Gates and doors and iron works

 There are beautiful gates all over Church Hill. Most are iron gates dating back to the early
19th century but occasionally you see a beautiful wooden gate painted white. Guess which ones I like the best?

 Not only is the white lattice work gate a beauty, look at the wonderful brick walk way. Outside our building the city is relaying the old brick sidewalks. The tree roots cause the bricks to pop up from the ground making for a treacherous walk. Workmen remove the bricks and lay a new sand base. Then the bricks are carefully fitted, sometimes chiseled for a perfect fit and replaced. No
mortar is  used between the bricks. It is heartening to see that these skilled workers
still exists.



Doors



The front door is one of your first impressions when you enter a home. Is is a welcoming color? It the brass polished and shining? Is there a door knocker or bell? Are there flowers beside it? Our home in California has a double door entrance. I have always thought this looked extremely welcoming. The truth is we rarely open both doors. Other than a few parties when our daughter was having teenage parties, the doors have only been opened for huge Christmas trees and new pieces of furniture. I always have wreaths decorated for the season on the doors. Right now there are white wooden heart pockets with little roses inside. Not very fall-like. Oh, but there is a spider web hanging on the unused door. I guess that is my Halloween decoration....or a sign I need to clean the front porch!



I love the flying angel on this door. This is half of a duplex and the other door was painted red.







Houses of Church Hill

Recently my husband and I took a Sunday afternoon walk in the Church Hill area of Richmond. Our place is close by and there are several scenic walks you can enjoy. We had a yummy brunch at the River City Diner and then we took off up the hill. The area is not called Church Hill by chance. Walking up many of the streets is reminiscent of San Francisco. The views of downtown Richmond and the canal are lovely.

There is a mix of architectural styles and periods. Many homes date to the early 1800's. There are free standing single family dwellings, duplexes and row houses. The condition of the homes varies from street to street but many are restored to pristine condition. The sidewalks are brick and mature trees line the streets.



Lots of gingerbread on these homes.






Fall

 

Fall flowers adorn a walkway

Whether it's fall colored mums in pots or pumpkin candies in a jar, fall colors make up smile. Fall has not always been my favorite season but I have grown to appreciate the nip in the air and the beautiful colors of the leaves. Even in Southern California, we have lovely foliage and you do feel a slight difference in the weather. This year getting to spend time in Virginia, it is a treat be reminded of the glory off autumn. When I walk Ruby, our dog, she loves running through the newly fallen leaves. Although it was quite warm on my last trip east, I look forward to heavy sweaters and gloves and silly knit hats. When the weather is a novelty, that is I know I will be returning to Orange County, it can be savored and enjoyed!

Pretty Pedestals

Stacked pedestals with seashells and moss

Notice the little stacking plates. They are ready for a Tasting Party. Look for my next blog-entry. Fun party ideas for the holidays are coming.

Vignettes

     Here is a pretty little vignette of a corner in a guest powder room. The lamp is made from a silver teapot and I added one of my shades embellished with paper roses and silk leaves. The soap dish is a silver butter dish and there's a hand mirror covered in silk roses. The picture of the lady is an old magazine advertisement for bathroom fixtures. I put it is a 1950's frame which of course, I painted white.

These stacked pedestals are pretty to look at and fun to use. You can use them individually as cake plates or stack them for cupcakes, cookies or appetizers. The top pedestal is a tea cup and saucer. Remove the tea cup to use as a serving plate or arrange fresh flowers in the cup as a pretty topper for your sweets. Sometimes I tie big satin or organdy bows around the stem for an added fussy touch.

     Here is an array of silver serving pieces that have many uses. Trays are not only for serving. You can use them on a buffet table to  hold linen napkins, beautiful stemmed goblets for lemonade, or put one on a table close to your front door to drop the mail on.
     Revere bowls are so called because a very famous silversmith came up with the design....Paul Revere. This piece dates back to the mid 1700's in Boston. My husband and I received so many as wedding gifts years ago, it is a family joke to this day.
     Over the years I have used various size Revere bowls for eggnog, chocolate moose, Halloween candy, potpourri, seashells (currently a huge bowl sits on our piano), nuts in the shells at Christmas, bananas when I want to look old and eccentric, and in a pinch, a litter box for our fussy Himalayan!
You need all sizes in your collection because you never know what might come  up!
     Silver is back and more popular than ever and there is lots of affordable silver plated stuff out there. Oh, and I was just kidding about the kitty litter box....especially if you have ever eaten at my house!

Autumn in New York

As much as I love Southern California, who cannot say this is beautiful! The colors of the trees at this time of year are breathtaking. When I was growing  up in Nashville, my parents, grandparents and aunt would always get in the car on a Sunday afternoon and tour the beautiful parks our city had. The red, orange and yellow leaves were a sight to behold. Later in my life, I lived in Boston. Now there is some serious foliage in New England. Although there was plenty to see in Boston, we would drive up to Maine and New Hampshire where God's work was stunning. Even along the beaches of Cape Cod the trees almost out shinned the Atlantic.

Buying Trip to Vegas!

     Believe it or not, I do find prime vintage in Vegas. My husband and I are not big gamblers but we have found ourselves going there quite often the past couple of years. Life in So Cal is great but between work and family, life gets overwhelming sometimes. And Vegas provides a welcoming escape.
     Recently my daughter spent a few days there and I decided to hop on JetBlue and join her. Can you believe one day it was 116 degrees? Thank goodness for those wonderful huge Vegas pools and 32 ounce Margaritas.
     We ate at new places, try Hash House in the Imperial Palace. I had never been in that hotel but it is worth the experience to get to this eatery. My daughter had the fried chicken and I had corned beef hash both of which were smothered in a Chipotle Cream. Oh, I've had good gravy but this beats any the South has ever produced.
    You can see from the pic that our visit came to the attention of a certain celebrity and he had to ask us about our trip. We giggled and blushed and gave autographs. About the buying trip, ummmmm..........

Two Familiar Ladies

Recognize these two ladies? It's my friend and partner in antique crime, Linda. See, we do other things beside shop and paint. This was a family holiday get together. Pastel cardigans were the costume for the day. You never know where you will see us but keep your eyes peeled!

The River Lofts at Tobacco Row

First Look at Richmond

     If you have read, "About me" you know I am from Tennessee. Richmond,Virginia is a nice place but not my beloved Nashville. Recently life has taken me to Richmond on occasion and I am having fun exploring and searching for vintage goodies there. This is a picture of the Tobacco Row area which is truly beautiful and peaceful. 
    On my last visit, I took a ride on the Kanawha Canal. It was a typical warm muggy day there and the the boat was full.  Speaking of the boat, being a long time Southern Californian, these boats reminded me of the Jungle Cruise boats at Disneyland. The drivers were not as much fun though.
   There was lots of interesting information shared. This canal runs right through the downtown area of the city and includes white water rapids.  Originally there were four locks on the canal but only one remains today.  The water is a murky greenish brown and in some spots only twenty inches deep.
    To continue with the Disney deja vu, at one point the driver steered the boat sharply to the right then told us there was a large snapping turtle floating on top of the water.  Apparently they like to lay and wait for baby geese.  No sooner that we recovered from this excitement, he made another sudden swerve.  This time there was a muskrat swimming across our path. OK, I have never seen a live muskrat in my life, remember I am from the suburbs!
    This exciting cruise was followed by a Boston hot dog at a little spot in Shockoe Slip. By the way, we lived in Boston and I have no recollection of famous hot dogs there. Lobster rolls, yes.
     You will be hearing more about the Richmond adventures so check back often.  Next visit, I hope to tour Shirley Plantation and that should be fun for all.