Swede

Paris: A Love Letter to Mr. Swede

 

To Mr. Swede who is in San Francisco this week.

You were with me at the Paris floral market when we saw this Rose bush - I think you will remember it.  Truly beautiful- just like you.

This love letter is to tell you Thank You for the wonderful weeks in Paris. Only a nice guy would go to 20 museums with his wife. You are not only a nice guy but a true saint. When I was robbed, you never said one word.  Not one word of criticism. Not one "how could you lose that much", not one "you made a poor decision", not one "you idiot", not one "how could you be so stupid".  Not one word.  To me that was a true show of love.  I returned from Paris in mourning.  Not just for the loss of the money I worked for, nor for the personal violation from a stranger, but the loss of love for Paris and its beauty that I so enjoyed.  It will never mean the same to me again.  Paris changed me this year.

I just want to put in writing that I love you even more than I have the past 21 years.  This is love in the good times and the bad times.  The thief may have my money, but she doesn't have a fabulous husband like mine.  I am the winner not the loser.

I am sorry, too, that you had to experience the pickpocket on the metro. He stole your love of travel as well as trust and belief in the goodness of people.  Paris this year showed us the good, the bad and the ugly.  We will overcome, be more thankful for our daily lives and go on to find other beautiful places.  Thanks for being the fabulous man that you are.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

GREAT NEWS!! Swede is in Coty's April Issue of Styling Magazine

 

 

I'm so thrilled to announce that fabulous Australian publisher, Coty Farquhar, included a story on Swede in her April issue released today.

See pages 11, Swede's furniture style on pages 12-13 and a story about us on 96-100.

The April issue is 148 pages of beautiful things not to miss.  So many lovely stories about other women as well.

If you know someone who would enjoy Coty's work, please pass this along.

Summer

Photo: Coty Farquhar

Paris: Visit to the Sevres Porcelain Factory

 

On May 19th, Mr. Swede and I toured the Sevres porcelain factory on the outskirts of Paris.  I had always loved the quality of Sevres work but never imagined I would visit their museum. [You do know that I am not the kind of pre trip planner who studies every map, review and book before I go! I'm lucky if my passport is still current.] You can purchase a Museum Pass at the lower level office at the Louvre [I highly recommend getting a pass]. When I looked at the list of what museums it covered, Sevres was on there.  Mr. Swede wanted to go and lead the way -- good thing I had a personal tour guide as he knew how to get there.

When you get off the train and come up to ground level, you cross the street and then cross over a bridge and it is right there.  You can see it when you get to the bridge.

It had been raining so this photo is a bit misty.

You have arrived. Museum of French ceramics.

As you enter the courtyard, Mr. Bernard Palissy's monument is there. The dates are 1510 to 1590.  Notice how tall the blue and white vases are compared to the tourist at the door.

He is the guy that Palissyware is named after.

When you enter there is a bookstore on your left and the ticket desk. I only found one book printed in English. And, before I go any further, I want to tell you that I had been pronouncing Sevres wrong. When I asked the guy at the desk about books in English, he very swiftly corrected me.  It is "Sev' RUH".  I had been saying "Sev-zzzzz". 

Then you go up these marble stairs to the exhibits. I think these paintings are done on porcelain not canvas.

You enter a large red room and see all these gigantic vases.  I do mean HUGE. The pedestal supports they are on is above my waist and the tops of the vases are way, way, way above my head.

The other side of the room.

My brain just could not grasp all the details of these or understand how an artist could design and make one -- mind boggling to think of what all would have been involved in those years before electricity to produce such masterpieces.

Here are a few close ups of the details. Love the little white face towards the top. I could take this one home.

This really makes me aware that I have no true talent in artistry. I think the lettering says it was made for the President of the Republic of France.

So fabulous. How do they do it?

Pretty green plate. The side rooms were full of glass cabinets with displays of china they had produced there.

Always learning something new - I had never seen this style of deep protective saucer before. Sort of like a little tutu. Sorry but this was taken through security glass.  

How about this?

Must be for Louis Philippe Prince Regent.  I kept seeing RF on things and finaly figured out that meant Republic of France. I want to find one of these at a garage sale, don't you?

Looks like Madame DuBerry shopped there.

And, Catherine The Great of Russia came by for a little shopping.

I just know that if Mr. Swede would let me spend the summer traveling around to all the flea markets in France, I would find some of this. Well, I won't bore you with all the photos of dishes in this museum.

The worst part of it was we were there on a Saturday and the gift shop was CLOSED!!!!  They told us where their retail store was in Paris and we went there the next day.  Can you believe it was CLOSED for remodeling and was going to open back up on May 30th after we had gone home?  Oh well, Mr. Swede now knows where it is.  Remember, honey, it is near that pharmacy.

A little history.  There was not ONE poster in English in the entire museum. I was just kicking myself that I didn't take French in college.

I wouldn't mind using this desk to pay my bills or use my laptop.

Here is one of the factory buildings where they make porcelain. It was under some rennovation.  We could not go in.  I really wanted to watch the process.

If you plan to visit the museum, I hope this gives you a little glimpse of what to expect.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Wedding Beauty: Found at Swans Trail Farms on Snohomish River

 

Mr. Swede's son was married September 9 at Swans Trail Farms on the Snohomish River in Washington state.  The bride and groom asked that photos of the wedding not be posted on the net, so I am only showing photos of the property and no people. 

This outdoor wedding venue has ceremonies at arbors on both ends of this pond.

Love the Cattails.

The wedding was at 5:00PM and it was threatening to rain, so light for photos was not great.

This is the side yard where Rugosa shrub Roses are planted at the top of the boulders.

White Roses - what could be more romantic for weddings?

They were just perfect.

There were many bridal-white flowering plants on the farm like this Lacecap Hydrangea.

And this Clematis vine.

So lovely.

Rustic bridge.

Small stream with little waterfalls that crossed the property and went under the bridge.

Lots of dwarf apple trees encircled the property line around the ponds.

Looks like they make apple cider out of them. Later, I had wished that I had spent more time taking photos of the crops and tractors.

My 1983 wheelbarrow at home will soon become a planter like this one as it is rusting out in the bottom.

Loved the turquoise paint on this old station wagon in the barn.

This cute metal sculpture reminded me of when I had a flip hairdo.

Swans Trail Farms has a building where receptions are held. There is also a large outdoor patio.

Purple placesetting.

 
The mother-in-law of the groom's brother made the cake.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Paris: Florist Shops

 

At last, I'm back!  My computer power supply died but the new one came today and it got my computer back up and running.  I was crossing my fingers that all I needed was a new power supply and that the entire computer had not burnt up. I came home a couple weeks ago to the strange sound of my APC backup unit screaming like a burglar alarm.  Of course, you know Mr. and Mrs. Procrastinator live in this house and never backed up my photo library.  I truly was worried.  Mr. Swede bought me an external hard drive for Christmas, but as mentioned above, it is still in the packaging. Shame! Guess that taught me a lesson. My H-P TouchScreen is only three years old.  I'm so thankful it was just the power supply for $110 and not thousands for a new computer. I bought one on eBay for $22 used but the seller wasn't a registered user so I had trouble trying to pay him with PayPal.  Long story you don't want to hear. Then I had to shell out for a new one from the manufacturer in Hong Kong. At least he ships FedEx.

Today's topic is floral shops in Paris.  Being the everlasting romantic that I am, I had visions of beautiful floral shops on every corner of Paris.  Isn't it funny how we have expectations about places like Paris.  Truth is, I only saw two in the weeks we were there.  One very small one on Isle Saint Louis and the one shown below.  I wish I could tell you where I was when I came across it, but I was so exhausted from walking for eight hours all over town that I didn't know where I was. One of these trips I swear I'm going to take a notepad and write things down -- like street addresses.

I would have loved to buy all the bundles of the big Peony buds and lavish up their beauty -- overdose in them.  The few plants in my garden - I lost another plant this spring -- don't put out many flowers and they are gone so quickly.  Peonies need cold winters and we don't have them.

If anyone recognizes this florist, please send me an email with the name or address so maybe I can find it again.

Look at all those bundles of cinnamon scented Sweet William - another of my favorites. And there are clove-scented Stock and Lilies.

A closer view of the Peony buds. Notice the white ones are over twice the price of the pale pink ones.  No reds.

This bouquet is for you, Marlis!  Hope it reminds you of living in Orleans but doesn't make you homesick.  You must tell me all about living there -- I very much want to hear all about it. Marlis is a lovely follower of my blog.  I love Lupines, especially the coral colored ones but they don't grow here -- too hot.  When we lived near Seattle they grew easily everywhere.

Lovely Roses.

My favorite ones.

Mr. Swede was in Paris again today without me.  All business - no time to take photos for me.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Paris: Locking Up Eternal Love

 

I had heard about the padlock bridge in Paris but never saw good photos of it so I couldn't totally imagine it.  So when we left our apartment on Isle Saint Louis to walk around the second day on Isle de la Cite, we immediately came upon it.  Ah, ha!  So that is what it really looks like.

It would be hard to guess how many padlocks are on this bridge. I wonder how many years of collecting locks this represents. They are hooked around the chain links on both sides of the road. The Seine splits to go around the two islands in the middle, so the channel isn't very wide here.

There was another bridge across the Seine where we saw these also, and a few in public parks where there was chain link fencing,  but this one had the most by far.  Mr. Swede said he also saw a bridge of "love locks" in Cologne, Germany across the Rhine River similar to this. Don't know which came first or how many other bridges have the "love locks".

I'm not sure of the procedure, but I saw many locks with dates and initials on them and others with messages. Does putting a lock on this bridge bring eternal love?  Do you throw the key into the Seine or keep it?  Do any of them ever get removed? Do couples come back over time to visit their lock?

If you are trying to find the bridge when in Paris, just look for this.

Notre Dame on an early morning.  The only time I could take photos of the bridge without a million people in my shots was early in the morning. Mr. Swede seriously wanted to climb the 422 steps to the top of Notre Dame, but unfortunately, rheumatoid arthritis in my right knee said I wasn't going to do that.  I didn't know what was wrong with my knee until we got home, but I told him that I would climb the stairs when my knee is better. I can imagine the view is wonderful on a clear day and great for photos.

So did Mr. Romantic and I place a lock here?  No.  Maybe on another trip to Paris.  We didn't take the time to find a hardware store to buy a lock. I do think it is kinda fun to think about having something of yours always in Paris to seal a pledge of love when you are far away.

