Curated Conversations: Hey guys, welcome back to Curated Confessions where we drink wine and talk design. But today espresso martinis has barista bartendered up our selection of Yes Espresso Martinis. Things might get weird. Mine have have gone because I can't think of words. Okay. ⁓ I'm Hillary Smith. And we are the owners and lead designers of Brid Hill Interiors in Prairieville, Louisiana. That should be getting so easy at this point. It's getting harder, I think, but here we are. It's getting stronger too. And I still forgot to drink after my cheers. Mm-hmm. So today we are gonna talk a bit about accessories and what we have going on this week. we will be posting our favorite accessories of that we just received in. And so let's let's kick it off with that. Okay. We will let's talk about yours first, your favorite ⁓ accessory. ⁓ the ⁓ my bunny? Yes. Okay, so full disclosure though, they made me pick a favorite accessory and I just picked one that I could pick up because the other ones were awkward and weird. So Mine weighs like A hundred pounds. ⁓ so which we did a video ⁓ unboxing w I think we already talked about this though last week. I'm not really sure. They're all starting to run together. So things are my head's feels crazy. But we did a unboxing video. We I pretty sure the box had like fourteen on it and I like, the weight there's no way this is fourteen pounds and I was like, Maybe it's kilograms or maybe some something I just went to the website. There is no weight on the website. It's like they don't want to talk about it. It's not disclosed. So it's so heavy, so the grunting is justified, I'm pretty sure. ⁓ the other one of my favorite things would have been those that lamp that we unboxed, but neither one of us could pick it up. No. It's not even the two of us. Literally is this big, the base of it. And it is solid r selenite rock. And so it's on a furniture dolly. I also feel like we talked Now I'm I don't know if I'm having deja vu or I'm losing my mind. Probably the latter. But ⁓ so we had to put it on a furniture dolly to move. Now we have to check if the side table can even hold the weight of the lamp. So that's that. ⁓ but I did pick a dancing monkey. ⁓ no, a dancing bunny. It's a bunny. It's tootin' it up. Well, okay, so there is a Monkey that I ordered, it just hasn't come in yet. So I had to be That'll be your favorite thing next month. Do you love a good dancing monkey or bunny? Yes, and it's l solid like brass and it has selenite too. Yeah, that's a huge thing of selen I didn't even know selenite. I thought selenite came in like sheets. I thought it was like that's mica. Yeah, that's mica. I don't know. But it's beautiful. We're not geolog geologist. I've been rewatching ⁓ Big Bang Theory, so I'm all in my geology right now. ⁓ Bazinga. Yeah, making fun of them. This is probably like the fourth or fifth time. My husband's like, Again. Okay. Mm-hmm. And it's like twelve seasons. We are deep in it. I love it too. I just can't stop. I was on when I turned the TV on the other day and I did not change it. It's like friends. You just watch it. But I'm like actively running to the bedroom first so I could put it on so he can't have access to the remote. That's that's fair. That's not how works. So it's like just easy easy watching. Yeah. And I feel so dumb and so smart like when I finish watching at the same time. So everybody tells me that they ⁓ that I remind them of the chick on there. Penny? You have to be or Bernadette. So FYI she is more like Bernadette. Even if you think she's nice, she's got she's got Bernadette sass. That's funny. Now I'm gonna watch it. It's like I have Penny Spirit, but Bernadette's like voice and demeanor and the the martini almost came out, I almost said Bazinga. ⁓ Anywho, on to my favorite accessory. Yes. ⁓ so we got in this like ginormous head on. I don't know why you're making it that size. Yeah, it's about yay big, right? That's like the base, I feel like. I think it's like about I don't know, I was holding it like this. You'll put it right here, right? Yeah. And it's and it's gonna cover your whole head. Yeah. She doesn't. I can barely pick it up. ⁓ But it is so cool. It is it might end up at my house. I was just saying. Technically I bought it for a client. Yes, they might not see it. I'm just joking. Just joking. ⁓ I mean I could buy another one. Yes. Or I could. Y y that's what I meant by that. Yeah. ⁓ but it's I mean I could hit order with your money on another one. Yeah. Once we get money I'll order it with my money. ⁓ but it's like half glass, half bronzy looking with like liquid gold leaf, and she's just so sitting on a huge chunk of marble. Yeah. She's so cool. Mm-hmm. So she's like the biggest paperweight ever. ⁓ so a lot of people would look at that and be like, Well, what am I supposed to do with this? You know, like Mm-hmm. Talking accessories and we both pick things that are a sculpture that ⁓ like they make some sculptures that are made to just stand alone and be a focal point. And then there's some sculptures that are like cute and you put on a book, like these