A dinner for old friends.

So another post about a dinner…sorry. NOT much going on here.

Every summer there are about ten families that travel to Cape Cod for a week in Provincetown. We stay right on the beach in the harbor. Every family makes one dinner so the burden isn’t on just a few.

We’ve missed a few summers and for the past two summers I haven’t made a main meal. So I had a dinner at my house to say thank you to all my Cape Cod friends for their delicious dinners.

This past Sunday was the evening and there were fourteen of us. At first I was going to have a large table for ten then a smaller table for four. Well, that didn’t feel right so I went for three tables. It looked like a little restaurant. We have a large dining room with an alcove with windows where we keep a daybed…for the dogs to lay on all day so they can view the world go by and bark, bark, bark!

I brought two tables inside that are usually under the pergola. One I trash picked, an iron table that still had the glass top and four chairs. (what a find) I had to scrape off all the flaking paint and clean it up.

Then I brought in seating I bought in France last April that is soooo way cool and I LOVE! They are all cane, backs and seats. I had to vacuum the pieces, spray with alcohol and clean with Murphy’s oil. Much work. So now we’re into day two, 5:30pm. Sigh…I still had to make the food.

You can see the cane settee, arm and side chairs…Fab aren’t they? I bought them to sell but I’m not sure I am or can!!

All the tables are covered with French linen sheets and I use French monogrammed napkins I found at flea markets in France. Some have white embroidery and others have red. They all have a beautiful red border.

After dinner a few of us were in the kitchen when the smoke detector went off. I thought it was from all the candles…it was a napkin on FIRE!! Karen had put it down on the table right over a tea light. Yikes!!

Luckily someone noticed! When I got in there my friend Joan had covered it with another napkin and then I grabbed them and threw them in the sink… This is what was left of that napkin. I only had five of this style, so now I have an even four!

I have more up close pictures I’ll post later.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Paul’s birthday dinner.

Recently we celebrated my husband Paul’s birthday and had a great dinner. I love to set the table with some of my favorite things.

   

The past 10 yrs or so I have been collecting blue and white transfer ware, I collect the 10″ plates with many different patterns. I don’t usually cover the whole table with a table cloth. This time I used two French linen sheets that I found in Brimfield. I laid two crosswise with a smaller colorful one on top. As you can see by the napkins I don’t iron unless I absolutely have to! This was Paul’s seat at the head of the table of course.

    

Years ago I found this April Cornell tablecloth from a store at the beach. There were two of them left and I stupidly bought just ONE! It’s a square and has a fab fish pattern. (Paul’s a big time fisherman)

I am fortunate that I have many things from my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. The candlesticks (which I LOVE!) and stemware were my grandmothers. The silverware was my mothers. She had twelve place settings but gave three to one of my sisters to complete HER set of twelve (she had the same pattern obviously). So I have nine. Which I am very lucky to have!

My newest obsession is these white confit pots from France. I LOVE them. So when I’m flea marketing over there I snatch them up.

     TULIPS!

   

I found this glass and pewter carafe at the Porte de Vanves flea market this past August. It looks beautiful filled with red wine. I didn’t take any pictures of the food.  I served short beef ribs with mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli and salad. Very simple.

I wanted to include this photo of the nook we have at one end of the dining room. We have a daybed in front of the windows where two of the dogs (German Shepards)  spend most of the day. You can see them laying there. They love looking out the windows.

We ended the evening with a few cigars……That’s a Cupid and Venus pitcher.

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Traveling France, flea markets and Brimfield, MA

In late March I went on a buying trip to the South of France without my sister Amy. We ALWAYS go TOGETHER twice a year and always find such fabulous treasures. This year, Amy couldn’t go. She was sick or something!! Anyway, our kids babysitter Janet, from ages ago,  joined me in Paris, then headed South with me on my treasure hunting. Another story there!

And last week I went to Brimfield, MA for the week of antique flea markets. I usually go by myself but this trip my friend Diana went with me. She couldn’t believe how much there was to see and buy!!!

On both trips we found so many beautiful kick ass treasures. French antique books, apothecary jars, monogrammed linens, silver knives, many pictures, Old Paris Porcelain, enamelware, and much more. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Here are a few pictures of our treasures from both France and Brimfield. I’ll be listing all these items in my Etsy shop in the days to come.

                

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Paris just around the corner…

A week from today, I head to Paris to meet up with my sister Amy. I was checking out my photos…you know, the ones I uploaded constantly from my blackberry. I was reliving our whole trip, and these are some of the highlights … I was reading  ‘THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE’           ….stayed in an apartment instead of a hotel in the Le Marias, our favorite area of Paris now. The apartment is on the fourth floor with no elevators and fabulous.    …I ate foire grois 5 times because I knew what it was on the menu, and it was prepared differently each time, and every one was delicious!…went to the Paris Maison et Objet where we found THE most fantastic lamp shades and Italian linens…hooked up with our favorite Parisian Cherub Jean-Pierre, he makes me laugh and laugh, and is so full of knowledge of all things French    …ate crepes, well I did, Amy didn’t  …giggled like little kids over sexy venetian goblets we found in a Paris warehouse … I bought a FABULOUS watch that I love, a great addition to my wrist don’t you think? Well, Luanne doesn’t agree 😉 but what does she know??? ;)…   …went to the Porte des Vanves flea market for the first time and found these fabulous blue enamel house numbers...happened upon the big protest march, which affected the metro, not as many were running this day, so were so full we couldn’t get on…so on we walked…  …headed South on the train to hit some flea markets and brocantes, and we found some beautiful earthenware bowls … hung out in Uzes, our fave medieval city, definitely our comfort zone  and of course, the cowboy boots as always…I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE driving around France…laughed stupidly with Amala…and drank so much coffee….I think at LEAST 5 a day  at sidewalk cafes all over, another fave pastime, except going to the flea markets and eating …sooooooo, I’m not at all ready, but I now have a NOOK COLOR, the better to fix the uploaded pics from my blackberry onto this blog. (and I’ll have a bigger screen for facebook!!!) ….AND my book for the plane is the third book to ‘The Girl…’ series, that I’ve been waiting to come out in paperback, but hasn’t…..so it’s on my new NOOK…’The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest’…..I can’t wait to read it……better get movin, groovin, schmoozin…

