It’s good to have friends.
It’s good to be up for doing something that your friend, who may or may not be a bit of a decorating nut, wants to do.
It’s good to keep an open mind while doing that which your friend, who is on to a good idea even if it is a bit whacked, decides that she needs help doing.
So with the foregoing in mind, here’s what my friend and I did.
• • •
We went to the region’s largest liquor store [an acre+] and we window-shopped for bottles of booze that would look good in my friend’s house on a silver tray placed on a dark wooden table, by the brick fireplace in the living room, with the walls painted dark barn red.
Keep in mind that even though we were in the store for an hour, we did not buy any liquor. Instead, we picked up pretty bottles of booze*, put them in our cart, and then occasionally stopped to create a pretend display of the various bottles so that we could see how they looked grouped together.
• • •
From the above experience I can confirm for you that if you are in a liquor store and want the employee’s to pay attention to you, do what we did. They were attentive to our every move; asking us frequently if we needed some help. Eyeballing us like we were inept shoplifters in training.
Not that I blame the employees: who in their right mind goes window shopping for booze? Answer: two middle-aged woman with a penchant for decorating and the desire to make things look hospitable.
Who else would?
{ source }
* In case you were wondering, pretty bottles included:
- distinct graphics [Knob Creek Bourbon];
- traditional bottle shapes [Grey Goose Vodka];
- this color of blue [Bombay Sapphire Gin];
- this reddish, not blackish, color of brown [Woodford Reserve Bourbon, not Kahlua]; and
- these gold, not red, bottle tops [Chambord, not Maker’s Mark Bourbon].
THE SPECTACLED BEAN 
The Al Capone quote made me laugh, as did the squirrel at the end of your blog trying to get the last drop:) I can see you and your friend doing this fun, creative adventure. Because I know you, and that’s what you do–fun creative, adventurous things! I bet you had a great time and a good laugh!
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Beth, it was a goof to be sure. We had a good time, but experienced sticker shock when we saw how expensive it was going to be to make this idea happen. Have you priced booze lately?
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Pretty bottles. You remind me of wine shopping with my dad many, many years ago. There was always room for a couple of pretty bottles. Like the bottle shaped like a fish. That bottle is probably still around here somewhere.
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Zazzy, we didn’t make it into the wine department of the store, but I don’t think that a bottle shaped like a fish would fit my friend’s decorating criteria. She wouldn’t even consider a clear, jug-shaped bottle of moonshine– and that’s a classic!!
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What fun! I use wine bottles in my decor. We have some of our favourites sitting “artistically” on our bookshelves and on our dining room table amidst antique books and crystal candlesticks. Each one has a story and used to hold some really wonderful wine. The stuff all over the dining room table makes it a hassle on those rare occasions when we do use the table, but it’s worth it to display things I love.
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nance, clever idea. We keep a large crystal bowl on our dining room table. In it we put the corks from all the bottles of wine that we have drunk. It looks pretty and is a good conversation starter. It’s nowhere as clever as your idea, but along the same lines.
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What? You didn’t buy a bottle of wine so you could open it with your shoe?
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😉
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But what I want to know is did you take pictures of the groupings for future reference?
Bottle labels are often really pretty…although people keep telling me that is no way to select wines
(I made my husband throw out all the corks – well actually taken to the recycle bin at the local giant liquor store…but I know he’s still squirreling them away again..like he’s actually going to do any crafty thing with them)
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philmouse, no we didn’t, but we should have.
The project got bogged down when we began to tally up how much it was going to cost to have pretty bottles of booze sitting around [mostly] for show. It’s a great idea, but pricey.
As for doing something crafty with corks, tossing them into a crystal bowl is about as clever as I can get. Can’t wait to see what your husband makes with yours.
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He’s got a great start on making a mess…
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Well, heck– if that’s what crafty is then I could do that!
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Alway knew you underestimated your talent
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That sounds like a hoot and like an excursion I would get a kick out of it. I don’t like most booze, but the bottles are beautiful. Too bad beer bottles aren’t as classy. 😉
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Margaret, it was a fun way to spend an hour. Like you mentioned, the bottles are beautiful, but looking at them from a decorator’s point of view can become a bit overwhelming. And silly.
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Ah, Woodford Reserve. My sipping bourbon! How about instead of an arrangement of pretty liquor bottles, stage a cut glass or crystal decanter (filled with the right colored liquor – whiskey color works for me) and a couple of old fashioned glasses? Very elegant and inviting and tres simple!
Of course, then you’d miss all the fun at the liquor store!
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Maura, I like your idea and will pass it along to my friend. It’d be less expensive than what she was up to, but still look pretty with the cut crystal near the light of the fireplace. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your idea.
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Funny! Love doing crazy things like this (and haven’t done enough lately.) I have a beautiful blue bottle filled with what someone once said was “holy water”. I’ve had in for ten years. Who knows if the water is holy, but the color of blue is gorgeous.
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Kathy, I love the idea that you have blue holy water! Tres chic. Perhaps it’s time for you to surround your water with some bottles of booze?!! I have a few suggestions on the topic should you need them. 😉
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Ha ha ha. I have actually JUST made the decision to quit drinking wine (except when we’re out & about) so don’t you be tempting me with booze.
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Oddly, I’m to the same point with wine. I think I’ve had enough of it to last a lifetime. I’m just plain sick of the stuff + the calories.
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Isn’t it weird we’re feeling somewhat the same way? Well, I shall see if this lasts or is a temporary blip.
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