Girlfriend Weekend

                      

                   

There really is no better way to spend a weekend than to be somewhere with girlfriends doing something or doing absolutely nothing. Actually the nothing part can be the best. I spent the past weekend with my friend from nursing school days and a friend from my high school band moms days! They have never met one another but no one would have ever known it. They had as much in common as I do with each of them. It surprises me how it works that way but it shouldn't. You pick friends based on certain qualities you see in them so it shouldn't be a mystery that your friends must be alike in several ways therefore making them compatible, right? Seems logical or maybe it is just coincidence. I don't believe much in coincidence.

                                                                

Long story short, we went to a great place called Shake Rag Alley to take a class in basic Zentangle (https://www.zentangle.com)  Besides having a great time learning something new we had a delicious lunch at The Red Rooster Cafe. They are known for their pasty that rhymes with tasty! I had a wilted salad that needed to be described to my two friends since they have never had one. They couldn't figure out why I would want to eat my lettuce wilted. Once they found out the dressing is warm and made with bacon fat and 'wilts' the lettuce they were a bit more intrigued. Theirs was as good as what I make so it was a great choice. The pasty was very good, I had mine with some chili sauce.

                                     

Mineral Point has some great galleries and we bopped in and out of a few while the tornado siren went off and the day just got hotter and more humid. We had to call it a day and headed out of town. Not too far away was the Botham Vineyard and Winery where we tasted 3 wines for free! Free? That doesn't happen in Napa. We all walked away with 4 bottles. How could I pass up BADGER BLUSH? I even picked up a Chardonnay for my neighbor but those grapes are brought to WI from NY. Too hot to sit out on their nice deck to enjoy their wine so back on the road!

                                     

We were driving right past my son's house so a little stop to show off my granddaughter to my friends because she is the most beautiful girl in the world! My son says I can't keep saying that or she will think she is. She IS so I am not sure what the problem is. I cannot tell a lie. Grandmas can say whatever they want. Onward to Portage where we had an absolutely fabulous burger at Tamarack Pizza. I even got to steal half of my friends pickles! Of course, it's girls weekend, we found ice cream!

                                      

Finished up the night in pj's and talking until falling into bed! THAT, my friends, was a very good girls day!

Orange you going to read this and see how my new decorating is comingalong?

It's strange how things come into my head sometimes. Tonight was no different. Orange came to mind. I guess it was because I had the great orange color of the fresh grilled Scandinavian spice rubbed sockeye salmon in front of me and the grilled peachy colored peaches with butter and cinnamon sugar. The wine stopper was even orange. 

I'm not necessarily a fan of orange but once I got this new decorating color scheme going with blues, greys and creams I needed a punch of a contrasting color. Mind you, I don't want a lot of it but I have had fun with a few new and old things.

                         

On my blue foyer wall I put a large online garage sale find that has a little bit of orange. It's perfect and was an easy start!

                         J

A vintage glass mid century vase of unknown origin or maker but it was a fun online garage sale find.

                         

I had to go a bit of a distance for my DOT votive holder but it was worth it. I found this at Keramika Fantasia in Sweden and it is made by my new friend Eva Troedson. I'll be posting more about her studio, her B&B and the wonderful trip to Scandinavia and the Baltics later. 

                         

I picked up this bentwood coatrack at HAY in Aarhus, Denmark. It is a design collaboration between HAY and an English designer and I love it for a pop of color! I had to shop since it down poured all day long!

                         

This is a piece I have resurrected because of the great colors. It's the 'Serafina' that has cats on it by Goebel with R. Wachtmeister design.  I know, cute for a Crazy Cat Lady's house. I bought it in France when my son was studying there ten years ago.  I have seen there are more of these available online so I may need to put a few of them on my wish list!

                         

Well, yes, the cat bed has to match! Why wouldn't it??

Dreamy Danish Modern Daybed!

                      

  

I love to look out the window. I don't mean I like to look out the window from across the room, I like to be looking out the window right by the window. When you think about normal placement of furniture in a room you usually have your back to the window in the closest proximity or you are across the room from it. This proves to be a problem for me. I am a nature observer all year long and in the Midwest I cannot sit out on my porch or patio during the winter looking at nature! It just gets a little too chilly. How can I sit and look out the window?? I needed to figure this out.

                                  

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Once again, I went up north to see the grandbaby and made my little trip to the Antique Mall just 'to look'! The good husband no longer believes any of the 'just looking' nonsense. Since the large furniture purchases I have consistently picked up some smaller mid century Danish design items like a magazine rack, a vase, a pottery piece and a small accent chair. There is always something to find. Again, I am not looking for anything in particular but I eyed another Danish modern daybed. How many daybeds does one person need anyway? Well, there ARE 365 days in a year so possibly one for each day. The good husband doesn't think so. This Norway Swane Mobler has original upholstery in great condition and has a teak end table that is attached but flips down so the bolsters can be placed there to elevate your head when used as a daybed. Scandinavian design is the best! I wondered where it could go in my house and walked  off to look for other smaller treasures. Coming back around, I spied another couple looking at THE daybed quite enthusiastically. In the meantime I had decided it would be perfect in my breakfast nook! The good husband wondered where I thought it could possibly fit in there. He doesn't have my vision, OBVIOUSLY! The other couple walked away and I rushed to buy it before they could. It barely fit in our crossover vehicle so we wondered once again why we ever got rid of the Suburban.

                         

   

We got it home and I put it facing toward the window where I sit on it every single day looking outside! As always, I am joined by the friendly felines. They love the bird and squirrel watching as much as I do. It is a little unconventional placement for a daybed but I can even take a nap in the kitchen!  How can that be a bad thing??  The Moller footstool/bench had a much reduced price from the last three times I had seen it so I got that too. The bonus about this gem that I didn't discover until I got it home is that it has a big storage area underneath when you lift up the seat cushion. I was wondering why the bottom looked saggy and it's a big canvas compartment I use for blankets and seasonal pillows. Once again, you cannot beat Scandinavian multi-purpose design!

