Favorite New Thrifting Finds!

Woo hoo! Someone at all of my favorite thrifting spots knew I was coming and put out stuff that just had my name on it! Really, though, as my friend Linda at Nina’s Nest will tell you, we have discovered that it’s all random. There are days we come home empty-handed…but not today! No siree!

I  guess I am the last one to board the vintage spindles train…but I could not pass these by at my favorite junque store! I got all seven of them for $4.75! I love that they are in a variety of colors and styles. And don’t they have a wonderful patina?

Baby Kitty says he does not see what the big deal is. They are, after all, just sticks!

I also snatched up this vintage-looking  cow faster than you can say boy howdy! If I keep finding these little ladies I’ll soon have a miniature herd! And for only $8.00 I was not passing this one up since it is the sister of…

…the sheep I showed you last week! I waited and watched for two years before I bought this one since it was out of my usual price limit. I finally threw caution to the wind and splurged when it went on sale a bit. Sooo…that $8.00 cow was going home with me for sure!

And just in case you think you are seeing double…you are not! Here’s my new cow with the one that was starring in my vintage cow centerpiece a few weeks ago! I guess she has a mama now! Funny…I bought the smaller version because I couldn’t find the real thing…and then it shows up just a week later!

Another great find was this fabulous mossy candlestick on sale for $12! Woot woot! I had been wanting one of these but was not willing to spend the $35 they were asking elsewhere!

Ever since I found this great lamp…which most of you voted should stay green on my Facebook poll…I have been hunting for pops of green to add to the living room.

So this mossy candlestick just did the trick in my rustic coffee table tray! I think it’s the perfect addition!

And one final favorite…a pretty lilac wreath found at Goodwill for…get ready!…$2.00!! I went straight home and put it on my back door. Love it! It’s a pretty vestige of the fading summer days. I will leave it here as long as I can hold out before putting up my fall wreath! lol I don’t want to rush the season, but I can’t wait! Are you chomping at the bit like I am? When do you put up your fall decorations?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my thrifting finds! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
DIY by Design for Sizzle into Summer
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
2805 for Potpourri Friday
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Charles Faudree...and Me...Together Again!

When I came home this afternoon, I was beside myself with excitement because my main man was waiting for me on the front porch! He's back! lol Yes…my favorite designer has released a new book…Details by Charles Faudree…and I got my copy today! I was so excited to have a peek inside to see if his wonderful Country French style had changed…if it had been affected by the campagne chic or the minimalist crowds. And no…not one tiny bit! He style is still elegant, but comfortable, with lots of warm colors, beautiful antiques and layers and layers of wonderful...well...details! He is still my main man…the one I go to when I have a decor question or need to make a change in my home!

This book is different from the others in that he doesn't concentrate on the rooms, but rather the details that, as he says “may seem like a small subject, but these finishing accessories are by far the most important part of decorating. People’s lives are expressed by little details. They give a room its soul.” I love this approach, since I often go to his books for just that purpose...to see what to put on my coffee table or mantel, for example. He focuses on several areas, including tablescapes…(I am lusting after that bouillotte lamp!)

…and wall decorations…including pages and pages of plates on the wall. (You know I love that…and those buttery yellow walls!)

…including a hutch chock full of blue and white porcelain from his own dining room…sigh!

…as well as mantels. (File this one away in my inspiration file!) There are also sections on fabrics…lots of wonderful layers of fabulous mixes of fabrics…and lighting…so many beautiful and unusual lamps! Sigh again!

Sooo…in honor of the publication of Charles Faudree’s new book Details, our Miss Kitty, the Plate Addict version of his Cavalier Spaniel Nicholas, would like to show you…

…a few changes in our dining room…Faudree style! First, I have finally found enough double happiness jars to fill the top of the hutch! Yaay!

The latest one is my favorite…and was the least expensive…a Goodwill hunting trophy at only $8.00! Woo hoo!

I was also able to find the last two Spode Blue Room plates that I need to finish filling up the hutch…also both GW finds at about $6.00 each! I now have four of these from the Regency series that have the nice white scalloped edge. Of course, if you know my house, you know that I could have just taken a Spode plate or two off of the wall…but those stay there in case of emergencies…like if 25 people show up for lunch! lol

Another great GW find is this pharmaceutical jar from Portugal for less than $3.00! I have been wanting one of these and they can be expensive! It reads U:CAELFUL:FO which, from what I understand, was a strong blue ointment used in 17th and 18th century England.

My wonderful Blue Willow tureen anchors the bottom shelf. I found it at half-price when a local antique/gift shop went out of business!

On the table is another tureen and one of my favorites, since it has such an unusual pumpkin shape! It was on display at the Blue Luna Café (now closed) in Grayton Beach, Florida and had to come home with me!

