Across the Pond

Pink Saturday

2008-07-26T05:08:00.001-05:00

I love PINK lampshades.. Love the pale 'face powder' shaded shadows they cast in a room.

Here a swirled chiffon shade I made.

Below, an experiment with tea dyed cheesecloth I used to decorate a plain ready made shade to get the powder pink look.

This pink print square shade, wound with ribbons, crystals dangling, caught my eye in a magazine.

Do visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to find the list of all the great PINK SATURDAY posts.

Friday's Favorite Family Foto

2008-07-25T05:58:00.004-05:00

Have you crossed an ocean by liner? Yes, they were called 'ocean liners' at one time, not cruise ships. I've never taken a cruise, but I did cross the Atlantic on one of the greatest of the ocean liners ever built during the golden age of elegant transatlantic sea travel. One always dressed to travel back then.........................in high heeled shoes and silly hats. This was my favorite coat - a royal blue textured wool, and I loved those shoes. I thought I looked quite snazzy for traveling home to England!

February 23, 2006 the new RMS Queen Mary 2, on her way to Mexico, saluted her predecessor RMS Queen Mary at Long Beach, California where she has been a tourist attraction since her retirement in 1967.

A Gazebo Break

2008-07-21T23:32:00.002-05:00

I'm taking a break for a few days. May hang out here in my garden. I've been having frustrating computer problems for several days, and I have projects needing attention, including my big trip to France. I'll turn the ceiling fan on high in the gazebo, and have a steady stream of lemonade swirling over ice in the big glass pitcher - must beat the heat somehow.

On second thoughts, just heard it will be 100 degrees again, perhaps I'll just do all that planning inside the house!

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Thank you for stopping by and leaving such great comments this past week, I love to hear from you and truly appreciate your friendship.

Vintage French Fashion Journals

2008-07-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

Hot, humid, Southern Sunday afternoon..................birds were hiding among the leaves of shrubs and bushes, waiting for the cool of evening to stop by the bird baths and feeders. Where was I hiding? Why here of course...............I wish. OK, so I do have a French inspired guest bedroom which I love, but it always happens, you flip a page and there it is, somewhere more beautiful, more inviting, more impossible to create in a 1980's house with low ceilings!
I just needed an inspired space to sit for a while ~ a place that would allow me to step back in time and get the feeling of being transported to Paris.......in the exciting 1920's.

Beautiful bedroom - Anthropologie catalog.

Here's the reason. The mail brought these on Friday! All the way from France, packed carefully by my sister-in-law. So unexpected and appreciated. While browsing a local vide grenier (attic cleanout), she and my brother noticed these amazing fashion journals from the early '20's ~ and they saw my name written on them! The delicate newsprint is still in great condition and the color plates bright. The ads are quite amusing and I'll have to share some another time. The fashions are gorgeous............................

.......................there are even pages of children's clothing as shown below. These are apparently school clothes and will perhaps come back in fashion again some day, you know how the kids are always looking for something new and different!
I'm just thrilled with this wonderful gift.

This is another spot for lounging, reading, dreaming ~ with all that cool marble it's doubtful air conditioning would be needed. Hope you set aside a special time and place to enjoy your favorite book or magazine today.

More Damask......and Brocade

2008-07-20T00:07:00.000-05:00

Following my recent post on the classic fabric damask, many of you concurred that it was also a great favorite when you are searching for decorating fabrics.

Designers have recently looked to the past in order to revive one of the most loved of fabrics, brocade. Damask and brocade are both made on a jacquard loom. Damask is a flatter patterned fabric, which is reversible. Brocade is richer in texture and often uses several colors. Brocade designs look best on the top of the fabric surface. Because of this, brocade fabric is often used for opulent dressy garments such as ecclesiastical robes and evening wear. Brocade is only rarely reversible with most designs looking best on the top face.

If you are familiar with the company Brocade and have seen their stunning catalogs, you will know that both damask and brocade patterns are being reproduced in many types of decorative accessories and furniture as well as fabric. Lately I've seen these patterns on items in local shops also, some still have the traditional look, others have a modern twist giving an almost contemporary appearance.

