Bri and the Flea

Don't you love how the post title rhymes? It sounds kind of like a fairytale. Well, it did have a happy ending. I met up with Bri at the Flea Market Friday morning, and she surprised me with this birthday gift . . .

Does this paper look familiar? See one of Bri's recent posts.

Even her wrapping paper and ribbon has great style. Like a kid I ripped it open to reveal this . . .

Yes, I got a Bri original. Can you believe it? It's so pretty! I might have hinted once or twice (or 25 times) that I love her art and would love to have a piece of my own. She picked up on my subtlety. I can't wait to find a frame and the perfect spot for it! Thanks so much, Bri!

We had been at the Flea Market for maybe fifteen minutes when we ran into Eddie Ross. I was a little starstruck. 

This is a photo of Eddie at the Charlotte Flea, not Nashville. We were too starstruck to ask for a photo.

If you've been living under a rock, Eddie is famous for many things - being the 1st runner-up on Bravo's Top Design (which is sadly no longer with us), being an editor for Martha Stewart Living and now he has a column running in Southern Living where he visits flea markets across the South looking for furniture and accessories to make over. So, this past weekend it was Nashville. And I spotted him while wading through some mud. He was very sweet and chatted with us for a minute about Bri's recent $2 rattan side table purchase. Very nice guy. Now on to the finds.

I only came home with one thing, but there were lots of goodies to be had . . . 

I actually saw this chair at an estate sale and passed on it because of the price. It's in great shape, just wasn't for me.

 

This vintage sofa was a wonderful chartreuse green/yellow and in great condition. Alas, no room even in the booth.

Cool lidded pottery dish marked McCoy. I've never seen one quite like this. Maybe should have gotten this one.

This great spun fiberglass set. Pretty good price. Once again, wouldn't go with my house. Reminded me of this: 

from House Beautiful.

And this was a great, little delicate wingback chair for just $10. Alas, it was not be. I don't have the time or budget to re-do one more thing!

So, what did I make it home with? I know you'll be shocked, but it was another piece of Chinoiserie/Asian furniture. . .

I can't help myself. I think I might require a 12-step program. It's a vintage Lane cabinet with brass hardware. The only glitch? It reeks of smoke. Here it is sitting on my screened-in porch, airing out. I followed some tips online about how to get rid of the smell. Not sure it helped 100%, but maybe a little. It's currently sitting in my living/family room. Not sure if it will remain there or move to my bedroom, but I really like it, and for $30 I think it was a great day at the Flea!

Happy Memorial Day!

Sources: Eddie Ross, Bri, me and House Beautiful

Today is the Day . . .

I was born 38 years ago, and I've been craving one of these all day!

I'm old or young depending on your perspective. I'm going for young. Although, I think I could definitely benefit from some Botox. And I've decided just today that I'm too old to shop at Forever 21. I keep trying but I end up looking ridiculous in most things. I guess I'm not really Forever 21. They lied.

In honor of my big day, my husband is taking me to see this later . . .

at my request. I can't pass up a crass, laugh-out-loud film on my birthday. When I saw the release date was May 26, it was a done deal.

I might also indulge in one of these . . .

Oh, and my sweet husband surprised me with one of these . . . 

The iPad 2. I'm not exactly tech-savvy so I'm not sure of the capabilities, but it's really cute. And now I get to pick out a cover. Yeah! Here are some options I've already run across . . . 

One of these leather cases from Dewdrop Designs by Gillian Stevens. She also has a wonderful blog called Ticklish from a Distance which is quite inspirational.

Or this Mumbai print case from Stephanie Johnson.

I'm sure there are other options as well, I just need more research time.

And I leave you with this . . .

Belly Up to the Bar & Guest Post

While I will occasionally indulge in a nice cocktail, I've never been a huge liquor drinker (I'm more of a Pinot Grigio girl like Ramona). Thus, I've never really needed a bar cart . . . until now. I've finally found a reason to display my hooch proudly . . .  St-Germain.

Are you familiar with this French liqueur made from elderflower blossoms? I wasn't until just recently. It all started a little over a week ago when I tried a French Gimlet at a restaurant in Chattanooga. It was so nice and refreshing - a little gin, a little lime juice and a little St-Germain. After our exhausting yard sale Saturday, my sweet husband went out and gathered the ingredients to recreate it for me. Little did I know how beautiful (or huge) the St-Germain bottle was. It's like an art deco work of art. 

