staying in touch

Great news! I have doubled the greeting card department at The Hen! There are so many choices for all occasions and of course plenty of cards that can be sent off in the post to just say hello.

Isn't real mail marvelous? When I get something in my mailboxes that isn't a bill or some type of official statement or "offer" my heart skips a little beat. As miraculous as the internet is, it can never completely conjure up the delight of getting a piece of "real mail". You can't tie up your emails with a beautiful satin ribbon like a stack of cherished cards or letters. We've been watching (and enjoying) Downton Abbey on Netflix and I love the scenes where someone is handed a letter that contains actual information, life-changing, jaw-dropping information. Today we might get that through our smart phones via text. Make someone's day and send off a hello.

What will 2012 look like at The French Hen?

I had a wonderfully productive stint at the Atlanta Gift Show last week. From which new product has already begun to arrive at The French Hen. Inspiration and creativity were everywhere and the showrooms ranged the gambit; sublime to the redonkulous. It's all there, the good, the bad and the oh so very tacky.
A few trends that I picked up may be worth noting. Industrial has been refined to a softer- edged utilitarian. I saw lots of ticking, craft paper, burlaps, seed bags, galvanized surfaces, but gone are the wheels and gears that we had been seeing. Tabletop is "green", stone slabs, big thick (wonderful) cutting boards, simple glassware and plates. Lots and lots of rough hewn furniture, (driftwood tones)which I think may look too unfinished for most nutmeggers.
It seems like the Parisian apartment dealio is being replaced by a more casual Italian villa vibe. Things just looked less fussy. When there was an ornate piece of furniture it was paired with simple clean lamps or vice versa. We all know matchy- matcy is out but now adjacencies of the unexpected are what make a room look interesting. Textile patterns are less in the floral department and are more modern with color blocking, and trellis or flame (zig- zag)patterns.

Stop in soon to see what I decided to bring back with me. I want to go back to more of a home décor mix; linens, tabletop, small furniture pieces and hopefully some interesting vintage. The French Hen will soon be lush with wonderful things that you just won’t be able to live without.

Christmas Eve

We will be open on Christmas Eve til 2:30 sharp.

The Essex Holiday House Tour

It was fun to be a designer in one of the houses featured on the Essex Holiday House tour this year. The house that I was lucky enough to work in is a stunner. It's one of the few homes that I have seen that truly achieves the balance of elegance and comfort.Here are a few photos of how the dining room turned out.

Your Holiday/Christmas Style

I think we can all agree that our tastes change over time. We evolve with what we are exposed to and certainly get better with age. Even our holiday decor preferences change over the years and this post is to encourage you to go with it... Everything in those "Christmas" rubbermade tubs stored in the attic or basement doesn't have to make the cut every single year...Edit, curate and mix things up. What's your style going to be for Holiday 2011? Here are a few from the pages of Country Living that caught my eye.

soft greens bring nature right inside


love the brights, especially when there are little ones in the house


my favorite, blue and white. I do a lot of this in my home, it's peaceful and I don't feel so anxious about taking down on December 26th.

kabbalah jewelry

The mystical and popular Kabbalah Bracelet is known because, when worn around the left wrist, it protects from harm and wards off evil wishers. By wearing a Kabbalah Bracelet we shield ourselves against the dangerous negativity that might be directed our way. We can think it as a spiritual vaccine against the destructive forces of the evil eye.

Linnea's Lights back in stock

Absolutely gorgeous vintage-inspired packaging featuring chipboard containers and beautiful, die-cut labels.

“Linnea’s Lights™ candles combine all natural soy wax, lead-free cotton candle wicks, pure essences and fine fragrances to create clean burning, perfectly scented and highly aromatic candles. All of Linnea’s Lights™ natural soy candles are meticulously hand-poured in small batches. Custom die-cut labels printed in metallic gold create a subtle flicker of light with fragrance related ink colors rubber stamped expressing the handmade nature of the product while providing a cost effect way to designate ever changing fragrances. The basic packaging materials relate to the purity of the product while the ornate detail of the old world package inspired design communicates a sophisticated attention to quality.”