What does a bowl made of twigs and an apple have in common?

Answer: They are both wooden and look great when paired together.

This twig bowl is handmade in the Phillipines and the apples are made in Haiti.  All pieces are wooden, which is very rare. Most "twig" bowls are actually made of metal.

I love the colors together – the soft gray of the twigs are like driftwood, and the bright green just pops when they are placed together.  It brings a natural, yet contemporary look into a space, while supporting handicrafts in those countries.

Get this unique, long-lasting display for any modern home.

Three quick questions! A seriously short, but fun poll about lamps.

Hello friends! I'm considering adding this product to my store, but want to seek your opinion and gauge interest.

Please let me know what you think of the items below by answering the questions or contacting me directly. Your feedback is very important and will help decide whether I offer this product in my store. Thanks so much!!

Sincerely,
Karen Parry
Owner, Furniture Gourmet

1. Fleur De Lis style lamp. The base is handmade ceramic, available in this Celery Green, as well as White or Aqua. Do you like this style?
Fleur De Lis style lamp. The base is handmade ceramic, available in this Celery Green, as well as White or Aqua. Do you like this style?">

• Yes
• No

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2. What price range would you expect a lamp of this quality to be in? (smaller bedside size)

• Less than $100
• Somewhere between $100-150
• Somewhere between $150-250
• More than $250

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3. Which of the below colors do you like best?

• Celery Green
  
• Vineyard in White
  
• Lion's Head in Teal
  

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Our gourd's are covergirls for the Country Sampler

We're so excited! Our Gourds are covergirls! Yep, Furniture Gourmet's fall 6-piece artificial gourd set appear on the cover of the September 2010 issue of the fabulous Country Sampler Magazine! I know, it is a little hard to see our gourds, but, we promise, we're there! You can also check out the complete magazine online! There is so much to enjoy!
Click here

Wonderful Summer Colors for Salad!

I went to an amazing farmer's market this morning, and came home with the true colors of late July! At one booth, I got a big bowl full of tender lettuce leaves and some crisp snow peas. The deep red of freshly picked tomatoes will be awesome against the lettuce in my special, broad, bowl. I will add the Snow Peas, just quickly steamed and cooled, and slices of small, tender cucumber.

Then for fun, the interesting gold of tiny Patty-Pan squash! At the last minute, I will toss with a fresh balsamic-lemon vinaigrette dressing, and top off with croutons made from an amazing Rosemary-Olive Oil bread that I found at a local Artisan Bakery.

Won't it be a wonderful salad!

I will be taking it to dinner at a friends. The best way to socialize! I plan to entertain more this fall, and I am looking for easy but exquisite main dish ideas! So, please send me any you have! I just can't do the same old thing any more!

It's "OK" to love the Color Blue!

I was thrilled to receive my March issue of House Beautiful! It is the spring Color issue, and it is "All About Blue"! If you have secretly loved blue, you now have permission to use it! You may just want one vibrant lamp, or you may really want a room dancing with different hues of blues!

Even Stephen Drucker, Editor in Chief of House Beautiful writes that if he were to do an issue about only one color, it would have to be blue..."the most popular of all colors, a color full of good feelings and often prone to obsession." I say, Thank you, Mr. Drucker, for this fabulous issue! If you don't subscribe to House Beautiful, the magazine, there are wonderful resources online at http://www.housebeautiful.com/ including "50 Blue Fabrics", "70 Years of Blue Rooms", and a great paint color tool that lets you try out an entire spectrum of paint colors in sample rooms!

The pictures shown above are from their online collection of "70 Years of Blue Rooms." Enjoy!

Celebrating Mother's Birthday

Mother was always my best cheerleader. She thought I could do anything, and always encouraged my every attempt. She was a great Mom. She knew all my faults and shortcomings, but always focused on the good that she could see through her Mommy eyes.

Today would have been her 95th birthday, but she died last March. She always said "she left" about a loved one, rather than "died" or " passed away". I think I will say that from now on.

You may wonder what musing about my Mother has to do with my blog about all things Home.

I guess, because she made our home Home with her warm love, the yummy aroma of dinner cooking when we walked in the front door and her very special support of our dreams.

When I started my business, Furniture Gourmet, she was excited and positive about it, and had great advice, too.

As I think about her today, on her birthday, I know in my heart of hearts, that the most important thing to have for happiness at home, is Love. So, I will admit, that without the warmth of acceptance and love, the most special blue & white candlesticks, or the perfect color of paint or a pretty tray made in Italy, will not fill in the spaces in the heart that yearn for love.

But in defense of the importance of those "things", they can be expressions of love, and can help create a place of comfort, belonging and self-expression, and can add even more to the marvelous gift we give our family each day, that is all wrapped up in that one special word, LOVE.

New Look for Holiday Decor

Here's a glimpse of what we're working on this week! We're finishing up an installation using our products to decorate an attorney's office as she prepares for a Holiday Tour for charity and a Christmas Open House to follow. The single wreath is one of two matching wreaths hung on the tall French entry doors to her office.

The idea that looks so new and fresh is created with fruits, flowers and surprising color! Our designers have pulled together our lovely demi pears in yellow-green and golden yellow, along with smaller pears and small green apples. Snowball blossoms and a fresh-looking green ivy are tucked around the artificial boxwood wreath to create a surprising introduction to the office!

Inside, visitors are treated to variations on the theme, as additional wreaths on tall patio doors are placed one over the other, almost like a Topiary, and on those, bright red berries are added along with small fruits in reds and sheer red ribbon bows. A touch of gold on ribbon and fruit creates a subtle sheen perfect for the season.

If you are wanting a new idea for your holiday decorating, visit our Artificial Fruit collection or email me at kparry@furnituregourmet.com. Large quantities of our larger 4" yellow-green pears, along with our light red pomegranates were used for Christmas Decorations at the White House a few years ago!