Summer

Photos: Swede  

 

Paris: Grand Trianon at Versailles

 

Continuing along with more photos of our trip to Paris, I am showing below some of the furniture at the Grand Trianon on the Versailles estate property. This is where the king and queens went [across the property several hundred yards, maybe] to get away from the goings on at the palace.  I am only showing furnishings in this post as the gardens were not planted yet so no flowers in bloom to speak of for vast colorful sweeping views.

I thought the chairs in the first photo above were totally unusual with the pierced seats and backs.  I've never seen anything like them.  Very intricate carving.  They also had small benches in the same design.  I like the ormolu trim on the table's rim but not the urn and pheonixes on the stretcher. There was a time in my past that I would have liked the savonnerie rug, but not now -- just too much color and too much pattern.  This estate is a good place for it to be together with those rose damask chairs.

This is one very large sitting room.  You could probably entertain 100 guests here for cocktails. Notice the lavender paint trim on the chairs.  Very unusual don't you think paired with the turquoise damask?

Of course, you have to see the queen's bedroom.  I don't think I could do the gold room either.  Just tooooooo much.

Nice console table but I probably would get tired of the swags. Some more unusual chairs.  They said that during the revolution most of the furnishings were looted and they have slowly gotten some of them back by donation or acquisition.  Some pieces were brought here from other palaces that they owned in the kingdom.

I enjoy looking at the interiors even though much of it is not my taste.  What I did love, though, were the doors, interior shutters and door hardware --  oh! much to love there.  Look for a later post of those objects.

I did also want to mention that it was difficult to get great photos inside the palaces because of the light.  It was either too dark with the drapes pulled, or too bright with so much light flooding in.

Summer

Photos: www.swedefurniture.com 

 

Paris: Collage of Beautiful Things

 

Below is a collage of photos I took in Paris the past few weeks.

There is the rear courtyard at Versailles, an interior door at Versailles, a ruin wall overdoor from the remains of a chateau in the town of Roissy en France, and an old French document dated 1741 that I purchased at the Vanves fleamarket.

Just starting to sort out all the 2,000 photos. Enjoy!

Summer

Photos: Swede

Holiday: Taking It Easy

 

Since today is a holiday, I'd sure like to lay around and do nothing.

Unfortunately, I have to go to work. Hope you can take it easy.

Summer

Photo: Mr. Swede in San Francisco

 

Travel: San Francisco - I'm Jealous

 

Mr. Swede just sent me this photo he took with his BlackBerry phone in San Francisco.  The nerve of him -- saying "Wish You Were Here".  We moved there 18 years ago and stayed 5 years. I don't think I've been back. I'd love to go to the Alameda Point Flea Market tho. It wasn't there when we lived there.

My jealousy won't last long as he's going to Anchorage tomorrow morning. Sure don't want to go there.

Summer

Photo: Mr. Swede  

Daily Dose of Beauty: Crown Symbols

 

I can find something beautiful in unusual places. I am particularly fond of crown symbols. When I saw a photo of a French wine bottle with a crown formed into the glass, I asked Mr. Swede to see if he could locate the bottles on his business trips to Paris.

Mr. Swede was successful. Apparently several wineries bottle their wine in this bottle.

There are two different wine bottles here using the crown logo -- just slightly different in the design on the crown.

I will save these wine bottles and use them to decorate. Perhaps using a candle or as a bud vase for flowers.  Very fun.  Brings me simple joy. Thank you, Mr. Swede.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Decor Style: Shopping Marburger Farm at Round Top

 

I attended the fall antique show at Round Top, Texas last week in the 96 degree heat.  I came home a day early. Yes, unheard of for me to be a quitter at an antique show. I got to the point where I was drained of energy and just couldn't focus on another booth of fabulous stuff. I guess I shopped until I dropped. Just too hot to shop after about 10:00 in the morning. On the second day of shopping it rained for all of five minutes and didn't even get the ground wet. Texas has a big struggle with livestock survival this year as the long-term intense heat dried up all the grazing land and ponds. Driving across Texas the land looked desolate. Even the Red Oak trees couldn't survive and the Live Oaks were struggling. Everything was brown. On the highways we noticed truck after truck hauling hay bales into Texas.  

 
To see past posts I've done on the spring antique show at Marburger Farm, go HERE and HERE. Marburger Farm is just one venue at this event. There are more venues all up and down Hwy. 237 and in the small surrounding towns near Round Top.  Mile after mile of antiques. I did notice that the former sign that said the population of Roundtop was 77 had been changed to 90.  Now imagine 20,000 people showing up for a week of antique shopping. We certainly helped the local economy. 

First, if you have never attended, I want to show you how big the tents are at Marburger Farm. They must be the length of a football field.  There are three this big [below], another one this long but only half as wide and then another two that are almost this long and wide and three a little bit shorter and then two small tents.  To get through the eight major tents and 11 wooden buildings on the promenade takes a full day if you move fast.  I try to move through them at a moderate pace and take two days.  Then I go down the road to The Red Barn [air conditioned!!!] for a half day. Sometimes I hit Bahia or go to Warrenton.  You really can't see it all even if you stay a week.

 
Do you think this tent is 100 yards long? These tents are not air conditioned. See how brown the ground is - grass has all died. If I go back again, I think I'll only go to the spring show in April.  I saw Leslie Sinclair outside one of the buildings under an awning selling her new book, Segreto. That's a dedicated but brutal way to sell your book. Also signs were along the road pointing to Rachel Ashwell's place but I decided not to go to her book signing party at her new ranch Tuesday evening.

Walk through the tents with me and I will point out the things I liked and the best booths. They claim to have 350 dealers on 43 acres, so I only photoed a few. My camera got very heavy in the heat so I didn't take as many pictures as I have in the past. I must say that they do have fabulous items - so many incredible things your head spins.  I have never found a bargain here either. Mr. Swede calls it "high retail".  The most I hope for is just a fair price. Much of it is out of my price range, such as a set of 8 Swedish small kitchen chairs for $16,000. Looking at the eye candy is inspiring and I find it uplifting and joyful.

 
This is the General Store. Inside are six dealers with fabulous china, glassware and other decorative treasures. On the porch is Maison de France of Leeds, AL. I never miss stopping by the porch for antiques brought over from France by Ginny. I purchased a metal floor candlestand here.

 
I like how the antiques are displayed. Mirrors stacked in front of mirrors, architectural salvage and big French chairs.

 
Designing with alter candlesticks is still going strong. Nice country fruitwood chest.

 
Sconces, neutral pale pottery, and big meat domes are plentiful. Gilt and silver leaf finishes always get my attention. I am seeing severly distressed objects being considered "perfect" condition. I like aged finishes but not distressing on purpose to create age.

 
Sunburst mirrors of all styles going strong. I loved the pattern on the frame of this silver mirror. I still see many lamp bases made of iron salvage. Those looks don't seem to have faded in popularity.

 
I don't think French chairs will ever go out of style. These Louis XIV chairs have been recovered in linen. Beige linen upholstery or white upholstery is still a great neutral choice.

 
Small tables and French mirrors of any size are always in demand. I always get my fill of eye candy at Ginny's booth.

Next building - Legler House on the promenade.

 
There are two wonderful dealers in this building, Designs by Grace and Kelley Zeleskey of Houston.

 
These dealers show repainted furniture in lovely shades of gray and white. Here you see some 1960's blue dining room chairs waiting for reupholstery. Do you remember this style? There were thousands of this style French chairs made in the 60's and 70's.

 
They do a great job of merchandising and display. They always have nice mirrors. I enjoy this very pleasing booth since I am a lover of white and neutral interiors.

 
Here are two cute white painted chairs and another look at the French cupboard which was probably brown wood before. Now it is sporting wire door panels.

Next, in big tent A, we have Willow Nest Farm from almost local Burton, Texas. It is a booth not to miss.

 
If you love white, romantic interiors or feminine style, don't miss this booth. Above you can see the beautiful white children's clothing.

 
The Aubusson flat weave rug and coverlet is in a soft shell pink color. Just beautiful!

 
Linda and Ludmil put together a stunning booth.

 
Linda's attention to detail of small objects is just total eye candy.

 
In Tent A, this is California dealer Machtolff's Mercantile. Linen and hemp fabrics are still going strong along with Belgian decor.

 
This is a wider shot of their booth.

 
A couple dealers had these zinc baskets. None of them could nail down what they actually were used for. Machtolff's said they were to dip olives into a brine during harvest and were from France, others said they were from Turkey and others said they were to dip flowers into water during field harvest [don't think so]. I first saw them online at Atelier de Campagne HERE in California. I also got the popular zinc wire baskets from Machtolff's that dealers weren't sure what they were originally designed for.  They reminded me of baskets to pick potatoes [but too tall] and one dealer said they were for harvesting mussels. Lifting those filled with mussels would ruin your back! I would guess they are from the 1960's.  I think it is best to buy them only if you like them and not count on dealer information to be accurate. HERE are the wire baskets at Atelier de Campagne in California. It would not surprise me if some dealers purchased them there at the recent container sale to sell at Marburger Farm.  Mine has a maker's mark on the handles that does look Belgian.

I bought two zinc baskets from Machtolff's to use for burgundy colored fall Mums for my front porch.

 
I saw prices all over the place on these -- from $65 with a lot of rust to $295 - that's crazy! You could use them like I am as cachepots for plants with internal pots such as ferns or any seasonal plant or for rolled bath towels at a beach house. Pretty much as versitile as a woven wicker basket. Mr. Swede loved buying wayyyyyy too many gourds and pumpkins in Burton at a roadside stand.

 
Louis Vuitton trunks are for sale outside the Gulf building.

Also in Tent A, I always stop at Antiques on Holiday's booth.

 
I'm always anxious to see what Ann and her husband brought back from France and Belgium.  They have the best prices on glass demijohns.  Ann always has things like bird cages, antique books, china, tables, chairs and this time a taxidermed blue peacock.

 
Here you can see the peacock.

 
Ann's shop is in Destin, Florida. She has a good eye for selecting merchandise.

 
Sconces, paintings and architectural elements like shutters and doors are still going strong. People are still faux painting in light paint these brown wood French buffets, chests and armoires. The two big books above are French dictionaries.  

Another dealer not to miss in Tent D is Mitra of Houston's Art & Antique Hunter booth.

 
Mitra has fabulous trumeaus, chandeliers, tables, mirrors and chairs.

 
I believe she said she is a fourth generation importer of Italian and European antiques. My eye caught the coronas on the table.  A wide variety of lovely things to choose from in this booth.

Next in Tent A is this eye candy booth which I think is East of LA. One thing I don't like about Marburger Farms is that the booths do not have the seller's logo prominently displayed so you know whose booth it is.

