Just Pruning the Roses and Sharing My Loot!

The time had come to prune back my Bonica rose bush.  It was almost done blooming...and normally I would wait until it was completely done, but the stems were so full of blooms that they were falling over and practically laying on the ground.  I couldn't let the piles of pretty pink go to waste, so I staged them with a few of the treasures that I had already planned to share today!

I purchased this gorgeous sea grass tote with the Pottery Barn gift card I received in the giveaway from the lovely ladies of All That Jazz Vintage.  Thanks again Tara and Michelle!  This bag has been great for estate saling as well as carrying things to and from the shop!  I just love it!

The vanity mirrors were thrift store finds this week.  I love to use them in my displays at the shop.

Another favorite pink rose...this one is Ballerina.

I was so pleased to find this stack of Johnson Brother's Rose Chintz for $3.99 at a thrift store this week.  They are a bit chippy but it doesn't matter...they will have a good home in my china cabinet with my grandmother's treasured rose chintz collection!

This lovely Johnson Brother's ironstone platter will be making it's way to my space at the shop next week...

along with this handsome stack of old ironstone.  The platters are big and heavy!

Do you know what this is?  It isn't a giant tea cup!  This is that perfect accessory to the 1880's oak washstand I had mentioned in my last post!

After it jumped off the shelf of the thrift store into my delighted hands, I doused myself in antibacterial gel and made my way to the nearest bathroom to wash up with soap and water!  Ha!  This porcelain commode dates to 1911!  I was thrilled to tuck it inside of the washstand cupboard (after a thorough cleaning of course!)  My husband thinks it would be great fun to put a couple of unwrapped Baby Ruth candy bars in it for effect.  Of course I said NO WAY!

Do you own an antique chamber pot?  How do you display it?

Cleaning up...after making two very large bouquets to enjoy in the house and several bundles of buds for drying.  Garden work turned fun photo shoot!

Thank you for your sweet visit today!  I look forward to seeing what you all have been busy working on this week or what treasures you've discovered!  Have a lovely weekend!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

I will be joining in these fun Friday parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Treasure Chest Friday at White Ironstone Cottage

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

Garden Link Up at Centsational Girl

Nellie's Washstand and a Whole Lot of Beautiful Iris!

Just last night, I added this sweet little 1880's oak washstand to my space at the shop!  I am so intrigued by old old furniture...and love to imagine the home it started in and the people who enjoyed it long ago.  This piece makes me think of Little House on the Prairie.  Can't you just imagine Nellie Oleson standing at it, washing her dainty hands in a big ornate bowl? 

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Before I loaded it up in my truck, I set it out in front of the house and created this pretty vignette just for you!

My mom and I hit up a community yard sale event on Saturday and had a blast hopping from one sale to the next...over 40 in all!  This washstand was my big purchase for the day!

Of course I also came home with a lot of dishes...  I will share more of them with you in another post this week!

I wish I'd taken a photo of the dove-tailing to share with you.  Identifying the type of dovetailing on a piece of furniture is a great way to find it's age.  This washstand's drawers have pin and cove dovetailing which dates it to the 1880's.  Here is an example I found online...

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At the end of our yard saling spree, we stopped in to see my mom's friend who is an Iris expert extraordinaire!  He was hosting an open garden!  Prepare to be amazed...

Have you ever seen so many iris in one place?

Want to see more?  Visit Chad and Dale's website, Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm.   They have an online catalog and ship their iris bulbs all across the U.S.!

I did a little thrifting today...and I found something I can hardly wait to show you.  It is the perfect accessory for my little washstand!  I wish I'd found it before I hauled the washstand to the shop...but it will still be fun to share with you later this week!  Can you guess what it is???

Thank you for your sweet visit today!  I hope you are having a lovely week!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

I will be joining these fun parties:

White Wednesday at http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/

Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Transformations and Treasures at Pink Postcard

Treasure Hunt Thursday at Blue Creek Home

Vintage Country Style Wedding at Lac de' Fleur Gardens

The day was warm and bright with the slightest cool breeze blowing by at all the right moments.  The bride had chosen a relaxed, vintage country theme for her decor.  Her dress was elegant with touches of lace and sparkle.  The bridesmaids wore different styles of dresses all coordinating with soft muted pastel colors.

A sweet rustic potting bench held the guestbook and homemade jams and rolls for the guests to take home at the end of the evening.

Bouquets of wildflowers in vintage bottles and vases gave each guest's table a different look, keeping with the relaxed style.

