Random Friday musings and a winner!

First things first, the lucky winner of the 12 monogrammed cocktail napkins from my shop. I used random picker to choose the winner. Congratulations goes to.....

Prize ID	Winner ID	Public Info	Private Info	Random Sorting ID	Weight
1: 1 dozen napkins	1696545	pat kennedy		00C1E68A-88E0-4906-924C-50D2DFBCEDEA	1

Please contact me and tell me which initial you want and I will need your shipping details!





Thankfully the end of another crazy busy week is upon us. I am glad its Friday I will admit.  I have a pretty busy weekend ahead but generally speaking weekends are a little more low key and they are a great excuse to carve out time for relaxation. So a few odds and ends on the homefront and a few fun things going on with my store. I get a lot of questions many which I answer directly. I apologize if yours has gone unacknowledged, it has been really crazy busy lately on several fronts.  A few that I gotten from several people below.....
1. What color is our brick? Believe me I am not trying to ignore your question.... I wish I knew! I used to know, and looked like crazy through my files but cannot find it. Our brick rep was out of the country but now his number is disconnected and someone I know told me she heard he moved back to Italy not that I can blame the guy. So if by some chance I find it I will absolutely post it as at least a dozen have asked but so far, nothing. I am enclosing a few really good close up pics however if you want to try to match it up. It was exactly what we were looking for after looking at hundreds of brick, so I feel your pain. Hope the picture can help in some way.

2. What are my thoughts on marble for kitchen countertops? I have spoken so much on this so don't want to beat a dead horse. Bottom line, its used all over Europe on everything from pizzeria countertops to the eponymous Spanish steps, has been there for hundreds of years and its still standing. I love it and there simply was no second choice for me.  It was white marble or white marble:) Best investment? A great sealer. And common sense of course, no lemon or red wine directly on the marble. From what I am told by several who know, DuPont's Impregnator is the best in the market.It is what we used and so far so good!
3.Where did I get those fun monogrammed clogs?  Many of who you wanted to know where you could buy the adorable monogrammed clogs like the ones I own that I  featured in my post yesterday. The girls email address that I bought them from is staceytara@yahoo.com. She has all kinds of gorgeous clogs like the ones I showed yesterday. Warning they are so comfy all your other shoes will get pushed to the back of the closet!

4. How is Teddy? Got this from several, thanks so much for your concern, its so touching. He is actually doing quite well. His fur is growing back, stitches are closing up, he is having a problem walking on one of his legs so thats getting checked out, its intermittent ever since "the accident" I just pray its nothing serious. Overall though he is doing great and is pretty much back to his normal happy little self!

OK now onto  my post. WARNING, its a very long one. So relax, sit back and take an extra few minutes...........
Got some more beautiful blue and whites to add to my ever growing collection. (husband has now put an embargo against any more coming into this house unless its for a customer)! Do I ever get tired of it you ask? No way! I  love it......so here's a few pieces I experimented with on the only piece of furniture I have in my living room..lol. I also tried the large ginger jars on my hallway console...what do you think? Yah or nay? Love to hear your take. For those of you who didnt' catch my mini Sunday post last weekend about new lighting (sconces) for the stairs, hallway and my powder room....included those as well. 

One side with the flat topped ginger jar and the other with the etched crystal hurricane 

Look at how beautiful all the azaleas are looking in full bloom!

A pretty assortment of blues and whites on my living room chest

Have been in love with this fabric forever, by Scalamandre and how perfect is this color with the rug? I am just nervous about it being too busy with the chinoiserie (Falks Manor)

I am nearly sure I will not use it at least not for this room but hopefully somewhere, it really is an exquisite fabric.

Sconces going up the staircase for those of you who haven't seen

Finally got my own dough bowl...absolutely love it!

My gorgeous bird sconces finally got put up in the powder room, waiting for wallpaper now but just couldn't wait anymore!

Also despite a few minor reservations and fears about its every day wear and tear, I bit the bullet and decided to go with the antique mirror as a top for my island in the closet. It was always my first choice but I was nervous about it on a day to day basis. Now that I have lived with the ever so lovely plyboard,I realized I dont' put much down on it, so I think I will be OK. They just did the templating, my woodguy made the frame to set the glass down in and I cannot wait for it be completed!! Take one last look, this is the last time you are going to see it looking like this:)

And here it is mid way through its little makeover with the newly applied frame (still primed not yet painted) but looking better already! The antiqued marble will get laid down inside the frame....

 One of my favorite things besides monograms, blue and white, fabrics and letterpress (oh and pretty wedding cakes) is trim! Looooove looking, Iam like a baby in a candy shop. So I paid a visit to Clarence House a few weeks ago and man, were their things gorgeous! I forgot how beautiful their trims are!!  I  found trim I would give up eating out for!  You see a hint of my GORGEOUS monogrammed bedding (this deserves a whole post just on this... that will  come later on) but doesn't it look sublime with the trim? I am afraid to even ask the price but boy it sure is pretty!!!!!

Skipping right along......to the store front, got in a new gorgeous batch of my European things...and wanted to hold each and every one of them hostage! But I was a good girl and off they went to their new homes....

Love the dough bowls...

And the large trivet, perfect for serving cheese, fruit and other delectable appetizers....I am most definitely ordering one of these for myself....LOVE!!

And of course the beautiful waxed Spanish olive trays for just about anything, I already own and use these all the time, great for entertaining

And the neat Bavarian bread boards in assorted sizes....

How pretty is this new addition bird tole tray? Love it!

With the charming little matching container....so pretty!

I am partial to anything with birds....except the bird flu:)

Now a forewarning before you proceed-  only you silvermaniacs will "get" this next leg of this post. Its almost like a marathon but a lot less work, lol. And for all the rest of you, you might just write me off. Either way you may just want to sit down...there's a boatload of pictures here. I get ridiculously backflip crazy excited when I get in things I love. Really love. And suffice to say I love beautiful old world looking silver. And this one delivers. I love the line of silver I carry. I got in a ton because I would have to say this is probably overall the line I sell constantly the most of. There are a few close seconds but I do unload a lot of silver. It is so pretty and elegant and old world and I just love it. So enough of my talking, here's the low down........ready set drool! Also please note none of this is for me, its all for orders lest you think I have become a silver hoarder:)

Love this pitcher, fit for royalty!

Its all in the details...

Doubles as  wine/champagne bucket or a gorgeous oversized planter for orchids, hydrangea,etc...

Swoon city!

This is a great tray for a ladies vanity

I have this very tray in my own bathroom

Gorgeous flower bowl......beautiful centerpiece or displayed as a pair

Another top selling planter, I have an orchid planted in mine in my bathroom 

Love this one! I have this too, and put small guest towels rolled up in it....

And from the beautiful line of pewter that I started carrying,  some additional pieces getting added, how exquisite are their things!! Truly heirloom quality.

Heavy pewter tureen with antler handles

Gourd pitcher

Pheasant gravy bowl

Mare and colt salt and pepper

Olive branch oil and vinegar

Ocean gravy boat....incredible detail!

Crab cheese board

Mable the cow sugar and creamer..too cute!

I know it might have taken you a loooong time to get thought his post, but its all so dang pretty I just can't stand it and I get carried away! I am a sucker for anything with crests, emblems, monograms, etc......that beautiful etching/filigree work just makes my knees buckle! Anywho.....think I have taken enough of your time....you know I love to  share whatever it is I am loving! All of this is available online at my little store filled with all the things I love dearly. Click here to visit me. 

Hope you have a fabulous day and an amazing weekend! Be back on Sunday:)