Greetings, lovebirds!, I stopped in at my favorite old town Fair Oaks florist, Bella Fiore, this morning. The lovely and talented floral designer, Dawn Conyers, was busy preparing a floral birthday cake for a client! Is that sweet, or what?! Of course, I had to take the picture, with her back to the store room! I should have gotten a different shot, of her beautiful shop! Dawn not only creates amazing floral displays, for weddings and special events, but I can’t tell you how many of her customers she’s sent over to my shop! She’s been such a supportive friend!…
Read the rest >>
Bob and I just got home from seeing Silver Linings Playbook, and while I loved the characters, it was a wild movie! My family has nothing on this crazy group! I think I’ll just count my blessings, after all! Great news! One of my first customers, Linda, is bringing in a whole class, to paint furniture on Sunday afternoon! I told her that as long as she got at least 5 people together, that we could have a class anytime she wanted. This is going to be fun! I don’t know about Mr. Wonderful, but my back is just now…
Read the rest >>
I asked Mr. Wonderful if he thought I appreciated old things and old ways of doing things, just because I’m getting older, or is it because I’m exposed to old things more than before. It was really just a rhetorical question, really, but it made me think, just the same.This is just a stack of “swaddling cloths”, (as named, by Susanne Burns, the estate dealer I spoke to). I bought a stack of what looked like diapers, from what had been the home of an obstetrician. I thought they were old diapers, but in fact they weren’t padded like…
Read the rest >>
Hello there!, What a day! The Treasured Home had its first 3-hour painting workshop. Well, actually, 3 hours stretched into 4 hours. Fortunately, no one complained. We covered lots of territory, including Le Dirt… And Glacage… We, painted, waxed and distressed! It was a true paint fest! I wish I could show you the “before” on the gorgeous lamp! It took three people to finish this large chair! If you plan to take a class anytime soon, this is an example of a piece that’s just too big to finish in 3 hours! And let me tell you that our…
Read the rest >>
Well, the suspense is over! Thank goodness! I’m sure most of you have been losing sleep at night, wondering if you would be the winner chosen by Raffle Copter, to win my large and small wax brush! Cherie Montorio will receive the large natural bristle wax brush and Kelly Jean Trudell will receive her baby sister! I hate to break up a family like this, but it’s all for a good cause! If you paint and wax furniture without a wax brush, you don’t know what your missing! Thanks to all of you who participated. And thanks as well, to…
Read the rest >>
Greetings!, Are you one if the millions, who love ironstone china? Count me in! I brought home my modest collection from the shop this week, because it just wasn’t selling. I attribute that to two things. 1) I’m not be buying it right (price wise) or, 2) people don’t know it’s history, or appreciate its longevity and simplicity. One thing for sure is that you can’t buy it on eBay, pay for shipping and still have room for profit! I have made some good buys, here in town, though. Since buying my first piece, I’ve learned a couple of things.…
Read the rest >>
Hello there!, You may have gathered, that in the kitchen, I am all about minimal effort, with maximum impact. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your area, I suggest you move! I love the place and they too, are short cut masters! Mr. Wonderful thinks I make a wonderful spaghetti sauce. The best. Here’s how simple it is… Start with a medium onion and dice and sauté it. Then, add a pound of mild Italian sausage, out of its casing, crumbled, and a pound of lean ground beef. Stir and brown. Add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. Add…
Read the rest >>Hello my friends, I thought I’d pass along some inspiring words, from a blogging friend, Simone. (Her name even sounds frenchy, no?) She writes a beautiful blog called Fleaing France. She’s an American who followed her dream and is now living in France, searching for treasures to share with us, in her on line shop. In this post, she talks about following her dream and encourages us to do the same. I find it a little bit scary to put dreams into words. Or to share them with others. While I don’t expect to ever move to France full-time, my…
Read the rest >>