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A New Chandy in the Dining Room

Happy Tuesday, y’all! Fall is definitely showing a tiny bit around our little city with just a few trees putting on the tiniest bit of oranges and reds in their leaves. With those changes, I’ve felt the need for some changes indoors myself.

Just one change in the dining room is bringing me a huge burst of happiness… Getting back to who I am with a change in our dining room chandelier is a must!

Unboxing the new chandy a week ago!

Ever since we moved to our Manor Home three years ago, I’ve been iffy about the drum chandelier. It’s okay and I know transitional is “in” right now and I liked it at first, but…

It was driving me crazy!

An advertisement came across my computer one day for Lamps Plus (No, this wasn’t sponsored; I wish!), and I casually clicked over to see what was on sale… And I have been in love with Kathy Ireland chandeliers ever since visiting my friend Kathy’s home in Escondido, California during our teas.

This is the Kathy Ireland Chateau de Conde light.

She had one similar to this one which had a carved wooden piece in the middle on the main pillar of her chandelier, which I loved. I think the candlelight cups on the arms were also of carved wood. I have never seen another like it available at Lamps Plus since… It’s a bummer when styles change and you can’t find a particular chandelier anymore.

Here’s a little video I shot this weekend and posted on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17961326833480808/

I finally broke down and drove down to Lamps Plus in Arlington to see this chandy and fell hard for it! I love its Shabby Chic look. In fact, when it was delivered, it wasn’t shabby enough for me on the arms and pillar pieces, so I drove over to Home Depot to get some metal sanding paper.

After a quick sanding, which took about an hour, I wiped this chandelier down and then waited a week for Hubs to put it up for me. 😀

At some point, I might change out the plastic sleeves covering the electrical connections for the candlelights as there are more realistic-looking sleeves out there.

Now the dining area of our home feels “like home!” And I am sooo looking forward to adding some greenery for the holidays but for now I am not rushing anything. 😉

Yesterday’s tablescape post was the first of many as I am so excited to share this chandy again and again…

Just a few crystals hanging down from this chandelier repeating the sparkle from the hurricane lamps below.

Getting back to the basics around here! Feels good. Feeling the love… This new sparkler reminds me of the chandy we hung in the RV, too.

That lightweight plastic and glass crystal chandy will be making an appearance soon! 😉

Well, that’s it for today, friends. Let me know what you think of this new sparkler. If it isn’t your taste, that’s okay, too. 🙂

Looking out towards the porch as it gets cleared and the back garden.

Enjoy your week,

Barb 🙂

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Sunday Supper and a Peek at the New Chandy!

Happy Sunday evening, friends! We had a nice weekend working outside just tidying up some of the garden, pulling weeds out on the south side, cutting back the iris leaves (which were getting really untidy!) in the bed around the backyard oak, and tidying up the front flower bed…

Afterwards, I prepped the roast…

I stopped by the grocery on Friday afternoon and the butcher was just putting out several racks of roasts, so I said to him, “I’ll be happy to alleviate you of one of those!” We talked a bit more and I mentioned that this would be a perfect dinner for the weekend.

So glad I cooked this in the oven here this afternoon! It turned out perfectly…

Aunt Nellie’s Pot Roast

Take a rump or watermelon roast, poke it all over and rub in meat tenderizer (I don’t do this anymore, I just poke it with our meat fork and shake on salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash seasoning).

Cook in a cast iron skillet in the oven at 275 deg. F., fat side up, for 1 hour.

After an hour, add 2 1/2 cups (or more) water to the skillet (spoon over roast several times), add potatoes and onion cut up. Turn up heat to 350 degrees, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours more ~ for a 3 lb. roast. Check at 1 hour and cook to your liking.

(***Add uncooked cut up potatoes when you first turn up the heat, then add the green beans ~ or a partial bag of carrots and peas ~ during the last 45 minutes.)

Make a delicious brown gravy with the cracklings in the pan, if so desired.

Enjoy!!!

What to do with the leftovers…

I cut two slices of the roast off and cut them into pieces for soup this week. I froze the rest of the roast along with some of the potatoes and green beans with a little of the juices for a future dinner.

Yum!!! First two good days of early fall with much lower humidity ~ perfect weather for indoor cooking in the oven!

