WHY AM I SMILING?

Well, because it's White Wednesday and I have something sooo fabulous to show you:)

                                                                                            Photo by Suzy

This gorgeous pink and white millinery hat just took my breath away. Yes, sad but true, hats will do it to me;)
Click on it to see just how beautiful it is. Just jam packed with gorgeousness! AND it was made in Paris!

I was in the kitchen and kept smelling this wonderful scent but couldn't find it. lol, It was these lillies! When I bought them they were closed up. Beautiful and they make the whole kitchen smell like Easter. I need to get some of these for the garden as soon as I find out what kind they are. Does anyone know?

 OK HERE IS THE FABULOUSNESS I was talking about.  WOODEN LOCKERS!!! They came out of an old School house. I have been looking for  metal lockers for a while now but haven't found any that spoke to me. Well, these yelled to me from across the flea market field. They have a little shelf in the top each one and and small hooks for coats and hats. They are white and chippy. I can imagine little children putting their tiny books, pencils and coats in them. Aren't they great? Have you ever seen wooden ones before? I think once I clean them up they are going into the first floor foyer. I'll post to show you how they look when I do. Right now they are in the middle of my library so I need a plan asap;)

 AND look at the gorgeous Wedding Gown! I wish I had a gown like this when I got married. It is so fluffy and wonderful. It even came with extra buttons. And for $10.00 I had to bring it home;) Also brought home my weekly flowers. My favorite flower guys won't be back until next Spring. I'll miss their sunny personalities  and their happy flowers:)

Old hinges and even a lock for tiny fingers.

 Love how the black is coming through on this locker.

Now don't forget to head on over to Kathleen at Faded*Charm for more White Wednesday. She has the best White Wednesday bloggers. I am  going to head over to visit with you too:)

'Till next time............

~Debra XXX

P.S

I just had to share this you all of you who like to burn candles. Have you tried Better Homes and Gardens Scented Wax cubes from Walmart???? $2.00 and the yummiest scents ever.

I dropped a bag of radishes and the dogs quickly ate as many as they could get a hold of. Well, lets just say I'm burnin' candles, incense and wax cubes. And they will NOT be sleeping in my room tonight;)

WELCOME TO OUR LIBRARY

Hello Everyone:)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was great. For one, our doors are back on the house!!!!(see last post lol). We went to a Halloween party which gets better every year. And we did the markets. You know I love my markets. Wait until you see what I found!!!!!!Next post:)

I have had requests to see more of the rooms in our house. Thank you for that:)  As many of you know, we live in a 1700's barn, fun, fun, fun, to decorate. And decorating is my passion, so I am deeply flattered that you are interested. You may want to grab a cuppa as this post is a little long, a mini book;) I hope you get inspired:) Click to enlarge photos. So..........

Welcome to the library...

The floor plan to the barn is of course open, but this is the first room you see when you enter. That is not a dining room table, it is my library table. I was given an old door to make it. I painted it "that green" and explained to Don what I wanted and he made this fabulous table. HE is the best:) We topped it off with vintage photos and glass to cover it. It is a great place when I am doing paperwork.  I have eight chairs that I have tied a cream colored tulle around. The chairs are all different and I paid $5.00 or less for each of them. So you see, this is a do able project and it doesn't have to be as large as a door you can do the same with a shutter too. How cool would that be?

We have an old fashioned feed and lumber store in town. I just love the place. Upstairs is where they sell tag sale things. I bought this wonderful, already white, table there. But I love layers and linens so I layered it.  Love the look. The large wooden bowl is full of twine, white and brown that I am always refilling because there is always a need for me to use it.

It is always nice to have a cozy warm fire to sit by.  Here again I have layered mirrors and my whites in front of that. The candle holder at the bottom is from a Church a reminder of Catholic school. Everything  here is from my treasure hunting at markets and tag sales.  Love it....................

This little settee is from an Antique shop. I covered it and just love it. But it needed something else so I draped an antique tablecloth over it and some cushy pillows. Perfect:)

Don and I and some friends stayed overnight at an old Inn here is CT one weekend and I fell in love with their red walls. The day we came home I was at the paint store buying red paint for the library. Paint is not expensive and really makes a statement. It is a great back drop for more books. Have I told you how much I LOVE BOOKS!!!!!!!I love the way they look, feel and smell:) I read and reread them all of the time. There isn't many nights you won't find me reading or drawing. Such a wealth of information. So much inspiration and knowledge just waiting to be enjoyed and absorbed. Fabulous!!!
Most of the photos are of my family. I cherish all of them:) I love the patina silver gets and kept finding these great coffee pots, etc.  I like how they look with the photos and red walls. Sometimes I will take about 5 of them and put put them in the kitchen farm table and fill them with flowers. I like to use the old things I buy.

