Norman, the store manager

Gilchrist & Gilchrist sounds important:  a law office perhaps, a name you may find tucked away on a street corner in London or maybe even in the quaint town of  Bath, England.  In Nashville, the name belongs to a darling shop located in an equally charming cottage in Berry Hill.   Once you step inside, I think you’ll be glad you made the trek.

You will probably read more about this in future posts, but my house is on the Home Tour in the Whitland neighborhood. Help! Gulp! For me, with 3 small daughters, the word “home tour” makes me break out in hives.  Speaking of the word break, once you sign on the dotted line to show your home, everything in your house begins to BREAK.  It’s as if the VOODOO doll was dropped on your doorstep to invite in evil spirits.

With the Home Tour in mind, I dropped by Gilchrist & Gilchrist to look for some pillow shams to match my comforter, which I freely admit is gorgeous.  I still had some birthday money yet to spend and I really want pillows shams so my bed will look OH SO COMPLETE for the HOME TOUR. Money spent.

unique gift items are everywhere

wonderful frames in all sizes

Gilchrist & Gilchrist carries several lines of lovely linens; all can be custom ordered in any shade you can imagine.  I ordered a gorgeous soft, muted pale blue linen sham with a euro sham in  cream which I plan to embroider with my initials ( just in case a thief breaks in and tries  to steal it.)  Some of the brands Gilchrist & Gilchrist  carry are Pine Cone Hill, Bella Notte, Papillion and Pom-Pom. All are simply wonderful.

Genia Gilchrist has a eye for all things white & whimsical

Probably what I love most about the shop is the sense of rhythm and pace you feel once you walk in the door.   Genia Gilchrist  has a refined eye for all things white, especially her white furniture and accessories.  Even more welcoming is her refined eyes FOR ALL THINGS WHIMSICAL.

How fun is this lamp shade?

My personal favorite is her new lamp shades by Cake Rocket a fantastic artist from Texas.   They also sell organic cleaning products from Maison Belle that are so safe for the environment that you can drink them. Maybe you want to hold off on that taste test, but I think you get the idea.

Maison Belle Products are environmentally safe

Best of all, Norman (see picture above) almost always  greats you at the door, eager to provide for your every need. A couple of dog biscuits and a belly scratch may get you the sister-in-law deal!

Gilchrist & Gilchrist

2823 Bransford Avenue

Nashville, TN  37204

615.385.2122

Last week as I sat happily at the computer pecking away at the keyboard, my thoughts were interrupted by a HUGE CRASH.  I went screaming through the house like a madwoman, “WHAT HAPPENED?”  As I rounded the corner to the dining room, I saw an entire shelf had come unhinged falling to the bottom of the cabinet.  The good news is my beautiful Italian pottery was saved as it was on a higher shelf; the bad news all my wonderful white dishes are now toast.

White plates are like white candles on a table:  always classy, always appropriate.  So, I began the hunt to replace my white dishes.   Sometimes  TJMaxx has great dishes from Portugal, but more times than not, there are only a couple plates  in each pattern.  I popped by yesterday with no real score.

Here are my finds in order of my favorites.  I love the Ballard dishes because they are slightly off white and have a distinct Italian feel.  The faint outline around the curve of the dishes gives them a distinct uniqueness.  

This 16 piece set from Ballards sells for $65

My next find is the always reliable William Sonoma.  For those of you that don’t know this, William Sonoma has an incredible outlet store in Memphis.  The store is located right off Poplar by the Clark Tower and next to Target.  Since I am a Memphis native (please check out my newly posted bio), I stop by all the time.  The dishes in this post are from the catalog, however, a quick trip to Memphis will save you tons of money.  Next door to the Williams Sonoma outlet is a Pottery Barn outlet , plus a great wine store.  Williams Sonoma’s everyday white are my second choice.

Pier One Imports under $5 a plate!

Finally, I think you can always score good quality plates on the cheap at

Pier One Imports.  I found great white plate for $3-$4 dollars, at that price, you can afford to throw them at your husband when you get mad.  Just kidding!   White plates are like the little black dress, you can dress them up or down and use them for almost any occasion.  Enjoy a  great weekend.

the tailored shirt with rolled sleeve and pencil skirt create a sophisticated look

My love affair with consignment stores goes way back. I simply adore them, probably because they make the budget director voice inside of me SO happy.  The first time I walked in Designer Finds I met Rheem Acra’s Mom(the incredible designer of Jill Biden’s inaugural dress) and I was COMPLETELY hooked.  When you walk in Designer Finds, it has great space.  It is neat and orderly; the clothes are separated  by color and by type of clothing. Honestly, IT IS FILLED WITH DESIGNER TREASURES–Gucci Boots, Tori Burch pants, BCBG shoes and so much more.  If you hit it right, like we did, you can find discounts up to 50%.

the camisole and jacket work together

Liza and I thought it would be fun to ask the closet organizers, Tina Adams and Rebecca Thompson, to meet us at Designer Finds and work their magic.  I asked my walking buddy Amy to meet us at the store and be our model for the day.  Amy has your classic  girl- next-door look, and in fact, she is my girl -next- door (she lives 2 blocks from me.) It also doesn’t hurt that she’s got a fantastic figure at about  5′9″.

Here was our challenge to the Closet Girls (my ENDEARING name for them): put together 3 outfits including accessories for under $100. We wanted to see a career look, casual look and a DROP DEAD evening outfit.

The playful earrings and clutch complete the look

For those of you who are not familiar with Tina and Rebecca, they are closet organizers extraordinaire. For a nominal fee, they will meet you in your closet, pare down the things you don’t need and create tons of outfits from your existing wardrobe.  I can attest to their expertise since I invited them in MY CLOSET.  Here are some of their pearls of wisdom which once again were emphasized during our visit to Designer Finds:

Don't you just love the ruffles and neckline of this dress?

• Invest in  a good camisole as it makes your clothing lay flat and look better
• Jeans must fit well and be the right length as they are a key component in your wardrobe.
• Accessories truly FINISH the outfit.  Don’t hold back and don’t be too “matchy-matchy”.  Use accessories and shoes to add contrast to an outfit
• There are always more clothes.  Don’t settle for clothes that don’t feel good or don’t fit perfectly
• Don’t buy an item without considering  how you’ll use them in your wardrobe

The end result of our shopping trip: 3 outfits under $100 including accessories. And as an added extra, Tina and Rebecca took the evening outfit and created a TOTALY new look  for perhaps a day at the Steeplechase.  Tell us about your favorite consignment store and your finds.

Accessories give the same dress a different look

Designer Finds

Gallery at Green Hills

2210 Crestmoor Road

Nashville, TN  37215

Ph:  615.279-1994