topicals – French Ethereal

I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.

~ Charles Dickens ~

I’m not big into making New Year’s Resolutions however

I do like to think of how I’d like to be in the coming year.

What type of person I’d like to be.

What I’d like to accomplish over the next year.

Today I’m sharing 12 of your favorite posts from 2017.

A little recap, if you will, as we move into 2018 and

think upon those things we’d like

to do better!

😉

Jumping right into your favorite posts

from 2017

let’s begin with:

1. The Texas Pie Company

A great little place to go have a piece of your favorite

pie and a warm mug of tea or coffee

down in Kyle, Texas.

Yum!

{a great way to begin this year’s recap!}

2. $10 Thriftshop Challenge ~ Chalkware and Silver

I love heading out to browse local thriftstores wherever

we live or if I’m visiting somewhere.

This trip was a fun outing checking out the thrifts

right here in my own backyard!

How about you?

Is touring around and wandering thriftshops one of

your favorite things to do?

3. Inspirational Designers ~ Earl Spencer

On my trip to the Design Bloggers Conference this year

everyday shared a keynote speaker and listening to

Earl Charles Spencer was one of the highlights

of this year’s trip for me.

Do check out this post as I shared a lot about his talk

on his family’s ancestral home, Althorp.

4. Spring Gardens and Happy Memories

A little ditty sharing how I began gardening

what flowers I’ve planted in my gardens

over the years and especially

my love for all things roses…

5. The Beast{s} of WM Farm

Was the second of my series of fairy tale stories

sharing the beautiful and soft alpacas here at

Wagon Master RV Park and Alpaca Farm

at shearing time.

This is yearling baby girl Skidboot ~ such a cutie!

6. Crafts to Make ~ A Shabby Chic Glamper

One of your favorite craft projects that I worked on

in 2017 was this little camper glamper!

This was a really fun project and after finding that little

cutie at one of the craft stores I just knew it had to

come home with me.

😉

7. Summer Outdoor Blog Hop Party

This was a fun blog hop with friends sharing their gardens

their tablestylings and all things summer.

I shared our gardens here in Texas.

Loving how green it is here in summer!

8. Sweet Inspiring Gardens Nearby

I’m known for my decorating, tea parties and gardens

mostly and this post is no exception.

In most every season I am outside shooting photographs

of gardens and beautiful blooms wherever I go.

This post shares my neighbors’ gardens and the

richness there is wherever one lives

is often found…

in the garden.

🙂

featured at
Thursday Favorite Things ~ Follow the Yellow Brick Home

9. Vintage English Candy Boxes

This beautiful candy box with Queen Elizabeth’s

portrait on it just had to come home with me

this summer to pair up with my other.

This post shares finding it.

featured at
Thursday Favorite Things ~ Follow the Yellow Brick Home

10. Drop-Cloth Slipcover Reveal

More sewing instructions and sharing the last part of

this series on sewing chair slipcovers and how I solved

a slight problem.

Plus a little tea party!

This is a good instructional series if you are looking

to make some of your own and never have sewn

covers for furniture before.

Oh, and toss out your regular sewing pins!

Quilter’s pins are the only ones I use for

sewing nowadays.

All three posts are linked within for you.

11. Favorite Showrooms at High Point Market

Oh, my! What a trip of a lifetime to be able to see

sooo many gorgeous showrooms of fabulous furnishings

for one’s home!

I went gaga for the incredible French furniture and lighting

at Eloquence, Ave Home and French Heritage.

I will be sharing more about these wonderful

stores in future posts.

Look for those this winter.

12. Setting an Elegant Thanksgiving Table

It was a hard decision between this post and the

post I wrote sharing a Nordic Christmas Tablesetting

and home tour as both were really well liked

so I’ve included both here for you.

🙂

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Setting an elegant table is certainly one of my

absolute favorite things to do.

I love having company come over and sharing

a beautifully set table display with my best crystal wine glasses

a set or two of rosy china and my best silver tableware

is a way of sharing my heart with them…

and with you.

🙂

Sharing today with

Share Your Style ~ The Red Painted Cottage

Thursday Favorite Things ~ Katherine’s Corner

Tablescape Thursday ~ Between Naps on the Porch

Merry Christmas and What to Do Weekends ~ Shoestring Elegance

Friday at the Fire Station ~ A Fireman’s Wife

Friday Features ~ Oh, My Heartsie Girl

Friendship Friday ~ Create with Joy

Top Projects of 2017 ~ Southern Hospitality

All link parties are linked above for your enjoyment!

