Showing posts with label a little bit French. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a little bit French. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Had Myself a PSE (Positive Shopping Experience)



Hello my bloggie friends!  I took a 3 day weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it (what's not to love, right?).  One of my favorite things was going to a local antiques show and seeing my old dealer friends. I used to do that show when I first started dealing in antiques myself, so it is always like old home week when I go.  Anyway, I found some lovely treasures like these awesome old French linen towels and an oversized wooden rosary.




Love the way the antique monk's rosary looks against the chippy old cupboard.


I fell in love with the very old ex voto. It is such thin metal and has such wonderful details...


Felt some pink glass bead and rosary love, clearly...


I love these tiny glass buttons and the amazing mother of pearl buckle, don't you?


Fell in love with this precious piece of sheet music...isn't the title wonderful?


Couldn't resist the 1920's travel photo...


I had a wonderful day last week when I discovered that I was the winner of the French Friday giveaway from Rhonda at A Little Bit French.  Rhonda is so talented and I've mentioned her before on my blog.  I think this puffy little hanging heart takes the cake for loveliness.  Thank you Rhonda!



Well, that's all for now.  Sharing with Blissful Whites Wednesday.

Until next time,
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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The beauty is in the details...

A tall plaster of paris pillar I fauxed many years ago

When I first started reading blogs, the thing I remember being most taken with was the photography (yes, I know, I'm a look-at-the-pretty-pictures kinda girl).  Specifically, I was most enchanted at the way some people were able to zero in on little snippets of an object and make the most  dreamy and wonderful photos.  Those photos made me look for and better appreciate the beautiful details of even ordinary objects...the way the sunlight streams through a window through a lace curtain, the crackle of an old painted finish, the tattered velvet of an old millinery flower, and even the sharp contrast of an old bowl filled with fruit.  While there were MANY talented women out there who inspired me, Heather Bullard, Suzanne Duda, Heather Kowalski, and Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon were the first that I remember just being in awe of; their attention to details in their art and their photography on their blogs made me drool, then and now.  Of course, I've grown the circle now to include so many talented bloggers and shopowners that I couldn't possibly name all of those sources of endless inspiration, but I do appreciate you all for showing me the beauty in the details and for helping me to stretch to find it and photograph it in my own surroundings.


For White Wednesday, I thought I'd share a few details of the many shades of white and gray and textures around my home.  I wish I could say that these little bits of minutia were some of my best photography, but sadly, the muse must have been on vacation today.  Oh well, some days are like that. 

Ironstone butter pats

Frame I made over with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint

Corner of a frame-love the metal wreath!

Antique hankies

Sweet millinery horseshoe for luck-probably from a wedding long ago




Detail of an ironstone mug

Beautiful pouch from Rhonda at A Little Bit French


Old French letters and various ephemera that inspires me



One of my favorite old gesso mirrors

Little faux enamel tags I made this spring

The tote I won from Tracey at French Larkspur ages ago...LOVE!

Antique hand towels
My favorite little statue
I hope you will join me at Faded Charm for a little more inspiration with all of the wonderful whites of White Wednesday.  Look for the beauty in the little details in your life...you'll be glad you did!

Until next time,
Also sharing at:
Share the Love Wednesday
Vintage Inspiration Friday

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Gratitude from me...and a giveaway for you!


The Giveaway is now closed.

Hi Beautiful Friends,

I can't believe I am FINALLY composing my 100th post. YAY! First, I'd like to acknowledge some pretty wonderful people I've met through blogging. You are all awesome, but these gals have given me presents recently, so I do need to give them a special shout out!




I won a fabulous giveaway over at Paula's Castles and Cottages. She hand paints these beautiful Pottery Barn inspired plant holders which she made (or maybe DH made them, I can't remember), available in two sizes, and personalizes them with whatever your heart desires in whatever font you would like. She generously gave away the smaller one (which is still a substantial size) and personalized it to my specifications. After a few mock ups back and forth via email, I got this incredible piece in the mail. It is WONDERFUL. I haven't decided on its final hanging place, so I have used Paula's pic that she took when she finished it for me, but you will see this beauty again once it is hung (I'm very slow at making up my mind) and has something cool in its little holder. THANK YOU Paula from the bottom of my heart. You are incredibly talented and you'd better believe I will be coming by your way should I have any signage needs (and I'm thinking I just may).


