Outside My Window...

Last week, while having my "working at home" vacation...I decided to hang on old bird feeder just outside my home office window. My generosity of the extra bird feeder was greatly rewarded by the flutter of lots and lots of wings...

How many birds do you see?  Can you find all 6?

We have quite an array of wild Finch that visit us during the winter months... I guess many of them fly back north once the weather warms... but right now... they are mine... so I'll keep them well fed just outside my window...

Not in a big hurry to send the winter birds north just yet... 

down here in French Lique...

So Dixie... Whatcha Gonna Do With That?... and she said...

Candy, Terry, and I parted ways about 2:30 Thursday afternoon after a fun time thrifting (I spent $3 plus tax)... Candy and Terry live near San Marcos, Texas. I live in French Lique (about 15 miles east of San Antonio, Texas)... So on my way home, I have to drive right through Seguin, Texas... Home of the Curious Boys.. Of course, I had to stop and do a little last minute junktique shopping...

I love shopping the Curious Boys booth.  It is full of vintage architectural salvage.. like this beautiful chunk of cement...

and these rustic corbels... which came really-really close to coming home with me...

and wonderful pieces like this beautiful ornate oval frame...

This piece of salvage awaits the arrival of Miss Theresa from Garden Vintage Antiques... The boys posted about it this weekend and Theresa put her stamp of approval (SOLD) on it... She'll pick it up today.. now I can't wait to see what Theresa is going to do with this.. Hey Theresa... there's another piece there... it may want to go home with you too!

The Curious Boys march to a different drummer... okay... well it's the same drummer as the rest of us Junkaholics march to...  

Now what could I do with her???

and these great silver buckets were callin' my name... "hey, Dixie, over here... look up!"

they were callin' but I wasn't answering them today...

But I did hear the call of this set of two ornate frames... and I think they'll look great painted perfect white...  

and then... there was this...

The Heart Arch... 

Yes, this beautiful, rusty, chippy-white-painted piece of iron... 

called me right over.. 

and, I answered...

Good thing those back seats fold down in my mid-size Mercury Milan!

While it did go from stem to stern...

I managed to get it into the car and then home...

All my Ricky said, as he helped extract it from the car...

"Whatcha gonna do with that?"

I haven't decided yet... but I'll let you know...

as soon as I figure it out...

down here in French Lique...

Linking to sweet Cindy at My Romantic Home for

Show and Tell Friday...

Drop by and see who else is showing and telling about their treasures...

I'll Be Louise...

Tomorrow Candy and I have a play date to go thrift shopping...
No matter where we go or what we do...
we always seem to have a good time...

Kinda like...

and now a peek at my most recent Thrifty Vintage buy...

 Vintage Celery Green Sheer Dotted Swiss kitchen curtains... aren't they adorable?!

I've always loved dotted swiss curtains... they are sooooo cottage...

and wanting them in celery green...

I wasn't sure I'd ever find the ones I wanted but...

purchased on ebay.. still brand new and in the original JCPenny packaging, for $15...

Yes, I know that their original price was probably half that...

but considering how difficult these were to find in the exact color

dotted swiss that I wanted...

I think I scored!

More of the kitchen renovation in upcoming weeks.. as soon as I am able to get

a fire set under that dog-gone cabinet contractor !!

good Thrifty Shopping Everybody...

can't wait to go treasure hunting with Candy...

down here in French Lique!

I'm joining in with 

Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday...

 Leigh for Thrifty Thursday... 

Pearls & Lace Thursday...

 jump over and see who else in Thrifty Shopping too!

White Wednesday... White Photography...

My oldest daughter, Stacy, is a budding professional photographer... There are a lot of pseudo-pro photographers out there... myself included... and I've often wondered what makes a "Professional Photographer" stand out from the rest of us. 

Then, I saw this photograph...

When you can take something as mundane as a white styrofoam cup, and turn it into a piece of art... then I think you can say... Professional...

Congratulations Sweetie... you are well on your way... Now just finish that degree!