Above and below, plates and storage boxes from Brocade.

Pretty covered notebooks...........
.........wallpaper with a classic damask design from Brocade.
Delicate jacquard damask patterned waste basket from Brocade.Below, linen fabric lampshades with a more modern look seen in a local shop.

Strongly patterned black and white storage boxes seen in Homegoods this week.
Brocade's outdoor furniture with damask patterned water resistant upholstery....very pretty.

Don't forget...............one can never have too much fabric.

Pink Saturday at SuzAnna's Antiques

2008-07-19T00:03:00.001-05:00

Pink Saturday post - cute pink things spied while treasure hunting in the last few weeks at SuzAnna's Antiques here in town. Those great gals not only do pink, they have green, yellow, blue and every other color in the Pantone Color Guide.

Pink junk - cute junk!
...........and this is my favorite. No, not the pink chair even though it's cute, the BUGS sign which I definitely would put in my garden if it would ensure death to all mosquitoes........................before they bite!

Note: Other bugs I can handle, and some I even love because they are good for the garden, but mosquitoes have no redeeming value and they ALL love me!

Best wishes for your weekend - hope it's a super one.

Don't forget to visit Beverly at How Sweet The Sound to view the list of all today's Pink Saturday participants - lots of fun people to visit.

Friday's Favorite Family Foto

2008-07-18T06:38:00.000-05:00

Favorite? Yes. Treasured? Most definitely. This is the family photo I would strive to save in a fire or flood ~ it is the documented piece of my English heritage closest to my heart.

London, England ~ c. 1915

This amazing lady is my maternal grandmother, Olive Elizabeth, b. 1886 in London. Within a space of four years, following her marriage to my grandfather George, she bore five children! The eldest daughter, my beautiful Auntie Madge is on the left with the double hair bows, Next the twins, my dear mother Gladys on the right with her brother Edward. Then a second set of twins, the girls being held by grandma, Auntie May on the left, and Auntie Edith, the last one to die just a couple of months ago, aged 94.

Edited: Deborah's busy schedule will prevent her from actually hosting FFFF this week but she says to post anyway if you want....................as mine is ready to go, here it is!

Using Unusual Urns

2008-07-16T09:53:00.015-05:00

My dear friend Vanessa at Vanilla Lavender wants to see your urns!

You don't have urns? Please don't say that because you'll make me feel strange, peculiar, the odd one out! On taking inventory of my urns I was certainly surprised to find I had so many. I already knew there were a few dotted around....................actually several. I LOVE urns of every description and have been gathering them for many years. Perhaps I was a Roman, maybe even an Etruscan, or some such urn using, urn loving being in another life.

If you've visited here before you'll remember I have a heavy iron urn at the cottage door, above. It held fresh and lovely hydrangeas for the recent Spring garden tour hosted by Cielo at The House in the Roses.
Below you can see a very large urn holding a conifer - this is the molded resin version now very popular as they are easy to move around and quite affordable. There's no way I could ever afford one this size made of iron!

This is probably my favorite - very old iron, has even been repaired to reattach both handles, these may not even be the original handles to this urn. I move this one around - last Summer is was on the front porch holding seashells. ...........then it moved to the French style guest room after the makeover in February.......................and now it's in the living room holding some lovely vintage balls of cotton and bits of lace for the Summer.

The resin urn below is now in the guest room on the small chest. It spent the Winter in our master bedroom because it's a true blue-grey shade and matched the wall paint. More cotton lace and vintage thread, a grapevine ball, and note the lovely doily crocheted by my cousin Sue in England.

This is a matching pair of very old heavy iron urns at each corner of my pine armoire. They are slightly rusted and the coloration is lovely with the honey shade of the wood. The Italian ceramic urn on the shelf is part of my collection of Tuscan dishes and serving pieces.

On my mantel there are small matching stone urns at each end. Recently I stripped the topiaries of their faux ivy ~ I like this iron look better.

These two concrete urns are a little more contemporary. I like their huge iron rings. The French Jardin china pot on the lower shelf even looks a bit like an urn too.

