The Old Burying Ground in Beaufort, North Carolina

During my recent visit to the wonderful old town of Beaufort, North Carolina with fellow bloggers Barb, Kathysue and Carol, I was excited to see that guided tours of the town’s Old Burying Ground were being offered as a part of their 50th Annual Old Homes and Gardens Tour! It is actually one of the few cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places!


This may seem strange, but I love touring old cemeteries and this one was my favorite by far! Here you will find a wealth of history and a peek into life in America in its earliest years. But I must admit that even in the dappled light filtering through the ancient trees, the heat and humidity were stifling! And yes…that is a huge old wisteria vine looping across a family plot! I wish it had been in bloom!


It was interesting to see how nature is always in the process of reclaiming what is hers…


…and displaying her glory from the tree tops to the the smallest stones, even in a place like this!


Perhaps the most interesting was the resurrection fern, an air plant which appears to die in the heat and returns to green with moisture in the air! I was able to get these contrasting photos over a two day period…amazing!


There was an interesting variety of styles of headstones through the ages...from simple to elegant. The vaulted bricks were intended to protect the graves from high water and animals. There is also what appears to be an empty area where an archeological survey discovered unmarked graves of the victims of an Indian massacre in 1711…their skulls cleft from the tomahawks of the hostile Coree and Neusiok Indians! Yikes!


Some of the headstones were decorated with wonderful sculptures…angels, willow trees and lilies. Why the anchor? Because Beaufort is an old whaling and fishing community.


And, sadly, scattered among the family plots, were the graves of small children from a time when life was very precious and precarious.


The oldest marked grave dates from 1756 and  is believed to be that of little Abigail Parker. But no one will ever know which grave is actually the oldest, since the Church of England took the records back to England during the American Revolution. No one knows what became of them.


And by far, the most visited grave in the burying ground is this one of a child from the 1700s…decorated with little gifts and remembrances. According to the story, the little girl went on a voyage to England with her father, who promised her mother that he would bring her home safely. Sadly, she died during the voyage home. Not wanting to bury her at sea, her father bought a keg of rum from the captain and put her body in it. So her family buried her keg and all!


And the final touch...the soft strains of gospel music from choir practice at the old adjoining AME Methodist Church Chapel...perfect soundtrack for an amazing journey back in time!

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Beaufort’s Old Burying Ground! If you would like more information and a virtual tour, click here. I hope one day to be able to return to this wonderfully interesting area of North Carolina and discover even more about its fascinating history!

Thanks so much for dropping by! I am joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday! Please head on over to her wonderful blog to see her lovely gardens and to find a list of this week’s participants! See you next time! A la prochaine!

Fabulous Quimper Finds...or...My Little Piece of Frenchy Heaven!

I am sooo excited to tell you about this week’s thrifting find! If you know me, you know that I am a big fan of Quimper ware…faïence or glazed pottery from the town of Quimper in the Brittany region of France. Well…I was at my favorite flea/antique market, when I stumbled across this…


…lovely vintage Quimper plates and bowls in various sizes…stacks of them…


…including a wonderful little cream pitcher, a lobed plate and two marvelous old serving bowls…21 pieces in all!


So I picked up the pitcher to see its price…hmmm…$199 plus 20% off. I quickly did the math…$160. I wasn’t shocked, but that seemed pricey for a pitcher. So I began to pick up the other pieces…no prices on them. Could it be? Had I misread? Be still my heart! Yes…$160 for all 21 pieces! A single piece alone can cost much more than that!


Most of them are in excellent condition, but  a couple of the pieces had little chips…not unusual for plates this age… and, sadly, this wonderful old bowl had been broken…but lovingly glued back together. The glaze isn’t perfect on some of them, but my friend Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul, a fellow Quimper lover with a fabulous collection, tells me that it is the result of a wood-fired kiln which indicates that they are truly vintage pieces. And the imperfections don’t bother me…


  …because I just picture them as coming from a kitchen like this somewhere in the French countryside! Sarah says that the marks indicate that they are probably from the 1950s with the exception of the two lovely old serving bowls which are circa 1940. Whoever owned them lovingly served big family meals and simple suppers from them, carefully hand-washed them in the big farmhouse sink and put them away until next time. Or that’s what I think. And somehow they made their way over here to me!


 Aren’t they wonderful? It makes me smile just to look at them! I love the shape of the plates and the fluted bowls! This is the closest I have come to Quimper heaven…


…since I visited the factory during my retirement trip to France three years ago…the highlight of my trip! Can’t you see by the look on my face?  Sigh!


And where have I put my new collection? This is the wine rack in my breakfast nook as I last showed it to you a few months ago…with one shelf (the middle one) dedicated to part of my modest Quimper collection…


  …and here it is now! Absolutely filled with Quimper ware! Woooo hooo! I have mixed the vintage pieces in with the modern. It makes me happy just to walk by!


Baby Kitty thinks I have lost my mind! They’re just old plates, after all! But not to me! They are a connection to a place and a time that I love!


And how did I do? Well…I found one of the smaller plates on an antique website for $33…for just the one plate! So I think I more than got my money’s worth! But more than that, I will have years of pleasure from just enjoying seeing them in my home!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  And thanks so much for your help, Sarah!
Please visit these wonderful ladies and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Alison at The Polo House for Favorites on the First
Suzanne at Privet and Holly for Collection Show 'n' Tell
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Ideas I Stole...er...Borrowed from the Beaufort, North Carolina Old Homes and Gardens Tour!

While visiting the Outer Banks of North Carolina with some dear blogger friends…Barb of Grits and Glamour, Kathysue of Good Life of Design and our wonderful hostess, Carol, Chisenfam of Rate My Space…I was excited to discover that our visit coincided with the 50th Annual Beaufort Old Homes and Gardens Tour…in the third oldest town in North Carolina! Were we lucky ducks or what?


We got to tour inside the lovely old homes but, unfortunately, no photos were allowed, so I am only able to show you the exteriors. They  ran the gamut from Victorian gingerbread to wonderful coastal bungalows. In addition, we stopped to admire some gorgeous old homes that were not on the tour…


  …such as  Hammock House, the oldest home in Beaufort and the former home of Blackbeard the pirate! And yes…he was real! I had to snitch these photos from the web since the owner was relaxing on the porch, reading a book! I don’t think I would want to live in this one since it is supposedly haunted by Blackbeard's unwilling 18 year old French wife whom he hanged for infidelity! Yikes!


We also got to peek into some wonderful gardens…lush from the heat and humidity. I love the big, overturned flower pot as a birdbath base!


We discovered that Beaufort has a style of fence particular to the town…interesting!


We also saw stepping stones in the shape of sand dollars…love it! So coastal!


Also typically North Carolina…a vintage tobacco basket…used to display tobacco taken to market…serving  as wall art on a guest house patio! I would love to have one of these!

Now…I don’t know about you, but I used to return to my humble abode a little depressed after touring all those gorgeous homes. Sooo…I finally discovered a way to take a little of the tour home with me! I would try to steal…er…borrow three ideas! And here are my three for this tour…


I love this coastal look…a blueberry wreath with starfish attached!


And here is my version…easy peasy! I just tied the starfish with some jute twine for an added natural look! I found the wreath last weekend on sale at my favorite flea/antique store and I already had the starfish. It’s hanging on my back door.


I love this little door in the tree…so cute! It is intended to be a fairy door, but it reminds me of one of my favorite childhood books…


… The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Garth Williams. I love this idea and I am looking for the perfect little door!

Update! I found the very same door I saw on the tour here, plus some cute little windows to go with it! Woo hoo!


And finally…what a wonderful surprise to find this little flower pot man peering out at us from the dense growth of the garden!  Love the succulents serving as his hair!


And here is my version…made with a collection of flower pots I found at Goodwill for $2.92! He is held together by jute twine secured by washers and a generous amount of hot glue! A dowel rod through the center helps to hold him erect and serves to attach the “head” topped with moss rose hair. I also dabbed him with a little gray craft paint to add an aged look. Here's a link on how to make a flower pot man, although I did a little adjusting to create one that stands. I think this idea  is my favorite! I will remember my time spent with my dear blogger friends each time I look at him!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Please visit these wonderful ladies and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Four Bloggers and a Tablescape

Take four women who love design, put them in a beautiful beach house and what do they do? Why…they tablescape, of course! lol I have just returned from spending five glorious days with some dear blogging friends in a wonderful beach house at the edge of North Carolina’s Outer Banks…what fun! With me were Barb of Grits and Glamour and Kathysue of Good life of Design as well as our generous hostess, our friend Carol, Chisenfam from Rate My Space. Wow! Was I in good company or what?


All it took was one look at the treasure trove of beachiness surrounding us to get us inspired! Carol’s beach house is beautifully decorated with so many wonderful pieces in her favorite shades of aqua, beige and cream that it was easy! I wish we had a video of the four of us scurrying around and bringing in goodies from different corners of the house! lol


I love these acrylic clam shell bowls! Can you see how the light shines through them to resemble ripples of water? Gorgeous!
 

Carol had just snatched up these beautiful pale blue salad plates at Home Goods on her way down. I love the raised shell and starfish design! Aren’t they perfect?