 
I love this gal's style. She does a great job of merchandising her wares. Gold leafed chairs and metal objects, white/light fabrics, great display pieces.

Maybe because I am attracted to white and light interiors, I found many booths at Marburger in this style. I don't think it is going away anytime soon.

 
Cute little French desk in the front. Lots of white pillows, slipcovers, etc.

 
White chest, white marble sculpture, white iron planter, etc.

 
Light wood chest and mirror with iron lamp bases.

 
Another light wood chest, metal lamp bases and painted metal box for flowers.

 
Every shade of gray is still going strong. Notice the salvaged wood used to back the sconces.

 
This painted white antique chair is ready for reupholsery and a better faux finish on the frame. Very unique and a true antique. If there were do-overs, I would have purchased this.

 
There was an unlimited supply of brown wood furniture painted light colors -- gray, white, beige and pale greens or blues.

 
Chairs reupholstered in white.

 
Chests and nightstands ready for a new life.

 
I am so glad the recycling of these pieces is popular. I can't imagine how much furniture went to the landfill before this style became chic. Sorry I don't know the name of this dealer.

 
Here is another dealer with a fabulous booth. Wonderful canape/settee.

 
Needlework pillows and a framed piece on the wall.

 
We do see some brown wood tables that were not repainted.

 
Old beds are always popular especially with white bedding. Lots of ruffles. I think this dealer is J. Hill Designs.

 
Very attractive look of the lace top on the dress form. Nice French cabinet also.

 
Clock faces in decor hasn't faded. This dealer was also selling Leslie Sinclair's new book, Segreto.

 
Silverplated meat and food domes are in the height of popularity.  Very beautiful display.

 
Crackle painted old kitchen cabinet.

 
And, here is the latest style --typography used in interiors.

 
What do you think? Do you like subway style?

 
And the industrial look. 

 
Another building not to miss is the Silver Dollar Saloon. The dealers in here sell excellent transferware, majolica and estate jewelry.

You can also find an English transferware dealer at Zieger House.

 
Christopher English and Dennis & Dad are the dealers here.

 
They have an extensive collection of transferware, earthenware and pottery. I have a platter very much like this one.

 
Some nice painted chairs here on the porch.

Note to Dealers:  If I could not find you or your business card in your booth to identify you in my photos, I want to give you credit. Please send me an email and I will add your name. I don't want to leave you out but I couldn't be certain from the Howdy map who the owners of the booths were.

We came home to a cool 70 degree temperature.  My flower garden is loving it -- and so are we!!

Hope you enjoyed your tour of Marburger Farm.

Summer

Photos: Swede

Travel: Love Of The Old Buildings in Paris

 

You know I'm crazy about detailed architecture on the old buildings in Paris. I'm showing today a few of the photos Mr. Swede took on his visit to Paris last week.  He had a morning to walk around and take photos for me, however, it was sprinkling and you can see the sky is pretty dull in some of the shots.

 
 Everyone knows what this is.

 

 No explanation necessary.

 
This is the Dome des Invalides and surrounding gardens. It is the chapel as part of the barracks to house 4,000 war veterans in 1676.  Doesn't look bad for being 335 years old. Information about it is Here. 

 
Here are a few more photos of the domed building.

 
View from the street.

Now walking around to the other side of this complex you can see the military barracks buildings.

 
I don't know my world history enough to know who France was at war with in the 1600s.

 
These buildings are now museums.

 
French architects were really great about putting detail on their buildings. They sure liked putting statues on the rooftops.

 
A closer view of the top.

 
More statues on top of another pretty building. I sure hope they don't fall off.

 
These statues are on the ground.  The French are great at landscaping their public spaces.

 
Very pretty garden. Doesn't look like it suffered from the summer heat.

 
Another nearby church.

All for now. I'll show more Paris architecture in another post.

Have a great weekend.

Summer

Photos: Mr. Swede

 

Travel: Laduree Paris - Bringing Home the Macarons

 

One of the treats Mr. Swede brought me from Paris last week were macarons [French spelling vs. English] from Laduree. This treat was for my big "O" birthday Friday.  The number before the "O" keeps getting bigger.  So I'm another decade older.

 
I, along with millions of others, love Laduree's packaging.  It is one of the reasons you buy them.  They've got marketing down. They've had a few years to get it right, though, since 1862.

 
I wonder if the new New York store will have the same packaging or if they created American styles.

 
The New York store opens this Friday, August 26th.  There is just something about buying the macarons in Paris that make it an occasion. It's the ambiance of the city of Paris that make these cookies special. If you travel, you can find their stores other places in the world -- Kuwait, Ireland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia -- but they are just not Paris. Read more about Laduree Here.  The macarons are not exclusive to Laduree either as other bakeries in France make them.

 
As of today, they are about half gone. Yum, yum!

All the best,

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Travel: Strolling The Streets of Paris

 

When Mr. Swede's job takes him to Paris each month, he has a permanent standing assignment from me to be a street walker. Anytime he has a few free hours, I ask him to walk up and down the streets near his hotel and take photos of the architectural detail of the old buildings. He has done a great job of getting some fabulous shots, maybe some by accident. I am holding those in reserve and not posting them until I figure out how to use them, hopefully to make some revenue.  I've told him that if he can come home with two to four 2die4 shots and 10% great shots out of 100, he's done an excellent job. I'm very anxious when he comes home to get his camera [okay, so I'm standing at the door squealing with delight] and download the photos to see what he has brought me.  Last week he was in Paris three days and was able to get out to take photos one of those days but the weather was not good being gloomy with overcast skies.  Maybe the next trip will be better. He has had to pass on leaving the hotel a few trips because it was raining too hard. 

It seems Paris is crazy for red Geraniums as they are in alot of his shots, mostly in potted windowboxes or planters.  Maybe they are easy to grow for balconies.

 
I do love the black iron balcony railings and find all the different styles very interesting.

 
Here they are in planters sitting on the pavement.

 
That blue door was interesting too. 

 
This is attractive. Great balconies and carvings.

 
I love this shot. It has everything to admire.

 
Someone liked pink Geraniums.  Almost like they didn't get the memo on red.

 
I am wondering if Paris has the most fountains per square mile in Europe.  Under Napolean III, Paris was renovated from a Middle Ages style city by city planner Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann. This took place from 1853 to 1870 and continued on after Napoleon. Haussmann's plan put the wide tree-lined boulevards in place as well as many beautiful buildings that are still standing today.  Read about Haussmann Here. 

 
Jean Charles Adolphe Alphand, as Directeur des Travaux De Paris, the chief engineer of parks between 1855 and 1870 added so much beauty to Paris. Notice on the above statue the people working in gardens with shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, shrubs, etc. You can read about the parks created under his direction Here.

Mr. Swede walked down both sides of the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and was particularly interested in this building at 109. 

 
This building was constructed between 1897 and 1899 to be a hotel for the Paris World's Fair of 1900. The architect was Georges Chedanne. It was known as the Elysees Palace. I'm not sure if that was tongue in cheek or not because the real Elysees Palace is a few blocks away at 55 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, built 1718-1722 and has been the residence of the President of France since 1874.

The building was purchased in 1919 by HSBC Private Bank and is their headquarters today.  It looks like the architect commissioned French sculptors to carve the marble around the round windows as they are signed. On the North and South side of the building, the windows are oval and I could not find a signature on the marble.  Notice in the above photo on the first floor the round and oval windows at the corner of the two streets.

 
Above you can see the signature on the left side of Mr. Hippolyte Jules Lefebvre [b.1863/d.1935].  Mr. Swede brought me photos of three of his.

 
Above is the work of sculptor Louis Baralis [b.1862/d.1940].  He did several on this building as well.

 
Above is one by sculptor Francois Leon Sicard [b.1862/d.1934].

 
Above is an example of the oval windows.  I just love this kind of work.  They sure don't design buildings like this anymore.

 
Above is another style of round window.  I wish these were all signed.  Researching the sculptors gave me a history lesson in archicture of Paris.

 
Above is the Arc de Triomphe. You can see people on the roof who climbed the stairs to get a good view of Paris.

 
Lighting is not great due to the overcast skies on this photo, but I adjusted it the best that I could.

 
There are always plenty of street vendors for fresh fruits and vegetables and flowers.

 
Want an apartment in Paris?  They are plentiful.

 
I like looking at the roof details. Always interesting.

 
And here's another one.

 

 

 
Studying the detail on all these buildings would take a lifetime.

 
Here is the Claridge Fraser Suites hotel.

 
And the Marriott.

I'll save the rest for another post.

All the best,

Summer

Photos: Mr. Swede

 

Travel: Rooftops of Paris

 

When my husband is in Paris for work several times a month, if he has an extra day to explore, he always brings me back architectural photos of Parisian details on buildings from his walks around the streets by his hotel.  I love it when he stays in different areas of the city. I want to share just a few photos with you of his aerial views and rooftops.

 

Here is the beautiful rooftop of La Chapelle Royale built 1699 at Versailles for the royal family. Love the windows also. I hope my husband will be able to see the inside on his next visit.

 

And look at the roof detail in this section of the palace of Versailles. I also loved the detail on the fence.  I am wondering if this is real gold leaf or gold paint. There is a type of real gold for exterior use shown in my gilding supply catalog.  Versailles started out as a small hunting lodge in 1624 and then expanded by all the Louis kings.

 

 

This church is Saint Louis Cathedral in the city of Versailles. Churches seem to almost always have great roofs. Here's the plaque.

 

Below is another pretty rooftop of a building visible from the backside of Versailles. I would think Paris has more statues than any other city.

 

Below is an aerial view of Paris. The population of France is roughly 65 million and Paris is 2.1 million.

 

In looking at all those rooftops, I don't know about you, but I consider Paris high density living.  I don't think there is a square inch of unused space. I think we are looking at all 2.1 million homes.

 

I love this photo also.

 

Doesn't this high rise hotel look out of place sticking up above the other buildings? What happened to zoning codes?

 

 

I absolutely love this photo.  He took it from the top of La Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre.  Great job, Honey.

 

Now here's a rooftop for you! Since Sacre Coeur sits up on a hill, it has commanding views of all of Paris.  It would be hard to know how many thousands of artists have painted this building.  I have collected over the years oil paintings by unknown artists who painted Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame and other places along the Seine River and sold them on street corners and parks.  Most of mine were probably done in the 1950's and 60's. I always know where the painting was done if I see the domes of this building.

 

And, this building is lovely also. Sorry I don't know the name of it.

 

Do you see Sacre Coeur in the distance? Aerial view in the opposite direction.

 

Rooftops of Paris. Sigh.

