Which two things are not like the others?

Which two things are not like the others?

Does anyone remember the song?

Which two things are not like the other..

I think that it was from Sesame Street or The Electric Company

(I may be revealing my age here ;-)

Image from COUNTRY HOME May 2004

The answer is...

Image from COUNTRY HOME May 2004

None of them.

Close up of  fireplace above.

All of them go together.

Image from Country Living October 2008

And rather splendidly at that.

Wishing you a splendid evening.

Cristine 

Smoke Signals

Dear friends and fellow bloggers-

I would like your opinion.

Which of the two fireplace surrounds and mantels 

would you choose

if...

Your living room looked like this?

and your fireplace looked like this?

I guess that I should show you some other details 

in my living room-to give you the whole idea..

Three bird prints that hang in the entryway 

(please don't notice how crooked they are ;-)

I have used a lot of the golds and yellows

and the blues and the greens.

I would like to incorporate some of the gray tones.

Above is a close up (for color purposes)

This is the wallpaper that hangs in the dining room 

which is open and very visible from the living room.

The fabric and trim on the draperies.

The drapery panel fabric against the window seat fabric

(I love the "bee" fabric)

You can also see the wall color here.

Other items in the room include the pillows above...

This vignette...

Black Hutch with fabric back...

Above is the fabric that I used for the back of the black hutch.

More elements like this terrarium which sits on

the shelves next to the fireplace.

Close up of some other items on bookshelves...

and other details.

I love the warmth of the first fireplace surround 

and the

combination of the stone mantel

with the metal screen.

and 

I love the gray element in the second fireplace surround

along with the detail in the mantel.

Now that I see them together..

they really look very similar 

hmmmmm...

Tell me please...

what do you think?

Wishing you warmth and elegant details 

wherever you are.

Cristine

Pecking Order

Love, love, love 

these chicken wire cloches

sans chickens ;-)  

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Look for my virtual yard sale coming soon.

Featuring lots of great vintage Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley (when it was still a British company)

and oh so much more.  

Cristine

Secret Garden

My thoughts on this Thursday...

are drifting toward picnic afternoons...

wildflower gathering weekends...

flea market flings...

star gazing evenings...

and 

dream filled nights.

Image from Country Home magazine

Where I am Today

This is where I am today...

in my imagination anyway.

Cristine

Decorating for Academic Types

Much of my daily life occurs in a Chemistry Department at a State University.  

Fortunately, 

I have my own little space that I have been able to create exactly as I want it to be.

Also with great fortune, I have a Department Head who graciously accepted my offer to spruce up the rest of the office up as well.  

Slowly I have been gathering items...

such as those above

(the school has been around since 1874 and houses a plethora of old scientific instruments, laboratory notebooks, black & white photographs and all sorts of odd chemical contraptions)

and

 devising a plan.

Some of my plans have already been implemented 

while others are in the works.

I have yet to take "before" and "after" photographs 

but will soon 

and post them as well.

May you be fortunate enough to have your own little space 

to create exactly as you'd like it to be 

...wherever you are.

Cristine

All Work

I've been working on a big project.

There hasn't been much time for anything else-

like blogging or gardening or decorating or entertaining the children or 

even

walking Savannah (below ;-) 

Actually Savannah looks more like this now...

(I couldn't resist including this puppy photo of hers)

Although my project is just about finished.

I find myself in a bit of a funk.

This photo was graciously borrowed from http://virtual jottingsbyadriana.blogspot.com

More of a contemplative funk than a depression.

But disturbing nonetheless...

It leaves me questioning the choices that I have made.

Choices about career and finances 

Of place and time.

Of where I am and where I'd like to be.

I recall a movie line in which a young girl said

"I think most people know what they want. 

They just don't know how to get it"

Lately, I am finding this statement to be very true and

 I am wishing...

Wishing for the knowledge of how to get to exactly where I want to be.

*** 

May all of you be exactly where you want to be...

wherever you are.

Cristine