Weekend Break

No, not taking off anywhere, just taking off a couple of days to catch up with things around the house and garden while the weather is warm and sunny!

So I'm hanging up my blog on this pretty hanger seen at SuzAnna's ~ will be back soon with guest room makeover pics.

Meanwhile, some more lovely items from SuzAnna's Antiques. If you happen to be fortunate enough to live near, or drive close to Raleigh, North Carolina, this is a MUST stop. Susie and Anna, owners, their wonderful 'decorating diva in residence' Linda (more about Linda in an upcoming post - she was here at my house yesterday!), and the other great dealers, consignors, and assistants at the shop, are all fabulous. Then there are the kindred spirits one meets while treasure hunting there................artists, decorators, gardeners, realtors, vintage dressed gals, flight attendants, pretty children with their moms, grandmas, even cute guys!

Next to SuzAnna's is a great new spot, Sam's Country Porch. Sam's a real Southern gentleman and a bit shy, I only got a back view! He has great antique and vintage items too - I found some great old books there last week.

Sam's Country Porch Antiques

.........'til next time.............enjoy your weekend.

Is this your lucky day?

It was truly wonderful to have so many of you enter your name in my First Anniversary Giveaway. This has been an amazing year. I have enjoyed meeting you all, receiving your generous comments, reading your interesting blogs, and just getting to know you. Wish everyone could be the prize winner, but this time around it goes to..........................
Computer problems earlier today had me worried...........would I actually be able to post the winner's name. While cutting and folding the slips of paper with your many names, I moaned and groaned to dh about the Internet, the desktop, my laptop, the new 4 in 1 printer which is driving us nuts, technology in general................how chilly it is today, how I wanted him to go to the store because I want to make black beans and rice, how I fancied whole wheat pita with freshly made hummus, and a juicy spinach pie from a our local Lebanese bakery/restaurant etc. etc.

But before he left, I made sure he picked a winner. He mixed the names about in my hat for what seemed like an eternity, then dug down to the bottom and pulled out Manuela's slip!

Well everything is working again and I'm able to post the news..............congratulations Manuela. If you haven't visited Manuela at The Feathered Nest you are missing out on knowing this decorating diva and busy fun blogger, so stop by soon.

Manuela, I'll be in touch by e-mail to get your mailing address then your box of goodies will soon be on the way to Georgia.

Thanks again everyone, enjoy your week........and please keep in touch.

Front Porch Moments in the Rain

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Thunder in the distance mid-morning. Rain came down soaking the parched red clay earth, filling the fountain and birdbaths. Small rivulets ran down the driveway, the songbirds went into hiding in the shrubbery. Grabbed a jacket and my camera, filled my coffee mug. Sat on the front porch watching the rain fall and taking a few pictures.

Porch crystal candolier outlined against the neighbor's brick chimney and the still bare trees.

Shhhh! A good day for porch napping as the soft rain fell.

Rain, rain don't go away, stay with us another day.

