Jane’s House

The following is an excerpt from my article for our local paper, The Leaf Chronicle.   In the article promised I’d post pictures of Jane’s house on my blog, but I wanted to get this posted before I leave for church (several of my fellow parishioners are kind enough to read my article).  I’ll be visiting Jane’s house this afternoon and will add the pictures then.

I have a friend whom I think has an enormous amount of talent in many arenas.  Many of you know her as the owner and chief in the kitchen of Lovin’ Spoonful Café on University.  As near as I can tell, she knows most of the population here in Clarksville—natives, anyway!  What I wanted to share here, however, is her incredible talent as a decorator.  I wandered through her house the other night (yes, she was there) and marveled at her unique style and her ability to pull together a collection of livable items she and her husband enjoy and find completely comfortable.

They live in a wonderful 1940’s Cape Cod bungalow, yet she has decorated it with her flair and love for all things from the 1960s and kitschy.  She told me the other night, not realizing at the time that I would be making her the subject of this article, “I’ve gotten rid of the things I don’t love and replaced them with things I do.”  And it shows throughout their lovely home.
She has decorated one of her guest bedrooms with a wonderful 1960’s bed with the attached bookcase and nightstands.  She has a pair of swag pendant lights hanging over each nightstand.

She just recently purchased a wonderful green sofa that looks as though she grabbed it from the Dick Van Dyke show!  The facing chairs are newer construction, but have the retro lines which make them work with her sofa. There are elements of bamboo in almost every room, my favorite being the bar she purchased at Traditions a few years ago.

If you’ve been to the Café, you’ve experienced her affinity for paint-by-numbers.  There are hints of the collection throughout the house, but she displays the majority of them at the restaurant.  A collection of items like these misfits of the art world are wonderful expression of appreciation for the time people take to create.    Jane has a definite appreciation for creativity.
She has made nearly every curtain hanging in the house.  Her passion for fabric is off the charts!

Not even her love of wallpaper—and she l-o-v-e-s wallpaper—is stronger than her need to incorporate the right fabrics into her design mix.

She has a delightful array of bark cloth beauties throughout the house—curtains, shower curtains and chair cushions have been fashioned from vintage or reproductions fabrics she is able to sniff-out at flea markets, antique and fabric stores.  The graphic impacts of these fabrics bring her pleasure and complete the story of Jane’s House.
That’s what I’m talking about.  Being true to yourself—defining your own style.  I’ll repost part of this article, along with pictures of Jane’s house, on my blog, so please visit and leave your comments!  I’d love to hear about how you’ve defined your own style. 

Thanks for your indulgence.

a valentine bistro

tablescape thursday.

it’s a little early, but not for retail. i’ve already set the valentine table for the shop. it’s subtly suggestive of valentine’s day—not overtly.

a table for two.

set with the plates from comptoir de famille—a charger from the mary carol collection.

a petite fondue set in the center for dessert.

plates at the ready for the fondue and coffee.

another angle on the table . . .

the tablecloth is actually a throw.

the linen blend napkins are a generous 20x20 in size.

note the cute tomato salt and pepper.

love this la brasserie flatware.

so there you have my bistro table set for two.

i've set-up a new site where you can buy many of the items I feature on my blog. if you're interested click here.

thanks for your indulgence.

home again, home again

jiggidy, jig!

we’re back from the market and what a time we had!   as usual, we stayed with my cousin and had a wonderful time catching-up with her.

the highlight of this market trip, however, was spending some quality alone time with my husband.  since his return from iraq in nov, 2009, we’ve only had one night {alone} together.  we had some great meals, spent long hours together and visited with dear friends and family.  he was so supportive and helpful throughout the regular ordeal of the market, i  wouldn’t trade his company for anything else!  plus, he actually spotted a few items we made add to our inventory in the coming year. 

now, for the purpose of the weekend . . . shopping!

it took a while for me to get in the shopping groove—too much fun thursday night, meant a slow start on friday.  guess what?  the market and all of the vendors were still there and we were able to accomplish all four floors of the temporary vendors in bldg 3.  here are a couple things I found:

baby gifts:

crocheted wire jewelry:

saints:

 

velvet pumpkins:

I found a few potential vendors for handbags, but I’m not sure I should move back into that market.  this is a cute little carry-all (slightly larger than a wallet—hold cards, phone, change and more)your thoughts?

 

 

I only wrote a few orders.  I’ve already ordered Christmas décor for 2011.  You’re not going to believe the beautiful new collection from Midwest—Seasons of Canon Falls!

Unless you’ve been to one of these markets, you can’t imagine how overwhelming this event can be.  The pictures about show just one of the thousands of vignettes which assault the senses while at market.  The folks are the best of the best when it comes to design and display.  It takes days to come down.

So rather than write a bunch of impulse orders--I decided I want to reflect on all I saw.

In addition to the gift and personal items, I found some bed linens, accent furniture, throw pillows and large furnishings (sofas, dining chairs and more).

What are your thoughts?  What are you looking for?  Especially if you are in Clarksville—I’d like to hear from you.  What do you wish you could find at Hodgepodge?

It would be helpful . . .

Thanks for your indulgence!

