March Madness of Different Kind

I seem to have created a March Madness of my own, not the one referring to the NCAA men's basketball championship that seems to take over my house the month of March each year! It seems as if spring brings out the shopaholic in me, this year being the lure of French antiques.  I stumbled upon an online French Brocante which for someone working out of her home a great deal of time, and being nearby a computer all day, can be very dangerous. :)

Corey Amaro, of Tongue and Cheek Antiques offers unique pieces each week "with a little bit of everything for those who like it French."

Here are some of the fabulous finds I have purchased from her this month:

 antique French skeleton keys

 silver tarnished calling card trays

 vintage laundry tags (i love things with letters and numbers)

antique bone handled flatware (9 sets) 

French linen dish towels

nineteenth century transferware serving bowl

antique monogrammed linens (doesn't matter that they are not my initials ~ I love monograms!)

This item, I thought about too long and was gone in the blink of an eye...

...an antique French award. I have a fascination of farm animals, even though my husband says I would not last a day on a farm, it is fun to think about living the simple life...or not so simple, as it may be.  I have recently been visiting farms and sketching animals, who do not seem to want to pose for me! .... but that is another story of its own.

 cuties from Asheville Farm

Now that the month is almost over, coming in like a lion and going out like one, it looks as if April is bringing on a new obsession, of another French kind, this being that of Astier de Villate.  Their beautiful ceramic pieces, handmade in Paris, are hand-crafted from black terra cotta with a milky white glaze. I love the imperfection of each piece. I just placed my order for a few new pieces to start my collection. 

I can't wait to add tulips and peonies to this lovely.

And I am sure everything will taste better on these luscious plates.

I still can't decide which style of dinner plate.

and I think this will be my next purchase.  What is better than fresh, spring flowers in a beautiful pitcher? 

I will let you know when I have set my table using all my new finds.

French antique photos by Corey Amaro

Astier de Villate photos by Sue Fisher King

(the wonderful candy box at the top was lost in transit, but Corey graciously refunded my money. Fingers crossed it will show up somewhere, someday!)

Your Presence is Key

I had so much fun designing and constructing this save the date.  The bride and groom were engaged in Europe and wanted the announcement to reflect their style and set the tone for their upcoming wedding.  The bride said her motto was "the harder to read, the better!"

... although I do hope it is somewhat legible since I addressed all the envelopes in the same script!

The save the date is printed on fine Italian paper, with a skelton key from France tied on with a hand-dyed silk ribbon in French Roast.

I love this ribbon and the little hand-dyed cards attached to each roll, showing the color.  These are a few colors I currently have in the shop and seem to be the trend at the moment. Chocolate, eggplant, plum, mossy green and steel blue/grey have been the most requested colors I have had this year.

I am thrilled the bride loved her announcements! She said, "I couldn't have asked for anything better!"  Does that mean I met the requirement of the more unreadable the better? :)

I look forward to working with her to create her formal invitations!

Real Wedding: Blair & Joseph

As I was cleaning out some files, I found these gorgeous photographs from a client's wedding I designed invitations for a few years back.  Since winter is almost over and I cannot post current invitations I am working on for the spring, as they have not all been sent out to their guests yet, I thought I would post this beautiful winter wedding today.

I am not sure who designed her wedding gown and veil, but it has to be one of my most favorite ever! I just love the exquisite detail and style.

The bride's mother wanted a very traditional, classic calligraphic script, engraved in black ink with the family crest embossed at the top of the invitation.

Blair's sister got married six months later and wanted the same style and design.

It was a pleasure to work with such lovely sisters, and their mother, again.

I have been working with some really fun scripts and designs that I will soon be able to post.  Spring is just around the corner now ... I hope!

invitations ~ a fine line

photography ~ missy mclamb photographers

Most gratefully yours~

calligraphy by Bernard Maisner

I have been so touched by the emails, comments on this blog, phone calls, cards, flowers and gifts I have received from family, friends, clients both past and present.  I hope I have thanked you each personally, but if not, I want you to know how much your kindness has meant to me during this time of loss.  I think everyone close to me knew what Gigi meant to me and what a huge hole this has left in my heart.  It warms my heart, though, to think of all the wonderful people who have reached out to let me know you care.  I am so blessed to have such amazing people who are, and have been, a part of my life.  I am most grateful for you all.

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving

for my friends, the old and the new.

~Ralph Waldon Emerson

~ A Beautiful Day ~

You never know what each day will bring.