A vintage dresser beautifully refinished by the mother of the bride was thoughtfully positioned under a tree next to the old water wheel to display the charming cake and cupcakes.  Antique windows hung from the tree branches above to create a fun and whimsical backdrop.

A friend of the bride created the most adorable little bird bride and groom out of modeling clay...a precious keepsake!

Vintage style postcards were scattered on each table for guests to write notes of encouragement to the bride and groom...yet another creative and sweet touch.

Thank you for your kind visit!  I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of last weekend's wedding at Lac de' Fleur Gardens!  The photographers who shot this event were probably some of the most talented we've had.  They have posted a few of their favorite photographs on our Facebook page as well as a link to their blog where there is a video as well.  You can find us on Facebook by following this link...if you'd like!

I hope you are having a lovely week!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

sharing with the following fun parties today:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

All Moved In!!!

I am so thrilled to be all moved in to my new space at Camas Antiques!  It was a tiny bit sad leaving my cozy little room in the back corner of the shop after five years, but I was ready for a change and I couldn't be happier with my new location!  I didn't expect the furniture I planned for it to fit as well as it does...even though I measured and drew up a design for it.  Generally my sense of space is a little off!  A special thank you goes out to my sweet husband (the hunky Sherpa) who patiently helped with the loading, unloading, moving and shifting of the heavier pieces!  I don't know what I would do without him! 

The little dark wood table against the wall is actually an antique dining table that shrinks down to the size of a console or sofa table!  I have to give my hunky Sherpa the credit for that discovery!  It can seat up to 6 when the 2 leaves are in place.  How perfect for a tiny cottage or studio apartment!

I spent a couple of hours last week papering the inside of this cabinet with vintage hymnal pages.  The sheet music was perfect for achieving the overall look I was going for, but I really love the tender words that serve as a backdrop for my found treasures.  I feel that it gives my little space a peaceful and spiritual ambiance.  It was no coincidence that I happened upon a box of vintage sheet music from a church just a few weeks ago.  Isn't it awesome to think that God intervenes in our creative, crafty endeavors...even those that we consider insignificant in the eyes of our creative Father...the one who hand crafted the heavens and the earth!  Amazing!

I have a few photos of the wedding decor from our event at Lac de' Fleur Gardens last weekend to share with you too...but I think I will save them for another post as I have three little ones here who require my attention at the moment!  Thank you for your sweet visit today!  I look forward to seeing what all of my blog buddies are up to this week! 

Have a lovely day!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

I'll be joining in the White Wednesday party at Faded Charm today!

Tea is Served at Lac de' Fleur Gardens

Many of my summer weekends are spent just a few miles away from my home at Lac de' Fleur Gardens.  A couple of weeks ago I told you a bit about my parent's property and the wedding venue business that my mom and I run.  We had our first two events of the season this past weekend and I made sure to bring my camera along so that I could share the details of the days with you all!

This weekend we hosted 2 intimate tea parties.  Both were events donated for bidding at charity silent auctions.  The weather couldn't have been more ideal for dining in the pavilion next to the pond!

First we served traditional cream scones with homemade strawberry jam and whipped cream.

Next came individual salads garnished with strawberries, blueberries, blue cheese and candied pecans!  This is my mom's signature salad!

I had fun creating these delicate little tea sandwiches!  The cucumbers and oregano topped an herbed cream cheese spread.  The chicken salad included dried cranberries, celery and a curry dressing.

We have a friend who bakes the most beautiful and delicious cakes for us!  We recommend her to all of our brides as well! 

We served a delicious pistachio nut cake with butter cream frosting...mmmmm!

After our lovely guests had departed and the dishes were all washed and put away, I walked around the garden and snapped a few more photos to share!

This is just a very small glimpse at my parent's beautiful property!  I promise to share more in future posts!  In fact, I will be there all of next weekend for our first wedding of the summer!  The bride has a vintage/shabby chic style and I can't wait to see her flowers, decor and the dress!  If you want to read about the history of Lac de' Fleur Gardens and see more photos taken by my very talented father, you can check out our website at http://www.lacdefleurgardens.com/!

Thank you for your lovely visit today!  I hope your week is wonderful!  I am off to work on a few projects for the shop!  It looks to be a good day for painting!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing with these fun parties:

Tea for Two Tuesday at The Plued Pen

Tea Time Tuesday with Lady Katherine

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style