How To Throw an Ice Cream Social

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With it being our month birthday and all, we have had parties on the brain…  After thumbing through Rue Magazine (a million times…) we keep getting stuck on their adorable ice cream social idea! So we wanted to go with that, but with a little SummerHouse spin!

How to throw an Ice Cream Social:

1.  Make a guest list and decide on a date and location.  Be sure to give yourself enough time to get everything planned and invites sent out!  We love these fun invitations we found on etsy!  If you don’t have time to send inviations via snail mail, create a facebook event or e-vite invitation!

2.  Once invitations are sent out, start planning logistics!  You will need to get the following:  (1) decorations.  We will get to that later! (2) plenty of bowls (3) plenty of spoons (4) ice cream cones, should you risk the messiness of melting ice cream with nowhere to go (5) at least 3 flavors of ice cream.  May we suggest keeping the flavors simple so your toppings can really shine!  Also, it is a good idea to have one frozen yogurt for those watching their calorie intake (6) the best part: TOPPINGS!  Some of our favorites: dark chocolate chips… butterscotch chips… mini marshmallows… crushed candy bars… MnM’s… pecans… almonds… confetti sprinkles… crushed waffle cone… raspberries… kiwi… chopped strawberries… gummie bears… cake mix (yes, cake mix! mix in a couple of tablespoons into vanilla ice cream and BAM! you have cake batter ice cream)

The latte bowls from Anthropologie are PERFECT for an ice cream social!

3.  Decorate!  In order for your ice cream social to be photogenic, decorations are key.  When we think about ice cream socials, we think COLOR!  Have colorful bowls, fun tablecloths, funky napkins,  brightly colored banners, balloons, streamers…. the list goes on and on…

The Hollywood beverage napkins from Jonathan Adler have great colors and just the right amount of funk!

Another idea is to tell your guests to dress in bright colors.  We found this adorable dress over at Blithe and Vine that would be the perefct accent to any ice cream social! The color reminds us of orange sorbet… YUM!

From Blithe and Vine

4. Have fun and take lots of pictures!  You can’t plan a colorful event without properly documenting it! Be sure to get pictures of your setup, your adorable decor, and all of your friends! That will definitely be scrapbook-worthy.  Something to show your kids one day…. 

There are lots of different twists you could add to your own ice cream social.  We would love to hear your ideas! And if you throw an ice cream social anytime soon, you MUST take pictures and send them to us!  We want to see your creativity at work!  Now go have fun and eat lots of ice cream! 🙂

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Happy Birthday to US!

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Happy birthday to us,

Happy birthday to us,

Happy birthday to SummerHouse…..

Happy birthday to us!

March is our birthday month, and this year we are turning FIVE! It is hard to believe SummerHouse has been going strong for five whole years!  It is actually older than that because Lisa had “Little SummerHouse,” as she likes to call it, in Fondren for years before moving to The Township in Ridgeland! What started out as a tiny, tiny shop with a shared resource library has grown into a beautiful showroom with a great big independent resource library! We love being out at the Township and have loved watching the steady development of the area around us. 

Enough about SummerHouse… What do YOU get out of it being our birthday?  Well, starting tomorrow (March 1), we will have markdowns on every piece of in-stock furniture and most accessories!  In addition to amazing savings, we will have homemade gourmet cupcakes every Saturday! The cupcakes alone are worth a trip… Marty makes them using her secret recipe!

We hope to see you lots during the month of March!  🙂

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A Beautiful Friday

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25
FEBRUARY
2011

Happy Friday!

We brought over several new pieces this week, which you can see more of on our facebook page, but THIS is the piece we have all been oooh-ing and aaah-ing over for the past 48 hours.  This reclaimed washed oak console would be perfect in a dining room used as a server, in an entry with a big wall, on a covered back porch with a varnish on it…. Because of the versatility of this piece, the possibilities are endless!

Have a great weekend! And remember:  We are open Saturdays from 10 to 5:30, so come see us!

 

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All in the Details…

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de-tail [n. dee-teyl]  1. an individual or minute part; an item or particular.  2. attention to or treatment of a subject in individual or minute parts.  3. intricate, finely wrought decoration.

It’s all in the details… Details are what make a piece unique.  Contrast flanges, contrast cording, a decorative trim, nail heads, interesting stitching, artsy finishes, custom painted stencils, metal details… These are all the things that make a piece stand out.  Here are some samples of details that we are crazy about!

