Zurich, Switzerland

Hey everyone,

I was reading on someone's blog recently (I'm sorry, I can't remember which one...toss this up to old age HA) about Zurich, Switzerland and it reminded me of the time husband was there on business and I had the opportunity to go with him. We were there for a little over a week and while he was in meetings I was able to do a bit of shopping and sightseeing.  We stayed at the Hotel Montana which was about a 15 minutes walk from the hotel to the the main train station. From there you were only a couple blocks from Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich's main downtown shopping area. It was beautiful!

Hotel Montana 

The restaurant in the Hotel...I had the best Creme Brulee I've ever had here!

Trains running down the middle of the street

Bahnhofstrasse

We went in November so the weather wasn't as nice as it could have been but not bad.  I wore a cape and was plenty warm.  There was a lot of excitement near our hotel during the day and into the night while we were there.  When looking outside our room window, I noticed a lot of people getting in and out of cars and standing on the corner and then the same car coming back around in a couple of minutes to pick them up.  Very, very, busy...humm...so busy I started wondering what was going on.  It seems Zurich had just legalized marijuana and this was the PLACE to be if you wanted any! HA  The fact that we were near the University may have had something to do with all the "visitors". Our waitress told us that they had just "cleaned up the area" and it was considered safe.  I didn't feel threatened at all.  Besides, it was a small price to pay for being so close to the main Bahnhofstrasse.

For more information on Zurich's downtown city, check out the video below.

 

 This was a wonderful experience and I was so glad that I was able to go. My only regret was that I didn't take any pictures of this area. It was really beautiful!

European Lighting

I adore French and Italian Lighting, it is my favorite design style.  Lighting can dramatically change the entire looks of a room.  Not only do they have some beautiful antique but reproductions are available as well.  With such a variety to choose from, it is hard to decide which one too select.  (I'd like both sconces and chandeliers in all the rooms in my house.  LOL)  I found some beautiful examples of French and Italian sconces and chandeliers any one of which I would use in a heartbeat.  I especially love to see chandeliers above bath tubs, it gives baths a spa feeling and who doesn't like a bath that is like a retreat that we can go to at the end of a hectic day...sigh.  What do you think?

Reproduction ~ Crystal Sconces
Image via ~ Oldplank.com

Image via~ Bellacor.com

French Chandelier
Image via ~ Bellacor.com

Vintage Eglomise Sconces ~ Italy
Image via ~ Oldplank.com
These are gorgeous!

Antiqued French Mirrored Sconce - Electric
Image via ~ oldplank.com
I like this one too!

French Chandelier
Image via ~ venicetoparis.com

French Antique Bronze Chandelier w/Amethyst Crystal drops
Image via ~ Alhambraantiques.com

French Beaded Ecclesiastical Chandelier
Image via ~ alhambraantiques.com
This is a real beauty!

French Antique Opaline Glass Chandelier
Image via ~ alhambraantiques.com

Pair Italian Antique Painted Tole Flower Bouquet Sconces
Image via ~ alhambraantiques.com
Sweet!

Which one is your favorite?  Would you put a chandelier in your bath?

Inspiration Boards

You can tell a lot about a person by what inspires them... what colors they are attracted to, photos, postcards, letters, scraps of fabric, paint swatches.  The boards themselves are inspiring and I've seen some very creative ways in which to display what you love too.  There are so many to choose from including online boards that you can create from websites like Pinterest, Google, and Tumbir or ones you make your self.  I am a very visual person and like to look at my inspiration hanging in the room where I do most of my work.  I've found some inspiration boards that I thought were very creative and pretty too!  Take a peek!

Image via Goggle ~ snaptheconference.com

Here is an example of an online wedding board
Image via Google ~ projectwedding.com

Image via ~ acottageindustry.typepad.com

I'm a bird lover so I found this inspiration board appealing to me...back to nature.
Image via blogdelanine.blogspot.com

Image via rhballard.blogspot.com via Paris Apartment
Appealing to all the artists out there.