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first ever….”Best of Gay Philly” Antiques Store…..inaugural issue of GPHILLY

I’m soooooo pumped! Two Cherubs Antiques has been named a winner in the first-ever ‘Best of Gay Philly’ feature in the inaugural issue of GPHILLY–Philadelphia Magazine’s new brand focused on the lives and lifestyles of Philadelphia’s LGBT community….for Antiques Shop. We’re located in Collingswood, NJ, which is just 10 minutes from Center City Philadelphia. Collingswood is on the Gaydar in this issue also….We are listed in this section also…way coooool!…..Thanks GPHILLY…………..I had to take pics of the pics in the mag…sorry for the lack of clarity.

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Romantic Homes contest to win linen duvet….

Romantic Homes has a contest where you send in a photo of a room in your house and you have the opportunity to win a yummy linen duvet. So I submitted this photo of our new bedroom, with a view into our new bathroom.

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Italian…Yes…Italian Table Linens found at the Paris Maison et Objet

 

We found these yummy linens at the Paris Maison et Objet and couldnt resist. We are but a few shops that carry them. Arte Pura linens are 100% linen and have that time worn feel we love.

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My two days at the New York Gift Show

Well, I made it to the gift show this past weekend. Even though I was by myself, I had a great time. I headed over to the Javits on Saturday, thinking I’d spend most of my day there, but there were only two sections open….what the heck??

This forced me to head down to the Piers. I never go, so I was going into the unknown. Well, Pier 92 was nothing but JUNK!!! So I headed on over to Pier 94 to look for treasures. I found more than I wanted….pillows, bamboo floor mats, and stuff…just what I need right. Here’s a few of the pillows. I forgot to take pics of everything, shoot!

So, Saturday night I met up with Mr. Bill, Paul’s uncle, for dinner. We ate at the neighborhood Turkish restaurant. It was delicious and I ate almost everything and was feeling WAY full. Good thing I was walking to the hotel.

Well, it was quite a walk. I started at 45th and 9th, headed up to 50th, then all the way over to the East Side of Madison. Woah! The backpack was gettin’ heavy. ….I started to look up as I was heading down 50th and realized I was just down from Times Square.

Then I look up, I’m looking down alot because of the snow, and see Radio City…cool, then Rockefeller Plaza and the ice skating at night….I NEVER get over this way. Too bad I was by myself and had been walking ALL DAY…I was ready for the hotel…that is a whole other story!!

On Sunday, I headed back over to the Javits and hit the booths. There is a whole lot of yuk out there. But I did find some gems for the shop, but forgot the pics AGAIN! I did get one of this F A B U L O U S  bag…check it out. I won’t get it in til May…bummer.

After all that shopping and walking, I walked to Penn Station to try and catch an early train. It was in ‘final boarding’ as I walked in, I kid you not! I missed it….dang…So, I got some Pizza and waited 2-1/2 hrs.

THEN, on the train ride home, the train stops in the middle of two stops…the brake tube has a hole and we can’t go anywhere. We had to wait for another train to bring the mechanic to replace the tube. We almost had to get on another train..that would have been fun ya???

The lady sitting next to me was funny and witty and nutty. So it wasn’t so bad…soo odd…I was standing next to her in Penn Station…she was singing to her friend, while waiting for the track to be called…then noticed me…noticed that she had liked my necklaces on the bus to the Piers the day before…I was wearing the same ones…well, right then they called the track and off I went. Then I noticed she sat next to me on the train. What are the odds, mmm??

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FABULOUS NEW ‘ITALIAN LINENS’ we found at the Maison Objet in Paris

Fabulous Linens finally in...we found them at the Maison Objet in Paris

Linen table runner with beautiful edge detail

Linen table runners

We found these beautiful tableou linens from an ‘Italian’ Company when we were at the Maison Objet in Paris. They are 100% linen with kickin’ edge band details. Soooooo beautiful.

They have a great hand and weight to them. We have several nutty neutral colors along with an old lime color that’s rockin’! Truly gorgeous. The runners are 15.5″ wide x 66″ long, and 15.6″ wide x 86″ long. We also have several beeeutiful table cloths with the ass-kickin’ edge detail!

As you can see in the pics, the linen slip cover for the chair is truly outstanding. It expands to fit different size chairs. Those are not in stock and must be ordered, but as it’s just a skip and a jump across the waters, the lead time is veeeeery short!

We almost lost these lovelies. They were in ‘clearance delay’ in Cincinnati all around and around the Christmas Holiday. I didn’t realize they needed lots of information from me…..NEVER contacted me and customs can only hold lovely things for 10 days. I found this out on Wednesday evening, and the 10 days were up on Friday 5:30 pm, just around happy hour!!… AND they wanted the invoice in English. Well, the Italian company was closed til the 9th of Jan. Needless to say, I had ajida for two days until it was resolved. And we are MOST happy with them. YA! YA! Ya!

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New Photos of Store

Check out the iron candle garland over table....found at the Paris Home & Gift Show

I couldn’t pass this one up….Paris flea market

I’ve moved the store around again…New things from our latest trip moving front stage.

View with the 10' vineyard table with earthenware and 200 year old mantle in background

French Yellow Duck Confit Pots from Carpentras, France

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