Tag Archives: pillow

Happy Mother’s Day: Shop for Unique Gifts!

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It’s Friday, the end of a fabulous week and beginning of a wonderful Mother’s Day for all of you!  My favorite thing is to spend time with my daughter, and my second favorite thing is my hubbie’s chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday mornings…so that’s what I look forward to. What ritual do you look forward to on Mother’s Day?

I also love to shop!  And the opening of this adorable new shop in Austin, The Embellished Cottage, reminds me of all the beautiful things my mother loved.  She and I always loved finding cozy little shops in small towns filled with an assortment of eclectic goodies from little note pads to antiques to pillows, of course.  So in honor of my mother, who is still with me no matter how many years it’s been since she passed away, I bring to you our favorite new Austin shop that carries our one-of-a-kind pillows.

The Embellished Cottage, 3703 Kerbey Lane, Austin, Texas;  Hours 10 – 6 Mon. – Sat.

Owners Charlene & Wayne Hardy have done a fabulous job “embellishing” (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun!) this adorable cottage into the quaintest and finest gift boutique.  They just opened in time for a little shopping with Mom.  You can grace your home with antique silver, pop art, pillows, globes, books, candelabras and more.

Cynthia Bloom's Collectible Jewelry, lamps, furniture and more at Embellished Cottage.

The shop even carries jewelry by local Austin designer Cynthia Bloom, who handcrafts gorgeous necklaces out of antique Czech beads into contemporary and stylish fashion.  Perfect gifts for Mom and even you!

Love how owner Charlene Hardy tucked this antique bureau in a closet!

 

Modern chic graphic "Love You" sign with antique candlestick, figurine and a Deborah Main pillow featuring 1950's fabric, Parisian lace, and antique brooch.

One thing I love about the shop is how the owners mix everything all up, because we love to do that with our pillows. So the shop really speaks to us and we’re so excited that Charlene selected our pillow line, Deborah Main Designs, along with many other beautiful lines to carry in her store.

Add a pop of color with one of Deborah Main's teaser pillows from the UnZipped series, featuring 1960's quilted fabric re-purposed from a woman's robe.

Above is one our newest collections, the fun and flirty UnZipped pillows.  Just being in The Embellished Cottage, with its wide array of hand-selected objects, inspires one to slip a little love note into the zipper of the pillow.

The Embellished Cottage is the new kid on the block of Kerbey Lane, but won’t be for long!  This little cozy shop with tons of collectible and fun objects will inspire you for years to come!  Stop by this weekend on Saturday with your Mom and friends, 10- 6 p.m. And watch here for details of their GRAND OPENING on June 6th.

The delightful owner Charlene Hardy with her beautiful daughter. Happy Mother's Day to you both!

Please take a quick peak at one of the other new gorgeous stores we’ll be blogging about in the future.  And have a fantastic Mother’s Day!!!  XO PG

P.s. Please check out our new Pinterest boards. We’re adding new photos every week!

Mother's Day window display at our brand new East Coast store, Be On Park, in Winter Park Florida.

Be On Park, 152 South Park Avenue, Winter Park, Florida; Hours 10 -5, Mon – Sat.. Want a gift for your mother that no one else has? This lovely one-of-a-kind pillow below comes gift boxed and ready to ship; contact the store and ask for Cheri or Janice. 407.644.1106.

A simple, elegant design of one of Deborah Main VIP pillows featuring wearable vintage brooches.

Texture Tuesday – Velvet

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Texture Tuesday featuring: velvet trends and one of our Limited Edition pillows

Velvet has made a BIG comeback the past couple of years and has stayed in the limelight ever since. The soft textured fabric is perfect for the fall season and when worn right can make any outfit look classy and tailored. Mix it up, sharpen it up, add in other elements of current fashion trends – and you’re well on your way to bringing the crushed velvet revolution out of the 90s and into the now. Let’s not forget how velvet started out life: luxurious, and adorning the shoulders of the regal and the rich. True velvet made from silk falls and drapes with an unmistakable elegance, and that’s the look to go for if you’re going to do classic velvet. Dolce and Gabbana‘s mix of velvet waistcoats and jackets with hot pants or flowing white gowns is a unique way to mix it up.

More and more, interior designers are choosing velvets for curtains, furnishings and accessories. Why? Because the new velvets aren’t the formal fabrics they used to be. Innovative cutting methods and fresh colors make velvets perfect for every room in the house. Designers are using velvet in family rooms, bedrooms – even kitchens. It’s not just for your grandma’s dusty drapes. XO PG

Olive and Gold Silk French Cut Velvet on Dupioni

To find this velvet pillow and more, check out our website at www.deborahmaindesigns.com. For custom orders contact our studio at 512.447.9807 or info@deborahmaindesigns.com.

Austin Addiction – Bat Fest 2012

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The summer is ending and all of us Austinites know what that means! It’s time for The Annual Bat Festival. Every year we praise those little rats with wings and celebrate with music and great food. 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerged from under the bridge at dusk making the crowd yell “Oh and ah!!”. There were 2 stages with live music, more than 75 arts & crafts vendors, delicious food and drinks. There were also activities for the children as well as a bat costume contest…all for free!