Two posts were featured!

Thank you for being a big part of French Ethereal.

I truly appreciate your taking time to stop by

each and every time.

Your visits, comments, and what you share

are a huge blessing to me.

//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js

Thank you!

Uncategorized

Cleaning Silver the Easy Way for Your Holiday Table

December 19, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Today I thought I’d share this quick

and easy way to clean your silverware…

I like buying baking soda in bulk as for one, it’s cheaper,

to use in everyday baking and cleaning, but also because

this is a handy trick for cleaning your silverware and

silver pieces without a whole lot of scrubbing

and blistering your fingers.

🙂

Back a couple of years ago I shared a similar post on

cleaning silverware

and I thought I’d re-share this technique.

Maybe you’ve never heard of it before or you have

but you haven’t tried it yet.

It works pretty well on silverplated items and really is a combination of the heat of hot water working with the

aluminum taking the oxidization off of

the silver.

What you will need

aluminum foil

hot water

baking soda

How to create the silver bath

*Stop up your sink drain with the stopper.

*Line the sink with a large piece of aluminum foil.

*Place your pieces of silver on the foil,

not letting them touch.

Single layers, please! I tried double decking with layers of aluminum and

silverware but that really didn’t work at all and just wasted the baking soda.

*Add baking soda all over covering the silver pieces

or silverware.

This works best with flat pieces of silver rather than say a gravy boat or a teapot.

Those are still better off using a hot rag with baking soda or silver polish on it and

lightly rubbing away the oxidization.

*Pour boiling water over the baking soda.

The interaction of the foaming soda, the aluminum and

the hot water will foam away the

oxidization for you.

I haven’t cleaned my silver plate in months… These two forks are looking sooo much better!

It’s not a perfect technique but it does the hard work

for you and the bits that are left on ends of some of the

fork tines or in the grooves of the pressed and raised

repousée designs tend to look really pretty with a

little bit of the tarnish left.

😉

Sharing with

Totally Terrific Tuesday ~ The Savvy Apron

Wow Us Wednesday ~ Savvy Southern Style

Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage

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Happy Holidays to you,

Uncategorized

"Here Comes Santa Claus…"

December 6, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

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“Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…”

Last week a friend called and asked if I would like to go

Christmas shopping with her and then out to lunch so off

we went to the

Vista Ridge Mall

in the city of Lewisville.

There we found…

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Santa Claus…

Did you know there are Santa Schools?? In order to be Santa, one must attend. 🙂 This lovely
gentleman began his time as Santa following a visit to a school in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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Even with having finished our decorating

for Christmas at home

I still wasn’t feeling too Christmassy,

until this wonder happened.

A little Christmas magic…

“Santa” and his gentle and genuine love for children

spending just a few minutes with this little girl

making her a holiday crown

and how happy she was upon receiving it

the wonderment on her bright and earnest face

helped make this season

a little brighter.

*<🙂

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In all the hectic craziness of the holiday season

we are often so stressed that we need a reason to remember

why we are doing all of this shopping and decorating

in the first place.

I’d kinda lost my Christmas spirit…

This little girl was finding hers…

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Taking a few moments to stand and watch

your children, your grandchildren or in this case

a stranger’s child meeting someone so beloved and

standing in as a messenger of

Love and Hope

from Above

sometimes is just what is needed.

Capturing her joy and being able to snap a

few photos for her grandmother to send to her parents

was a great gift…

🙂

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{Peggy insisted I get a photo with Santa.}

I took this photo of Peggy visiting with Santa’s Helper and Santa just before our youngster arrived.

She decided not to, however, we all enjoyed this merry time!

Have you visited Santa yet this year??

Are you in need of a little bah humbug removal?

Our view as we came into Vista Ridge Mall ~ a player piano merrily playing holiday tunes!

“Happy Christmas to you!”

😉

Sharing with

Wow Us Wednesday ~ Savvy Southern Style

Thursday Favorite Things ~ Katherine’s Corner

Friendship Friday ~ Create with Joy

Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage

What to Do Weekends ~ Shoestring Elegance

Friday Features ~ Oh, My Heartsie Girl!

No Rules Weekend Blog Party ~ Sincerely, Paula

Friday at the Fire Station ~ A Fireman’s Wife

Sweet Inspiration ~ The Boondock’s Blog

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Stop by and visit with Santa…

that will surely help you get

into the

Christmas spirit!

