Taking a break...

Central NY has had our share of snow this winter….

…so I am going to hop on one of these:

...and spend some time in Florida...

…and then hop on one of these:

...and spend some time here:

and when I return home in a few weeks, I hope to see:

Another Harlequin Chest….

This is my latest Harlequin Chest:

A few weeks ago I painted this one in a light tan and luckily sold it on Craigs List in about 12 hours:

Because there was a lot of interest, I painted another one, this time in light grey tones:

This chest has only 2 drawers, but probably would hold as much as the 3 drawer chest.

As you can see, the top really needed some work:

I like painting these small chests and my customers find them to be so useful.  They make great end tables, and they hide all the "stuff" that usually ends up on top of the coffee table!

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Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch

MacKenzie-Childs Farmhouse Tour - Winter 2014

I have written many posts on the Farmhouse at MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora, NY.  This time I will highlight some specifics, rather than the rooms.

The farmhouse is to the left, overlooking Cayuga Lake in the distance:

As you enter, the dining room is the the left - in a rosy pink, with lovely, curved-top draperies and an exquisite chandelier. (see yesterdays post for the table setting)

It's such a stunning room:

This mirror is found in the library and the reflection shows the beautiful ceiling in this room:

The furniture in the library is so colorful and comfy!:

This floor is found in the Butler's Pantry and the story behind it is this:  each tile has one of each original design pattern from the 1980's:

The private bathroom off the Courtly Check bedroom also sports the pattern on the seat:

My favorite pattern is the Buttercup and this door is just adorable. The story of this pattern is that it was originally painted with fingers, rather than paintbrushes:

This bathroom is so bright and cheery, with a matching counter and shower stall:

One of the bedrooms has this quaint corner - wouldn't this be a lovely spot to sit and write our blogs posts?

The hallway on the second floor has a gorgeous view of the lake...

...and many of the rooms also overlook the 90' drop to the lake:

This is another private bathroom….

...that is off this bedroom. i adore these pillows:

One of the sitting rooms has this unique lamp.  The lamp base is also the same mold that is used for many of the legs on furniture, just turned upside down!

The game room has some unique chairs:

This is one of my favorites:

Here's a cute ottoman - can you recognize how its made?  "Ties" from Scotland:

This is a whimsical piece with a great story:  It is called the Ridiculous Bench.  The wooden base has EVERY one of the M-C painting styles on it.  When it was created, some one called it "ridiculous" and therefor, its name!

This window features a painting of the exact view you see when looking out the window in the summer!

The hallway walls are paintings of the original grounds before its fire in the 90's

This was the "seconds" which is no longer on the property (we used to get some great deals in the little shop!):

The back stairwell features all their fish platters - a tribute to the lake - on the "Gone Fishing" wall

I have shown many photos of the pink kitchen before, but I love the marble countertops!

If you are ever in the Finger Lakes Region of NY, you have to stop by to visit the Farmhouse  Each season there are changes in the decor, the table settings are always different and it's fun to see many of the retired pieces and patterns that might have been forgotten!

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Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal  

MacKenzie-Childs "EYE-CANDY" Table Settings

As you know, I am a fan of Mackenzie-Childs products.  The new catalog arrived a few weeks ago and I needed a "fix".

On Sunday I drove out to Aurora to visit the MacKenzie-Childs Store and Farmhouse on Cayuga Lake.

The farmhouse is to the left and the lake is in the distance:

It was a cold day and snowing lightly.  This photo was taken under the archway that takes you to the store, again, the lake is in the distance with the Farmhouse to the left:  

This table, in the store, highlights Parchment Check and the sweetest little nosegays in striped pots.  The table is painted in a pastel harlequin design.  The center of the table had a tray which held 6 little Parchment compotes and vases filled with white tulips.

A single place setting of 2 dishes and a nosegay cost $292.00:

Imagine sitting at this place setting and the nosegay in a striped pot would be your favor - how sweet would that be?

This table was set in their signature Courtly Check and Picadilly accent pieces,  This single place setting of these 3 stacked dishes cost $308.00:

The diorama table in the Farmhouse dining room 

was set with both the Parchment and Courtly Check.

This single place setting of 3 cost $404:

It was difficult to get a photo of the diorama table but it is cut in layers and pictures the lake from an arial view with the lake in the center, and trees, in many layers, around the edges, topped with glass:

The centerpiece was stunning:

The breakfast room in the Farmhouse featured enamelware on their checked table.

This single place setting of 4 stacked dishes cost $165.00:

This room has floral wallpaper, a variety of chairs, rosy pink curtains - proving that these checks can be used in any home!  The centerpiece was filled with lots of fruit and greens:

Stop by tomorrow and I will share more photos from the Farmhouse!

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Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch