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
I just spoke with the second woman I know, on her way to the Round Top Antique Fair! Go girls! Towing trailer, and all! Talk about the “Ultimate Girl’s Road Trip”! Does it matter that I can’t drive a trailer? Can an old dog still learn new tricks? With over 2000 vendors, showing October 3rd through 6th, I think you’d need more than a stinking little trailer! I’d need a serious truck, trailer and complete staff of burley moving men! Plus, an endless supply of Ben Franklin’s! Details aside, wouldn’t this be a hoot?? I’d come home talkin’ Texan, for…
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I’ve risen up from the blog underworld. That’s the place you go, when you haven’t blogged in a few days. Trust me I have not been sitting idol. One exciting development, is that I completed a drapery (woo-hoo!) panel and love how it turned out! I made this with painters drop cloth and velvet. One more two go! The other development that really makes me happy, is that my old shutters will fit perfectly on the walls, between the picture rail and the baseboard. I have enough to install another section on the other side of the room, I think.…
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Well, the baby has arrived! The “nursery” isn’t quite ready, but that isn’t stopping me from shipping orders out! (you can see my cabinets are not quite finished!) If I’m as excited as I am, I can’t imagine how Marian, (Miss Mustard Seed) must feel! Oh, dang! Isn’t this a pretty sight? I’m checking and double checking, to make sure I don’t send Boxwood out, instead of Luckett’s Green, or some such thing! I have a few technical details to get through, or I’ll never leave the “mail room”. Nothing like a little operator error, to make me want to…
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I’m taking a mini vacation from cabinet painting, sine my son will soon be out at sea, on his Naval frigate, with a few hundred of his best buddies, for six months! So, Mr. Wonderful and I have flown down to San Diego for the weekend to celebrate the “holidays”, before he leaves. His wife, who I adore, had a wonderful idea! Her plan is to decorate their small apartment with little corners each decorated for all the different holidays he’ll be missing, over the next six months. (Andrew & Jessica, last Christmas) We brought down a small, pre-lit Christmas…
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One of the characteristics I most admire today, is that of empathy. Especially since so many in our world are getting by with less. Do you know what I mean? “In your face” conspicuous consumption doesn’t sit real well with me at this time, considering our economic conditions. It’s not as though I feel like I need to apologize for my own success and good fortune. It’s more about understanding that I don’t need to rub it in anyone’s face. I know that sympathy and empathy are some times confused. So I researched on line, to find a more accurate…
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It was time for “Monday Night Football”, last night, so I headed to the craft store. I found these really sweet mini grapevine wreaths for $2.99 each, at Joanne’s. Since I buy lavender in bulk, from a farm here in California, I had plenty of it on hand. For me, lavender is one of the most wonderful scents on earth! With my trusty glue gun fired up, I cut about three lavender stems down to just about a half inch below the flower and glued them into place. Once finished, I Used some jute twine, to hang it from. Yes,…
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Have you ever looked at the nutritional information on a bag of Quaker granola cereal? There is just about as much sugar in a bowl of their granola as there is in a chocolate sundae! Yet, I love granola, so I came up with a healthier version. There’s no sugar and no oil. Instead I use agave nectar. If you aren’t familiar with agave nectar, it’s a natural sweetener that comes from the agave plant. The best part is, that it’s low on the glycemic index. Where sugar is 100 on the glycemic index, agave nectar is in the 20’s.…
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Can you get carpal tunnel syndrome from painting? Or is this simply old age? I’m sticking with carpal tunnel syndrome. Sounds much more exotic! The shop looks more like a chemistry lab than an antique shop. Hopefully this will pass. Over the weekend, I painted the doors and drawers of the cabinets with a new brand of chalk paint. It’s called Maison Blanche and it comes from guess where? You guessed it! The U.K.! I think that making paint is all they do over there! No? I tested out the clear and dark wax application on the inside of one…
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I’ve been wanting a pair of porcelain Staffordshire terriers for some time. Here’s a little history I’ve found… Starting in the 1700’s, Stafford, England became known for its porcelain. The town was located close to the natural materials needed and by the late 1800’s, had become a world center for pottery. The dogs, made to resemble King Charles Cavalier Terriers, we’re found on fireplace mantels during Victorian times, from the 1840’s to the 1890’s. Queen Victoria and her husband brought the breed into popularity and had many in their own homes. These timeless accessories can be found in a variety…
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After friends and I converge at the Mes Amis Antique Fair in Old Roseville, Saturday morning, I will get back to painting my very long stretch of cabinets, at the shop. Just the drawers and doors are left to paint and wax (with chalk paint), but there are a lot of them! The wood laminate flooring was scheduled to be picked up today, for installation, but it’s still on a slow boat from China! Who knows when it will arrive! I’ll share more pictures soon, So stay tuned! All the best, Barbara Wish me luck!
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