  

This morning started off with some unexpected, and delightful, mail!

Dearest Noel Solomon, over at Fanciful Designs, sent me the most amazing dark chocolate orange peel sticks from Laduree!  Her card enclosed said "We don't need an occasion".  How sweet and thoughtful is that?  We had just talked about how they were our favorite last week.  I had these gorgeous lavender sweet peas, that also came this morning ... and I will tell you about below, that I had to throw into the photo since they looked so gorgeous with the Laduree box and bag. 

I have eaten almost half of the wonderful chocolates already!  Thank you, Noel!!! You are beautiful person, inside and out.

 Then FedEx arrived with a huge box of flowers that I had ordered for a photo shoot this weekend.  My shop was to be featured in a magazine and I had the interview scheduled this week.  To make a long story short, I had an unexpected medical emergency and was at the hospital when the interview was to take place.  I will be fine, after a week or so, I hope! ... but the magazine could not do the interview a day later.  I decided not to cancel the flowers, as I always have flowers on my desk, in my studio and in my shop.  I love being surrounded by the beauty of flowers. They inspire as I work. 

You will be seeing more of these flowers as I decided to take the opportunity to update my website and hopefully be better at keeping up with my blog.

The lighting was not very good for these photo, but is a sneak peek at some of what I ordered. I am going to arrange them in vintage containers, ink wells, and other unique containers this weekend.  I think they all have that charming, romantic, vintage feel that complements the scripts and art I do for my clients.

ranunculus

  garden roses

sweet peas

antique hydrangeas and tulips

... and last, but certainly not least, an amazing painted flourished piece my dear friend Heather Held sent to me earlier this week. Heather also sent beautiful flowers to us when Ginger died. She is an amazing person and truly one of the most thoughtful and generous people I have ever met.  Thank you, Heather!

oh...and on top of all that I completed three commisions that I will share with you later and we finally have sunshine after 2 months of clouds, snow and rain. 

What a beautiful day it has been and a great way to start the weekend!

I hope your weekend will be as lovely.

How beautiful a day can be

When kindness touches it!

~ George Elliston

Ginger ~ our Gigi

April 22, 1996 ~ January 23, 2010

her last photo

Christmas Eve 2009



If it should be...



If it should be that I grow frail and weak,

and pain should keep me from my sleep,

then you must do what must be done,

for we know this last battle can't be won.



You will be sad, I understand,

but don't let grief then stay your hand,

for this day, more than the rest,

your love and friendship must stand the test.



We've had so many happy years,

what is to come can hold no fears.

Would you want me to suffer? So,

when the time comes, please let me go.



Take me where my needs they'll tend,

only stay with me until the end,

and hold me firm and speak to me,

until my eyes no longer see.



It is a kindness that you do to me,

although my tail it's last has waved,

from pain and suffering I have been saved.



Do not grieve, it should be you,

who must decide this thing to do.

We've been so close, we two these years,

Don't let your heart hold any tears.



               ~Author unknown



We miss her so much.

Happy New Year and a Wish come true!

Happy New Year! ... better late than never.  I seem to be getting off to a slow start but have made lots of resolutions which I will share bit by bit.  The first day of the year brought with it a totally unexpected surprise!  I have entered quite a few blog giveaways and most I could either take or leave and enter just for fun, but this one, I really wanted to win!!!  I have never won anything in my life, that I can think of.  Yes, I have been blessed with many things, but never the luck of the draw.

The amazing Noel Solomon, at Fanciful Designs, had a giveaway with the winner being annouced New Year's Day.  I thought I would look, just for fun, to see who won.  Never in a million years did I think it would be me!! 

Being a calligrapher and having more tea in my house than food, this was a prize I truly wanted!



Last week, my little treasures arrived, beautifully packaged as I would expect coming from Noel, who makes everything so much more exquisite. 

 The giveaway gift came from Tail of the Yak in San Francisco.

The owner, Lauren McIntosh, has been a favorite of mine for a long time. She is an amazing artist and has a line of designs in a stationery line I carry at my stationery shop ~ A Fine Line.

I love the flourishing on the calendar!

While the tea block of art is much too special and unique to drink, it looks fabulous in my kitchen sitting among my tea cups and pots.

Noel wrote to me:

May the tea always be there to fill your cup

and may the calendar remind you every day how beautiful life is!

Thank you, Noel, for bringing so much beauty into my life this past year!

Photos by Noel Solomon ~ Fanciful Designs