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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Traveling in the South of France.

In August I was in France with my sister and one of my best friends. After staying in Paris for a few days we headed south. We pick up our car in Avignon and off we go.

We love finding small cemeteries along the way. The iron doors are always open so we go in and take a peek. A few photos for you to see why we love them.

They are old and worn and beautiful.

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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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Traveling France…treasures found

I never know what I will find or what will catch my eye when we set out on one of our buying trips. That’s what’s so exciting about my work and trips to France. I see so many beautiful things and have to leave so much behind…merde!!

I am very much drawn to lithographs, black and white scenes of all subjects. And if there is a bit of wear, so much the better.

We found this 19th century lovely at the Porte de Vanves flea market in Paris. There were two, but one found a home. I LOVE this one and am so tempted to put it in my new master bath. It would be perfect. It has a worn gilt frame that would go quite well with my grandmother’s fanciful gilt mirror I have above the sink don’t you think?

It would go on another wall of course, but you get the idea…aye..I still need to have the skirt made for the sink, I have a beautiful silk fabric with a French blue and goldish thin stripe ready for Gate.

I love ANYTHING with sheep…this one we found in Barjac from Lulu, he’s from Marsailles and is so very persuasive. It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but he has a way of talking me into things…double merde!! I will have to tell the story of our trip to Marsaille to meet with him another time.

I think it would be lovely in my living room if I had the space…

…that’s my friend Diana. I’ll have to showcase her home soon. I love everything about it…

      

These last two we found at a flea market in Carpentras, in the South of France. I quite love the two, and the bit of French dirt on each…I think I could find a spot or two for them too. But I won’t, I enjoy lovely pieces finding their way into someones home. …Now the first one way above, that just might have to make it to my home. mmmm!

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The ‘Traveling Boots’…on the move around France

A few years ago, on one of our buying trips to France, I started taking pictures of my COWBOY BOOTS  for fun. I really don’t know how it happened. I guess I could ask my friend Diana, she was there when it all started.

            

I wear cowboy boots because they are STYLIN’ … hahaha!! … I can wear them all day at the flea markets and fairs…and there’s that Texas thing! I now have four pairs and I’m always on the look out for more. I’d really like a pair with red cactus on them, or Our Lady of Guadalupe with a bit of chartreuse, but we’re talkin’ custom.

    

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Traveling France…in the Savoie and the French Alps and antique dealers

As you know, on our latest buying trip in April, we headed to Savoie, located in the Rhone-Alpes region in the French Alps. We took the train from Paris to Lyon, then by car went on our way. We stayed in a Chateau near Saint Pierre de Bigney, near Chambery, that was cool, cool, cool! I posted pics on an earlier post. I was on the hunt for more French antique earthenware and hoping to meet with a few dealers that I connected with by letter.

My good friend Jean-Pierre suggested this detour and translated my letters to the dealers, which I then mailed from my home town. You know, more official looking :)…Well, I was very lucky and met a few really nice dealers, Violet and her son Matthew in Aix les Bains, and Francois from Montagnole.

They had great, great treasures and it was like candy for me.  If you’re a collector, you can imagine how I felt…the more the better. I think I bought about 70 pots. Really?????? ya! 70 pots and iron stuff, and cupboard doors and metal hardware…I was in heaven AND had the French Alps in the background.

You might have already seen some of these pictures on Facebook, you know I can’t help myself there. But if not, take a look.

Beautiful French antique earthenware jugs. I usually find yellow, so these are great.

 

 

Francois' outdoor collection of earthenware for us to choose from, much more not in the picture. French iron angels French iron angels Fabulous green earthenware pitchers from the early 1900's Fantastic iron wall sconces with mirrors and crystals

 

 

 

 

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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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Spring flowers in a little French piece of beauty….found in flea markets across France

Silver urn found in Paris holding a few tulips

Just a few tulips add a bit of color in clear glass bottles found in Barjac...those fab cherub candlesticks we found in Carpentras

My favorite French yellow earthenware with..yes, tulips again....YUM!

Pitcher, from Carpentras sits atop a bistro table we found in Barjac

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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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Springtime in Paris…theme of the Philadelphia Flower Show

  The Fabulous vignettes from Award Winning Florist Michael Bruce at the ‘Springtime in Paris’ flower show in Philadelphia. Michael won ‘Best Achievement’ and no wonder. His SHADOW ART is awesome and crazy. It captures the feeling completely. The shadows show movement ….and the bath girl….Brigitte Bardot yes???

Michael used a few pieces from the shop…a 200 yr old, First Empire (French Napoleon I) zinc tub for ‘the Salon’ scene from Paris, the 7′ birdcage c1920, we found in Montpellier, sweet gilt table with marble top is French ‘Napoleon III’ from a Paris warehouse, and the oil cloth bags are new from a French company just in this month.

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