Could It Be Spring Fever?

I'm not exactly sure if it's "Spring Fever" or the fact that I've been couped up in this house for 5 days….one of those days I had a REAL fever….I haven't had fever in years! Not fun!

But just like the rest of the world I am ready for Spring!

I'm drooping from it if you must know! Just like those tulips!

I'm ready to see those bulbs bursting for worth with their glorious surprises all over my driveway when I come home from the shop…some yellow, some purple, some white! 

You name it!

( I actually bought vases like these and may finally use them!)

Spring is simply refreshing, revitalizing, rejuvenating, re anything right?

Don't get me wrong! 

I do think winter has it's place but I for one would vote to make it the shortest season of all!

The only fun thing to me about winter is the fact that all of my children were born in the winter! 

That is a reason to celebrate it for sure! As well as Christmas!

But with me being homebound and another storm approaching tomorrow I've been looking at a lot of pictures on Pinterest in case you were wondering! I sure do love having a one stop place for my floral, cooking, fashion and anything you can think of needs!

I'm suppose to be working on our inventory list for my shop…instead I'm loving all of these containers and flowers that I'm seeing! 

Don't you just love unusual pieces that you can use with flowers?

This odd piece is fascinating!

My mother in law does this a lot with her beautiful sterling mint juleps!

As she always says, "It's elegant but understated!"

 I love these placed in a powder room for a quick spruce up before a party or simply for yourself!

This goblet does the same trick! Use what you have on hand!

I'm not completely sure what this piece is but it's a goblet of sorts or a candy dish perhaps but it works well with these beautiful flowers!

And this just says "Southern Hospitality" all the way! I love the use of silver pitchers!

The presentation here needs no words…it is stunning!

This Victorian silver pitcher is breathtaking as well!

So you see, you can really use anything that will hold water!

 If it can't just put a solo cup inside and make do! It really works!

This one might take a little oasis to make it sit right but it's still the same effect!

Even a Champagne bucket is fabulous when it's loaded down with such beautiful tulips and branches!

And if anyone can tell me where I can find these phenomenal "vases" I would be forever grateful! Talk about stunning!! Oh my gosh! This entire vignette would look so great in the window of my shop! 

I can see it now!

We should do this with our mercury votives…oh wait! We have! And it ruined them! NEVER put water directly in mercury unless it says so! It sure is pretty when you first do it though!

After spending the day gazing at beautiful pictures of flowers in great vases I've decided that I love a plethora of things!

 (AND….I've been wanting to use that word! ) 

It certainly doesn't have to be as fancy as silver when you want a pretty display...

It can be a wonderful rustic box that sets the tone for anything you want it to...

It can be simple but pretty clear glass jars to dress up a vanity...

It can even be an antique sugar mold (one of my personal favorites!) made into a stunning showpiece! I've even had them done at Christmas with candy canes, holly and red roses!

 Here is another old wooden box that simply holds lavender.

And an array of antique white ironstone filled with blossoms always gets a thumbs up!

 So pretty! So simple!

 I guess I'm in to simple these days! Don't get me wrong! I love me some silver….but when I stop and think about what makes me smile and my heart skip a beat when I see it…it's simple, white ironstone filled with my flower of choice! Oh, I know I should've been funny and said it was Jim! And it is! 

Truth be told…you can't go wrong with with any form of a container as long as you love it and it holds something beautiful to you! I hope you are all doing well with this winter weather! Imagine yourself getting ready for a Spring Party and maybe…just maybe we can all make it another month or two! 

We shall see!

Wednesday's What If's Post…"What If I Showed You My Most Sought After Design Element?"

Would you guess that it would be "pairs" of anything and everything? 

Well, it is!

Pairs of candlesticks, pairs of mirrors, pairs of chests, you name it…it's hot right now! In fact, it's always been a very sought after design element because…It's good design!

picture via Linen and Velvet blog!

Finding "pairs" and keeping up with the demand for pairs has been increasingly difficult for us. I have had many pairs of chairs, chests, lamps, sconces, etc…and they FLY out the door of the shop!

 Now, if I find a pair of ANYTHING the prices have sky rocketed so it's hard to know what to buy and what will sell! 

