Autumn Arrives in the Four Seasons Bathroom

Here it is!  Autumnal Glory!  Fall is here at last!

The  Dhuri Indian  rugs are what gives us the color scheme 

for this time of year.

The blue fishes in the Summertime bathroom here, have been replaced by this trio of pretty brass fishes that I found  in a Houston thrift store at half-price, so that would be ten dollars...

We love our Gary Larsen in the Library!

A pivotal point in our decorating is the change-out of the picture over the "throne".  This is a print by an artist named Carl L. Blonner.  He was popular at the same time as Charles Dana Gibson, who painted the Gibson Girls.  I can't find out much about him, but I'll keep looking.  I like his style and I found this at Canton for five bucks a few years ago.

Need. More. Towels.

This little plaque is an antique postcard reproduced on a thin piece of wood.  It was made by my friends Troy and Rob of Rue Chic out of Dallas.  

They used to show at Warrenton during the Antique Weekends, but not for the past few years.
  

I wonder where they are now?

Now... I need your advice. 

 You see, I don't like the shower curtain I chose...too brown...too dark...

Just. don't. like. it.

Would you please just pop on over and take a look at these three shower curtains and leave me a comment on which you think would best work for my Autumn bathroom?

I'd be ever so grateful!

Oh, and guess where I'm going today?

It's Antique Weekend at Warrenton time!  YEA!

Links Peva Shower Curtain

Hometrends Squares at Wal-mart

Tuscany at Wal-mart

Linking up with:

Kate at Chic on a Shoestring Flaunt it Friday 

Thrift Scores! Locally and from New York City!

I'm still getting back in the swing of things after our trip to New York city... and so without further ado...here is a sampling of my local thrift scores from this past Friday and Saturday...

Yes, it's Christmas in September!

 A Lefton Christmas tree-shaped plate - this will go with my other Lefton Holly Berry pieces which go on display during the Winter version of the Four Seasons bathroom...I know you can't wait for that!

 

 Everybody needs an Elf bootie complete with holly & holly berries...

 A very sweet Chintz style jam or mustard jar, no markings but there is an unreadable foil sticker on the bottom...so I'm thinking Japanese...

note the break in the pattern and the gold is worn but no chips at all!

(There are two Noma single candlesticks in the background still in the packages...not too exciting but they have orange bulbs in them...yes, I collect them...)

An unmarked McCoy mint green Wishing Well Wall Pocket...I'm thinking maybe cotton swabs in the Fall version of the Four Seasons bathroom...that one will be done within the week I'm hoping...

a 2010 Chik-fil-A "Eat Mor Chikin" ornament...everybody needs one of these...

 And finally...my treasure from the Green Flea Market on the Upper West Side of Manhattan...We went to the Sunday Market located at  Columbus Avenue between W. 76 & 77 Streets. To get there we took the bus and walked. (and walked and walked)!  8-)

Alms Collecting Buddha
(Begging Buddha)

Signifies compassion and caring for all beings...

Arms bent at the elbows, holding an alms bowl at chest level 

I was so excited to find this Buddha!  

And I was able to put him in my carry-on bag with no difficulty at all!

Very Fitting! 

Linking up with:

Selena at Apron Thrift Girl for Thrift Share Monday 

Sir Thrift A Lot for thriftosaurus-thrift-haul-linkup 

Back from New York City...

Well, we are back from New York City!  

Seeing Roxette was great!  Sadly, I did not win a Meet and Greet pass to personally meet Per and Marie and the rest of the band.  

A disappointment but ~ being at the concert was really wonderful!

Marie Fredriksson & Per Gessle - Roxette! - Beacon Theatre, NYC - September 2, 2012

 

On the Bucket List: See Roxette... Live!  ~ Check!

Per! - Been waiting a long time for this!  8-)

Tamara and I really packed a lot of activity into the short time we were there and I'll tell you all about it over the next few posts!

And...it's always good to be home!

PS - I don't have the photos that Tamara took yet, so this post will probably be revised over the next few weeks...stay tuned!

Setlist - September 1, 2012 - Beacon Theatre, NYC

01. Dressed For Success
02. Sleeping In My Car
03. The Big Love
04. Spending My Time
05. Stars
06. She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio)
07. Perfect Day
08. Things Will Never Be The Same
09. It Must Have Been Love
10. Opportunity Nox
11. 7Twenty7
12. Fading Like a Flower
13. Crash Boom Bang
14. How Do You Do!
15. Dangerous

Band presentation
 

16. Joyride (introduced with Sinatra’s New York, New York)

17. Listen To Your Heart
18. The Look
19. Church Of Your Heart

MIA aka What I've Been Doing Lately...Roxette!