 

Not a bad view.

 

And, how about this rooftop view with that old brown metal thing in view?

 

I want to live here. Pleeezzz? We could just occupy only one floor.  

How's this view?

 

There is no lack of beautiful buildings in Paris.

 

My husband climbed the 382 steps to the top to get those photos.

Thank you, Mr. Swede, for the views.

Summer 

Getting the Look: Marburger Farm Continued

 

Continuing my prior post about antique shopping at Marburger Farm in Round Top, Texas.

 
 

I want to show you some of my favorite booths. I am going to just post the photo with no comments about each one so you can enjoy the details in your own way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those of you who have never been to Marburger Farm, or attended the Round Top antique show [there are hundreds of venues], just at Marburger Farm alone, the brochure says there are 350 dealers on 43 acres.  There are old buildings which look like they were brought onto the site as well as HUGE white tents.  Four or five of the white tents are each the size of a football field. Below is a photo of one of the smaller tents. There are probably 3 of these.  There are also venues in Carmine and Warrenton. I don't think it is possible to see every vendor in the county in a week's visit.

 

Below are some of the old structures where vendors set up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we are traveling down the two-lane back roads to get to Round Top, we go through this one-lane arch.

 

If you love antiques, and have not been to this antique show, I hope you are able to attend soon.  They are held twice a year. Check out their website.

Summer

Photos: Swede  

Searching for Beautiful Things: Guess Where I Went Last Week

 

Here is a clue as to where I went last Wednesday.

 

Isn't she a beauty? Kinda skinny though.

 

My nice husband took these photos for me of the Longhorns. And, here's another clue.

 

Texas Bluebonnets. I couldn't figure out why there were so few wildflowers on this visit, our second time to visit in the spring.  Locals said it was because this winter there wasn't much rain.  Indian Paintbrush was just starting to bloom.

 

This cute little flower below was very plentiful, though.  I don't know the name of it but I think it is an Evening Primrose.

 

It was a last minute decision to go to Round Top, Texas for the semi-annual antique show. We barely found a hotel room in College Station.

I want to show you vendors' booths at The Red Barn, The Arbor and Marburger Farm that I found visually appealing.  I am not giving the vendor's name or prices on items. This is just a visual tour and an overview of decor style that intrigued me.

 

French demijohns are still popular. There are fakes among them with new wine labels. Most were only used to transfer juice from the grapes not wine after it was made. I saw a lot of glass domes as well.

 

 

 

Shown above are four that I purchased. They range in age from the 1920's to the 1960's.  My husband likes the green ones and I like the aqua ones.

 

Here is what they look like in my family room after cleaning them up.  The big green one is very large so it sits on the floor.

 

Everything light and white is still in. I saw a lot of old brown wooden antiques repainted with white or creme paint.

 

 Cast stone in light coloration.

 

Bed coronas and anything crown shape is very popular. I've always like this symbol.

 

The spiritual look was also prevalent. Lots of church alter sticks, religious statues, alter and podium architectural pieces and sconces.

 

Madonnas of all kinds.

 

Angels of all sorts.

 

 

 

Any architectural piece out of a church sells.

 

Someone could write an entire book just on photos of these items found at Marburger Farm.

 

Sunburst mirrors were still plentiful.

 

The Belgian linen look was still strong.

 

 

And, of course, you could purchase yards and yards of linen to upholster your own items.

 

 

I saw a lot of brown wood furniture pieces painted white or creme. The Shabby Chic look seems to still be continuing in polularity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For tonight I will leave you with this unusual booth display.

 

I took over 300 photos and will show more tomorrow. I have selected some of my favorite booths and will show those.

All the best,

Summer

Photos: Swede [exception: Longhorns taken by my husband] 

Finding Beauty in Paris: Historic Buildings

 

 

Today's pretty picture is the back gate of the French Republic in Paris taken from Avenue Gabriel.  My husband walked down from his hotel to the American Embassy and took this photo of the gate to the residence of the President of France.

 

Hope you are having a nice weekend.  I have to get back to weeding my flowerbeds.

Summer

Photo: Nice Husband

Searching for Beauty: Doors of Paris

 

I have a standing request with my husband when he is in Paris for work that he take photos of doorways and other architectural elements.  I consider this free beauty. No cost for looking.  This trip he stayed near the Arc de Triomphe which has the Avenue des Champs-Elysees on one side and the Avenue de la Grande Armee on the other. He brought me this photo of 22 Avenue de la Grande Armee.

 

The architect was Victor Gaucher.  I tried to find the date of construction but wasn't successful.  I would presume it was the late 1890's as I found other buildings in Paris he designed around that time.

 

That's some teal paint! I wonder what the original color was. This building looks like it takes up half a city block.

Have a super weekend.

Summer

Photo: Nice Husband

 

Shops With Beautiful Things: Iron Gate, Nashville

 

For Valentine's Day my husband treated me to a trip to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the annual Antique and Garden Show at the downtown Convention Center. While we are in Nashville, we never miss driving down to Franklin, the cutest little historic town about 30 miles south.  My first stop in Franklin is always Iron Gate. I believe I discovered this shop about 13 years ago.

Have you seen the first issue of Canadian virtual decor magazine Dabble?  They did an extensive story on Nashville and mentioned Iron Gate in Franklin. The gals who put virtual magazines together really amaze me. See it here: Dabble  

Come with me to check out this cute interiors shop.

 

Iron Gate is at 338 Main Street in the old section of downtown Franklin. You can't miss it. Here is their website: Iron Gate

 

This mirror-topped table is the first thing you see when you walk in.  I love mercury glass anytime of year, not just at Christmas.  These items were beautiful.

 
They had a few pieces of the currently popular industrial look. This cabinet was very large.  You can see the mirror better in the photo below.

 

I loved this mirror behind the light fixtures. Those are Jan Barboglio iron pieces in front of it.  I like the way they make iron flowers. These are glass pillar candleabras on iron stands. You can see them better in the last photo.

 

Readers of my blog know how much I love white natural coral.  My  husband has gifted me many pieces over the years from this display cabinet.

 

A decor trend that has been strong the past few years is taking metal casement windows and replacing the glass with antiqued mirror. I think they are wonderful.  Iron Gate had two of them.

 

And the romance of a white sofa with a gold frame!

 

Just dreamy. They also had pieces of Tara Shaw's Maison line. A dining table, corner cabinet and chairs.

 

This large mirror is wonderful also. This credenza was exceptionally large.

 

This iron bed is in the front window.

 

The lamps on this French buffet look like they are made of squares of Capiz shells.

 

The linen room has nationally known bedding lines such as Shabby Chic.

 

Note the mirror behind the headboard. Lots of beautiful white linens to choose from.  Cute light fixture.

 

The day I was there they had a large selection of Jan Barboglio's iron pieces. They are so unusual.

Another cute little shop to check out while you are in Franklin is Scarlett Scales.  She recently got a nice mention when Country Living magazine featured a table she and her Dad covered in zinc.

 

If you have a couple hours, be sure to stop at the Franklin Antique Mall on the same street as Scarlett's shop.

 

There are many wonderful shops in Franklin. Another favorite that I don't miss is The Registry a wonderful tabletop and bridal china shop. The Registry

 

Main Street in Franklin is typical of other older historic downtown areas as it has wonderful old buildings.

I hope you have seen something that has delighted your eye in this shopping trip with me to Iron Gate.

Summer

Photos: Swede  

 

 

 

Creating Beauty: Copper Florals by Artist Wm. C. Wood

 

William C. Wood of Clinton, MS is a skilled artist who creates beautiful florals from copper.  I met Mr. Wood at the Antique & Garden Show of Nashville.  His work deserves a special post.  These metal flowers are so life like. I apologize for the poor quality of these photos. The Convention Center had very poor lighting in the booths and the entire building.  Each booth had to have their own display lamps to try to get more light on their products.  I don't know why the show managers chose to have a dark interior.  Mr. Wood's florals are fabulous in person.

 

The details of each flower is amazing. Here are some photos of his booth at the show.

 

Very pretty large combination.  

 

 I noticed the containers he used and how they were chosen to go with the plant he created.

 

I believe this is Lilly of the Valley. 

 

 The bottom ones look like Nasturtium to me.  I should have asked him what some of these are.

 

This looks like Narcissus.

And this one looks like Ring of Fire Daffodil.  

 

There was a large variety of plants to choose from so you could pick your favorite flower.

 

There was a price point for any collector. I saw prices ranging from $65 to $750.

It was amazing that these are metal.

 

This looks like maybe a Siberian Iris.

 

Collectors who knew his work were back again to get another favorite.

 

 

 

 

How about a berry vine?

Here is the one I selected.

 

A very cute little Orchid in a teal pot.

If you would like to contact Mr. Wood, go to: 

william.cwood@comcast.net

Or phone: 601-346-5737

All the best to you,

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Parisian Francois Sicard's Fountain in Sydney, AU

 

 

Here are some photos my husband took near his hotel in Sydney, Australia last week. The sculptor is Francois Sicard of Paris.

 

As you know, this is their summer season now so everything is green in the parks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is a church that was nearby.

 

Hope you enjoyed your brief Australian tour.

Summer

Photo Credits:  Nice Husband

 

Looking For Beautiful Things: Scott Antique Market in Atlanta

 

Scott Antique Market in Atlanta is one of my favorite places to go. Their show is one weekend a month.  I have gone a couple times a year over the past ten years or so and attended the December event.  Before I started blogging, I did not think about taking photos. I am seeking Swedish antiques mostly but keep an open mind to just find anything beautiful in accessories, natural coral, table silver or china. This is  a large show, so there is just so much to see and takes a full day if you walk up and down the aisles fast with just a glance inside seller's booths. I think their website says it is 336,000 square feet but that must include both buildings. When I need to visit Atlanta or a nearby city, I try to plan my trip on the week of this antique show.   http://www.scottantiquemarket.com/

Here are some photos of some of the beautiful things that caught my eye. People buy at the November show for Christmas so inventory was not as high as I have seen it in the past. I have listed the dealer's name where I have that information. Email me if you would like their contact data.

 

Benton Hayden & Associates of Atlanta. Window and door frames are still very popular as backdrops for other accessories.

 

 

A close up of her booth.

 

This lovely candelabra is from Arcing Sky Gallery Art & Antiques as well as the following hurricanes, candelabra and painting. The paintings were very stunning.

 

 

This pillow is created by Joan Garrett of Atlanta. She has hundreds of high end designer fabric decorative pillows that she makes herself.  They were outstanding and in every color imaginable.
The designer fabric used in these throw pillows was amazing. I couldn't narrow down a color I wanted to use in the redo of our living room.