Setting the table with fall in mind

I went looking for placemats for a casual dinner for Mr. Ethereal and myself, since it’s just us two anymore. I found these cute round pumpkin mats in my stack in the laundry room closet. They are reversible and I think I found them at HomeGoods back several years ago.

Paired with my favorite white plates, antique lace and linen napkins, and the newish white-handled flatware I picked up at Judith of Botanic Bleu‘s sale last December, I love this fun dinnerware combination for our tablescape!

The soft hues of faux bittersweet pair well with the pale greens of dried panicle hydrangeas, golden wheat stems and dried roses…

The hurricane lamps were still sitting out from this spring mantel post, so I pulled them into our tablescape. I really like the soft glow they give off and the tarnished brass look of the candleholders!

I liked using them so much that I have been using them on and off the mantel all summer. Really, they have Christmas trees on them but from far away you really can’t tell. 😉

Another photograph of the little mini bouquet of dried pretties!

And as promised…

A sneak peek at the new chandy! Hubby hung it for me late this morning and suggested I run out and pick up tacos for lunch (Taco Bell is about a mile or so down the main road). So while I went by our Walmart grocery and rounded up a bag of Idaho spuds for tonight’s dinner, then went through the drive-thru for tacos…

Mr. Ethereal worked his magic taking down the more modern drum chandelier and installed this pretty more-antique-style chandy which I love so much better!

And this was our delicious pot roast dinner… Served with roasted russet potatoes and green beans cooked in the same water as the roast.

You’ll just have to come back Tuesday to see the rest of the chandelier! 😉

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:35 ESV, Bible Study Tools

Enjoy your week,

Barb 🙂

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Share Your Style #316

Welcome to this week’s Share Your Style #316. Happy Wednesday to you all, dear friends! 🙂

This link party is for home decor, DIY, crafts, recipes and the like, but you are more than welcome to share any of your family-friendly posts with us all. Please feel free to share this post too and join my small but loyal band of friends. I appreciate you! I appreciate your subscribing, also. As always, I am glad that you are here… 💜

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too.  Thank you!💜 

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

I am Barbara Chapman and I’d love it if you’d follow me here on my blog and on any of my other social media sites, too.  Thank you!💜 

French Ethereal: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest

***SYS is getting out a tiny bit late today because… A BIG box with Bright and Shiny came today!!! (Okay, really more Chippy White…)

Of course I had to snap a few pics… 😉

Can’t wait to share!!! XD

And, I am sooo inspired by all the fall posts coming out (and the fact that this weekend was just the tiniest bit cooler) that I am looking for fall posts now… If you have some fun ones in the works, do link those, too!

As for myself, I’ve moved more garden items into the shed and have been cleaning everything before it gets in there. Three mice were living on the hutch, so it was sprayed and wiped down with disinfectant before it ever got carried in last week. Now it’s just wiping all the other things. 😉 And I tweaked the SYS logo pic just a bit for fall… Still loving the dried roses in the background.

Here’s what I shared this past week at French Ethereal…

And here are this week’s featured posts…

With fall weddings in the works, I just had to share this fun post by Michelle at her new blog Wedding Soirées Blog by K’Mich. My son and daughter-in-love had their first dog in their wedding photos… Luna loved being with them and I think she knew it was special… (So doggone adorable, don’t you think?!!)
Dogs in Your Wedding Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Penny from Penny’s Vintage Home is back with her sweet New Mexico garden in this post ~ Morning Glories in the Late Summer Yard. Love it!!!
Laundry Room Open Storage Shelving
Kippi from Kippi at Home shared her Mud Room-DIY Laundry Room Makeover Reveal. Love how these shelves turned out!
Debra from Common Ground brings us her lovely kitchen in this post ~ Majolica in the Late Summer Holiday Cupboard. Soooo pretty!
Renae over at Peacock Ridge Farm shared this wonderful recipe for
The Best Chicken Salad. Serious yum!!! Renae also has a nice post about creating a {How To} Create a Perfect Wrapping Station for Holiday Gift Giving. The holidays are never far from our thoughts, are they?! Great ideas!!!
green sequined dress, green satin kimono, formal wear, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge, Style Imitating Art
Sooo excited that Shelbee from Shelbee on the Edge shared this post in her continuing series called Style Imitating Art: Ellen Terry as Lady MacBeth by John Singer Sargent. Lovely rendition and the turquoise blue-greens are stunning as is Shelbee’s amazing dress!
The Soul of a Rose, John William Waterhouse

I love Sargent’s work and have several of my own from others who painted in this style. This group of painters were called The Pre-Raphaelites. Here is The Soul of a Rose, my personal favorite print bought on my birthday one year, and one I have as a greeting card ~ which was taped up as “art” when we were living in our trailers, you may recall. Love love love this ethereal style of art they captured in these paintings!!!