Uncategorized

Buying a Crystal Chandelier ~ What to Look for

November 15, 2017September 14, 2021 French Ethereal

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

An Evening Stroll through America’s Downton Abbey, Biltmore Estate

November 10, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Today I thought I’d share

Biltmore Estate as the Vanderbilt family

would have seen it

on a lovely fall evening walk…

After photographing the rose garden below

I wandered along this pathway and found this set of

French iron gates leading out to pastures and fields off

to the western side of Biltmore Estate

where the family most likely walked, rode their saddlebreds

and hunted over a century ago now.

There is an equestrian center on site and you can

bring and board your own horse!

Here is the information page.

These gates take you away from the house proper and down along the roadway, over a beautiful fishing stream, then winding down to the lower rose garden and arboretum.

I’m really glad that I arrived late in the day as I was able to capture these views as the sun was going down.

Although for viewing the house and seeing more of the estate

it would have been better to arrive earlier

as viewing the house and full estate one needs really

more than one day for maximum effect.

But, being there late in the day allowed for enjoying the evening light, the Blue Ridge mountains in the distance

and just the cool fall weather found in the hills.

Too, I kept expecting deer to appear out in the fields

and that would have been just a perfect ending to

a day of elaborate and ornate perfect day!

😉

Just a few photos from the rose garden…

Beautiful palest of pinky whites ~ possibly the rose

Winchester Cathedral

as my Winchesters would turn a slight pink as the flowers

matured and especially in the fall.

One of Winchester Cathedral’s parent roses is

Mary Rose

which is a lovely pink so the child rose

can sometimes hint back to its parent.

Lovely!

A view while walking up to the top of the garden.

Actual daylight with no alterations to show plantings any brighter.

Fall plantings of mums and sweet pansies tucked below.

More fall color…

🙂

Rose petals naturally strewn along my path.

Here and below I’ve opened up the lens a bit

to show the glasshouse a bit brighter.

This photograph I deepened the colors a bit

to show the mountains beyond.

This lovely water fountain, too, I’ve opened up the lens

making the picture a little bit grainy.

In the next photographs, the light was deepening

into night…

With the hazy sunlight…

And darkened below to see the mountains and cloud

formations better…

Lovely sitting areas abound in the park…

Lovely mophead hydrangeas displaying

their darkening pink turning to rust

here in the fall…

Here’s a video I made while photographing this day.

I’d love it if you’d leave a comment

or two.

Thank you!

🙂

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qrPEkj5AM&w=320&h=266]

Please visit friends I share with ~

Friday at the Firehouse ~ A Fireman’s Wife

Thursday Favorite Things ~ Katherine’s Corner

What To Do Weekends ~ Shoestring Elegance

Sweet Inspiration ~ The Boondocks Blog

Saturday Sparks ~ Pieced Pastimes

Inspire Me Monday ~ Create with Joy

Over the Moon ~ Marilyn’s Treats

Have a lovely weekend,

Uncategorized

Just a Quick Post ~ Updates from NC Trip

November 6, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Just a quick update…

I was waiting to share a ton of beauty from the lovely

Vanderbilt estate ~ the Biltmore ~ with you which would

include pictures from my phone…

but…

I lost my phone the last night I was in North Carolina

then I searched high and low in the

International High Point Furniture Center

for over an hour asking vendors and suppliers

if they might have found it, to no avail…

🙁

The arboretum at Biltmore Estate and rose gardens.

I had sooo many photographs of rooms and roses

to share with you

but that’s also why even though it’s bulky and heavy

I’ve been bringing my big Canon with me on trips ~

just for this very reason that once in a while

I get klutsy and lose things.

I left my phone one of the restrooms and it was found

but the designer didn’t turn it into Lost and Found

or Security

so a warehouse person at the IHFC now has it and

supposedly

is mailing it to me but it hasn’t arrived yet.

Not sure that it will, sadly…

:-/

Love this pale pink rose! sigh…

Thankfully I had taken all the photographs of the rose

garden with my Canon and I am sharing just a few of those photographs here with you today!

This is Mary Rose, a David Austin rose ~ I had this growing in my last garden at our Big House in California.

Tomorrow I hope to share the rest with you and

take you on a tour of the gardens.

Might even draw out a garden plan for you!

Thinking of my next garden ideas…

😉

Later this week I’ll be sharing an inside tour of

Biltmore Estate.

Truly ahead of its time!

Uncategorized

Life is ~ Becoming Different After 50

October 26, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Becoming more…

Sounds like something odd to write as one who is over 50 years young now, but it is true for me and I feel that perhaps it is true for many of my friends who are also past their Big Birthdays…

Design Bloggers Conference, Beverly Hills, California ~ March 2017 — Listening to Earl Spencer’s talk about his family’s estate and the collaboration of reproducing some of his family’s furnishings to share with the public.

