Farm Table

Little Farm Table in the City

Donna at Funky Junk asked to see everyone's farm tables. 

I'm late to the party but wanted to share my little farm table.

You wouldn't really expect my little city cottage to have a farm table but it does...

This little table has been with me for about 25 years bought at an estate sale for $11.

It came with this original chippy paint finish.

I did wash it really good after I bought it. 

This little table has been used mostly as a dining table in every apartment I lived in. 

It's surprisingly large when the leaves are raised.

I've always loved it's color.

Now it sits in my breakfast nook. 

I think Harvey has decided he likes to get his picture taken.

He always seems to try to get in the shot.

I couldn't resist taking a portrait. He just sat there looking up at me and let me take several. 

He's a very good boy. He's my baby. 

Of all the dogs...he's the one that I feel like we all have to take care of.

He is wondering where his food is in this shot, I'm sure.

I had to put it up because it was making Sally sick.

Sally has a delicate stomach, most dog foods make her sick.

I'd bought them new diet food, of the same brand they usually eat and it made Sally very sick.

So I had put the food up till I could get some rice in Sally's tummy so that she wouldn't eat the dog food.

A couple of days of rice and she'll be good as new and I'll get her back on the regular food.

Why did I buy the biggest bag possible of this food?

Drat...because I'm not sure how I'll keep her out of it. So I might have to throw it out. 

Or take to a shelter that will need it.

It's hard when you have four dogs that all have different food needs.

Harvey desperately needs diet food. 

Violet and Newman can eat anything and they just nibble so they don't get overweight.

Then Sally, nibbles too but many foods cause her gastric distress.

I just got this huge glass cloche. A month or so ago I was lucky and won a giveaway

from Therese at

http://ladolfina.blogspot.com/

If you haven't been by Therese's blog...you must...

She has the most exquisite taste. Here is an example of what you'll see there

This is her recently purchased buffet that compliments her dining room and large collection of 

coral and sea fans. Her home is so fabulous. She always has an unusual unexpected spin on decor. 

I'd say...Unexpected yet Beautiful. She always has great ideas.

Therese's living room...beyond gorgeous!

So through La Dolfina...I won a $100 gift certificate from 

http://www.jossandmain.com/

Have you shopped there? They have like three specials a day. Discounts on high end home goods.

So I'd been watching their sales for weeks and one day this popped up.

I'd been wanting a large glass cloche for a long time so I snapped this up.

See...only 7 left when I bought!

I mainly wanted this for display at Halloween and Christmas but I popped a fern under it for today's photos.

It's really a big one and turned out it fit perfectly over a silver platter 

I'd picked up for $1 recently at a junk shop.

I'm sure it will be showing up on the blog quite a bit in the future filled with all kinds of things. 

I'm still shopping Joss and Main looking for that special thing to spend the rest of my $100 on.

So much fun to shop for free.

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Loved The Hat!!!

Someone has a sense of humor

I loved Beatrice's hat!

Eugenie's was fun too.

Cheeky!

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Kate's Wedding Dress

The Big Day

I wasn't going to watch....

but I was up and I thought...I might as well stay up and watch it all.

The dress was modern, yet traditional.

Some say similar to Grace Kelly's.

I thought the ring was not going to go on for a second.

I have to say I was a little disappointed in the dress. I wasn't thrilled with the neckline.

It seemed very ordinary. But it was tasteful.

What did you think?

I'd kill my groom if he decided to wear a red coat.
It looked like she was marrying a lion tamer.

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MVL Book Club #1

Undecorate

I fell in love with this image from the book

as many of you did when I showed it on my blog last week. 

written by Christiane Lemieux of 

I had every intention of writing up a review and beginning the MVL Book Club yesterday, Wednesday.

But....that was because I thought this book would be like most decorating books I buy.

I buy them because of the photos and glance through them and toss them aside after a few minutes.

So when I finally had a moment to pick this one up to actually browse...

I was surprised that four hours later I was still engrossed.

I read every bit of it. So that delayed my review.

There are many homes examined in this book and the narrative is very interesting. 

Each home owner tells about how they came upon the design decisions they made or created 

the spaces they inhabit.

That image of the girlie bed with the log wall background is from an actual log house in Nashville.

I never thought I could see myself living in a log house but the way this one is put together, I so could.

It's rustic, it's modern, it's vintage, it's friendly, it's girlie....it's just wonderful.

And a space that is very personal to the homeowners.

Log walls, vintage and modern furniture, modern art plus a little toile. 

A very eclectic mix.

The homeowner built this pink credenza for his little girl's room. Isn't it fab?

This book is all about creating very personal spaces.

It's called "Undecorate" because these homes were not professionally decorated or designed.

But....I do have to say that the people who put these homes together are very artistic and creative.

This book is all about how their homes evolved. How they took things that were important to them 

and included them in their living spaces. They took what they loved and made it work.

As example: one home is a very large urban loft that the owner bought to house 

his collection of six vintage jaguars.

He and is wife live in a large open concept with the jaguars as the centerpiece.

They sleep in a vintage airstream trailer that has been brought inside the building.

They have a vegetable garden on the roof.

Talking about conventional decorating books, Christaine (the author) says -

"Most real people don't hire a decorator and then expect to move into a flawlessly furnished 

house six months later. The most stylish people these days understand this fundamental 

aspect of good living; it's always evolving. 

Great style isn't necessarily a finished product so much as it is an ongoing process."

" Undecorating isn't haphazard style; it's not thought free. It's about being guided by something other 

than the traditional constraints – whether it's your commitment to the environment, or your love of 

polka dots, or the fact that you want to feel like you're in Paris when you live in Peoria."

There are a wide variety of styles of homes shown in this book.

But even if your style is very traditional, there are great ideas you can take from the modern spaces shown in the book too.

This image from the author's own home. 

 So the theme of the book is

"The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design"

It's about doing what feels right to you and not following trends. Incorporating the things you love 

and letting your interior spaces evolve. Spaces that are specific to the way YOU live.

I highly recommend this book. I don't know that I would say that this book is really about Undecorating....

I think it's very much "Decorating" but just doing it in your own way...

not someone elses.

Have you read this book yet? Let me know what you think.

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Garden Fountains

Flowing with Water

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I think every garden needs a beautiful fountain.

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I have had one the last few years.

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A small wall fountain.

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But it really hasn't done much for my garden but 

increase the mosquito population.

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So much so that every year, I end up draining it and taking it down.

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But I have a new plan for this year. 

No water...

I'll fill it will flowers and plants instead.

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I'm planting it today full of an assortment of plants including money wort and ferns.

The money wort will flow over the sides and out of it like water. 

I'll show photos as soon as it's planted. 

I actually think a fountain full of flowers makes just as good, 

if not a better focal point in the garden.

And there won't be the pesky mosquitos to deal with.

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