Curated Conversations: Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Curated Confessions where we drink wine and talk design. Cheers. I'm your host, Hilary Smith. And I'm Brittany Pelche Como. And we are the lead designers and owners of Brit Hill Interiors in Prairieville, Louisiana. Yay. I don't know if y'all notice from probably the title and the fact that we're in the same clothes, but this is a part part two, a continuation of last week's one because Brittany's out of town. And then Hillary's out of town. And then Britney's out of town. And then Bailey's out of town. And then we're doing a lot of things right now. We're fitting it in. We're making it happen. Yeah. I might actually be doing the next podcast and Turks and Kegos. So 'cause going out town on vacation though. That's like fun. Where are you going? I'm going to LA for work. ⁓ Well, you do that to yourself. I mean, well you're doing big things, but I can't help you with it. Okay, these vacations are a long time coming. And well deserved and also we're Always working. I don't care what you say. So I was technically I'm taking this trip because I wanted to go to the Amalfi Coast, but I didn't have time to do the research. So I need to go on vacation so I can do research and book my next vacation. Yeah. Which makes perfect sense. ⁓ but with that being said, when I was doing brief research on Amalfi Coast, I was looking at places to buy pottery. which I was going to ship back and always history, always museums, always because that's where I get inspiration. They have such cool things. Like when we went to Sicily, they had the most beautiful pottery and like hand painted Absolutely dinnerware and serveware and like vases and it's beautiful. And all the things and I'm but I'm shipping clothes just back. Like Even I mean, we found this insane furniture manufacturer. Like I wouldn't s I mean he manufactures furniture, but he was an artist, so he made custom chairs and stuff. But ⁓ found him in champagne in some random little there was one chair at some ⁓ tasting room that we found his car. I think they sent me a picture of that. I've done so it's just finding fun vendors and finding ⁓ which talk to and he's you know, how to get chairs shipped over here, what it would take if I spec'd it out for a client and that sort of thing. ⁓ I have brought artifacts that we have used for clients' homes. I have also brought things from different trips for client gifts and that sort of thing. Also just inspiration, like walking through hotels or museums or just any like the okay, going to market is fun and like finding new manufacturers and like new trends and whatnot, but the ultimate fun is like sourcing on vacation, that one off that They don't sell to any market here and it is completely unique. Basically like that chair. Like that he makes in his s art studio and he's like, Yeah, sure. I which he did say he was like, I have worked with other people from the States. I have a pack pac a packaging company. I know how to get it on a boat. I can get it there. I can he had all the logistics set up, so really it wasn't like it was this huge undertaking. It was just finding the right person for it was a very unique chair. But ⁓ but I also find it interesting to you know, you go to the vendors here and see a light fixture and you're like, that's interesting. And then you'll go to Versailles and you see something you're like, ⁓ my gosh, that's a replica of it. Like they copied something from That's all yeah, you know, all the time. Thousands of years ago, or they ⁓ I could see how they Which in some of the vendors show you like they found this artifact and then they turned it into this piece of furniture or this bed or they added, you know, this Greek key or whatever, you know, so things that but ever Very sel I mean, I just don't know at this point if any art isn't From something. Inspired from that. Yeah, what I'm trying to say. So I'm like, there's just I don't know if anything is really original at this point. Like how even like you might even think it is, but it's probably because you saw it somewhere in your subconscious, it's somewhere back there. But it's like our high-end vendors do the same thing and knock off these one offs in Italy and Versailles, and then our mid end vendors knock off the high end vendors and then it just gets keep like it keeps changing slightly just so they can sell it at a different price. Absolutely. But I'm like material everything, I mean, is basically a knockoff. Yeah. I'm like, I can't remember who it was that said it. ⁓ I've always and I can't even remember how the quote is anymore. And I hate that because I loved it from when I was in college, but it was basically like art or design is all appreciation of someone else's work and how you flip it around to be your own or how you ⁓ can take something and yeah make it beautiful and but also it obviously ⁓ you saw it from somewhere else so we do have some lights that I have hanging up. in our showroom that everyone comments on. They love home. And I'm like, ⁓ the Ritz Carlton in Paris is where I saw that. And I'm like, it is literally Christmas lights. It is nothing special. But it was just The way it was done. The way it was done. And it was impactful. And apparently it is because every day we have people in here like, How did y'all do this? And I'm like They're like, why don't y'all sell the Christmas lights? I'm like, they're from Amazon. They're just Christmas lines. They're like, you can make so much money if you just sell them in here. And I'm like, that's