A little different take on White Wednesday.. 

from down here in French Lique...

Ruffles... do you think he'll notice????

Last weekend, I bought this from Wayfair... yes... Ruffled Bed Skirt... the best part, after the ruffles... I got the last one selling for 50%-off...$14.99... but you can still get one for $29... still a steal!

One of my girlfriends remarked.. "That Ricky sure better be comfortable in his boots!"... he is... but...

Do you think he'll notice????

I got my ruffles in the mail today... quick shipping!... thanks Wayfair!  Once received, I threw them in the dryer to pull some of the wrinkles out... and then...

Put that beauty on the bed... I put all creamy white sheets on... so maybe he wouldn't notice right away... washed my matelasse bedspread to fluff it up... and... well...

Ruffles... all around the bed... everywhere... are they fabulous...

Do you think he'll notice????

Dreaming of my dreamy ruffled bed...

down here in French Lique...

linking to

Tuesday's Treasures

and

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

and

White Wednesday

Porch Shadows in Biloxi

I've  been saving these photos for my first Shadow Sunday post. 

Last fall, we went camping at the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, in Biloxi.  We visited the retirement home of President (of the Confederacy) Jefferson Davis.  It was here, at Beauvoir, that Jefferson Davis and his wife, Varina, lived until his death in 1889. 

His cast iron statue casts a long shadow in the afternoon sun...

But the very best shadows of the day... were the beautiful shadows cast upon the porch

by things like the porch railings...

which were beautiful shadows... I imagined former occupants...

seeing these same shadows in the sunny afternoon gone by...

maybe sitting right here... rocking into the evening...

there's just something about an old southern home...

with a big old wrap around porch...

and a view of the sea across the picket fence..

If you're ever in Biloxi.. Stop by and visit Beauvoir...

and maybe you'll decide to sit in a rocking chair on the front porch...

and watch the gulf breezes push the waves to the shore...

and wonder what Jefferson Davis might have thought, as he spent his last days...

sitting here, so long ago...

loving the days gone by...

from down here in French Lique...

Curious? These boys are!!

One of my absolute favorite booths to shop is any booth managed by the Curious Boys... You'll see them in my header... and now you can see them right here!!!

I can't tell you how many wonderful things I've purchased from them... salvaged corbels that I'll use in my kitchen reno... bowling trophies from 1930 that were a gift to newlyweds that are avid bowlers (they loved them!)... religious relics... rustic frames... and even two vintage shelf-kneehugger-elves which became favorite Christmas gifts of Candy and Terry... these boys know how to shop too... cause their prices are good.. not cheap... but good... Candy and I met them one day in Seguin while they were working their booth... and we've both been fans ever since!

So go visit my boys..

and wear your bib...

cause you're gonna drool...
and tell them Dixie sent ya...

Welcome to Blogland Curious Boys...

and hugs from Dixie...

down here in French Lique!

Pink Saturday... Found!

I "found" this fabulous chair at The Bella Cottage (it really wasn't lost) and had to share it with you... Beverly's Pink Saturday seemed the perfect place.

This beauty is still for sale at The Bella Cottage.. only $795 plus shipping... I'll just have to enjoy looking at the photograph... and sharing it with you on Pink Saturday... thanks Beverly!

Maybe I'll move it from my "design inspiration" file to my "craft projects" file...

down here in French Lique..

Move Over Sarah Richardson... a new Blue and Yellow Laundry Room Redo!

Okay... please don't move over Sarah... Keep inspiring me!  You are amazing!!

 Here's my inspiration... from Sarah's House... the basement laundry room Sarah created when she renovated a 1970's backsplit.  I forget what Sarah's cost was... a little under $20,000... but let's face it... Sarah has more money than me.. .and mine was an update and not a reno... so my cost... about $300... but the bones were good when I started...

