store crush: purl soho

On my window shopping trip to SoHo last weekend, a friend reminded me about the Purl SOHO store at 459 Broome Street.

I was already familiar with them from their blog, the Purl bee. Finally a chance to go there!

I used to be a sweater designer & knitter, but I got burned out on it after doing it too long. For the first time in a long while I was tempted to knit something...

They are not just a knitting store. They also have a nice selection of modern craft supplies like the good kind of felt: wool.

And the best quilting cottons from the Denyse Shmidt, Kokka, Moda, and the like.

Embroidery hoops: what a cute way to show off their fabric selection in the entryway.

Oh, and there are the Liberty prints too. I just drooled over the selection. Liberty cottons are not cheap, though- something like $37/yard. But at least they are 54" wide, not 44" like most. We know we're not here for bargains, anyway. Just the best.

Purl is fully stocked in all things embroidery too, from floss to needlepoint wool, to books galore. Books on everything and only the best, most enticingly designed ones.

Definitely worth the detour!

in the christmas spirit at terrain

It was a good day to get out of the studio. It was the first sunny day in a while, and a call from a friend to go meet for coffee at the Cafe at Terrain in Glen Mills, PA was all the enticing I needed.

 

I always liked the old Styers, the nursery that Anthropologie bought to transform into their flagship lifestyle garden store, but it was more of a nuts & bolts kind of place. It didn't have a cafe, much of a gift shop, or quite the panache that Terrain has. I miss the plant selection though.

The seasonal displays here are always so irresistible. (Go here to see fall's displays) This winter's theme: rustic & cozy.

A little tartan.

A little woodland.

Time to start some paperwhites and amaryllis.

Winterberries. Yes it's finally December. All we need now is a picturesque dusting of snow!

savoring the change of seasons at terrain

mums

We had gorgeous Indian summer weather this past weekend after the tropical storm passed! Perfect, because we had family visiting, an outdoor wedding to attend, and time to go exploring as well. The day after the wedding festivities, we took in the Brandywine Festival of the Arts, then decided to see what the Terrain at Styers garden store had on display.

Terrain is owned by the same group that owns Anthropologie. Need I say more? You know the displays are gonna be good! A few years back, they purchased the venerable Styers Nursey in Glen Mills, PA as an experiment, then transformed it into the stylish purveyor of plants, furniture, accessories & gifts that it is today. There is even a cafe featuring local organic fare. There are supposed to be more stores in the works based on this flagship.

one of the outbuildings

Some people miss the old Styers which was more of a hard core gardener's nursery with a huge selection from the common to the exotic.

sedum, etc.

The plant selection is definitely pared down now, but what I like about the place is how they make even the most common plants look good through thoughtful pairings and compelling displays.

asters and anemone

Mums, pansies, asters, and sedum never looked so good!

coleus & potato vine

A feast for the eyes!

rustic shovels

white pumpkins

 Inside the main building is where most of the accessories & gifts are found.

dried flower & herb wreaths

velvet pumpkins

a coffee table book

one-of-a-kind stool

cast iron acorn

It's all notoriously pricey, but we always manage to walk out of there with something ;)

antiquing in lucketts, va

Mom & Brenda

This weekend was spent visiting with family back in Virginia, where I am from. My brother & his wife were in from Chicago and in the mood to see sights. Mom & I decided it was time to take Brenda antiquing in the town of Lucketts, VA since she is a Luckett now. (Yes, that's my maiden name). We like to think ancestors of ours founded the town, but we haven't researched it enough to be sure if we are related. My Dad's family is out of Kentucky, so who knows...

stately home in Leesburg

Lucketts is located 6 miles north of Leesburg on Rt 15. Leesburg is a gem of a town in itself. It has retained it's colonial flavor with its brick sidewalks and historic row houses and homes lining King Street & Market Street, the main drags. It's become fashionable with the younger crowd and nicely curated antique shops, cafes, and restaurants have sprung up lately.

click to enlarge map

The store we like to go to in our namesake town is The Old Lucketts Store. It's a one-stop-shop for antiques, vintage, and architectural salvage with a few new items thrown in. It's a mall set-up with many different vendors inhabiting what was once the general store and post office run by the Lucketts, who have since left the area.

The family lived upstairs in the rambling building.

There are so many vendors now, that they've spilled out into the yard into free-standing sheds, each with it's own personality.

Some salvage.

So me I can hardly stand it!

On the porch.

New upholstery.

New accessories, nicely displayed.

A vintage cast iron soap dish that I bought for holding business cards at craft shows.

Salvaged knobs.

Lots of great light fixtures...

More salvage.

Can't ignore the linens of course!

There are other antique stores nearby, but we were experiencing sensory overload and opted to head back to Leesburg for lunch. We found parking on King Street directly in front of a charming cafe called  Shoes Cup and Cork Club which inhabits a former shoe repair shop.

Inside, it's chalkboard menus, rustic finishes, & mismatched tables & chairs reminded me of a cozy cafe tucked away in the West Village of New York City.

It'll definitely be worth a trip back to check out all the antique stores we skipped and have more chai tea lattes.