glasses behind us or something like that. But let's talk a little bit about some rules to accessorizing. So I call them. I mean you can see rules. You can. Like there's a rule of three or like odd numbers where you on a table you're supposed to put grouping of three, or if you have a grouping of ⁓ like in a bowl, like objects in a bowl, odd numbers are typically best like five, three, five, nine, whatever. So nine? Where are you putting your Like remember those glass bubble spheres we had? We had like a ton in a bowl. And it depends on the size of the bowl. ⁓ you're talking about like orbs it's given in a bowl? Like Ain't nobody counting those. That's crazy talk, but okay. But odd numbers, if you are not sure. But ⁓ as far as things like on an inn table or a coffee table or things like that, it is best to do things in odd numbers. Except. Except. I'm like I could take mhm I could share like fifteen pictures right now in my house where it they're in pairs. Yeah. Sometimes you have like Hillary has these beautiful ⁓ swans. Swans, yes. That they're a set and they're two different sizes, but it's like a pair. So that is like you use that as a standalone Okay, but I am the one that says I always break the rules, but here we go. It is technically granted I wouldn't have put ⁓ in my kitchen, but I have, you know, cabin under under cabinet lighting and they're like crystals with beads on ⁓ So I wanted the light brass ⁓ the swan is brass on ⁓ acrylic or probably crystal base. And then they have crystal shards like coming out of them that makes their tail. And then they're covered in glass beads. So all of that just reflects. And then I have mirrored backsplash, because I mean, if you're not doing the most, what are you doing? So then it just bounces the light off of all of them. So I put two of them on the end of my countertop. But now I have three items on my countertop or three sets. On my countertop. Not of swans. Like looking at the That's a lot that's a whole flock. ⁓ like when you're looking at a a surface as a whole. Yeah. So that's what I'm like groupings. It's so difficult 'cause you well, I can make anything difficult. It's me. I'm the problem. I I'm sorry, I'll stop. But then there's things there's a lot of things you do in pairs, like, you know. Once again I have a pair of glass figurines on my bathroom ledge. I have a ledge next to my bathtub. But still varying size. There's Varying size. They're a pair, but I have three groupings on the ledge. So if you do if you have a pair of something, you typically want them at different heights. So like a small and a medium or a medium and a large. Or you stack them ⁓ if they are the same height, you would put one on a riser or on some books or something to make them different heights. and then I feel like we're gonna have visual aids, right? Yeah, I mean it's there's so many instances of w what it could be, but I know like most people are like just don't know even where to start when accessorizing a bookshelf or something. But I I break it down and like if I'm doing a whole bookshelf, I start with if I have larger books, I start with those and you typically wanna those could be stacked. As twos, like a large one and a smaller one, or they could be stacked but with something on top of it. Exactly. As three, varying. or you can stack books ⁓ vertical and horizontal and put an object on, but you still want to vary height. so you want to get those set up first, and then you don't want to have like Books next to books and then books on the shelf underneath. So you want to create kind of a triangle with the same objects, if that makes sense. So you want to create triangles when you're doing bookshelves and also when you're doing like if I was accessorizing this table, you want to kind of make a triangle kind of like we have with our martinis. So visually you don't want like all of these things in a row on your table. So creating a triangle with different objects. So it's the same thing when you're looking at like a vertical bookshelf. If I have books on the left side here in the middle, then I might put a stack of books upper right and then a stack of books lower right. So I'm creating like a visual triangle. And then ⁓ fill in, you always want to start with large, larger objects first. So like our favorite accessories could go on a bookshelf. And those are more standalone objects 'cause they're larger sculptures. So that might, you know, be by itself on a shelf depending on the width of your shelf, or it might be to one side and then you have another little grouping next to it. So it's easier to start larger objects, larger books, and then fill in with your smaller items afterwards. so kind of the same thing when you're doing nightstands in a bedroom or ⁓ Lamp is usually your starting Yeah, lamp a starting point, and then like the height of the lamp tells you. Yeah, you kinda have a pendant hanging over your night saying. We could do this all day long. I know. There's so many. What is your favorite accessory in your house? Ooh. I know. I I felt like that was really technical. I was starting to feel