And, of course, no Faudree-style hutch would be complete without a pair of  Staffordshire dogs…Cavaliers, like his beloved Nicholas…picked up from my favorite flea/antique shop at half price! I know my little blue and white collection is not as wonderful as his collection of fabulous antique porcelain, but I think it’s not bad, considering much of it came from thrifting!

So, I think you can see why I am so excited to have his new book Details! I will be devouring every page!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my dining room!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures on Mondays
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Sizzle into Summer
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Leigh at Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday
Jill at French Cupboard for Voilà! French Inspiration on Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Diann at The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Fridays
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Arriving Soon...My New Grandson...and A Peek into His Nursery!

Something special is in the works at my daughter and son-in-law’s house…in more ways than one! The finishing touches are being put on the nursery for my new little grandson who is due very soon! She is working hard to get it ready before he decides it’s time to arrive!

Don’t you love the treatment she did on the main wall? She designed and painted the grid herself. The blue on the other three walls provides the perfect contrast! The drapes are still to come.

There are some cute modern touches, such as this unusual lamp from IKEA...only $19.99! But...you have to assemble it! Yikes!

And...there are some bright colors…

…some fun fabrics…

…that I used to make a matching pillow for my little guy…

…and a pretty dresser with an unusual finish...also from IKEA. His big brother is happy to demonstrate how easily the drawers open and close! Yes, they will be only 14 months apart!  My ten year old grandson is beside himself with happiness to have two baby brothers!

So if I disappear from Blogland for a little while, I hope you will understand! I will be right here in this comfy chair spending some special time with my little grandson. The big day is fast approaching, so I will keep you posted!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my grandson’s nursery!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Kara at Elements Interiors for Whassup Wednesday
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

My Favorite Projects of 2010

I have to admit that in looking over this year’s projects I have been really surprised at all that I have accomplished! My favorite, however, has to be my  master bedroom! I wanted a departure from my more traditional Provencal French country style of decorating to a more feminine frenchy look. Hmmm...the paint color is looking a little off in the night light.

 I used what I love as the anchor…toile and plates…what else? lol  I do think it has a softer edge, though. I stayed in a pastel color palate with pinks and greens and brought in more white in an attempt to lighten up the room.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes all it takes is finding one right piece to get you started? Well…this lamp was it! It just screams Paris to me! Then I found the toile fabric to make the drapery panels  and the rest of the room created itself!

I also found two wonderful frenchy chairs that I recovered and even painted one of them. The hunt for accessories lead me to some fabulous Victorian silver plate pieces hidden in the dusty corner of a thrift store…a sugar spooner doubling as a vase and a wonderful old calling card holder! I also shabbied up a couple of frenchy candlesticks to complete the look

And I even learned how to make piping for the throw pillows! Woo hoo! I love my new bedroom! It finally looks like me!

I also gave the guest room a re-do and finally finished that black and cream toile bedroom that I had been dreaming of for years! It was trial and error finding the right shade of green!

The room has gone through a few changes in accessories and even more that I haven’t shown you. But I am happy to finally to have a place for my guests to stay!

However, I will have to say that my Christmas mantel was the most fun! I made almost everything on it this year and had to start well in advance. The sheet music wreath was my inspiration…and a labor of love! I started with a healthy portion of mercury glass, then I added the sheet music candles…

…and the little snow birds…another easy and inexpensive project!

The finishing touch was the homemade burlap stockings! I still haven’t taken it down!

But by far the most versatile, surprisingly enough, has been the burlap table runner that has been on my table since October and has managed to look good no matter how I set the table…through Thanksgiving and Christmas and even now as I have the table set for New Years…something I’ll show you later!
There were many more small projects that I enjoyed, most of which have links on my sidebar. All in all, I think I have accomplished a lot! Now my question is…what will I do next year. Hmmmm…I am looking around the house even as we speak, thinking about what I want to change! What about you?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite projects from this year!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Top Projects 2010
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Before and After Party on Wednesdays
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Layla at The Lettered Cottage for Room Re-do's 2010
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Party
See you next time! A la prochaine!

More New Orleans Favorites...or...Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!

Need a little virtual vacation in the French Quarter of New Orleans? I’m back to tell you more about my recent visit to the Big Easy! I was there for a special occasion…my 60th birthday! Once again, I must tell you that I am no expert, but this is my third visit, so I’d like to share my favorites with you! (If you missed the first post and would like to read it, click here.)


You cannot come to New Orleans without having breakfast at Brennan’s! Be prepared to eat until you nearly pop and skip lunch and maybe dinner that day! I ordered my favorites, which also happen to be the traditional breakfast/brunch favorites on the menu! Why? Most of these dishes were invented by their chef who has been there more than 40 years! Start with milk punch, followed by their thick and creamy Creole onion soup, and then as a main dish, Eggs Hussarde, a Brennan's original…eggs Benedict with marchand de vin sauce added. Yummy!


