NumberNineteen

Dressing Table

I ended up staying home today because Hope's ear infections (she has them in both ears) are continuing to flare up.  We are going to the ear, nose & throat specialist tomorrow. While she was napping,  I decided to take some photos of my dresser/dressing table .  It really is just a dresser, but I've set up the top with all of my precious items that were once on my dressing table.

My very first decorating project was when I was about 14 & saw a photo of a romantic dressing table in a magazine (I'm so glad that I kept this picture):

I wanted one for myself & went about collecting the items for my dreamy dressing table.  I saved my babysitting money & purchased a decorator table (one of those round tables that is really just plywood & legs) & a white tablecloth from the JC Penney catalog.  Over time, I found a vintage tea cloth at an antique sale that I went to with my parents, which I laid over the Penney's tablecloth.  At Christmas, I requested a silver dresser set & perfume bottles, to complete my collection.  My family generously gave me many of these items over the years, until I had a real dressing table.  My first completed decorating project!

I don't have a place for the dressing table any longer & it was really just for show, but I do love to display my special things all in one place.  In the photo above, in the lower left corner, you can see a carved wood box that my artist uncle made for me for my 16th birthday.  The red leather jewelry case was a gift from Glenn one Christmas.  There are photos of my maternal grandfather & grandmother, both taken in the 1930s.

You can see that my one & only perfume is Chanel no 19.  I've worn it since I was 15 & it remains my favorite.  One of the women that I babysat for always wore it & I loved it...still do.  After years of wearing it, I learned that it is the scent that Coco Chanel wore herself.

The delicate ivory porcelain bowl is one of my prized possessions.  It was done by a ceramics artist that is local to my hometown of State College, PA.  It looks like a shell or a petal of flower.  She made it by draping thin layers of porcelain clay over one another in a mold.  The Limoges box below it was purchased on my first trip to Europe, a high school trip that took us through France, Monaco & part of Italy.  I keep the leftover francs from that trip inside of the box.

This is my one treasure from the Portobello Road market in London, purchased on my semester abroad in college.  Its a Victorian/Edwardian (I'm not sure) perfume bottle, though its unusable now, since it no longer has the "puff" that is needed to get the perfume out of the bottle.  Does anyone remember what I'm talking about?  Those oval/round "balls" that were attached to perfume bottles....you squeezed them to make the perfume come out. 

Sharing this has been fun!  I'll have to look around the house to see what other goodies I have to share :)

Blissful Weekend Pt. 2

I had intended to extend my description of my weekend with photos of our picnic & hike.  However, I forgot to take my camera to the park!  We went to the Prince William Forest Park , which is maybe 10 minutes from our house. I had never been there before, but Glenn had been there several years ago.  They have very nice picnic areas & an extensive system of walking/hiking paths.  After our picnic, we walked on the trails for about 2 hours.  It was so peaceful in the woods & there was a stream along parts of the trail.  I do wish, however, that they would have noted the difficulty of each path at the head of the trail.  One of the trails was very narrow & rough, which would have been fine had it been just Glenn & I, but we had Hope in the jogging stroller.  Glenn had to push her up some very steep hills & large tree trunks.  We got a very good workout! :)

Alrighty, I'm going to get some dinner.  Happy Memorial Day!

Blissful Weekend Pt. 1

First of all, thank you so much for your sweet words about my let-down regarding our trip to Boston.  You are all just the sweetest people. I wish that I could send a big hug to each & every one of you!

This weekend, despite the initial disappointment, has been blissful.  I don't know if its a case of making lemonade from lemons or just that I needed time off, no matter where I end up taking it.  The luxury of 4 days of free time...well, I can barely describe how I feel...to me, its better than a glass of champagne, a massage, or any other kind of physical luxury I can think of.  Though I've filled my days, I have felt absolutely peaceful every moment of it. 

Friday & Saturday, I got my hair cut, got a pedicure with a friend (both badly needed), weeded the entire garden, pulled down more wallpaper in the kitchen (I'm almost done!), did the laundry, shopped, scrapbooked, read and watched the Sound of Music with Glenn.  Can you believe that he had never seen it?  Its true, so I made him sit down & watch it.  Of course, he liked it quite a bit.

Today, we started off at the local farmer's market, which is shown above.  This is the first week of this season that they really had a lot to offer.  And what they had was beautiful.  Isn't the produce in that photo just gorgeous?  And the smells!  Strawberries and basil and flowers.  Mmmmm....here are some other photos....


As you can see, they have baked goods too.  This is the booth of one of my favorites.  She usually has what she calls a raspberry tart, but its really more like a rich crumb cake with a thick layer of raspberry jam in the middle.  Its a good thing for me that she didn't have it this morning, or I'd be sitting here, eating it right now :)  We just purchased produce today--lettuce, fresh shelled peas & the sweetest broccoli that I've ever tasted.