like the big bang theory or something. Mm. Maybe some mmm I didn't mean to put you on the spot. He kinda put me on the spot. I don't know. I think it's gonna be that head when I bring it home. My goodness. I don't know which yours come back to me. I have a legit sword that I picked up in Greece from my honeymoon that is probably one of my favorites. I don't know if that's is that considered an accessory at that point? ⁓ it's about the size of Brittany. ⁓ it's kinda walled decor now. Correct. Which I thought about walled decor, I have a piece of wall decor that was an accessory. It was like one of those cast like cast sculpture things. Okay. And then I had it framed in a shadow box and made it wall art. ⁓ But it's a man's backside. Looks like like a Greek sculpture or something. Brittany loves I love a backside. The human anatomy. That she does. So cute I put it in my powder room so when you're using the bathroom, that's your view. ⁓ Also when you're if you are a man and you're using the powder bathroom, you can be seen out the window. So it's like an exhibitionist house. Roman shade yet in there, but it's coming. It's it's good times in there. I also have an antique ⁓ scuba diving mask. ⁓ yeah, that's cool. ⁓ that would be one of my faves. ⁓ I also have a like a day of the dead, couple that I bought in Mexico. It's in I think I broke a piece of it when I was accessorizing. Maybe the finger. ⁓ It's been through some things. But but they ⁓ I they're fun. They're festive so I like them too. Yeah. But I have one on either side of my bookshelf if that says anything. Yep. Just I am. I don't know what ⁓ You know it's also so odd. A dead couple versus an antique sc scuba diving mask have anything to do with, but I mean that's that's that's pretty much sums up me in a nutshell. Very unique, yep. ⁓ one of my other favorite things in my house is also a naked man. More butt cheeks. It's a lamp. Yep. And he's like sitting like this, doing this number. Just pondering. Yeah. Mm-hmm. The lampshades is head. That's that is the perfect man. That's okay. Whoops. Negative without a head. Anywho. Mm-hmm. ⁓ so ⁓ so yes, basically creating balance and visual weight. Like you don't wanna put like All are your huge heavy things on one side and all of your little dainty things on another. You wanna balance the weight out. So that's that. Yep. so this week, what do we have? ⁓ But wait, I've not finished. You have more? I mean not as technical as you. even though it wasn't really that technical, but like I got tired. ⁓ It's never enough. Never enough. You never I and I say that because it's like you want to keep it simple, but it's still no like. But even if you do that, I'm just thinking of like the amount of which granted mine are coming in boxes and styrofoam and I did a whole video on what y'all don't see That we do behind the scenes. And so like I unboxed a chair and you have to take part this whole chair and you have to check every seam and every every thread, every finish, and then you have to rewrap it all up so that you can set it to the side so it can wait in the showroom or in the ⁓ warehouse for a month before it can go and get installed. But the we've had I think twelve or fifteen palettes delivered in the last week and I've been just unboxing all day every day and we filled up like three shelves that are in the back that are waiting to be delivered to the client and I'm like that's that's like the living room. That's like not even there's just it's just it's not enough. Yeah. So when you're shopping you need more. Literally when I pack When I pull things for a ⁓ an install for accessory install, I always bring options and then more than what I think I'm gonna need. And nine times out of ten I only come back with a couple items. Like it is it's crazy when you start, you know, putting things in place. It they it goes fast. I'm always curious which I mean I guess it's not our problem at that point. But like if we go to a house and they ask us to accessorize their bookshelf and we do and then they let us know what they like to keep. Mm-hmm. And then they take stuff off the shelf. Just leave it empty? Well ⁓ That's a good question. She made a face. They went and filled it with something. That's the days that I have to accessorize twice normally. They ask you to res ⁓ no, I'm sorry. So sometimes you're gonna buy that. Not all the time. But I mean sometimes I don't wanna leave just a blank empty shelf. So I'm like I I sometimes move things around a bit to fill in and make it a little bit more simplified, if you will. But you cry? Yeah, it's sad. ⁓ but yeah it's ⁓ I I did have Mm. I had an install recently that Oof, I hit a button. They had some things that they wanted to use that were sentimental to them, which everyone has. I feel like you should have. Britney's not sentimental apparently. She tried to take away all of my Christmas decorations. I almost throat punched her. I'm not even gonna lie. You put all of my personal ones in the back of the tree, which is what she does with all of our clients too. I love that, but some of the right color. I feel