Thrifting Wonderland is back with this pretty apple post ~ Fall’s Almost Here Table Setting. Love the apple plates and of course I love the silverplate!!! I have the same Rogers Bros. pattern. <3
Floral Set by Faithfull The Brand
Newcomer Jennifer of Curated by Jennifer shares her fun fashion find in this post ~
Floral Set by Faithfull the Brand. Love it!!! Welcome, Jennifer!

Lynn over at My Journey Back shared this adventurous post on finding a good dog park in her post ~ The Dog Days of Summer. Cool post! And isn’t her Staffordshire terrier cute??!

And because we all love a good find… Tara from Stilettos and Shiplap went looking for a nightstand and… came home with these!!! {Be still our French-antiques-loving-hearts!} ~ French Vintage Friday: It All Started With a Nightstand…

Thank You so much to everyone who linked up this past week. A special thank you to everyone for always promoting Share Your Style on your blog and on your social media channels! I do see it when I stop by and I appreciate the love. 💜

If you’d like to follow my Share Your Style board on Pinterest I’d appreciate it, thank you! I do post all of the featured posts from each week’s SYS there plus usually other photos from those posts to my boards. 💜  Thanks so much!!! If you are new to French Ethereal, I hope you will think about subscribing to my blog.

If you’d like to follow my Share Your Style board on Pinterest I’d appreciate it, thank you! I do post all of the featured posts from each week’s SYS there plus usually other photos from those posts to my boards. 💜  Thanks so much!!! If you are new to French Ethereal, I hope you will think about subscribing to my blog.

Let’s party, friends!

Barb 🙂

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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How to Glam Up Your Chandelier

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Chandeliers are  inherently beautiful no matter whether they have real rock crystals dangling from their Cinderella-like
glass arms or just sweet pink faux crystals or like mine here ~
the chandy itself is made purely of acrylic plastic.

Chandeliers are glamour unto themselves and today we will be talking about how to make your basic chandelier more beautiful
for any occasion.

Our current chandy with double pearl garlands and acrylic and glass drops and ornaments.
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Glamping  a Chandelier
Recently I was asked to do a post on how I glam-up
my chandeliers so today we are talking some
“chandy trash”…
😉

Depending upon the weight your ceiling can carry 
will basically dictate what you can
and cannot hang
from your home’s chandeliers.


Several years ago when we were in our last house I must
have been cleaning and redecorating the buffet and our 
small china cabinet. 
At some point in the cleaning process I must have
looked up and seen our boring 1990’s basic brass chandelier looking a little sad and that’s when I had the bright idea
to really glam up my chandelier!

I had already found and hung ropes of crystal drops and
glass bobeches online and had used them to decorate
our previous home’s dining room chandelier.
I brought those with me when we moved in 1994
to the Big House and added to them
for this chandelier.
{not hanging on it in this photograph}


Our last home’s dining room chandelier with faux greenery, pearl garlands, large crystal drops and swan ornaments.

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Like some things in life

 More is better and at Christmas time it was a free for all adding faux pine boughs and later I thought to use these dangling pearls.
Those pearl garlands?
They are found in the wedding section at the big craft stores!
My friend Kathy had hung some around her powder room
mirror and I thought they would look lovely hanging
off my chandy!
🙂


Our current chandelier dressed with acrylic and glass Christmas ornaments.
Dried Queen Anne’s lace flowers would look nice tucked in among silk flowers if you want your chandelier
to have a summertime look.
Hanging rose garlands such as in the previous photos above
replaced the wintertime greenery and swans.


This past year I had just been researching chandeliers for our
RV glamper home and ended up having to return
the first chandelier I found.
It was just too heavy for this spot but Home Depot had this
light-weight acrylic beauty and for the money and
only 6 lbs. of weight
it was the right choice for us!