 

Antique European chairs with great character. Note to self - buy every one of these next time.

 

Lots of white ironstone.  It is so loved, I don't think it will ever go out of style.

 

This is the booth of Antique Sanctuary of Atlanta. Hope Fassett, the owner always has a beautifully styled booth.

 

Hope had these pretty painted benches.

 

And the beautiful glass jugs in greens and blue/greens.

 

I just love light painted woods. This large scale bench was wonderful.

 

Lovely pieces.

Hope has a lot of things that touch my heartstrings.

 

Need some silverplate?  Here are just a few patterns to choose from. You can have a lot of fun looking through this pile.  I believe this is Gulf Coast Silver from League City, Texas.

 

Moving along to another booth, this is Illuminati Antiques of Atlanta. Their booth sells out quickly, so come early on the first day of the show.

 

Pretty sconces. They also had beautiful demijohn jugs in green tones of the glass.

 

Wine jugs are still going strong.  It is a trend that could stay awhile.

 

 

Illuminati also carries many nice mirrors.

 

Here we are at the booth of Nostalgia Fine Art from Douglasville, Georgia. They have an enormous supply of framed and unframed prints of pages taken from antique books.

 

Moving along to another pretty vignette.

 

Lots of pretty Majolica.

 

If you love blue and white, this dealer from Dearborn, Michigan has a lot to choose from.

 

Does your heart speak French?

 

This pretty 1870 stepback gray cupboard is from the Hunt's Antiques who specialize in cupboards. They are from Monticello,Georgia.

 

Christy Hickey's booth looked like it belonged on the cover of Country Living magazine.  This unusual display is composed of cotton yarn spools from the old Atlantic Cotton Mill in Macon, Georgia. 

 

Here you see spools of gold thread on the right.

 

Christy is a fun talented gal with a great styling eye.

 

David Herndon Antiques of Atlanta deals in English porcelains, paintings and Black Forest wood carvings of exquisite quality.  Some of the china I have shown in my tablescaping posts was purchased from David.

 

Oil paintings of dogs and other animals remain in constant demand. David Herndon has a nice selection here.

 

You know how much I love painted furniture. This is a stunning piece that would be the focal point of any room.

 

This Italian painted chest from Butte's Antiques of Thomasville, NC is 2die4.

 

Eye candy.

 

Isn't this fabulous!

 

Diane Dunn's shop White Rose Linens has a fabulous selection of vintage laces and linens. 

 

Lovely oil painting in another booth.

 

Another fabulous look.

 

I've had a long standing dream of furnishing an entire house by selecting items from all the booths at Scott Market. There are so many wonderful things to choose from including lighting, carpets and art in two huge expo buildings.  All the photos in this post are from the North Building. You can purchase high and low here as pricing is all over the map.

 

 

More eye candy.

 

 

Yummy.

 

More light painted wood pieces that are loved by so many.

 

Very sweet oil painting.

 

 

Imported wood lamp bases for the look that is so popular now.

 

Beautiful sconces. The dealer was not in their booth, so I don't know the name.

 

 

It takes me a full day to see the hundreds of dealers at Scott. There are several restaurants and food booths so you can stay all day.

 

This is the North Building which has the high end antiques.  There are many estate jewelry and sterling dealers that I haven't mentioned. Literally millions of dollars of inventory.  There are also booths outside and in tents in the parking lot. So much to see.

I will show you more in my next post of a shell art dealer.

All the best,

Summer

Photos:  Swede  

 

 

 

More Beauty in Paris: Palais du Luxenbourg

 

Continuing our sightseeing in Paris, here are more photos of the Palais du Luxembourg and its Jardin mentioned in my earlier post.  I believe today it is used as a Senate building.

 

 

One very smart thing my husband did was take photos of the signs explaining where he was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These photos are from another lovely park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pretty flowers before the first frost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed.

All the best,

Summer

Photo Credits:  My Husband

Beauty in Paris: More Building Exteriors

 

Here are more Paris exteriors. Enjoy.

At the heart of Quartier Latin and close to Paris Universities, the Place St-Michel is a famous Paris landmark. The fountain in the center of the square was created by French sculptor Davioud in 1860 and represents Saint Michel, protector of France, slaying a dragon.

This is the Fontaine de St. Michel. It is a favorite place for young kids to hang out. Here is a photo that shows it is only on the end of the building.

 
Here is a close up of the sculpture. This dragon looks pretty fierce.

 

Next we have the church.

 

 

One of the smart things my husband did was take photos of the street signs where he was so he could return or remember where he took that photo.

 

Next, the Pantheon.

 

The inscription above the entrance reads AUX GRANDS HOMMES LA PATRIE RECONNAISSANTE ("To the great men, the homeland [is] grateful"). By burying its great men in the Panthéon, the Nation acknowledges the honour it received from them. As such, interment here is severely restricted and is allowed only by a parliamentary act for "National Heroes".

 

 

 

 

In the center of Place de la Bastille is the Colonne de Juillet, the July Column, a steel and bronze column standing 52 meters high and weighing 170 tons. The architects Alavoine and Viollet-le-Duc designed it in the likeness of the Trajan Tower in Rome.

 

The top of the Colonne de Juillet is adorned by a gilded statue called the "Genie of Liberty". It is the work of Durmont. It has a star on its forehead and is carrying a torch in one hand and in the other a broken shackles chain.

The Colonne de Juillet commemorates the July Revolution of 1830, three days of battle called "Les Trois Glorieuses" which resulted in the overthrow of Charles X and the installation of Louis Phillipe.

At  8 place de la Bastille, 75011 Paris, France is the Bastille restaurant near the July tower at the former Place de la Bastille.  The Bastille was a fortress and prison from 1370 to 1383 an demolished during the French Revolution.  Some remaining stones of the fortress can be seen on Boulevard Henri IV.

 

 

 

Now a bridge over the Seine built in 1904.  

  
 

 

The Via Duc d'Austerlitz is a single-deck, steel arch, rail bridge that crosses the Seine in Paris. Its usage is solely dedicated to the railroad traffic.

 

And, of course, below, this is always a famous landmark for American tourists.

 

That's all for today.

Summer

Photo Credits:  My husband  

Finding Beauty: Musee du Louvre

 

Continuing with more photos of Paris, the following are of the Louvre's exterior.  Beginning as a fort around 1190, there were many renovations and extensions during the 1500's by various royals. It was vacated as the seat of power for France and the royal residence of King Louis XIV in 1692 but continued to house the royal collections.  It opened as a museum in 1793 and has undergone many changes since then.  Housing 35,000 artifacts and spread out over 652,000 square feet, it is impossible to see at one time, maybe not in weeks.  

Located on the right bank of the Seine River in the 1st arrondissement.

 

Here are some photos of the exterior architectural details.

 

The camera is tilting,not the building [smile].

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also located on the grounds is the Arc de Triomphe.

 

Close up of the top.

 

 

 Here you can see the Eiffel Tower in the background.

 

You could literally take thousands of photos of this structure and spend many days here.

More on other parts of Paris coming up next.

All the best,

Summer

Photo Credits:  Hubby

Finding Beauty: Autumn in Paris

 

My husband's job takes him to Paris frequently for about four days at a time. I have been encouraging him to do more sightseeing around the area near his hotel. He stays in three different parts of Paris; this time he was near Bercy in the 12th arrondissement. When he left for this past trip I put a camera in his hand with instruction to take photos of Paris details.  That's it.  No further instructions, preferences, wishes, begging or pleading.  I don't know why I didn't ask him to do this on his many trips before.  When I downloaded the photos I was totally surprised and thrilled with the results.  Maybe he's been paying attention to my love of design all along.  Who knew?  Maybe he's the best photographer in the household.  He did a really great job.  325 photos in four days. He did a lot of walking around Paris.  I want to share some of them with you over the next few weeks so as not to overload.  I have divided the photos into different subject matters.  

I am calling these Autumn in Paris as the leaves there are starting to turn but have not dropped off yet.  His first visit is to the Jardin du Luxembourg, a 55 acre park started in 1612 by Marie de Medici, the king's widow and regent for her son, Louis the XIII.  She asked for the planting of 2000 Elm trees.  They have been replaced over time, I'm sure with new ones. On this day they were looking magnificent.  In the park are 20 figures of French queens and female saints, only a few of them shown below. These figures were added in 1848 by Louis Philippe. There are over 100 monuments on the entire 55 acres.  I think the ones in the center of the green lawn below are the four Times of Day - looking toward the Fontaine de l'Observatoire.

  

The golden tone of the tall Elm trees along the park are captured. The grass is amazingly green. Notice that there is a fountain at the end called various names including Fountain of the Observatory, Carpeaux Fountain after the sculptor of the women statues, or Fontaine des Quatre-Parties-du-Monde.  The park is in the 6th arrondissement.

 

 

Love the turtles. Emmanuel Fremiet designed the horses, turtles and fish.  Here are some close ups of the fountain's features created in 1874. Gabriel Davioud developed the Avenue de l'Observatoire in 1867.

 

Europe has some incredible fountains and that is especially true of Paris. There are water features everywhere.

 

 

The sculptor for the garlands around the pedestal was Louis Vuillemot. Love the seashells.  Next is a view of the detailed structure on the top consisting of the armillary by Pierre Legrain and women representing four of the continents. The nudes were designed by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. 

 

With the weight of responsibility in holding the world up, they forgot to get dressed but found time to put on their earrings.

I think the colors of the leaves are majestic as a backdrop to these queens.  Probably prettier than just green leaves during the summer.

 

I like Mary Queen of Scots's crown. Below she is full size. The plaque says:  Marie Stuart, Reine de France 1542-1587.  Note the small waist. I like the folds of her skirt, too.  Not so much the collar of the cloak.

 

I just love the leaf color here.  Great job Hubby.

On the women statues, I was noticing the size of their hands compared to the size of their waists.

 

 These leaves are just fabulously varigated and just postcard perfect. She is Clemence Isaure by Abtoine-Augustin Preault. 

 

Moving along to the next one. She is Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans.

 

 

 

I couldn't find the name of this statue.
Let's look at some other architecture surrounded by fall colors.

 

Notre Dame's gardens full of golds, reds, oranges and yellows.

 

Here you can see the trees starting to change surrounding the buildings.

 

You are looking up from the Seine River at Notre Dame. This is in the 4th arrondissement.  

This is the front of Maison du Jardinage in Bercy Park in the 12th arrondissement. I wonder if the vines on this building turn crimson red at frost.

 

This is more of the Palais du Luxemborg's gardens in the 6th again. Lovely tree color as a backdrop to the statues.  

