A SPECIAL CELEBRATION

WHAT ?

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY ?

I'M FOUR YEARS OLD ?

WHAT'S THIS ?

IT SURE SMELLS GOOD !!!!!!!!!





MMMMMMM.............PINK FROSTING

IS THAT GOOD , OR WHAT ?





MORE PLEASE !




HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, SWEET LADY.

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I'm back from my break. The holidays are such a busy time......I'm finally realizing that quality trumps quantity......so a little prioritizing has made this season so much more enjoyable for me.

Thanks to all of you who sent e-mails. I'm glad to be back.

Best Wishes,
Kay

COME THROUGH THE GATE....If you dare!!!!

Legend has it......... that every October 31st, something very mysterious occurs, in the garden, at The Wrought Iron Gate.

As the shadows grow long, and daylight fades to twilight................it's said, that a beautiful princess can be seen wandering the pathways.

Although she speaks not a word, many have been lured into the garden by her

sweet demeanor.........

and winning smile.

But, BEWARE!!!

For when the full moon slips from behind the clouds, and shines upon the Princess.........

things begin to CHANGE

Her smile begins to disappear!!!

Her sweet demeanor fades.

There's a strange look in her eyes!!!!!!!

and if you look very closely.......

something about her mouth seems different, too!!!!

Her lips part and.....

C H O M P !!!!







I tried to warn you!

Then she unfurls her wings

and flies away, with a satisfied smile on her face......

as "HAIRY" the WIZARD looks on.




Have a SPOOK..tacular Halloween !!!

Kay

FRUSTRATION AND PINK ROSES

I had a nice relaxing break.

Feeling rested, and eager to check on my blogging buddies, I turned on my computer and waited for it to boot. The screen lit up, but as it tried to load my programs it slowed down to a crawl, refused to respond, faded to black, and promptly CRASHED.........yes, CRASHED!!!!!

The "Computer Wizards" were able to retrieve my data, but the computer (may it rest in peace) wound up in the trash bin. My new computer will arrive shortly. In the mean time, I'm destined to use this slow, ancient relic that barely works. GRRRRR!!!!!!! SUCH FRUSTRATION!!!!!!!


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On a lighter note, the thermometer dropped below freezing for the first time this season, so I cut the last of the pink roses and brought them indoors.

Au revoir, my pink beauties....................................until next spring.

KAY

MY BEAUTIFUL LEGS

NO.....NO......NO.....NO......NOOOOOO. NOT THOSE LEGS!!!!!!!!!

I'm referring to the beautiful, shapely, gams supporting some of the furniture pieces around my house. I think some are worthy of a whistle!

I'm an advocate of surrounding yourself with things you love..........doesn't matter if it's a piece of furniture, or a sea shell. If you love it......keep it close.

I swooned, when I saw the sleek, sensuous curvy legs on these dinning room chairs......think Paris in the 1920's and 30's. I had them covered in a bold ROSE CUMMING floral print. I love the way they turned out.

A NOTE ABOUT LEGENDARY DECORATOR - ROSE CUMMING
Rose Cumming was born and raised on an Australian sheep ranch. In 1917, Rose and her sister left Australia on board a ship bound for England, to prepare for Rose's upcoming marriage. During a stop-over in the U.S., fate played her hand.........WWI was escalating. Although the U. S. hadn't yet entered the war, they certainly weren't putting women on ships, and sailing them in the direction of the conflict. The sisters, who were denied passage, found themselves stranded in New York City.

Great social abilities made the sisters New York society favorites, but they lacked funds. When Rose decided she needed a job.....she asked her friend (who happened to be the editor of Vanity Fair) what to do? He told her to become a decorator! Rose replied, "Perhaps I would, but first tell me what it is."

She learned quickly. She opened a shop on Park Avenue. Unlike her neighbors, her shop housed both her decorating office, and her retail shop for antiques and fabrics......very European! She artfully arranged her very favorite pieces, in her shop windows........then left the lights on all night, something nobody had ever thought of doing. Her rooms were theatrical sets, with unexpected elements, and fairytale qualities. She loved beautiful things........she loved pairing bold colors, and patterns.......and she loved very carefully thought out rooms with a random feel.

