I Am Here...

I'm in Bonita Springs, Florida visiting my pregnant sister and enjoying the sunshine!  So far, we've seen 6 alligators (while driving through Alligator Alley) and we've been to the beach twice.  Also on the "to do" list (besides looking for alligators) is to furnish the nursery.  And, we've made some great progress this week.  Can't wait to share some pictures with you when it's finished.

Southwestern Florida must be one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I think it is. 

...

Our Trip To Savannah, part 3

This is my last post about our fabulous mini-break in Savannah, Georgia (see part 1 and part 2 for more Savannah snapshots!). 

I just have to tell you guys about our amazing hotel.  We stayed at The Gastonian, a lovely bed & breakfast in the historic district of Savannah, just a couple of blocks from Forsyth Park.  If you know us, you know that generally speaking, Dave and I are not "bed & breakfast people".  We're more like "Courtyard Marriott people" or "Hampton Inn people" or "(Fill In The Blank) Less Expensive, Dependable, Consistent Hotel people".  So, this was a departure from the norm, and a total treat.

We rolled into town around 10:30pm.  The historic mansion was completely illuminated, there were twinkling lanterns out front and the door was open.  The gal at the front desk was waiting for us, and gave us the warmest welcome when we came through the door.  We checked in, she gave us our key and led us to our room.  We stayed in the Juliette Gordon Low room, located in the building next door-- The Gastonian includes two historic homes that are connected by a central garden and backyard deck...

this is the deck that connects the two buildings.  it feels like a tree house.

Our room was gorgeous, complete with a (working) antique marble fireplace, clawfoot tub, and a private terrace.  A private terrace!!!  We died.  There were robes on our bed and tiny praline cookies wrapped in cellophane.  We felt so spoiled!  I worried that by staying in an old home, we would hear other guests...  but, nothing.  It was completely silent.  Nobody bothered us.  My husband said that it felt like we were staying with a rich relative who let us come and go as we pleased.  That's really what it felt like.

The next morning, we ate breakfast in the main dining room.  We also booked a third night at the hotel!  We had originally planned to stay two nights and then head up to Charleston, South Carolina for a night...  but, we just couldn't handle the thought of leaving Savannah so soon.  What are we, crazy? We didn't want to leave this place.  So, I guess a future trip to Charleston is in the cards.

Juliette Gordon Low room, complete with marble fireplace

an antique chair in our room (love the paisley drape)

large bathroom with clawfoot tub!

main lobby and dining room

(I wanted to take that painting off the wall and sneak it home with me)

marble fireplace in the main parlor

center stairs in the main building, and I love the worn finish on the pineapple finial

the most fabulous Chinoiserie mirror in an upstairs hallway;

fabulous brass wall sconces

the central stairs in the second building

the main entrance in the second building, with the most phenomenal wood carving

a close up!

Some of the guestrooms were vacant on Wednesday morning (but they were filled to the max on Wednesday night), so I snuck in and snapped some pictures...  Each room was different, immaculately maintained, and filled with amazing furniture.

After a day of exploring Savannah, drooling over the historic homes, and shopping the antique stores, we came back to The Gastonian for a glass of wine and appetizers (which were crazy good).  James, the gentleman at the front desk, referred us to Leoci's Trattoria and we ate dinner there on Wednesday night.  It was only a few blocks away so we walked, and the food was delish.  When we returned, drinks and dessert were being served in the lobby (yummy almond cake, thank you).  We also found that our room had been "turned down" for the night.  Drapes were closed, lights were on, cookies were on the pillow.  I'm not kidding.  SPOILED.  The next morning (as well as Friday morning) we had breakfast on the terrace.  Why not, right?

breakfast on the terrace!

It was a dream.  I didn't want to come home (to a house in the middle of a massive renovation).  I wanted to stay there forever.  Nobody "turns down" my bed at home, nobody brings me a gourmet breakfast at home.  Dave missed it too.  On our first morning back in Philadelphia, he said, "where's the guy with the homemade scones?"  We were completely spoiled at The Gastonian and we can't wait to get back.

I hope you've enjoyed my recap of Savannah!  If you're considering a quick trip out of town, I highly recommend it.  If you live in Savannah, well lucky you. :)

Have a wonderful day, sweet friends.

...

Our Trip To Savannah, part 2

the gorgeous green entry to the Circa Lighting annex

Ok, let's talk shopping. 

Savannah is FULL of interesting shops and antique stores.  We spent the majority of our days walking along the Savannah streets and stopping into the wonderful shops and boutiques along the way.  The Design District includes a great variety of home boutiques and antique shops, mostly along Whitaker Street (but there are some hidden gems off the beaten path).  Here is the map we used when shopping historic Savannah...

