Too Alarming for Words

Hollow Upbringings by Mindy Herrin, Silversmith, Artist and Professor; Figure is of ceramic, vintage suede, silver, cheese cloth. The raven was found in Paris one Christmas season, displayed with its flock on a white tree.

Day of the Cats

Sam at Installations Antiques

Happy National Cat Day to all you cats out there...and to all those who love you!

Dirty Laundry

Flowers for us all. Well, I couldn't show the dirty laundry!

Maryanne of Beadboard UpCountry presented me with an award. I am delighted! However, I am required to tell seven things about myself that most of you don't know. That's a stretch for two reasons:

• I'm not that complicated...seven things?
• I'm such a blabber mouth...are there seven things still unknown?

Here's the dirty laundry:

1. I translate the French blog Un Coeur en Provence into the English version, A Heart in Provence, and I don't even speak French. I've been reading French design magazines for years and have French designer friends, so I do translations like I'm code cracking, while retaining Laeriss's poetic touch. (I think I have been hampered in learning to speak French because Tall Husband, my daughter and my grandchildren all speak French. And they all laugh at my pronunciation.)
2. I used to speak German quite well.
3. I've been married three times, each time to a Texan...something about those Texans!
4. As you can tell by #3, I don't put up with much.
5. I'm a Zebra, as I have a rare genetic disorder, porphyria, which triggered a few years ago. (Paula, the daughter of Isabel Allende, died from porphyria. One day I'll tell you the story about how one of Allende's books saved my life.)
6. I love British murder mysteries.
7. We have a painful Texas mystery: Years ago, right before my wedding day, my stepfather who had adopted me, disappeared while on a fishing trip. Foul play was suspected, however, his body was never found.

O.K. You can wake up now!

Now I'm supposed to pass this award to seven other admired bloggers. However, I can't make that choice because I love you all...so this award is for all the blogs on my blog list and for all the wonderful bloggers who follow my blogs. So, claim this award for your blogs, along with my admiration for all that you do.

A Bee's Life

If I were a bee, I would buzz around all those large pots of Lavender on the back porch of The Bunny Bungalow...'cause it's a long way back to Provence.

White Wednesday: The Sound of White

Sniiiif...

achoo!

Crack!

Ouch!

White Wednesday is hosted by Faded Charm.

The Magic Toad

They assured Tall Husband and me that Mr. Toad is magic.

He certainly looks magic...he even feels magic.

However, for a toad he's really a ham,

insisting that this is his best side.

Yesterday, Tall Husband and I visited one of our favorite places in Houston...Adkins Architectural Antiques. I'm always on the lookout for antique bunnies when I go there, but this time an ugly toad found us. One has to admit, though, there is something quite charming about this toad and the people at Adkins assured us that Mr. Toad is magic. I immediately knew that Tall Son would adore him. So Mr. Toad is now at The Bunny Bungalow, looking quite at home with all the bunnies and awaiting Tall Son's next visit.

After all, Bunny Bungalow was once known as Toad Hall...before the previous owner sold the bungalow to us, packed up his toads and left us toadless.

Read here about Tall Son's love of toads. Right now Tall Son is on a business trip to Seattle, Washington...so he's toadless in Seattle!

Angels in My Alley

Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia)

There must be angels in my alley because I found their trumpets.

I cut a couple and brought them into our bungalow...

placing them in an old French vase that Tall Husband gave me on or first trip to Paris. The Bunny Bungalow is now filled with their heavenly fragrance.

Take a look down our alley and you can see dozens of these beauties.

Lonny Magazine: Online Premier Issue!

Photo: http://m-a-belle.blogspot.com/

Have you heard the fantastic news? Lonny Magazine, a shelter/design magazine premiered online October 1st. For those of us who are still saddened over the loss of Domino, we can take solace in the digital pages of Lonny...all 194 of those beautiful pages. Michelle Adams, former Market Assistant at Domino and partner Patrick Cline, photographer, have created a wonderful online-only design magazine. I took the premier issue for a ride this morning and I can tell you that you'll love the copy and the photography. You will also be blown away by the feature that invites you to click on hyperlinks to their advertisers so that you can shop right from the pages of Lonny.

Outside Links:

• You will also enjoy Michelle Adams' blog: M.A. Belle

• Have a look at Rubie Green, Michelle's eco-friendly, online shop

• Lonny Magazine : Premier Issue
  

Jump!

Houston, we have lift off...

