I hope you’ll join me on my never-ending search for beautiful pieces, with history, for your home. Find my curated treasures, in Booth #154, at the Antique Trove, in Roseville, CA. ~ Barbara
Good day! Friday afternoon, I met with the Paper Craft Fairy, aka my dear friend, Debbie, to try out pinwheel making, following the excellent tutorial found at The Lovely Cupboard. According to me, everyone should have a craft buddy. It could be anything artsie, whether it’s paper, oils, fabric or beads. It’s all good! Any challenging day can be made to go away, getting in touch with our creative selves. It’s sort of like a Calgon bath experience, if you’re old enough to remember those commercials! We’re talking about folding and gluing paper! To make the cutest darn things I’d…
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Happy Saturday!, If your looking for a fast furniture fix, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is about as fast as you can get! No, this is not a paid advertisement, but checks are always accepted, Annie. I’ve had this old nightstand next to my side of the bed for nearly 25 years. The top surface was getting so dinged up that I covered it with a tray. ( Full disclosure, here!). Mr. Wonderful removed the bottom trim, to add new ball feet, adding about an inch in height. He primed the raw wood for me and screwed the feet into the…
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One of the things I find so fascinating about vintage and antique pieces in the home, is that they have this wonderful history. I wonder what kind of home the piece was in…if it was a happy home, filled with love, or something else. Was the item purchased as a special gift, for a wedding gift, birthday or over time, on lay-away at the department store, downtown? If I was starting to furnish my first home, I’d much rather shop for one of a kind things found here, at Veranda Antiques, at a thrift store or antique fair, than something…
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In case the design fairies are listening, I wish they’d drop a beautiful, rustic Dutch door on our front lawn. It’s on my home design “bucket list”! If the fairies wanted to unload a cute little shed, with the requested dutch door, for our backyard, that would work fine. This beauty is wonderful too! But frankly, if my fairy asked my preference, and I’m sure she will, it would be a Dutch door leading directly into our home. Something about them just says “come on in!”. (When in fact, all they’re probably doing is saying “come in!” to all the…
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Greetings, this fine spring day!, In case you haven’t met, I’d like to introduce you to the dynamic duo, Lindsay & Lindsay, who write the darling design blog, Sadie & Stella. If you aren’t already confused, Sadie and Stella are the sweet pups, that belong to each of the Lindsay’s. The dogs are even part of the blog’s headder! The quatrefoil wallpaper in the background is so fresh and crisp. The blog’s design was “love at first sight” for me, because it all comes together as a fresh, sophisticated approach to all things home. If you aren’t already a follower,…
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Nothing like the weekend, to set shopping and home decor aside, for a subject totally unrelated! If you have a child or grandchild, who might appreciate life in the military, I can’t think of a better way to get started, than through any of the service academies. The Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy and the Army’s West Point make up our military academies. It seems that cadets fall into two groups. They are either extremely smart or bright and dedicated athletes. My daughter falls into the latter category. As with just about everything in life, being at…
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When I’m in New York, you may recall that I love to visit the Lillian August Showroom! In another case of “the pictures don’t do it justice”, I hope you can visit her Connecticut or New York stores soon. Showcased, is a terrific blend of the new and the old. Like the old shoe trees and top hat form? Does this give furniture painters any ideas? Love, love this bed and bench! Lots of gorgeous color! And home of the $200 pillows! Wonderful accent tables too! And the bottom mirror would look great over our bed. We capped off a…
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Sure, I know how to get around on the NYC subway! No problem. Except for the minor issue of missing my desired stop by 14 blocks. But, here’s where it gets good! If I hadn’t been in a daze, looking at e-mail, I would have gotten off the subway where planned and gone directly to ABC Carpet and Home, for my regular pilgrimage, to this beautiful retail shrine of everything “home”. Instead, I ended up spending my milk money at this beautiful shop, Far Eastern Arts & Antiques, with the help of the owner, Stephen Gano. Located at the corner…
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Thanks to my daughter in college at West Point, just an hour and a half from Manhattan, we’re back in the city for a few days. I thought I’d just show you some of the beautiful sights. The weather is wonderful, although brisk and breezy! Prior to seeing War Horse at Lincoln Center (which I much prefer over the mayhem of Times Square), we had dinner before the show at Cafe Fiorello, practically across the street. (if you’re on a diet, close your eyes!) The production was wonderful and the life like horse “puppets” we’re amazing! In my opinion, they…
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When I’m sourcing treasures for my shop, I search high and low, at antique shows, garage sales (usually quite sparse in potential, but you never know!), Craig’s List and at estate sales. I love a good estate sale! Although sometimes, it makes me a bit sad that some of the personal treasures, like military medals and old family photos, didn’t mean enough to the heirs, to save them. Anyway, I digress. Back to shopping estate sales! Every town of any size will have a few companies that organize and manage the estate sales of deceased family members or just older…
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