Champagne and Cupcakes Anniversary Celebration

Well, it has been just over a month since our 10th anniversary Champagne and Cupcakes Celebration benefiting Cancer Navigators of Rome.  I planned on writing a blog post to chronicle this event, but with setting up Perfect Home for the holidays and the usual fall rush of design projects, it just didn’t happen.  Actually, this is the ideal time to share since our actual anniversary was on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

When I came up with the idea of a special party to celebrate our ten year milestone, I never dreamed it would be such a success!  So many of our loyal customers and clients attended, along with many new faces.  It was truly a celebration, exactly what I wanted it to be!

Champagne…..

and Cupcakes!!!

The store was dressed to the nines.  So many new goodies arrived just days before so April Smith, my right hand “girl”, and I were putting on the finishing touches up to the last minute.  We cleaned up pretty well, considering.

April and I drawing for one of many door prizes.

This celebration was held to benefit Cancer Navigators of Rome, a wonderful local organization that does exactly what the name says, helping folks navigate their ways through the resources available to them during a challenging time.  I was thrilled that we raised over $500 to help such a worthwhile group.

 

The charming ladies of Cancer Navigators.

I hope you will take a minute to scroll through a few of the photos from that night.  I’m sure you will recognize some familiar faces.

 

Keri Smith and Monique Watson

All three of these ladies were winners that night!  Delores Nance {left} won a $400 Surya rug.  Brenda Bowen, {center} won a basket of candles and diffusers from Woodwick Candles, and Evelyn Montgomery {far right} won a $100 gift certificate.  I wonder if they had any idea they were going to win  when this photo was taken!

Dr. Bannester Harbin was my door prize assistant.  Good job, Dr. Banney!

Tonya Davis from BDD Consulting… marketing guru… couldn’t have done it without her!

Here are a few more images from that night.  Enjoy.

 

 

Alison Smith, Josie Dayton and the BACK of Joey Beard… his best side!

Tickled Tonya and serious Reesa

Left to right:  Mary Bowling, Margaret Crego, Lauren Sklar and Jill Cromartie.  Happy to say, ALL design clients through the years.

Lauren Sklar and Wanda Whitten

Mary Bowling enjoying her pink Champagne

Virginia Mc Chesney and Charlotte Atkins of Cancer Navigators

My sweet  Jill Burnes Goode who worked with me for many years until she left for marriage, motherhood and law school.  I was so happy she, her husband Derrell and adorable baby, Charlotte Ellen came from Montgomery for this special night. 

Precious little Charlotte in her fall finery!

One last photo…..

My team!!!  It never would have happened without these ladies.  From the left, Tonya Davis of BDD Consulting who pulled this all together; April Smith who keeps me organized and orderly {most of the time}; my “niece” Alison Smith of Perfect Dress who carries on the bridal tradition I started in 1978 and the ever efficient Monique Watson of BDD Consulting and Honeymoon Bakery…yum!  I am so blessed to have them in my life.   These girls make every day a celebration! 

Thanks to everyone who attended and supported Champagne and Cupcakes. And a special thanks to all my loyal customers and design clients, who I now consider friends. I feel so blessed to have been in business for 35 years, first with The Wedding Belle and the past ten at Perfect Home. As we all know, the past few years have been challenging for most businesses and I are so grateful to our community for continuing to shop with us, as well as other local businesses. Remember… shop small and SHOP ROME!

Thank you all for supporting Perfect Home these past ten years… and here’s to many more!

Reesa

Perfect Home… for the Holidays {Part Two}

Who’s ready for more Perfect Home all decked out for Christmas?  If you didn’t see my last post, scroll down and see what you missed.  There was just way too much to share for one post, I know you don’t have all day to peruse my blog, if you are like me you are lucky to have even  a few minutes for such indulgences.  I hope you will take the time to see what we have created for this holiday season.  It’s  time to deck your halls so I hope you will be inspired by our holiday ornaments and adornments.  If you like what you see, please stop by Perfect Home for a visit.  This year on “Black Friday” after Thanksgiving, as well as Small Business Saturday, we will be celebrating our 10th Anniversary and have lots of surprises {meaning a BIG sale!} in store.  It will be the PERFECT time to visit Perfect Home!  Enjoy….