This tall urn, also made of concrete, has four interesting lion heads. It stands on the dining room table holding woven or grapevine balls, and at Christmas I like to jazz it up with sparkly glass ornaments, garlands etc.

Last, but by no means least, I love this stone urn on my kitchen island. Probably the most useful of my urns, it holds my wooden cooking implements, spoons, rolling pin etc.

I'm sure there are a few more urns hiding out in the garden - but these are my special ones. Vanessa wants ideas about what to put in her urns so hope you will share yours.

Now just don't ask me about soup tureens!!!

Best When Fresh

2008-07-16T06:21:00.006-05:00

Early morning in the garden, the humidity wraps one in a damp blanket on opening the door and stepping out into a green world. Up early, I drifted past the large flower pots along the front path, an early rising bee was busy at the Lantana.

In the side garden, and raised bed, the vegetables are struggling, not unusual here in the hot and humid Summer weather of the Southeast. I picked a fistful of perfect haricots verts dangling from the bamboo tepees...............spied some delicate yellow squash needing a few more days of sunshine before harvesting..............firm green tomatoes are expanding their waistlines as they call out for more water..............and, best of all right now, the heat loving herbs are growing rapidly both in pots and beds.

My first picked bunch of Napolitano Mammoth-Leafed Basil.

"Napolitano has absolutely huge, light green, crinkled, savoyed leaves. Richly flavored, these mammoth leaves are perfect for serious pesto makers - height 24 inches".

That's me, a "serious" pesto maker! Off to stock up on Extra Virgin Olive Oil, pine nuts and walnuts.

Dreaming in Damask

2008-07-14T22:24:00.000-05:00

For many years, before being permanently attached to a digital camera, I was taken prisoner by a sewing machine! How could the daughter of a seamstress to Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother, not have genes passed along which made fabrics and thread more important than tea and crumpets!

One of my great loves has always been beautiful patterned, textured damask fabric. I was always seeking out a yard or two to turn into a pillow, table cover or curtain, and quite often to cover the lampshades I made. I may be a cottage gal but I guess my decorating style is somewhat eclectic. I enjoy mixing different styles and textures and believe one should live with what one loves. I'd like to share a little history of this truly romantic woven fabric.

A pile of damask patterned fabric remnants I've used over the years ~ on my damask upholstered chair that sits at the top of the staircase.

In the Middle Ages, handwoven linen in original damask patterns was imported from Damascus, Syria, thus the name Damask. Jacquard weave, was named after French inventor, Joseph-Marie Jacquard, who invented the loom attachment in 1801, allowing patterned fabrics such as damask and brocade to be produced much more efficiently.

Damask is a textile that combines warp-faced and weft-faced twill or satin sections and is always reversible. Traditional damask has always been white-on-white. Prior to the 19th century, damask was the only linen fabric used in the dining rooms of the elite. After the 1920's it became more affordable. Colored damask was used in the late 19th century, but only for informal luncheons.

Damask linens with figures are unique and very collectible. Floral designs are the most common and easily obtained. The finest damask was produced in Ireland, Italy and France and it was the linen of royalty. Today mass-produced damask fabrics of other blends are readily available and, although not precious like the antique linens, can still be beautiful when used for many home decorating projects.

My sofa is upholstered in a cream traditional patterned damask used on the reverse side. I prefer this as it's a more matte finish and looks less formal. I purchased extra fabric and made large cord edged pillows, reversed to the right side which adds a little more texture and interest.

Above and below are lampshades I've made using two silk damask fabrics. Large shade above on my old somewhat funky lamp base ~ picked up at a consignment shop years ago ~ and the small shades on the dining room chandelier below, are an embossed type of damask which was actually a wedding gown fabric. The other lamp below is dressed with a beautiful tissue weight silk damask, again purchased in the bridal fabrics.

Dining Room chandelier decorated with a silk and crystal garland.

Next time, a new take on damask and brocade.