Another month has come and gone...where does the time go?

Well, in my case it's gone by while I've been:

1. Thrifting for lots of stuff!  I promise there is a real thrifting tie-in further down...

2.  Buying and listing about 200 more books on Amazon.

3.  Finishing out the Texas Treasure Box building (and it's absolutely lovely).  Thank You Noel!

4.  Having lots and lots of company almost every week!  My family...the most fun people!

5.  Welcoming son Patrick home from his summer internship at Omatic Software in Charleston, SC!

AND...drumroll please!  The REALLY BIG NEWS!

Getting ready to fly to New York City tomorrow morning with my sister Tamara to see .....

ROXETTE!!!

copyright Jennpopps

Sunday night, September 2 at the Beacon Theatre at 2124 Broadway in Manhattan!

 AGHHH!  I'm SO Excited!

They are famous for:  Listen to Your Heart, It Must Have Been Love, Dressed For Success, Fading Like A Flower, The Look and the list goes on and on...just YouTube any of these song titles and you'll say..."Oh yeah, I never knew that was Roxette"!

This is the first song (and video) I ever heard from Roxette and that was only about five years ago... I came late to the party...REALLY late!
But, as it is said, better late than NEVER!

This past week has been spent in entering competetions to win a pass to a Meet and Greet with Per and Marie and the rest of the Roxette band members after the show.

This would be a dream come true for me...so my fingers are crossed!

1st Competetion - A slideshow put together by one of the M & G organizers, where we took a picture of ourselves holding a sign with one word to describe how we feel about Roxette coming to the US in their first major tour since 1992!

2nd Competition: My Roxette Story - What Roxette means to me...no pic - story later...maybe!  8-)

3rd Competiton: My Roxette Collection - Excuse my hair, I was in a hurry to get this one in!

4th Competition: A banner!  This one was fun because I used thrifted and vintage ties! (Here is the Thrift Share Tie-in...oh, my bad!)

I'll be back next Wednesday!  With lots of news about thrifting in New York City, the Brooklyn Flea is on the agenda, along with my Yelp thrifting contacts!  Oh, I'm so excited!

Linking up with:
Selena At Apron Thrift Girl Thrift-share 

Today is a Special Day!

Twenty five years ago today ~ July 27, 1987 ~  on the deserted-for-the-summer grounds of  The Texas Renaissance Festival ~
I met the man who would be my BEST husband ever!

He is my sunshine!

After working the 7th - 8th - 9th & 10th Texas Renaissance Festivals

 during the years of 1981 thru 1984 ~ I moved to San Marcos, Texas until November of 1985 when I found out that my Dad had liver cancer.

 I then moved back to Houston, Texas and found a part-time job selling Designer clothes at Marshall Field in Town & County Shopping Center off I-10 West just past Memorial City and very close to Spring Branch.

In October of 1986 I found a day job as a Receptionist/Bookkeeper for an accounting firm in the Galleria but kept my part-time job at Marshall Field.

With the result that by July of 1987 I was just burnt out... from working!

So I decided to quit my job at Marshall Field.... but they didn't want me to go, because my sales were the highest per hour of anyone who worked in my department, full or part-time... so they gave me a leave of absence of one month.

I decided to I would go see my artist friends from the Festival ~ Pancho and Rosy, at their home in Wimberley, TX.  But I found out that they were going to be at the Festival site up in Magnolia, Tx to work on their booth.  

Rosy told me that they had a friend coming up from Houston to help them...yep...you guessed it!  

The friend was my handsome husband-to-be, Noel Patrick Thomas...and we were married on October 17, 1987!  
Seventy seven days after we met and two days after I turned 37!

Last week DD Julia and I went to Austin to eat Indian food at our favorite Indian restaurant in Round Rock by the name of Chola!  Oh, so good!

Then we decided to go to a couple of thrift stores but the thrift gods were not particularly smiling on us that day...however in the Salvation Army store on S. Congress I found these...

A beautiful set of 1959 E. S. Lowe Renaissance Chessmen in mint condition!