Today’s post is a fun fall link-up with ladies who are all over 50 and things they’d like to share that they’ve learned along the way. You’ll find everyone’s links down below and I hope you’ll visit them all! My blog post started one way and ended up completely different but it’s from the heart…

Happy Birthday, Charlie

Since this is a “birthday week” of sorts perhaps it’s best to go back in time and share a bit from my past. It’s not often I do this as after so many years it was time to let all that go, but it is what was the major shaping factor in my life.

My first fiancé was in a bicycle-vs-auto accident when he was 20 years and 5 months old, training for a triathlon and heading to work as a lifeguard in the Placerville Parks and Recreation District in 1983, and I was a very much in-love 21 years old. I worked two jobs then while going to American River Junior College in Sacramento, California, one as a lifeguard in that same Parks and Rec. Dept. and as a waitress at a Swensen’s Ice Cream Factory. I was beyond devastated when the doctor told his parents and I that Charlie had died, and made it “beyond” only by the grace of God and with the love and caring of the friends we had in a bicycling/running group we were involved with and with love from my family, my best friends, and his family.

But because of this tragedy, I developed an odd fear of failure and a fear of success, anxiety and just lack of feeling that their was no real purpose for my life. What was the point??? I couldn’t see that I would live many, many years into the future and that I would need college for my family’s well being. I take no medicine but I read a lot and apply what I’ve learned, do my own stress relief when needed, and try to eat well and talk things out. 🙂

I continued college though I tacked a different path and studied sports medicine for three years enjoying the program very much. Eventually though, fear of not being able to help student athletes on the field was a factor in my not finishing the program, plus then I married a man whom I fell in-love with. He was loving, stable and a good grounding force in my life ~ my Charles, now 30-plus years strong. I was tired of school and needed a break, so I did. I never really went back though I have taken two accounting and a beginning Int. Design course at UC San Diego.

Our fall garden here in 2017.

The Interior Design certificate program was disbanding at UCSD right then in California in 1994-1995, due to the beginning of the home improvement era with home owners becoming their own designers, so looking into getting a certificate wasn’t an option going forward there. No other schools taught Interior Design that were even close to our home, the closest was the school in Pasadena. My second child, our son, was 5 months old when I took that course… I got an A-.

Sparks to a different life

I had twin loves in college: and 1) studying Physical Education and the idea of teaching PE to children and being an Athletic Trainer was a great goal; women were new in the field in 1985. I was excited to be involved with athletes and loved helping people.

2) Part of me also loved my sewing and Home Economics, so I studied a little bit of this, too, before Charlie’s accident ~ a Creative Clothing and Textiles class taught by a woman who sewed every gorgeous bucleé, silk or linen suit she ever wore to our class, plus a sewing class I had in high school. I took another Home Ec class at that junior college that taught me about organizing the kitchen, but I don’t remember its name. Sparks to a different life…

When I’m not writing

When I’m not getting much writing done, it’s that I’m not good enough part of me kicking in, it’s not that I don’t have things to write about. Putting myself out here to write, share sewing ideas and the like is really tough for me, but I love it!

An English teacher in high school told us once that we would have seven different careers over the course of our lifetime and I’m right on track with that. I also feel that everything you do culminates in a job or jobs that you’ll love best. Those hard times are what shape you, moulding you into the best person that you can be. God uses these hard times for good, though we can never see it as we are going through it… wish we could!

Here’s how it all came around for me: If I hadn’t left UC Santa Cruz to come home to go to a junior college, I wouldn’t have been there when Charlie died. If Charlie hadn’t died, I wouldn’t have married Charles and had two wonderful children who are amazing and are doing amazing things in their lives. If I hadn’t switched to the Physical Education program at CSU Sacramento {my third college, if you are keeping count}, I wouldn’t have known how to help the students in Mrs. Jones’ Special Ed class when we went out to Adaptive PE everyday. If I hadn’t been blessed with a deaf brother, my mother wouldn’t have taught Special Ed and been on the forefront of creating the programs we have today, nor would I have become involved with so many wonderful people with mental and physical challenges. If a friend hadn’t taken a chance and switched from being a Special Ed aide (like myself) and become an airline flight attendant, she wouldn’t have given myself and several others the courage to pursue our own dreams. If my husband hadn’t been out of work this last time for two years, we wouldn’t have moved to Texas and have been blessed with his great job and more new friends where there is a real hometown feeling… and there are open prairies and farms to help me dream and think, to rebuild our lives, to persevere… {hence the opening photograph last fall}

One of the beautiful showrooms I was blessed to visit during High Point Market recently.