crazy. But I ⁓ it did. But also it created conversations that I was able to have with other people. And then, ⁓ did you stay at that hotel? Or ⁓ my gosh, I was there last summer, or ⁓ I remember see You know, and I'm like, that's just conversations that I had with people that came in that were looking for a candle, didn't see it, but ended up having a two hour long conversation about, you know, Paris or something of the sort. So to me, that's all part of it. Yep. Which is why we do things in people's homes to inspiration, conversation P you know. And I'm like, every time we take a trip like that, we come back. It might not be like a instant like But something will come along and be like, ⁓ you remember that thing we saw when we're on the trip? And it'll inspire some type of like design or some type of window treatment or some type of Even just come back and be like, Okay, you're ready to clean out the warehouse. I have this renewed energy of like things that I want to do, or let's go through all of the fabric that we have and make a pillow line or something crazy that we don't have time for. But because you have energy from your vacation, you all of a sudden do. Or just going to see the ocean and now I have one or the mountains. You know what I'm trying to do then? So when this airs, I guess. No, you'll be back. Your trip's short. I will be back. It is very short. It's gonna be too short. And But I couldn't make it too long because I know. ⁓ way too much. Way yeah. Yes. I'm overwhelmed already thinking about it. Yes. So let's not go there. But is there anything on you are so are y'all doing like hikes or what's on the list? So my parents are coming, so we will ⁓ we're gonna be just doing some like, you know, not no intense hiking, but Yeah, I'm pretty sure your mom and dad could probably out hike me if I'm being honest. So but really you don't have to like hike far there from what I have read to see beautiful waterfalls and scenery and stuff. So ⁓ but we are taking there's a lake that you can't get to by car. You have to take a shuttle and there's like a sunrise hike, they call it or whatever. So ⁓ so like in the morning? Yeah, like four AM all things that I It's gonna be interesting. This is not ⁓ my vacation. I'm so glad I'm not going on this vacation. So I did that at a friend's retreat in North Carolina. That was a retreat. And it was like so magical and I can't stop thinking about it. So I was like, we're doing it. And I would get fired from the the ⁓ planning committee. I'm probably gonna be running after the bus, like wait for me. I can see it now. But ⁓ I would just sleep through all of that on accident. But the moon would come around. I feel like I'm missing something. ⁓ and so yeah, we're just gonna be doing some sightseeing and stuff like that. And then we're going to a comedy festival on an island in Calgary that's gonna be like Is there anything historical? I mean, I know that it's just beautiful landscape, but like buildings, churches, museums. I'll let you know when I get back. So you She is not one that does research before she goes to place. Drives me absolutely insane. This trip I do have every day plan pretty much. Cause you have to like make reservations and stuff there. So food. You've planned food. Yes. I've done extensive research on food. Got it. Even tweaking as of last night. Got it. Because I saw a bad review. And ⁓ let me change that. So one person had a rough day. Well, they said they got sick. I was like, uh-uh, I ain't taking a chance. I'm pretty sure you all got sick the last time. And that was like the first night. Yeah. I'm like, no. ⁓ But yeah, I'm sure they do have ⁓ you know. It's just not what you're going for. It just didn't come up on thing top things to do. So we'll see. They do have a beautiful ⁓ It looks like a castle. It's a Fairmont at Lake Louise that we will we couldn't afford to stay there, but we'll be gone see it. It was weird. They have like either you stay in Banff and you you stay at the Fairmont and it's thousands and thousands of dollars a night, or you stay at like a lodge or like you camp. There there was not many in between. And you didn't want to camp? No, but you know what I did find out? ⁓ Just last night, sp speaking of extensive research, I found out why the hotel we're staying at was a little bit cheaper than some of the other ones and it's a nice triggers? Nice room. Like is that hotel? No. So like you said camping in the woods. So you know how I said like you had to be very timely and you make reservations and like you gotta be there? This is not your place. So I don't understand how this is happening. Also, to add to that, I found out that the place we're staying at is a ski resort. And are y'all doing any skiing? No. But where the hotel is, you have to take a gondola. ⁓ fun. Every time you come and go from the hotel. Because it's up the mountain. Because it's up the mountain. So we're gonna add about thirty minutes every time we come and go to our Itinerary. Great time to have a glass of wine. A roadie. They they did not state this anywhere. too late to change now. And so here we go. You didn't know my parents yet. The hotel was like on a mountain. I mean, I thought the whole place was a mountain. Like you you staying in the mountains. I thought everywhere was up the mountain. I don't know. I've never been. ⁓ And now you have to factor that into the sunrise. Yeah, so that four AM just turned to like no, you ain't going to sleep. You're leaving. And that's the day two, and we have to wake up for our flight at three AM as