Traveling Friends

I'm back from a pleasant trip and will post a few more photos when I get them organized.

I have special friends who travel to very exotic places in the world ~ Africa on Safari, the Antarctic on board Russian ice breakers, tiny Easter Island and Tahiti in the wide Pacific Ocean, and so many other places few of us ever visit.

My dear Washington State friend Patti, and her dh, leave next weekend on another of their romantic trips, this time to Romania and Bulgaria. Names such as Bucharest and Sofia are familiar, but journeying into Transylvania to actually trek to Vlad Tepes - Dracula's castle - how thrilling that will be!

My 'bon voyage' card made with love and carrying best wishes to my dear friends as they fly away to experience and enjoy the sights and sounds of these exciting countries.

Have a fabulous vacation ~ I will be waiting to hear all about it.

Cherry Blossoms ~ Washington, D.C.

Hello from Washington, D.C. A few pictures taken yesterday.

When I emigrated from England to the United States, my first home was Washington, D.C. Arriving late on an October night in the nation's Capital, my first glimpse of the Washington Monument was the next morning. Looking from my window, there it stood just a few blocks away, a sight I grew to enjoy and never tired of. Later I would climb to the top and take in that gorgeous view of the Capitol, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Reflecting Pool, Smithsonian Museum etc., amazed that I, young English woman had 'crossed the pond' from my little seaside home and was living in such a beautiful city.

Washington Monument ~ April 2, 2008

Arlington National Cemetery ~ visiting here was both sad (we attended a burial) and amazingly peaceful and beautiful in Spring.

Looking toward the Lincoln Memorial From Arlington.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is in full swing ~ and the sights have been beautiful.

The Journey is the Reward

A magnificent French staircase similar to the one in my brother's village home in Southwest France.

I'll be gone for about a week ~ on Spring Break!

Up and down the stairs today as we ready and pack for a trip North. First stop Washington, D.C. where we'll be attending a military burial at Arlington National Cemetery for a very dear friend who passed away last week.

Following that we head to Bucks County, Pennsylvania to visit family ~ my mother-in-law who will be celebrating her ninetieth birthday soon, and dh's sister and her great family.

The original door and hardware to my brother's house ~ the key to the castle.

We'll be locking up our home with something much less romantic!

Perhaps some 'post cards from the edge' if I have time, if not I'll catch up on my return.

Always remember - LET THE JOURNEY BE THE REWARD.

Wren Update: Today it's rained nonstop ~ great because we've been in a drought. Checked the wrens' nest on the porch and saw not only mom sitting on her eggs, but dad was squeezed in there also. Such a sweet surprise ~ guess he wanted a warm dry spot to hang out!

Crowning Glory!

Ooooh, I'm so excited.

Friends who joined me for the guest room makeover in February, will recall how much I wanted to remove the huge white ceiling fan/globe light hanging in the center of this small room above the bed. The French inspired redo just cried out for an elegant, romantic, vintage chandelier to finish off the room and make it comfortable for guests............and me when sitting at the secretary of course! It was a bit of a battle with dh. He was concerned the loss of a fan would make the room too hot in Summer ~ we do have central a/c ~ and that an old fixture could be a fire hazard. Well we've overcome the negative and here to accentuate the positive is my beautiful chandelier ~ just hung today thanks to my daughter's boyfriend who is an electrician.

My great gals at SuzAnna's found this vintage chandelier for me and allowed me to bring it home to try. Being as our ceilings are low it was hard finding a fixture shallow enough, however this one with several links removed from the chain was perfect. The five lights are sufficient and by installing the dimmer switch at the wall it can be adjusted which is nice for a bedroom. I decided to buy it, took it to a lighting shop, had it rewired to be sure it was safe, and they also secured all the crystals. They told me it a was a great piece with nice details on the cast brass, very good crystals, and candle holders (cream touched with gold edges) in perfect condition.

I also bought a medallion for the ceiling which I painted pale cream to match the candle holders - it was stark white and looked far too new on the ceiling.

Just discovered it's really difficult to photograph lighted chandeliers ~ glare on the ceiling casts strange shadows ~ but I think you can get an idea as to the effect this little beauty has on this room. I am so thrilled ~ thanks dh, you're the best! If it's too hot in Summer I see they have the neatest looking table top fans now, quite elegant, I even spied a very French looking one at Homegoods last week!



Before I leave you to go sit under my chandelier..............perhaps even sleep in the guest room tonight just to get the feel and pretend I'm back in France.............

................one more project I've just finished, the little toile pillow with the gorgeous looped ribbon trim that picks up the colors of the shutters.

I think I can now say the guest room makeover is completed.................and I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. Thanks for your patience and interest over the past 2 months ~ funny how these projects start out with a small idea such as "let's repaint the walls", and then just seem to grow ~ such fun.

Cottage Tulips

Several decorative items around my cottage depict tulips and, although these are Spring flowering bulbs, to me they are so beautiful I just love to have some around all year.

This old window frame.......................................

..............the really pretty switch plate which is next to it...........



These are two pots I decoupaged with copies of old tulip prints..................

.................and although I'm not a great lover of faux flowers, I have to admit the silk version of these pink beauties found at Pottery Barn a few years ago, are the closest I've seen to real - they look so much like my beautiful Pink Impressions from the garden!
Once the real ones are over I like to keep these on my hearth until Summer flowers bloom.

As the snow and ice melts, the temperatures warm, and the trees bud and blossom, I hope so much you are enjoying Spring things around your house.

Pink Impressions

Tulip time at last. Yesterday I cut a couple of my favorite blooms, Pink Impression a large deep pink cup with a striking black center, to enjoy indoors. I rearranged some of the old French blue and cream covered books I'm searching for and aging - the angel is apparently bored stiff waiting on this process...............can aging take this long!

The old zinc capped canning jar, while holding wooden spools for future projects, has become a useful bookend.

Love, love these tulips, the clear colors, the smooth leaves and strong stems, the way they open and close with the light, and how they continue to grow after cutting once in water. Perhaps I should move to Holland ~ then I could hang out with sweet Heidi and, while sipping tea and becoming real friends instead of just long distance ones, could admire and sigh with joy at the acres of gorgeous tulips.

More tulips around the house another time.

French Breakfast

Southwest France ~ June 2006

Notice the pink shutters match the climbing roses - how fabulous - and you can click to enlarge and see croissants in the shop window.

I don't push many prepared food products but have mentioned how much I enjoy certain items found at Trader Joe's. We have to drive about 15 mins. to shop at their store in Cary, NC, however, Raleigh will have it's own in about a year - and it will be just down the street from my house, yippee!!!

There is no tiny French boulangerie with freshly baked bread and pastry smells wafting on the early morning breeze near my house. So, just had to mention these great croissants they were sampling last week at the store, and which we enjoyed for breakfast this morning. This little 4X6 inch box holds 8 frozen croissants (takes up just a small freezer space).

You leave them out on a baking sheet overnight, in the morning they are proofed and puffed - brush with beaten egg if desired (I did) - bake for 15 mins. and voila, light, crispy croissants to eat with nothing better than French strawberry preserves. Not for every day perhaps - altho' they don't seem to hurt the French - but great to have on hand for company or a weekend treat. I plan to have them on sunny Spring mornings when we can breakfast in the gazebo and share the crumbs with the birds.

Notice, I'm using my new cake plate already!