2nd TIME AROUND TUESDAY: WELCOME TO MY THRIFT/ANTIQUE STORE!! GIVE~AWAY WINNER!!

Good morning...well actually, almost afternoon. I have been so busy but I really wanted to participate in 2nd Time Around Tuesday. I finally figured out a way where I could show all of you some of the things I have been collecting on my thrifting excursions over the past month. I am so excited to hear what you think so...this is my first time doing 2nd Time Around and I'd like you to visit Diane here to see what goodies she has to offer today and to visit all the other participants that want to show off theirs!! Later in my post I will tell you the winner of the Pay~It ~Forward give~away that I have been posting about.

Above is a partial view of my den, or The Antique Store, as everyone in my family is calling it. These are part of all of my recent finds and now I have to find a place to put all of it. ;-D

I think I have mentioned that my house is very old with very small rooms. We have no formal dining room. My den is not used very often as we have a living room and family room. I just keep all of my books in here, an old grandfather clock and an expensive settee and chair that I won't let anyone sit on. So in this corner I am planning to put in some sort of display cabinet for dishes etc., or a hutch and cabinet. We'll see. I have been too busy to look! I am showing only a few things, so if you want to enlarge, you might see more.

The compote on the right I ordered from Lidy at French Garden House. Her website is fabulous and she has an equally fabulous blog~visit her! The two sets of salt and pepper shakers I just picked up this weekend at an antique mall in Niles, Michigan, when we were up at the lake house. The smaller set has no markings, but the larger set, which is very heavy (maybe real silver?) is marked Henley, Oneida Community Ltd. I just love both sets and paid $3.50 each!

This is a chair, a lone chair I bought at a thrift store in a suburb here. It is sturdy and is perfect as is. I think I will use it on my bedroom balcony or front porch at the lake house; maybe put a planter of flowers on it or a stack of good magazines and books for guests. Maybe use it to hold a tray of iced tea or lemonade and glasses. The possibilities are endless and if anyone has any other ideas, let me know (so far those are the only three things I can think of!!! On the chair I have a pretty scalloped table runner and something else that is weird. I should have taken a better picture of it so I could get some feedback from you ladies. I thought it was a table runner, but the lady told me it was a cover for pillows, that it is to be draped over the pillows on your bed to keep them dust free. Hmmmm... It's pretty; cotton with a decorative circle crocheted in the middle and at the ends. But I never heard of such a thing! I will wash it and see how it looks. I also have a yellow pitcher which I think is rather new. By the way, the chair was $20.00.

This is some china I found at an antique store in Chicago a few blocks away. If I find three more tea cups and saucers, I will have place settings for four. The marking is Wedgewood, Made In England, Of Etruria & Barlaston. Got me!! It is pretty and I will probably use it in a tablescape so I didn't take any detailed pictures. I do love it a lot though.

Here I have a nice, heavy tea set and tray, but no markings. It could use a little polishing but I don't think it is very old.

I found this plate just recently and I treasure anything that has to do with Monticello because I want to visit there someday soon so badly. The back says, Old English Staffordshire Ware, England, Imported For Brown's Gift Shop And Monticello Craft House, Charlottsville, Va.

Ooops, I guess you can read this yourself if you click to enlarge! :-D

Here is the first piece of Old Britain Castles that I want to complete a set of. I found three of these bread plates, so that is a start! They were $2.50 a plate. I can't tell you how pleased I was when I found these!!

And finally, an ironstone tea or coffee set that I found for $20.00. It looks to be new and I am so impressed with all the details. Don't you like the lids on the sugar bowl and pot?

Finally, I have the winner of the Pay~It~Forward. I received a several little gifts from Lisa at Another Day Today, who had also won gifts. She contacted me as her winner and now I had to find a winner of my gift. Since I don't know how to work that Random numbers thing, I added up all the bloggers who left comments on the three posts I wrote during the give~away. The Husband picked a random number and that number was....Bo from Blinks 'N Winks From Brown Eyes ! So, Bo will receive a gift from me and then she will do the give~away! Fun!!!

Thanks for visiting me today and for looking at some of my goodies. I hope you have a great day (It is 65 degrees and beautifully sunny here in Chicago!!!) and I will be visiting all of you soon!

xoxo

Jane

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY: SPRINGTIME IN CHICAGO & LAST DAY FOR GIVE~AWAY!!

Happy Outdoor Wednesday! I am happy I am not outside today; it is pouring rain and a little chilly. But the grass is emerald green and the trees are now leafy canopies hanging over the sidewalks and streets. Luckily, I took some pictures about two weeks ago when my bulb garden was in bloom. These pictures are of a bed along the back fence in my backyard. I actually planted new bulbs last year after The Husband cleaned out the bed and "cleaned out" all of my spring bulbs ("How was I supposed to know what they were?"). Grrrr.... I wasn't able to save anything so last year I just picked up some tulip & daffodil bulbs on sale and started digging like crazy. This Fall I will add some more color.