Our snowy tree is back this year.  It was a big hit last year.

Of course, we have our Mark Roberts fairies, but they are going fast!

Love this fella!

New this year is Ala Carte Alice, yummy gourmet goodies.

Returning are Woodwick Candles in all the holiday scents.  If you haven’t tried them, you need to… they are wonderful and actually crackle as they burn.

Here is a small sampling of our nifty gifties!

Or maybe you want to buy yourself a gift…. how about a little something for your own “Perfect Home”.

I hope you have enjoyed your virtual visit to Perfect Home.  Of course, pictures never do us justice this time of year, so you will have to plan to stop by and see us in all our holiday finery.  Please visit us soon!

Wishing you all a Happy, Happy Holiday Season,

Reesa

A Few of my Favorite Rooms

While attempting to clean out my sadly unorganized  photo files I ran across a few rooms that still make me swoon.  This is why my files are never organized!  I thought instead of working through this never ending task, it would be way more fun to share a few photos with all of you.  Don’t expect any rhyme or reason to this post, just pretty pictures.  That’s why we look at blogs anyway, isn’t it?

Love the  café curtains…. and that coffee table… and the club chairs… and…..and…

Check out this ottoman, have you ever??  The sectional is curved and that’s not something you see often.  Obviously this is all custom made and oh, so pretty.

The color of these walls is just so serene, and I love the use of all neutral upholstery

So serene.  Love the pair of chests topped with mirrors.

A classic and comfortable room.  Love the bed and the textured basket under the console table.

My favorite color palette, well one of them.  I am just finishing a project using blues with sea green and creams… such a beautiful combination.  Notice the color of the side chairs.  It needs that touch of unmatched color to make it work, otherwise the look goes flat if all the blues are just the same.

 

More blues and creams.  The touch of black keeps this room from floating away.

Blues and creams, I just can’t stop!

Here is a change of pace, this color combo is so vibrant and fun… love it!

OK, back to the real world of working through these photo files.  Thank you for indulging me in my moment of design distraction.

Reesa

Technorati Tags: Perfect Home of Rome,interior design

A Short History and A Special Anniversary x Two

Here we are at the first of September, not just any September but one with two milestones! 

At Perfect Home we kick off our 10 year anniversary celebration and my sister store Perfect Dress of Rome begins their 35th year in business!!!  I’m not sure what it is, but I have always loved anniversaries.  Maybe it is the marking of time, maybe the opportunity to reflect, but I like looking back when reaching that certain special date on the calendar. 

Well, today is one of those days.  Way back when in 1978, today was the day I opened my first store, The Wedding Belle.   Bear with me as I indulge in a trip down memory lane…..

Actually, I think this is my mom in front of my original store, but since I look just like her, imagine it’s me!

In downtown Rome, just down from the Desoto Theatre my first business was born.  I, myself had been born a mere 23 years earlier!  When I think back on how young and clueless I was, it is a miracle the store survived at all.  When people ask how someone so young could make a go of it, my answer is I didn’t know failure was an option.  Both my parents had always owned small businesses in Rome.  My father’s business, Milton’s
Photography,  was around from the mid 60’s until his retirement in the mid 90’s.  My mother had opened first Wee Tot and later Storybook preschools and kindergartens, in business from the early 60’s until the early 80’s.  At that time  she began a catering business after I opened The Wedding Belle in 1978.  She continued catering weddings for many years.  So you see, I  come from “self employed” stock!

I still have my original desk, now it is charcoal gray and I use it for display.  Thankfully, I don’t have the shoes!

