A Whimsical Obsession

Now....where have I been all these years? How did this, what they call, 'Mackenzie-Childs' slip past me? Pure Heaven! Although I pride myself in my years of yard sale and thrift store and re-purposed finds (my house is filled with it), once in a while something new and decadent will come around and zing! It happens. I'm hooked. I'm obsessed. I just have to allow myself this splurge. Luckily I discovered this right before Christmas, which gave my husband and easy click-click-click of the mouse and his shopping was done (although we agreed, as always, not to buy for each other). My Christmas Day was spent with a lot of gasping and jumping around on my part.

Although much of M-C's goods are a bit out of our budget (yikes!), I'm much too happy to have the most affordable things for a birthday treat or such, so I'm starting with their enamelware and hopefully, over time I will add one piece here and there of the more collectable ceramics.

Even though I love color, black and white have always been my favorites...and their check is their signature. Add wild designs, color-color-color and all the fun you can imagine (I'm talking decor fun, here) and I felt like it had been designed just for me.

A sample from their website....www.mackenzie-childs.com....
'Piccadilly' ceramics

'Flower Market' enamelware

My favorite, their 'Courtly Check' design enamelware

'Taylor-Odd Fellows' design ceramics (another favorite)

'Courtly Check' ceramics

'Courtly Check'

'Mrs. Powers' door knocker (check out the matching garden gate at their site!)

Even tile...

Sinks!

And the outrageously fun, Merrifield chandelier (only $6,400!)

The 'Underpinnings' furniture collection

And the 'Flower Market' garden furniture (check out the 'Flower Market' bonnet chair!)

And so, my obsession has begun. I've found my design soulmate...and my little collection begins...

Unfortunately, I didn't notice the size listed for these knobs...I have no place for them! A little overwhelming on all my furniture. Never fear, they'll find a home eventually (*note to self* -read the fine print!)

Well, before I even knew what was coming on Christmas and Valentines, I started painting my own things black and white. Maybe this was what my husband feared and decided it best to just buy me the real deal, haha!

Even though I do have these 'little splurges' to gaze upon and make me smile, I'm still more satisfied by the thrill-of-the-hunt for used, thrift store things and my re-purposed finds. The framed picture, above is a teapot-shaped postcard I received with my order. I cut up some coordinating whimsical scrapbooking papers for the background and spray painted the frame black.

I'm even giving my old tray (from a thrift store years ago) a Mackenzie-Childs re-do with some scrapbooking papers and eventually some other 'Taylor-Odd Fellows' inspirations.

Do you have an obsession that you allow yourself to splurge on? Whether it be decorating, food, music, art, travel (did someone say I had an obsession with England?) or animals, plants, your children, (guilty of all the above)...feed your soul on the things that make you smile.

Stay well~

ER

I See Spring!

And a happy 'almost spring' to you!
Here is southern California, we're having spring like temps on the mountain and downright summery days down in the city where hubby works. It's been like this nearly all season. Amazing winter!

Where have I been, you ask? Or not :) I'm just....here. But deciding to go....there. My family and I have made a big decision to move. Well, we already made a big decision to move out of the country, but as many of you know, that's on a backburner for a few years. But this move means moving off the mountain after 13 years and moving back to my home of Orange County.
Although it's only an hour away, the difference in our lives will be as great as the differences in the places themselves. There are pros and cons to each place but we feel our time on the mountain has come and gone. But it may not be for a while in this backwards economy...but we'll see. We list the house next month!

Besides that I've just been keeping to myself and working on the ever-changing issues in my life. Some good, some not-so-good. I guess at my age (43) you get to some crossroads of sorts; parents ageing before my eyes, myself ageing before my eyes (!), my children having children! Yes, my one bright light...is....I'm going to be a grandmum! I'm overjoyed! Absolutely overjoyed. And we just found out, the little bundle will be of the boy variety! Anything healthy and happy, for sure, but I was secretly hoping for a boy...heehee!

Meanwhile, my own bundle is growing in leaps and bounds. A young man of nearly 14, a bit taller than me (which isn't hard to do), a deepening voice and an endless string of girls calling the house. This picture is of the odd snow we had (imagine, snow, in winter!) but just made me laugh. My son, so desperate to get out and socialize, he offered to shovel to get the car out. In record time, too! haha! Hormones, geez :)

But my own personal struggles of late have me wanting for spring to arrive if full. I welcomed the sun and it's slightly spring-like position in the sky and dug out all my decorations that celebrate Ostara and the new season.

Hopefully I can start fresh with Ostara...and Mr. Bunnykins, here ;)

I've sure enjoyed catching up with my regular blogging reads...so much has happened with everyone in such a short time! Here's to hoping I make it back here soon and take up where I left off...because life goes on, eh?

Be well and take care,

ER

Where Has It Gone?

October...

I spent a beautiful fall birthday back in my hometown of Orange, Ca. (I live barely an hour away) ...

I spent many days decorating and welcoming fall...

and Halloween/Samhain...

(this WAS full of candy at one time!)

And I cooked and baked and baked and cooked...

Homemade mac and cheese...

My first Tortilla Espanola...

Caramel Apples before going in the oven...

Roast with Veggies...

Homemade Spice Muffins...with and without Homemade Harvest Frosting (oh, yum)...

and of course, the pies...

Pumpkin Pie ;)

I've also been to France...on the internet (apt. hunting...it could happen, one day!) and in my head (with my french lessons)...

Not to mention, I've been thrift-sale-ing, apple picking and cider tasting, traveling around SoCal, house-hunting, working in the yard, taking my daily walks with Becks (my walking buddy and sympathetic ear-and vice versa), reading by the fire, learning how to talk to my teenager, taking care of my hubby, Mr. B, talking to my cats, tracing my ancestral roots, changing my mind about life and what mine means and taking a break (so to speak) from my real estate job. October blew by like the wind it came in on.

November...

A random morning picture of my 1930's dresser top...

And then...BANG! It was Thanksgiving! Just like that! I have NO idea what happened to November.

But I kept my table simple and made all the food my hands would allow me to...

Homemade pumpkin and cherry pies (son and hubby requests)...

Mashed potatoes, stuffing, scalloped potatoes, candied carrots (plain for Mr. B), green beans, roasted brussels sprouts, rolls, cranberry sauce and a 23 lb. bird...which I must state here, I had no part in eating. The older I get, the more my love of animals (and disgust of eating their flesh), has me eating less and less meat and poultry...but everything else was amazingly good and worth the effort.

The quiet aftermath...

The day after Thanksgiving is always such a quiet day...just like the day after Christmas. Everything just silently glowed and cast, what I always think of as, an old light...almost an 'ancient light'.

And the leftovers ain't too bad! ;)

I suppose I can't recall much of November because my life has made such major shifts these past few months, that I've just spent days on end contemplating my life and learning to live in my new thoughts. Thoughts that are still evolving. I can feel a new start of my life about to emerge. You know, that excited but scared feeling you have when you know a major change is going to happen? It lives in me and lately my cards have been including the Tower, Death and Wheel of Fortune. Change is coming...and I hope it's all good.

Blessings

~ER~