Airborne Andrea

Andrea Landing

Soaring Sofia

A Sofia Landing

The exuberance of my twin granddaughters on our first real fall day is invigorating. When teens get happy, they rev up their engines, they move, hum, sing. They find their groove.

And I love being a part of Andrea and Sofia's reaction to the first cool day of autumn. Jump, my Darlings!

Location: My Ranchburger

The Rewards of Yard Work

A wonderful Luna Moth Caterpillar climbs the old oak in our garden.

These are Tall Husband's fingers...to give you an idea of scale.

Mowing a lawn can bring rewards. Consider this beautiful Luna Moth Caterpillar. Tall Husband found it climbing up an oak tree in our garden as I was finishing the trimming and edging today.

Now, I shall dream about seeing this caterpillar, transformed into a large moth. She will be flying about one night in Spring with her magical wings spread majestically in the darkness.

White Wednesday: An Old White Door

Doors can welcome you in, as well as lock you out. I like to think of each door as a passage to the past as well as the future. This old white door beckoned to me, inviting me into a room with the feel and fragrance of many old souls. With my hand on the ancient rusty knob, I allowed myself the pure luxury of imagining others who had felt the old doorknob in their hands; of those that had been there long before I happened upon its stone stoop.

White Wednesday is hosted by Faded Charm Cottage, where you'll find links to wonderful white stuff.

One Last Look at Marburger Farm

J Hill Designs

This is one last look at Marburger Farm Antique Show for Fall 2009 and a fond farewell to new and old friends we met while hunting and gathering.

J Hill Designs

J. Hill Designs was a little slice of design heaven. I wanted to crawl into that bed and read a book...just hang out for awhile, feeling all that luxury and the little melt-your-heart touches.

Willow Nest

Linda of Willow Nest, whose blog I love to follow, has created a lifestyle made of country dreams. Her booth was ethereal with witty touches. Don't you just love that duck?

As promised in the previous post, I would like you to meet the sweetest dog at Marburger Farm Antique Show: Zipper of Erie Canal Antiques.

Erie Canal Antiques

This booth, Erie Canal Antiques, had beautiful ironstone and china. Plus they had wonderful antique cameras. Res: (817) 496-3920.

French Influence, Murielle Abeger

If you love stacks of French antique books and other beautiful French Antiques, Murielle Abeger of French Influence is your dealer. frenchinfluence@bellsouth.net

Goodbye, Magnolia Pearl...see you next year.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Theresa at Garden Antqs Vintage is also covering the show.

Marburger Farm in the Fall

Oh so dégagé...those Texans!

Found! (above & below)

On opening day, Tall Husband and I headed straight for Found for the Home when we arrived at Marburger Farm Antique Show. Why? Because last year we got there on the last day of the show and Found had sold out! All Ruth Davis and Aaron Rambo, the proprietors, had left that last day were big smiles. After giving Ruth and Aaron hugs, we headed out to explore the rest of Marburger.


Austin Woodhenge had wonderful artisan things. Just look at those wonderful dressmaker's forms, the linens and postal bags they silk screened with antique French sales receipts. We brought one of those bags home!

Ahh, Magnolia Pearl! How could one live without your romantic Victorian funk? That white dress in the center is now hanging in my closet along with last year's Magnolia Pearl pantaloons and blouse. Tall Husband loves being at Magnolia Pearl, enveloped by the whole girlie flurry of excitement.

These old molds at Lance Hoyt's Missing Link Antiques (315-676-5638 in Brewerton, New York, USA) from a doll maker's factory have a new life as sculpture. I wanted them all. But after shopping at Magnolia Pearl's...If I had real money, I would be dangerous!

The French Pear Antiques was melt-your-heart magic. This dealer, Kim D. Hoegger is out of Wylie, Texas (214-837-8871.)

January 27, 2010: Kim now has a blog: http://kimhoeggerhome.typepad.com/my_weblog/.

Tall Husband and I wanted to move into Gerry and Doris Young's booth, which was filled with French, Belgian and German treasures (Weinbrenner & Co. Their e-mail is gerryyoung5@earthlink.net) While we were there we met Anne, who is the fabulous website designer for Installations Antiques. Also, friends, Jur and Becki, proprietors of Installations were there shopping.

Note: Other bloggers who are posting about the Fall Antiques Shows in Texas:
Beadboard UpCountry
Hill Country House
Cote de Texas
Tongue In Cheek

Come back later for one last look at Marburger Farm's Fall 2009 Show. You'll get to meet Zipper too!

Oh, and be sure to click on photos to enlarge.