As most of my blog readers and customers know, I was in the bridal business until I sold it in 2002 and opened Perfect Home and Perfect Prom.  What many of you may not know, is Perfect Home actually began a couple of years earlier with in home parties.  This was prior to Southern Living stealing my idea {just kidding} and beginning their home party division. { I knew it was a good idea!  }

Setting up and hosting my first Perfect Home Party.  {sorry for the poor quality}

This was a great way to get a feel for the home décor and design business.  I learned how to buy, which vendors had the best product for the best value, and fine tuned my eye for design.

 

But, my heart will always be in “shop keeping”.  That is what I know.  In late 2001 I decided to sell The Wedding Belle and focus full time on Perfect Home.  Of course, I couldn’t let go of my formal wear roots completely, so I retained the prom division of my business and also opened Reesa’s Perfect Prom for the first five months of each year during prom season. 

Then……

And now……My formal wear roots run deep.  It is hard to give up dressing young girls dreams!

Check my blog soon for much more  about those early Perfect Home years in a later post as we celebrate our Tenth Anniversary this year, but today is the anniversary of The Wedding Belle, and it’s new incarnation Perfect Dress of Rome!!!

 

Approximately eight years after selling The Wedding Belle to Debye Culpepper, she decided it was time to move on and sold the store to my “niece” Alison Burton Smith.  I was thrilled!!!  Alison and her family have been my family’s closest friends for the past 50+ years and she is the closest thing this only child has to a niece.   No one could be a better fit  to carry on The Wedding Belle tradition  than Alison, she was actually born the year I opened.  I am thankful everyday that Debye chose to sell it to her. 

Alison and I in our matching dresses in 2010. No, not planned…   Obviously, we had been spending a little too much time together! 

Since taking the helm in 2010, Alison has relied on her eight years of previous experience at the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce to bring her dream store, Perfect Dress of Rome, to life. 

Ribbon cutting in 2010.

I am so happy to spend each day next door to my “sister store”  Perfect Dress of Rome with this talented, motivated and hard working young entrepreneur.  Watching her become such a successful business woman in a store that I started so many years ago is a true blessing.  If you would like to read the post I wrote about Alison and  the precious story behind why she always wanted to own The Wedding Belle, you can read it here.   It is a very sweet story!

 

Happy girl at the opening of Perfect Dress of Rome

In today’s world celebrating a 10th anniversary, as Perfect Home will this year, is quite an accomplishment.   Celebrating  35 years as The Wedding Belle/ Perfect Dress of Rome will,  is truly amazing!

Please indulge me here…. Alison, I am so proud of you and what you have done with Perfect Dress these past two years.  It has been a privilege to mentor you, support you and watch you grow.   Here’s to another 35 years of creating that “ perfect day” for brides in Rome and the surrounding areas.   I know you are just getting started… the sky’s the limit!!!

Reesa

Technorati Tags: Perfect Home of Rome,Perfect Dress of Rome

Purple…hmmm..what do you think?

 

Well, for a while now, the word on the “design street” has been that purple is making a comeback.  Whether rich and regal or smoky and dusky, THEY say purple is the next big thing.  {Ever wonder just who they are?}

Now from my tone, you may gather purple is not my go to color, and you would be correct.  That is, as long as you never see my office which for some unknown reason, I painted a pale dusty amethyst color… ???!  I kinda like it actually.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike purple.  It can be sexy, moody, fresh or  fun.  Just like all of us, right?

I know in my life as “prom store owner”, I’ve sold my share of purple prom gowns.

Just a little can  be just right.

Or too much can be oh, so wrong…. check out those chairs!

Here are a few images of purple used in design.  Take a look and tell me what you think.

All these photos were pulled from Pinterest.  Thank you Pinterest for making my life easier, and for giving me an excuse to prowl through hundreds of design photos, and calling it “work”!  If you don’t already follow me on Pinterest , click here: Perfect Home on Pinterest  to view my design boards. 

So, let’s hear some feedback.  How do you feel about purple?  Love it or leave it?  Let me know.

Reesa