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.

Hunt and Seek

Time stands still when you drift through the dealers' spaces at a large vintage or antiques shop. So much to see. You start out slowly in the first booth just inside the entrance, so many treasures to take in. You cast a glance around and notice the vastness of the space and know that this will take time - then you worry you will miss something special. Will you have time to see everything?

With Christmas just around the corner there are Holiday items tucked among the regular stock.

And then you spy Her in the far corner, reflected in the tall French mirror, surrounded by beautiful objects - you feel calmer, you know you have time to enjoy. You tell DH to sit in the bookshop section - have a coffee - take a nap - you will be a while as there is so much to pause over.

Dark tarnished silver mixed with delicate bone china.

A fainting couch to die for! Upholstered in new linen with old bronze nail heads this would be fabulous. I would read here while sipping my afternoon Earl Grey.


This chair was almost mine - but see those protruding springs, the major makeover required would up the cost way beyond my budget. This is a treasure I've been hunting and seeking..............I loved and lost.

A French store display cabinet - a lyre lamp base and dangly drop crystal candlesticks.

Romantic crystals and bows - this can only be a French wall sconce, beautiful when illuminated.

Already showing verdigris, in a garden, at the porch entry or even inside on a table, this would be lovely. I enjoy anything that will hold stone balls, woven globes, or treasures from Nature.

All images shot at Screendoor, Asheville, NC - Nov. 23, 2007

A veritable treasure trove of wished for items in Western North Carolina.

I'll soon return to my local hunting ground SuzAnna's - time spent with these wonderful gals, Susie, Anna and their awesome assistant Linda, brings not only new items to contemplate and design ideas to share, but laughs, giggles, hugs and friendship.........and good things to snack on now the Holidays are here!!!

Friends, fun and frivolity

Another fun blog thing..........................one gets to meet new friends in person..........and not necessarily wearing fancy hats or pinned with notes like this gal. Yesterday I spent a delightful time with Deborah from Pictures, Pots & Pens . We met online and found we live a couple of miles apart. She'd been wanting to visit SuzAnna's so we made a date to shop and eat.

We spent time browsing and shopping - SuzAnna's treasures become more exciting and interesting each visit. Here we are chatting over lunch at "Cafe Capistrano" - great freshly prepared TexMex food. Aren't we angelic looking!!

Discovered we both love chairs - here's a cute white child size rocker - perfect for one of those pumpkin displays, and that iron bed would be great in the garden for real vines to twist and climb. This Sunday ALL the chairs will be pulled down from the rafters, placed outside for a huge "chair sale". What fun - will try to get back for that event. Those gals really know how to entice treasure hunters.

This chair is adorable!

Deborah came bearing a delightful and thoughtful gift - this very lovely and unusual chrysanthemum which is now keeping my pumpkin company on the front porch. Thank you so much Deborah - it's so pretty.
I believe that friends are quiet angels who sit on our shoulders and lift our wings when we forget how to fly~~~~~~~~~~Unknown

An English Day Out

No, I didn't actually get to England yesterday, but I did meet up with Jackie, a new English friend, who recently moved to North Carolina and found me via my blog. We are from the very same Devon town! Even though I'm older than she, we had so much to share about our home town, our childhood, school days, the quirky British folk and customs...................and how much we miss it all! Of course we both chose to marry Americans and moved to this great country, and I doubt either one of us would have it any other way, but you know how it is.........if we're honest with ourselves, there really is no place like home.

Jackie and I decided to meet in Hillsborough, NC, a quaint small town full of historic Southern plantation homes and cottages, and a main street lined with little shops and restaurants. Friends, Susie and Anna, at my local thrifting/vintage shop "SuzAnna's" told me about this wonderful shop named "FETCH" so we spent some time here before enjoying lunch together.

Karan, the shop owner has a great eye - her slip covered vintage furniture, farm tables, architectural windows and doors, lighting and mirrors, are all gorgeous. Tucked among these larger treasures one finds beautiful linens, aprons, framed rose paintings, delicate china, mercury glass, and crystal. The rear of the shop opens onto a small garden laden with wrought iron gates, iron urns, peeling porch posts, vintage garden chairs and tables - all covered with tumbling petunias, verbena and pots of hibiscus.

OK all you lovers of tureens, I know you're out there wishing this one was in your collection! Just look at the roses on the lid. I was sorely tempted but, as it's really old and in perfect condition, the price was a bit beyond my budget............................perhaps it could go on my upcoming Birthday or Christmas wish list though. "DH - you need to read my blog post today - you know how you never can decide what to buy me."

My dream bird cage - large in size but delicately scrolled into a perfect shape, and then suspended from it's own matching scrolled wall hanger - wish list just got longer!

Some of the elegant chandeliers overhead. Gorgeous old shabby door with an oval mirror inserted and reflecting another corner of the shop. This door is huge and has panels at the bottom - would look great just leaning against a wall and reflecting daily life in the cottage.

Pretty boudoir lamps on feminine dressers - the rack in back holds dozens of vintage aprons, candlewick bed covers and linens.

And.................. although I'm saving for my October trip to England, I just had to buy something to bring home. This little antique English chair caught my eye - looks like someone started to refinish it but stopped, and they had enough sense to leave the beautiful painted roses alone thank goodness. And what, you say, does she plan to do with the teeny tiny pink leather ballet slippers? Well who knows - but how could I resist footwear so pretty and dainty - and little KR, (the initials inside) whoever she was, may still be dancing somewhere in much bigger shoes now.

Jackie it was a fun time with you and I hope we can soon get together again to chat more about life "across the pond".

Happy weekend to all my blog friends, there are many new ones this week. Forgive me if it takes a while for me to get back to you - your kind comments are really appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed - thank you so much, and do visit me again soon.