Oh, and her hair color was "shocking-violet."

picture from: Architectural Digest

The curvaceous chair legs are a nice foil for the heavier, more masculine, lines of my table's straight legs.



I've had this tea table for a long time.
Aren't the long legs, and dainty hoofs whimsical?




I love the chippy, crackled paint mixed with gold leaf.

The legs on this antique Louis XVI chair (an anniversary gift from my hubby) are carved with the signature, rose inside a square, of the period.

It still has it's original seat cushion............needs replacing, but I can't bear to let it go. Maybe I'll have a new one made and box up the original. The little envelope pillow is made from an old tapestry fragment, found at the Paris flea market.

I just can't resist a cabriole leg!

My chippy, mirrored coffee table is kind of Coco Chanel........esque.......maybe.

And last, but not least, the legs..............er feet on this old bronze, French planter, that I've arranged with fall colors.

Have a wonderful, early fall, weekend.
KAY

WELCOME FALL

It's official...................Fall has arrived!

He really is, as big as a house!!!!

Enjoy the season.

Kay

THE UNINTENTIONAL WEDDING PLANNER

While perusing the magazine section at the book store, I noticed that there are a plethora of BRIDAL periodicals available. The cover photos were so lovely that I couldn’t resist thumbing through a few. There were articles covering every aspect of getting married....from, How to say YES……to, How to pack for your honeymoon flight.

Styles seemed to fall into two categories……traditional, or contemporary. This set me wondering what style wedding each of my four grandchildren might choose? Would their choice be sleek and contemporary? A traditional wedding with lots of sentiment, has always been my favorite.


I WONDERED.............


Will my granddaughters wear pearls?




Or knotted strands of jade, or rose quartz? Might they choose clear azure beads, suspended by gossamer threads?

Or a single strand of Swarovski crystal beads?




Will Molly choose to wear her Mother’s veil, and gown…




and be photographed in a beautiful garden, like her Mother?



Will Madison and Waverly want to wear one of my vintage rings, as a something old element?




Perhaps Bailey will want to toast his bride with his great-grandmothers crystal glasses………

And my Mother’s silver serving pieces would look beautiful by candlelight………….

The girls could carry a vintage handkerchief , from my collection…………

Then after the wedding, the handkerchiefs could be stored away in a vintage hanky holder, for their daughter’s wedding.






STOP! STEP AWAY FROM THE BRIDAL MAGAZINES.

My grandchildren are young….Bailey isn't even two years old yet. Marriage is years away, and they will make their own choices, when the time comes.



Still………it doesn’t hurt to dream….does it?

Kay

THE PATH LESS TRAVELED

It's a beautiful late summer day. The sun feels warm, but there's a faint hint of change in the air. The sky is such a brilliant shade of robin's egg blue, that it makes the your heart sing........a great day for a walkabout. We (hubby and I) headed straight for the countryside to explore a new area we'd heard about.

We'd taken only a few steps, when the path we were walking, split........the two branches veering off in opposite directions. One path meandered into a grove of shade trees, before it disappeared from sight. Hmmmm.......green, lush and shady. Very tempting, on such a warm day. But, the other path led straight into a wide, sun filled meadow, thick with wildflowers that were taller than me. We chose the wildflowers, and we weren't disappointed.

Our experience reminded me of this poem by Robert Frost.

Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Bees droned, and butterflies fluttered all about. It was a magical scene!

The colors were brilliant, even in the harsh midday sun.

The coppery yellows of the rudbeckia, gave a nod to the changing fall palette.

This thistle, with it's downy purple seed heads, and sharp, spiny stems and leaves, stood tall and straight, like a sentinel keeping watch over the meadow.

We chose the path less traveled.......and that made all the difference.

Then we rushed home for a a quick shower, and some dinner because ..............

tonight we're seeing this!

Have a wonderful, safe, weekend.

Kay