Be the Sparkle…

I don’t know where all this is going but I know I’m going to go with it, keep moving forward, keep working towards a dream… When I was 21 and wondering What’s the point?? What I didn’t know then is that Living Life is the Point. I no longer hurt for my old friend but I still think of him around his birthday each year. I’m grateful for the lessons learned and since turning 50 five years ago, I’m grateful to be doing something I love.

Caring about people, doing something you love for work, and giving of yourself and knowing God are important to one’s happiness… This is something I thought of a couple of weeks ago, something I thought I’d share with you; my own quote:

“Life is the love we people our lives with.”

~ Barbara Chapman ~

2017

🙂

A little of what I’ve learned in living a half-century and remembering those we’ve loved.

Linking with
Fantastic Fifty ~ The Boondocks Blog
Friday at the Firehouse ~ A Fireman’s Wife

Here are my blogging friends’
Fantastic Fifty posts, Enjoy!
🙂

An InLinkz Link-up

https://static.inlinkz.com/cs2.js

Uncategorized

Sunday Afternoons and Enjoying a Good Book

October 22, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

One of my absolute favorite things to do

on a quiet weekend is

to sit and read a good book…

Today’s book is by author

Jan Karon

who has written 14-plus books

surrounding the lovely fictional town of

Mitford, North Carolina.

Father Tim Kavanagh is the original main character

and with the past three books

including this one

To Be Where You Are

his adopted son Dooley, DVM

and Dooley’s wife Lace and their

adopted son Jack

have become main characters in good standing.

The series is fun with a warm hometown feeling!

I think you’ll like all of Ms. Karon’s

books, too.

🙂

I have been reading the Mitford series for 20 years now

and I love that the story goes on.

🙂

People, life, family stories, mayoral elections,

births, deaths, a bull named Choo-choo.

Painting and vet life, perspective

the next generation…

To Be Where You Are shares all this and much more.

For anyone who loves a good read, a good cry,

dogs, a little drama but not too much,

and lots of love

all in faith in the One Above.

🙂

A link below is provided in case you’d like

to check out this book.

For my affiliate policy, please click Here.

Sharing with
Dishing It and Digging It ~ Rustic and Refined
Inspire Me Monday ~ Create with Joy
Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage
Thursday Favorite Things ~ Peonies and Orange Blossoms

Happy fall reading!

Uncategorized

My Ideal Dream Garden and Decor…

August 4, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Today I thought I’d dream with

you a little… since end of season

sales are beginning on

home and garden decor…

🙂

I love beautiful garden chairs

benches and tables out in the garden

where one can sit and

put your feet up

on the table’s leg supports…

… and rest awhile.

Out at our pool we often pulled our patio

chairs and table closer over to the pool so we

could visit with whomever was floating

in the water.

On this day it looks like we were working on

laying tile in the house or laying the side yard broken

cement piece pathway.

Etherealness often includes the mundane, the usual

perhaps boring things of life ~ like a long level

to keep things straight and orderly.

Taken on a foggy morning with the pool in need of extra scrubbing. This mallard pair came every late August or September
to eat birdseed and fatten up for the winter. Every spring we worked hard to prep the pool for our own pool use! 😉

Leveling out our lives… Kind of why we

go outdoors in the first place to

bring balance to our hectic lives

with spots to relax

and watch nature unfold

around us.

For this new dream garden

I’d bring in bring in more water features

as the sound of running water is an integral part

of the magic which soothes overtired nerves

and helps promote rest.

An addition of a chaise longue

also out of doors but then brought indoors

during inclement weather and

in the winter months

would be another wonderful

addition to this dream space!

More rose bushes planted along with

evergreens of juniper, boxwood and azaleas

and lilac

then fruit trees and pines

oaks and crepe myrtle

would begin the planting madness.

All of these dreamy pieces of furniture

were found on Wayfair as I went over to

their website just browsing

but then became inspired to pin

every piece which

I would love to have in my

own little garden.

{this is not a sponsored post though that would be fun!}

🙂

Sharing with

Friday at the Firestation ~ A Fireman’s Wife

Friday Favorites ~ Creatively Homemade

Saturday Sparks ~ Pieced Pastimes

What would you pin in

your dream garden?

