Monday, August 29, 2011

Chelsea Flea Market Find


Hello Friends!

i hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Two weeks ago my fiance and i were shopping at the Chelsea Antique Flea Market in NYC and
we came across this nifty little contraption called the U.S. Cook Stove Drier, introduced in 1893 and sold for $8.50! It was
used long ago by farmers to dry out fruit.

i love how unusual it is and how much character it brings into the room by using it as a side table.





the beautifully aged wood really warms up the room

i'll be back later this week to share my new coffee table!

Have a great week my friends!

until next time,

xo
Cheryl

Friday, August 26, 2011

NYC Adventure Part 2 and "the stylist guide to NYC"


Hello Friends!

I am so excited to be back and i have so much to share with you!
We had a wonderful trip to Yosemite!
it really got me in the fall spirit and i brought back a few things i'd like to share with you soon.


i'll start where i left off on my NY trip...
After stumbling upon Fishs Eddy and picking up a vintage tablecloth, we went the Farmer's market that was only a block away.


we decided on some apples, european cheese and freshly baked bread. After we finished our lovely treat,
we napped under the huge trees in Central Park..


it was hard to imagine what could top this moment until we headed to..


The Loeb Boathouse and rented a romantic row boat for an hour, fun!

After a wonderful afternoon we were back to the streets where we


admired street art


and stopped at tiny boutiques.


some were so tempting with pretty and sparkling things in the window

(Chelsea Antiques Garage)

we shopped at indoor flea markets

(West 25th between 5th and 6th)

and outdoor flea markets


and tasted the coffee of NYC..


which was truly amazing coffee!


this would be our last stop on our NYC trip..
it was a designers dream!


it was filled with eye candy..
tons of antiques and vintage goodies!


floor after floor of the most amazing stuff..
6 floors to be exact



even the walls and columns in this store were to die for!

All of the stores i shared with you can be found in this fabulous book called
i happened upon this terrific book at Anthropologie the day before i was to leave for NYC.
it had me at hello!
Dear friends, .. do not go to NYC without it!
it list the best shops in NYC, plus more!

This weekend i'm hosting my sister's baby shower...
i'm really excited and hoping everything runs smoothly!

in the next few days, i'll share an amazing treasure i found at the Chelsea Flea Market...

until next time,

xo
Cheryl


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New York Adventure


Hello Friends!

My fiance and i arrived early in New York, fresh off the red-eye flight to start our day at 7:00am.
We excitely gulped down some coffee and started our journey....

Our first stop was a street filled with flower and decor shops.
Remarkably, this "flower market" opens at 4am, we were able to enjoy all the sights and smells while the sun was still coming up!


(B & J Florist Supply)


We found a shop filled with Asian natural fibers, perfect for weaving, knitting, and crochet...
Their ready-made samples were beautiful!


I couldn't wait to check out this next shop...
We found a shop that manufactures beautiful mannequins--i've been dreaming of having my own mannequin for a long time now..
this mannequin pictured below has an interesting story, it actually survived hurricane Katrina and was returned to the store by its original owner.



we stumbled across this next shop on our way to the farmers market...
i think my eyes popped out of my head!
the timing couldn't have been any more perfect..


i grabbed a vintage table cloth for our picnic in the park..




i'll be sharing the rest of our trip with you next week.
i'm in the middle of packing, again.
Our family is off to Yosemite tomorrow with 3 other families...
can't wait!
i'm told there will be no internet or phone connection out there..
It might take me a little while longer to get caught up on everyone's blogs!
i miss reading all of your posts.
Have a wonderful week and weekend my friends..
and i'll see you next week!

until next time,

xo
Cheryl

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Chippy Metal Cabinet


Hello Friends!

Today I want to share with you my seafoam green chippy metal cabinet I found at a garage sale for only $8 dollars.
The lady i bought it from said she used to work at a veterinarian clinic and it was going to be thrown away but she rescued it.
It now stands proudly in my entryway and pairs perfectly with my sign.


If i sing the song "You Are My Sunshine" at any other time than at night, my kids will say, "it's not bedtime."
I've been singing that song to both of my daughter's since they were babies so i was excited to find a sign with the lyrics on it.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

until next time,

xo
Cheryl

I'm sharing this at.. Faded Charm, Common Ground and Miss Mustard Seed


Thursday, August 4, 2011

Vanity Makeover and Four Elements to My Design


Hello Friends!

Whether working on a small corner of a room or an entire room, there are four key elements i use when decorating. These four key elements are: old, new, feminine and rustic. All of these elements are either displayed on or surrounding my vanity.
When combing these four elements, i think it's the perfect balance of opposites--and these opposites attract! it creates the most beautiful space.



i have put together a list of the items in each category for you.
Some of these items may fit into more than one category.



Old: A European mirror, galvanized bucket, industrial stool, two glass lamps and a French book and clock

New: a fresh coat of paint, burlap lampshades and mercury glass knobs

Feminine: roses, a scarf, European mirror and rhinestones around the French clock

Rustic: a stack of wicker baskets and burlap lampshades




This is a lovely place to just sit and put on make-up. In addition to that, it's now the place where my girls climb up and play and spin around on--until its time for me to do their hair. Someday, that stool is going to stop spinning... and just because of that, i might let them spin a couple more times. : )


Here is a picture of my vanity before i painted it grey. i loved it white too! The overall vision of my bedroom make-over called for the new coat of grey. Hopefully i'll be able to reveal that soon!
i also took off the round mirror and replaced it with an antique european hanging mirror.
i will recycle the old mirror and have it cut to fit a frame i already have.


Fiesta is upon us here in Santa Barbara.
It's old tradition my family has been participating in since I was a kid.

Have a great weekend!

until next time,

xo
Cheryl

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

French Antique Plates


i found these French antique plates in one of my favorite antique stores over the weekend.
These plates made me melt inside.


i love the rich detail on each plate and
that they are a perfectly mismatched set!


I'm so eager to create a table setting with them!

I'll be back later this week with my vanity makeover!

until next time,

xo
Cheryl

I'm sharing this at White Wednesday

Monday, August 1, 2011

A Photo Contest and Mini Pies


Hello Friends!
I hope you all had a great weekend!

Do you remember the photo down below from my blueberry picking post?
It tied for first place in the Santa Barbara Bluberry photo contest!
I'll admit, I was a little intimidated entering my photos in the contest--it was the first time I've ever done anything like that before.


The goal of the contest was to capture the beauty of the ranch and the experience of "u-picking" blueberries.


The prize was 2.5 pounds of fresh blueberries, a jar of Santa Barbara Blueberry Jam and a jar of Santa Barbara Blueberry Honey.
While shopping in William Sonoma a couple weeks ago I came across a mini pie maker. It made my heart go pitter-patter because i knew my girls would light up once i brought it home and told them we would be making pies. So with my winnings, the girls and i made mini blueberry pies...




i also picked up a book called Mini Pies.



The girls eyes were big and their tummies were growling, they didn't want to wait for Mommy to do a photo shoot of their pies.
So i took them out, piled them high and snapped a quick photo.



Happy August my friends!
I'll be back in a couple days to share my find over the weekend!

until next time,

xo
Cheryl

i'm sharing this at A Beach Cottage and My Romantic Home