Here is one of my cozy sofas. It actually has a white slipcover on but again with the layers. I love to see the beauty of handmade crochet pieces, don't you? The pillows, I made. They were some of the ones I sold on Maisonstgermain.com. More books and fresh flowers finish off the table.

This chair I have to say is one of my favorites! I got it for free. I posted before and after photos of it in the past. I painted it,recovered it in a nubby fabric and then added vintage lace. I stuffed the seat extra and it is so comfy. I layered it with a vintage tablecloth and some of my handmade pillows. Since I have never taken a class to recover furniture, and I am always finding something to recover, I am happy with the results. I love a challenge!!!!!!!....and a free chair;)

OK, so what does someone do when they have a ton of books, in book cases, on the floor besides chairs, stacked everywhere......they buy another table for them of course:) I mean after all this is my library, right?
I hope you have enjoyed this little tour today. I loved having you over:) Stay tuned for more rooms...

'Till next time........................
~Debra XXX

GIVE ME STRENGTH

Last night we had a wind storm. It knocked out electricity for many people. We were lucky, only a few branches came down and the yard is a mess, no biggie. But boy is it cold and again windy today! I think winter is closer than I thought.

Nicole, the girls and I went out this morning ,all bundled up to keep warm ,to have a delicious breakfast. Then off to pick up a few things at the store and headed home. We planned on a warm cup of tea and some chit chat. It was about 10:30 a.m..

This is what we came home to.

How cute, Dante loves to play with his toys. This one is his favorite. But.... what is he.... looking at so intensly?

Awwww, Fergie grazing again on what ever plants are left in
the yard. How sweet:) Good for the digestion. And that reminds me to remember to buy rug cleaner.... but I digress.
HUH?

WHAT THE........!!!!!!!!!

Who are you and where are my front doors?!!! Are you crazy???It is freezing and windy outside!!!! Why why why??????? Is what I was thinking;)

" Hi guys, what's goin' on?" "Gee, it looks like some project you have going on there" is what I said.....

.....It is now 6:14 p.m.  and I can't tell you how cold it is in here. They are singing and laughing!!!!!It is getting dark and the doors are still off of the house!!!!! I can't get warm, can see my breath and am on my 8th cup of tea. Not to mention that I just saw a little gray mouse running across the livingroom!!!!! The joke is on him if he thinks he is getting warm in here tonight. Things are falling off of the window sills from the banging. I won't even talk about the fact that they are using a saw and all of the dust from it was being blown throughout the house from the hurricane like winds outside. I am trying to forget that it took 4 years to complete the treehouse deck. I feel like screaming WHY WHY WHY Please someone wake me up?????? But I won't because this is very important to them and I am a giver.....and I am going upstairs with my 9th cup of tea to find the sleeping bag and to cuddle with the cat. Maybe I will wake up tomorrow and this will all have been a bad dream.

Hope you all have a warm weekend:)

'Till next time.........
Your blue lipped friend, ~Debra XXX

SCORE!!!

Hello Everyone:)

How was  your weekend? Ours was great. The weather here in New England is crisp now and the leaves are turning lovely shades. There is nothing like Fall in New England. Beautiful foliage, apple picking and lots of pumpkins and gourds. And the air smells so yummy.

Some of the flea markets only have about another month to go. We went to two of them this weekend and boy did I score:) We woke up early and it was still dark.I wanted to share with you what I found.

 I bought 4 of these wagon wheels. I don't know what it is about them, but I just love them.

                                    This very loved bird house complete with a nest inside came home with me.

                                                       It is a little white barn.

 OK, THIS is the best deal of the weekend!!!!!! I know you have seen  some of my vintage dress forms before but I have  found another unique one. Well, it is unique to me.

 LOOK, she has a butt!!! Have you ever seen one like this? The gentleman who sold it to me said it was used to make fitted skirts. I just love it.

 It is complete with the cage at the bottom and the peddle to raise and lower it. Now I have to find the perfect place to put her:)

 My favorite flower guys were there selling gorgeous flowers as always. Just look at these roses. I wish you could smell them. My granddaughter told me that they were delicious:) I will smile every morning when I come down stairs  and see them. I really miss the guys during the winter. Their personalities are are so cheerful, they really make my day:)

 This great ironstone pot is another find. It is perfect for my weekly flowers. Love the handle.

 These two silver crumb catchers were too pretty to pass up. They have lots of detail.

 Sorry, this photo is turned the wrong way. But these brushes are also a favorite find. They are old large wallpaper brushes. Again, I don't know why I love brushes so much, I just do;) I have never seen little brown shoes like this, usually white so I brought them home too.

 Have you ever seen these pin cushion dolls? They are soooo pretty. She will sit on the shelf with my other 5 girls.

