Buongiorno! For years, I longed to travel to Europe! I heard stories, saw pictures and wondered when I’d ever get there. There were always bills, furniture to buy, or a first home, or bills, or little children, or some good reason why I had never been. I used to half-way joke that my goal was to get there before I needed a walker! So, six years ago, I was introduced to a small group of women, who travel to someplace special every two years. And since Mr. Wonderful has no interest in such adventures, he totally supported my plans to…
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Is there a season for flea market shopping? I have no idea, but the more I hang out with you guys, the more I can’t get enough of them. I’m slowly discovering more and more flea markets in Northern California. There’s our very own antiques fair/flea market, under the freeway here in Sacramento on the second Sunday of each month. Then there’s the Alameda antique fair, on the first Sunday of each month. Some call them and antique fairs, while others call them flea markets. I can’t tell the difference other than I guess there’s more junk at a flea…
Read the rest >>A WOMAN’S WEEK AT THE GYM. Dear Diary, For my birthday this year, my husband purchased a week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club…
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Greetings, dear friends! We’re going to go a bit off the interior design path today, as I introduce you to a young woman who has impressed me from “Day 1”. (Although, if you’ve been joining me for long, you know I get “off track” on a fairly regular basis.) Today, I’d like to introduce you to Ann Marie, my go-to resource for everything in the blogesphere! Now I know many of you talented bloggers do it all yourself! Trust me, I am thoroughly impressed! Yet, if nothing else, I’m keenly aware of my limitations and when to call the professionals!…
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Greetings! With Easter coming up this next Sunday, I wanted to update our table centerpiece. And since I just received my new blue-and-white porcelain piece from The Enchanted Home new online shop, I was extra happy with a little “retail rush” going on! So let’s get started! If you want to plant two, 3 inch orchids, I recommend you start with a pot, basket or a container that’s at least 3 to 4 inches deep. Get your 3 inch pots of orchids at a place like Home Depot or your local floral wholesaler. You’ll also need a filler such as…
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Greetings, sweet cherubs!, We have a number of antique lamps here at the Treasured Home. Well, officially, they may not be antiques (100 years old) because electric light wasn’t all that common in 1912…was it? Whether vintage or antique, a good lamp will usually outlive the shade that came with it. Often you’ll be able to find a replacement shade that looks great at your local Lamps Plus. Other times you have to go to more extreme measures. Many of our old lamps came from family. I’ve been more successful with some lamps, than others, in finding the appropriate shade…
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Oh my! I absolutely love a good estate sale and today, Lora, the Head Honcho at Veranda Antiques called, to let me know there was a great one, close to home! I dropped everything and made a “bee line” for this wonderful home on the American River! Does the picture give you any clues as to the treasures I’d find inside? No, I didn’t photograph the home itself, but the backyard, looking out on the river, with a small pool below, is my vision of heaven! After grabbing these two lamps, I returned home with as much a I could…
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Is there anything in your home that bugs you, every time you look at it? I see my “thing” every day, when I go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. For ten years. It’s the ceiling fan in our bedroom, complete with polished brass. The problem for me is the polished brass. Yes, I know many of you would suggest replacing the whole darn thing with a gorgeous chandelier, but I live for air circulation in the summer months! So, it stays. During my last trip to Home Depot, I saw replacement brackets for fans and…
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