Antique Swan Head Day Bed

I have to tell you.  Lately furniture gods have been really really good to me.  A few weeks ago, I was thinking to myself how the girls are ready to have their own rooms again and how I was going to redo the rooms.  As I was pulling into my driveway, I thought, man, I really wish I could find another gorgeous antique bed frame and as that thought enter my mind, I saw this beautiful bed frame just sitting there in my neighbor drive way.  No way.  I kept saying there was no way.  I walked over to my neighbor's house and knocked on the door to make sure she was really giving it away.  She said it was her husband's grandfather bed and they just didn't need it anymore.  Of course it came home with me.  My father gave me an evil eye as I added yet another piece of furniture into my hoarding room.  So this post isn't even about that bed.  This post is about the most beautiful French daybed I have ever seen and it is MINE and ALL MINE!!!

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you will know about my love for French daybeds.  I even made myself one since the real things are way out of my budget.  You can read about how I turned a foot board into a daybed here.  Of course I never stop dreaming about owning a real French daybed one day.  That day came in the most amazing way.  My friend Danielle who blogs at findingsilverpennies sent me a message last week saying she has a daybed that she thought I might like.

I almost fell off the chair when I saw the picture.  My exact response was Is this Christmas??? YES!!! So that weekend I drove to  Scituate where Danielle and her family live.  First of all, Danielle truly is one of the nicest people I have ever met.  We met through blogging and met outside a few times.  She even came to my house last year.  Just being back at Scituate again made my heart very happy.  This little beach town has a very special place in my heart and it is a story for another day.  After spending the most lovely day with Danielle and her family, I came home beaming ear to ear with this gorgeous beast.

It is huge.  The whole thing is 92 inches long.  I think it fits perfectly with my equally huge oil painting.  The hand carved swan heads and all the details make this piece extra special.  It has been reupholstered in the last decade with this very neutral velvet.  I am going to enjoy this beautiful daybed for awhile before I tackle the upholster.

I don't have a big house but somehow it feels like this lovely daybed was always meant to be here.

The daybed I made used to be in front of the painting.  Now it resides in front of the fireplace.

A little shabby corner with equally shabby faded pink chair.  The garden is in full bloom right now and I love mixing in my catmints from the garden with roses.

Speaking of roses, these beauties are new to the garden this year.  They are called Sexy Rexy.

There is nothing quiet like being able to walk out the door and cut your own flowers.

My front entry table has a single purpose of holding gardening tools and cuttings from the garden.

Living in New England, we only get a few months of gardening season and we like to take full advantage of it.  Oh how I wish you could smell the flowers and lounge on this beautiful daybed and we could talk about furniture hoarding and flower addictions.

Thank you, my dear friend, Danielle, for this beautiful gift and a little piece of history.  Being able to meet amazingly talented and kind people like you is why I blog.

Love,
Victoria


Linking up with:
http://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/
http://shabbyartboutique.com/
http://www.findingsilverpennies.com/
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/
http://cedarhillfarmhouse.com/
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
http://missmustardseed.com/

Rainy day blues

I have been bit by the gardening bug again.  Last week I spent everyday digging holes and making flower beds in the backyard.  When I did my front yard garden two years ago, I was scared and didn't know what I was doing.  Two years later, I still don't know what I am doing but I am a little braver now.  I am planning to put four more flower beds in the back.  I am nothing if not overly ambitious.  The last two days have been dark and rainy.  I keep looking out my windows and itching to tend the garden.  My peonies have finally bloomed but all this heavy rain is washing away the petals.  Today, the girls and I braved the rain to cut some peonies for the house.

Oh Peonies.  I wish they last forever and bloom continuously through out the season.

Of course I couldn't help myself but take pictures of them.

I have two different varieties of peony.  The pale pink one only gets a single bud on each stem but this darker pink one gets multiple buds.  That pretty much sums up my knowledge on peony.

I can't wait to share this amazing antique French swan head daybed with you soon.  

It doesn't look like the rain will be stopping anytime soon.  What a girl to do but read about gardening on days like these?

Wishing you sunshine and warm breeze where you are.

Love,

Victoria

Spring Happenings In The Garden

 My favorite time to walk around the garden is in the late evening when the sun stubbornly holds onto the sky and evening breeze whispers soft lullabies to lure the night stars.  By then I probably have spent hours weeding and fussing around the garden.  I love to stand next to my lavender plants after I have finished watering the garden and inhale that deep intoxicating earthy sense.  

 most of my spring blooming plants are just slowly starting to wake up from the long winter.

I added three more lupine plants this year.  The combination of lupines and peonies are just breathtakingly beautiful.

Like a child, I love walking around the garden while counting the peony buds.    

 

Irises spread like wildfire throughout the gardens.  

These beauties are from my rose garden.  I love this coral color so much that I am going to add more to this spot.  They bring so much color and beauty to this garden before roses make their entrance.

This front yard garden has been such a labor of love.  Finally this year I feel like I got it under control.  Naturally I want to do the same to my backyard.  I have to keep reminding myself to take one small step at a time.  After all gardens don't happen in one season.  Didn't somebody wise once said "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow?"  May you find peace and happiness while getting your hands dirty and watching beautiful things grow.

Love,
Victoria


Linking up with:
http://www.elizabethandcovintage.com/

Everyday Ballgown skirts

The other day in my blog post about my dream dress, I wrote about my love for ballgown skirts.  I think most people probably thought I was exaggerating when I said I would and do wear it to playgrounds and grocery stores or just walking around the house.  I have been obsessively curating pictures of ballgown skirts on pinterest for awhile now.  Here are a few of my inspirations from pinterest.

How beautiful and flawless are these looks?  I know the idea of wearing a ballgown skirt as an everyday outfit is a bit intimidating but like most things in life, it is all about balance.  I love how these ladies paired their skirts with simple T-shirts.  Crop top looks amazing with ballgown skirts too.  It balances out the heaviness from the skirt.  Have I convinced you try this look yet?  Now you are thinking to yourself where the hell am I going to find myself a ballgown skirt that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  Make one yourself!  I mean it!  I am a very very novice seamstress<if I can even call myself that.>  After realizing that these skirts cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars, I went out and bought myself a pattern.  I used Simplicity 1099 Project Runway Maxi Skirt pattern.  I paid a little over $30 for fabric.  I used heavier almost canvas like fabric.  In one night, I made myself a ballgown skirt.

Here is my very first ballgown skirt.  Instead of using zipper, I used elastic band to make my life easier.  I wear these turban headbands almost everyday.  I will make a tutorial for them soon.

Last night I was going through my stash of fabrics and found this gorgeous floral print my mom brought from Singapore.

Since the fabric is very light weight, I layered it with thick canvas underneath to create more volume.

You can bet I will be rocking these everyday the whole summer.  Sometimes in life, all you need to rock any outfit is a little confidence to know that darling, you really are that fabulous.

PS. I think it might be time I find myself a photographer friend to do more fashion posts?



Love,
Victoria