I decided that we should eat on our screened porch tonight, since we grilled burgers for the first time in the season.  I pulled out the card table & decorated the table a bit....


I know, its a bit girly for burgers, but that is the only summery tablecloth that I have.  I need to look for something in yellow, I think.

Tomorrow, if the weather holds, we are going to go on a nature walk & picnic at a nearby state park.  I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend!

Inspiration Friday

This week its all about the laundry rooms.  Not for any particular reason except that I realized that I have several photos of some really great laundry rooms.  Did you ever think that laundry rooms would be a decorating opportunity?  Well, now they are, apparently!  Of course, mine is still a cinder blocked corner of the basement, but a girl can dream....

Love this one...I love just about any "before & after" decorating project in a magazine...it makes me feel like "I really could do that!".  Of course, they do have an entire staff & I have...myself (well, Glenn helps sometimes).

******
If I sound a little cynical in this post, its probably because I've had a big letdown today.  We were supposed to be leavin' on a jet plane tonight for a 4 day weekend in Boston, visiting my sister & brother in law.  2 of my favorite people in one of my favorite places.  But, SIGH, Glenn has come down with one of the nastiest nasties of sickies in the past 24 hours & we aren't going anywhere.  Of course, I feel badly for Glenn, who is miserable.  But, I'm so bummed about not going away.  As you might have gathered from my posts, I've had a rough past few months with my return to work.  Overwhelmed with life, really (what? who? me? Uh Huh).  I *need* 4 days with NO  responsibilities.  I decided to take off tomorrow anyway, even though we aren't going anywhere.  If I don't take this time, I'm going to lose it one day & just up & quit my job, which probably wouldn't be a good idea.  So, I'll be doing projects around here.

*****
OK, I've had a smallish obsession with music recently.  I keep discovering all of these songs that I *LOVE*...songs that have been around for several years & bands that have been around.  And, I've apparently been living under a rock.  For instance, I've just downloaded "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 & am currently listening to it for the 4th time in a row (obviously, I'm the only one in the room, or Glenn might throw something at me).  I LOVE this song.  And, where have I been?????  Maroon 5 is awesome!  I had  heard of them,  but, for some reason, thought that they were some kind of cheezy R&B/"smooth jazz" kind of band.  I'm tellin' you, I've been living under a rock.  And, Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away"?  That was my song last week.  I played it incessantly.  I get what Glenn & I call "boogie butt" (definition: the way people start to bounce & sway in their seat when a song comes on that they  like) every time it comes on. I had thought that Kelly Clarkson  just sang things  like "A Moment Like This". When I found out she sang  "Walk Away", I thought, "this girl rocks!  She has serious attitude!".  I know, where have I been?  Under a rock. 

I'm going to go now & listen to "Sunday Morning" for a 5th time....

What To Do With All of That Kid Stuff

Good Monday to everyone!  I hope that you had a good weekend.  Mine was fine.  I got a chance to spend some significant time in the garden, which made me happy.  I hope that I'll be able to share some photos of a full, lush perennial garden by the end of the summer.  Right now, its sort of scraggly looking because all of the plants are small & new.  It might take a year or so before it really starts to look nice. 

Poor Hope has yet another ear infection.  We had *just* finished her antibiotics from the last one when she was diagnosed with this one, in the other ear.  Our doctor has recommended that we take her to a specialist, which I'm very glad to hear.  I hate to say it (I hope that I'm not a bad mommy for saying this...), but I hope that they recommend tubes in her ears, or at least something to nip this in the bud.  Its so hard for her to feel badly all of the time.  And, I wonder if her speech is delayed because of all of these infections...if she can't hear the sounds properly, she can't learn to speak properly. 

Shown above is my one simple little craft project from the weekend.  We are starting to get lots & lots of artwork & pictures from "school" (daycare), but I didn't know what to do with them.  It seem heartless to throw out her first little art.  So, I got this idea from another blog (racking my brain, cannot remember which one...) in which the blogger covered old folders with all kinds of lovely decorative papers.  She then placed her children's artwork in each & then had a lovely way to display the art.  But, she could also put it away when she wanted to.  Mine is just a colored file from Staples with a bit of scrapbook paper glued onto it.  I printed out "hope's art" & stamped some random letters & numbers with rubber stamps.  **Edited: The blog at which I found the folder idea is Vintage Flair.  I think that she posted hers about a month ago.

Alrighty, a pile of ironing is waiting for me...have a good evening!

Inspiration Friday

Inspiration Friday this week (yippee, the scanner is working again!) is from my newest stack of magazine clippings.  Just some random prettiness....