you. My husband noticed. Sorry, Colin. Speaking of not being sentimental, y'all. Okay. If you have me come do an accessory install, please notify me if you have deceased in lanterns or I mean lantern in a urn. Mm-hmm. That would be in an urn. On your fireplace. You tried to throw away someone's grandma? ⁓ you're the worst. I don't know if it was I think it was a uncle or grandpa or something. I don't know two them. She was like, Anything you don't use, just throw it the garage. Mm-hmm. I think I just started sweating actually and now I'm nervous. Y'all, it was the most I was mortified. I should be. You touch my dog and I'm gonna punch you. I don't have any humans that are in my bookshelves, but I do have a dog. I didn't open ⁓ they were like almost like genie in a bottle urn, but like they were like slender and tall. So it didn't have like it wasn't like a normal deceased person urn where it's like large. That's just what you think that they should be in. How many dece deceased spur people do you have? I didn't open them, I just put them in the garage and put the new stuff on the main. What you did open just just dust fly out? Like how does that work? I want to be in the ocean. She came I've already said this since for a hundred years, Brittany knows if I die, I wanna be cremated in the ocean. In the ocean. Yep, I know. Please don't put me on a bookshelf. No, me either. ⁓ but like Are they like I'm pretty sure my dog is like in a bag in a box. Like it's not just like ours is in a bag. It's like golf. But then like now she doesn't know which one's which. Who's who? I'm like, I don't know which one I maybe you should they should definitely have like a label. she came home and she was like, ⁓ I love everything but ⁓ like you You removed my great grandma Uncle Mike and grandpa, whatever. I don't know. Or like, ⁓ I think I need to bring up a laugh. What? What? That's key information, you know. That one is. Cause I always ask, like, is there anything you want to keep or you know, have me in Please let me know if I'm gonna offend you, if I'm gonna mutt touch something. ⁓ so like I'm sweating thinking about that. I feel that. I'm sure it has nothing to do with this market. I'm just saying. That's awesome though. I'm sorry. I don't even remember. See Bernadette. To a tea, just little sitting there taking away your deceased people. I mean. I didn't mean to. I felt so bad. You probably should. Yeah. Yes. Still didn't make me feel any better. All right. So next week, did you do you have any one you want to offend next week? ⁓ always. No. I hope I don't 'cause I have a presentation, a big presentation, a new client that is an old client of Hillary's. Mm-hmm. So a new old one. New old. ⁓ they built a house, and then they called us for some furnishing and accessories. So I'm gonna keep her on a short leash. I did not see any urns. ⁓ in the house when I went for the consult. Should be safe. The dog was still there. anyway, so they have a ⁓ a house on the water and but they don't want like Beachy. Beachy, you know, but maybe like coastal colors. So working on that. A little bit more of a Traditional transitional style. So that'll be different than what we've been doing. Yeah. and I have what else is we have a presentation consult. We're doing a phase one install. It's not even an install, it's just a delivery. all of the lighting, all of the building stuff. our warehouse is hats and I am every day trying to rearrange, organize, unbox, repack them. So this house has like a I don't know how many car garage? ⁓ I believe four. Four? Five. The one on the other side. That's that's where I went with the five. So we're gonna just deliver everything in until the house is ready 'cause we're still doing some remodeling and some mould mediation. They're doing all the things. don't know. All the things. So it'll be there. But we have ready. Things happening. We have fireplace mantle install scheduled and wall coverings scheduled and you're fussing at me about the Venetian plaster, but yet they are cutting out the wall. I'm supposed to be Venetian plastering, so it's almost like I knew what I was doing. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm hmm. But yeah, that's all in the works. So we don't know when that's gonna start, huh? Still. I'm gonna say after the fourth because I'm about to go enjoy myself. Mm-hmm. When is the is that it's like two weeks. Well I don't whatever day this is. I Thank you for that reminder, 'cause my mom's birthday is on the fifth. Yep, you should probably look into that. Like Father's Day's coming up soon. Yes. If you need Father's Day gifts, we might have something. A dancing bunny? Dancing bunny. He might like that. