Lakeview Breakfast for the 4th of July

Join me for blueberries and bagles on the deck at the lakehouse.

Its the fourth of July week!

Its a sunny morning and I have a lot of shadows on my breakfast table.

I set the table with my nana's tablecloth from Ireland.

Purple and pink teacups and a lacey purple teapot.

Scattered lavendar rose petals dropped by a breeze.

Lady X rose gets an invitation to the table.

The lake sparkles in the morning sun.

Square plates with a deep hyacyinth pattern

hold court with a small bowl of berries.

These plates came from a local consignment shop.

Love love love purple..

Purple beaded napkin rings, purple plates,

 purple teapot and teacups

and a purple rose!

Galvanized planters give my table

the rustic country touch I love.

Happy Birthday America!

The greatest country in the world

Linking to Tablescape Thursday

Swoon-worthy Staircases

Who doesn't love a grand staircase? 

Ever since Gone With The Wind

a beautiful staircase is the place 

for dramatic entrances and exits.

. 

Handsome steep staircase

 with ebony rails and treads. 

Note the fabulous chandelier.

Same dramatic black and white floor~a major player in this entry.

The angular rail system is striking.

Simplicity in decor lets the staircase standout.

So elegant, this iron rail system with painted treads and risers.

The dark stain of  the door contrasts with the buttery interior.

A Summer Junking Trip

 In New Hampshire last weekend my husband and I

 had the most fun day I can remember in recent times. 

We started by going to the dump and had plans

 to hit the "swap shop".

 The swap shop is where you can recycle unwanted items 

and let others pick them up~for FREE!

Our heist included:

 A singer sewing machine, a picnic basket, 

antique floral desert plates, 

numerous best sellers, a folding hat rack, 

& 2 mini lantern light fixtures.

 My 8 year old step-son Scott scooped up a 

ton of books and toys and was tickled. 

My 81 year old mother-in-law was overjoyed 

when she found a Belgian waffle iron 

and some ice cream dishes.

Next stop... the Junk Trader!

My husband left the Junk Trader with this beauty of a tool trailer! 

A 2009 model, not a scratch on it!

 Hubby needs this for his excavation business.

 We traded George the Junker our ATV,

 plus our two rototillers, an old snow blower, 

a leaf blower and a garden cart (and some cash).

 Here is a partial delivery in exchange for this trailer.

We were spending the weekend at our lake house. 

Since it is on the market, 

we decided to part with these tools as we won't be 

needing them at our city house. 

A win win situation!

Next stop while driving home with our trailer in tow: 

The Old Deerfield Barn

Hubby on the left...Barn owner on the right, with beer in hand. 2pm.

See that aqua blue box with all the chainsaws on it? 

I am going to buy it for $10!!
You can see the big trunk in the distance.
I am going to get that one too.

Here is the barn owners friend loading it into our trailer. Ya hah.

He told me it was built as a coffin. Interesting.

 I liked it cuz it had a finish of the 

softest shade of aqua blue paint all crackly.

I also scored this huge trunk. $40.

It is all rusty but had pretty strapping details.

 I know exactly what I am planning for this baby.

I also picked up a bucket of 

rusty strap hinges and hardware for $10. 

Great for a future shed or gate.

Hubby got a chain saw and some chains....yawn.

It was so great having this huge trailer

 to put anything you wanted to buy inside!

We were having a ball junking together. 

American Pickers~thats us.

My rusty bucket of hinges. 

And an old Hood Milk Box with lettering and green paint.

We're back at the ranch and hubby is using his 

air compressor to blow the dirt and dust off of my new treasures. 

He is the best!

My stuff! The pretty blue paint finish on the coffin box. Nice.

Checking out the spoils from our trip were Tobey and Scott.

I will admit the Mission Trailer was the score of the day.

The only thing that can add to our day now is a dip in the lake.

Lakehouse Luncheon

Welcome to my lakehouse ladies! 
Peak into the room through the french doors.

This purple and green dining room
 is my favorite room in the house. 

This country table is set with two sets of china, 
and both are from consignment shops.

Similar in style with delicate floral patterns
 on a creamy background. 
Glass fruit dishes fresh from the day's trip
 to the swap shop sit on top.

Linen hemstitched napkins in light green
are paired with the lilac tablecloth. 
It has white embroidery petite fleurs.
 I made it from a fabric drapery remnant. 

I got the salmon pink etched wine glasses
 at an auction 20 years ago.

The tole centerpiece in salmon pink match the glasses.
I filled it with pale pink geraniums.

I never liked my chandelier so I draped 

amethyst crystal drapery trim on it and 

hung teardrop purple crystals from the arms.

The green country hutch is my favorite piece of furniture.
 It is a very nice reproduction, I think.

My purple transferware platters and plates
 on the walls are my favs!
The green linen drapes are unlined so the light filters in softly.

I paired a delicate yellow green and cream dinner plates 

with rustic forged iron flatware.

I found these wonderful rush seat chairs at a yard sale. 

6 chairs and a table for $150 bucks! 

A lovely setting for a country house by the lake.

Please come again!


Linking to 

My Favorite Room

No one has ever asked me what my favorite room was. It didn't take me long to figure it out though...my dining room in my lake house is my favorite room of all!

Let me count the ways:

1. I have my very favorite piece of furniture in this room. My green country hutch.
2. My prized collections of purple transferware and amethyst glass are in this room.
3. Purple is the main color in this room. I have loved purple since I was a little girl.
4. With the exception of the green hutch, everything in this room is old and comes from consignment shops, thrift stores, swap shops, old relatives and friends, and remnant tables. I love how you can make a room yours with a little ingenuity.
5. The once hated chandelier that hangs in the room is enchanting now that I have strung it with amethyst drapery trim and purple teardrop crystals.
6. Amazingly enough, this is the one room I didn't repaint. It was purple when I bought this house!
7. The chairs came from a yard sale and they are the epitome of country elegance.
8. This room has a double set of french doors, and I am mad for french doors!
9. This room is where my family gathers for family dinners and special parties and where many happy moments transpire.

These are the reasons my Lake House dining room is my favorite room!

This question was posed to me  

by Blayne Beacham at This Photographers Life. 

Thanks for making me take the time

 to appreciate my dining room Blayne!

The Pink Swing

My dad made our family a white wooden porch swing in 1989. 

I had a little pink house with a cute front porch. 

Dad pictured a swing hanging on the front porch, 

and so he made this and presented it

 at Christmas that year, 21 years ago.

We waited for winter to pass and finally got to hang up our lovely swing.

You can barely see it at the end of the porch.

Here is the only picture I could find of the swing~
on Halloween, 20 years ago.

The white swing finally gained a home again in 2007 

when I married Dave and moved to this new home. 

Son #3 Colin is posing in front of his basement apartment.
Colin wasn't even born when my Dad made the swing.
Here they are 4 years after my dad made the swing.

The white swing looked nice in front of the pink house.

 But the white color of the swing fell flat in front of the light gray facade.

The swing became a casualty of my painting rampage this spring. 

I had to paint it a color. 

Pink.

I liked it so much I made it the logo button for my blog.

This is how the porch area is going to look. 

I sketched this drawing to show the awning stripe curtains

that will enhance this space. Black & white awning stripes.

The door will be painted black.

Inspired all by The Pink Swing!

 Linking  to:

Metamorphisis Monday at BNOTP

Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Friday

Pink Saturdays

Funky Junk Interiors SNS