 I couldn't find a store that had the tile I wanted to match the pretty glass tiles that Sarah used (and they were essential!)... but a wonderful seller on eBay did... I only needed 8 square feet... about $130 including shipping.
Joan J asks: "Did you do the tiling of the backsplash yourself? It's gorgeous".  Dixie answers... "Yes, I sure did... I did all the updates myself!"

 my yellow paint color (after sampling about 3 different colors)... from Lowe's National Trust for Historic Preservation line... 3004-4B Homestead Resort Tea Room Yellow... this paint is super thick and went on with ease... I love it!

 I found accessories at Glory B's in Geronimo (the fan, once rusty green, now sunny yellow... baskets at MJ Designs after Easter basket sale... and some things I already had owned for years... the yellow pitcher from Martha Stewart at KMart about 10-years ago...

 The washer and dryer... also about 10-years old and still keeping the Maytag man at bay... glass containers for Borax and Oxy Clean from Target... cabinets were already white, I just replaced the handles from ugly white plastic to trendy brushed chrome.. another eBay find for only $3 per handle.

 A fabric redo of my message board (you'll see the before photos at the end of this post), where I hang my sunglasses collection and extra reading glasses... this idea came from another blogger, whose name I forget... but thank you to her whoever she is!

faux flowers (Sarah's were live plants!), vintage Ball canning jars that my sweet Ricky purchased for me on eBay when I told him they were just too expensive... and 3-monkeys... hear-no, see-no, speak-no... purchased at Tuesday Morning a few months ago for $9.99...

There are still a few things to finish... curtains over the window... a skirt to hide the hot water heater... installation of the vintage tole chandy to replace the industrial lighting... touch-up painting in a few places... but that will be done soon...

and here as promised... the before...

cluttered... disorganized... and absolutely no personality...

Thank you Sarah Richardson... keep decorating, sharing and inspiring... and if I ever win the Lottery... I'll call you...

Joining in

 Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

I love my new laundry room... down here in French Lique...

The Gift of a Cloche...

When I go Junktiqueing... I take a list. Last year, on my trip with Candy to Roundtop/Zapp Hall/Warrenton... I had "wire cloche" at the top of my list... I found one, which was manufactured.. not exactly what I was looking for and at $40... well... it was definitely NOT what I was looking for!

Seeing my disappointment.. dear sweet friend Candy said... "Shoot, I've got chicken wire... I'll just make ya one!"  She didn't know she'd spend hours on the internet looking at the "how to" instructions and videos on YouTube... and the the battle with the wire that would ensue, while she tried to mend and mold it into place...

But Candy is nothing if not determined.. and so on my recent visit to her guest house, the Red Bird Inn... she presented me with her very first original chicken wire cloche...

When we went thrifting in Austin the following day... I found the perfect vintage glass knob  at Uncommon Objects, to add to the top... and then had Ricky dig around in his shop for two old washers.. he found the perfect pair... slightly rusty with peeling paint...

Now that I have it... I've temporarily housed a pair of birdie S&P shakers sitting atop a vintage Frankoma plate in Prarire Green...

They say it takes a village to raise a child... 

Apparently it takes a village to get Dixie her much sought after and now...

beloved...

Chicken Wire Cloche...

a gift of friendship... from a very special friend...

sending a joyous thank you to my dear friend Candy...

from down here in French Lique...

Romeo is "King of the Road"... on Blue Monday...

My youngest grandson, Romeo, had a photo shoot with his Aunt Stacy over the holidays....
and this one I thought, was perfect to share on Sweet Smiling Sally's Blue Monday...
it reminds me of that old Roger Miller song, "King of the Road"...

Happy Blue Monday..

from Romeo and Grandma Dixie...

down here in French Lique...

What I Enjoyed Reading 2011

A Secret Kept by Tatiana De Rosnay

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

The Confession by John Grisham

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski’

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

I Heard That Song Before: A Novel by Mary Higgins Clark

Eye of the Beholder by David Ellis

The Sentry by Robert Crais

In The Woods by Tana French

Faithful Place by Tana French

The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Ford County by John Grisham

The Shack by William P. Young

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson