Shells and Sparkles

Well, Sunday is our big day.  We leave tomorrow on our trip to the British Isles and Paris.  I can hardly contain my excitement.  The house sitter is coming to take care of our little Cindy and also to stay with my daughter.  Neither one of them like it when the suitcases come out.

We have wanted to visit the British Isles for a very long time, and when the chance came along to tag Paris on as well, I jumped at the chance.

So in honor of the occasion I included a couple of my Marie Antoinette cards to my tablescape today.

I used my gold chargers that I have had for years.  The aqua plates are Home Goods and the crystal is Waterford Castelmaine.  I paired some sparkles with a burlap table cover to give this look a little yin and yang.

I also used some old Victorian silver pitchers that have lost their silver, but I absolutely love the patina they have now.

In addition to the flowers, I used an old Victorian wicker tray and covered it with pretty shells and polished turquoise beads.

The napkin rings are actually hair clips.  Don't worry, no one has ever used them.  I loved the colors in the clips and thought they would complement my seashell theme.

The flowers are Alstroemeria and soft hued roses.

The starfish plates are also Home Goods.

Thanks so much for taking a peak at this week's tablescape.  Hopefully I will have email, but, of course, we plan to spend as much time as we can seeing the beautiful sights.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday   Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

Memorial Signs

I know it's a little early for Halloween, but some of you like to get an early start for decorating.  I bought these at a studio auction.  They came from the set of Ghost Whisperer.  Since they are props, they are constructed simply for looks which you could easily do if you are so inclined.

 These are simple gold frames filled with foam core board.  I don't know if you can buy it in black or not.  You could paint it with chalkboard paint.  The lettering is stick-on lettering.  I removed the names because they were just stuck on with double-sided tape.  These are great for Halloween.  If you like to decorate like this, give it a try.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

Annie Sloan Graphite Frame

I love this style frame.  I had an old print in it from the 80's.  Yeah, I bet we all have a few of those lurking about.  I took it down a couple years ago and replaced it with an antique mirror, but then what to do about this very pretty frame that had a wood finish with a forest green mat.

 You probably guessed it.  I ditched the print, the mat and the glass.  Empty frames are big sellers these days, but the wood from the 80's is not.  I painted it with two coats of Annie Sloan graphite chalk paint which is a very dull finish and it didn't show a lot of depth.

 So I took some gold Rub n' Buff and rubbed it on my fingers and finger painted just the decorative part of the design.  Just a teeny bit.  It was still a little too flat for me so I used some Deft lacquer spray in the satin finish and went over it.  It's not shiny at all, but the satin gave it a nice feel to the touch.

You can see that the frame has a nice aged look.  I love this for fall, and I have a couple more frames I might try this finish on.

Let me add a P.S. to this post.  I took the Annie Sloan workshop, and you DO NOT have to use wax.  You can use a regular type of sealer and it works great.  Thanks a bunch for stopping by.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

Garden Whimsy

Last week I had to cover a last minute job for my office in West Los Angeles which is about five miles from Beverly Hills.  So I took advantage of my time over the hill to capture some photos to share with you.  Here are a few.

This one is my favorite.  Isn't she beautiful?

How would you like to see this every morning when gathering your daily newspaper?

I had to take a second look before I realized she wasn't real.  Driving by, she sure looked real.

Dancing in the Rain

Flight of Fancy

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

Pretty French Table

This little table started out as a wood table.  I followed the same process I used for my Chateau de Chantilly project.  To see the colors I used and the steps click here.

I love this finish.  It looks like it's naturally worn with time.

It doesn't even look like I just painted it, does it?

The Hauser Green gives it a wonderful aged patina.

I left it heavy in some areas so the rest of the paint looks like it has worn off with the passage of time.

Thanks so much for visiting.  I hope you like this finish as much as I do.  Have a wonderful week.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

Marquees and Store Fronts

I just returned from a trip to Berkeley, California.  I wanted to have some mother daughter time with my oldest daughter before we leave for our trip next weekend.  My daughter and her husband live smack on the borderline of Oakland and Berkeley in an older area called Rockridge.  It has tree lined streets, quaint eateries (they haven't let the chain restaurants in yet) and the homes are very old and charming.

On Saturday morning we went out to breakfast on this charming street, and I could not resist taking some photos to share with you.  You probably won't find any of my kind of photographs in a travel brochure.  I prefer to capture the local flavor.

I love old advertising signs and this one is an original.  I took several views of it.  It's worn with time and charming as ever.

The hardware store is long gone, but the sign remains. 

I love the old blue enamel.

Next to the old hardware store is this sorbet shop. 

Check out the window treatments.  Too cute for words.  I wonder how long it took them to do this.

On the same block is the little restaurant where we had breakfast.  Here is their logo signage.  They painted it right on the building.

I love their menus.  They just clip them on clipboards.  Isn't this idea cute?

All the restaurants in this area have open and shut signs instead of open and closed.  This part of town is oozing with personality.

Remember my chalkboard ironing board I insisted was really a table?  Well, these people just proved me right.  This little place was not open when we were there.  My daughter tells me they serve one item, they are open for 3 hours a day and people line up around the block to get their chicken sandwiches and they dine on these little stools and ironing boards in front of the restaurant.

I liked this store sign too.  I am crazy about animals.  This shop had some adorable pet items.

Last but not least is this beautiful tea room.  It wasn't open either, but I just liked how pretty this was.  This little place is actually in Pleasanton.  Another of my favorite quaint small towns.  Thanks for visiting.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best

It's About Time

I found these watch and clock parts in a recent shopping trip.  I always pick up old clocks and sell many of them for prop value only.  I don't know what it is about time pieces, but they do signify so much in all of our lives.  For instance, I am spending time with my daughter  right now before I leave on vacation.  And it's truly about time that I take this vacation.  So I'll just share these little vignettes and go spend more time getting ready for my trip.  Have a great day, and spend some time doing what you truly love.

I'm partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style         Ivy and Elephants
                                     Faded Charm Cottage       Fine Craft Guild      
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    Fishtail Cottage
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity   Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           My 1928 Charmer Sunday's Best