A Market First

Coolness!  I’m on my way to the Americasmart in Atlanta—yet I’m typing on my laptop!  Usually, this is a solo trip.  Ever since we opened ARTifacts Emporium, my sister Kendall has been unable to join me for these trips.  So, for the past three years I get to Atlanta in time to visit with my cousin, Stacy, awhile—then I hit the sack to prepare for my big day.

This time, I have company!  My husband agreed to join me.  I asked him to go with me to the market last July, but we were in a bit of an upheaval then.  He had just decided he was going to submit his paperwork for retirement and was working 17- 18 hour days as the S3 for an Attack Aviation unit.  Plus, he couldn’t, in good conscience ask for four days off as his unit was preparing fo r the training mission that would take them to Ft. Irwin, CA—especially since planning those sorts of operations was his job.

To bring you up-to speed—paperwork has been filed, retirement ceremony is complete and he’s in job searching mode.  We haven’t had time away together since his return from Iraq (Nov 2009).  So, at the diner table the other night I say, “I think Dad should go with me to Atlanta.” 

He immediately protests, “I can’t go—I have to find a job.” 

I was ready.  I hit him with, “Your job searching consists of sitting in front of the computer, perusing websites for job opportunities, submitting online resumes and cover letters.  All of that can be done in Atlanta—they have internet there, too.”  (We’re kind of snobs about Clarksville, TN—it is hard to believe other cities have such amenities, but they do!)

That’s why I am sitting here typing my blog!  I LOVE having my driver with me—and he’s good looking, too.

I think I was inspired to try again after reading my friend Tanya’s blog the other day.  She talked about taking a day trip with her husband—how they reconnected and all that good stuff.  I’m hoping for some of the same stuff, but this is a working trip, too.

So here’s a list of some of the things I’m looking for:  throw pillows, bedding, light fixtures, baby gifts, occasional furniture and   . . . oh, I’m sure it will come to me when I see it.

I am anxious to see how we do together—shopping for 10 – 12 hours a day has never been high on our “to do” list, but I think it’ll be fun.  I’ll let you know!

Thanks for your indulgence.

what to do with 2011

A new year—full of possibilities!  I can’t even figure-out what to post on my blog.  Ever had one of those—okay, three of those weeks?  So I ventured into blogland for some inspiration.

I’ve felt kind of funky since my folks and sister, brother-in-law and their kids returned to Virginia.  I don’t know if it’s the lack of anything really big to plan for or look forward to (ie.: Christmas) or what, but I need to shake it. 

So, after finding a few blogs where folks are posting their “to do” lists, I’ve decided that I need to do the same.  (Perhaps making a list of potential projects will help me feel motivated.)  One blog author in particular decided to post her list on the sidebar, so she could see it every time she sat down to work on her blog.  If I can figure out how—I’ll do the same.

As I started brainstorming, I realized I can’t fit everything into one compartment.  I’ve got to break my Grand List into several mini lists.  I’ve got personal goals; goals for my household; and, goals for my business.  So, here goes . . .

household goals:

1.  finish our bedroom (Since our fire nearly a year ago, we’ve put the room back together, but I haven’t added the final touches.  I need to do that.)

2.  finish my creative space (I referenced “my space” in this post.  We finally cleared-out some of the stuff and moved-in my new work desk and shelves.  I need to add a heater, chair and a few other items.  I hope to make this my area to create.)

3.  the kitchen  (I just added a new chalkboard surface to outside of our pantry door—love it!  Still looking forward to some new appliances and countertops, but feel sure this will carry-over into 2012/13.  Still, I had to put it on the list.)

4.  H3’s room  (She wants to paint it.  We finally relented and allowed her to trade-in her gorgeous antique twin beds we purchased in Germany for a “big girl bed”—her words, not mine.  Now she has a an antique iron bed, full size.  I probably need to replace the curtains, too.)

5.  Speaking of curtains—the living room curtains need to be replaced.  The curtains we have came back from the cleaners about four inches too short.  This was after the fire—they cleaned everything!  Unfortunately, they laundered the dry clean only curtains.  It’s one of those things I just didn’t have the energy to follow-up on.  There may still be time—I should call our adjuster—she was wonderful!

6.  Back to the kitchen (While killing time in between H3 on the beam and her floor exercise, I was perusing home décor magazines and I had an epiphany!  I’ve noticed on many occasions that I haven’t made optimal use of my kitchen cabinets.  They are pretty much arranged in the same manner in which they landed while unpacking our household goods nearly 9 years ago.  Perhaps I should do some evaluating and rearranging.  If I do, I may be able to justify eliminating the current spice cabinet and junk drawers in order to make room for the  gourmet gas range I’m dreaming of.)

 

hodgepodge goals:

1. All I want for my shop is to be successful.  (My definition of success: to be able to help provide for the family.)

personal goals:

1.  see my goal for hodgepodge  ( I take it very personally.)

2.  to be the wife my husband deserves

3.  to be the mom my kids deserve

4.  to be the daughter my parents deserve

5.  to be the sister my sisters deserve

6.  to be the friend my friends deserve

7.  to be the faithful servant my God deserves

(Not necessarily in that order.)

So there you have it.  If I am able to accomplish the list above, 2011 will be a great year!  I’m thinking I need to start at the bottom and the rest will be cake . . .

Thanks for your indulgence!