Once these have died off, I will fill in with some annuals and there will also be some perennials coming up. I'm also thinking of clearing some space for some flowering shrubs. My problem is that by mid~summer my backyard is shrouded by our huge, old Black Walnut trees. I really have to watch that whatever I plant is shade loving.

So, I have my work cut out for me once this rain stops. I also have an herb garden, a vegetable garden a flower bed along the patio and of course 10,000 pots and planters! Oh, and don't forget, I have 3X the amount of gardening to do at the lake!! But happily, I love it!! :-D

My church is three blocks away so I took a walk there last week because there is always something beautiful blooming. This is along the west side of the church near the rectory. It is so pleasant and serene to sit on one of these benches in front of the Blessed Virgin to reflect, pray, daydream or just breathe in the fragrant air.

Isn't she beautiful?

I wish you could smell these!!

Isn't this little angel precious. I just love statues, especially angels and fairies.

She blends in so perfectly....

Whoa....back to reality! I mentioned a few weeks ago I had the chance to meet a fellow blogger who came to Chicago with her sweet husband on a business trip. Well, this is Christine from Christine's Travel And Home Adventures and her husband John. I took the train downtown, cabbed over to The Husbands office, picked him up and then went to meet Christine and John at their hotel. We had dinner at a little place The Husband found, West Side Tavern and it was really good. Generally I am the one to pick restaurants but he really seemed to want to play "tour guide" on this night! We just had so much fun! You can easily guess that I felt I had known Christine forever~but not just from blogging. I think we have such personalities that we just clicked right away. For example, if The Husband and John had decided to.... who knows, go off and catch a movie or play, Christine and i would have found a multitude of things to do and keep us happily occupied together for hours! She is just so sweet and smart and pretty~look at that hair. You can find more pictures of our wonderful dinner, which by the way was also a celebration of her and John's birthdays, by clicking on her blog. And by the way, we are definitely going to meet up again! ;-D

Finally, I want to mention the Pay~It~Forward Giveaway that I won a few weeks ago from Lisa at Another Day Today. She sent me some wonderful gifts that I posted last week and it is now my turn to Pay It Forward. So anyone that commented on my posts as of last Monday (Blue Monday) through and including today, has a chance to win a gift from me! So today is the last day to leave a comment. If you have commented on all my posts since 5/4, your name will be thrown in that many times. I am hopeful I can announce the winner on Monday but we are going to the lake to work, work, work, but I will try really hard to get something out Sunday night or Monday morning. Good Luck everyone!!

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are! I think I am going to make a big mug of tea and curl up with Milo & Layla and a good book while that rain works it's magic on my little part of the world!! Visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer and give her a big hug for all her hard work hosting Outdoor Wednesday every week! You will find a list of everyone else joining in and try to visit them too, even if it takes all week!

xoxo

Jane

THREE OR MORE TUESDAY: PRETTY, PRETTY DRESSES!!

May 2nd was Abigail's Senior Prom and I thought I would share all the pictures I took for Three Or More Tuesday, under the guise that you will be seeing three or more pictures of dresses, of Abby, of her friends... you know what I mean. It's fitting! Visit Tam at The Gypys's Corner to see more of Three Or More Tuesday posts. Give Tam a hug while you are there for hosting today's event!
Are these not the prettiest girls and dresses? Abby is the 3rd from the right in yellow. This was her first formal dance. She has been one of those lucky girls that has been to all the dances since junior high, but this was the big event, no mini~dresses in sight! These girls were loving there formal gowns and later you will see the guys trying to get comfortable in tuxes! I really love all the different colors and styles. It must say a lot about the girl's personality; why one would pick a full skirt over slim, taffeta over silk...

Abby posed at home before her date arrived. We had a beautiful sunny day in the seventies! Yeah, Chicago!!

The back of her dress just floored me. She actually found the dress by herself, one day out after she and I had unsuccessfully looked together. When she came home and tried it on I nearly cried, she looked so beautiful. Can you make out all of the beading and sparkles on the straps and bodice? And of course, her biggest accessory~her Jamaican tan (our graduation present to her!).

This is her boyfriend, Dylan. They have been going out over three years. He is just the sweetest guy.

As you can see, our little French girl gets her very French looks from her very French father! Someday when you meet Emily, you will see where she gets her fair, German features!

We went to the home where all the kid's were meeting to take pictures together before they took a bus downtown to the dance (at the Marriot~Chicago). We were late for group shots but I got a few of Abby and her friends. BFF: Meg, Shannon, Abby. Wow, look at the different shades of yellow, all fabulous!

BBBFF: Lauren & Abby

As pretty going as they are coming!