 

Geraniums and other flowers are still beautiful until frost. You can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

 

These rose bushes are still in full color.

Tomorrow I will show you some architctural details on beautiful buildings.

All the best,

Summer

Photo Credits:  My Hubby [with hugs and kisses]

 

Looking for Beauty: Are you going to Marburger Farm?

 

Marburger Farm Antique Show starts September 28 -- next week. Are you going?   Twice a year [April and September] thousands of people arrive in Round Top, Texas to look for treasures.  Here are some four-plex collages from my visit in April.  If you are planning to go, I hope these photos get your heart pumping.  If you have never been and you love antiques of all kinds, start packing. April is a great time to go as well. The wildflowers are blooming in fields that stretch for miles and the weather is cool.

This antique show is really the whole county.  Tents and buildings with merchandise for sale are in several towns, in hay fields and in wide spots in the road. 

Driving through the countryside in April we saw many miles of beautiful landscape.  

 

Here are some collages of the individual buildings at Marburger Farm as well as the huge white tents. Be sure to pick up a brochure when you arrive that tells you the layout of the farm.  Also look at the website before you come.

Many of these old buildings were brought onto this site.

There were many of these huge white tents.  Lettered from A to G, I believe.

Let's take a look inside some of them. Many of the dealers are regulars returning for years.

Lots of eye candy from this dealer who was inside Legler House.

This dealer was one of my favorites in the General Store. Love the displays and the light painted wood pieces, lots of mirrors -- just pure eye candy.

This Texas dealer makes new jewelry out of old disparate pieces. I love how she displayed them on old photographs of long lost relatives of somebody's.  My sweet husband purchased a necklace and earrings for me.  In looking at the necklace, I can tell it was assembled from an old buckle, an old dress clip, and a pin. Every piece is unique.  This is definitely up-cycling.

There is no shortage of ironstone, majolica, bone china, porcelain, pottery, transferware, faience for every collector.

There are decorative items of every kind as well as clothing, estate jewelry, garden items and so much more.

 

 

Here are more booths.

The dealers are from all over the United States and some international.

There is so much inventory in all these booths, I commented that I could furnish an entire house in just one visit.

 

There is so much to see just at Marburger Farm alone. We spent one full day there and barely got to all the tents.  To thoroughly look at all the booths, you could spend the full week here and never make it to any of the other venues.

If you have more time to spend, be sure to stop at the Big Red Barn. There are fine antiques in this building that is air conditioned.  It is on the same road as Marburger Farm. You can also continue on and drive to Warrenton where there is much more to see.

I hope this has whetted your appetite for some fall antique shopping. And if you go to Round Top, I hope you find some things that make your heart sing.

All the best,

Summer

Photo Credits:  All Swede

   

Design Bliss: Going Camping With Designer Tobi Fairley

 

Who would have ever thought I would go to camp for the first time at my age?  When I was a youngster, there was no such thing as going away to summer camp. Nobody left town. We lived where all the campers wanted to come, the Rocky Mountains.  "Real" camping was available 365 [have you heard of snow camping?] in the most scenic mountains, rivers and valleys [think bighorn sheep, cougars, elk, rattlesnakes]. Although my Mother did real outdoor tent camping often as a child with her family and loved it, including Yellowstone Park in the 1920's, I never spent one night in a tent as a kid. 

So for my first camping adventure, how much better could it get than having Tobi Fairley for camp counselor?  She is the hottest name in interior design right now - at the peak of it all.  I'm still pinching myself that I got to spend a day with her.  And what better topic than color in interior design.  Okay, I'm in heaven.

When I was pulling out of my driveway to head to Little Rock, the postman delivered the October issue of Traditional Home magazine.  Guess who has a four-page spread [starting on page 66] -- Tobi Fairley!  And she is wearing the cutest red floral dress.  The article showcases two rooms she did on green space for the charity Energy Showhouse in her home state at Hot Springs, Arkansas. Tobi has become known for her unusual color combinations such as aqua and orange shown here. She also uses bright hues with full saturation.

Photo Credit:  Traditional Home. Photography by Nancy Nolan.

Here is Tobi's blog:  http://tobifairley.com/blog/topic/tobi-fairley-interior-design/ and website:  http://tobifairley.com/ and her art gallery: http://www.tobifairleygallery.com/. Be sure to click on her web portfolio to see projects she has done. You can also hear the podcast on The Skirted Roundtable where Tobi talks about her business and design work [blue living room] on the March 2010 cover of House Beautiful. Her office lobby is painted this same color which looks nothing like the magazine cover [see photo below]. http://skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com/2010/03/guest-designer-tobi-fairley.html

So let's take a look at our tent.  It is 140 years old and recently refurbished.

We "roughed" it at the Capital Hotel in downtown Little Rock. Having running water is great! http://www.capitalhotel.com/site/index.php

The inside of my tent is done in an English floral.

I could see the Convention Center out my window which is across the street from the hotel.

Camp Tobi Fairley's agenda covered topics such as Tobi's Tips on fabric pairings, furniture finishes and accessories. We studied forming color palettes by selecting and pairing paints, creating inspiration boards, getting the best bang for your decor buck, and where to splurge on furnishings, as well as viewing slides of her work. She shared her top 10 paint colors. We also got to preview her latest fabric designs.

Here is a collage of campers hard at work. Campers came from Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina.

Tobi is assisting each camper with building their own unique color palette. I went to Sherwin-Williams when I got home and picked up the paint chips I worked with at camp. Okay, so I hated them when I got them home in my light. I started over with new chips from Sherwin-Williams latest 7000 series paints. I am now liking:  SW7659 Gris, SW7570 Egret White, SW7616 Breezy, and SW7601 Dockside Blue.

Ask S-W for their free chip fan called Concepts in Color that contains all the latest colors [7501-7750]. Their previous fan is available for purchase. You can also use their Interactive feature on their website to try out colors.

Tobi is so good with color, she can look at a chip and tell you if it has an undertone of pink, yellow, green or blue. I am debating whether a person is born with that ability or whether it can be learned.  I am hoping I can improve this skill with my new lessons from Tobi. 

 

Here is my inspiration board featuring the things I love.  Swedish furniture, of course, and light and warm white interiors.  I've added some aqua fabrics to this one.  I coined the phrase "Soft Grandeur" to describe my style.  I'm sure you have heard of styles such as Rough Luxe, Soft Elegance, Shabby Chic, etc. This is luxe without the rough. Calming, easy comfort with some eye candy to delight the visual senses.  I selected items that I never tire of looking at which are very versatile. White fabrics are all washable. Soft Grandeur has a northern Euro look of gilded objects juxtaposed with simple lines.

I like keeping a room neutral so I can throw a dash of any color in it with pillows, art, china or flowers and the whole room immediately becomes that color. Then I can change my mind and do a different color the next day.  I need to be able to bring in a bouquet of flowers from my garden that are coral Daylilies one day and purple Iris another time and have the room always look good with no colors fighting each other. I can also use every color in my china collection on the dining table without a problem. I am a nester. I am always trying to improve the look of my nest. I also need constantly changing visual stimulation. After all these years of decorating trial and error, I finally figured myself out. Whew! My sweet husband hasn't had any issues with the white sofas and chairs.

Here is a collage of boards created by some of the other campers. I was not able to get photos of all the boards.

Inspiration boards are where you place pictures, fabrics, paint samples, objects or anything from which you derive inspiration.  This creates the basis of assembled ideas to edit and then move forward in creating an interior space.

While at Tobi's offices, she gave us a tour of where she and her staff work.

I just love her personal office done with pink paint and white furnishings. It immediately reminded me of John Coote's home in Ireland, Bellamont.  
 

Photo credit: Knight-Frank real estate listing.  

We also were given a tour of her art gallery next door.

If you are interested in further information about any of these works, call Amy at their gallery. Link provided above.

Here is another example of her use of dramatic color.

This is in Tobi's art gallery.

Ten things I liked about Camp Tobi Fairley:

1)  Tobi is willing to share her resources. She will tell you the exact paint color used in a room. None of that "its a custom mix only my painter knows".

2) You can ask her design questions and you get real answers, not "its a trade secret" pretentious replies. 

3) Tobi as a business woman knows that education is a great marketing tool to both your clients and admirers.  Sharing knowledge is good business.

4)  Her understanding of color is phenomenal.  Even though she likes bright intense colors, I feel she could be equally successful with neutrals and would love to see work in that area. She understands all colors.

5) She encouraged questions during the session and dialog between campers. Sharing ideas with other campers helped both the experienced professional designers and the enthusiasts. Everyone was able to take away knowledge from the event.

6) I liked that she was willing to up-cycle used furnishings to give them a new life.  [See Traditional Home article on the Energy House]. When a top designer does this it gives validity to saving resources and others follow suit.

7) The before and after photos of her projects were just great. You were also able to learn in her Tips segment how and why to apply the design theory.

8) I will definitely look at colors in a new way with a different understanding.

9) My curiosity keeps me constantly wanting to know more about design and it is a privilege to learn from someone as successful as Tobi.

10) We got lunch [smile].

One of the most enjoyable parts of camp was the evening "campfire" where design war stories were told at the Capital Bar and Lounge.   

What a great time.

I hope you have enjoyed going on my first camping adventure.

All the best,

Summer

Photo Credits:  All Swede except Bellamont and Traditional Home.  

Looking for Beauty: La Conner, Washington

 

La Conner, Washington is about 60 miles north of Seattle.  From I-5 North, we use Exit 221 at Conway, cross over Fir Island and travel through all the agricultural fields on Fir Island Road and Best Road, then turn on Chilberg Road to arrive at the roundabout in La Conner where you find Hedlin Farm.  All the while I am driving through Conway, I am saying out loud, "How Can I Move Here". I can just imagine myself living in a house on the bluff along Best Road overlooking the beautiful fields in the valley below.  This would be the good life! I am already dreaming about where I would locate my vegetable garden in the sunniest spot of my acreage when it is time to turn onto Chilberg Road.

Ahhhhhhh, La Conner.  Cutest little town anywhere. Just pure joy to visit. When I go here I never want to leave. Older homes are now shops along Morris Street. There are more shops on South First Street.  Most of the buildings have painted wooden siding.

How wonderful is this!  White picket fence and pink roses with sea-foam colored wood siding. I don't think anyone could be unhappy living in a house with a white picket fence.

Beautiful pink roses.

More white picket fencing and trellises at the front door.

Egg and Dart interiors shop. http://egganddarthome.net/

Even the fishing shop has Geranium baskets.