An Open Book

2008-07-13T07:03:00.000-05:00

Realization that my granddaughter Jasmin, who spends a lot of time with me, is beginning to 'have an eye' for special things, makes me happy. I've taken her treasure hunting all her life - well she toddled along beside me, whether she knew what loveliness her young eyes beheld I don't really know. Now, a pre-teen, I've noticed she picks up items carefully and looks at them with a smile. She brushes her fingers across the yellow keys of old pianos wishing she could take one home to play, then throws an old feather boa around her shoulders and strikes a roaring twenties pose. She sorts through piles of mother-of-pearl buttons finding the big ones she knows I love, then gently slips on vintage rings and bracelets, hoping to add to her own collection of 'precious jewels'.

At SuzAnna's Antiques - June 2008

Yesterday, she stopped at the dining room table and looked at this old book written by a Romany Gypsy. I'd folded the pages to give it a new dimension.
"That's neat - actually it's really nice Grandma, what a good idea...................I like it".

In the eye of the beholder ~ life is an open book.

PARIS Pink Saturday II

2008-07-12T00:05:00.007-05:00

The amazing Jeannie not only stocks a shop of her own in another town, Uniquitiques in Hillsborough, NC, but also brings beauteous French inspired treasures to SuzAnna's Antiques where I snapped these pics. She stocks her booth with irresistible items, the latest being these cowgirl hats with built-in tiaras. Anyone ready for a hoe-down or Texas Two Step, French style!!!?

This is such a pretty chair and I wanted to bring it home but just don't have a spare inch to park it ~ that pink damask seat with a double corded edge had me sighing, I love damask fabric.

A French inspired tiny chandelier ~ pink crystals and perfect for a young girl's bedroom. If only I was a young girl with a pink bedroom!!!!

Here's another of Jeannie's Parisian tags attached to the cutest gift she left for me, a truly feminine garden trowel with a pink foam handle (thank you so much Jeannie - you're always so generous). The two Bridge sets - small scalloped table cloths and napkins in pink and white linen - I did bring home and will use at teatime. Couldn't resist another German glass glitter PARIS sign too.

Hope Pink Saturday is a great day for you.
Be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet The Sound
our truly fabulous Pink Saturday hostess - she will have a list of links to all the fun pink blogs!

Friday's Favorite Family Foto

2008-07-11T00:07:00.007-05:00

A tiny village in the South of France. Two weeks renewing family ties first bound together in England. An American granddaughter and an English-French niece, separated by a pond..............................which is an ocean.

A warm June (2006) evening in Caunes-Minervois. A last evening together for the girls. Who knows how long before they meet again. Thankfully life is full of promises...........and memories.

Today Deborah at Pictures Pots & Pens is hosting Friday's Favorite Family Foto Day. Visit her to see the list of participants and do join in the fun and share some of your family phototgraphs.

Brixham Blogger

2008-07-10T00:07:00.003-05:00

This has been a busy week with several new bloggers stopping by. Because they all have interesting stories to tell I just have to introduce you.

Shauna at Quail By Mail lives in the English fishing town of Brixham, across the bay from my hometown of Torquay. In this photo you can just make out Torquay across the blue water. Brixham was also my father's birthplace. I posted lots of pics and a story on the history of the town in my two posts of May 3 (Across the Bay) and May 4 (Back to Brixham). If you would like to learn more about this great little town click on May in my Blog Archive list to the left and scroll back down to these older posts.

Shauna lives in a cottage......now I know I've grabbed your attention, and describes herself as an 'Eco Fashionista'. She operates an ethical fashion label specializing in organic and fairtrade cotton clothing........and everything is made in England. Her designs are lovely and the fabrics beautiful. I think you will enjoy visiting her blog, especially if you are a seamstress and/or love clothes, and who doesn't?

By the way, looks like Shauna also treasure hunts at charity shops..........so next visit home I'll definitely have many reasons to take the ferry across the bay and invite Shauna to meet me for a cup of tea................before we go shopping!

Shauna's really neat cotton shopping tote ~ I love that little quail who decided to go in the opposite direction!

A Cottage Down the Lane...............