And the French gimlet he made? 

Delicious, if a little strong. The next one might need some tweaking. With such a beautiful bottle, it made me want a bar cart or at least a bar tray to bring out for special occasions (since I truly don't have the room for a full-time bar/bar cart). Here are some inspirations . . .

Love Lindsey Coral Harper's fun inspiration board behind her bar.

Classic

If only my bar cart came with a view of New York in the background.

Must have that tortoise-shell ice bucket.

All these bar carts might be enough to drive me to drink. Well, at least to have a well-stocked bar just in case I fancy a libation. 

If you're interested in trying the French Gimlet for yourself, here is the very simple recipe from the St-Germain website: 

French Gimlet

2 parts Gin or Vodka

1 part St-Germain

1/2 part freshly squeezed lime juice

Method: Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled shaker and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist. Enjoy!

Also, today I'm guest blogging over at Meet Me in Philadelphia as sweet Ashley is on her honeymoon in Greece. Surely, you've visited her blog before as she is absolutely delightful and has wonderful style, but if not, it's the perfect time to pop over and check it out. 

Happy Weekend

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, I highly recommend seeing Bridesmaids.

You will not regret it. Well, you might regret the abdominal pains from laughing so hard but it's worth it. 

Oh, and I have this pillow (or one extremely similar) featured in Lillian's apartment in the movie.

I'm actually thinking of selling it tomorrow in the yard sale we're having. Did I mention that? Oh, yeah, our neighborhood is hosting a big yard sale tomorrow. Heaven help me. Mostly stuff that has been hanging around my house (mainly my garage and basement) for way too long. If you're in the Nashville/Franklin area and interested, just email me and I'll be happy to share the details.

Happy Weekend to you!

Source: Bridesmaids

I Swear I'm Not Bragging . . .

but I found some more awesome lamps.

I still haven't decided if I'm going to keep them or sell them in the booth.  I've seriously been lusting after black lamps lately, so these might have to live in my house for a while so I can make an informed decision. Don't want to be too hasty.

After I looked at the lamps a little more closely, I noticed these stickers on the sockets. 

So, who is this Paul Hanson? Good question. I had no idea so I consulted my good friend Google. I got no real description, but found several examples of Paul Hanson lamps on both 1st Dibs and eBay. Apparently, he made a lot of lamps of varying styles starting in the 1940's. Here's an example of a pair on 1st Dibs . . . 

These are selling for $4,200? Hmm. Good to know.

In other news, I found this chevron/flamestitch fabric in the form of curtains at the Habitat store (Bri found this last week but there were still a couple of panels left). Thought I might be able to use it somewhere in the house. 

Or maybe not. My husband hates it. A lot. I think it reminds him of his grandmother's house. He pulled his veto card. Oh well. You've got to pick your battles, I guess. Bri, if you want some more of this fabric it's yours.

Today's the last full day of my son's Pre-K, so I'll be running around like a mad woman. Happy Wednesday to you.

Craig is Looking Good

Sorry, I was planning to post this on Thursday before I went out of town this weekend but Blogger had other ideas. During one of my recent Craigslist trolling sessions, I found some interesting pieces. First up, this Brutalist/Cubist-style mid-century dresser/credenza . . .

It looks to be a twin of Nelya's (of Head Over Heels) that Naomi (of Design Manifest) was lusting after . . .

I alerted Naomi to its presence, but alas it's too big for her space and she can't truck down to Tennessee to get it anyway. So, if anyone out there is looking for a cool piece, it's still available. A slight hitch - they're only selling it as a set (with a bed, highboy and bedside tables).Why people refuse to sell things separately is beyond me. Here is one of the bedside tables . . .

And speaking of bedside tables, I also spotted a pair of these up for sale . . .

which bear a striking resemblance to these on 1st Dibs . . . 

And while we're on an Asian kick, I thought this little side table/cabinet was pretty cute . . .

I also saw some great mid-century modern chairs . . . 

and barstools . . . 

Lastly, some cool rugs.

Love the colors in this kilim rug. Where could I put this??

I usually see these in red, so cream is a nice change.

And last but not least, this handmade Greek rug. Just loved the colors . . . 

So, have you found any great Craigslist goodies lately?