One Fish Two Fish was a favorite stop of mine (no. 17 on the map above).  First of all, the store is beautiful.  The staff is completely lovely and very friendly.  They have a great selection of pillows, mirrors, scented candles and even jewelry!

Across the street is Circa Lighting.  One of my ALL TIME favorite resources for lighting.  All time favorite, it's a great shop.  Circa only carries the best of the best, and their attention to fine quality is evident in every fixture.  Because their physical locations are limited (mostly in the south), I have only shopped their inventory online...  so, seeing the selection in person was a real treat.

I about DIED when I saw these black marble table lamps.  They are completely stunning.  These guys were located in the Circa Lighting Annex, which is full of discounted fixtures, discontinued lamps, and clearance deals.  I didn't buy anything, but was extremely impressed by the enormous selection.  If you're in town, and in the market for fine lighting, you must stop in!

I couldn't stop swooning over these quartz lamps in the Circa Lighting showroom.  I love the way the light passes through.

One of my favorite home boutiques in Savannah was The Paris Market.   Located closer to the river, on West Broughton Street, this shop is FULL of interesting things.  

you walk in on the top floor, and you're greeted by tables full of lotions, perfumes, and sweet smelling candles.  The light fixtures were my favorite.

Love the giant, illuminated letters spelling "Paris" on the upstairs wall.

an adorable display near the front door

more eye candy.  Loved the giant shell.

The Paris Market even features a tiny cafe,

complete with Parisian chairs and marble-topped cafe tables.

the gorgeous cafe counter.

  these ceiling fans were driven by antique mechanized belts!  It was phenomenal to watch.

Then, if you follow the steps to the downstairs basement, there was even more to see... brick floors and exposed beams.  While I went crazy over the decor, my husband was examining the ceiling beams above (comparing them to the ones in our basement).  For the record, the beams were huge and set very close together.  Impressive. :)

dining tables set under twinkling chandeliers

loved the Venetian style mirrors

cabinets full of curiosities

LOVED these giant green glass lamps flanking a table full of vintage photographs...

more lovely display areas.  Gorgeous chandelier and I loved the overhead string lights too...

large modern wall clocks with red dials.

me, posing in The Paris Market basement.

(please ignore the "sensible" shoes.  we did a lot of walking that day)

The antique shops in Savannah were also fabulous.  We stopped into MANY shops, but only took a handful of pictures.  Overall, I was so impressed with collections of vintage porcelain and silver servingware...

love these porcelain dogs in the window at the The Corner Door (no. 11 on the map).  For the record, this shop was lovely.  They had some steller collections of antique porcelain, and the sterling silver servingware was magnificent.  You must stop by if you are in town.

I can't remember the name of this antique shop, but it had a cute red door that led you into a basement full of interesting things...

UPDATE: thank you "Anonymous" for commenting! This shop is Limehouse Plantation Antiques.  It is located at 120 East Jones Street and it's no. 9 on the map!

loved the antique oil painting on the left, and this boar was wearing a captain's hat!

And, last but not least: if you're in Savannah you MUST stop into Alex Raskin Antiques.  Located on Bull Street (it's no. 4 on the map), you have to go there.  First of all, it's located in one of the largest single family homes in all of Savannah.  And, while the plaster is peeling and it's in horrible shape, the entire place is FULL OF ANTIQUES.  And, bonus?  It's a free tour of an extraordinary southern home.  We were so impressed by this place.  The pictures don't do it justice.

This is the only sign out front.  You would walk right by and never know this place existed...

To put this in perspective, the ceilings in this room might be 20 feet high.  And, there were chairs stacked on top of credenzas, beds jambed in with dining tables...  it was CRAZY.  Oh, and the rugs?  They were gorgeous too.

see the peeling paint?  here is my husband checking out an antique side table... Again, to put this in perspective, my husband is 6'5" and there must be another 10 feet of ceiling above him.  The scale of this place cannot be captured in pictures.  It was so grand, we couldn't get over it.

An incredible antique chair sitting in the second floor hallway.

and the chandeliers!!

I think that this was the second staircase(!!!) leading you up to the third floor. 

antique furniture everywhere...

It's a phenomenal store.

Alex Raskin Antiques, at 441 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia.

(In case you were wondering, the pieces in this place are not cheap.  We thought we might score a few deals but, ha!  This guy knows what everything is worth.  Don't let the peeling plaster fool you)

Happy Monday, my dear friends.

...