What Was the Best Ever Shabby Tole Hamper

I found this amazing shabby, tole hamper at a neighbor downtown shop, The Thrifty Patriot, and was so excited about incorporating it into my bedroom. Look at that sweet rose bouquet painted on the front. 

I only have this picture from their Facebook page, because while I was gone for a girl's weekend at the beach,  my husband wanted to surprise me by freshly painting it. And he did. Have I mentioned, I don't like surprises. 

Laugh or cry and never let them see you cry, is what I often say. 

You'll see it soon for sale in my space at The Shops at 123 Hay Street, freshly painted and sans the rose.

Pink Flamingoes

 I just love these shabby old concrete flamingos. Lucked up on them at an estate sale last year. They had some cracks, but BA fixed them. Just now put them in the front yard. Sometimes when I really love something it takes me awhile to put it out. I know that sounds odd. Wish I was a better photographer, they are the palest of pale pinks with some yellow and blue. The planter area looks barren, the calla lilies are just starting to come up and I haven't filled in with any annuals.

Dream and Wind Catchers by Laurie Shoemaker

 

Native Americans believe that the night air is filled with good and bad dreams. The dream catcher, when hung over or near your bed swinging freely in the air, catches the dreams as they flow by. Good dreams pass through the dream catcher, slipping through the outer holes and slide down gently so that ofttimes the sleeper does not know that they're dreaming. The bad dreams, not knowing the way, get tangled in the dream catcher and then perish at the first light of day.

It was love at first sight when I saw the beautiful dream and wind catchers made by the artistic, Laurie Shoemaker. I have always enjoyed reading Laurie's blog Heaven's Walk and admiring her photography. Then came her lovely, shabby take on a native craft I have always loved.

 

I worked up the nerve to ask Laurie to consider making some for my store, and not only are these beauties for sale at White Trash & colorful accessories, but she was gracious enough to photograph each of them. I want to take every last one of them home to my house.

Southern Pink Azaleas in the Secret Garden

 On the right side of our house, is a sliver of yard hidden unless you walk back there. There's a wonderful assortment of azaleas, heavy on the pink varieties with some whites and reds, that starts at the street and goes to the fence leading to the back yard. A paved path starting at the edge of the house leads you to the beautiful back wrought iron gate (one of three).

 This year after our unseasonably cold winter, they bloomed more beautiful than ever. In the fall we put up this trellis at the start of the path (a new inexpensive one, as I'm always selling the vintage ones I come across) and planted some knockout roses. And this spring, we placed some hostas on the left side, where there is almost no sun, under some Camilla trees.

We lost 8 trees last year and the stump by the gate is one of the dead ones we had to have removed. The cute sign is from a downtown neighbor store Greg's!

 Tucked back here is a cherub garden statue. I found as a set of three, but only kept one. It's hard for me as a vintage seller to sometimes not keep it all. There is also a 3-piece cast iron garden seating set. This is a very old set and the heaviest one I've ever come across. I love it's patina now, but know that soon (like my front yard swing) it will need painting to keep it from being damaged by the rust. I'm seriously considering a soft pink color, although I love the white.

 Since taking this picture I've placed a concrete urn on the tree stump. It was one of two I'd bought 4 years ago when we first bought this house. The flanked our front sidewalk on low brick wall. The first year there were about 16 attempts at stealing or vandalizing them, each time leaving them in pieces. After my sweet husband pieced them back together each time, one was eventually unsalvageable. So moved the other back here. I have no understanding of people's disregard for other's property. I'll admit to having cried the first couple of times I found them in the street broken into pieces.

 It's cool in the constant shade. Anytime I'm working outside, I take my break over here in this private spot.

Southern Snow

It seldom snows here in Fayetteville, NC. When it does, it's beautiful and makes time stand still. Since we aren't used to it, most everything shuts down for the day or two we have it. 

This picture is of the vintage wrought iron swing in our front yard, taken through our living room window. While I love it's perfect time worn chippy shabbiness, it's off to be painted soon because the rust is starting to eat at the metal.

Looking forward to a warmer weekend.

I Love Our Artist Painted Bedroom Mural Wall

Since reading the magnificent book by Magnolia Pearl, I have been wanting a mural in my home. After a couple years of agonizing over the decision, I sold some things to pay to have one of my favorite local artists, Sandra Dee Nicholson, go for it. I think we were both a little hesitant starting out. I am known for not easily conceding control and I was so enamored of the peacock in the book. I hesitated asking an artist to so closing recreate another's work.

We started with a bedroom that was painted a glossy harvest gold, like an 80's appliance, when we moved in and we'd been living with for 3 years as we've worked on other projects and rooms in the house. BA painted 3 bedroom walls in Pencil Point and the low ceiling in Apricot Ice (Valspar paint from Lowes). 

Sandra and I met a few times and discussed some sketches for the concept. She came and went while we weren't home and I really wish I had taken some pictures along the way. She included some this I had asked for, like this sweet blue bird.



And she came up with some things on her own, this is a replica of the concrete planter by our front door.

I wanted lots of roses, which she gave me. She even ran them up onto the ceiling. At the sides of the wall she painted sheer drapes and more roses.