Here’s the link in case you are looking for a light-weight
chandelier for a spot in your home ~ it is 24″ long x 22″ wide
if I remember correctly ~ and it has six arms.


Would you believe not all the pieces are even
hanging on it?
Nope.
We forgot to add the acrylic piece over top of the
bottom chrome bowl.
Actually without that crystal style piece it looks
a little more contemporary and that’s
the trend nowadays.
Happy accident!
🙂

My usual workspace ~ comfortable, bright and pretty and functional!
Since more than likely we will still be in our little
RV home this next Christmas…
I already know that greenery will be happening and that was 
partly why I wanted to hang a chandelier here
in our fifth-wheel.
Hubby thought I was crazy, btw.

I glamped up the barrel LED light in our last trailer.
The only thing different about putting up a chandelier
in a trailer -vs- a house is the amperage is different
so you need 12 volt bulbs instead of 120 volt
household lights.

Camping World helped me find these 12 volt chandelier
light bulbs and I am thrilled!
No need to rewire your chandelier either.
The voltage runs through the wiring but it’s very low
so getting the correct bulbs did the trick.
🙂

I am working on a new craft that will change the look
of our chandelier for summer so look for that soon.
Funny that I just bought the supplies to work
on this project when the suggestion came to 
talk about our chandelier!
🙂


Sharing with
Feathered Nest Friday
Wow
Dishing It and Digging It
Thursday Favorite Things




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How do you glam yours?
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Places to Shop ~ Posies and Picket Fences

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Posies and Picket Fences
While out west visiting my friend Kathy who lives
just north of Santa Barbara and Ventura in the rural
coastal city of Nipomo,
she took me to two really neat shops…


The first  shop we visited once I had arrived after driving
several hours {from Ranch Cucamonga/Ontario where my hotel was} to
meet up with Kathy for lunch was to

Picket Fences
1588 Mission Drive
Solvang, CA 93463
805-688-6559


in the Danish-inspired city of Solvang, a city
founded by a “group of Danes who traveled west to
establish a Danish colony far from the
cold midwestern winters.”*


Just off the main road coming into town, Picket Fences has

lots of unique mercury glass candlesticks, candleholders and
urns which are so lovely to use for decorating.


{This is where you might want to stop

a sec and grab a cup of coffee or tea
and a bite to eat…
This post is a lengthy one today!}



Look at all this lovely poor man’s silver ~ mercury glass is really pretty en masse!

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After drooling over all these lovely silvery
stoppered decanters and perfume bottles and browsing
the candles and candlesticks and linen-covered lamps
that were on this table and on the buffet to the left
I fell in love with all the
heart-inspired pieces there in the shop and brought home
three small heart-shaped ring holders ~ one for myself and
two to send to my 
d.i.love and daughter for Valentine’s.


I posted mine on Instagram if you’d like to see it!
Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of the other two.
🙁


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I really like  stores which carry “smalls” as they
are easy to pack when you are traveling plus often
these items are a little easier on the wallet.
Each of these hearts above are only $4.95 a piece ~
perfect for saving for gift giving!

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Of course  being that we were in Solvang sweet
Danish mementos were in every shop and window!
These are such lovely reminders with their blue and white
ladies in traditional Dutch costumes and clogs
windmills and farm scenes gracing pieces of china
tile or on lace for your kitchen windows.

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This was  a special time for me personally too as I had
spent a weekend with my German host family in
Alkmaar, Holland
back during the summer of 1981 when I was 19 years old.

{Ja, ich kann die Deutsch sprechen und die 
Niederländisch ein bisschen lessen!}

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Aren’t these  brassy hearts really neat? 
They open up so that you can add little notes or sweets
or anything you’d like to place inside.
Perhaps a place to store love notes from your
sweetheart or hubby?

Wouldn’t these be a perfect addition also to a
bridal shower table?
Hearts in many forms are pretty much perfect for
Valentine’s or any holiday celebrations really.
🙂

Then there is the large iron heart just in front of them
which just calling out to go home to my yard… 
sigh!
Okay, moving onward.
😉


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A bit dark  I thought I’d share a few photographs
of the whole shop for you.
I had forgotten about the black and white pillows
plus the lanterns on top of the right hand cupboard.
Black and white never goes out of style and I am finding
that though I’m not usually big on black in my decor
I am being drawn to it this year.