I just realized that the above photo shows a silver teapot thrown in a wooden box on the ground of a garden.  So, reality is not a strong point in the inspiration friday photos....

*******
What are you up to this weekend?  Honestly, I'd be so happy if I didn't leave the house all weekend.  I'm no hermit, but the prospect of 2 days full of house & garden projects sounds like heaven right now!

Still More Vintage Goodies

OK, if you would describe a day in which I'd get to do anything that I wanted, what would you mention?  Antiquing, of course!  Glenn & Hope accompanied me to an estate sale on Mother's Day, where I found some great things for my booth.  What a great Mother's Day gift!

The cooler is in fabulous condition, with only a few minor scratches...and, I got it for a song!  Love it!  I also picked up the 2 Better Homes & Gardens books, both in excellent condition.  In fact, I don't believe that they were used much at all.  The cookbook is the 1943 edition, which includes a section on wartime meal planning.  That alone makes it a favorite of mine.  The little pamphlet on salads is copywrite 1959 & has lots of the fun 1950s illustrations that you'd expect. 

This book I actually found on Saturday at a yard sale for a dollar:

Its copywrite 1926 & has wonderful colored plates on the inside:


As you can see, the pages have some stains, but I think that the book is still charming.

I hope that you are having a great week!  We've figured out how to get the scanner to work again, so I'll be able to participate in Inspiration Friday in a few days.  I've been ripping some beauties out of my magazine stack recently, so I'll have to share.

Happy Mother's Day!

We went out for a yummy-licious brunch this morning to celebrate Mother's Day.  I wanted a mother/daughter portrait of us, and got a few of us snuggling, all picture perfect.  But, I decided to share this one, because its the real one.  Us laughing, Hope reaching out, wanting to touch everything.  Love it.

After brunch, we walked around & I found a new store--wow!  Le Village Marche.  Full of wonderful vintage European goodies as well as new french-inspired decor items.  Here are a few photos (gotta love having that digital camera on hand!):

I hope that every mother had a wonderful Mother's Day! 

Thank you, Hope & Glenn for making me a Mommy!!! I love you both so much!!! 

I Wish That It Was Inspiration Friday!!!

Arrggg!  Our scanner isn't working & I'm having a terrible time trying to upload any of the digital photos that I could share.  So, no inspiration Friday from me this week! 

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend--especially you Mommies out there---make sure that you get pampered on your special day!!!! xoxoxo

7 Things About Me

I've been tagged twice this week! Both the lovely Rosemary & the dear Allie have requested that I share 7 weird things about me.  I shared 6 Weird things about Me in January, so I'll share 7 other things about me this time.

-I talk to my Mom every day.  If I don't call her one day, she calls me the next, worried that something is wrong.  She is one of my bestest friends & we can talk for hours.

-I make up new words to songs all of the time.  A favorite around our house is "The Hope Gillian Song", sung to the tune of the theme to Green Acres:

"Hope Gillian is the one for me! She's the baby that made us 3.  She's the baby that is the one. Is the one for day & nighttime fun.  Tralalala...." 

There was a period of time that singing that song was the only thing that would make her stop crying.

-My hair has been stick straight my entire life.  I didn't get it when advertisements talked about frizzy hair. About 6 months after Hope was born, my hair became wavy!  It must be some kind of post-pregnancy hormonal change.

-I don't really watch TV.  Seriously.  I watch "My Name is Earl" & "The Office" & maybe 1 hr of HGTV a week.  And, that's it.  However, I *love* Netflix & am constantly watching movies or British TV shows on DVD...so I get my on-screen entertainment that way.

-I am a HUGE Anglophile.  I lived in England on my semester abroad and have visited several times since.  If a product says "made in England", I'll probably buy it.  If  a person is from England, I want to meet them.  I love the lifestyle, the countryside, the architecture, the products, the people, the sense of humor, the TV shows & movies, everything!  I keep trying to convince Glenn to get a job in which we'd be able to move there for a year.  I wouldn't want to leave the US permanently, but a year in the UK would be great.

-I have so many interests that I'm always in the middle of a million projects.  Currently, I have about 4 magazines to read, 3 books, scrapbooking, sewing projects, the wallpaper project in the kitchen, packages to make for teacher appreciation week, and several projects for the business.  I spend a little bit of time on each of them & thus, it takes forever to get anything done.

-I love to iron.  I love the instant satisfaction of seeing the cloth become crisp under the iron. I love the sweet smell of the ironing water that I use.  I love to see the neat stacks of ironed clothes & linens when I'm done.

I believe that I'm supposed to tag some other bloggers, but I think that pretty much everyone has been tagged.  If you haven't been, please post a list of weird and/or interesting things about yourself.  I love these insights into people's personalities!