by The Perennial Style | May 5, 2014 | Style, Uncategorized
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Are you a lover of J. Crew but sometimes hate the prices that seem to keep rising with each season? Well, you are not alone, and J. Crew is taking your needs into account! Behold, J. Crew Mercantile: the offspring of our favorite line which is in the works to bring a similar style to shoppers, but with a price point more along the lines of the J. Crew Factory Stores. What differentiates Mercantile from our favorite factory stores is the fact that these new stores will be situated in some of our favorite malls around the nation, rather than having to drive out of the city to scout out the outlet malls. Millard Drexler, CEO of J. Crew, once introduced Old Navy as a more affordable line of Gap, so we can only hope Mercantile will launch with that same success! With already a few leases signed and more locations in the works, we cannot wait to see what Mercantile will bring for all of our savvy shoppers!
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by The Perennial Style | Jan 13, 2014 | Dwell, Hotels, North America, Style, Travel, Uncategorized, United States, West Virginia
This year we decided to spend the holidays at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Though I absolutely love going home to Destin, Florida any chance I can take a break from the office, something about the mountains feels more like Christmas than the white sandy beaches. If you are not familiar with the Greenbrier, I recommend you add it to your bucket list. Since 1778, the resort has been a desirable vacation destination for many with its fascinating history of the underground Bunker established by the US government during the Cold War (Learn more about the Bunker history here). What I love most about the Greenbrier is the lavish décor designed by the famous Dorothy Draper. Colors and patterns explode through the historic resort giving a one-of-a-kind elegance that guests have come to love about America’s Resort. Dorothy Draper is also credited for the interior designs of the Dallas Stonleigh Hotel penthouse suites (see our posts here and here), among many others. Since retirement, Draper’s protégé, Carleton Varney, continues to serve as the Designer/Curator for the Greenbrier Resort and as President of Dorothy Draper & Co.
The Greenbrier Resort is home of the Greenbrier Classic PGA Tour event, which is the oldest course currently used for a PGA Tour. This was the view from our lunch at Sam Snead’s at the Golf Club. The mountains and the horse-drawn carriage made me wish I could stay there forever! 
Christmas Eve after dinner at Prime 44 West
The Resort had endless hallways of boutiques, which led to a little a little retail therapy. The shoe store was obviously a favorite of mine, considering we stopped by everyday! However, our matching Greenbrier robes below definitely take the cake as my favorite purchase of the trip – who says we are too old to match? 
Like we mentioned before, Lanz gowns are a tradition in our family. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without them!
We stayed busy all week with the numerous activities available at the Resort. My favorite was the bowling alley in the hotel. Other activities included ice skating, horseback riding, golf, swimming, croquet, hunting, falconry, tennis, and more. For those of you looking for a more relaxing vacation, I definitely recommend stopping by the spa for a little R&R followed by afternoon tea in the ballroom.
We were sad to say goodbye to the Resort at the end of the week, but the countdown until next year has begun!
For more information about the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, check out their website here.
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by The Perennial Style | Nov 18, 2013 | Dwell, Uncategorized
Meet Katie Oswald: founder of Dallas Closets – your go-to organizing goddess who will help turn your oh-so-drab spaces into oh-so-FAB! As a fellow SMU grad, I have witnessed Katie’s organizing skills grow from a helpful hobby to a successful business over the years. During her years at SMU, Katie would often help friends and family organize their spaces. After seeing how much everyone enjoyed the helping hand, her skills were requested from friends of friends all over, leading to the launch of Dallas Closets! Dallas Closets provides clients with stylish, customized spaces tailored to their unique lifestyles and organizing needs. Whether you are looking for a full closet renovation or just a quick organizing touch-up, Katie has you covered. I recently spoke with Katie to hear her ins and outs of the business. Here’s what I learned:
What is the first thing you do with your clients when you meet with them to help organize their space?
The first step is always a consultation, which typically lasts about an hour and is free of charge. I come to the client’s home, observe the room/space needing help as well as the client’s interior design/style, take pictures, talk about what has and hasn’t worked in the room in the past, and discuss a budget for the project.
Who is your typical client?
I work mostly with moms who want a system in place that allows the whole family to stay organized. Not just closets, but kitchens, playrooms, kids rooms, garages. A big part of what I do is implementing systems to stay organized into the existing interior design of a home.
I also work for clients who don’t need a complete organizing makeover, but rather “organizing touchups,” or just a few hours of Dallas Closets’ organizing service opposed to a multi-day booking. With the holidays approaching, a lot of clients want to get their house organized before friends and family arrive. This past week I organized a playroom in under 4 hours for a family who was hosting a party at their house the next day.
How long does a closet take?
Anywhere from 6-10 hours. Once I observe the space to be organized during consultations, I tell clients how many hours it will take and we set up a budget around that number.
Do you have any tips you can share with our readers?
The time to clean out your closet is not the end of a season when you can see what you did and didn’t wear. Rather, you want to align with consignment store schedules and selectively get rid of items before the season starts. For example, Clotheshorse Anonymous on Preston Road (one of my favorite places to consign) will start accepting Spring items as early as January.
We heard you sell on eBay as well, is that true?
Yes. For clothes I advise consignment, but for designer handbags (and sometimes shoes) I do sell on eBay for clients. I can set a higher price on eBay then what they would sell it for at a consignment store, and I retain a smaller percentage than what a consignment store keeps. Between those two factors, my clients are always finding purses and shoes for me to sell on eBay… if not only so that they can justify going shopping!
To schedule a consultation with Dallas Closets:
Website: Dallas Closets
Email: dallasclosets@gmail.com
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