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As you can see  the black really stands out with all
the other neutral whites and rusty iron decor ~
I’m loving the look and maybe
you do too!
Still can’t wait until we have a house again and I can
either make some fun farmhouse signs like the one spelling
out “farmhouse” up on the high shelf.
I’d like to hang a few signs around our walls.
Soooo cute and on trend!
And I’m not usually a trend person as I like what I like
but word signs are pretty cool!

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And then  there is a favorite beaded chandelier which 
just whispered to me like a few favorite toys did long ago,
“Take me home.”
😉

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One last look at this sweet shop which was also just 
up the street from a bakery which Kathy wanted us to visit
but which was closed ~ it was getting new flooring.
Next time!

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Love the Dutch doors!
Did you ever wonder how they
got their name?

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Apparently they were invented to keep critters from
wandering into Dutch homes and kitchens since screen doors
weren’t yet invented and though they were created in Holland
they were really a bit hit here in America.
Here’s a neat article on Dutch doors for you to check out.

Solvang is  a great little town that after you’ve parked
you can pretty much walk everywhere to dine and shop.
Here Kathy is leading us on a quick tour around to see
a few other shops.
Oh, and there are a number bed’n’breakfast
places and hotels in Solvang to stay at, too.


From here  we drove back to Kathy’s lovely home but
before we go here are a few last photos of Solvang and one
on the way driving through an ethereal allée of trees!!!

***

Our headline photograph from above, again ~ here you can see the lovely ethereal blouses
and some of their beautiful white on white antiques and vintage goods displayed 

The next day  afters spending the late afternoon having
tea and cherry scones for a snack instead of dinner
{We were still full from lunch, really.} and then talking until
late in the evening about decorating and all the
things Kathy and her husband Ken have been updating
in their new home.

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Oh, and touring her garden ~ which I’ll be sharing both
with you in more detail soon.
We drove up to Arroyo Grande, California
and waited patiently for this shop…

Posies in the Village
106 West Branch Street
Arroyo Grande, California 93420
805-481-0404

…to open it’s doors and let us in!
Okay, we weren’t too patient but we did manage to visit
a few antiques shops which had opened their doors at 9:00am
plus we visited with the local chickens!


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Chickens  are something Arroyo Grande is famous for
and they have always roamed free.
They even wander into shops sometimes
as one shop owner told us
to escape the cold or hot weather.
Cute!

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Posies  is on the opposite side of the street from
where the chickens are so they don’t often get in here.
But if they did…
They’d find three beautiful shops in one…


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Eclectic and fun  there’s a mixture of gift items and
antiques up in the front of the store and upstairs.
Then here in the middle is a display of vintage record albums
which I promptly snapped a photo and sent to my son
who thought the place was cool.

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For me  it was chandelier heaven! Each was unique and
other than this next really large one ($995 on sale) and
another really beautiful French chandelier
most were in the range of $120 – $350 or so.


Colorful  candles, mugs, pretty jewelry, curated clothing
and unique chandeliers all for sale along with spoon rings ~ 
Posies has something for everyone who
comes through their doors for a visit.

🙂


Sharing with
Wow Us Wednesday
Feathered Nest Friday
Thursday Favorite Things
Sweet Inspiration
Create Bake Grow and Gather
Hearth and Soul
Farmhouse Friday


Until next time, à bientôt,
Uncategorized

Buying a Crystal Chandelier ~ What to Look for

WHY am I perched on top of a chair
and taking measurements in our
“Little Prairie Home”
you might ask??

I am finally going to add in a beautiful
crystal chandelier!!!
 

Here is the chandelier {above} that I decided to purchase
after looking at many and deciding on a number of pros and cons
for each one.
 
A sweet brass chandelier like we had at our last house painted a lovely creamy white and doctored up with lots of
hanging crystals.
When considering buying a chandelier, there are a number of things to think about in addition to style and whether you like a more modern or a traditional type of chandelier.


Eloquence’ Albertina chandelier shown here in a silver finish.



Here are just a few of the things to consider:

Size for your location

Will this particular size chandelier look too big for
the area you will be hanging it in or will it be dwarfed by
the size of the room?
 
There is a trend now towards oversize lights and I saw
plenty at High Point Market last month!
 