A more modern look
Image via http://londonreidblog.com

Image via Pinterest ~ Originally Pinned by Ashley Sherfy

Image via Pinterest~ Originally Pinned by Wendy Casey Gueh

Image via Pinterest ~ Originally Pinned by Martina Crowe-Hew

 Rachel of Shabby French For Me 's Inspiration Board (shown below) is who gave me the idea to create my own.   Thanks for being my inspiration Rachel! I'm sure I will be adding more items throughout the coming year.

Beautiful Pastels ~ Very Lovely
Image via Rachel at Shabby French For Me  (Here)


Not only do these boards awaken our creativity but they also visually inspire us and tell the story about the people who created them.  Do you have a favorite?  Have you created one for yourself?  What would  yours look like?

Single Nester Giveaway ~ I Won

Hi Everyone,


Around Easter, Carmie of the blog, Single Nester, (Here) had a giveaway that I won.  Honestly, I can't really believe it.  I'm not a "lucky" person at all and when I DO win I am stunned!  Anyway,  she was giving away this lovely cream crinkly infinity scarf.  It is so pretty!  Thank you again, Carmie!

In order to enter you had to leave a comment under her blog post on the giveaway about your favorite Easter/Passover memory and then you had to write a blog post about it.  So as promised this is what I wrote about in a longer version:


Growing up Easter and Thanksgiving were my favorite holidays and as my favorite seasons go, I am definitely a spring and autumn girl.  Funny how the seasons correspond with the holidays...Easter in the spring and Thanksgiving in autumn.  Anyway, I couldn't wait for Easter because with Easter came spring and oh how I loved the smell of the grass, and the beautiful dark green color.  I loved walking barefoot on it because it felt like a thick carpet squished between my toes.


Where we grew up, the month of April would bring some very lovely warm and sunny days and if Easter fell towards the end of the month we would sometimes already be going barefoot.(I know, hard to believe)  Easter Sunday was pretty special to us because not only did we get colored eggs and a basket of candy (the usual i.e. jelly beans, peeps, (they made me sick) a cadbury egg and a large hollow Easter bunny) but we went to church dressed in our Easter finery!  It wasn't an easy feat for my Mom getting five children ready for church (later that number would grow to nine) but my Mom somehow managed to round us up and march us into the bathroom.  


When I was in the third grade (and I don't know why this Easter particularly sticks in my mind) my mother made our Easter dresses.  She usually made a lot of our clothes as she was a wonderful seamstress. That year our dresses would be an a-line shape and made of linen (think 1959 or 1960).  My sister's dress would be a greenish blue, and mine a lighter shade of blue, both were short sleeved.  She purchased us a pair of those cute little socks with lace around the top of the sock and some dressy Easter shoes. We didn't wear an Easter hat because we always made our own. In the spring, we had these bushes around the front of our house that had lovely little clusters of white flowers on them that grew on thin branches.   She told us to cut the branches long enough so that they would lay in an arch around the top of our heads which she bobby pinned across the top of our hair.  I have to tell you, that my sister and I thought we were the "cat's meow"!


Imagine if you will five little "cotton tops" (we all had snow white hair), three girls, dressed in the dresses my mom made, and two boys, dressed in freshly ironed white starched long sleeved shirts with bow ties marching into church filling up almost a full pew, mom and dad included!


Not an easy thing to accomplish on a Sunday morning after we had just eaten enough Easter candy to make us all fidgety and giddy. I just remember that in spite of a challenging budget and more children than I can personally imagine trying to manage, my Mom always got us to the Church on time and dressed as fashionably as possible during those early years of our lives.  My Mom passed away several years ago and I don't ever remember thanking her for that Easter memory.  So, I want to thank you Mom...thank you so much not only for my special Easter memory but for all the memories!