One of the Morris Street antique shops.

What impresses me most about any town is the attention the City Council and businesses give to beautification of the public areas.  It is so uplifting to walk down the streets where there are hanging baskets on every light pole. I noticed on this visit that businesses have designated flowerbeds in front of their stores in the land between their shops and the sidewalk.  Anywhere they could plant flowers they did. Makes one think there must be a town beautification committee.  Outstanding job, La Conner!!

 Lots of color. Beautiful, beautiful!

Here you can see the hanging baskets at the candy, photography and menswear stores. http://www.skagitriverboutique.com/; http://www.cascadecandy.com/; http://www.conniecoleman.com/index.html

 

Notice the iron supports that connect to the pole.  Very cute children's shop at this corner.

This is the front garden of La Crema Coffee shop. Peaceful and beautiful.

http://www.lcroastery.com/

It is so welcoming and makes you feel good just to be there.

EarthenWorks Gallery, you did a lovely job. Thank You. http://www.earthenworksgallery.com/

Ginger Grater and Olive Shoppe gift shops.  http://www.oliveshoppe.com/store/

A closer look at one of the tiered clay pot planters of Geraniums at Ginger Grater.

Hotel Planter flower boxes and hanging baskets. http://www.hotelplanter.com/

Potted Geraniums along a driveway.  They are in their peak of bloom, so full and colorful. 

All the plantings are well maintained and look fabulous.

The Stall and Cottons. http://www.cottonslaconner.com/

 

Lavender and a bird bath at the shop Go Outside.

Photo credit:  Shananagians.  This is a cute store for garden, patio and outdoor items.

 

A birdhouse tucked away in the corner near some shops.

Gazebo in the yard of a restaurant.

Love how this tree is clipped at this business. Nice landscaping here also.

 

Antique shop has a rose bed and hanging baskets.

Very cute children's shop. http://childbliss.blogspot.com/

Needlecraft shop.

Thank You town planners for not allowing McDonalds, Burger King or Subway.  That would totally ruin the perfection of La Conner. Don't worry, there are plenty of places to eat.  We like having lunch at Calico Cupboard Cafe and Bakery or their sister location, Seeds Bistro & Bar. There are many other restaurants for lunch or dinner, several along the channel.

This is a new building that replaced the old Seeds gardening supply store. I remember the charm of the old store.  It was just like going into a general store circa 1880.  Too much damage from a storm I hear to repair it.  Thankfully, the 1890 Beech tree in the yard survived.

Sidewalk garden plantings in front of Salon Rouge and Seeds.

 

Beautiful purple shrub, possibly a Butterfly Bush, but it doesn't look like mine.

Love the blue/green color of this plant.

Inside of Seeds Bistro.  I noticed the pies had the same crust as the ones at Calico Cupboard. Then I heard both stores have the same owner so that explains it. I understand they also have restaurants in Mount Vernon and Anacortes. http://www.seedsbistro.com/

Calico Cupboard backs to the Swinomich Channel. Ask to eat on the back deck if the weather is good. http://www.calicocupboardcafe.com/

You can see the boats up and down the channel on the deck.

Boat going out the channel to the ocean. Directly across is the Swinomich Indian Reservation.

While on the deck, you can watch fishing boats bring in their catch at this business on the Reservation.

We had a beautiful day to eat lunch on the deck.  Soft breeze over the water, no humidity and no bugs! 

Bunnies By the Bay children's store is now between Hutch Studio and Seeds. When I lived on Whidbey Island in 1992, this store was next door where Hutch Studio is now. This is a newer structure. http://www.bunniesbythebay.com/

This is at the door to Bunnies By The Bay. Recycle an old stroller into a flower planter.

You can easily tell a lot of attention was given to landscaping the businesses. Here is another look at the trellis on the side of this building.

Here is a cute lighting shop.

If you come here, be sure to check out Mary Davis's vintage lighting.

Ornamental grasses surrounding her sign. http://www.marydavislighting.com/

There are many cute shops and places to visit that I could not mention in the blog post. There are also wonderful Bed and Breakfast Inns. I can't wait to return to La Conner.  I hope you get to visit soon.

All the best,

Summer

Photo Credits:  All Swede except Go Outside as noted.

 

Finding Beauty: Hutch Studio in La Conner, WA

 

Hutch Studio on Morris Street in La Conner, Washington is a place you can't miss.  Morris Street is the main street in and out of La Conner.  Unless you are asleep at the wheel, your eye will surely catch this.

When I first visited this building in 1992, it was the home of Bunnies By The Bay's retail shop [made in Anacortes, WA].  They make unique stuffed animal bunnies with personality. Notice that the porch railing is made of orange carrots for the bunnies. Their retail store now is located next door and the merchandise has greatly expanded to other toys, clothing, etc. 

What makes Hutch Studio interesting is the artist's work inside and outside.  When you start examining the materials of this fence, you quickly see recycled parts that have become whirlygigs and pickets for the fence. This is the ultimate in up-cycling.

Love the pitchfork.

Have you ever seen anything as creative?

 

 This whirlygig has spoons, cups and a teapot. Take a minute for a close-up look.  Your eye can hardly take in all the details.

  
What do you recognize? What a fun way to recycle.  I don't think my subdivision would let me do this at my house, however, but cute for a commercial space. 

You can take a class in making the whirlygigs. More information is here:

 http://hutchstudio.blogspot.com/.

As a gardener, my attention was called to the landscaping, whose beauty seems to get lost in all the attention to the fence.  Roses, Hydrangeas, much more.

An adorable birdhouse among the pink Hydrangeas.

So pretty.

These Hydrangeas are in their incredible green stage that I love so much.

How charming is this?  A little Shabby Chic for the yard.  Great eye candy.

Currently the windows of the building have paper cutouts on them.  I believe you can purchase the patterns in the shop.

Let's go inside.

I think you will be as amazed as I was at the creativity of the artists here. The items are so very unique.  One thing that caught my eye was the way an artist had recycled cardboard to make display stands for small items on a shelf.

Visit this website to know more about this artist:

 http://kltworks.blogspot.com/p/about-kltworks.html

I hope you will visit Hutch Studio when La Conner is your destination.  Gather up your special junk and make it into a new artwork in one of their fun classes.

All the best,

Summer Day

Photo Credits:  All Swede    

   

Finding Beauty: Hedlin Farms in La Conner, Washington

 

Whenever we are in the Seattle area, one of my favorite things to do is drive up to La Conner for a day of shopping in this cute little town and eat lunch.  Recently when I was in La Conner, I stopped at Hedlin Farms which is immediately at the intersection when you enter town.  They have a farm stand where they sell flowers and vegetables.  This time when I stopped I took a few minutes to photo the flower fields. 

http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/stories/hedlin-family-farm

They have been farming this land since 1906 when their ancestor from Denmark purchased the property. There are greenhouses where tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables are grown.  They operate a subscription farm.  I am so jealous that I don't live close by so I can purchase a subscription.  I think it would be so wonderful to support them at the same time I am enjoying their produce.  You can read about that here:

http://www.localharvest.org/hedlin-farms-M22715

They also sell at several local farmer's markets. 

Let's walk over and look at the flower fields, shall we?

Snapdragons and yellow Status.

Cosmos.

Blue Bachelor Buttons and Snapdragons in back.

Status in white, pink and purple. Status makes great dried arrangements because the color doesn't fade.

Rows of pink Status and a few nice weeds between rows.

Let's walk over and look at the Sunflower section.

The tops of these Sunflowers are way over my head.

Zinnias are one of my husband's favorite flowers, so let's go check them out.

The Zinnia field.

Acres of flower fields.  Ahhhhhh, the good life in the country. 

The dream of having a flower farm is ever on my mind.  Historically, both sides of my family worked their land. It was really a necessity to feed your family. So genetically it runs in my veins.  I have to have my hands in the dirt or I don't feel alive.  My flower beds take a lot of care but they are so rewarding.  Farming, though, is tough hard work and the land cost is sky high.  I will just fill my soul at Hedlin's Farm.  More on the very cute town of La Conner in my next post.  I do hope you will stop for a visit.

All the best,

Summer Day

Photo Credits:  Swede

  

  

 

 

Finding Beauty: Pike Place Market

 

 

Guess where I was last week?  I'll give you a subtle little hint.

Here's another clue.

Twenty year ago, I lived two hours north of Seattle on Whidbey Island. We went back last week for a reunion on Mercer Island.  One of my favorite places to always visit is Pike Place Market.  I love the flowers and the vegetables.  It never disappoints. 

 http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

What I love to see when I visit a location is the attention that is given to beautification of public areas.  It is such a visual joy to go to a town or city that has hanging baskets of flowers on every light pole.  It seems that when I travel I notice that more attention is being placed on landscape beautification at street corners, in front of shops, at building marquees, etc.  Even in a bad economy, this budget doesn't look like it was cut.  The unique thing about Pike Place Market is that these floral planters are put at the roofline.  The plants are in their full glory of color and look so healthy. I don't know who the caretakers are or how they reach them to plant, fertilize and water the planters at that elevation, but they are magnificent. So beautiful they almost don't look real.  Beautiful job - Bravo - to whoever planned, installed and maintains this floral project.  Thank you for giving me such visual joy.

These planters are in full public view but don't interfere with the pedestrians on the crowded streets.

These are outside a second floor restaurant.

These planter boxes are no small project. They run along the rooflines of the walkways for several blocks on both sides of the street.  When the planter boxes stop, hanging baskets every few feet begin.

The hanging baskets hang down about three feet. They are just incredible.   Street musicians always draw a huge crowd.

 

Pike Place Market has a variety of things for sale -- fish, flowers and plants, vegetables, seasonal items, etc.  There are restaurants and shops on the surrounding blocks, including the original Starbucks.   

I can find beauty everywhere.  The fruit and vegetable displays look like works of art.

 
The colors in these Cherries are just an eye full.    

Washington's Ranier cherries.

 

I'm easy to please. I can find beauty in a simple pile of onions.

My real joy, though, is to walk through the flower stalls.  You can purchase big full bouquets of flowers for $10 or $15.  The bouquets are so huge I don't see how they can grow them, take them to market and make a profit when they charge so little.  It does make it affordable to always have flowers in your home if you live close by.

Dahlias are in season and the flower stalls were full of all colors and varieties.

 

Look how large these bouquets are!  Here are photos of some of my favorites. Dahlias, Lilies, Sunflowers,  Delphinium --well I probably love most all flowers.

Isn't that Dahlia just magnificent? 

These always remind me of the Delphiniums my Mother grew in Idaho.

I am in awe of how perfect Mother Nature can make these. They just take my breath away. 

