joy of Spring....the awws' of April

The month of April has always been a fave of mine...I love the name...April....sounds very fresh and lovely...April always makes me think of flowers, the smell of rain and warmer days to come. April is also the month, a very special person in my life, my Father was born...I have always associated April with joy & happy moments, because of my Father's loving & kind spirit....and also my family's celebration of Easter.  Living in southern Cali, we are blessed to have a very long Spring each year...April & May being the most brilliant months with beautiful skies, blooming flowers & trees and gorgeous green grass. I love the quote from...Byron Caldwell Smith...."Our spring has come at last with the soft laughter of April suns and shadow of April showers" and the quote from Shakespeare, "April hath put a spirit of youth into everything."
For me, the month of April, never disappoints....April always renews my spirit, promises & delivers the beautiful days before summer's warmth comes each year.

Sharing with you my joys of April...

gorgeous & fragrant lilacs...

Spring picnic in the garden...

Spring floral garland adorns the front door...via littlebitofsillynessreally

Spring al fresco...via worldofaerin

bunny love..via zsazsabellagio

lovely & delicate...Queen Anne's Lace via vibekedesign

Spring fleurs...via clausdalby.dk

the Spring table...via carolspinski

a Spring tulip graces the table setting...via boxwood clippings

celebrating the arrival of April...via wishflowers

Wishing you a joyful first week of April...Cheers♥

collecting...a door to the past

 Collecting antiques is a passion that opens the door to the past....One of the first questions you may find yourself asking is what exactly counts as an antique...Technically, an antique is an item that is at least a hundred years old. Furniture, art, textiles, decorative objects are some of the more popular antiques being collected today. Antique collecting is appealing (an addiction of sorts)...it offers the antique enthusiast the fun and excitement of hunting for rare and valuable treasures as well as that perfect, imperfect piece for their home.

As long as there has been a written history, there have been those who collected antiques. Religious artifacts were probably the first category of sought after antiques during the 16th century. Personal antique collecting, however, began to flourish in Europe and the United States in the 18th century, where archaeological finds and pieces of art were the main focus. Nearly anything that is old or rare is considered worthy of collecting...Most collectors seem to love history and strive to keep the past alive engage in collecting. In the past few years, French antiques & vintage objects have become highly sought after...rustic farmhouse furniture, decorative & utilitarian items are collected by many. A true collector of the past can always spot another with the same passion...the sparkle in their eyes & the smile on their face when they find that sought after piece of art, furniture or objects they collect. 
Sharing with you a few things, I love & love to collect...

Rue 27 Maison...

French giltwood mirrors...from Lisa Luby Ryan

Sterling Mint Juleps...from stylecourt

French Confits from Inessa Stewart Antiques...

monogrammed silver napkin rings...

19th c. Santos...from Alys Geertyn

French bergeres from Joyce Horn Antiques...

antique gilt crowns from Heather Bullard...

French grain sacks & textiles...via French Vintage Home

antique decanters...

vellum & leather old books...

vintage French baskets...via larmoiredecamille

Mora clocks & Swedish....from Henhurst Interiors

antique French copper...via Paris Hotel Boutique

antique & vintage bread boards...from fossil vintage

Aubusson tapestry fragments...from Corey Armaro

demi johns...via grace & ivy

French & Italian Milagros, Ex Votos...

French ormolu & glass caskets...from Anna's Antiques

 

French country altar candleholders from Rue 27 Maison...

Happy collecting...until next time...♥

the Spring table....

Spring has been flirting with us here in southern Cali for the past few weeks and seems to be here to stay, even though the official first day of Spring is over a week away...today the sky is a brilliant blue , the air light, fragrant & crisp....everything is in bloom, butterflies are fluttering about & the birds are singing their song....idyllic & beautiful! Spring is a wonderful time to dine & entertain al fresco...I love Spring ham, fresh asparagus, strawberries & setting a table in the garden. My favorite Spring quote is from Rainer Marie Rilke... "Its Spring again...the earth is like a child who know the poems by heart"

Sharing with you my fave joys of Spring...

lunch in the courtyard at Rue 27 Maison

Spring asparagus tart from heatovento350...

Spring in the country...

simple white place setting

love these sweet pea cookies

Spring garden party via vestidoslindosatelier....

Spring country glazed ham via marthastewart

delicious blueberry marscapone tart via sugar and snapshots

Spring dining via my romantic lifestyles...

fresh asparagus & edible flowers from alessandrazecchini

Spring al fresco in provence...via my french country home

Southern sweet tea in the garden...

cutlery with spring flowers...

Lovely & fragrant...lilacs

Spring fete in France..

Spring  wedding dinner in the garden from southern weddings...

Until next time...hopefully Spring will reach all of you very soon...Cheers ♥

collecting....love of patina

Patina....when I googled the word, it came up, "a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use"  I have loved the look of true aged patina, ever since I began collecting antiques in my early twenties.....Patina is also a tarnish that forms on the surface of metals...a sheen on wood produced by age, wear and polishing or any acquired change of a surface through age and exposure. The ghosting of a mirror is a form of patina. Patinas can provide a protective layer to materials that would otherwise be damaged by corrosion or weathering and can also be aesthetically appealing. Most true collectors search for pieces with patina & treasure the look, that tells the age & wear of the piece. Aged patina has become very popular in the last few years, many new items are being made to have the aged look...and there are many diy's blogs, shows, etc. that show how to achieve the aging process, some are quite good. Most who have collected for many years still prefer a true aged piece and would never consider covering up the rust on an antique french urn or a worn area on the arm of a bergere, where a hand rested many times in the past. Sharing with you a few patina faves of mine...

love everything about this setting, beautiful aged gilt & a wonderful example of true patina on painted antiques...

beautiful french chest with aged patina...

gorgeous french setting from cote de texas..

antique french architectural angel fragment...

beautiful glowing patina on this antique library table...from electic revisited

beautiful aged gilt & mercury glass mirror

gorgeous patina...from jennings & gates

love the patina on the mirror & metal sconce from romancing the home...

beautiful patina...from Brooke Giannetti

Cheers...until next time  ♥