well. ⁓ well didn't you just stay on that schedule? Just no sleep. I've been on that schedule. It's been great. ⁓ wow. Yeah, it's gonna be a blast. I'm gonna come back so refreshed. So refreshed. Funny. You're funny. Not really. Don't tell my mom and dad yet. I'm gonna wait till we get there. That's like when do have to do this again? What yeah. Like four in the morning. Yes. Mm-hmm. You Yeah, that's gonna be a that's a I don't know what I was thinking. Well, see what happens is we try to plan trips when we don't have time to do trips. And then not have time to do to plan this trip and I'll just like click, click. Okay, I'm done. Yeah. I've I just found out like how much time I actually spent on planning trips. Yeah. And it is a lot. Because like we love to do that. Yes. We know there's travel agents and they're great ones. And I've used them. ⁓ but like we love to I just like to do the research. I want to understand why this is why I want to do this. Like I wanna know I'm staying at the place that I wanna look at all the options. Yeah, I'd fabricate a map and like have little pens of like how to walk and what would be strategic and how to go in a circle and how to like it's a weird I spent probably eighty hours, eighty to a hundred and twenty hours on planning my trip to Africa. ⁓ what a map. Have not been to Africa, but I have about a hundred and twenty hours invested. One of our new clients is gone next month. We can ask her. She d I just talked to her. No, I told you I already have a planned. I don't need any more input. We did have a client that ⁓ just went to Turks and Caicos and I should have asked her ⁓ what she did because I have not had time to do research on this one. ⁓ but I did find out there's not like a whole lot to do. Yeah. So And that you could probably like Wing wing it and reserve it when you get there when you find out. It's also off season, which is why I chose to go there. ⁓ because crowds are not my favorite thing. ⁓ but I also wanted lots of time to not have to think about it. Yeah. ⁓ to our like a barbecue on the beach that but it is driving me crazy because I always even in Hawaii we had to do like historical thing. I always have to add art, historical and food. Like an equal amount of all of them. And then like two days of flex days. Like so if we find an awesome brewery or we find Sometimes we just find awesome people and somehow we're on their yacht or somehow we are following them somewhere, which is I wouldn't say it's safe, but I would say that's what we like to do. So I do give flex time in my structuring so but I equal parts of art and history, which is making me sound like a prude, but it's really not But I do not have any of that planned. The only thing I ⁓ I have to plan when I get there is where to find some bear spray 'cause they say you gotta get bear spray when you get there. If I have to pack bear spray, I don't think I'm going. And I'm kinda nervous about that. I'm like, do you really need it? It's like a populated place. Isn't that like urine? Like I don't know. You're just gonna spray urine onions. Yeah, that's what you're doing. Like somebody else is bound to have Bear spray. Maybe that's like a And it's like 50 bucks. What am I gonna do with bear spray? I don't spend 50 bucks on some bear. If there's bears, I'm spraying the whole bottle. There won't be no bear spray left. But what if I don't encounter a bear? I hope I don't encounter it. No, I don't that's how that works. I think you have to put it on. I don't think you see the bear and then spray yourself. ⁓ you spray yourself with pee? First of all, I don't know if it's really easy. I think you just spray the bear if it's coming at you, huh? ⁓ it's like maize? I I can't wait to see this. That's not at all safe. It's a repellent. It's like off. Like you put it on you to keep them away. I am not spraying no pee on. Like or like I was I'm actually Well, you're supposed to like leave a trail behind you and you hike it? I'm just imagining like little Brittany with a can of mace. I know of mace. A little can of mace. Like, hey sir. First of all, be like, hold on, let me find this from my bag. Hold on a minute. Full spray bear coming at you trying to find a key. With claws. And you're like, hold on, I'm on my mace. Yup. And it'll be mouse spray or something. That's crazy. That you didn't even decide to do research on that. If anything said you should bring bear spray, I'd be like, wait, what? It's like you do a little research on bear split. It's a hot commodity over there, too. You gotta go to like a tire store to get it or something. A tire? You might want to Amazon that and take it with you. I don't know. I don't think you can. I think you have to get it there. Because it's local urine that they're obviously. Is that why? ⁓ my gosh. No, wait. I feel like She's like just peeing in the back and okay. But like when dogs pee, they like sniff out the scent. So is that makeup that they're scared of? Like what what is a bear scared of? No, I'm making stuff up. I should have done more research. You should have on the planes. Y'all, I might not come back. If I encounter up air. Let me is it a loud noise? Is it a scent? Urine. We I don't think it is not history. It is liter I'm only talking about ⁓ like when you go deer hunting and you spray y it brings the deer to you. So I'm gonna say that's pr but that's all I can think of is that men are going out and spritzing themselves with dough urine and I'm like I'm like, I need to know what scent this comes in because I'm not spraying. I'm gonna say not a