2008-07-09T00:07:00.001-05:00

.....................that's Water Lane, a short, narrow lane in the little village where I grew up. Perhaps you were thinking I lived in the the center of that bustling seaside town, while actually I was on the outskirts, tucked away in this small village. The post office is inside a little family run newsagent/quick shop grocery store, the few other shops include the proverbial 'chippy' for deep fried golden fish & chips, a larger chain grocery, a chemist (drug store) and hair salon. As a child I could also visit a bakery and a wool/knitting supply shop - every mum kept her knitting needles clicking making Fair Isle patterned jumpers (sweaters), and warm woolly gloves to keep off the damp chill of a British Winter.

The group of thatched cottages in Water Lane are lovely and have stood the test of time. I remember often visiting one that was the home of a friend of my mother. The roses completely covered the walls back then, the perfume on a Summer evening was intoxicating and the lady would cut bunches for us to bring home.
I thought about these romantic cottages today when visiting another new blogger, Melissa at her lovely Sunbonnet Cottage. I don't think she has thatch on her roof, but she has the prettiest golden yellow door to welcome you and obviously has made a warm and loving home for her family ~ hope you stop by to say hello. You will see her pretty interiors and how she is decorating in colors we all love.

All photos taken last October when I returned to walk down Water Lane once more.

Secret Doors & New Friends

2008-07-08T05:06:00.003-05:00

You know how we search for vintage places to shop, always ready to open the door, cross the threshold, peek round the corner in search of a treasure to bring home or give as a gift..........

Street in Arles, Provence - June 2006

Here's a new blogger who has her very own shop in Pennsylvania.

Verna at The Cottonwood House knows how we love peeling paint ~ she even does peeling paint!

Les Baux de Provence ~ June 2006

Blue gate ~ Torquay, UK ~ October 2007

Some doors we can't enter to view the mysteries they hide, but I'm certain Verna's will be open for business. Do stop by and visit ~ you'll met Sondra too!

Edited: Today you can also meet Carmela and see Sweet Pea's Boutique

at The Cottonwood House too!

Seaside Pavilion

2008-07-06T15:19:00.005-05:00

pa-vil-ion ~ noun
1. ornate tent
2. a. A light, sometimes ornamental roofed structure used for
amusement or shelter, as at parks or fairs: a picnic
pavilion.
b. A usually temporary structure erected at a fair or show
for use by an exhibitor: the French pavilion at the World's
Fair.
c. A large structure housing sports or entertainment
facilities; an arena.
3. A large structure or another building connected to a
larger building; an annex.
4. One of a group of related buildings forming a complex, as of a hospital.

(Middle English pavilon, from old French pavillon, from Latin papilio)

Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in its intended use. A pavilion built to take advantage of a view is referred to as a gazebo.

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Growing up in a beautiful seaside town on the south coast of England included many visits to the Pavilion - a now listed historic building classified under 2.c in the above description. Built in 1912, it's one of the few remaining examples of Victorian seaside architecture and combines a mix of Classical and Art Nouveau styles to create a splendid triumph of decorative frivolity.

On the cover of the official 1965 Torquay brochure looking down toward the harbour you can just see one of the Pavilion's green copper domes between the trees (beyond the sunbrellas).

Photo below from the same year - the Pavilion's gardens and promenade front the harbour providing sunny spots for relaxation in a deck chair. When I moved to the USA in 1962 those three monstrous blocks of flats had not been built, see the vintage sepia photo below. The stunning views across the bay from their windows command high prices!

Below, the Pavilion in December 1912 just a few months after opening.

In its heyday as a theatre with a stage, balconies, lounges and a cafe, an elegant atmosphere prevailed and the town founded a municipal orchestra with classical concerts and a Winter Orchestral Season was held. During the Christmas season the annual pantomime ran for several weeks, a special treat for the children. My favorite was Jack and the Beanstalk. Could this be the reason for my joy in raising large pots of climbing beans each Summer!

Another reason for my affinity toward this lovely building is that my mother worked here for many years during the 1960's. She was the manager of the theatre box office and her offices were on the right of the above photo, the windows where the couple is standing.

Later, following construction of a new modern theatre complex nearby and where my mother next worked, the Pavilion became the 'poor relation' turning into a bingo hall and then a faux 'ice skating rink' utilizing Glice, a Belgian invention manufactured in France.