Width and Height

In the top photograph, I’m measuring how long the incoming
Saint Mossi five light chandelier will hang.
It will be a little big for the space as our
dining area is rather small here in the fifth wheel
but
from the Pinterest photograph
you can see that most of it is clear glass
with some silvery chrome parts which
hold the chandelier together.
 
With all that clear glass and crystals it looks light and airy
as opposed to how a darker bronze or black finished
chandelier would look in the same location.
I did look at those options, too.
🙂
 

Crystal, Glass, Acrylic or Metal?

 
Real crystal chandeliers are very heavy and need a lot of
hidden structural support to prevent
this type of chandelier’s weight from tearing itself out of its
ceiling mount.
 
 
 
 
 
Rock crystal chandeliers have the most sparkle and fire and
are quite expensive ~ Swarovski Schonbeck chandeliers
are a very lovely modern version
which you might like to have
in your home.
I was looking for some of their crystal’s fire
in whichever “chandy” I was
going to be putting up.
🙂
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cast glass chandeliers have cast crystals and parts which are
machine cut and faceted letting them sparkle
when sunlight hits their lights.
Less expensive than mined crystal cut by hand
they are a good alternative and a good buy giving off a
wonderful glow and sparkle
without the expense.
 




Acrylic chandeliers are sturdy plastic alternatives
which are highly economical and practical.
I looked at one version yesterday at a big box store
almost identical to a glass chandelier I was looking
to purchase online, except all of the parts
were acrylic plastic.

These chandeliers are fun to have at birthday parties
on the back patio and just to have hanging outside
year-round.
If an acrylic chandelier falls and or gets damaged
replacing it is easier on the budget.

They are also a perfect alternative for children’s rooms, too,
as are many of the sweet metal chandeliers
available on the market today.





Metal chandeliers can be molded into all kinds of
shapes and often are fashioned with real-like
metal leaves and flowers.
Thin metal chandeliers can have small parts
easily broken off
so this is another thing to consider
as you are looking to purchase a “chandy.”


Why I chose the Saint Mossi chandelier (originally)

I decided on this glass crystal chandelier because it
is ethereal looking to me and would be mostly clear glass.
Also, it wouldn’t be overly heavy and would still have
the fire I love in its cut glass body, dangling crystal pendants
and in its hanging swags of .
There’s nothing wrong with the acrylic one I found and
I liked it for the weight.
{four pounds less than what I purchased}
I’ve could have picked it up yesterday and almost did.
Weight is certainly a concern in here as is movement
when the RV will be on the road in the future but for now
this place isn’t moving anywhere.

 
I could have rehung the acrylic one with cut glass crystals
myself as I have on both of our previous
dining room chandeliers but I decided for
almost the same price
I could get the more sparkly version
without having to spend more money later
adding more crystals.
Plus, the Saint Mossi is on sale now…

All the more reason!
😉

I’ve linked it below for you
in case you’d like one of your own.
See my affiliate profile HERE.





Here’s a really good article on the Lamps Plus website
talking more indepth about what I’ve shared
today plus much much more.

Oh, and just a corner of something hanging up
in the window next to me as merry and bright begins…


A spring chandy update:

After all that  the crystal chandelier came in and…
Inside the little instruction papers that came with
said that the area to hold it must be able to hold
100 pounds {of force}…
 
Here in our Prairie Home in this particular spot
that just isn’t an option
so…
that chandelier had to go back.
🙁
 
 
Our final chandelier ~ an acrylic version from Home Depot!
Happy ending
After much thought I knew the answer to the burning
chandelier question: go back and pick up
the 6 pound acrylic chandelier from
Home Depot.
It is a lovely alternative and for the price and the weight
it certainly is a good option for our little home.
With the addition of a few real crystals from my
collection I’ve picked up over the years at
Christmas time
this chandelier turned out to be the
perfect addition to our little rv home
on the prairie.
🙂
 
 
Sharing with
Wow Us Wednesday ~ Savvy Southern Style
Create Bake Grow and Gather ~ Shabby Art Boutique
Friday at the Fire Station ~ A Fireman’s Wife
Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage
 
 
Happy decorating,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Les Macaron Comes to Town ~ Une Revue Délicieux!

A new sweet shoppe has come to town
here in North Central Texas and I’d be willing to bet 
one may be
coming your way soon!
I’m talking about the shop called
Les Macaron.


