Vintage Finds

Hubby & I headed out to the Portland Indiana Antique Mall last Saturday. On the way, he wanted to stop at a sale featuring carharts (definitely a man thing!). It was in a guy's barn and when we were pulling up I saw an old bed headboard in one of his other barns. I said to hubby, "Look at that old bed. Wouldn't that be neat to have?"

SO, hubby looks at men stuff and I am kinda sorta helping while all I can think about is how am I going to get myself into that other barn to look at that bed. Then it happens, the carhart seller guy says, "Now if you are looking for boots they are in the other barn." "Why, yes! Don't you need boots too honey?," I said.

Off to the barn we went. He looked at boots, I looked at the bed. The seller guy told me he was cleaning out an old house and that bed was destined for his next bonfire but if I wanted it he would GIVE it to me. YEEEEESSSSSS! I would be happy to rescue it from the fire and he was happy that I was happy because he said he would rather someone get some use of it.

The bed is now safely stashed in our garage waiting to be painted up. The back of the headboard says it is made of recent pecan. The guy said he bought it in the 70's so now it is vintage pecan to me!!!!!! Can't take any decent pix since it is under hubby's boat. I promise to share though when I can.



Now on to the antique mall. Here are the finds for the day. Oh.... did I mention the antique mall was having a Thanksgiving weekend 50% off sale? It was a jackpot of a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book from 1939 if full of 'plates' of famous artist's paintings. I especially love the impressionist painters and am not sure if I will keep the book intact or remove some of the 'plates' and frame them.

One of my favorite paintings in the book........a Renoir

More of our finds........some really cool old bottles, a silver cake stand (waiting to be polished), and a big flask that hubby picked out.I really love this old jar with the crown on it.A blurry pic of the top of the crown jar. SOOOOOO cute!!!!!!A beauteous book by Carolyn Roehm....not an antique of course and a great deal at 50% off!!!

Latest project

First of all, a big hearty THANKS to those that have left comments. I love the comments and finally know I am being found out there in blogland!!!!!!

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend I decided to paint my burner covers that go on the stove. Being inspired by all the French decor, I decided on a simple French monogram look. They took several coats of white.....especially since I cannot seem to remove them when I turn on a burner as the before pic will show.

Here is the before.....................

Here is the after..................I already love the clean look they provide in the kitchen and now I don't even want to use the stove as a 'shelf!' I promise to remove the burner covers before turning on a burner..........I promise to remove the burner covers before turning on a burner..................I promise to........................

Here are some pix of my house.......living room specifically. This is "my" room and is my favorite room. I have such fond childhood memories of being together with family in this very room......laying on the floor watching home movies while grandpa controlled the film projector from his big chair.......family Christmas being celebrated and not being able to wait through dinner to unwrap presents.............sitting on the 'davenport' with Grandma and watching our favorite soap opera (Young and the Restless) together and on and on...................

My computer is in the armoire.......................

The wallpaper is the same paper that Grandma had put up years ago. I totally love it and who knows how many more years it will remain. I would like to get new curtains someday though. They have probably been up since the wallpaper and are showing some wear.

I especially love the fireplace. It sits in the corner, which is sometimes a challenge for furniture arranging. Anyone else have a corner fireplace?

All the shells in the hurricanes on the mantel and also glued to the mirror were miracle beach finds. We happened to be vacationing in a condo in Orange Beach, Alabama when hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. We had to evacuate and when we were finally able to return the beach was just covered in beautiful, perfect shells. I have given so many away and still have a grocery sack full!!!!!!!!!!!

New Look................

Do you like the new look of my blog? I have been wanting to play around with it and this is what I came up with. All the Thanksgiving food is ready (except for the turkey, ham, noodles, mashed potatoes and rolls!) so my booty can finally sit down for awhile. Tomorrow this time we will all be miserably stuffed............................ can't wait!!!!!
No new pix this time so stay tuned since my house is finally clean. If I had the energy I would take some now. Instead I will visit some of my favorite blogs.
Herbal Blessings to all...............

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Sending Happy Thanksgiving blessings to everyone!!!

We all need to take more time to be thankful for all that is beautiful in our lives...................not just this one day.

Sunday, Sunday

Grayson say's "sit down and take a break, Ma!!!"



I'm getting ready for Thanksgiving and needing to take a short sit-down break so I will share some photos of Calendula Court home and gardens. Then it will be back to preparing for my favorite holiday.........................


I promise to take more inside pics after getting the cleaning done!

Herbal Regards, Mandy

Decorating Lallapalooza

One evening this past week I attended an on-line decorating class. What a blast! I learned about furniture placement, 'out of the box' decorating ideas, and some things to know to start your own business. The best thing about it was.......it was FREE!!!!!! The link to the website is http://www.onedaydecorating.com/ They plan to offer more classes as the response was enormous so take one if you get the chance.

It is a dream of mine to start an interior rearranging business. When visiting another home I visually rearrange the furniture in my head!!!!! The most common decorating mistakes are placing all the furniture against the walls and hanging art too high. People that come to my home often tell me how cozy it feels and that is exactly the feel I want them to have...........cozy Calendula Court.



Here is the front porch dressed for autumn.........................................