The table runner and embroidered circles on the napkins help to add some contrast and texture to the table. They came from one of my favorite stores…Tarjay! lol


The beautiful mosaic hurricane lamp in shades of watery blue was already there, as well as Carol’s wonderful collection of sea shells, coral and starfish. Don’t they make a pretty centerpiece?


More starfish and sand dollars were scattered around the table to help create a beachy feel.


And here is the final result! It was too pretty to actually use, so we just admired it for a day or so! lol


  And…well…maybe at night, too! What fun!


Can you believe that Carol had all of these wonderful things scattered around her beach house? All we had to do was gather them up to create our tablescape! I have to give credit to Barb because I woke up to find many of these wonderful photos on my camera! She was a busy bee as usual and I slept in since my staff wasn’t there to wake me up at 6:00 am to be fed! lol


I have to admit that it still makes me smile to look at it because it is a reminder of some wonderful fellowship with some very sweet, funny and creative ladies! Isn’t it amazing how friendships can be formed with women that you have never met in person? And then when you finally get to meet, it’s like you’ve known each other forever!  It makes me happy to be a part of our wonderful blogging community!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please be sure to head on over to Susan’s at Between Naps on the Porch to see another one of her gorgeous tablescapes and to find a list of this week's participants!
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Lunch on the Patio...and...Merci!

Happy 4th of July, eveyone! The weather has finally cooled down a bit here, so I am having a light lunch on the patio before the big cookout tonight. I have set the table using some thrifting finds and bloggy gifts so we can chat. Won’t you join me? I have lots to share!  I have been busy baysitting grandchildren and granddogs, plus getting in a little vacation, so I haven’t been able to hang out in blogland as much as I would like.  I hope you'll forgive me! First order of business is to say Merci! to some wonderful blogging buddies!


A large part of my tablescape today came from some very sweet and generous bloggers! The beautiful table runner in all of my favorite colors and the gorgeous red transferware plates from England were gifts from Dawn at Cottage State of Mind! I was lucky enough to win her 200th post giveaway…along with 22 other people! Can you believe it?


Sweet Dawn generously decided to give a gift to each of us who commented on her giveaway post. She claims that she is cleaning out her attic, but I don’t believe her! The gifts are just too fabulous! She told me that she also has a set of the plates, so now we are twins! And would you look at the card! If you know me, you know that I adore mice wearing clothes (weird, I know)…and there they are! She wrote the sweetest note inside that made me cry!


The pretty oil/vinegar dispenser is a gift from my friend Carol from the old Rate My Space and Micasa Style days. Isn’t it elegant? The pewter matches my flatware, too. You must know that another weakness of mine is roosters…so frenchy! But the best gift was an invitation! Our Carol invited a group of us to spend 5 days at her wonderful beach house on the North Carolina coast! It was fabulous!


The sweet little bluebird plate was a gift from another one of the guests…Barb from Grits and Glamour! We actually met in person about a year ago, so it was fun to see her again! She is one busy bee and misses blogging and all of you. I have a feeling that she may be back soon. She invited us to her lovely home nearby and treated us to hors d’oeuvres…yummy! Her house is even more beautiful in person and it was fun to be a tourist…spotting places that I had seen in her posts! I also got to meet her wonderful family…a real treat!


Another guest for our beachy blogger weekend was Kathysue at Good Life of Design who gave us each a great monogrammed Lands End tote…which will really come in handy for my baby/dog sitting! Isn’t it stylish? She made sure that each one matched the colors in our homes! lol Kathysue has such a great sense of humor and kept us all in stitches! I was lucky enough to get the chance to meet her in person when I met Barb a year ago. The three of us, along with our hostess Carol, became  friends on Micasa before its demise.  Several other Micasa friends were unable to make it, but were in our hearts! I will be telling you about our adventures in the next few posts! And I’ll give you a little peek…see the little flower pot man in the background? That’s a little hint of what is to come!


And, of course, I can’t create a post without throwing in some thrifting finds! lol I love to eat on the patio, but creating a centerpiece around an umbrella pole isn’t easy! I found this great two piece votive holder at Goodwill for $2.52…but minus the votives. Soooo…I decided to use some punch cups that I found on a previous GW hunting expedition instead!


I love it! I think the punch cups transform the centerpiece into something special. And…of course…the cups have grapes on them…another favorite of mine!


I also wanted to give you a little update on my shabby picnic basket planter that you see in the background. The begonias are thriving, as you can see! I think it has turned out to be a keeper!

And there you have it… lunch on the patio! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend celebrating our country's freedom!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Please visit these wonderful ladies 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
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today’s Thrifty Treasures
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
See you next time! A la prochaine!