//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js

Uncategorized

Fun and Funky Clothing ~ Texas Chic at Sassy Pantz!

August 3, 2017June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Since arriving in Texas back in November

I have been noodling how to describe

the style of clothing many women wear here.

It’s different than the capris and a t-shirt

or jeans and a button-up shirt

or even a tank top and cutoffs.

It’s Texas Chic…

Here’s that totally decorated mirror I posted about

in last week’s post about the Fort Worth Stockyards.

I LOVE how it was decorated with

old jewelry brooches and other assorted pins!

Sassy Pantz totally cool barn red display dresser draped with bangles, earrings, and bracelets.

So today I’m sharing all about this totally

Texas Chic shop I found called

Sassy Pantz

located at:

140 East Exchange Ave. Suite 127

Fort Worth, TX 76164

817-624-8188

All the crosses and many of the signs are for sale. Crosses are a big thing all over Texas. 🙂

It’s taking cowboy and cowgirl

up a notch!

I know when I was a horse crazy 10-14 year old

I wore jeans and boots and whatever t-shirt

when I’d go out to ride

because I was going to be mucking out stalls

and getting muddy.

When I was in a horse show and riding

Mr. Trouble or Midnight

I wore a white buttoned down men’s shirt

with a bow tie.

{if I had that picture here I’d show you!}

I would have loved these styles then!

Though I missed growing up with prettier

cowgirl styles back then

I’m glad that they are here to stay now!

Sassy Pantz carries a good selection of boots in work boot and dress styles.

Sassy Pantz carries both women’s and men’s clothing

although I really only noticed the

fashions for women.

I just found the look comfortable ~

pretty and flowing and good with an old favorite

pair of jeans all ripped

faded and sporting holes.

The top photo of the children’s clothing is from

a toy store across the way ~ but the style

shows off the “pretty” of

Texas Chic!

So, I’ve been trying to think how best

to describe this

Texas and maybe Southern Style

of dressing and I guess it’s

more formal but also a relaxed style

very feminine but no nonsense cowgirl

guns and roses

lace and boots

crosses and big silver belt buckles

sexy with leather and sparkles

cowgirl boots and short shorts.

I am loving these belts!!!

Not so many capris here!

I did notice that women my age are wearing

this Texas Chic style.

{Woo hoo!}

The blouses are cut long so they are nice

over leggings and skinny jeans.

It’s also a style with chunky crosses decorated

with buttons

chunky jewelry with copper and turquoise.

Bangles and bracelets

blouses that are tank tops

leather bracelets and Native American

influences…

Of course I picked this tank because of the roses! I wanted to bring this hanging rack home, too.

Here’s the blouse I bought and I’m planning

to wear it under my jean jackets this fall.

I think this blousy tank could also be

paired with a long sleeve t-shirt

for winter and worn with plain leggings

… and boots!

Wouldn’t that be fun?

I’m excited to try it with my jean jacket!

As soon as we get some

real fall weather.

😉

Sassy Pantz’ motto says it all:

“Find out who you are and

do it on purpose.”

Dolly Parton

Check out Sassy Pantz website

online by clicking on the

name either here or above.

Click below for a chance to win a $50

gift certificate from

The Stockyards.

Sharing with

Wow Us Wednesday ~ Savvy Southern Style

Welcome Home Wednesday ~ Five Kids a Dog and a Blog

Vintage Charm ~ Blue Willow House

Friday Features ~ Oh, My Heartsie Girl!

Sweet Inspiration ~ The Boondocks Blog

Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage

Blessings and sparkles

to you,

1. The Texas Pie Company

2. $10 Thriftshop Challenge ~ Chalkware and Silver

3. Inspirational Designers ~ Earl Spencer

4. Spring Gardens and Happy Memories

5. The Beast{s} of WM Farm

6. Crafts to Make ~ A Shabby Chic Glamper

7. Summer Outdoor Blog Hop Party

8. Sweet Inspiring Gardens Nearby

9. Vintage English Candy Boxes

10. Drop-Cloth Slipcover Reveal

11. Favorite Showrooms at High Point Market

12. Setting an Elegant Thanksgiving Table

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What you will need

How to create the silver bath

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Size for your location

Width and Height

Crystal, Glass, Acrylic or Metal?

Why I chose the Saint Mossi chandelier (originally)

A spring chandy update:

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Happy Birthday, Charlie

Sparks to a different life

When I’m not writing

Be the Sparkle…

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It’s taking cowboy and cowgirl

up a notch!

Not so many capris here!

Sassy Pantz’ motto says it all:

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