Next, I was fortunate enough to win a sweet little giveaway over at Rhonda's place, A Little Bit French.  She is a very talented lady as well who hosts a monthly French Friday giveaway.  March was MY MONTH!  Those of you who read my previous post about never winning anything will note that perhaps my luck did indeed change.  Yippee! I hope so.  Anyway, this precious little bag came my way last week.  I absolutely love it. THANK you Rhonda!  Rhonda is headed to France in 11 days, so I'm going to refrain from being green with envy in light of your beautiful tresor you sent me!  LOL!





Lastly, I participated in the Pay It Forward project that I read about over at Michelle's beautiful blog, Petite Michelle Louise.  I was one of 5 commenters to her blog who were sent this beautiful handmade stamped seam binding by Michelle.  In return, each of us "paid it forward" by blogging about the project and sending a handmade gift to our first five commenters.  (And BTW, if you were one of my 5 commenters, your tresors are on the way as of Monday.  Hope you like them).   This is the pretty package that Michelle sent me:


Inside was this darling card.  There was also a pretty little hand stamped bag tucked in the back which had beautiful punches from old ephemera-I look forward to crafting with them, but I forgot to take a picture of them.  Trust me, they are wonderful as well.


THANK YOU, Michelle!  You know I'm a huge fan of yours anyway, but your generous spirit is something I'm also a fan of.

Okay, now if you've stuck with me this far, it is time for us to get to the GIVEAWAY which will commemorate my 100th post.  First, I will send you a pretty little lavender sachet, handcrafted by moi.


I may eventually add some of these to my Etsy shop, but my kiddos are on Spring Break this week, so probably not until next week. 

THEN, the piece de resistance....your very own copy of Fifi's new book, Romantic Prairie Style!!!!  I had pre-ordered mine AGES ago but I have to confess, the hype that was swirling around Blogland made me skeptical...you know, like when EVERYONE tells you how great a movie is or is going to be and you go and see it and you think...it's OKAY.  Too much build up, ya know?  Or maybe that's just me.  So, anyway, I kind of thought it might be like that.  AND, I have to say, over here at French Laundry, my style is a little more fancy than what I perceived the prairie style to be, so I figured it would be a bunch of interiors that maybe I didn't totally relate to.  Alright, all of that being said, when the book came, I was BLOWN AWAY!  Yeah, it's that good.  Not only are some of the ladies I've been cyber-stalking reading with enthusiasm for quite a while featured here, but also some folks I don't know who have the most amazing homes.  And the cool part is, the interiors truly run the gambit from ranch to cabin to elegant farmhouse (Wow!  That's a great name, maybe I should open an Etsy shop called that-oh yeah, already did!). It has been one that I have absolutely salivated over on page after page.  Glad to say, the hype was justified.   As you will see,  it is an awesome book and is being provided as a giveaway from the great publishers at CICO books.  If you aren't the lucky winner here, you can order your very own copy from them here.

HERE'S HOW YOU WIN:

1.  Leave a comment on this post for one chance.

2.  Become a follower of my blog or if you are already a follower, just let me know for another chance.

3.  Give my giveaway a shout out on your blog or on your sidebar, on Facebook, or Twitter.

You MUST leave a separate comment for each of these.  You can do one of them or all of them, for a total of 3 chances to win.  The giveaway will be open until midnight MDT on March 31st and the winner will be announced on APRIL 1st (no foolin'!).  Good luck and thanks for being my pals and listening to my rambling over the last 100 posts.  I am full of gratitude for all of the wonderful folks out here that love and support, pray and lift up, and beautify and inspire, day after day.  You guys ROCK.

Linking up with Kathleen's White Wednesday because it's the place to be!  LOL!

Until next time,

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