We are in a severe drought and need every drop we can get!

~~~~~

Almost There

Still pulling the guest room together ~ hope to have pictures for you later this week.

The shutters are up! Today I'll crank up the sewing machine and tackle the sheer panel for the window.

This is the look I'm going for, just a simple flat panel which can be folded back to let light in.

I will attach it to the window casing with the decorative tacks, no rod. I have blinds also on this window which can be used at night for privacy and room darkening.

Then on to mirrors, art, lighting. Still looking for a small chandelier!

Have ordered 'wall words' ~ will show you when they are flowing across this little French inspired room.

Call for Entries

Don't forget, if you haven't entered the drawing for my one year blog anniversary giveaway, please leave your name on my February 10 post. I will be picking the name of the winner the evening of February 27. ~ I could be writing your name here ~

~ so please enter ~

Edited - 2/26/08

As my post for the giveaway tomorrow has dropped off, you can leave a comment here and I will still add your name. Drawing for the winner will be tomorrow, Wednesday.

A Rooster Tale

chicken in every pot....

I don't eat poultry..............and I certainly don't enjoy being awakened early in the morning by roosters crowing as I was during my village stay in France. However I've always enjoyed those ornamental roosters strutting their stuff in lovely country style kitchens. Standing on counters and islands, proudly eyeing cooks as they go about their daily stovetop stirring, but always very colorful as rooster feathers are.

My kitchen is decorated in neutral tones and I love white and cream china, so imagine my surprise at finding this handsome boy at Homegoods recently. How could I resist him at a real bargain price. Tall, the china slightly crazed and one tiny tail feather chip, which of course makes him immediately vintage looking..................and all that wonderful fruit at his feet including my favorite pears!

Introducing my new kitchen helper.

Pull up a chair

Sometimes beauty comes by the yard. While at the fabric shop, deciding on something for the window in the guest room, I couldn't resist looking through numerous groaning shelves of trims. They were wonderful, every color, pattern, configuration imaginable - and very expensive when they're as elegant as these below ($35 per yard). What amazing machinery weaves trim like this. When I had a custom lampshade business in the early '90's, really beautiful trims, braids, fringes, tassels etc. were so hard to find locally I had to stock up during trips home to England. I was quite surprised when the sales clerk agreed to cut me samples of these costly trims. I will not be buying by the yard, but I do have a few bobbles and beads for an altered art project later!

But I digress...........I really wanted to tell you of my fun weekly visit to SuzAnna's Antiques yesterday. Spring decided to hibernate a bit longer, it was cold and dreary, not many people were shopping, so Susie, Anna, Linda and I played. When I showed them my fabrics for the guest room, they all scattered through their shop, hunting, finding, grabbing and bringing forth a myriad of items, knick knacks, bric-a-brac and the most unusual French inspired objets d'art that might work in the room.

This sweet little fleur-de-lys hook was a gift from Susie - it even has a touch of my French blue-green paint.

Now this was different - Linda appeared from a corner with an old painted metal light fixture which must have hung from the ceiling or wall. Turned upside down it makes a great candolier - there is a holder on each end. The old wooden fruit and berry swag has a French looking bow and touches of French red and blue-green paint.


This pair of beautiful old bookends, perfect color, lovely flowers painted on each one (I love Morning Glories!) are now sitting on a shelf in the secretary ~ thank you so much Susie & Anna!

The fabrics I finally chose for the chair and window surprised me - I wasn't looking for anything like this - they just came out and grabbed me - perhaps because they do have that certain French look about them. The chair seat will be dark chocolate velvet with the warm khaki color diamond and fringed rosette pattern. Picking up on the pattern I found the pale gold sheer with the deeper gold chenille stripe which is actually a big check pattern. These are colors from the toile on the secretary doors and the pale khaki paint we used on the bed and the closet doors - so it all blends together and there is a lot of texture going.............and I love texture!




The window treatment will be very simple because the shutters will be on either side. A straight sill length panel which can be hooked back with the length of vintage dyed velvet ribbon........and look at these amazing large painted metal filigree tacks.................they were holding a curtain displayed on the wall at SuzAnna's. We decided they were the perfect way to hang my panel at the window - I didn't want rods. I love how the center circle replicates the fringe circle on the chair fabric.

..................and while on the subject of chairs, take a look at this one! One of a pair, it started off somewhat somber and Gothic looking until along came Susie, spray paint queen, with a new color that is definitely French Grey. No I did not buy this one - no room for another chair!

Susie, unlike me, never ends up covered in paint when spraying. Within a couple of minutes the chair was painted shabby chic, she whipped out the perfect piece of old cotton lace for the back.........then we placed a stack of old books and a pretty beaded necklace and voila, a chair that will not be hanging around the shop long!

I hope you will have fun if you are out and about thrifting this weekend. Do support your local independent antiques, vintage and thrift shops. Not only will you find hidden, possibly one of a kind, treasures for your home and garden at bargain prices, you may also make wonderful friends as I have.