The new larger capacity theater did bring top entertainers to town and my mother met many 'stars' including The Beatles, and shared many stories about the not so nice side of those in the entertainment business!

Below, view showing Tor Bay, Torquay harbour and Princess Gardens in 1914 with the Pavilion on the left.

Fountain in the Princess Gardens at the Pavilion - October 2007

Above, same fountain and gardens circa 1930's.

The Pavilion is built on a site formed partly from land reclaimed from the sea, on a concrete 'raft' weighing 1000 tons. The white facing tiles covering the exterior are Royal Doulton's carrara enamelled stoneware which, if replaced today, would cost almost $200 each! Scheduled for demolition (horrors!!!) in the early 1970's, the Pavilion was saved by energetic efforts of a group named Friends of the Pavilion ~ it was then listed as a building of special architectural and historic interest, thank goodness, and cannot be demolished.

The Pavilion is now what else but a 'shopping centre'. After extensive restoration work which fortunately respects its elegant past, it reopened in 1987.

Interior shots of the original beautiful ceilings and walls - October 2007

When officially opened in 1912 the Torquay Pavilion was touted as a 'Palace of Pleasure' to attract more visitors to the resort and to create a venue in which to hear music, see plays and meet friends. Its graceful proportions continue to evoke ideals of a gentler era. Each time I visit my home I always make it a point to stop at the Pavilion to reminisce and relive some of the wonderful childhood moments spent there,

I hope you enjoyed another visit to a special place in my hometown.

Who knows where we'll go next time - funny how a town is always so interesting after you leave!

Paris Pink Saturday

2008-07-05T00:01:00.004-05:00

pink day in Paris

Page from my Paris scrapbook ~ June 2006

Granddaughter with a touch of Paris Pink

Prettiest Paris Pink tag by Jeannie at Uniquitiques, Hillsborough, NC

And this of course has nothing to do with Pink or Paris ~ but it's my dh's Birthday today and I just know this would be his favorite cake ~ if only I had thought to make one decorated like this!
Much love and Happy Birthday wishes dear Bob.

Be sure to check Beverly's blog How Sweet The Sound for the complete list of Pink Saturday participants - plenty of fun pinkness as usual!

Independence Day 2008

2008-07-04T00:01:00.002-05:00

Wishing you all a safe and happy

Independence Day.

~ Gabriella Oldham ~ 'Tis the Star Spangled Banner ~

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.

~ Dwight D. Eisenhower ~

Garden Glories

2008-07-03T08:46:00.001-05:00

This is not my Pink Saturday post coming to you early - there will be one on Saturday as promised - however on yesterday's walk through the garden I enjoyed seeing so many pink blooms.

The mailbox bed is thriving right now in the full sun exposure. The potato vine is running rampant and may be crossing the cul-de-sac in a few more weeks unless I prune! Petunias in pink and purple, pale yellow daylilies all blooming.

The Mandevilla vine is making it's Summer climb up the gazebo.

My favorite pink geraniums in large pots along the path to the front steps of the cottage.

This week the beautiful Stargazer lilies opened - they are in pots to protect their fragile bulbs which often become dinner for the pesky voles!

The new butterfly bush by the back fence is growing rapidly - I thought it was a purple one but it decided to be pink - fine with me and the butterflies.

........and this little sweet flower means Summer eating of the best kind. This is the blossom on the French Haricot Verts - green beans extraordinaire. I spied the first few beans so perhaps a meal is imminent!

Hope you enjoyed sharing the garden update. We still struggle with watering issues here - hauling hoses and watering cans is permitted just two days a week for a couple of hours due to the drought - but it's really worth the effort, sore backs and painful shoulders, when the blossoms nod in the early morning sun to welcome bees, birds and butterflies on another hot day.

Give Me a Sign......

2008-07-01T05:50:00.003-05:00

Yeah, yeah.............girls just wanna have fun at the beach this time of year. Here in the hot and humid Southeastern states, beaches, lakes, ponds and pools are the first choice of people wanting to keep their cool! This is one of many fabulous old prints framed in the neatest painted wood frames. Great selection at SuzAnna's Antiques for every room in your home - you can glimpse more on the wall in the last photo below.

