It's FALL Y'ALL! Time for a visit to Western North Carolina.

Did you see our ad in The Laurel? The Laurel of Asheville is a monthly publication serving as a guide to Asheville, Biltmore, and the surrounding areas. That includes us in WAYNESVILLE!! Each month the magazine is filled with articles, advertisements, and features dedicated to supporting Asheville's culture, commerce and community.

The Laurel of Asheville contains monthly Events Calendars, Restaurant Guides, Maps of Downtown Asheville and surrounding communities, Accomodations Listings, and Advertiser information at your fingertips.

New to Asheville? Want to discover the latest restaurants? Looking for something to do? Pick up a copy of the Laurel of Asheville today!

We love this magazine and consider it an official guide to what's happening in the mountains. Copies are available free at restaurants and shops all over the area. Pick one up and you have a guide to the best of what we offer here in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

If you're looking for the ultimate in lodging check out The Swag. Or for a mountantop experience Pisgah Inn. Here in Waynesville there are wonderful B & B's just waiting to make your experience the best ever.

COME ON!!!

This time of the year here in the Smokies, our thoughts turn to color. We're not talking fashion or decorating colors. Nope, we are referring to the glorious display put on my Mother Nature in October for all comers to enjoy and appreciate.

I've notcied a few changes already in the trees I can see from my back porch. There is a bright red branch on a tree across the creek and a brilliant yellow one close by. I've read that we may have a longer season because we've had so much rain this summer. I've also heard that it may be early. Whichever it turns out to be, take it from a native, sometime near mid-October is the time to visit.

Don't forget to visit Pigeon Street Stalls when you come. We'll direct you to the other good places in town. If you're a golfer, stop in. We have some great rescued golf balls $3. for a bag of six. We even have some collectible left handed clubs.

Fall on in!!!

Here at the STALLS stuff comes and goes and that is good. A few of the recent arrivals include what is shown in the photo. The chair has Napoleonic lines and makes a huge impression. Resting in the chair is a fantastic big handmade pottery bowl with cane woven through as a border along with a pair of dark terracotta color wall sconces. The lamp to the right of the chair is a prize consigned to us from a high end designer who did a major downsize of inventory. Love the shade color! From her we received other great lamps and rugs. To the left is a leafy scrollwork firescreen that came from another local designer's shop.

With the recent consignments the shop is loaded into the aisles with quality merchandise. Come see us on Pigeon Street in Waynesville. On the way to Cold Mountain.

What's new in color? Prunes!!

I read a number of home decorating magazines itermittently. It's my business. There was a time when I stacked them up month by month. Would you believe I once had ALL the Victorias ever published? In recent years I've either become jaded or just feel that I've seen it all before. In keeping with my location and my roots I still buy Southern Accents and Veranda and, sometimes, Southern Living. But that's more of a cooking thing. The most recent SL I saw touted Pat Conroy's new book South of Broad. I brought it home today along with his cookbook. I browsed through the cookbook and can't wait to read the stories. There seemed to be more stories than recipes. That's OK.

I also read some decorating blogs and find them more stimulating than the magazines. Some of them are linked here on the page. Today I read the piece on The Peak of Chic about colors and how their names are more interesting in French than in English. The color being discussed was called prunelle by some famous designer. Purple. Brownish purple. The color doesn't sound any more appetizing than it's namesake but in leather and heavy woven fabrics it is a fantastic design color. I would love to do a room in dove grey, pale yellow and prunella. Suede and paint. I see heavy linen or natural silk with prunella also.

Would I do the walls of a room in prunella? Maybe. Maybe not. Is it a new color? Not likely. In the same evening I browsed some clothing catalogs and found to my surprise that JJill knew about Prunella seasons ago since there are at least six items in her online outlet that color. Come to think of it, I have a Life Is Good t-shirt that is faded prunella. I knew I liked that color.

The photo above is of Italian prunes and the one shiny one is the best exemplification of the color I could find. Isn't it rich??

We've been working for weeks in the home of a descendant of a prominent Haywood County family preparing for an auction this Saturday, August 1st. The sale will be held at her home in the newest historic district in Haywood County - Spread Out. Yep, that's what the neighborhood was called through the years.
We have some wonderful old things including an antique linsey woolsey coverlet, three pieces of furniture made from Haywood County lumber, a handmade 4 door walnut corner cupboard, wicker chairs, an antique pocket watch, dressing tables, wonderful quilts, lots of books - old and not so old - including W. C. Allan's Annals of Haywood County, a first edition of Cold Mountain, a 1937 fishing license badge, vintage linens, GWTW lamp, Cherokee baskets, oak lady's desk, oak washstand, North State teapot, a little pitcher by W. J. Gordy, coins, set of 6 oak DR chairs, braided rugs, hooked rugs, and lots of old photos and papers.
You can view the flier and photos at www.felmetauction.com
Come join us.
147 Maple Street
Waynesville, N. C.
Preview at 8AM
Auction begins at 10AM
Bring your own chair, please!

Earlier this week a fellow designer called to see if I had room for some furniture from a client of hers. Initially the consignment was to be a bed and dresser. When the movers showed up the next day they came in and announced "We have a truckload of furniture for you". After a phone call to my friend, I accepted what they had that did not include a bed or dresser. Among the pieces was a magnificent carved Italian loveseat. You just never know what will turn up at PIGEON STREET STALLS and that's the fun of it.

Are we having fun yet Mr. Obama? Here in Waynesville we're not seeing much of an upturn economically. Six stores have closed on Main Street. Just last night I was in a major deparment store in Asheville and while I was there I saw one couple walk through with a purchase. They and I were the only shoppers. The rest of the store was empty as far as I could see. Clerks were leaning on counters talking with each other AND the remarkable thing was that as I passed each group of them they stopped talking and said hello. There's a turn we can all appreciate. Wonder if it will last? Of course, it always happens here at The Stalls.

We have two of these chairs with yellow upholstery for half the price these were listed for and sold on the 'net.

We thought is was over. We had such a good month at the STALLS in March that we believed this might be a better year in retail. But things slowed down again so we're going to launch a campaign to spiff up the outside of the store and do some innovative advertising. We want those who are shopping to be able to find us and shop with us.

We have some wonderful quality furniture in the store now...a pair of yellow silk upholstered Henredon chairs, a complete dining room suite (oh, how forties that sounds) from Heywood-Wakefield, a North Carolina manufacturer. For those who think modern with an "e" we have two good quality glass dining room tables.

A friend downsized her design shop in Cashiers and we have some great rugs from her. Some whimsical hooked ones and woven ones. We already had a great antique room size pale Aubusson (just beautifully worn) and a good Chinese rug. Sitting near the front of the shop is a box that held horse harness and dates to the Civil War. Another friend who closed a design shop brought in some tall eye-catching silk delphiniums.

If you're in the design business we're worth a look. A lot of what we have is new. What isn't new is quality worn.

There's always free parking at The STALLS!!