everything has a story: the tortoiseshell frame

antique tortoiseshell frames containing old mirrors in the entry

a close-up
(all photos will enlarge when clicked)
this frame, the largest, hangs on the bottom. it was found at an antiques shop in Jackson, Mississippi


this frame, which hangs in the center, was found on our first trip to Paris and our first trip to the Paris Flea Market at Porte de Clignancourt/ Marche aux Puces

the top tortoiseshell frame, the one with the story

the story

I was an antiques dealer for ten years while living in Dallas. We made several trips to France to buy. Dan was my silent partner, okay sometimes not so silent;) partner who moved, restored, waxed furniture; made lamps; shopped with me; etc, etc... so when I refer to "we" you'll know I'm referring to me and Dan!

We would travel to France with other antiques dealers, and the dealers would share a container to ship back all of our finds to the states.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and we had been at the Paris Flea Market since dawn. Shops were closing and our van had arrived to take us back to our hotel. As we drove out narrow Rue de Rosiers with shops lining the drive we became stopped in traffic. Not wanting to miss a second of shopping I was "window shopping" from my seat in the van, and spied an antique tortoiseshell frame holding an antique painting in the window of a closed shop. I knew instantly that I wasn't interested in the painting, but was very (heart skipping beats) interested in the frame, and wondered if the dealer would sell it without the painting. I don't think I slept all night fantasizing about the frame: would it still be there the next day, would the dealer sell it without the painting, could I afford it even if he would???

The next day was Sunday, and was our only day on this trip to go to the Louvre, as we were leaving for Avignon that night. And, I love the Louvre.... love, love, love! Our favorite part being the fabulous paintings on the second floor of the Richelieu wing. (We are also known to enjoy the Sully wing, and know how to embarrass ourselves in a foreign country... here!) So, I had a dilemma, a big dilemma... go to the Louvre or be at the flea market at opening to try to buy "my" frame. I knew that if I wasn't there at opening, it would be gone.

I chose the Louvre.

While at the Louvre that Sunday morning we saw several frames almost identical to my frame at the flea market proudly framing stunning pieces of art.... I was heartsick. I was now starting to regret my choice!

So, late in the afternoon we made our way back to Marche aux Puce. Sure enough, I walk up to the shop and the painting/frame is gone from the front window. I walk into the shop hoping it has just been moved. I carefully look all over the tiny shop several times, and it is nowhere to be seen. Now, I am really heartsick. I leave the shop only to come back 5 minutes later to have one more look, just to make sure!
Nothing.

I leave once again, but turn around down the block and go back one more time...

(You know how you do that, when you find a great find and you always go back to that exact same spot where you originally found the object. Or...you always go back to the exact same spot of the one thing that you went back to buy and it was now sold... like it was going to magically reappear.)

Once again, inch by inch I scan the tiny shop and there waaaaaaay up on top of a cabinet (almost as if intentionally hidden) sits my frame. No painting, just my frame!! I literally squealed! I can hardly breathe at this point, and manage to express to the dealer (could have been me jumping up and down, with arms flailing wildly that helped him know I was interested!) that I would like to look at the frame; the dealer gets it down- no price.

The dealer spoke no English, and while I, sadly, do not speak French usually we each (the dealer and I) know just enough words/phrases between us that we can figure things out. Not in this case. There was zero communication going on. As it happened, on this trip our group had hired a translator who was at the market and via walkie-talkies could help us out in just such a situation.

We had our translator speak to the dealer. The dealer explained that just that morning someone came in and wanted to purchase only the painting!!

Can you believe it?!!!

The price was a steal, and I almost kicked Dan in the shin;) as he tried to wheel and deal for an even better price, as I happily grunted "JUST BUY IT"!!!!!! I then ran out of the store afraid the dealer would change his mind, or realize that he could have charged me about 10 times what I paid!
I looked something like this, my all-time favorite Ikea commercial depicting me and Dan on many antique shopping forays!! I can not watch this without laughing until I cry..... here!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

muffins on vintage hotel silver tray from the Belmont New York

This is the best recipe and I wanted to share it with you!
It is the ultimate taste of Fall. Sweet with a burst of tart from the cranberries!

I've been making this recipe for about seven years now. I believe it was from a cooking magazine, but I have tweaked it along the way.

I've made it several times over the last couple of months, each time sharing some with neighbors who have both commented "they were the best muffins I've ever had!"

Pumpkin Cranberry Nut Bread/Muffins
(this recipe makes two 9 x5 loaves or 3 dozen muffins)


3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/8 teaspoon ground cloves (3/8t. is = to a slightly rounded 1/4 t.)
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 can 100% pumpkin (15oz.)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

zest of one orange

3 cups cranberries (if using frozen cranberries, add frozen directly to mixture)
2 cups chopped Pecans (I use a large chop, as opposed to fine)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans OR line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
Blend dry ingredients. Set aside.
Creme sugar and butter.
Add eggs (one at a time), orange juice, pumpkin, vegetable oil.
Add dry ingredients, blending until just moist.
Fold in cranberries and pecans.
Bake: 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes (or when cake tester comes out clean) for loaves,
or 30 - 35 minutes for muffins.