Wednesday.............YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

My day off again....................Slept in and getting ready to do lunch with my mom and 2 aunts. Hopefully my cousin will make it too. We meet once a month for lunch and chat, chat, chat. I really enjoy it. Then I need to start cleaning and getting ready for Thanksgiving. Tonight I will be ready to relax so I will cut out seed packets (made on the computer) and pack with seeds from my garden. This year I saved garlic chives seeds, purple coneflower seeds, and Liatris (also known as gayfeather) seeds.



There is also dried basil to package and stick labels on.

I want to share info about an on-line decorating class I attended last evening and will do so very soon. It was a blast!!!!

I must go and get ready for lunch...............................

.......................Herbal Regards to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Faux Fur

This past weekend, while browsing an antique mall in Muncie, I noticed a faux leopard fur stole. Didn't buy it at the time and could not stop thinking about it..........so Monday during my lunch hour I went back and got it. Only $5 bucks and some pillow stuffing and I will have a neck-roll for my bed. It kinda has that antique aroma to it so tomorrow I will let it air out on the clothesline then start stitching up the sides. What a deal and it's gonna be so cute!!!! Completed pic to come soon......................................

Lazy Sunday

What a lazy, rainy Sunday!!! Today I will share some pix from inside my home, Calendula Court. How did it get that name and what does it mean you ask? I was very fortunate to visit England and Wales in 2000. My traveling friend and I enjoyed how all the residences had names, from the huge castles to the cozy cottages........every address a different name. Of course, we had to name our American homes. Calendula is one of my favorite herbs and it is also the herb for October, which is my birth month. That is how Calendula Court was so named.

This is from my bathroom. The dried roses were cut from my rambling rose bush and dried. The dried Lavender is also from my garden. Here is a close-up.............................................

Here is a shelf that my dad made. It is above my stove with dried herbs, herbal vinegars, and herb infused olive oil.

This is a corner of the window above the kitchen sink. I love old bottles and they line the window sill. Notice the hanging lavender and pink roses drying for a wreath and also a mint julep cup that I have wanted for a long time and found this one in the gift shop at The Waldorf-Astoria in NYC.

Future Projects

I love to find a great deal on items that will become a project for me. Here are two items recently acquired for a whopping $3 total.

The old window was found at a booth at a Herb Festival in Wabash Indiana this summer. Two of my good friends also bought an old window to see what ideas we could come up with to decorate them. Maybe I will attach a window box (like the picture behind my blog title) or maybe I will insert a mirror in the two larger panels. All the glass was intact until we pulled the window from the car trunk and set it against the garage. It was just my luck that a big gust of wind would come along and blow the window over in my concrete driveway!!!!! So out came the broom and dust pan and we played clean up the broken glass. Now the window is resting against the banister in the guest room until I am ready to complete it. The glass in the smaller sections is still there thank goodness.

The wicker table was a FREE find. Driving down my alley, headed to work, I saw it in my neighbors trash. I called my husband, who was off work for the day, and asked him to go retrieve it for me. Being the honest type that he is, he knocked on the neighbors door and asked if he could take it. Their answer? "Why on earth would you want it? It needs painted and the top is not level!!!" So since that was the same as a "yes" the table was in our garage when I got home from work!!!!! I think I will just repaint it white and it will be a cute addition to the white wicker furniture on my front porch. That project won't get done until next spring or summer though.

Dreamy Day

Today is Wednesday, my day off, so I am just relaxing at the moment and dreaming a little. Since I love to decorate I often find pictures on-line of beautious things for the home. Wouldn't this make the best kitchen island?.................Shabby chic and antique looking.

Now that it is Fall and the garden has been put to rest for the long Winter, I am feeling confined to the inside and somewhat bored already. I totally love these greenhouses made from old windows. If I had one I could still be visiting some plant friends. hint hint.......anyone getting their Christmas shopping done and need ideas for their favorite Mandy?????????????????????????

Our Special House

I totally love my big, old house. It was built in 1900 and the most special thing is that this house has been in the family now for 61 years! Chris and I have lived here since 1993. We bought the house from my Mother and my aunt as this is the house they grew up in. My lovely grandparents lived here and took such good care of it. After my beloved Grandmother passed away in 1993, I couldn't even think of anyone moving into this house other than me and my husband. At that time, they had owned the house for 48 years. My grandfather and father installed the beautiful hardwood floors. Isn't that neat? I need to take some picures and will share them in the future. I don't even have a picture of the front of the house so I am sharing the back of the house from the garden.

Here is my 'red toile' kitchen when it was decorated for Christmas. I will also share more inside pictures of our special home soon.

Third Time is the Charm

Yes, I know this is the third post for the same day but I am learning how to do this so bare with me please and thank you. A couple weekends ago I made a dried flower wreath for my front door. All the flowers were grown in my garden. Wreaths are something I really enjoy making for myself and for gifts. Here are some more I have done.

Just Learning

OK.......it is going to take awhile for me to get the hang of this blogging page. The pix seem to go wherever they want and not where I want them. I went to NYC in May and absolutely loved the flea markets. I found this Monet picture at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market and finally got it framed. The frame is from a yard sale and has been waiting on the perfect piece of art to fill it...........Isn't is pretty?

Blogging Day One

My plan is to share my interests to the world.....I LOVE gardening, interior decorating and rearranging, and making things from my dried herbs.

Every herb garden must have a cat or two and here are "my boys" Gunnar and Grayson.

Here is part of my herb garden also. It is a joy to work in the garden and smell the fragrant herbs.