Isn't this dress stunning? Look at Anne's teeny waist!! She is going to be Abby's college roommate this Fall.

This is a picture of Abby with all of her grammar schoolmates that were at this home.

And one last one.

After the dinner they all went to a chalet in Indiana on Lake Michigan. It was warm and they had a bonfire on the beach and stayed up all night... oh, to be young again! Before she left, Papa came over for pictures. He hugged her and said "Now listen up, young lady! This is the time of your life!" I truly hope she was listening. ;-D

xoxo

Jane

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY: WEDDING CHINA (SORT OF)

It is Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at Between Naps On The Porch. Visit Susan to see her pretty tablescape this week and then visit all the other gals participating. We all love your comments!

I call this my wedding china, sort of, because The Husband and I did not have a real traditional wedding. As he had been widowed, we decided on having a small wedding at an elegant hotel in Chicago with about sixty guests. I had a small wedding shower with family and friends, and another with all the girls from work, but I did not have a registry. And I didn't care!! I was blissfully in love!

About two years into our marriage, The Husband was out and about on errands when he called me and asked me if I would like a set of china. I was a tad confused and he then explained that he had stopped at an estate sale and there was a beautiful set of china there and he described it over the phone. He said, "It really looks like something you would like, Jane." So I said yes. And so this is what I call my wedding china. I could not have picked out anything more perfect myself. The sweetest thing was, he told me about the chat he had with the girl at the sale. It was her mothers house and the mother was going into a nursing home. The daughter had no need for the dishes herself, but remembered so many holidays and special occasions when the china was used and how her mother took such pride in the set. She said her mother would be so pleased that it was going to become a part of another family's lives. And it has! I cherish it. I have place settings for twelve, assorted serving platters and bowls, a gravy boat, sugar and creamer. The Husband paid $100.00!!!

Today I decorated the table in a pink, tiny floral mode. I have bleeding hearts growing like crazy in a small wooded garden in my yard and I snipped a few of those. When my girls were young they used to delight in these little flowers, wanting me to make them into little necklaces!

I also cut these little white flowers that grow in low mounds and re~bloom a couple of times over the summer. I can't remember their name. I have them in the creamer of my antique tea service. In the background you can see these little pots with grass and rosebuds in them. I fell in love with them at the grocery store this week and they were only $2.99. The hardest part was choosing the ones I liked best!

I have pillar candles in the berry bowls. But before you gasp, I lined the bottoms of the bowls with a round of parchment paper to protect them. They really are the perfect size for a pillar candle and I have yet to use them for berries!!

My place mats and napkins are from Carson Pirie Scot, which I believe is quite like Belk's in the South. I have a beautiful tablecloth I like to use with these dishes but my cleaning ladies might have mixed it up with pillows or sheets and I was in a hurry!! I think the ivory looks nice, but maybe not with the rustic look of my table. Oh well...

A close up of the pattern. I am using the vintage flatware again, but different patterns this time.

I really love the flowers against the creamy background.

And here is the marking on the back.

A pretty view with Blondie teetering on a chair overhead! :-D

You can see the little rosebud pots better from this angle.

It looks like I took this last picture in the evening but actually a big thunderstorm swept in and the sky turned ominous. I was too busy having fun to listen for tornado warnings!

I hope you enjoyed my wedding china!! Isn't that husband of mine quite a shopper? Maybe next week I will show you something I bought myself!!

xoxo

Jane

THREE OR MORE TUESDAY: GIFTS, GIFTS, GIFTS & A GIVE~AWAY!!

Today is Three or More Tuesday hosted by Tam at The Gypsy's Corner. Visit Tam to see a list of all the participants. This is such a fun way to show off anything that you have three or more of. Today my theme is gifts. I have been stockpiling them!! But I want to give credit where credit is due and show off just how lucky I am! The bracelet above is one of my favorites. I bought it a year ago before I had an invasive biopsy and it worked!! Onward!

I received this array of gifts from Lisa at Another Day Today. Don't you love the name of her blog? It reminds me of the Mary Engelbreit painting "No matter where you go, there you are!". Ha Ha! I won this in her Pay It Forward give~away and I will explain further down how this works and how you can win a gift from moi!! She sent an original photograph in black and white of water trickling down a wall. She took this at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia. It came already matted and now I am going to look for a frame. I love it and someday when she is a famous photographer, I can say I knew her when! She also sent a real sandollar and I even had to ask The Husband if it truly was real because I have never seen one. It has real fossilization on it that is just awesome. Obviously, we do not have sandollars here in the Great Plains so I am thrilled to have this. She also sent a Southern Accents magazine which could not have come at a better time because I am so in love with the style and the food of all things Southern since my trip to the South last month. I had to laugh a few months ago when my Domino Magazine subscription was replaced with Southern Living. I thought, "Don't they know there is a Midwest Living?", but now I'm really enjoying it because I don't think it matters where you are from to admire other locales. Lisa also sent a Yankee candle, some teabags tied up so pretty and some hand stamped tags. She also hand stamped the pretty bag it all came in! Thank you so much, Lisa. Make it a point to visit her, she is fun and creative and a really sweet soul!