These Lilies are just perfection.  I don't know how they could be any prettier.

  

Oh, be still my heart! Just fabulous.
 

  
It just wouldn't be a visit to Pike Place if I didn't show you some fish. The fishmongers were not "flying" the fish when I was there.  Maybe the crowd wasn't big enough for such entertainment.

While in Seattle, you might want to visit the Science Fiction Museum. The roof of the building is certainly an eye-catcher. 

http://www.empsfm.org/

And take a ride on a Duck.

And my parting photo has to be a water scene:

 

Ahhhhhhhh, Seattle.  You are beautiful indeed.

If you don't live close by, I hope you can visit soon.

All the best,

Summer Day

Photo Credits:  All Swede

 

Love of White Continued: Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

 

The first week of August I was in Estes Park, Colorado.  When you enter the downtown area, this is what you see:

Beautiful white buildings on the hill. Built by F.O. Stanley and his wife, Flora.  It has 139 guest rooms.  

http://www.stanleyhotel.com/

I remembered being here in the 1980's before the Stanley Hotel was restored.  Then it was pretty much there by itself, but now there is new construction all around it.  The town has greatly expanded. 

Here is a closer view of the lovely white structure.  Love their patriotism with the six American flags out front.  Presidents have stayed here as well as other famous people.  Theodore Roosevelt,  Molly Brown, Stephen King and Jim Carrey all stayed in Room 217.

This room is all the way to the right looking at the front of the building.  Can you imagine the dances held here in 1909 with ladies in long white gowns?  Or how about a wedding or a formal dinner. 

Let's sit on the veranda for awhile and take in the mountain view.

View of the side of the hotel.  Very pretty windows.

 

This Stanley Steamer is in the lobby.  Jay Leno has a few of these in Jay's Garage.  These cars could go over 65 miles per hour.

The lobby disappoints if you are expecting something more grand.

The backside of the hotel has a patio, fountain, arbor, gardens and other white outbuildings.

You can see the mountains in the background.

Pretty waterfall and fountain.

I loved the circular detail of the arbor supports.  The red is a reflection from the umbrella.

 
Marguerite Daisies in the back garden.

Pretty gazebo.

Here is the concert hall where famous orchestras played. John Philip Sousa opened the hall in 1910 and performed yearly until his death in 1932.

The Manor House.

The President's Quarters adjacent to the Executive office buildings.

White Petunias in the back garden.

We noticed that the guest room windows were open so I asked at the desk about air conditioning and was told that there is no A/C on the property.  Most days the high mountain air is cool enough, but I would choose wisely what month I was going to be staying there.

Be sure to check out their website.  Find out what the Stanley has to do with Stephen King and his book The Shining as well as the mini-series.  Here is a model used for the structure fire in the mini-series.  They made two and only used one for the fire scene.  You can see it on the basement level of the hotel. There are also ghost tours if you are interested for $50 and a short tour of the building for $15. Parking is $5. There is a restaurant onsite as well as a gift shop.

Looking majestic in white.

Estes Park is a lovely small town an hour north of Denver.  It has a beautiful park with small river running through it in the downtown area.  The streets are landscaped with beautiful flower boxes and hanging baskets.

 

I do hope you get the opportunity to visit Estes Park. It is also at the entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park.

All the best,

Summer

Photo Credits:  Swede   

 

Finding Beauty - Stutzman's in Salina, Kansas

 

I am a believer that you can find beauty everywhere you go.  But you must take the time to stop and look.  About two weeks ago, I was in Salina, Kansas on my way to dinner at Martinelli's Little Italy when I was stopped in my tracks by this fabulous garden nursery.  It was one of those "WOW would you look at that" moments when you turn the car around for a closer look.  Driving on 9th on the corner of Cloud I came upon Stutzman's Nursery.  From their website, they have other locations in Kansas as well.

http://www.stutzmans.com/site/galleries.asp?sec_id=140003749

The sad thing about traveling is that when you are 600 miles from home you can't purchase plants.  If I could have, I would have gone crazy buying everything in sight.  How lucky the people of Kansas are to have this resource.  I'm a gardener, but this is definitely at the professional level.  I have never seen the combination of plant materials they use together in their containers.  Just so amazing and they all look healthy, full and colorful in the heat of August!  My plants at home are struggling in the heat.

How about that color!!!

What a beautiful combination.

The colors are so vibrant.

These are show stoppers.

So much to choose from.

Beautiful hanging baskets.

Love how they used the painted wooden spools in their displays.

All the potting work has been done for you.  Just take a few home.

Sweet potato vine.

 
If you are anywhere near one of their Kansas locations, do stop in.

Also, if you have time, visit this Art Deco theater while in Salina.

I understand this building has been restored.

There is a lot of fabulous detail work in the building's design.

 
All the best,

Summer

Photo credits:  Swede

Laduree Paris Macarons

Well, it finally happened.

Yes, I finally got to taste the macaroon cookies from Laduree in Paris. In Paris they spell it "macaron".

http://www.laduree.fr/index_en.htm

I have been seeing blog after blog talking about these cookies for a long time. So I asked my husband, who flies in and out of Paris frequently, to stop by Laduree and bring home some of those famous macarons.  Since he likes macaroon cookies [with coconut] too, he was nice enough to stop by one of their shops and find a sales associate who spoke English to assist with the flavor selection. I had told him that packaging was everything at Laduree and that I wanted to keep the boxes they came in. 

This should be a lesson in every marketing class that packaging sells the product.  Maybe more than the product does itself.  My husband picked out three boxes and asked for raspberry and chocolate for sure. 

So now I can cross macarons from Laduree Paris off my bucket list.  Next step is to get him to shop at the Paris Flea Market for me! 

When I saw photos of macarons on other websites they looked so huge. These are only 1-3/4 inches across.

They have a fragile crust on the top that forms in the baking. Some have cracked and crumbled. Doesn't affect the taste, however, I assure you. The filling in the middle I would describe as a firm jelly.

This is my favorite of the boxes.

 The three boxes are displayed on the plate and when Euros are exchanged, this is about $70 worth.

There was a large selection of packaging to choose from.  Here is what my husband picked.

Laduree also sells chocolates but they are too difficult to get home in the summer heat.  There is also a small restaurant for tea and lunch.

 
Cake plate I purchased as a multiple-piece dessert set in Canada. It is English Royal Worcester from the 1870's. Cup is Old Paris. Pink linen hemstitched tablecloth is from Williams-Sonoma.    

 

Thank you, sweet husband.

All the best to you,

Summer

Original content:  Swede

Photo credits: Swede  

Finding Beauty - Window Boxes of Charleston, South Carolina

 

When we visit Charleston, South Carolina, one of my favorite things to do  is walk around the Historic District and look at all the wonderfully unique homes.  I can spend many hours there absorbing it all. Viewing the doorways, porches, gardens, paths, arbors, window boxes, hanging baskets, fountains, gates and yards is such a visual joy.  Eye candy to a gardener of any caliber from beginner to expert.

Today I am sharing a few photos of residential and commercial buildings' window boxes and other containers. I won't try to identify all the plants by botanical or common name, as the overall visual is what I enjoy.  

Against the blue stucco, the red Dragon-wing Begonias look fabulous with the variegated Ivy. A dash of purple adds excitement.  

 
Cascading lilac-colored Scaevola "New Wonder" or Fan Flower plants look great against brick walls with black shutters and especially black planters or window boxes.

 
Since many of the homes' exterior walls are adjacent to the public sidewalks, you get a very up-close view of the plants. There are strict building codes and ordinances in the Historic District, so there probably are rules about window boxes. I am beginning to think the required color is black.

Caribbean blue on the shutters, bench and window boxes is fabulous with the black iron and light-colored walls.

Green plants here look great with the grey-tone color of the planter boxes and exterior walls.

Ferns and green Caladium give a feeling of coolness when the temperatures are high. We try to visit the city in either mid-May or October so it is enjoyable to do a lot of walking.

Red Begonias with a punch of white are nice against the neutral clapboard siding of this corner property.

  
Wonderful greens cascading from these fiber planters at the windows of this commercial building make a big statement.

This home is on Rainbow Row.

 
The hot pink is so vibrant.

Old brick gets a visual lift with these boxes.

Coleus, Ferns and Ivy look great with a dash of red from the Begonias and Caladium.

These black window boxes and shutters with pink and white perk up this building's exterior.

Green and white, always a great combination especially accented with purple.

 
Cherub in an alcove.

Black pedestal planters with the black iron fence and a trailing Passion Flower vine.

Pink and white in this black planter with a Fern.

 
The windows of this restaurant provide the perfect opportunity for a great show of pink flowered boxes that coordinates with the pink and white of the building's exterior.

This little pink clapboard home sports a window box.

Very attractive building.

Simple red Geraniums make a statement here.

Green Boxwood in clay pots don't compete with the details of this doorway.

 
The Hibiscus gives this box a splash of color.  Orange and white looks great on this white home.

Green Caladiums and white Petunias here are just lovely.

This hotel was very inviting. I noticed that the red stalk of Swiss Chard was used to provide color for the mostly green boxes.

These black window boxes and planter boxes sitting on the ground belong to my favorite home in the District at 21 King Street. 

Star Jasmine and a dash of purple at the front door.

 
Front entry showing potted Sweet Potato Vines a prior year.

 
The side view of 21 King.  Now you know why this is my favorite home.

  
This home has four black boxes with greenery.

And here is a lovely fountain.

I hope you have enjoyed your tour and perhaps gained some inspiration for your own home.

All the best to you,

Summer

 

Statue of Liberty New York

For my first post, I thought I would share some photos of the Statue of Liberty since it is the Fourth of July today.  Look at that beautiful blue sky!

 This is a view of Ellis Island from our ferry boat.  Our family did not enter the United States here.

I tried to get some unusual photo angles to capture the beauty of the blue/green metal and the magnificence ofthe statue.

My sister from Denver and her daughter and I were able to get tickets for the tour of the inside of the statue which was reopened after renovation.

Both sides of our family came to the New World and settled in Pennsylvania in the late 1600's so they were here 200 years before Ellis Island was processing immigrants but it was interesting to see this historical place anyway.
 

From the ferry we could look across at Ground Zero.

I just love this blue/green color.

This was the first time I had seen the Statue of Liberty and I was amazed. We had such a beautiful day for the tour.

Most of these photos are taken on the lower observations deck ramps.

My niece, Kelle, who was doing an internship in Manhattan at the time.

Happy Fourth of July to everyone wherever you are.  Cherish and reflect on your freedom and independence today.

All the best,   Summer