I'm not a great photographer and after several tries and deleting them all, decided 
I'd share these. I took them with and without the flash, and haven't been able to truly capture the color, depth of painting, and magnificence of it. If you'd like to see more, the pictures are here.

Have I said how much I love it. Now to get things hung and the rest finished.

Garden in the Window

I'm rained out this morning from going to yard sales or working in the yard. So going to try and get some things listed on etsy and ebay today. This is the view of my living room window, as I'm on the computer.

I showed you some pictures of this tropical plant that had produced blooms at Christmas time. There aren't as many this time, but they are stunning, a beautiful coral that I could not capture in my photos.

Bohemian Romance in my living room- Susan Brown

I have been lusting after a painting by Susan Brown for many years. About a month ago after selling some things, and between monetary crisis's I decided to buy a painting of hers for over the living room fireplace.

The room came with deep red, painted over wallpaper, walls (which I haven't had the energy to change and deal with) and since much of my furniture was blue, the room felt too traditional for me. To lighten it up I added touches of chartreuse. I have a green crackle finish mirror over the fireplace and just felt like the painting would suit me so much more.

After a harrowing wait time in which it appeared the post office had perhaps lost the painting, it arrived and I was thrilled. Only one problem, it's about a foot longer than the space intended for. Although I can pack a full car like nobody's business, I am known my having no concept of size in my own space.

So yesterday, after having it lean next to the firelace for a couple of weeks I finally hung it elsewhere in the room and am still looking to switch out the mirror one of these days.

Our Lock Your Love Project

Always loving the Paris bridge covered in locks symbolizing the idea of eternal love

I decided to start a similar project in my city, Fayetteville N.C., after we brought the new Votivo fragrance line into our store. We had an old salvage window grate on the side of our building I could never bear to scrap. We backed it with some metal mesh panels and commissioned David McCune to make a sign I designed and mounted it to our building at 223 Franklin St and are inviting people to Lock Your Love.  While originally a tradition for lovers, I'm hoping people will also lock their love for a child, parent, sibling, or lost loved one.

 

Triplets

Love these three girls, hard to pare down to keeping just one.

I don't love my kitchen

The kitchen in our home is probably my least favorite room. Someone before us "upgraded" it by removing wonderful old white wood cabinets and replacing them with these unlevel, cheap birch ones. Since budget doesn't allow me to replace them right now, I have to get my happy from accessories. Even though these two big vintage, metal containers close the space in some, walking in and seeing them makes me smile every time.

No Christmas Tree Again This Year

I didn't get a tree put up again this year, so out came my tinsel tree. It's bare of ornaments except a pink peacock topper, another more traditional color peacock, and a clear ball with lengths of Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci ribbon. Given to me some many years ago by the ever fabulous Bradley Justice.

I did a few other Christmas touches- a large mercury star in the front door sidelight, a mica covered swan on the table in front of the tree, some favorite red glass ornaments mixed into my green wine bottles in the dining room window, and some mercury glass tipped tinsel picks.

Although not a substitute for a decorated tree, they all make me happy.

I love these vintage German figural pillar candles

Perhaps it's nostalgia from my growing up years. Made of beeswax, they are beautiful works of art, but usually overlooked. Any time I see one for sale, I usually add to my collection. They're usually so reasonably priced compared to plain new candles. I often burn them outdoors. They are a lovely addition to a garden table. My favorite is the Bavarian flag with the heraldic seal.

A Peacock for Valentines Day

Got this cutie for Valentines Day from hubby. Painted by Sandra Dee who I had just posted about getting to paint a peacocok mural in our bedroom. Nice suprise. Lucky me!

Obsessed by peacocks

I've liked peacocks since forever ago. I still have a 70's macrame piece I made with peacock feathers hanging in my home. This vintage peacock painting on Craigslist, in a town nearby, has been an obsession for a year. The person never replied to my queries, but the ad stayed active for months. I wanted it so bad! Then just as I'm getting over it, at least a little bit, the ad is reposted and again no reply to my many emails.



I have searched high and low for another just like it, or something similar, to satisfy my constant craving. No luck. Then I read through Robin Brown's book by Country Living- A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace: The Fabulous Interiors of  Magnolia Pearl and notice she has an artist friend paint peacocks on her walls.

So, I have contacted a local artist, Sandra Dee, and hope she'll paint a mural on my bedroom wall that will put me at rest. However, if you run across this painting, call me.

It's almost spring and I'm just now parting with fall



This summer and fall I subscribed to a farm co-op program, where every Wednesday you pick up a box full of seasonal fruits and vegetables. It was fun and somewhat adventurous eating a predetermined selection by mother nature. I shared the bounty with an elderly friend, a man who loves to cook. The food was yummy and farm fresh. But, my two favorite weeks were the two I got these fabulous pumpkins. One a blue green and one a mottled orange, both with deep ridges. I was selfish and kept them in my dining room as decoration, feeling somewhat wasteful for not eating them. They were gorgeous and made me smile every time I went in the room.

They have lasted 6 months and I have just thrown them away. I can't wait for this season to start and see what's in the box each week.