Monday, January 30, 2012

The Past comes Home....


I received a somewhat startling box in the mail recently, I say startling because it was a blast from the past. Even though I’m barely 51 years young my family is gone having followed each other in just under three years time. So it was with shock, melancholy, a few tears and laughter I dug through my box.


My parents divorced when I was ten so I didn’t realize there were still any pictures of them together. Yep, this is my Mom and Dad looking happy and way, way to young to have just been married in 1955. I say way to young because my Mom was 17 and my Dad was 20, they looked so happy and the sterling frame is in fabulous condition.


The guy on the left is my Dad's Dad, my Grandpa Lester my Grandma, his wife, had passed three years prior. The very young and hip looking woman on the right is my Mom’s Mom, my Grandma Dorothy. We won’t go into her marital status but lets just say she enjoy men and married over and over and over again.  (Why is it I don’t remember my Dad having dumbo ears….wholly cow someone should have stapled those things down!)


There’s Dear ole Dad and judging by his ears they must have stapled those bad boys back at some point. (Or else his neck falling down yanked them back.) How do you like those pants and white shoes? This picture must be from the 70’s and boy did my Dad sport that flat top a long time. I don’t think I ever recall him having a different hairstyle.


A year after my parents married along came my brother Jeff and looking at his picture from when he was 10 the ear thing ran with the males in our family. (Thankfully my ears layback very nicely thank you.) My brother was only three years older than me but at 48 an embolism took him suddenly. You just never know when your number is up so enjoy each day.


There was a small packet that turned out to be a bunch of letters written in the sixties from my Grandpa Lester to his new wife. Cute he called Geneva his little half and that’s why I could only bring myself to read one letter. There was this feeling of being voyeuristic and I couldn’t bring myself to go there.


Oddly enough with fifty or so letters only a few had been open. They wrote each other back and forth but odd they never opened the letters.


I never met my Dad’s Grandparents, my great grandparents but now I have a piece of them, their silverware. It’s mostly all there and silver plate but it’s still pretty. I hope once I go through rest of the pictures I find a picture of my great-grandparents, wouldn’t that be a hoot. Nothing like having four generations come knocking at your door huh? Have you had any surprises lately from your past?

I hope you all enjoy your week!
~Debra~



Sunday, January 22, 2012

I'm Back and Thank You!


Sorry I’ve been so quiet the past week or so but Mister Man felt the need to share his cold from H-E-L-L germs with me and I’ve been laying low mainly because I didn’t have a functioning brain cell. I’m hoping it’s on its way out of my system so I can get back to my life and blogging.


During the holiday Season I was lucky enough to win not one but two fabulous giveaways. The first a beautiful book from Trinidad, Martin and Johan over at Atelier de Campagne Antiques from the French magazine Jeanne d’Arc Living called French Atmospheres.


If you haven’t seen this book yet don’t wait rush and find a copy on the Internet, sorry I looked and it isn’t available on Amazon. It’s filled with beautiful French images sure to make your heart swoon. Thank you guys I love the book!!!



The Second giveaway I won was a fabulous French giveaway with not one but four treats!  Caroline over at Boho Farm and Home blog is always hard at work around her urban farm and if you’ve never visited her do so you’re in for a treat.


Two of the items she sent along was Boho Farm Rose Jelly made by Caroline from her very own tea roses and is all organic …love that. I even tried it on my pancakes this morning and if Caroline shares this jelly may I say BUY SOME! The second item in my box was some Kusmi Christmas Tea and I’ve been drinking that all last week thanks to my bad cold.


Another item in my box was a French Azure Urn Tea Towel, nice and big and in my colors since I use green in my kitchen as the only accent color.


Last but not least was this fabulous book by Kathryn Ireland called Summers in France She has a wonderful laid-back way of styling beautiful things and it’s full of helpful tips. Reading and looking at the pictures in this book makes me want to own my own home in the French countryside. Thank you Caroline I truly do appreciate everything you sent!

Now I need to ask for your HELP!

I wantedo let you know that blogger seems to be acting up here and there and I’ve been unable to leave comments for some of you. I’ve tried over and over and the screen goes white and doesn’t come back on. So if anyone else is having this problem and knows how to fix it I would appreciate the heads up.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and stay well!
Debra~

Sunday, January 8, 2012

As old as time....Stonework


Book: The French Cat

Have you ever admired stones from afar whether they were steps or some intricately worked structure and wish you could incorporate that feature into your garden?

Veranda, August 2009

Hoping against hope those ancient stones lead to a place of beauty all your own?

Michael Trapp

A secret garden not typically meant for viewing by others.....

Country French 2011

Book: The French Cat

Traditional Home Magazine October 2009

A place to sit and relax and enjoy the sounds of the peace around and within you?

Southern Accents, 2004

Veranda

I’m very fortunate to have such a place, a world to call my own where I can enjoy Mother Nature and a glass of wine but first it needs some dressing.

My image of our carriage barn

I asked for stones for Christmas and Mister Man was kind enough to search them out for me. Beautiful rough-cut slabs of granite stones perfect for steps that will lead up and around to our secret garden. See that small hill going up and around the carriage barn? That’s where we’ll start placing 6-7 foot long stones weighing in at over a thousand pounds a piece for steps.

Some of our stones
 
 
My image

Around back I’ve already place a plinth and antique urn. Our secret garden will overlook our back yard which is lower and surrounded by old stonewalls that hold the earth back. Our carriage barn is built into the side of the mountain that's why the height difference.

My image

The stone steps will lead up and around to this area our secret garden, it isn’t much to look at now but just you wait……

My image

That cut out area is where Mister Man is going to install a stone patio off the French doors. The patio will also be made up of thick granite stones and just the other day when Dylan dog and I were out mucking around we came upon a perfect stone for our patio…don’t worry it’s on our property.

My image

It’s perfect covered in moss but since a small single stone such as this weighs 300 pounds Dylan dog and I left it for Mister Man to haul around for the patio.

Book: Italian Rustic

When our patio is finished it’ll look like this image and we’ll place moss in the cracks. We’re going to turn our secret garden into something a bit old world European with everything in shades of green. I hope you stay tune to watch our journey.

Do any of you have stone features that you could share a tip or two with Mister Man and myself, we would love to hear.






Friday, January 6, 2012

Guest Post & I'm a DITZ!


Jean-Loup Daraux

Unbelievable I’m guest posting today over at Tina’s place The Enchanted Home and I had this post scheduled to go up tomorrow instead of today…opppsss! My bad! Anyway go on over and have a look-see and if you have a big room this is for you. Tell Tina the Ditz sent you! If you find this post on Saturday just click here to go have a look.

I hope everyone is having a great start to this New Year!


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