The Armchair Traveler Goes to Tuscany

Can you tell the travel bug is biting me hard lately? It doesn't help that I'm looking at my photos and wishing for an adventure.

It's sad that all these never-before-seen photos are trapped in my computer!

Today, I release them! I hope you enjoy....

Florence.

There just never is enough time there. So many nooks and crannies to explore!

The Tuscan Countryside.

Absolutely breathtaking!

The Churches.

My inner Catholic comes out big-time in Italy!

The Food.

I don't need to tell you how fantastic the food is!

The Wine.

Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino--it's all good!

Next, The "Armchair Traveler" goes to Provence!

Looking Up in Florence

I'm reminiscing about our time in Florence, just one year ago.

So many photos stored on my iPhoto, photos that I never shared or posted.

Like the photos here, that I took one day--walking around, looking up with my camera:

Aren't they all so beautiful? Why can't we have these wonderful embellishments on our buildings?

Thanks for taking a stroll with me down memory lane.

There is nothing like Florence in the fall, and oh how I wish I was there!

Autumn Eye Candy And A Garden Tea

Yesterday, I hosted a garden tea for the Fine Arts Museum Auxiliary.

Besides providing the home, I was asked to do the flower arrangement for the table.

No problem! Here are some of my inspiration photos....

What they really wanted, was something similar to my fall arrangement that I made for a tablescape last year, as seen here.

So, that's what I did. Not exactly the same, but close.

After a few weeks of sprucing up my garden with new plants and grass, as well as new cushions, it rained! No, it poured! The 12 local artists that were coming to display their art on my grass had to be cancelled.

The garden tea ended up in the kitchen! Sixty ladies in my kitchen!

Even though the sun broke through, everyone still stayed inside, congregating around the table and kitchen island. It was really fun, and everyone had a good time.

And of course, it's a beautiful day today! Goes to show, you can't predict the weather, especially this time of year.

Have a lovely fall weekend!

A Cost Plus World Market Makeover

Last week, I did a mini-makeover on my daughter Melissa's living room. The first thing I did was send Bob the Painter over to paint the room. It went from a deep dijon mustard color to this neutral palette.

While Bob was busy painting, Melissa and I went to World Market.

Ever since I found my six kubu wicker dining chairs at Cost Plus, I've been finding even more great furniture there, perfect for my daughter's home. Right away, we both fell in love with this blue chair, so we bought two!

Melissa already had the brown rug, which works great with the blue and brown damask chairs.

She has the same color combination in her bedroom already, so it makes sense to bring these colors in to the living room.

I also purchased the wood and metal etagere behind the chair for her....

....as well as this console table.

I hired Mike the Electrician to wire this wall so that the television can be moved.

She always kept this wall empty before. It was like a walk way through the living room, into the kitchen. After seeing this photo though, I'm convinced that she needs another etagere....

...so they can create this look.

The house is quite small--about 900 square feet, so storage is a number one priority, especially considering their two small children and all the toys and books that go with.

This wall unit accomplishes that task nicely.

The sofa was moved to the old TV wall. A mirror covers up the hole.

Melissa already had the burlap storage ottoman for the toys. I bought a new blue throw and new linen curtains from Cost Plus.

The curtains are all cotton with grommets, which replaced my hand-me-down feminine curtains. Definitely a more contemporary feel.

Moving the sofa to this wall really opens up the room and gives an illusion of more space.

Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. We still need a new table and lamp next to the sofa.

A book shelf behind the blue chairs where the etagere is now is also planned. The girls would then have more room to store their books. This is what we are considering, yet again from Cost Plus!

At least the mantel is finished! I cut hydrangeas from Melissa's yard which will dry naturally.

The silver candlesticks are from her wedding. I bought the horse print years ago when Melissa was still riding horses.

They love their new, bright, young living room. Gone are the hand-me-downs from me that did not reflect their style and taste.

And Zoe loves the new blanket!

Stay tuned for the final living room reveal.

After which I'm moving to their kitchen/breakfast room for some updated changes. Trust me, these kids work so hard and I am so happy to help them with their new look!

Speaking of Cost Plus, my kubu wicker chairs were featured today on Cote de Texas!

Thank you Joni for featuring my breakfast room! I'm quite honored!

A Simple Table Setting for A Wine Dinner in Asti

Just before everyone sat down for dinner Saturday night, I snuck in a few shots of the dining room in Asti, all aglow with candle light.

While not exactly my best table setting, its simplicity was appropriate for an evening with Mr. A's wine connoisseur group.

Simple white plates, French stripe napkins and a burlap runner with rosemary topiaries and confit pots formed the centerpiece.

And of course, candles.

We hosted four couples for the night, all who brought vintage wines from their cellar.

The theme was "Alexander Valley," since that is where Asti is located.

As we enjoyed a delicious meal of Burgundy tri-tip steak, heirloom tomatoes fresh from our garden with pecorino cheese and pinenuts, wild rice and broccoli rabe, I was thinking about how just 24 hours earlier, Mr. A and I were chasing a mouse around the room!

A door had been blown open from the strong wind several days earlier, so when we arrived the night before, we had creatures! A bird was flying around the kitchen! Then, the mouse. We even found a lizard! It was hysterical.

Actually, it was a disaster! After we got the critters out of the house, we discovered the refrigerator wasn't working. Apparently, the water line that feeds the ice maker had been leaking for weeks and took out the electricity on the wall behind the refrigerator. We had to throw everything away. Luckily, with an extension cord, we were able to plug it back in at another outlet.

By the time our guests arrived Saturday, everything was back to normal.

I am feeling pretty good about my tablescape right now!

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.