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!!!

"We're Waiting"

Wishing and hoping............................that someone here will soon get into decorating mode. Christmas is coming, fast. Cherubim are anxious to be displayed along with sparkly ornaments, tinsel and pine boughs.

The seasonal hearth will always provide a focal point for the coming celebration - but we must spend time sitting in front of the first fire of the season, staring into the flames, warming cold toes, sipping hot chocolate...................................anything but putting up those decorations.

Still enjoying the falling leaves. These large maple leaves fell on our car while in Asheville, brought them home to enjoy for a while before filling the bowl with Christmassy things.

"Deck the Halls" they say..................we will, we will, just let us continue enjoying Autumn a little bit longer.

Mountain Discoveries

The 'Screendoor' - vintage and antique furnishings for the home and garden - in Asheville has now become a favorite stop when in Western North Carolina.

One area held an unusual display of original items handcrafted out of assorted metals.

This star cut from old galvanized tin roofing caught my eye - I love the shading of colors, rust silver, blue grey. Hanging on the arbor gate it awaits a garland of white lights for the Holidays.

Other treasures I found to bring home.

The window frame with beautiful rusted white roses.

A stunning handmade Journal incorporating items from Nature - a packet of pretty fairy bookplates.


A set of 'Perfect Penmanship' cursive writing guides in the original box with instructions - mailed to Mrs. Foster in Hampton, Virginia in March 1963 - postage 10 cents! This will be fun for art projects. Lastly, this Italian ice bucket, hammered silverplate with bunches of golden cherries for handles. It shows some wear, nice, but has been polished - if anyone knows how to speed up the tarnish process, please let me know. I want the outside dulled to the interior color if possible. This will be used for flowers, perhaps hold decorative balls, as well as cooling the Holiday champagne!

On the way out of Screendoor I spied this basket of exceptionally beautiful gourds - bought just one to take home and add to the porch display.
There's that word again SIMPLIFY - I'm trying but it's awfully hard.

Just spent a long day - 6-1/2 hours - on the Grand Jury. Only one more session to go and my six months term will be up. Will catch up with everyone later this week and hopefully get some Christmas decorating done.

Mountain Majesty

Photo above from a publication - remainder are mine.

Trip to Asheville, North Carolina, beautiful small city set between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Pisgah National Forest.

Looking out over the city toward the Blue Ridge at sunset.

Window shopping at the historic Grove Arcade.

Guard dogs not needed - griffins at the ready, dressed in Holiday attire. The mountains are just visible in the distance.

Beautiful interior of the arcade. Christmas windows in downtown Asheville where a contest was held for the best display.


Casual or formal - everything one needs for an evening of dancing on the town.

Even paper ball gowns!

Early morning - the real feeling of being in the Great Smokies - we had a few snow flakes to jump start the chilly day.

Breakfast was waiting - thank goodness some girls are up early in the kitchen!

He said "You can't go home again" but this charming home, his Mother's boarding house depicted in his famous novel 'Look Homeward Angel', in this lovely, vibrant city in the mountains would be hard to leave for ever. Surely Thomas Wolfe came back for a visit now and then.

Next post I'll tell you about my return visit to 'Screendoor' that great place for vintage treasures in Asheville - and show you the neat things I brought home!

Celebrate Thanksgiving

Although I don't eat turkey, or any other meat, I love this vintage postcard from my special friend Julie, the amazing Celtic Woman ~ be sure to visit her beautiful blog.........................however I will definitely eat pie!!

Julie has just surprised me with a lovely Thanksgiving parcel full of sweet, and quite unexpected presents. Thanks again dear friend Julie.

This fabulous, healthy, and again easy, soup recipe (although not from the Cranks cook book) is not for lunch today because we gobbled it up for supper last night instead! I followed the recipe other than using vegetarian broth and just one teaspoon of curry powder. Recipe should enlarge when you click on it. Oh, don't forget to use your stick blender - much easier cleanup with that little gem.

This one's for Manuela at the Feathered Nest another great gal who has been a friend since starting my blog - thanks Manuela for always being there!

Sending happy Thanksgiving thoughts to all of you. Every one of you is special, each of you always welcome when you stop by ~ I love hearing from you. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with so many wonderful friends, but know I think of each one of you very often, and am thankful for your friendship.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner no matter where you are, or whom you may celebrate with. I'm off to the Blue Ridge Mountains, staying in beautiful Asheville NC for a few days.

Home-made Soup ~~~ Potage

Anyone who has visited the country towns and villages of France will have tasted potage, homemade soup often made while you wait. These soups are the freshest possible, truly delicious, and so easy to make.

If you are European you may be familiar with Cranks, Britain's famous, but sadly now gone, vegetarian restaurant chain. Here chain didn't mean hundreds of 'em all along highways and byways - just a few scattered here and there. The remaining restaurant is in Devon so I'm still able to eat there when visiting my home - lucky me.

Started in London in 1961, these amazing 'health foods' became so popular that in response to customers' requests, the recipes were published in 1982 in the first of many cook books. This original book has been my favorite place to go for soups as they are based on French style potage. A few fresh vegetables and easy to follow instructions produce fabulous, healthy soups.

As the chilly weather arrives, a warming soup is one of the comfort foods we all embrace. Don't open a can full of sodium-laced, pallid looking, overcooked veggies swimming in grey water! Keep an onion and a potato on hand, some veggie bouillon cubes in a nearby glass jar, a few sprigs of flavorful Italian parsley on the kitchen window sill................and with a few fresh veggies from the market you will be on your way to healthy, tasty, very quick to prepare fresh soups.

MUSHROOM SOUP

Medium-sized onion 1

Small potato 1

Mushrooms 2-3 cups

Butter 4 Tbsp

Thyme 1 tsp

Large sprig of parsley

Vegetable bouillon cubes (2) dissolved in 1 cup hot water, (or, better still, vegetable water left over from cooking other veggies)

Milk 2 cups

Pepper to taste (salt usually not necessary)

Chop vegetables. Melt butter in large saucepan and saute onion until transparent. Add potato and mushrooms and cook, stirring, 2 mins. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat immediately, cover and simmer 20 mins. Allow to cool slightly, then blend with stick blender until smooth. Reheat to serving temp. adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve in a warmed bowl with a swirl of cream and hunk of crusty farm style whole grain bread.

Note on the blender - if you don't have a 'stick' style blender run to the kitchen store right now! You will love it and use it often - I couldn't cook without this marvelous tool.

Today I used Baby Bella mushrooms - a large container at Costco is very inexpensive. Regular white mushrooms are fine, or any combination of mushrooms will work.
More easy soup recipes coming later ~ enjoy!

A Small Joy

A surprise. I didn't tell you..................I brought home one special treasure from the Open House. This sleeping cherub with the tiny bird on its hip. Peace, joy, hope.................it said all to me. I plan to use it gently when I decorate for Christmas. Until then, it slumbers silently on my hearth asking for nothing but to rest.

Sometimes one thing of beauty stands out in the crowd.........it calls to you and you have to answer.