What type of detail do YOU always pay attention to in design? Is there something that you are always attracted to? We want to hear your thoughts!

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Amanda Nisbet Designs

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As one of our designers was flipping through fabrics this morning, she ran across a CUTE fabric that many of us had somehow never seen! In researching to find what other colorways this particular fabric came in, we discovered a whole line of super fun, bright fabrics that just made our Monday! The designer is Amanda Nisbet and her line is called AND (Amanda Nisbet Designs)  What do you think?!

Chip Beautyberry on Oatmeal Linen
Alannah 2 Raspberry Pitaya
Chip Cherry on Oatmeal Linen
Chip 2 Tutti Fruitti
Madeira Kumquat on Oyster Linen
Positano Kumquat on Silk
Chip Kiwi on Oatmeal Linen
Alannah Blueberry on Oyster Linen
Pizzetta Blueberry on Oyster Linen
Francesca Grape Fizz on Oyster Linen
Chip Salt on Oatmeal Linen
Madeira Salt on Oatmeal Linen
Chip 2 Lollipop
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A Pink Lesson

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Since today is Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d educate you a little bit on PINK, the color most commonly assoicated with this fabulous day!   In researching the color, here are a few interesting facts we learned…

1.  Since pink is thought to have a tranquilizing effect, many sports teams paint their visiting team’s locker room pink in order to calm their excitement about the game, thus causing them to play less enthusiastically.

2. Pink makes most people crave sugar, so many bakeries and candy companies package their items in pink boxes, or mark them with pink labels.

3.  When career women are presented with something pink while working, their moods calm and they can think more clearly.  Pink takes most women back to their childhoods.

4.  The pink ribbon is an internationally recognized symbol of hope and awareness in the battle against breast cancer.

5.  In Japan, pink is associated with masculinity.  The spring blooming of cherry trees (with pink blossoms) is said to be a representation of young fallen soldiers in the primes of their lives. 

6.  The most popular shades of pink are coral and magenta

7.  The most popular Google searches for pink relate to P!NK the singer, Pink Floyd the band, the song Pink by Aerosmith, and the PINK line of womens items from Victoria’s Secret.

8.  Pretty In Pink and the Pink Panther movies are the most popular movies with pink in the title.

9.  Design related… Benjamin Moore’s top 5 pinks are….. drumroll…..

Yours Truly
Razzle Dazzle
Bermuda Pink
Bubble Bath
Drop Dead Gorgeous

Now that you know all about pink, here are a few rooms with some great pops of pink to get you going on this beautiful Monday!

 

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Be My Valentine

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Happy Valentine’s Day from SummerHouse! We hope you have a great day filled with cupcakes, Hello Kitty, candy, and lots of love! XOXO

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FOR THE LOVE OF ART Recap!

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Our FOR THE LOVE OF ART event was last night and we had so much fun! We had an amazing turnout!  Lots of beautiful art, delicious food, live portrait sketches by artist Dyann Gunter, and great company all made for a good time.  The cherry on top of the evening was the fact that it was benefitting CARA, the largest no kill animal shelter in Mississippi.  They rely solely on donations, so we were excited to have the opportunity to do something to help them.  Here are a few snapshots from the evening.

 


Thanks to all who came out last night.  As you can see, we had a ball! And thanks to all of our amazing artists who were willing to participate and give to CARA!  Dyann Gunter, Lauren Barksdale Hill, Anne Taylor Duease, Jean Seymour, and Kathryn Morris Trotter all deserve a huge round of applause!

If you would like more information about CARA, visit their website for the latest updates!

Stay tuned for information on our upcoming events… 🙂

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New to the Floor

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We brought over LOTS of new stuff yesterday and today.  Come check everything out! We have a long list of new Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams things (including a great charcoal gray Chester grouping!), some new Hickory Chair, a few great new pieces from LEE Industries, some OLY… There are so many new things, it is hard to remember them all!  Here are a few shots of what you have to look forward to next time you come to the store:

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Sweet As Candy

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It is almost officially the weekend! We hope you all find a minute to relax sometime in the next few days! To jump-start your weekend, here is some very sweet eye candy! These fabrics are guaranteed to brighten your mood and get you in the Valentine spirit!