We had a great time walking around seeing everyone in costumes and thoroughly enjoyed watching the crowd go wild when the bats emerged for their feeding. Overall Bat Fest has topped each and every one of the seven years before and we recommend it to everyone. Come join us next year if you missed it this year! XO PG

Texture Tuesday – Suede

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Texture Tuesday featuring: suede trends and one of our Limited Edition pillows

Suede has made its appearance once again this upcoming fall season. Soft and tactile suede is making a statement in the fashion and home decor world. Offered in understated neutrals or soft hued colors, suede really hones in on the relaxed feel to the season’s fashion. But don’t just stop at neutrals and soft colors, bring it on in neon and bright shades as well. Suede these days has become a big player in Spring runway collections and now the appearance of suede in stores usually means that spring is right around the corner.

For suede to look appropriate in summer, it needs to feel light.  Colors like tan, beige, and light gray are great in the summer. So are strappy open styles that expose a lot of skin or lightweight suedes that drape on the body and are truly comfortable and wearable in warmer months. We love suede shoes with brightly colored summer dresses as well has suede jackets, which can spruce up every warm weathered outfit.

Suede furniture has become a staple in many homes and is easy to clean and soft to the touch. We love curling up on our suede couch and relaxing while staying out of the Austin heat! XO PG

Golden Antique French Doily on Brown Suede

Check out this suede pillow and more on our website at www.deborahmaindesigns.com. To place custom orders contact us at 512.447.9807 or info@deborahmaindesigns.com.

Texture Tuesday – Snakeskin

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Texture Tuesday featuring: snakeskin trends and one of our Luxe VIP pillows

Snakeskin can be worn in many different ways these days and we love it! This past spring, we saw a sudden resurgence of serpentine prints in neutral hues on all kinds of accessories, and were delighted to note even more snakeskin for fall, albeit with a twist. This time around, snake prints are available in a slew of bright hues, and can be found on everything from beautiful blazers and skintight pants to wallpaper and pillows. Of course, no matter if you’re a risk-taker or prefer a more classic look, you can always punch up your wardrobe (and home!) with some colorful snakeskin accents. We think clutches, and even jewelry, blend well with any seasonal outfit.

Used in moderation, snakeskin often adds a chic sense of style and intrigue in
both fashion and design. Because of its natural origins, snakeskin may often be
used as a textured neutral, making it an extremely versatile choice when styling fashion for your home of workspace.   Depending upon its color and surroundings, snakeskin can translate as sophisticated, edgy, sleek, and confident. However…be warned…too much snakeskin inserted in the wrong context may also translate as tacky. XO PG

Golden Yellow 1950's Silk with One-of-a-Kind Vintage Brooch

Check out our wesbite at www.deborahmaindesigns.com. To place custom orders, please contact our studio at 512.447.9807 or info@deborahmaindesigns.com.

Austin Addiction – Austin Fashion Week

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Austin Fashion Week is well underway and the events so far have been fabulous! The week kicked off with a few runway shows at the Bob Bullock Musuem featuring:

  • The menswear line from Austin-owned, fashion-savvy “Keepers”
  • Sportswear from Ferrari
  • Evening-apparel from “The Danes Collection”
  • Race wear from local designer Linda Asaf
  • First look at the “COTA Girls,” the Circuit’s signature brand ambassadors, dressed in designs by Austin’s own Ross Bennett of Fashion Star fame

Many Austonites came out for this wonderful event and enjoyed great local food and drinks. We were among the many sponsors of the event, so hopefully you saw us there! We could not get enough of Ross Bennett’s fringe skirt (pictured below).

HOT HOT HOT

Events have been going on since the kickoff on Friday. The Showcase Events are located all over Austin and have been going on since Saturday. These events are at salons, boutiques, department stores; you name it. Check out the full schedule here. You must check out all that the designers and contributors have to offer. The Driskill Runway shows start tonight and trust us, you won’t want to miss these. We definitely won’t!

Check out our Deborah Main Designs logo!

We hope to see everyone come out and support local Austin fashion designers. We have had so much fun this week and are excited for the remaining events! XO PG

Austin Addiction – The Greenbelt

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Austin’s very own nature preserve is a great place to explore nature and join in on
numerous outdoor activities that Austonites enjoy. The greenbelt is miles and miles long stretching over 800 acres. We enjoy hiking along the running streams (when it’s not too hot out!). There are numerous swimming holes to check out with friends or your dog. The lush vegetation is truly beautiful to see and people come from all over Austin to walk through the terrain. We love snapping photos on top of the many cliffs; the views are breathtaking.

Hiking, biking, climbing and swimming are just a few of the options you have if you
need some outdoor exercise. But, there are also plenty of areas to relax as well. Pack a picnic and enjoy a day in the Greenbelt with your family!

We recommend entering from Loop 360, since the Zilker Park entrance can sometimes be crowded. There is a great parking lot that is rarely filled up off of 360. Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes if you are hiking to the nearest swimming hole. They are farther than you think! Maybe you will run into us at the Greenbelt, it’s one of our favorite places to go in the summer. XO PG

Photo courtesy of www.austinbike.com.