M~E~R~C~I~

For a while now, I have been wanting to paint some French words in wooden letters. I thought I'd start by using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color Coco.  I have to tell you that this is a gorgeous color...sort of a grey/taupe color.  So, I painted two coats of the ANCP in Coco

Wooden letters

Then, I let it dry throughly (which did not take any time) before taking a dry brush and using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.  (I forgot to take pictures of the Old White)  Using just a small amount of the Old White on the tips of the brush and wiping it off some before brushing onto the letters to give it a two tone look.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ~ Coco

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ~Coco With Dry Brush Old White over it.

I sanded with a 0000 sanding block and used ASCP clear wax over the top to shine it and...V~O~I~L~A

Finished with Annie Sloan Clear Wax

I finished the backs by painting two coats of ASCP and gave them a quick sand then applied wax to the back to finish them. I added metal picture hooks to hang them with. I love the way they turned out and that gave me the idea to do a series of French words in the wooden letters.

Painted Letters and hangers on Back

Antibbes Green

Provence

Versaille

Above are some colors in ASCP that I have ordered to use on this series.  I already have the Old White, Old Violet, French Grey and Coco that I can use to change the finishes on them. So, stay tuned for others as I complete them.

What do you think?

Some Of My Favorite Things

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Holiday. Today, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things.  Sometimes it's the small things that bring a smile to my face, things I already have that I've rearranged or items that I have stored away that I bring out that seem new to me.  I'm not a photographer, but I did take a few photos of things that I love and that can make a simple but large statement when decorating a room or shelf.

Vanilla Candles ~ The sweet angel a gift from husband from Europe many years ago.

Ceramic Shell on a cigar box covered with music paper

Pale blue shabby chic frame with a photo of Coco Chanel  (I'm the figure snapping the photo in the background HA)

Grey/blue metal letters spelling Paris From Lisa at Burlap and Bees http://www.burlapandbees.com/

Ornament with antique fabrics from ~ Jo Farmer at Eliza's Interiors (http://www.eliza-interiors-and-design.com/) and En Suite sachet from ~ Sasha Smith of My French Dream (http://www.sachasmith.co.uk/default.aspx), silver hearts from ~ Kathy at Vintageweave (http://www.vintageweave.com/store/) purchased several years ago, and a framable photo also from Sacha of My French Dream  

Antique Mother-Of-Pearl buttons

German Glass glitter Paris sign since turned mottled grey/blue and glassware

Textiles ~ My Favorite

And a selection of some of my favorite books!

Most of these items didn't come with an expensive price tag and they don't have to because they all speak to my soul. Some are handmade, some a bit worn and a bit frayed, but most importantly these items are very much loved.  How about you?  What are your favorite things?

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone! I've brought you some lovely ranunculus to celebrate Easter. Aren't they gorgeous?  The reason I thought of flowers was because we aren't kids anymore right? And we don't believe in the Easter bunny anymore?  Or do we?

Image via Google ~  iappreciatethat.com

Humm...I don't think I'm ready to stop belivin' in the Easter bunny yet.  Look at these cuties, how can you disappoint them by not belivin'?  I just can't do it!  Sigh...

Image via Google ~ sodahead.com

So, I'm pulling out all the stops...are you listening my little peeps?  Are you ready to pig out on some candy?

Image via Google ~ funnycutepics.com

So grab a handful of gourmet jelly beans.  I love them all!!

Image via Google ~ dulcedesignscandy.com

And who doesn't love peeps? (They come in different colors now...not like when I was little and all you could buy was yellow ones)

Image via Google ~ sodahead.com

I've saved the best for last...the Godiva chocolate bunny. Are you feeling sick yet? (I use to get pretty nauseous Easter morning eating all that candy)

Image via ~ Godiva.com

I hope I haven't made you sick? Because I would hate to think you and I would come away from our Easter baskets looking like this!

Image via Google ~ corbisimages.com

Have a Happy and blessed Easter!  I still believe in the Easter Bunny because I think there's a bit of a kid in all of us.  See you next week!