Hope to see you in the store soon! XOXO

Studio Bon Xando Brick Poodle
Romo Rouge Hot Pink
Schumacher Konya Suzani Mulberry Peacock
Schumacher Zenyatta Mondatta Berry
Studio Bon Twinkle Candy
Designers Guild Central Park Magenta
Schumacher Ziggurat Ruby
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TGIF

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04
FEBRUARY
2011

What a week!  TGIF!  It has been one busy time here at SummerHouse.  Saying goodbye to a great January and saying hello to a COLD February have worn us out just a little!  We plan on closing out the week with a good bottle of red later today, so if you are in the neighborhood, stop by and we will share with you 🙂  Have a fabulous weekend!

TGIF

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Pillow Talk

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We’ve recently gotten in a lot of new pillows! Since pillows are such a great, easy, and less expensive way to really add some “wow” to a room, we thought you’d be interested in seeing these… 🙂

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So Sweet!

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Today is designer Meagan Burks and her boyfriend Ben’s NINE YEAR anniversary! He sent her the most beautiful flowers! HOW SWEET!

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Behind the Scenes: Portico Photo Shoot

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This morning we had so much fun with the ladies who are compiling the story for the next issue of Portico Jackson Magazine! Amanda Wells, a local journalist, and Daphne Nabors, local photographer, met us at our customers’ home to chat about design!  Portico contacted us a couple of weeks ago requesting a green room to run in their March issue, so this is the first one that popped into mind!  Then we started thinking…. “Do they mean eco-friendly green or the color green?”  They did indeed mean the COLOR green, so we knew we had the perfect project for them to showcase!  As Daphe worked her magic behind the lens, Amanda talked to Lisa and the homeowner about the purpose and concept behind the beautiful design.  Here is a peek behind the scenes of the photo shoot.  We can’t wait to see the finished project! 🙂

The art above the Clifton sectional is by Trevor, one of the many talented artists represented at View Gallery.  His color palette and style are always so much fun!

All of the fabrics you see here (minus the Adler throw) can be easily spot cleaned with soap and water.  How perfect for a kids’ hangout room, right?!

Such a fun color scheme! This makes us want to be a kid all over again…

The orange Mottega lamp adds so much to the space. 

Fun Jonathan Adler accessories and books accent the whole room!

 This entertainment console (and the bookshelf, not pictured) are from a very cool and modern company called Blu Dot.  They make some great looking furniture!

Daphne and Lisa getting set up!

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New Trina Turk Outdoor Fabrics!

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We got an email this morning from Schumacher introducing the new Trina Turk outdoor fabrics and they are fabulous! We have had so much fun using the fabrics from her last introduction, so we are looking for ways to incorporate these into current projects!  Even though these are labeled as outdoor fabrics, we love using them inside, particularly for kids areas.  They clean with almost no effort at all!  You can view all colorways of these patterns here.

Louis Nui Print Sulfur
Loop de Loop Print Driftwood
Kalaheo Print Hibiscus
Tangier Frame Print Ocean
Carmel Coastline Print Sulfur
Zig Zag Weave Black Sea
Amazing Maze Coral
Beauty Bark Print Laguna
Soleil L.A. Print Driftwood
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Lines We Love: Jonathan Adler

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As we were playing on the Jonathan Adler site, a few of their new items just really grabbed us! We have some of this at the store, and have the capability to order any of it! They get more and more creative every season, and that is exactly why we love them!

Utopia Baboon Pitcher
Wasp Pillow
Daschaund Bowl
British Flag Coaster Set
Utopia Owl Candleholder
Gumball Jar
Utopia Cowboy Candleholder
Moroccan Pouf
Hollywood Coasters
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ORANGE you in love with this color?

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Today was a fairly normal day around SummerHouse.  We were all either chipping away at our to-do lists, or working on projects.  As Lisa was working on a little girl’s room, we overheard her say, “You know what? There is something about the color orange that always speaks to me.  I just really respond to that color. It makes me happy!” 

If you think about it, orange truly IS an eye-catching color! It evokes positive emotion and just makes people, well… happy!  That got everyone around here thinking about how much we ALL love the color orange.  It is warm, happy, cozy, friendly… The list could go on and on! On top of all of that, it by far the best color to use in a knock-knock joke!

Here are a few snapshots of how some of our design idols have incorporated all different shades of orange into their work…

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