Lamp Goodness

The lamp gods have been in a kind and benevolent mood lately. While I haven't been as lucky as Bri who found three last week, I did happen to find this lovely number at a consignment store on Friday . . .

I'd never seen anything quite like it, so immediately I had to have it. I realize it might be too matchy-matchy with my black and gold mirror, but right now I'm liking it here. Something about its sexy serpentine shape against the geometric angles of the mirror is appealing. 

And then I decided to get out my Brasso to shine it up a bit . . .

Am I the only one who thinks it looks like a snake? I was a little worried as my son is deathly afraid of the slithering reptiles and has had numerous nightmares about them. He even made us put "Snake-away" around our house, and that stuff stinks (just so you'll understand why it smells like moth balls if you ever come to visit). Luckily, he has not said a word. Hopefully, he won't because I would hate to part with this one. Have you stumbled across any great finds lately?

Embarrassment of Riches

I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend and Mother's Day. My little ones were so sweet and tried to be good and helpful all day. Plus, there was the loot . . .

My husband knows me all too well. He surprised me with this book. It's very cool, I just wish there were fewer designers featured but more photos from the individual homes. Too much of a tease. But I still love it! More importantly, I got lots of expressions of love . . .

and . . . 

a ticket to shop. What else could a mother ask for?

Hope your Monday is starting off well. Mine will be spent at the pediatrician's office where my little one will undoubtedly be diagnosed with yet another ear infection. I fear another set of tubes is in our future. Boo.

Update

Bri and I met up at our antique booth this morning to add some things and rearrange. Here's what the booth looks like now . . .

I caught Bri's reflection in the mirror. She hates getting her photo taken so this is about all you'll ever see of her.

We haven't sold a lot yet, just a few things here and there. There are so many great finds, I keep thinking if stuff doesn't sell, I'll just take it home. But then, I watch hoarders and try to get a grip. That show scares me to my very core. So, if you're in the Nashville area, drop by our booth at the Downtown Antique Mall . . . and save me from being a hoarder. Thank you.

In other news, my son might have a future in art.

His pre-K just hosted an Eric Carle exhibit and each student had to replicate the cover of one of Carle's books. I think he did a mighty fine job. Of course, I'm biased. So, illustrator could be on the list of future occupations. Although, when asked about his career aspirations, his first answer is still "scanner at Target." You gotta aim high I always say!

Anthropologie Agrees . . .

with the color scheme for my dining room. Behold.

Lavender combined with orange and blue. Ahh, so pretty. It's even called the Pretty Prattle necklace. This might be a more affordable suitable Mother's Day gift than the La Fiorentina pillows. I could just wear the necklace and sit in the dining room. Brilliant.

Speaking of my color scheme of lavender and coral/orange, I got a crazy idea to start painting some Goodwill lamps yesterday . . .

Don't look too closely. They need to be sanded and get several more coats.

 

Here are the before shots of the lamps . . . 

This was a rather anemic yellow. I initially painted it black. Didn't look quite right. So, on to round 2 of DIY experimenting.

This is a glass (rather than porcelain) lamp painted on the inside. The paint was actually a pretty pale blue, but it was in bad shape and cracking off in flakes. I stripped off the inside paint, but ended up painting the outside after realizing painting the inside would not be an easy task. I'm lazy. Hopefully, with several coats of paint and some poly, it will seal well enough not to chip. We'll see.

I usually spray paint stuff, but the paint colors I was seeking don't come in spray paint. So, I just got some Benjamin Moore tester pots of paint to try out.

I'm hoping to put the violetta-painted lamp in the dining room . . .

I'm thinking of painting the lamp base brass, by the way. This is still very much a work in progress.

The lighting in my house was extremely dark because of the wonderful weather we've been having.

And possibly put the Morrocan spice-painted lamp in the adjacent entry hall. Or maybe not. That will be a wait-and-see decision.

The coral lamp would add a nice shot of color, right?

By the way, I've done a little mirror musical chairs in my house since this entry mirror displaced the old one. There are currently four mirrors sitting in my dining room waiting to go their respective homes. Two are going in the booth, one is going in the dining room and the last will go in a bathroom. Stay tuned for those updates. I can't hang them by myself, so I'm kind of at the mercy of my husband who doesn't like to hang things. This could take a while. Just like the rest of my projects. 

Sources: Anthropologie