Salvo Fair architectural flea market

 

A couple of weekends ago I got to go to the "world's largest" architectural salvage fair, held out in Berkshire, not far from London.  There was a variety of mostly large pieces: doors, floorboards, windows and other stone fragments and oddities taken from buildings, churches or barns that would be ideal if you were renovating a house from top to bottom! In no way was it the world's largest, however there was an interesting selection. Motivated hunters like my friends and I schlepped through the muddy field to try to find some deals or rescue a piece worthy of taking home. I almost left with a 1950s rocking horse, but it needed a bit too much work to be safe for my childrens' room. My friends found some old wooden crates and steel baskets that will find new uses in their flats.

p.s. I also made this raspberry tart, aiming to feel summery despite the gray skies and damp ground! It was delicious.

charming little things

 above from artist Kaija

               

                 

pencil sketch matchboxes by Krista Charles

both tiny and clever. Krista Charles' artwork found via here.  Kaija's site is here.

Also, I'm adding a new section in the right sidebar, called "culinary notebook." It's where I'll share things I cook from time to time. I've gleaned so much from people who cook and post recipes online and am constantly finding new recipes to try or helpful tips. Being an everyday cook, I would like to keep my own scrapbook of what I try in the kitchen. Most of it is quite simple, but maybe it will inspire you to cook something too.

eclectic auction finds

 collection of jewelry, from High Road Auctions in Chiswick, London

campaign folding chair, ebay

 tiny jointed wooden doll, ebay

Anyone who knows me know that I love auctions. I find the range of what you can find is fantastic, and I always come up with interesting and unusual furniture and appealing little things. I enjoy finding things I didn't know I needed, like this useful folding iron campaign chair that becomes a twin bed. Or this tiny wooden jointed doll that would be sweet in a box frame displayed in a child's room. The best thing is these days it's easy to view auction catalogs online and bid, so participating doesn't involve showing up in person, which makes your options geographically unlimited!

Hello again.

It's been almost year this little blog has languished. It had to sit by while life took over with a new baby, or rather while my little baby boy took over life for a while- which was happy but consuming.  I've missed blogging and endeavor to start once again.  Sparse as my posts were, keeping an online notebook full of pretty things is something I have enjoyed and would like to continue. Thanks for stopping by, peeking at my blog and leaving me comments from time to time. I enjoy them and love to connect with you.

scenes from country spaces

Rooms in 18th century farmhouse in a coastal town in Denmark. I especially love the very simple kitchen.

fireplaces, stoves, warm kitchens and cozy beds with soft linens well-worn. my dream 2nd home! perfect for relaxing and unwinding! (all photos from UK Country Living)

Pretty shop windows

The other day I was walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood and noticed the window display of a shoe shop. There aren't that many small shops that go all out for windows that I've come across here, so this shoe shop caught my eye with giant poufs in ice cream colors- so fanciful I thought they'd be cute in my little girl's room. Well, randomly I happened upon a site today, Supermarket Sarah (you must see her site if you haven't already) which featured the creator of that very window display, a set designer named Cordelia Weston. I know everyone may be tired of seeing tissue paper pom poms hanging around in blog decor, but these were really different, and quite beautiful- more like ballet costumes than paper poms. I'm inspired to try to make some. (photos from Cordelia Weston's blog)

Pinterest

I'm having fun creating digital moodboards on pinterest! It's quite addictive.

See my boards here.

Artist's studio- Stanley Lewis

I am always interested in artists' dwellings, aren't you? This studio is where English artist Stanley Lewis lived and worked in Yorkshire for the last 7 years of his life, until he died at the age of 103. What a remarkable man! He painted every day for 84 years! But he didn't start to become known until the age of 101, having rejected the traditional commercial art market path when he was young. An article about him is here.

Thought this is a tiny peek into his home, I think it's representative of what one often finds when looking into artsists' private quarters. Prints and drawings cover every surface and the walls are filled, maybe a little haphazardly. But in the article, Mr. Lewis says, "I call it organized chaos and I know exactly where everything is." I think that is a common trait of artists. (Photos and quote from World of Interiors, April 2010)

Timber walls

I especially like this shadowbox montage on the wall.

A 1960's East Sussex house was filled with natural wood (reclaimed) and other eco materials. I like homes that look like they could blend in with the outdoors. Love the timber wall behind the bed and the wood-covered kitchen drawers. Also liking the vintage 60's, California vibe in the rooms. (From Living etc. January 2011)