Some Changes & Additions

 It's a balancing act when it comes to deciding which treasures you are willing to part with and which you want to keep for yourself...

Remember these large planters I found intending to use them at the shop?  Well in the end we decided not to use them so I picked them up last week and brought them home.  I thought I'd try them in my entryway.

They actually fill in the wide expanse in front of the door nicely and raise the boxwood balls so they appear more prominent from the street.

It makes the front entrance a bit grander yet still feel cozy.

 I plan to paint the bamboo rod and medallions black and hem the striped panels so they fall neatly behind the planters.

What do you think?

Last week while out hunting for new treasures for the shop I almost walked into this beauty that sent my heart a pitter pattering!

 Of course I snapped it right up!  The price was right.  Sure the mirror is missing along with one of the hooks but just look how lovely it is!

My partner Jordan helped me pick it up and when he brought it into the house and set it down I knew immediately that it would be staying!

 It fit like a charm.  It was meant to be!

When I bought it I had every intention to sell it... but seriously how could I possibly?

 Here is the view looking towards the hallway and powder room.  I love how it's narrow profile juts out just enough to be captured in the mirrored french doors.

 This is the view looking through the living room, past the bar, towards the dining room.

  

Here we are looking into the living room which is directly off the formal entry.

  

I know it's past the season for straw hats but I've been longing for a spot to display some of my faves such as the black striped one I won from the French Basketeer on Karena's giveaway a few months ago!

 You know in a way the shop has been very good for me as it's motivated me to take stock of the treasures I've collected over the years.  I've been going through the various rooms in my house swapping things out.

So, stay tuned, there are more changes to come!

 

Blast From The Past - San Francisco 1940

 Arrived in Oakland a few hours ago and finally we're on our way to San Francisco.
We paid 25 cents at the Toll Plaza to enter this wonderful bridge that was opened four years ago. It took me awhile to get used to the traffic.
 

The Oakland Bay Bridge

 The bridge has two decks. The top deck is for automobiles and the bottom deck for trucks and electric trains. You can see the tracks at left. The trains are run by the Key System and Southern Pacific. They can take you all over the East Bay to wonderful places like Neptune Beach in Alameda.

  The Yerba Buena Tunnel

 We have just passed through the Yerba Buena Tunnel and can finally see San Francisco in the distance. Notice that the traffic has thinned out. Many of the cars got off the bridge at the island to go to the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island . The fair opened last year and will close for good later in 1940. I'm going to try and go there.
Right now we're heading for the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill for cocktails. It's a great place to see San Francisco ...

 

   Top Of The Mark

Isn't this a great view of San Francisco ? We're at the lounge called the Top of the Mark. The Mark Hopkins Hotel is one of the city's great hotels.
The Russ Building , by the bridge tower, is the biggest office building on the Pacific Coast . It's 31 stories high.
Near the Ferry Building is the Produce District made up of small beautiful, old brick buildings. You can go there early in the morning and watch the grocers come in to pick out all kinds of vegetables.

 Chinatown

After leaving the Mark we walked down California to Grant Avenue . Here is San Francisco's world famous Chinatown . There are wonderful shops and the best Chinese food anywhere... and so reasonable. You can get a large bowl of pork noodles for 35 cents.
Do you see the Shriner's Flags at the top of the picture? They are having a convention in San Francisco . There is a Shriner's Hospitals for Crippled Children on Nineteenth Avenue . It provides treatment for many children every year without charge.
Every New Years Day the famous Shrine East West football game is held in Kezar Stadium.

Flower Stands on Powell

After leaving Chinatown we walked down to Powell Street . Around Geary Street there are wonderful flower stands.
 San Francisco is sure a different place. 

The Cable Cars

We're at Powell and Market where the cable cars get turned around to go to Fisherman's Wharf. There is a great cafeteria just a few feet from the turntable. It's called Clinton's and I hear the food is great but we plan to have dinner at Fisherman's Wharf and that's where we are heading.

Fisherman's Wharf

We walked along the docks to look at hundreds of fishing boats. The one coming in here is a crab-fisher. They are all painted wonderful colors and the fishermen are all Italian. They are very friendly, and we watched them sitting on the docks mending their nets and singing.