Mirrored vanities via House Beautiful

As I began my "intensive" research…via Pinterest, different blogs, favorite pictures that I've saved over the years I was reminded once more just how treasured a "pair" of anything is! Whether it be mirrored vanities in a beautiful bathroom or mirrors flanking a gorgeous fireplace, a pair sure does make a statement! I was also pleased to find that when I researched this picture…it lead me back to my very own blog! Almost made feel famous! ( sort of! )

picture via At Home Arkansas...

Maybe "infamous" would describe it better! But leave it to At Home In Arkansas magazine to give us some real beauties to treasure!

And these pairs of mirrored windows/doors leave me drooling every time! I found these on Pinterest as well as Bryan Appleton Designs.

They are truly stunning!

As are these fabulous windows flanking the built in wardrobe as well as the beautiful pair of built ins on either side of the window seat!

Pretty wonderful isn't it? Holly has a window seat like this in her room here in my house…but her twin beds reside on either side of it. I think I built it that way because growing up I always wished my room was on the front side of my house so I could secretly watch all of my "dates" walk up to the door! Horrible of me, I know..but it is so very true! 

Getting right back on track about beautiful pairs of anything that make a statement in a home…Gorgeous pairs of twin beds rank right on top of my list! How about you? Aren't they special? And…these were found right back at my post about the fabulous Pamela Pierce! Check it out if you can!

I love all of these great examples! But for some reason it reminds me that I cannot convince my married daughter and her sweet husband to sleep in her gorgeous twin beds in her old room! Oh no, they prefer the teeny, tiny antique "double" bed that we put in our oldest son's room at home…won't they ever learn that sometimes it's ok…it does a soul a world of good to get a good nights rest! 

La Dolce Vita blog

The Simply Fabulous Blog

No matter…this is about "pairs" and how beautiful they are in a home! I can truthfully say that Holly and Brad make a beautiful pair! As do Mitch and Britney…but we are simply talking about furniture here!

Which is why I wanted to show you this great pair of chairs….

as well as this beautiful pair above!

And this wonderful pair of chests shown in this foyer from House Beautiful truly makes my heart stop! I long for a big foyer one day!

And just look at how Suzanne Kasler used this pair of sofas in a client's home! It's truly spectacular! As is anything she does!

Check out her website HERE!

And this pair of sofas in the pictures above and below from Houzz.com just made my heart glad!

 I just wish I had a room with enough space to do this in!

Once I started seeing pairs of chairs, sofas, etc… it lead me to my search for pairs of lamps...

Those were easily found on Pinterest and I found a lot of them on a blog done by Brabourne Farm…one of my favorite blogs out there! You really should check it out!

Every lamp…be it pairs or not I found incredibly beautiful! In fact, we have sold so many lamps and chandeliers lately that we are about to be in the dark! Maybe I should call up the great people at Brabourne Farm and tell them to send some our way! In the past few weeks we have sold about 4-5 lamps and 2-3 chandeliers…that's a lot when you depend on that for light! And when you don't have time to find anything new and wonderful!

This pair above reminds me so much of the beautiful pair we have in our window right now! And the pair below is a phenomenal pair of corbels that we had made into lamps…love them! And I also love the pairs of antlers and Majolica plates. The antlers left yesterday on approval for a pair of wonderful designers. 

And the more I searched for pairs….pairs of anything….

I found fabulous antique finials….

And gorgeous antique majolica plates….

And the most beautiful pairs of antique abusson pillows…and then it hit me…I had been lead full circle! I started out searching for any "pairs" I could find out there…and in the end… I was lead right back home! To my own blog posts over the years and my own website. That was a really good feeling!

 Sure hope you will think of us when you are looking for a gorgeous pair of anything!

 We strive very hard to have it for you! We truly believe in giving you wonderful pieces to create your best design desires and dreams!

From the front door in until you leave, the first and last impression are important! You want to see something wonderful and you want to leave with something even better…but if you stop and think about it…it's the stuff that happened in the middle that will truly stand out! Did you see or hear something special? Something you won't forget? Was there a pair of chairs that you just had to have? Perhaps, there was a pair of hosts that loved you from the minute you walked in until the moment you left! That's what I want you to remember! The stuff in the middle…the people that made a difference. And yes, if  you remember a great pair of sconces, mirrors, tables, etc…that is just icing on the cake!
Until next time…enjoy the stuff in the middle!