Now I couldn't help but slip in some gifts I bought myself when in Charleston. :-D I happened to mosey in to a shop called Pierre Deux. My purse and I immediately said to ourselves, "We are in the wrong place!". But oh, the fun we had! Eye candy everywhere. Very French! I wonder if toile is as big in France as we are making it out to be. It is everywhere I look. And as much as I love it, I won't get in to anything that is going to be a trend. That's just me. Anyway, I purchased these two books and although I have only had a chance to flip through them, I know they will provide hours of fun!! They were making great coffee table books until they actually started to become coasters for coffee so now I have relegated them to the den (where no one is allowed except me and there is no sitting on the furniture whatsoever!). You can visit the website of this store, I have a catalog and so far the only thing I can afford is a pretty set of pewter salt and pepper shakers! LOL!!

I took a picture of the cover of this book but forgot to download it. It is called Very Charleston and it is an illustrated guide and very informative book. I just love illustrated books and this is just so much fun to look at and a nice keepsake of my trip.

These two cookbooks are great. Party Receipts is written by the Charleston Junior League and these types of cookbooks are really a testament to what "real" people are serving, in this case, the refined Southern ladies of Charleston! I can't wait to try some of these recipes out. The second book looks a little difficult as it calls for some items I don't usually have on hand; sweet milk, lard, ham hocks, crappie fillets and for their Chili Sauce: 22 large tomatoes!! :-) I will give some of these recipes a try although I am sure my arteries will be clogging before I take my first bite!

And here I have some really cute note cards that I won in a give~away by Kathleen Ellis . These are the creation of Fifi from Fifi Flowers, a talented artist and designer that many of you blogging ladies know. I love her work. If I could paint like this I think that is all I would do all day long. "Happy" is how I describe her works, and very "Frenchy!". Kathleen interviewed Fifi in one of her post and you should read it. Fifi had a wonderful and interesting journey to where she is now. A fascinating lady!

These are some beautiful gifts that Christine from Christines Home and Travel Adventures bought for me from the Crate & Barrel here in Chicago when she was visiting last week. We actually got to meet and have dinner together along with our husbands. I wanted to include pictures we took but alas, The Husband took our laptop on a business trip to Las Vegas and that is where all my pictures are stored. And hey, isn't Las Vegas a little over the top for a business trip? And it isn't like all day meetings, he entertains clients while there! He said to me last night, "Next year wives may be allowed." I nearly went through the ceiling! Allowed? ALLOWED??? Oh, how close I was to booking myself a room at the Bellagio and spending days in the spa or at the pool, waving to him from my penthouse room. Allowed my arse!!! Anyway I will do a separate post on my visit with Christine. If you'd like to see some pictures, you can go to her blog, she has already posted. She is such an interesting and intelligent lady, not to mention absolutely gorgeous looking!

Finally (almost), I want to mention a lovely gift from Karen Harvey Cox from A Notebook Of Inspiration. I forgot to take a picture so I will include that in another post. Karen is a lovely artist with a wonderful blog and you must visit her.

And in ending I want to mention the Pay It Forward give~away. When you leave a comment on my blog, your name will be entered in the give~away. I will remind you of this is my next three posts. Then I will draw a name and you will receive a gift from me. You then will have to "Pay It Forward" in the same fashion. Sort of like a chain letter! LOL! So starting today you have a chance of winning! Mention it to your blog friends, I love new visitors!

I hope you love my gifts as much as I do. I am indeed lucky!!

xoxo

Jane

READING LIST

I am joining Susan and some other bloggers in the Spring Reading Challenge 2009. This runs from March 20, 2009 through June 20, 2009. I am a little late in joining so I have kept my list short. I have also kept it narrowed down to books that I sometimes like to call "beach reads", because they are pretty easy to zip through. Lately my world is upside down with all I have to do to ready the lake house for summer and to start all my gardening here at home. Lots of time outside, but not to relax~yet. So here is my list:

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Armin

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis

Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons

Wish me luck! I have had my nose in magazines for months for two reasons: I am inherently lazy and it is much easier to skim through a magazine and call it a night and I took advantage of many of the magazines subscriptions that were like 90% off the newsstand price, one perk the recession brought about. I never lack reading material, even if it's printed on a glossy page!

If you are interested in joining the challenge or just want to see what others are reading and how they are doing in their challenge, click the icon at the top of my post. This should be fun. Hope more of you join! Thank you Susan!

xoxo

Jane