good one, like a skunk. You should have seen me trying to find bug spray. They said you had to bring bug spray and I had to find some kind of organic, good smelling bug spray to bring 'cause I'm like, I'm not smelling like off all day. Sweet baby, I think that's the point is it does not smell good. Mm. Have you ever used one of the good smelling offs? They don't work. I'm eat up afterwards. Remember when we went to Puerto Biarta and we went to Those were mosquitoes. Those were like helicopter bugs. Like I was laying out the next day and somebody walked by and goes, ⁓ she has ⁓ chicken pox. And I was they only liked Hillary. They were like, you could literally see her. ⁓ About to take off. They're about to take her in flight. And there was a family in front of me and the kids would like not get it together. And every time I had to stop, I just didn't never want to stop at any of the landings. I just wanted to keep flying as fast as possible. And these kids just kept talking and not focusing. I was getting so upset. I was like, Hillary, close your mouth. Why? And I just every cap I just kept swatting and there was just blood dripping down my legs. I don't know if it was me or the mosquitoes or who, but I was You must have not had on the right scent that day. I had so much off on that day and I was like, Why is nobody else getting eat up right now? I don't put on enough urine. I would have peed on myself at that point. I would've let Brittany pee on me if I could have made those mosquitoes stop. I was like, ⁓ that would be fun. For the rest of the crew, as I'm walking around my Bikito Bikito, my bikini covered in mosquito bites. Like I got peed on before. ⁓ not like that. I got stung by a jellyfish and apparently pea helps that too, the sting So they say. I think some people just like to do that. I think it's I think it I think that is the thing. Did it work? ⁓ did it still hurt after It is maybe the the warmth and the smell threw me off, I guess. I don't know. It made you stop thinking about the pain. Where were you when this happened? In Destin. I almost gotta talk about some jellyfish and Destin the other the other day. I was l I was little too. Like I mean, I don't know, maybe like 10, 12, but I was like, You gonna pee on me? But I mean, honestly, urine is sterile. Sterile. Sterile. So that's like the best thing for eat to happen. Like, there's nothing wrong with bee. You can drink your own pee. This is gonna be horrible. What was I thinking? Yes. Isn't it like a hippie community anyways? I don't think anyone takes baths there anyways. ⁓ my gosh. That's not true. I don't know. I don't know. I find it's like it's gonna be great. Where am I thinking of Seattle ish. Is that what it's like? I've never been. I wanna go. Hm. Like Portland. Yeah. Portland. Oregon. That's what I was trying to think. I could not think of the one I was thinking. But I mean, Seattle's my jam. But Yeah. Portland's that's what I'm I don't know. I'm not saying they don't shower. Don't come after me. Portlands, what are they called? I don't even know where to I don't I don't know. That is very I'm mind blown right now. Same. I'm like, you should maybe Google that. Like if you Yeah, right after this podcast. Anything, maybe Google. What to do with your bear spray? Or what to do if you're attacked by a bear. I don't know. Like I would probably have like a Swiss Army knife or something. I don't think you're supposed to look him in the eye, maybe. I'm pr no, I think you're supposed to are you supposed to get bigger than him? Rah My God, how am I gonna do that? You gotta jump online. You gotta spider monkey up your husband and throw up hands. With my bear spray. You definitely don't run. You don't retreat. All right. Which wish me luck, please. That I'm here to do another podcast. Now I'm worried. Get mauled by a bear. ⁓ it's gonna be great, nature and all. ⁓ so I'll still be here for the next podcast. I don't think we talked about design this podcast, but next time. I mean, I was trying I think I was trying to get there, but you threw me off with a bear spray. So we've run out of time though, so sorry that's all you got from us today. Brittany's gonna have you're apparently you and vacations and urine, that's like a thing. Yeah, apparently. I did technically pee on you on vacation too, so When? That's a different thing. Did you know about it? Yeah, you were there. When we were in that zipline thing together Same trip, different location. ⁓ my goodness. Yeah. Things happen. I had to pee really bad one time when I did that parasailing thing. Mm. I was strapped to somebody. You just peeed in the air. No. No, I held it, but thank goodness I really had to go and I thought about it. Or I would have waited 'til they were gonna dip me and then I would have started and They tried. They had they had ⁓ jellyfish and I was screaming I that's what I I had to and then they dip me down and I scream. And I said, Maybe next time. ⁓ Yeah. Anyway, enough about It's crazy. I hope to see y'all again. Yes. On a later episode. I I And tell you all about how to use your bear spray when you go to the mountains. I can't wait to be educated on this. If you have any insight before my trip, please share. I would greatly appreciate it. Send links to good smelling bear repellent. That's so awesome for you. Okay. Yeah. ⁓ you can like us and subscribe or not. I don't know. This might be more entertaining than our ⁓ interior design content. I think it is. ⁓ catch us on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. And until next time. Cheers. Cheers.