Celebrity designers we all love!

My friend Susan called one night last week to tell me she was thinking of going to AmericasMart of Atlanta for their big gift show on Friday and wondered if I might like to go as press. Susan, who serves as a buyer for her mother's retail business, said there was a session titled "Tea is Hot!" and a few other things she thought I might be interested in. We pulled out at 7:30 a.m. and made good time getting to Atlanta. Soon we were headed to our first session when I saw a beautifully appointed showroom for Anna Griffin products! Now, I L*O*V*E all things Anna Griffin, but I was stunned when I looked inside and realized that was Anna herself talking to a few ladies! We went in, and I asked one of the assistants if we could meet her, and they were only too happy to oblige. So here are Susan, Anna and myself. (No, I'm not wearing an ugly choker. That was my sad attempt to get my press-badge-on-a-string out of the photo.)

Now I have been buying Anna's products for years, including these scrapbooking papers, and one of her Nina Wedding invitations is the one I chose for my wedding. She's been featured in many magazines we all read, such as Victoria, Home Companion and Southern Lady, and I can now attest that she is just as lovely as the products she creates. She seemed sincerely surprised at being asked to speak at the recent Southern Lady Celebration, and I probably gushed a bit much as I told her how I so appreciate all the beauty she has brought to this world. She laughed it off, but I meant it. Her stationery, rubber stamps, needlework products and desk accessories have long been my favorites. We both bemoaned the fact that Home Companion magazine has gone out of business, and I told Anna she should start her own magazine. Wouldn't you subscribe? I know I would. I was so starstruck I forgot to take a photo of a beautiful vintage teapot that caught my eye on the way in her gorgeous showroom. She has so many pretty new things, including laminated floral craft organizers and tote bags, gorgeous giftwrapping papers, some cheerful pink croc designs, and more. If she ever stops designing, I'll be at a real loss for pretty things to wish for.

We said goodbye to sweet Anna, and then Susan and I were off to see ... (drum roll, please) ... Colin Cowie! We managed to get there early and got front row seats. A woman was going around handing out pink tickets, and someone said this was so we would have first dibs on buying one of his books afterward. This gorgeous table was set up near the podium. Colin Cowie himself didn't decorate it, but isn't this elegant?

The silver tablecloth sparkled in the light, and I'll bet a few dozen of us photographed it before Colin arrived.

He was just as handsome as he looks on TV, was dressed impeccably, and was quite a good speaker. I wondered if perhaps he would show a little ego, but I didn't sense that at all -- quite the opposite in fact. He showed a lot of slides, including a few of his fantasy weddings that were just breathtakingly beautiful, as well as photos from "Colin Cowie Chic" that show how he has decorated and organized his home.

Here are some things I thought might be of interest to fellow tea lovers:

-- "I love to entertain. My favorite thing is to have people over." He keeps 24 organic chickens on hand at all times so he can throw a dinner party at a moment's notice.

-- When he's hosting overnight guests, he likes to print out information for them listing local places they might like to visit, the schedule for the week, and other things they'll need to know to have a pleasant stay. "A well-informed guest is a happy guest."

-- You should see this man's closets! (In fact, if you get a copy of "Colin Cowie Chic" you can, because the photos he showed us are in there.) And I hung my head in shame when I saw his bathroom toiletry drawer and recalled the jumbled mess I'd plowed through that very morning in search of an eye pencil sharpener. But my favorite storage solution he showed was of plastic bins containing various sets of placemats labeled according to color. I often have placemats all over the place, so I am going to try his idea.

-- "I always invest in a good napkin. Why? You're going to play with it for an hour and a half."

-- Here's a good quote: "We don't set tables, we should dress tables." Don't you love that? Colin said he's been known to use an Indian sari as a table runner. He spoke of building a "wardrobe" for the table, starting perhaps with a great piece of white china, adding placemats in a couple of colors, he likes good silverware and glassware, and then he will add other accent pieces such as colored tumblers, more placemats and runners, etc. I like his approach a lot!

Colin seemed very genuine when complimenting the team of people who work with him and help make him successful at what he does. One of Susan's favorite moments came when someone in the audience asked him if there was ever anyone he simply could not work with. He said he has only one rule: "If you make anyone on my staff cry, you get your check and your contract back." Bravissimo to that, I say.

When he finished speaking, someone announced that those of us who had pink tickets would receive a complimentary copy of his book "Colin Cowie Chic" which he would sign for us! Now I get lots of free books because of my work, but I don't get very many autographed by the author, so this was pretty cool.

Susan and I were also surprised, and pleased, that he took time to pose for photos with anyone who wanted one taken. Although I did introduce myself and get my book signed, I told Susan I was opting out of the photo. I don't mind having my photo taken with a woman who's prettier than I am, but I'll be darned if I'll line up next to a man who's prettier than I am! So I just took a photo of him with my sweet (and pretty) friend here.

We left his session chatting away about what a great guy he was, and who should dash out of her showroom to see us but our new BFF Anna Griffin, excitedly asking what we thought about Colin Cowie and those $25 million weddings he throws! (Susan and I were so tickled over that. I don't think Anna realizes some of us are as impressed with her as we are with Colin Cowie.)

Well, I have rambled on a bit today, haven't I, friends? You know I don't often do this, so bear with me and tomorrow I'll show-and-tell some of the latest teas and teawares coming on the market. There are some real doozies awaiting us!