 Again with the sideways photo:(  The is a very old wall pocket. I think I will fill it with cuttings of ivy.

An ironstone pot, old clock, mirror, and millinery flowered hat. I have collected different hand mirrors for a while now. I am planning on hanging them all on a wall. I want to re-wallpaper the one wall in my bathroom
and then I will hang them.

As you can see, it was a very successful weekend:) Now I have to find fabulous places to display everything. That is something I totally enjoy. It is a good thing that I have my trusty cart to hall everything to the truck;)

What did you do this weekend????? I would love to know:)

'Till next time......
~Debra XXX

AN EARLY HAPPY WHITE WEDNESDAY TO YOU

Happy White Wednesday Everyone! (I am a little early, I know;)

I am joining Kathleen over at Faded Charm Blog today. Be sure to check her out and find more inspiration.

 We are fortunate to have Chestnut beams throughout the barn. This beam is over the sink. I collected some pretty vintage jars, married them with bottle stoppers and placed them in the kitchen. A very easy inexpensive way to decorate any windowsill. This carved angel was only $5.00! Isn't she great?

 I love white vases and buy them when I see them. I get my flowers every week from 'My favorite flower guys' Joe and his Dad. I enjoy picking from a great selection of flowers  and then deciding on which vases I will use for different places in the house.

 I bought these great vintage patina house shutters. I love the different shades of green and blue. Don was sweet enough to take off the pantry door and replace it with these. I attached some pretty lace at the bottom with Velcro. Velcro is great because I can just take off the lace to wash it when I need to. It also adds some charm to the doors, don't you think? Oh, and there is my 'white' ruffly apron hanging besides it.

 A vintage vase filled with dried flowers along with a vase with a glass ornament placed on top. Some ornaments are just too pretty to put away. I enjoy some of the more unusual ones all year long:)

 I found two of these screen cones at the flea market. I decorated it with vintage lace and millinery flowers. I I put some light green flowers inside to dry. Love the look. I am going to make one for our boutique soon. (Enlarge it for a better look)

 This is just the cutest little drying rack. It is only about 14". Being so small I was able to attach it to a beam in the kitchen to display some of my vintage doilies.

 This is a new line of lamp shades that we will be making for Maisonstgermain.com. They are all different and made of vintage lace and gorgeous millinery flowers. We are STILL working on our new boutique site and hope to finish SOON. It is really a lot of work changing over hosts. I am sure those of you who are on line know exactly what I mean;) But so worth it as it is a passion of ours.

            The light looks so pretty through all of this lace!

                                                       So Romantic.

And last but not least, some white flowers wrapped in linen, tied with jute and place inside of a wire basket to hang on my mantel.

Now I am heading over to your White Wednesday Blogs. I am always inspired by them as you are all so creative:)
'Till next time.....
~Debra XXX

IT'S A PINKY CORALLY DAY TODAY

Hello Everyone:)

Gee, I think New England got more rain in two days than we got did all Summer. And the wind? Crazy, scary wind. Not a big fan of wind;)

 I am still enjoying the new setting on my camera and decided to share with you some of my pink and coral things. Hope you enjoy them.  The above photo is of two things I picked up from the Brimfield show. I love the corset, imagine having to lace it up?A zipper on the side would have been much easier.  I put it on the back of a chair and put it in the master bath. The millinery flowers are made from crepe. They are so gorgeous.

This plant is called a Bougainvillea. I believe that is how it is spelled. It is quite large. I am hoping that when it is done dropping its leaves it will take to living indoors. I had a ficus that did the same thing and it lasted a long time.It has the pretties pink flowers and great varigated leaves. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 I hung this little pink tutu in the children's guest room. I have it decorated with lots of vintage toys.  Stella and Maci love to sleep over.

                           This is the same room. Love the pretty pink veil on
                               the old white painted dresser.

This is the guest room that I am still working on. It is the sunniest room in the house. I am thinking of wallpapering one wall with pieces of different wallpapers. I saw a picture of a room done like that in a book and in my calendar and think it looks so unique. This was one of the first $5.00 chairs that I recovered.

 Here is the nursery. I have to have a nursery because I 'need' lots and lots of grandchild:) I LOVE being a Grammie. That is a coral Mombasa net over the crib. Cheerful wallpaper on one wall to wake up to.  The last wallpaper was not a hit because Stella ripped it down very quietly while she was supposed to be napping one afternoon. Actually the little sugar took down the wall paper in our 1/2 bath too. Darn they're quick!

 I found this vintage 1931 calender at the flea market one Sunday. I fell in love with it and tacked it on the front of a cupboard in my bathroom.

Well, there you have it. Pinks and corals for a gray day. I hope you all have an extraordinary weekend, the weather is supposed to be sunny!

'Till next time.....
~Debra XXX