Kitchen Accessories Really Do Make a Difference

It's that  time of year- you take all your Christmas decorations down and your house looks like it's missing something.  Know what I mean?  So I am in the mood to re-do all the kitchen accessories and create a little change in my kitchen.  When Angela, the Parisienne Farmgirl, was  here last spring, we played around with a few new ideas. I was just reviewing those photos and decided I liked the little pops of color- especially for this deary time of year. 

I love the pop of green on the neutral tiles by the range.

And the pop of a little red in the flowers on the old tray placed behind the stove is good too!

The French pastry stand on the island is fun to change with the seasons and it seems to need a spot of color right now!

Todays view from the kitchen through the stone arch into the servery.
It does seem like it needs a little color??
 



While not practical for the normal home cook- I do love the way this looks.
An old silver tray is gathering a collection of vinegars in antique carafes, celery vases with old horn flatware,
silver plate sherbets filled with sea salt, and an Old Paris porcelain tureen. 
Maybe I'll re- create a version of this vignette in another spot!

Close up of the pastry stand- think I need to add a little Valentine's decor today to it!

Aged mirror refrigerator- will probably do this again in my next house.
It always reflects what is going on in the kitchen and makes the small space seem bigger.

another little spot of red on the kitchen table.
I found this old silver plate decanter holder that was missing its bottles.
 It is perfect for wine, candles and flowers
on the kitchen table.


So in the next few days, I am going to re-do my kitchen accessories. Let's see what I'll come up with.
 Yes, It is that time of year again-  time to "nest" and move things around!  Stay tuned!

Old Rhinestones and Vintage Handbags- Endless Possibilities

Yesterday morning, I spent several blissful hours with several friends at a local flea market. It is one of my favorite markets- Grayslake- held every month in the Chicago area.  I always find treasures and yesterday was no exception.  While I love to collect these special treasures, it simply isn't right to put them in a drawer and never enjoy them. So I try to be creative with how I use them.

 

Without fail, it seems I start a new story or collection during my monthly visit.

 

Yesterday's vision was a medley of soft pinks and rhinestones- perfect for the upcoming Valentines

Day celebrations.   I adore this soft blushy pink lady's beaded bag.

 

 

Adore this old paste rhinestone rose pin.  It will look fabulous on a silk pillow!

 

Old Cech rhinestone bracelet

 

Love these soft pink beaded bobeches made by one of the vendors- Suzy Fabulous!

What a great way to re-purpose old beads.

 

The grey and soft pink beads are so pretty together! And this vintage purse

even is big enough to hold a cell phone.

 

I love displaying all these new treasures on my statue.

Maybe I should move her up to my dresser so I can enjoy my new eye candy!

Another pair of fabulous bobeches by Suzy Fabulous!

 

Love all of this together.

another recently acquired bag looks awesome with this grouping.

 Look at the detail on the handle of this little bag- They just don't make them like this anymore.
I like to think of them as "art".  I am thinking of a grouping hung on pretty hooks in a ladies closet or over a dressing table.



Love this pretty little coin bag- also beaded with the same color scheme.

 



 

I adore this old bow pin.  Look how pretty it looks on a pillow.

 



 

Sterling bracelet found for a song.  I will wear this one!

Old rhinestone button earrings- maybe glued to a box lid or glued on to the fronts of

 plain knobs to dress up a chest.  The possibilities are endless.

 

A fabulous buckle- spotted by Julie- will look so pretty tied around a pillow with a pretty ribbon.

Or maybe used as a tie back for a taffeta curtain. Be still my heart!

The possibilities are simply endless!

 

 

 

The Final Four

For the past 17 years, I have been at the Gift Show in Atlanta on this day. Today I am in Chicago and it feels okay! I am so excited about our future plans and can't wait to fill you in on the details. But as most of you know, we are closing our retail location and we are in the final 4 weeks of being open .  We are trying to keep our standards and keep the store looking as good as possible during this sale.  We still have a lot of great merchandise to sell.   During the last couple of days, Katha, Penny, Julie and I have re-invented some of our displays!  As customers walk into the store, we  hear "is that new?" or "I haven't seen that before!".  That's what happens when you uncover layers and layers of "stuff" in our store displays. After all, we have never been accused of not having enough inventory!  Now you can just see most of it!  PS-We are adding a few new treasures daily as we discover things in storage or behind doors in cabinets!  And soon we will be pricing all the store fixtures.  Hope to see our local Chicago customers soon!

 

love this set of four burlap chairs

 

These jugs look great on a hearth or kitchen island

 

A set of sweet lavender dinner and dessert plates - a real steal!

 

Pots of hyacinths with white ironstone - love it

 

So spring like- weeping lavender in an umbrella stand.

 

The lanterns above the table are reproductions but are amazing!

The burlap suitcases look great stacked and are perfect for storing items.



 

Leather chair is the perfect size for a small area like a bedroom,

 

The menu board in the old frame is charming for a kitchen!  I have one behind my range.

 

Festive roses in a mosaic vase look pretty with the old French porcelain compotes.

 

 

 

Tea Pots Re-purposed for Flowers

Many people own silver tea pots, silver tea service sets or simply

 a silver sugar bowl that was most likely given to you as a gift or inherited.

 Lovely to look at , but when was the last time it was actually used to serve tea?

But these silver pieces are beautiful containers and look so pretty filled with flowers. 

 I found myself using them several times over the Holidays as flower containers.

 

 

 

Love these large peonies with the white roses

 

A couple of tea pots used with a sugar bowl and

placed together on a small table for a bigger statement

Love the center container - it stood on its own.

 

I particularly love this style of tea pot filled with flowers.

 

The handle has such interesting details

 

the same tea pot filled with pink roses and blue hydrangeas

 

 

A large sugar bowl filled with flowers- also very useful as a silverware caddy for buffets.

 

 

Yes, maybe one day I'll have time to enjoy tea from these beautiful containers,

but for now arranging  my grocery store roses in them, makes me just as content!

 



Ina's Melted Cherry Tomatoes over Salmon- Divine

Ina- you have  done it again.  I made your Melted Cherry Tomatoes over Salmon last night for dinner and I must say- it was divine. It is definitely  a new "go-to" recipe for my family. Your tips in the recipe really made this dish easy and very  successful!  I have never cooked my salmon so well.

 

 

First I sliced little "cherub" tomatoes in half. they are  truly the only tomato besides the Campari-on the vine tomatoes- to really taste like a tomato this time of the year in Chicago.

 

 

 

 

In general , you saute in olive oil  with onions until melted.

 

Throw in fresh basil.

 

Finish with balsamic vinegar and plate.

 

 

Sear salmon - skin side up- for 4 minutes- without touching- in an iron skillet.

This was an invaluable tip!

 

Flip with a fish spatula and voila- beautiful seared salmon.

 

 

 

Plate with the Melted Cherry Tomatoes.

We served with basmati rice. It was deelish!

 

Thanks Ina! You are my favorite and you have done it again!

Fresh and very healthy for the new year. 

This recipe is in her new book  "Foolproof".

Get this recipe and try it! We loved the tomatoes so much, that we made it again the next night and served it with  beef filets. Again, it was a hit!  This is a versatile  tomato sauce- perfect for many applications.