Dinner at Fisherman's Wharf

 

Fisherman's Wharf has to be one of my favorite places in San Francisco . The men who do the fishing bring them back to the restaurants and outdoor stalls. People can pick out a crab and it's cooked right there for you to take home.
One night we went to a great restaurant a man told me about. It's called San Remo's, near Fisherman's Wharf. You can get a wonderful Italian dinner for $1.00 from soup to dessert. Another  dollar gets a bottle of house wine. You go into the bar to pick it up.
Our waiter was very friendly. I think he had been sampling the house wine.

Playland at the Beach

San Franciscans love the beach. The water is too cold to swim in but Playland at the Beach has everything else; a wonderful roller coaster, the Fun House, Shoot the Chutes, and great food. A favorite is Topsy's Roost for delicious fried chicken and dancing. If you're eating on the balcony you go down to the dance floor on a slide!
My favorite was the Pie Shop... the best chicken and beef turnovers imaginable fantastic crust and wonderful gravy. San Franciscans take them home for dinner.

The Golden Gate Bridge

We left Playland and drove through the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge . The Presidio is still an important Army Base and has been on active duty since Spain built a fort there in 1776.

The Golden Gate is my favorite bridge. We parked the car near the Toll Plaza and walked across the bridge for 25 cents. You can't walk on the Bay Bridge ..

Our trip to San Francisco is over too soon. I hate to say goodbye to this beautiful city. The people who live here are sure lucky.

Hope you enjoyed my letter and the photographs.
Say hello to everybody.
  ~  Henry Ford

THE BIG REVEAL

After a very long Sunday, countless command strips and an extremely patient husband...  I can finally reveal the finished room I posted about here!

(My Inspiration)
 
I have been collecting these various treasures piece by piece over the past few years...

  

so it was a lot of fun to have so many things to work with in freshening up my college son's bedroom / new guest room.

We have a fairly small home, just under 1800 sq. ft.,  so it made sense to have this room do double duty while giving it a more mature feel.

It's interesting to think back over each find and how they all came together to create this "new space."

I felt like a stylist working with so many great props!

I guess subconsciously I had been creating this look in my head without really realizing it.

 It's a pretty small room as room sizes go...

 and even though I packed quite a bit into it I think it works.

I found this antique Chinese tole tea bin from England that was used to hold loose tea and filled it with  nautical maps and charts.

The dark painting on Academy board behind it is pre-1900 and though it is warped and damaged I love it.

 Here I hung a small butterfly specimen collection around one of the lanterns that flanks the window.

I found the lanterns at Home Goods a few years ago.

I recently came across this antler that was mounted in such a way that I was able to use it as a coat rack of sorts.

  

Miscellaneous accessories such as vintage rackets and horse trophies.

We did a small renovation on this room a few years ago adding a casement window and bead board ceiling which I think adds to the beauty of the space.

  

I still need to add a photo to the interesting frame I found on etsy.

 I purchased the John Robshaw duvet cover on ebay last year. I love the Moroccan block print.

  

I laid several durries and one Chinese wool runner over the wall to wall carpet.

  

I propped a plaid lampshade atop the existing one in order to decide which works better.  What do you think?

  

Here's an up-close shot of the gallery style wall behind the bed.  It was so hard to lay out which is the main reason it's taken me so long to get motivated!

A vintage luggage rack and megaphone.

The practical and purely decorative! 

  

Oh yes... the portrait wall.

Well let's just say we ran out of command strips and energy.  Maybe next weekend!

  

Here is a shot of the lantern on the other side of the window. I added a vintage shell specimen box to keep the lone butterfly company.

 I still need to edit the tabletop vignette a bit but I wanted to show you the art installation I made for our son last Christmas...

  

My mom found this wonderful majestic Bruin Bear while I found this vintage Trojan Soldier that just happened to be beat down and was inspired to create this UCLA / USC tribute to the famed college rivalry.  One can dream right?

I attached this set of antlers that I found mounted on a piece of lucite to the top of the mirror and hung an old boater from it.  I just scored this old needlepoint bulldog last week out treasure hunting and love how he looks up on the wall.

 

I scored these vintage English riding boots at The Alameda Point and the ribbon while visiting relatives in Colorado over the summer.

I picked up this wonderful old trunk which is missing the top at a garage sale and plan on replacing it with a piece of hinged plywood and then covering it with a Persian carpet remnant.  

 One of my prized possessions is this vintage bank bag which was the catalyst that started my friendship with Jordan, one of my partners in the House of Hoarders.

And so there you have it...

THE BIG REVEAL

I'd love to know what you think!