Objects of Affection!

Splendid Willow

 

I need to tell you a little something about myself….I’m highly suggestible when it comes to objects. I know instantly if I love something and then I go on a mission to find whatever it is. My latest obsession is an antique French plaster plaque that I’m blaming on Mon over at Splendid Willow and Loi at Tone on Tone.

 

Yep, this picture is a small area in Monika’s home and I love how she did a little something extra with the Kanji black marks….gives her plaque some emphasis  don’t you think?

 

 Tone on Tone

Then Loi came drifting on the scene with his amazing plaque and I was off and running trying to find a plaque of my own. I want his fabulous green secretary too but that’s for another time.

 

 Master Henriks
 

I love pieces of artwork that have life of their own and make a simple statement. I'm all about keeping it simple and elegant.

 

 Veranda
 

Veranda came out with simple flower medallions on faded worn wood and I was over the top. I need to find something with that aged green color I love it!

Tone on Tone

 

Loi at Tone on Tone kept torturing me with yet another fabulous plaque when he did a post on designer Frank Randolph's home that was featured in Veranda.

 

Trouvais

 

Are you noticing how these simple works of art work in any setting and with any type of furniture?

When I saw this grouping of plaster plaques offered at an auction I knew there were plenty out there to be found and I only needed one!

 

My Plaque
 

Lucky me I finally found an antique French plaster plaque of my own two weeks ago complete with aging. The sucker is big and heavy so wherever I decide to hang it Mister man is going to have to do a little work so it doesn’t rip down the plaster wall. I found this item at  Alhambra Antiques and have purchased many things from Olga and have been thrilled with every piece.
 

Judy Frankel Antiques

 

Now I’m on the lookout for a small industrial looking cabinet like this one for our downstairs bathroom that I showed a small part of last week. Shame this was sold because it was the perfect size for my needs.

 

Beth Webb Interiors

 

Now my newest obsession is trying to locate the perfect small bench/stool like the one pictured here. I have a small piece of antique zebra that I’ll be upholstering the seat and then the piece will be going into our newly redecorated living room when it’s finished. How about you what are you hunting for this week?

 

I’d like to thank Steve over at An Urban Cottage for rescuing so many of us with his post about our reading lists going away. Steve took the time and effort to find options for us to transfer our lists…so thank you Steve I know you saved me!

 

Short week this week for all of us and I would like to wish all of you a happy and safe 4^th of July celebration. We’re going to be doing extra celebrating around our household because it’s also Mister Man’s birthday!

 

Happy 4^th of July everyone!

xxx

~Debra~

 

 

 

 

Lighting up my Life

An Urban Cottage

 

I’m going to tell you a little something about decorating and me until I find what I want and what I love I would just as soon leave a spot empty. Because of that little tendency of mine we have been without bathroom sconces in our downstairs bathroom for three years! I kid you not. In fact Mister man likes to refer to me as Picky but Patient.

Desire to Inspire

 

Even though we live in an antique home we still like modern touches and don’t want to live in the past. But you also don’t want to take the interior to far from the style of the house. Love this mix of old and new.

 

Elle Decor

 

Our downstairs bathroom is somewhat narrow and long with a high ceiling so we couldn’t have anything that stuck out into the room to far. And the electrical boxes were already in the wall so not like we could move those to a height we needed them to be.

 

 

I choose a modern mirror that echoed an antique pivot mirror so I needed lighting fixtures that worked with the mirror as well. But also something that would soften the modern touch somewhat.

 

 

And we have two different wall treatments going on in that bathroom. Since the bathroom walls are so tall we were able to put beadboard on the lower part of the wall and hang my favorite…grasspaper! So now I was working with a natural texture and a modern fixture. All that was needed was something to bring it all together…..

 

I don't really like this bathroom just the light fixtures but they extend to far out.

 

My image

 

And then I found them at RH the perfect blend of modern and industrial and the shades have a slight feminine touch to soften things.

 

 My image

 

I still have a few other things to do to this bathroom like stick a plant in that pot but the bathroom is headed in the right direction. So how about you, do you settle or wait?

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the summer. Me I’m finally out in the yard and up to my knickers in dirt planting away and couldn’t be happier!

 

Enjoy your week everyone!

 

XXX

~Debra~

 

 

That's Amour or love is in the air!

 

Well we now know spring is here and love is in the air when Dylan and I walked out and were greeted by this guy doing his thing. Yep, that would be a male turkey all blown up and doing his courting dance. Thankfully he was to busy putting on a show to be bothered by me and picture taking.  In case you’re wondering Dylan’s an odd dog he doesn’t chase the animals in our yard he has better things to do then waste his energies chasing birds. He did sit down and watch the show a few minutes.

 

The tom’s blow up with air and spread their feathers and walk in circles constantly turning to give the ladies a full view of what a stud he is and how he would make a great mate. Just look at that foot work!

 

He preens, clucks and gestures to try and get the ladies attention. I think he’s turning blue in the face from holding back all that air that makes him look so big since his head is usually white.

 

What are the ladies doing while the show is going on, they really can’t be bothered most of the time and carry on eating as if nothing special was happening.

 

The males or tom’s are pretty easy to pick out when they aren’t all puffed up by their beards. See that feather hanging down off the front of tom’s chest…that’s his beard.  

 

This is a female turkey and as you can see they’re smaller, don’t have the beards and are much duller in coloring.

 

 

Mister Tom has been dancing about for eleven hours at this point, they’re very dedicated to the end results and he needs a break for dinner.

 

 

I found him an hour later up in this tree all alone and not smoking a cigarette so I’m guessing he didn’t impress the ladies much.

 

They tucked their heads down and under since owls are a predator of theirs and will come along when the turkey is sleeping and …well lets leave it at that shall we!

 

The next morning Tom was right back at it for another day of dancing. About noon when Dylan and I went out Tom was missing and so was one of the ladies so hopefully soon we’ll have babies fluttering about.

 

I know this is a home design blog but sometimes you have to show life around your home. When I’m lucky enough to walk out our front door and see this going on I want to share. And for those of you who like to place big puffed up turkeys on your Thanksgiving table keep in mind why they’re really all puffed up like that…..;)

 

Enjoy your week everyone!

XXX

~Debra~