Cottages and Chandeliers

My group of decorating buddies are all pretty much into chandeliers, shabby chic and roses and beautiful rooms for our homes. I put a beautiful chandelier in my dining area in our scaled down home and, personally, I think it faaaabbbulous, dahling. I love elegance even though my home is far from elegant. It's a "last home I'll ever live in" house!

But this little jewel of a cottage is just that - a tiny cottage with a loft for a bedroom. And although you cannot see it, the bedroom is behind those posts in the loft and the bathtub is actually in the bedroom.

Notice the elegant chandelier hanging over the table. The home itself is one big room and really quite small but it shows the true "shabby chic" elements. Elegance mixed with old stuff. The sofa the lady owns is actually painted. She didn't like the colors of the print on the sofa so she painted them! It looks beautiful and you can just glimpse a tiny bit of the sofa behind the buffet on the left. And the top picture is the actual living room. See the sofa she painted!

I love this tiny cottage.

Hubby Modeling My Newest Apron!

Okay, so he ain't the hunk that Rhea's hubby is but he's MY hunk! LOL. I asked Jack to model this apron I made on thursday and he was more than happy to do it. NOT!! But being the sweetie he is (and asking me to not get his face in it - I'm guessing that's because his former Marine buddies might recognize him.) - I complied with his wishes.

This one is made of Ralph Lauren strawberries and is a break from my usual shabby chic and roses kind but it's a cute fabric and I like it.

But I have to give hubby a hand........he handles it quite well and isn't suffering any trauma today from the photo shoot. Hah!!!

Filbert St. on Telegraph Hill

How would you like to traverse these steps every time you went grocery stopping or had something to be delivered to your house?! Yes, these are actually steps to little cottages in SF. It's a lush area of overgrown of honeysuckle, fuchsia, overgrown ivy, ferns, trees and wild flowers. Just quiet and lush. BUT each resident has to walk up and down these steps every single time they leave their house. It looks so serene living there.

Pink SF House

I love this house, don't you?! It almost looks like it should be in the south but it is in San Francisco. And those gardens?!?! Wonderful. Wisteria on the right and all that lush foliage. Just serene. Looks like a flowering cherry tree in the middle. Just a totally relaxing spot to relax and meditate. It's a "pink painted lady" for sure.

The Front Porch

The front porch is an American "invention" or idea. I don't think it is established anywhere else in the world, but certainly started and adapted to the American way of life.

I think most of us think of the front porch pretty much like the one in the picture above - cozy, lots of wicker or wrought iron with cushions or, at least, comfy furniture. Sipping a glass of lemonade on a hot summer afternoon. Maybe sandwiches or cookies on a plate. Then we'd certainly have the requisite flowers adorning the area. Perhaps geraniums, wisteria, climbing roses. Most likely there would be white posts and columns with a colored ceiling or floor. Maybe your dog or cat lazing around. Aaaaah, I can picture it now. Pillows and throws on chairs or settees along with a favorite book. If you're very lucky you'd have a porch swing to rock back and forth on while lazing on during this warm afternoon.

Front porches can be different things to different people, but to all of us it is just a nostalgic part of our lives growning up . Mine now happens to have a concrete floor but I do have railings and a beautiful birdhouse chime hanging out there. I have a red wood bench that will probably get another coat of paint soon - maybe white. I have 2 adirondack chairs, an outdoor rug and some pictures hanging on a wall. There are a couple of urns filled with (oh, horrors!) silk hydrangeas in them. (That way they can stay out all year round and still add a bit of color in this dry and cold climate in the winter desert.) I even have a little plaque hanging on the wall out there that says "I only count the sunny days." All in all, it is a peaceful area and a reminder of the great American invention called "The Front Porch."

It also "calls" to passersby who wave and say "hi" to us when we are out there. The front porch seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur in some areas but I believe it is coming back. That way perhaps it'll bring a little graciousness and civility into our lives once more as families and friends and soon-to-be-friends congregate there.

Happy Front Porching!! :-)