Owner and manager at Les Macaron is Fabien Daure.
Les Macaron recently opened at the 
Golden Triangle Mall in Denton, Texas 
and if the line of people waiting to be served 
on the day I went is any indication, 
Les Macaron is an instant smash hit with local 
sweet-tooth aficionados. 


Serving twenty flavorful macaroons in choices such as
Belgian chocolate, raspberry, basil white chocolate,
Colombian coffee and lemon crême,
there’s sure to be a flavor to temp every palette.

The official website for Les Macaron shares that
in addition to their flavorful macaroons,
they also sell specialty coffees and pastries
gelato and gourmet chocolates and candies.
I only purchased macarons the day I went
but I did see a yummy selection of
the pastries and chocolates!
{Just a tempting reason to go back and sample some more!}

 A lovely shop with all gluten free products
and also some diabetic versions so everyone
can enjoy a piece or two!

Sharing with
Friday Features ~ Oh, My Heartsie Girl!
Friday at the Firehouse ~ The Fireman’s Wife
Share Your Style ~ The Red Painted Cottage
Vintage Charm ~ Blue Willow House
Sweet Inspiration ~ The Boondocks Blog
The Pit Stop ~ Home with Mimi


Bon appétit!
Uncategorized

Places to Shop with Sparkle on the Menu

Some days start off as normal
everyday run-of-the-mill days
but after 
morning eye appointment
where the doctor had dilated 
both of my eyes,
I wasn’t just seeing stars
because of some eye drops…
😉



Driving over to pick up our mail after that 
eye appointment
I saw a sign that made 
my heart jump.

a wall area of artwork in front and behind the camera
A place I’ve wanted very much to visit
was here at the mall and so 
after a quick lunch I went inside and 
enjoyed looking around.

The first store I found was
These first photos were taken there.
ZGallerie is a home decor store which carries 
office supplies, tableware and bedding
at medium prices
making it a place for that little sparkly splurge
for your home or for something to 
give as a lovely gift.


Of course I am always on the lookout for fancy sparkly chandeliers!

What caught my eye in ZGallerie were all the
purple and white ostrich plumes
standing tall in a 
large floor vase
and
velvet chairs and sofas.


I’m sorry I didn’t snap a photo of the 
tufted cream velvet sofa 
I found
seated together with a few other velvet
and leatherette chairs.
{I’m pretty sure it was around $1600 which is not unreasonable
for a beautifully built piece of furniture.}
I was kind of gaga eyed at the moment
just taking it all in…
😉
Had to share this one again ~ love all the gold and white… and those tall blooms!

When my photographer senses kicked in
I started snapping photos
to share with you!


The chargers under each place setting
are made of glass.
I’ve seen some before in magazines
but I was quite surprised
that the
free-form purple glass charger
I picked up
was only $18 per piece.

ZGallerie was a lovely beginning to my
eye candy shopping adventure!
***************************************************
Part of the outdoor garden room at Restoration Hardware ~ love the whole courtyard feel!
is the shop I have wanted to 
visit for years!
And when I saw that sign viewed 
just off the freeway
I knew 
today was that day
I was going to finally stop inside.
🙂

Sleek modern outdoor furnishings for anyone who likes edgy and angular with just enough
curves and sparkle to keep those who prefer more curves comfortable.


I knew the company had begun as a store
carrying antique and vintage
hardware for restoring old homes and
to use on furniture
but
Restoration Hardware has evolved
now carrying specialty furniture
for indoors and outside.


Walking into this room which leads into the garden, the wonderful earthy smell of leather is sooo inviting!
Wouldn’t this be a lovely library and dining room in your own home?

I loved talking with the sales staff
about the shop and the furnishings within!
I found out that they are interior designers, too,
and they are there to help with your 
room design needs
and will help you create
a curated lived-in look.

Here I was trying to capture the three chandeliers for you!
Being a huge fan of pier mirrors
and having a pier mirror of my own
I had to share these beauties with you!

Love pier mirrors for their French charm!
Don’t you just love how adding a mirror
to a room
really brings in the light and creates
just the right mood with what is
reflected in it?

