A Trip, Treasures, and a Tri-fold

Be forewarned:  I'm all over the place with this post.

A bit unlike my usual style,

but I have so much to share with you,
that I'm unloading it all at once.  lol

It begins in the master bathroom.

The bathroom I claimed as my own when we moved here.
The bathroom where I oohed and ahhhed the first time I walked in.
(The bathroom where I stroke the bead board walls periodically just because they're there.)

I'd been wanting to replace this light for the past seven years.

I always wondered why an outdoor light was installed in there.
A couple years ago, I dry brushed it with creamy white to soften the look a bit.
It grew on me after a while.
So, I embraced it and learned to live with it.

After Debbie said she liked it because it reminded her of a lantern on a gypsy wagon,

I reeeally loved that thought ~

And I hesitated about changing it out...

for a moment.

But once the Husband wired this antique sconce I brought home from Michelle's booth at the antique market last month,

I was smitten.

It added a sweet touch of vintage bling to my favorite room in this old farmhouse.

A bit of sweet elegance against the sweet bead board walls.

Yep.  Totally smitten.

~  ♥  ~

We celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary last week,
traveling to Lake Michigan through small coastal towns,
stopping at flea markets, antique shops, and fruit stands.
We picked through dusty treasures, dug through boxes of vintage goodies,
and test-squeezed fresh picked peaches before loading them into the car
with sweet juice running down our chins.

We exchanged heartfelt cards over lunch on The Idler, a unique riverboat restaurant in South Haven,
and ate crab cakes, buffalo wings, and artichoke dip.
It was beautiful day spent together.

source

We wandered through numerous antique shops in South Haven and Saugatuck.
While my husband lugged around a vintage outboard boat motor he ended up purchasing,
I couldn't resist these pretties.

There wasn't a price on the china pieces, but after being told they were $4 a piece,
I found myself grinning stupidly while clutching them in my hands.
Vintage beads for my dream catchers and wind catchers were a happy find,
and a faded Simply Shabby Chic tablecloth I pulled from the bottom of a box beneath a table was only $5.





But the pink and lilac tapestry with a black silk border was my favorite discovery of the day.
Four feet of embroidered flowers and elegant flourishes, beading, and sequins
that I unearthed from a pile of linens under an old table.
The embroidery is exquisite and so unique.
It's a beautiful piece of shabby bohemian goodness.

~  ♥  ~

I recently purchased some RASC fabric and asked
a friend of mine to make a couple of Euro shams for me.

I love the 'Somerset' pattern.
I could only find the fabric in white though, so I dyed it a pale lavender-blue.
It's perfect snuggling next to 'Mon Ami'.

The purples and blues are soothing, and 'ground' the room a bit
amid the white and pinks.

 ~  ♥  ~

As much as I'm loving my bathroom and the new shams on the sofa,
this corner of the living room is currently giving me fits.
Big fits.
The "I-can't-stand-to-look-at-it-anymore-and-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it " kind of fits.

Behind that beautiful fabric is a tri-fold door
that needs.....something.

You're probably wondering why the fabric is draped there.

Well, this is what they looked like when I bought them a couple years ago at the antique market.
They looked wonderful with the French-Nordic decor I had in the house at that time.
Simple, elegant, and very French.

This is what they looked like after I waved my magic rustic wand over them.
I spray painted the doors. Then, after spray painting the chicken wire, too,
stapled that to the back of the doors.

So much better.
Cleaner. Brighter. Airier.

BUT
{sigh}
I've grown tired of the chicken wire...
AND the fabric
(and maybe of the doors themselves....?)
They're not just speaking to me any more for some reason.
They're actually driving me nuts.





I hung an embroidered pashmina on one door
and some of my favorite linen fabric on the other doors to cover up the chicken wire,
and to add a bit of soft color there in the corner.

But now it just looks messy to me.

{sigh}

So, I'm changing them up....
...again...
to see if my new idea sings to my soul.

I'll let you know if I hear any music....  :)

{If I don't, I'll just go back to stroking the bead board in my bathroom...}



~  Blessings  ~

Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar!

A Bit of Blue

Blues, purples, and lavender are blooming at Heaven's Walk.

Not only out in the gardens, 

but inside as well.

There just something about mixing those deep, magical colors 

with blush pink that sweeps me off my feet.

Delphiniums, roses, and fluffy little carnations

plunked into a French body pitcher.

I think this is my favorite mix of flowers yet.

Pale pinks create a serene still-life on the living room fireplace mantel.

A whisper of lavender on the vase grounds it.

New iridescent blue Carnival glasses were discovered at a cold, rainy antique market this past weekend.

Shimmery purple and deep green seemingly glow from within the azure blue.

There just seems to be something very gypsy-like about these glasses.

When placed in rooms, the color blue adds depth and interest.

Two additional sconces (just like the ones I brought home last month)

were purchased from a dear friend, Michelle at reimagined just for you.

She was kind enough to sell me two more.

A German luster mug and small rose bowl were added to my small collection.

A pretty blue needlepoint canvas piece was purchased for only $9.50.

It may become a pillow.

It may just add texture and interest to vignettes...

One of the sconces was hung in the guest room.

The second one will replace the outdoor light that currently resides in my bath.

A bit of blue and a bit of bling.

It's always a good thing.

~  Blessings ~

Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.