 

Dallas Debut

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We just got back to Austin from a jam-packed weekend in Dallas! We showcased our pillows at a luxury shopping event at the W over the weekend and we had a fantastic time. We debuted our amazing new booth and our brand new video.  Conceived by Brandon Smith of D. Coop, and handcrafted by Raul Mena (Lead craftsman at William and Wesley), the booth turned out absolutely perfect – and the fireplace mantel more than we could have dreamed of!!!   We had tons of practice setting it up and displaying our pillows, which means we are ready for Atlanta January 2013!

I could gush and gush about this fab fireplace conceived by the fantastic Mr. B of D.Coop and handcrafted by the amazingly talented Raul Mena. LOVE IT!!!

And not only did we have amazing shelving and fireplace mantel (which includes storage)…we had our very first studio video produced by our fantastic photographer Gregg Cestaro.  With finishing touches the week before Dallas, it too is more than we could dream of….the icing on the cake for the booth display for sure!

Debut of our brand new video about our studio in Austin produced by Gregg Cestaro.

The event was three days long, and with intern Amanda gone astray (something about HAD to go to her sisters bachelorette party!?!?) my husband and daughter thankfully joined me to help.  With guidance from Raul at set up and tons of help from the event and hotel staff too, we had a great dry run for a national booth….so bring it on Atlanta!  Many thanks to everyone who made this weekend possible!!

Also made some amazing new friends and enjoyed the festivities the night before.

Had great fun at the Fashion Show the night before with two new "sistas" Jeannine and Jeanie.

 

Me with Weekender Dallas event planners Krista Medlock and Karen Stiles

And prior interior designer intern Alix Bulliet and her mother stopped by.  It was super wonderful to see some familiar faces from Austin! :-)

Guests Alix Bulliet and her mother from Dallas stopped by our booth while enjoying a little pampering at The Weekender Dallas.

A shopping and social event to be reckoned with, The Weekender Dallas, featured over 70 luxury vendors and we were honored to be selected as the exclusive home decor designer.

Here’s a little back story to how we got there and what this whole Atlanta booth thing is all about:

Kathleen Allen and I at her warehouse space in Dallas - prepping for the Weekender Dallas

It’s all Kathleen’s fault for pushing me to do Atlanta!  (Just teasing K!) Due to her strong encouragement, we applied at the last minute for the July International Gift & Home Furnishings show and was accepted in the highly competitive jurried section called High Design.  Well good thing they didn’t have space for us in July!!  Cause it took a little practice and preparation at The Weekender Dallas to get my nerve up to deal with an 8 foot crate like above.  I pretty much freaked out (well not exactly, cause I’m smiling in the photo right?) when I saw it for the very first time at Kathleen’s showroom in June.  But now look at us…..just one month later with our very own crate and custom made booth display. Many thanks to Brandon, Kathleen, and Raul for helping me prepare for our first international market in Atlanta come 2013!  More on that this fall. XOPG

Our very own MASSIVE crate for our custom booth display shelving....we need to put our logo on that crate don't we!!

Me and Raul, the master builder of Deborah Main Designs’ booth display and 8 foot crate to ship it in!

Looks complicated but Raul designed it so well that each piece is marked with precision on how to assemble. Many thanks to Omar and crew!

To see more photos from the Weekender Dallas please check out our Facebook Album!

Austin Addiction – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

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What’s a better way to enjoy your favorite flick than with dinner and drinks served right to you!? The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has been an Austin tradition since 1997. Tim and Karrie League started these chains of movie theaters and there are several Austin locations now. Our personal favorite is the South Lamar location. The waitresses are all so nice and the food is great! We recently saw Moonrise Kingdom there and loved the display they had outside of the theater (pictured below). We recommend going to see this movie, Wes Anderson created another great one!

Moonrise Kingdom display at Alamo Drafthouse

Not only does the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema play all the hits, but also classic movies and even old silent films. They also feature sing-along and quote-along events. Don’t forget that Mondays are Music Monday! You should definitely consider renting out one of their venues for your next private or corporate party.

Check out their website at www.drafthouse.com for times of all the showings. Right now they are playing The Dark Knight Rises, Klown, Ted, Moonrise Kingdom, Jobriath A.D. and Beasts of the Southern Wild. So, make tonight a movie night and head to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema! XO PG

 

Texture Tuesday – Floral

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Texture Tuesday featuring: floral prints and a pair of our Redbrick Modern pillows

This summer has been beautiful and full of blossoms and wildlife here in Austin. In honor of the flowers blooming everywhere, floral prints are our favorite trends this week. Vivid island colored flowers have hit the runways and now homes. Vintage fabrics are popular on many different home decor goods. Our favorite is upholstered on chairs or couches! So buy some fresh cut flowers today and enjoy the rest of your summer! XO PG

Aqua Silk Floral Brocade on Gold Italian Linen

We have tons of floral options on our website at www.deborahmaindesigns.com. To place custom orders, please contact our studio at 512.447.9807 or info@deborahmaindesigns.com.