Just wanted to share...

A picture of my husband and I after a day of junkin'...

oh, and here's all our friends waiting for us to get home so we could

par-tay!

What?...

Fantasy friends photos courtesy of Dedon Furniture

Elle Decor Magazine.

Thank you Mindy.

I won a magazine giveaway she was having...te he.

Whatcha got cookin'?

I've never tried using these for actually baking anything,

but they call my kitchen china cabinet home.

I once saw an image of these animal casseroles

lined up along one of Martha Stewart's kitchen ledges,

but I couldn't find it for this post.

(i have stacks of those suckers)

I've had the rabbit for about twenty years.

I made him when ceramics were all the rage.

Did any of you get caught up in that?

Wow, the ceramic tchotchkes we had!

The duck and chicken I have found since then on flea market excursions.

Now, I'm trying to remember if this is the tablecloth that

I stole borrowed from my sister. (?)

But today I thought I'd pretend

I was cooking something yummy for the casserole.

Hmmm... Hey, I know!

How about a "chicken" casserole...

I'm not really into rabbit or duck.

This poor little 30's Metropolitan Life Cook Book

got a little wet once when my sunroom leaked.

They do have some yummy recipes.

Anyone for Scalloped Turnips?

I received some of my Grandmother's painted wooden utensils,

so now I'm on the lookout for white ones.

I adore this cutting block, but the flower basket is too sweet to ruin.

Milk glass Hoosier Cabinet Salt Shaker.

OK, these are my faux cat chewed carrots.

After all, we are just pretending to cook.

Wow, I really enjoyed that pretend dinner.

Look, no calories!

I'm linking up with these great blog friends:

 

Linda from Coastal Charm

 Kathleen from Faded Charm

 Cindy from My Romantic Home

And Laurie from

 Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie

Hope you all are having a great week!

but I'm still hungry.

love,

Debra

My little fantasy...

Don't we all have little fantasies? An affinity for a certain place and time and era. A place that would seem to fit who we are and nurture our personal dreams?

I'm really not sure why, but a life in an English cottage has always been a little dream of mine. Cozy, comfortable, with a flower garden and a gate out front. Quiet and peaceful where you can hear the birds sing, and maybe a little brook close to the house that beckoned for a dip of the toes and a grassy spot to open a book.

(image from an old church fan in my collection)

English Cottages and gardens were a popular subject for images, paintings and prints in the early 1900s. They have always spoken to me, so today I wanted to share of few of mine with you.

Can you see me?

I'm waving from the window!

An R. Atkinson Fox print that I found at a flea,

for just a few dollars...

who no one recognized.

Lucky Me!

This is an old needlework piece that I framed.

This is an old paper German calendar,

 but the cottage is what grabbed my attention.

(sorry about the glare)

Love the muted tones in this one,

it's almost a study in sepia.

I can't believe I still haven't seen this movie,

The Holiday.

Probably because my husband's not into

"Chick flicks".

It's going on my to-watch list.

After all, we all deserve a little fantasy.

What's your fantasy place and time?

Today I'm linking early to

Cindy at My Romantic Home

and Laurie at

 Bargain Hunting and Chatting With Laurie

And you have until midnight to enter

The Royal Treatment Give Away.

Let's make it to 500 followers.

That will be something to celebrate!!

Click here

love,

Debra

Show and Tell Friday: Enchanted Gardens

Over the Christmas holidays I was introduced

to the miniature world of Enchanted Gardens.

 I was reminded of being newly married and

being mesmerized with constructing terrariums.

At that time a large antique glass bottle

 was my playground filled with small plants,

 rocks, and nature's tiny objects.

 My older daughter who has always

 loved miniatures of any kind; dollhouses, toys,

 ephemera, etc. found these at one of our favorite shops

 and proceeded to build herself

 a tiny paradise in a clay pot.

Me too, me too, I thought,

 I'd have some fun in those cold and dreary days of winter.

Angel vine is my plant of choice of late,

so angel vine it was.

A wire bench, clay pots, tiny watering can,

 birdhouse, and an urn.

They all came home with me.

Let us not forget the trellis which

completes itself with a fairy size chandelier.

Within days I had seen an article

in one of my favorite magazines,

"Midwest Living", that added to my inspiration.

So my clay pot found a home

 in one of my metal lunchboxes;

this one in a hexagonal design.

It's found a home in my kitchen,
out of the way of the gray fur babies reach.

My friend Debra Moore,

who owns Inspirational Home, here in Springfield,

 carries an extensive line of Fairy Garden elements.

Shhhhhh......it even includes the fairies.

I'm linking up with Inspirational Home's Shop Blog

so that you can see all the fun over there!

And if you haven't entered my

 Royal Treatment GiveAway,

there's still time!

Click Here

to join in the fun.

Today, I'm participating with Cindy from

 My Romantic Home

for

 Show and Tell Friday

And I'm also linking with Laurie for her

My Favorite Things Saturday

 

 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Yard work and some flowers are on my agenda!

love,

Debra

Adieu, Vintage Black Friday

This is the last post for Vintage Black Friday. (sigh)

Jill from Gypsy Brocante has been a wonderful hostess,

for this exceptionally creative party.

The day after Thanksgiving is a busy one for all of us...

Family, friends, decorating for Christmas, and let's not forget...

SHOPPING!

So for this last opportunity, I wanted to share

a few photos of some of my vintage black

 from the Master Bedroom.

I believe this large men's hat box

 must have been for a "top hat".

And then there are black ladies hatboxes.

And a vintage Italian wall piece with decoupaged insets.

Hat box from my studio

Vintage Italian jewelry box on my dresser.

Small portraits of French ladies

Watercolor print of Windsor Castle

that Erin brought me back from England

And one of my favorites; a Ladies classic riding helmet.

Not too old, but I love the deep burgundy, almost black, velvet.

I can live out my fantasies in this.

(I recently confessed to my husband,

 that although I don't have many "fantasies",

that the Rolex commercial was one of them.
Oh, and I'll take the watch, too)

I couldn't find the women's commercial, this will have to do
.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!
Be sure to work off all those extra calories,
with some shopping calisthenics.

Blessings,

Debra