister still does to this day…when she says, "What If?  you had better watch out and get ready! It's usually something that leads us to extreme laughter and not always at the most appropriate time!

However, if Andrea said to me, "What if you ran into Victoria Hagan, what would you do?"

I would say to her "Just look at that smile! I like her already!" 

 Once again, I've had my head buried in the sand….well maybe not in the sand…that would be a dream come true as you saw yesterday on Tina's incredible blog The Enchanted Home! But it's definitely been buried in the busyness of our daily lives…a busy that is driving me crazy! A busy that needs to end so I can once again enjoy life and at least read my magazines!! I picked Victoria for my Wednesday's post because I love, love, love her work! But I truly had no idea she was in the August issue of AD!

Just look at her taste in houses she has chosen to re-do or build….only the best for Victoria! 

Whether they are "ivy clad"

Or Shaker style….

Victoria Hagan's taste in houses/homes resembles everything I've ever desired…

Just take a look at this kitchen!

And this fabulous patio!

I wish I'd seen AD before I ever began this post…but I'm so very glad that at least I finally got on the bandwagon! I'm hoping to slow down my life very, very soon….but it's not looking good!

There is really nothing I would change in any of these fabulous pictures of Victoria's work...

 I think her first home is a dream… it's the one she raised her twin sons in! What more could you ask for? The memories they made here had to have been priceless!

And just look at these unbelievable Bobbin chairs! I don't think I've ever seen any this pretty or this detailed!

Sometimes it's the simple things that mean the most to us and then other times it's the intricate details that jump out and capture our hearts! 

Her simple and yet always soulful style will reel me in every time I see a picture of her work!

It reminds me of the way my best friend Sharon decorates her own home. It always makes me feel welcome and it always leaves me wanting to re-create it!  We started out many years ago decorating together until life got too "busy"! Go figure! Then I opened a shop and she started helping people decorate their homes again once her youngest child was old enough for her to do so!

I am also loving the beautiful pictures in Victoria's book and I am really hoping it will be the next one that we decide to sell at my shop….I can't think of a better one, that's for sure!

I just love her "sassy" style! You would think she was from the South!

North, South, East or West…her designs make boundaries non existent….her style is timeless and seemingly effortless…all while melding the home owner's tastes with what her signature style reflects.

If I'm being really honest here…what I really love is the fact that she seems to blend American antiques with every style….I've seen Traditional, Modern, Conservative, etc…in her portfolio and I love that! I really, really love the way she blends American Traditional with all of today's eclectic styles. That has been a true favorite of mine since I began decorating 23 years ago! Nothing makes my heart happier than the beautiful pieces I fall in love with at American Antique Fairs and the moment I see them…my heart melts…and I know that I love them… I truly love them! 

I truly think I find the most interesting pieces at American Antique shows. Sure, give me that "quirky" bench or that unusual chair any day! Throw it into the mix of gorgeous "expected" pieces and then you've got yourself a real winner!

Just look at these incredible rooms all designed by Victoria Hagan and enjoy each and every one of them!

You can't tell me that a girl with this much style, savvy and extremely good taste isn't one of the best!I just wish I truly knew her! I would hope that we would be friends and I would love to learn a lot of her design secrets….especially her secret at making beautiful pieces of furniture and incredible fabrics all work together in today's busy lifestyle! I know that has to be a key factor in creating good design today. A well balanced diet so to speak!

I hope you enjoyed this Wednesday's What If post on Victoria Hagan…I know I sure enjoyed studying her incredible and very tasteful interior design skills!

Have a wonderful Wednesday

P.S.  Speaking of "what if's", if any of you are looking for the best children's clothing line around, please check out my sister's incredible line…Hannah Kate! It is the brainchild of my incredibly talented sister, Andrea Brown!