If you can't get to a watering hole on a hot day, just head out to SuzAnna's in Raleigh. They're not lakeside property, the only standing body of water may be in the birdbaths scattered around the yard, however they will have ice-cold water for you as eloquently stated on this sign. And.............while sipping and looking at charming signs, here are a few more which caught my eye when visiting the shop with my granddaughter the week before last.

Now this one I need for my potting shed................

......... and we all have something vintage that needs identifying - I'm thinking dh!!!!

If you have a little cabin in the woods, next to a pond, with a view of a mountain......you also need a sign so we can all stop by to visit - and wouldn't that sundial be perfect in your little garden.

Isn't this a fabulous sign for your place at the beach.........nothing fancy or contrived (have you seen the crazy names some people give their beach properties?), this one just states the obvious.................signage perfection.

Oh! a barn, how I'd love a real barn-red BARN.......then perhaps a few chickens, a rooster, my own fresh eggs.............an old John Deere tractor..............a farm!!!!!

I don't have a garage but if I did I'd definitely take this one home and hang it on the door - after all MY car would be on one side, and MY stuff on the other................dh's car would probably still be parked in the driveway!

Ahhh! MUSIC. Who can't use a music sign to prop up wherever music is playing around your house or in the garden, and on lovely old barn board.

Susie and Anna - thanks for being there for us, come rain, come shine.............come 102 degrees, and keeping the water cold! You are the best shopkeepers ever - welcoming, kind, funny, helpful, talented, generous, beautiful.

We love your shop - we love sweet Linda and others who help you - we love YOU!

Susie, Anna and my granddaughter - June 2008.

On 'Broadway'

2008-06-30T10:28:00.006-05:00

When treasure hunting a couple of weeks ago, Vanessa at Vanilla Lavender took me to a quirky cottagey house sitting at the side of a busy highway. Piled up in the yards - front, side and back - was more 'junque' than you can imagine. Seated on the rickety porch was 'the gentleman owner' along with visiting cohorts, elderly blokes obviously spending jolly retirement hours just hanging out on a hot humid, nothing else to do, Summer in the South day.

Vanessa and I rummaged through the stifling rooms while my granddaughter Jasmin serenaded us from several untuned pianos. Vanessa's little daughter stood nearby pounding the ivories wearing the biggest smile, proud as punch that she too was a pianist in the making. The kindly owner offered Jasmin a piano to take home, for free! Viewing it involved clambering over an obstacle course, through the junk piles and rear garden, using that term loosely, to a somewhat spooky basement which would drive the Fire Marshall to have a heart attack! The huge old, very old, piano, did not come home with us but apparently can sit there with her name on it until someone else gives it a home. Pretty young gals get all the perks!

In the mix of true antiques and piles of junk, I did discover a treasure. Slipped down at an angle inside a really sad broken frame, this beautiful, slightly age-stained print of the famous golden stone cottages in the village of Broadway in the Cotswolds of England. The artist (appears to be Alan Stuttle or Skittle) titled and signed the print in pencil - there is no date. For $5.00 a true bargain.

Broadway, The Cotswolds, England

I immediately recognized this view as it's one often photographed and used to promote Broadway village, often referred to as the 'Jewel of the Cotswolds'. The 'broad way' is the wide grass-fringed main street, centered around The Green, which is lined with red chestnut trees and honey-colored Cotswold limestone buildings, many dating from the 16th century.

Fieldwork by British archaeologists, besides finding evidence of Roman and Medieval occupation, has determined that Broadway's history dates back 5,000 years and may have been one of the first partially settled sites in the United Kingdom.

Why do I feel a closeness to this lovely village? It has been home to many a British artist, musician and writer, including Sir. Edward Elgar, John Singer Sargent, Vaughan Williams, William Morris and J.M. Barrie, all whose work I love. Also, when driving through it many years ago, my mother told me that my father was billeted there during WWII while serving in the Royal Air Force. Well now, can you image being in a lovelier place, especially in wartime? Perhaps he even stayed in one of these delightful historic cottages.