Have I mentioned I love doing the HER Home column for HER Nashville, along with this handy-dandy blog?  Well, I do.  I heart it very much!  One reason for the love:  It's given me a virtual free-pass...ok, an excuse...to visit shops I'd previously driven by and wondered about.  Shopping = research.  Love it!

Ah, the season's underway!  'Tis the time of year to nibble refreshments whilst shopping for "one for her home, one for my home" goodies in some of our fine local home decor boutiques.  

While most of Nashville is focused on election coverage today, I'm electing to take action as the dedicated and able consumer that I am!  Thus, I welcome you to an indulgent diversion from today's political happenings:  my first installment for "Shopryland!  Great Gifts for HER Home"!

Today's shopping tip combines a love for shopping online with a commitment to supporting our local economy - http://www.etsy.com.  

When it comes to seasonal decorating this time of year, I lean more toward pumpkins, harvest colors, cornucopias and the like.  Suffice to say, I'm always one to watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special but never a late night horror flick.  However, for those of you with slightly more twisted sensibilities, the decorative items featured on this link for Met Home will surely amuse. 

http://www.pointclickhome.com/image/tid/4272

They call this "creepy chic"!  

Happy Halloween, ghoulfriends!!!

 Laurel's garden continues to grow...  

Quick recap:  We've recently seen the lovely results as Laurel cut an entirely new bed to flank her entry sidewalk.  She carved the new bed, prepped soil and planted some well-chosen plants with lots of personality.  

As promised, Laurel made some significant headway on her gardening project over the weekend.  After cutting a curvy new bed and thoroughly preparing the soil, Laurel has now arrived at the fun part:  plant selection and planting!

Laurel found some ideal options for her space.  The selections fit not only the look she wanted, but they will thrive based on their needs for sun exposure.  Plus, they were in budget!  

The Belmont-Hillsboro Home Tour was held today, and it was worth the $10 price to be admitted into such an array of residences.  The voyeur in me finally got her glimpse inside a few of those houses that always evoke curiosity.

Laurel's gardening adventures continue...

Laurel is no gardening lightweight.  Last weekend, she brought in the heavy equipment.  She rented a tiller to break up the dirt ('cause breaking up is hard to do!), then followed up with soil conditioner and fresh topsoil.  

His name is Fulton, in case you'd wondered about that adorable yard dog who's maxin' and relaxin' behind shovel-wielding Laurel.  Yeah, it's a ruff life.

Fulton originally hails from Fulton County, GA, hence the name.  He's a french bulldog and quite a natural in his supervisory role over Laurel's hard work.  

Fulton--and Laurel--will resume efforts on the garden this coming weekend.  More blog-worthy details coming soon...

Ladies, Laurel is officially off and running on her garden!  Observe if you will ingenuity in action, as documented in the photo collage of this blog.  Laurel's carved into the grass, cutting out a curvaceous new bed alongside her sidewalk.  This will add lots of character and planting opportunities.

When attempts to find a professional landscaping partner fell through, Laurel was inspired to get back to her roots and just dig in!  After her first full weekend of playing in the dirt, she's staked her key approaches to this project:

For the many of you who've awaited the next posting about Laurel's garden, I have some interesting news to report.  

Laurel, along with me as trusty sidekick, project facilitator and dedicated documentarian, is now going "sans pro landscaper" in her quest to create a patch of paradise.  Laurel's space for planting is fairly snug, and her budget is very realistic.  She'd planned to invest in professional landscape design advisement and then handle the plant purchasing and installation herself to maximize her resources.   

Well, we're about to blanket Laurel's flower bed with full coverage of its progress.  We're in the first steps of Laurel's small plot becoming a bed of paradise.