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. We probably have some naked women to go with your naked man, so I mean you give that to your father. That seems very odd, but you know. Yeah. I don't know. That that that's not how that was supposed to work out. no. We have some golf coffee table books and some we have some Beer trimming kits. Mm-hmm. Some mustache glass holders. ⁓ that's glasses. Holders? Glass? Glass spectacles. Holder. That these used to actually sit on as an accessory until one day I couldn't see any more driving and I was like, I think I'm gonna need those back. Yeah. They're cute. It's brass and cute for your pops that wears glasses. They do have one that's a woman, but I prefer the man. I do t it's not as cute. Mm mm mm mm. It's like isn't it lips or something? It's just a lips and a big nose. Yeah. The mustache is so cold. A very elongated nose, I guess is what I'm trying to say. Yeah. So I like the little handbar. Yeah. Soon we will have our new ⁓ some more news things hitting the showroom. And as soon as I unbox ⁓ and put ⁓ in inventory. Yep. Every time he gets a sal. Whoa boy. Anyways, ⁓ anything else for today? Mm-mm. Martini. Yeah, super. We'll stick to the wine. Yeah. This might have been a bad idea, but it's so good. These glasses though, let's talk about these. Yeah, my Gatsby glasses. So we have these for sale in the showroom. Not these two particularly 'cause they're used, but they come in multiple colors. So let's talk about this for a second though, because I think y'all made fun of me when I said it. These are champagne flutes. What? This is not a flute, right? This is a But like they're for champagne. And I did the research. What? And y'all were wrong. So I think this is for my espresso martini. I mean w oddly enough, our martini glass. No, it's not. That's different. God. And that's why I called them Gatsby. I called them Gatsby glasses the first time and it was during a whole They have a name and we should know it. I shouldn't have brought it up unless I was prepared, but this is what they that's what Gatsby's holding when he's drinking champagne and he's toasting him. Also what Leonardo DiCaprio is holding in. That's literally who is Gatsby, you crazy? Dave Gatsby. He's the new Gatsby. ⁓ okay. Did you not see the great Gatsby? The old, the new, or read the book? I don't know. I dressed up as a that one time. A flapper is what she's trying to refer to. Like, I don't think you ever dressed up as Gatsby either. So Leonardo DiCaprio plays the Gatsby. ⁓ that's where that meme came from. Yes. And he's holding this glass. Cheers. And a champagne. I love that meme. Never knew. I'll watch it. There's so many things that she shares on social media and the internet that she doesn't know what it means and she should not. Whatever. There's somebody else out there that doesn't I do sit in the background going. Are you sure you know what that what you're referencing, what you're inferring? Do you are you sure you want to post that? Half the time she does I'm like, sure, and it's like something vulgar or something that I don't know about. Do that. I don't know. Well, I mean. Anyway, so when I started drinking this, ⁓ it was very full. And these glasses are like you have to like lean into it to drink it. Mm. Do you? Mm. When it's full, because it's like you gotta get over the anyway, they're not my favorite. They're not my favorite glass. You're technically not supposed to fill them that full. You did. So Well, because like I've I ⁓ I feel like I wanted to add more stuff to the to the recipe. What did you put in this recipe? There's a lot. So it's very good. Great goose. Try it. There's ⁓ there's some espresso. I wonder why I'm feeling so loose on the goose. ⁓ then I put coffee liqueur, and then I had some Godives, so I was like, why not chocolate liqueur? And then I had a Coffee chocolate liqueur, and I was like, I mean, when in Rome, why not? I'm surprised I'm not like drooling right now. I don't know how My face is really hot, I'm not gonna lie. I think there might be like six shots in here. Yeah. So when you see the reel that we made today, you'll understand why I look like a frazzled mess. And pretty much anything after that point. Yep. So Get your Gatsby glasses while they're hot. Your espresso martini or your champagne. They are they do hold a good amount of margarita in here probably. You definitely could. So this goes in and a margarita glass goes out. That's the difference. Yeah, and it has that weird thing on the bottom. Yeah. I understand that. A little bulb. I don't know what that is either, but see, and then like I was talking to someone about champagne flutes and they're like, Honestly, you shouldn't put champagne in a champagne flute because sh it's just like wine. You're And I don't know, swirl it around and see if it has legs. That's only really I mean I would much prefer this for champagne 'cause it's a lot larger. Correct. I'd put mine in a solo cup. I'm not even gonna lie. I bet they did not approve of that in Champagne when you were I just put I put Maouette the other day in. So look it's okay. It's okay. It's all good. Yeah. It's fantastic. Okay. So, follow along on social media and subscribe. And you can listen to us on YouTube. YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. That's like your bed. I don't know why you looked at me. Because I forget every time. We should have this written somewhere. Yes we should. All right. Anyways, have a great rest of your week. Cheers. Cheers.