Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Chinese Chippendale





Not sure why 
I love a Chinese Chippendale 
pattern so much.



Domino Magazine



It might be a result of the many trips 
we took to colonial Williamsburg
when I was a little girl....?





elledecor.com



Or it may have something to do 
with my love of history 
and architecture.....?




walpolewoodworkers.com




Maybe it's because the designs are simply beautiful?



Baker Furniture


Whatever the case,
I love it.


Classic. Timeless. Elegant.





shopping.com





We had Chinese Chippendale 
porch railings, a screen door,  
and a gate added to
the colonial house 
that we used to live in.



And to think it has been around since
the 1700's. It really is timeless.



Screentight.com


walpolewoodworkers.com



Here is a little background information on Thomas Chippendale:

The Chinese Chippendale patterns 
are named after Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779), 
London’s most widely known furniture and cabinet maker
during the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles.
This classic motif originated from his interest in incorporating Chinese 
and other Asian elements into various furniture
and cabinetry designs.


The geometric line patterns, usually within a rectangular framework, 
are varied and quite complex for a builder or artisan to execute. 
During the colonial period, Americans adapted and used
Chinese Chippendale designs for fence railings, porch balustrades,
railings on roof tops, interior staircases,
and furniture and accessory designs.


Chippendale elements are evident in the preserved homes and buildings
in colonial Williamsburg, and at Jefferson’s Monticello.

(Taken in part from Wikipedia and from thisiscarpentry.com)






ZieringInteriors.com




mattersofstyle.blogspot.com






RossWoodwork.com




1stdibs.com


elledecor.com



Do you like Chinese Chippendale patterns?
Do you have any in your home?






walpolewoodworkers.com



Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day



Happy Memorial Day
to you and your family.

God bless the soldiers
past and present
who fought for our
right to be free.

With sincere gratitude
today and always.







Tuesday, May 24, 2011

To Market, to Market!






If you have ever been antiquing 
or vintage treasure hunting in Chicago,
you probably know about the 
Randolph Street Market.











Aptly termed a "mecca of cool" 
this outdoor and indoor market 
attracts over 200 dealers and vendors
from all over the country one weekend a month,
seven months a year.








Nate Berkus says, 
"I love this market ... the quality is incredible!"
You will find everything from antique, vintage and modern
furnishings, to clothing, jewelry, and collectibles.






(Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post)





Not only are there GREAT antiques and vintage
things to go CRAZY for,
there are vintage fashion and jewelry vendors, 
designers and local artists,
fresh foods, flowers and plant vendors too.





Each month there is a theme ---
this month's is 
GARDEN







Held on the last weekend of every month,
from May through November, 
this urban chic marketplace, 
now in it's 8th season,
is not to be missed.



Located in Chicago's historic West Loop neighborhood,
 at 1350 West Randolph Street,
this shopping destination is easy to get to 
and offers convenient
valet parking for suburbanites (like me.) 









Why do I love the Randolph Street Market?

Amazing Antiques and Vintage Finds
Fantastic vendors from across the country
Really great food
(from trendy local eateries)
Live musical groups
Beers and wines 
(so you can have a cocktail while browsing)
Fast Cash available ( ATM's)
Easy pick-up and loading service
Early bird shopping option 
The city skyline is your backdrop
(love that)
Fun people watching spot!







What's NOT to love?




EARLY BIRD SPECIAL......

BTW..... $25 will get you in the doors 
2 hours early (8 - 10am) for shopping 
before general admission. 
Worth every penny and
all the proceeds got to charity....sweet!

http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com/




I will be there with friends
this weekend 
for the grand opening
of the Randolph Street Market.

So jump in your car,
or hop on the next plane,
and meet us in the windy city 
this weekend, ok?




 What are you waiting for?
:)








My kind of town.      (Photo courtesy of myopera.com)






Sunday, May 22, 2011

A garden folly



 One day this past week
my daughter and I took a walk to the lake.
We walked down a street that we've walked
down many times before.
But this time, something was different.



This wonderful old building
has magically appeared
in the backyard of an old estate.

It was never ever there before.








It's very old, though you can't tell from my cell phone photos.


The homeowners must have purchased
this wonderful old garden folly
and had it moved here.


A small team of landscapers were
very busy moving dirt, new trees,
and plants. I tried to peek
to take some close up pictures of what
they were working on
but these were the only ones I
felt comfortable in taking ---
 the view from the street.
(My daughter was embarrassed that
I was taking pictures at all!)

In a month from now,
this fantastic new addition will look
like it has been there for a hundred years.





The architectural details are stunning. Original wavy glass window panes too.

This  similar structure Brookline, Massachusetts. Would swear they were the same, minus some figurines.


This one in Medford. Massachusetts

And this last one is from Wakefield, Massachusetts


Wouldn't it be interesting 
to know where this
one was moved from?
(I'll let you know if two figurines appear on the rooftop!)



The following is the definition for a FOLLY taken from Wikipedia:

In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting 
by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal 
range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs. In the original use 
of the word, these buildings had no other use, but from the 19th to 20th centuries the term 
was also applied to highly decorative buildings which had secondary practical functions such
as housing, sheltering or business use.
18th century English gardens and French landscape gardening often featured Roman temples, which symbolized classical virtues or ideals. Other 18th century garden follies represented Chinese temples, Egyptian pyramids, ruined abbeys, or Tatar tents, to represent different continents or historical eras. Sometimes they represented rustic villages, mills and cottages, to symbolize rural virtues.

Partial List of follies in the United States






All older photos credit:
http://downeastdilittante.wordpress.com












Thursday, May 19, 2011

The Game Room







 This is the game room in our house. 
It's where our teens and their friends 
hang out when they come by. 











Since our house is a converted polo barn and stables, 
there is no lower level basement 
to send the kids to
like most homes around here. 
We are on a big old slab.








Found this reproduction train poster 
on Ebay last year. 
What's notable is that this poster 
is advertising the Chicago North Shore Line 
which was the very same train line that brought people 
out from the city to see polo matches in our town
 at the same time when this place was built. 
This place was built in 1939,
and the most famous U.S. polo match ever played
in American history was played right here in Illinois,
 the East-West Clash of 1933.








Old school room clock and framed vintage game box top.

I added bases to the bottom of vintage glove molds to help them stand up. Now they are helping hands.




Put the bookcase up on my grandfather's old harvest table to balance the height of the game closet on the other side of the room.











There is a 1950's bowling game in the corner. My husband and I played with one like this when we were first dating. :)





Vintage game table has old board games and pieces under glass.


Believe it or not, ultrasuede is great with kids.... everything wipes off.





Found this old pinball machine game board at the Junk Bonanza in MN.





My mom sent me this red ruler covered box a few years back.

Wish I could say this was my little red scooter, but it isn't. 





Found this old display case for my vintage horse show ribbon and equine playing card collection.








Curiosity always gets the best of Max.



Love the warmth and texture of a used brick wall.
Wish we had more of them here.


One more thing.....
I just wanted to say
thank you to all of my faithful followers!
I cannot believe that there are more than 300 of you.
Please know how much I appreciate each 
and every time you stop by 
sharing your sweet and supportive comments. 
You keep me going! Thank you all.



Do you have a game room
or a play room where your kids can play?






Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Spending quality time with my buds

Many thanks to Ann at OnSuttonPlace for teaching me how create this collage! Thanks Ann!


Things are budding 
and some are even blossoming 
in the gardens here.





What's blooming 
along your garden paths?
















Thanks for stopping by today.
Always look forward to your visits.