AND a copy of The Big Bands by George T. Simon.

Noel's parents were musicians.  His dad, Earl Morgan Thomas, is a clarinetist and his mom Lois, played the piano and the harp.  Noel was born in Manhattan in 1947 while Grandaddy Earl was attending the Julliard School of Music.

When we were first married Noel used to sing all the Cole Porter tunes to me (and he still does, occasionally).  He particularly likes  the Big Band era, as do we all in the family.

I HAD planned to sell the chess set and the book, but...

Hey!

Linking up with:
Sophie at Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds
Selena of Apron Thrift Girl ~ Thrift Share Monday 

A day late...Happy Fourth of July!

Well, I'm late with my 4th of July post and I haven't been blogging either.  It seems like we've had company for most of June and we've been working a lot on the 'Texas Treasure Box'.  

 And now I've got my hands in braces...carpal tunnel syndrome...maybe.  

So I've embarked upon a series of natural treatments.  

Accupressure, for one, as described here... 

I'm also increasing my B vitamins.  A daily dose of  MSM, in case it's arthritis... trying to rest my hands... Sigh!  

Yesterday my friend  Sydney spent the 4th with us.  Dinner was delish.  

I made my favorite shrimp, tomato and arugula dish paired with cumin basmati rice and Sydney brought a pasta salad...which was also delish. 

Sorry, no pictures, I forgot and we were SOOO hungry! 

When it got dark, we sat out in the field and enjoyed our neighbor's fireworks....they were bursting forth all around us!

(As Noel is reading this over my shoulder, says he especially liked seeing the neighbors explode all around us...

He's so BAD! He criticizes my writing unmercifully!)

It was great! The fireworks, the food and the friendship!

 Happy Belated Independence Day to you all!

The flag belonged to my handsome husband Noel's mother, Lois.

I know it's getting raggedy, but we can't retire it... a sentimental thing. 

 The flag holder is a big chunk of Texas Hill Country limestone which used to be at the bottom of a prehistoric inland sea...cool huh?

Summertime in the Four Seasons Bathroom!

Our ONE bathroom is completely painted in shades of white.  

It is also completely stucco.

  

From the walls to the ceiling & archway to the counter... stucco.

We'd have to jack-hammer to change anything in there...

So, to liven things up a bit, my DD Julia & I devised the Four Seasons bathroom idea.

Seasonal changes are echoed with a different color scheme represented by towels, a shower curtain, throw rugs, a different picture over the reading rack (our one open expanse of wall), & accessories appropriate to the season.

...Welcome to Summertime, where the livin' is easy and the season is breezy (and hot)!  Also, where we use light blues, sea foam greens, LOTS of white, sunny yellow, and turquoise to evoke the seaside.

The shelf my handsome husband Noel made for me from iron brackets we picked up at Warrenton.

The whole thing is mounted on a simple wood frame with shelves made of  cream-colored Corian pieces recycled from a job he did years ago. 

He also found the glass & fluorescent light fixture out at Warrenton one year; it doesn't completely match the one that came with the house, but it's close!

A blue Fenton powder box.

The little fishes in glass were a gift from my youngest sister.  

 Terracotta sun ornament, palm tree tiles, & the fish-in-a-rum bottle are from my next youngest sister, Tamara

 (I have 3 sisters.)  Lucky me!

Blue glass star hanging ornament from my youngest sister

 & the wire fish from Tamara.

Vintage flower-etched medicine cabinet with glass shelves 

& the white enamel gas wall heater are original to the house.

Shells and candles gathered over the years... The plate holding the candle is Laurella by Universal from HH Noel's Aunt Muriel.  Early American Prescut (EAPC) relish bowl by Indiana Glass, Co. holding the shells.

Milk glass dish from my mother, Joey.

Mancala, anyone?

Glass knobs on the cabinet doors and the linen closet were there when we bought the house!

Dig that crazy commode, y'all!  

White wood floors covered in pale-colored Indian dhuri throw rugs.  

The shower curtain was supposed to be more blue than green but with online shopping... c'est la vie.  Oh, well!  I like it!

Care for something to read by the deep blue Mediterranean Sea?

Or, would you prefer to swim?

Thanks for dropping by!

Linking up with:

Kate at Chic-on-a-Shoestring for Flaunt It Friday! 
Sophie for Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures 

PS - We also think it will help us to remember what we do with it from 
season to season!