And you absolutely must order dessert…yes, dessert with breakfast! It’s a Brennan’s tradition. And a must-have…a dish that was invented here…is Bananas Foster! It’s breakfast with a show...your waiter will make it for you at the table! The bananas are sautéed in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur and then flamed in rum! Dish it over vanilla ice cream and you have a heavenly treat! Yummy! (Find a link to Bananas Foster, Eggs Hussarde and many of their famous recipes here.)


After breakfast, walk down Royal Street and pop into some of the wonderful antique shops! But be prepared…the prices are on the high side! All I was able to bring home was this photo of my favorite style of frenchy lamp…a bouillotte lamp! lol It was about $800…actually not too bad! That’s me reflected in the shade! (Cick here to see my post about the history of bouillotte lamps.)


If you are still digesting and want a little tour without the walk, try a buggy ride through the French Quarter with narration by your driver. If you don’t mind riding with other folks, it’s only $15 and lasts 30 minutes. Not only will you see the fabulous wrought iron balconies, but interesting spots such as Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, which served as a cover for the pirate’s illegal activities and is now a piano bar, and the Cornstalk Hotel with a fabulous wrought iron fence shaped like…yes…cornstalks to pacify a homesick wife from Iowa!


Head on back to Jackson Square, the heart of the French Quarter, and check out the famous wrought iron balconies of the Pontalba Buildings dating from the late 1840s. They are publicly owned and the upper floors are actually apartments that may be rented. In the middle of the Lower Pontalba Building is the 1850 House…part of the Louisiana State Museum.


Here you will find a townhouse filled with period furnishings, including a fabulous half tester bed and a sweet baby’s room with an adorable tea set and a little half tester crib! And what a fabulous set of china!


But perhaps the most interesting room was the bath…complete with this innovative tub that warms its own water and then empties easily! And check out those fabulous legs on the drop leaf table...I want it!


Also on Jackson Square is Saint Louis Cathedral…whose silhouette has come to represent New Orleans! However, it has not always looked like this. In the inset is the cathedral in 1838, prior to a major makeover in 1850. Is that an amazing metamorphosis? How different Jackson Square would look if the changes had not been made!


Next door to the cathedral is The Cabildo, another part of the Louisiana State Museum. Inside, you will find three floors of exhibits retelling the history of Louisiana. My favorite displays were the death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte, pictured above…a real look at his face!…and the room where the Louisiana Purchase was signed! (You can take the virtual tour by clicking here. Click at the bottom of each page to continue.)


Have you walked off that big breakfast? Then let’s go down Decatur Street to the Central Grocery, a real Italian-American grocery store, for their world famous muffuletta! It’s a huge sandwich filled with piles of Italian cold cuts and cheeses and topped off with their signature marinated olive salad. You can easily split one with a friend! Are you getting the picture that food plays a big part in a visit to this wonderful city? lol We sat at the counter and enjoyed a conversation with some charming locals.  Don't expect a Southern drawl here! The New Orleans accent is a port city accent..almost like New York!


Music is also an important part of the atmosphere in the French Quarter! Street musicians set up everywhere  to entertain you, hoping for a nice tip, of course. We found a terrific jazz band performing outside the Café du Monde! A grandmother and her little granddaughter began to dance and the customers clapped along with the music. What fun! And of course, they played When the Saints Go Marching In!


Or you can walk along the Moon Walk……the wooden promenade in front of Jackson Square...named after New Orleans mayor Moon Landrieu. The riverboat Natchez is anchored here and you can hear the jazz band playing in the evenings before they depart on their dinner cruise! Have a seat on a bench overlooking the mighty Mississippi River and drink in the atmosphere! It's free!


The crying shame is that there is only so much room in your tummy! lol You cannot leave New Orleans without a trip to the Gumbo Shop to have their famous gumbo…what else? I had the chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. I might also add that the French bread in the French Quarter is almost as fantastic as in France! Can you say that three times fast? lol


I followed the gumbo with the Creole sampler, which included (left to right) shrimp Creole, jambalaya and red beans and rice! We actually had this meal on the last night of our trip…an appropriate and delicious ending!  (You will find a link to their recipes here.)


I have to add here that one of the most important aspects of my trip was the people of New Orleans! They were so welcoming and friendly! They are so proud of their city and were always eager to help us find our way or suggest places to eat or great jazz clubs where we could enjoy their music! They have had a rough time in the last few years, between Katrina and the Gulf oil spill, but that didn’t stop them from opening their arms to us and making us feel at home. The food was fabulous and the accommodations were amazing. If you are planning a vacation in the near future, you may want to give New Orleans a try. The people will appreciate your being there and you will not be sorry that you went! As the Cajuns say...Laissez les bons temps rouler! Let the good times roll! (Click here if you missed part one of the tour!)

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my little tour!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday
Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday
Michael Lee at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday
See you next time! A la prochaine!