Sorry this is a bit dark ~ this is actually lightened up for you.  Photos today were taken
with my iPhone 6.
Restoration Hardware paired these two very
simply framed mirrors for a bathroom scene 
set with a more ornate
old buffet turned into a lavatory cabinet.
Love it!
I also love the soft neutrals flowing through
all of their pieces ~ very masculine
but soft enough for that 
feminine touch.


This too has been edited and lightened to see the cabinet’s detail.  Love, love the marble top!
One final view of the back gardens…
sigh!
🙂


So what I came in for 

In the form of just tons of old rusty crusty hardware and door knobs
though no longer found in the shops anymore are still available as beautiful reproductions online {I checked! ;).
These shops are wonderful resources to find a classic piece to grace your home or garden ~ just ethereal!
(I was not compensated for any of this ~ just purely fun visiting!)
As always, feel free to share this and any other post.
If you like my style, please follow along… Thank you!



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Home Sweet Home ~ The Charm of Home



Happy Friday,
Uncategorized

Taking Tea ~ Chocolate Angel Tea Room

Sorry so dark! My iPhone has a “Live” setting on it and the computer won’t let me
edit to lighten… ugh! :/

Just a super quick post today
to say tomorrow and Friday
I’ll have two wonderful tea stories
for you!

One more photo for today ~
sorry I’m running around like a
chicken with my head cut off…
A friend who is really a pretty new friend
just left Wagon Master a few minutes ago
heading back to Oregon… lots going on and
I realize I’m missing
old friends.




Happy to be hosting a tea today
for two more friends who will be moving on
to Florida next week.



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Blogging Fifty
Create Link Inspire ~ The Crafty Blog Stalker




See you tomorrow, then,
and thanks for listening,
Uncategorized

TBT ~ Travels from the Midwest, Summer 2016

Last summer was a super busy 5300+ mile
trip around 14 states
as I’ve brought up a bit before.
Today, though, I thought I’d share
some of those photos from the passenger window
with you…


Earlier this month I talked about going back in time a bit to share some of the places and photos from places we drove by and through last summer.  

Open prairie out in South Dakota


more silos on a midwestern farm




There is something really inspiring about wide open prairies on a warm summer’s day which makes me happy and leads to creativity!  {This is when I tend to sketch things and write down ideas to share in the future.}
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it is mine.


Hay Bales {rolls or bolls} ~ I love how alfalfa and hay can be baled or rolled and this was the first time I realized how pretty hay rolls can be.  Neatly stacked side by side, or just fresh-cut and ready to be moved nearer the barn ~ ready to feed to one’s livestock during the upcoming winter.  One can also smell the sweetness of the hay!

I’ve since seen many hay rolls with our move to Texas and they are now sometimes “ordinary,” but I still like seeing them moved about.  Around here, hay rolls are sold to locals for their horses, cattle and goats.  The farm behind us has several rolls which are currently getting smaller and smaller as the angus there eat their way through those hay bolls.


Farmhouses and churches ~ another of my favorite things bringing inspiration to everything that I do!  My favorite color is white and this lovely building fits the bill perfectly.  With its grey roof atop the main sanctuary and above the little church bell cupola, this building had me at hello!


sideways hay rolls!

“Work and pray, live on hay, you’ll get pie in the sky when you die. “

— Joe Hill



Wide open spaces and rolling hills ~ Another favorite with wind sweeping through grasses sounds sooo delicious!  Don’t you just love the sound of wind making trees creak in a wood or just whistling across an open moor or prairie? 

I love walking in the wind and as long as I am bundled up with a thick, warm sweater and a coat to block the chill I am outside walking!  Our Yoda loves to be outside in the wind, too, his hair and ears blowing back behind his face as he heads into the wind.


Our trip across all those states may have been a busy two weeks but it was one of the best vacations we have ever taken.  This was one of the first trips my husband has been able to go on in a long, long time.  

Happily, he was able to see attend our son and daughter~in~law’s wedding and enjoy this road trip with us.  


Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Justine Chapman ~ Amy, our daughter, at far left in lavender
Some of the other posts I shared were about the 
Midwest wildflowers
Shopping at Magnolia Market ~ The Silos
and antiquing at 
Second Impressions
and
Finders Keepers
are worth checking out especially if you are planning an upcoming trip across the midwest.
🙂


Feel free to leave any comments or share this or any of these posts.   If you like, follow me here as well as on 
Instagram and Pinterest for other ideas and shares
I come across.


Blessings to you,