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~

Happy Thanksgiving!

"An entryway is an introduction...."

"An entryway is an introduction.

Like the opening pages of a book, it leads us in and welcomes us to the world inside."

~Rose Tarlow~

Welcome to our world inside!

Come in, won't you?!!

Large dried gourd in an antique urn mixed with gourds and pumpkins at the front door; wicker basket holds shoes, rain boots, dog toys and towels for wet puppy feet!

The newel post was a tired, stained wood when we bought the house. I had it painted a gloss black to make it pop, and to make the statement that this is the entry! This is the same gloss black paint as the front door.

Antique chest holds: antique mirror with vintage oil painting leaning against it; antique wooden pediment fragment that serves as candle holder; vintage hotel silver tray that holds orchid and assortment of car keys, sunglasses and letters waiting to be mailed; lamp with linen shade was originally a vintage iron "smoking stand" which Dan turned into a lamp- the matchbox-holder from the stand is now the lamp's finial.

Antique French urn sitting on the floor holds ivy.

Collection of antique tortoiseshell frame mirrors on wall.

All of the walls in the farmhouse are plaster and are painted shades of gray.

Photo taken from the living room.

If you were to stand at the front door facing the base of the stairs and you turned right, that is the Dining Room (you can see a chair in this photo), if you turn left that is the Living Room. If you were to walk past the entry chest and turn to the left (behind the living room) that is the Reading Room. If you go past the entry chest and turn to the right (under the staircase) this will take you into the Kitchen. The stairs will take you up to the bedrooms.


View of the front door coming down the stairs.
Vintage alabaster chandelier was found at the Paris Flea Market at Porte de Clignancourt.
Antique rug.

Close-up of antique tortoiseshell frame mirrors. The top two we found at the Paris Flea Market. The top frame has a story that is worthy of it's own post! The bottom tortoiseshell framed mirror was found in Jackson, Mississippi.

Afternoon sunlight on the entry chest.


150 year old treads.... I love the wear.


Thank you for coming in!
I hope you'll come visit again.

holiday with matthew mead

I recently received an email from my friend Matthew Mead.

( okay, since I've only met Matthew "once"- you can read about it here - I guess I can't technically call him "my friend", but Matthew is one of those people who is so nice and so charming that when you meet him you instantly feel that he is, indeed, an old friend! )

The uber talented Matthew told me that he had just finished production of his self-published, holiday magazine...

holiday with matthew mead!
Matthew calls this a "book-azine" celebrating and offering inspiration for the Christmas holiday season. It is available only through his website.

I didn't want you to miss out, so if you haven't already received your copy you can order it here!

way too much fun!

From the second Brittany and Kristen walked in the door I don't think we ever stopped talking; about: houses, dogs, antiques, cooking!

It was the most wonderful weekend!

I really can't express how much fun we had! Dan and I were so sad to see them drive off on Monday.

I first want to make clear (as I just inferred it in the previous post), that all of the people who kindly drive the shelter dogs from the Shelby Humane Society to shelters in the North are volunteers. They do not get paid to take time off from work, and give up their weekends and holidays. Brittany, Kristen and Brooke (Brittany's sister who was on the first two rescue runs) even go so far as to raise the funds needed to pay for their entire trip, so that the Humane Society does not have to. (click "One Dog at a Time" logo at the bottom of this page for more information!)

It was a 22-hour drive from the Shelby Humane Society to their first drop, the New Hampshire Humane Society in Laconia. Since they have a van full of rescue dogs on the drive up they drive straight through, only stopping for gas and breaks for the dogs.

Here Brittany (left) and Kristen are handing off the last of their pups to the Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, New Hampshire.
At this point, they had been awake for well over 24-hours!

They brought us the most wonderful gift box filled with gifts from Alabama!

It was so gorgeous I almost didn't want to open it!! A vintage french box was wrapped with a burlap New Orleans coffee bean bag to hold all the goodies! Lots of the goodies were also wrapped in burlap. Inside, all from Alabama: peanuts, wine, dog cookies, sugar cookies, honey, habanero pepper marmalade, pickles, Saw sauce, fried green tomato batter mix, notepad, and a burlap dog collar for Ella!!

Brittany and Brooke's sweet parents had also sent along a bottle of wine and some pancake cane syrup!

The next day we took them on our dog-walk (Ella adored the girls!)......

to the falls....

and since it was Halloween, we went to one of the antique cemeteries, and visited the grave of a local ghost!

We then went antique shopping and the girls made a haul at our favorite dive antique mall! Dan found the little demi-john that Kristen purchased... $3!

They are now safely back home in Birmingham!

A very grateful thank you to Brittany & Kristen for helping to save these 33 little dog-souls!
It is amazing when you realize that by the end of this week, the majority of the dogs will have found their forever homes!


It was a pleasure, a joy and a huge gift for Dan and I and Ella to get to spend the weekend with these two amazing puppy-angels!

I absolutely adore them both!