Feline Furniture Models

It didn't take much time to figure out that the focal point credenza would be placed on the only full wall I have. Unfortunately and ultimately, it will have the good husband's new TV on it. I enjoyed it in all its splendor before that happened! I tried to negotiate for no TV in this room. Added into the room soon after the credenza are the two Adrian Pearsall chairs. I got them before I truly figured out what I was doing as far as the whole mid century modern/Danish modern thing. They continue to work because I am not a true to design freak!  I saw the chairs on an Instagram feed I was following with the city skyline in the background! That led me to believe that this random account I was following must be local. Lo and behold I found Kenny K of K2Modern and he has been a wonderful source for my design exploits ever since!  I can't thank him enough. The chairs arrive, I move out two huge overstuffed chairs and the room is looking quite different. Not done, mind you, but changing.

I was sitting on the big green overstuffed couch on one side of the room while looking at the other side of the room that was taking on quite a different look and even the wall color now seemed appalling. I told myself it may be that way for quite some time. Looking at new couches but really hoping for a vintage one, the thought crossed my mind that it was unlikely to happen anytime soon.  Without much enthusiasm I seriously looked at new sofas. However, Kenny K pulled through with this Peter Hvidt full length daybed with near perfect caning. Not necessarily what I envisioned but the simplicity of it's lines and the beautiful back that makes it perfect floating in front of the patio door sold me. Proved to me I wasn't even looking for the right thing!  Honestly, I didn't know what I was looking for. 

If you haven't figured it out I have the world's most beautiful feline furniture models! The other thing you may have noticed is gray. I never liked gray and never considered having it. Remember those kitchen chairs that started all of this change? THEY were newly upholstered in gray. I said that was fine but once they were a bit worn they would be changed. Because of the gray, I can have blue. Not the country blue I saddled myself with years ago but great blues! Arne Jacobsen blues, Scandinavian blues, royals and teals, and ocean and sky blues. You get my drift. I love blue and want to live with it everywhere. I will and I can because I am older and I can do what I want! 

Getting there! The dark tan gold walls are gone! Beautiful light grey blue takes its place. The dark orange, red, brown and gold rug is gone and replaced with an off white area rug.  Easy peasy to clean I might add. The original coffee table from Crate and Barrel outlet remains. It still has killer lines with the boxiness taken away with gentle tapering cutouts along the long edges. It is a great put your feet up table! Grabbing some accessories from all over the house and some thrift and antique store finds and the room is done! NO, no it's not. It's close. This is the story that does not end....

Mid life or mid century furniture crisis?

  

                                       

I don't know how it started really or why it started, but it did. It started small, this change I was looking for, and eventually it just began to take on a life of it's own. I would like to blame someone so it will have to be my fellow blogger and friend who told me the antique mall where she sells her wares had a nice mid century furniture section. "It does, heh?" Well, that started it. I would just take a look-see when I went to visit my new granddaughter the next time(and her daddy and mama of course).  Oh, it wasn't going to be that bad, I was just looking for some kitchen chairs. I did find four kitchen chairs that would work perfectly with my 30 year old Scandinavian Design teak kitchen table. It has always been the one piece of furniture that I adore. For some reason that I cannot comprehend now, I changed my style of furniture. The only problem with the chairs was that it came with its own teak table.  I didn't need it really but I have since found a use for it. Mission accomplished, I found chairs to replace my original ones which I still cannot believe I gave away. Insert 'I could kick myself' here. Wait, wait, wait, what DO I see over there?  Is it a credenza that I do not yet know that I need or want?? Well, yes, a perfect condition, highly grained and beautiful teak Mc Intosh credenza calls my name! So guess what? No, I didn't buy it on the spot. I left it there and I sulked. I sulked and thought and thought and sulked about it all night long and THEN went the next day to get it in my son's truck and took the chairs and the table that I didn't really need home and stored the credenza at my son's home until I could get it to my own home. OK, there may have been some cute nesting tables and a two toned half circle table too but they were well priced and small plus I really did need end tables. This is how it began..not quite two years ago...and the saga continued. I will continue the stories. I had a long way to go!

                                         

  

                                                                       

Mom and the 4th of July

I have not posted on my blog for a really long time. It's not that there have not been plenty of things to write about but I just don't do it! I don't know why because I really love to. Here is to turning over a new leaf and getting back on the bandwagon.

We just finished up the Independence Day weekend and I was glad I had no festivities to attend. Having just returned from a long trip and catching a cold I really felt down in the dumps. What really got me down even further was recollecting that it was 20 years ago after the 4th of July that my mom died. I am so thankful we made last minute plans to head up north to visit my parents that year and celebrate the holiday. Little did I know it would be the last time we would have a holiday or any day together. The 4th of July will always be a bittersweet time for me.

My mom was always so sweet and we were sure to have had a dessert, jell-o or fruit salad with the red white and blue of strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream! There would be food on the grill and her homemade baked beans which were the best in the land! My sister, Mary, makes a pretty great batch from Mom's original recipe! I can't make the beans but I learned my potato salad skills from her. That recipe is in my head! The holiday lives on with Mom's recipes but for the last 20 years it has been difficult not to be eating them out of her bowls, on her dishes and in her kitchen. I miss my mom every day but still am so thankful we went on a whim for the Independence Day holiday to see her smiling face,  hear her great laugh and be with her for my very last time.

I love you, Mom. My heart still hurts without you. Every. Single. Day.