Antiques

Hi Everyone!
    
      I Hope you had a great weekend. Our weekend was cold and cloudy. I'm starting to get used to the fact that the  weather up here is very different from Long Island....The weather forecast for North Eastern PA is usually the same everyday... cold, cloudy with a chance of snow showers.....


        Today's post is about adding antiques and vintage pieces to your rooms.

    I have been visiting antique shops for many years. Something I just love to do. I don't know why I love to wander around antique shops. It's more than adding an antique or vintage piece to my home. I find the hunt fascinating and interesting. Looking at and admiring pieces that others used in their home long ago. Some of the items were used for everyday living and others were for beauty. I wonder how some of these items wind up in an antique shop.  Did the owners not  have any use for them? Did the family members that inherited them think they were old fashioned and outdated? Maybe there wasn't anyone left and the houses contents went to auction. For what ever reason they are left behind. I will give these treasures a new home.
   Most times I don't usual have anything in mind to buy. but I always leave with at least one new treasure.

     There are so many antique shops where we live.  Last week we went to Lewisburg, Pa. There were two giant antique shops..three floors high...over 100 vendors. I thought I died and went to heaven!!! 

    I believe adding antiques to a room adds another layer of design and beauty. They add a warmth and a sense of history. In my opinion there isn't any new item that has the patina of an antique. There are no right and wrongs when looking for antique or vintage items for your home. Buy what you love! Buy what speaks to you! When you love it you will find a place for it.

       Every antique we bring into our home preserves a little piece of history.


     Below are a few pictures of some of the antiques and vintage pieces I have in our home.

Some I found and others were gifts. My daughter-in-law Lisa and I share the love of antiques. She has given me some of the most beautiful pieces I own.

   

     
   
                                                                            sue

  

For the Love of Toile!

Hello Everyone!

      Well it's Saturday!! Where did the week go? We've had a week of cloudy ,foggy, rainy weather.  It was a great week to catch-up on housework. I also spent many hours enjoying all those magazines that I put aside during the holidays. I love a good decorating magazine. It's where I get most of my ideas. They have a way of transporting me to another place. When Phil sees me sitting with a pile of magazines he gets this worried look. He knows it means I'm going to make changes in the décor.
.........I don't think he'll ever get used to it!!!

     Today I'm going to talk about something I love...Toile

     Just a little history....
The word toile can refer to Toile de Jouy- this is a printed fabric often depicting a romantic pastoral theme in simple repeat. The pattern is a one-color print usually black, blue, or dark red on an off white or unbleached ground. Originally produced in Ireland in the mid 18th century they became very popular in Britain and France. The phrase Toile de Jouy refers to a town in the south-west suburbs of Paris.
    
    I love using this fabric in my home. It is not only pretty to look at it is easy to decorate with. Toile blends beautifully with plaids, checks and stripes It makes matching fabrics in a room easy. In fact most Toile fabrics have coordinating fabrics.The patterns on the fabric is what I love the most. Romantic pastoral scenes are my favorite. They show the life of the people of the time. They tell a story. Many times a love story- courtship,a proposal, a picnic and so many more. There also are scenes with animals and children in many different  color combinations.Something for everyone And something for every home.
 
     I believe the master of using Toile fabric in decorating is Charles Faudree. He was a decorator that was noted for his Country French design. In my opinion no one did Toile as well as he did. I have learned so much from his many books.
 
   Below I'd like to share a few pictures of the Toile that is in my home.
                                                     I never have enough!!
    

Bedroom Pillows

                                                             

                                                                       

Bathroom Shower Curtain

Dining Room Chair

Sue

        
                                                        

Guest Room II

Happy Monday!

Hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was wonderful! We went to New York City Friday night to see the musical "A Bronx Tale." It was our Christmas gift from our kids. They know that the theater is one of our favorite things to do.  The play was awesome! We had a great Italian dinner at one of Lidia Bastianich's restaurants. She is one of my favorite cooks. The food was out of this world!!

Sunday we headed back to New York to visit our kids and grandkids. We were busy but it was a great weekend!!!

Do you have a room in your house that you just love the way it looks?
For me it's this second guest room. Every time I go shopping I always seem to bring home something new for this room. No matter what it is, big or small, it always seems to look great. Decorating this room never seems to be a struggle. I know I am more creative. I am not afraid of trying new things. I feel much more confident and at ease.

I have changed the bedding in this room three times since we move here. It's not that I didn't like the other two bed linens. It's that I always seem to find new things that I fall in love with for this room.
I found this Ralph Lauren dust ruffle and shams on Etsy. I just love it!!

I wish I knew why this room is so easy for me. Have I found my true style?

                                       

I'll have to think about that!!!!




                                                               sue

French inspired Guest Room

     This is probably my favorite room in the house. The French iron daybed came with us from our other house. It's one of those pieces I fell in love with years ago and still love it as much today. The room is small, but that seems to add to its cozy feeling..

     I just love the bedspread. I can't seem to resist the color gray. I find it such a calming color. Gray and white have become my favorite go to colors lately. I know there are a lot of pillows on the bed. To me the more the better!!!

My granddaughter Sarah loves this bed. When she comes to visit she goes straight to this room and snuggles up on pillows. I know she thinks it's Sarah's bed!!! lol

This is the view from the bedroom window.....How Beautiful winter can be!!

                                                            

                                                                     Sue

Thoughts for the New Year...

Happy Monday!
        
    Today my thoughts are on the changes I would like to make to our home. I have a million ideas in my head. All I have to do is put them into action. In fact that is one of my New Year resolutions for 2017...To FINISH what I start. I have many half finished projects and a million more in my head that never even were started. I need a Plan!!!   
                                                    
My Aunt Sara, always made decorating seem so easy. She loved the whole process of putting a room together either in her own home or her clients, She had many beautiful homes in her day. I remember about six of them. Each one more beautiful than the last. I was amazed at how they all seemed so different, even though she used the same furnishing in each home. The fact that she loved what she owned was one of her qualities I admired. She would recover a piece of furniture or add a few new antiques but never start over with new furniture. Aunt Sara remodeled new and old homes. My favorite was a home on Long Island. It was built by a shipbuilder for his family in 1850.
When Aunt Sara finished decorating that home it was restored to the beauty it once was. It was warm and cozy rich with history. I believe it was her favorite too.
                       
So why are my thoughts on my Aunt Sara today? As I begin this New Year to complete making this new home feel warm and inviting I can't help to remember what she taught me through her words or example.
Some time ago my Aunt Sara agreed to help me renovate our master bedroom. She had a vision for this room. We walked around the room together as she shared her vision with me. I was in such
 awe of how she was going to transform this bedroom. Her vision became a plan as she showed me a new layout for the furniture, and the fabric we would use for the new drapes and bedding. Her plan was set into action as we together moved the furniture and installed the new draperies  and bedding. The completed bedroom was so beautiful!! I only wish I had pictures to show you. That was before iphones.

Today my goal is put into practice what my aunt taught me. I have a vision for our new townhouse I will create a plan from that vision . Most importantly I will put that plan into action.

I am looking forward to sharing this vision and plan with you on this blog.

Thank you Aunt Sara! Miss you!!



                                                       - Sue-

The Holiday Season Coming to an End

Today we begin to say good bye to the Holiday Season. I just started to pack everything away for next year. The Christmas tree and the outside lights will remain until January 6, "Little Christmas."

Why is it  always much more exciting to put the decorations up then take them down?

Before we say good bye I thought I'd share some pictures taken around the house during the Christmas season.

                                                                       

                                                love ya!
                                               sue