Remembering Christmas at the House

Our final day here in SW Florida is rapidly approaching.  The closer it gets, the more excited I become and the sadder I get at leaving the House.  We have had a great time here, especially during the Holidays.  Above are some photographs taken last Christmas.  The Great Room was beautiful with the tree and presents.  And the reindeer, well he speaks for himself.  Bobby cut the pattern out of six pieces of plywood and I had the job of painting it.  It is huge and will be coming with us to Texas.  The last couple of photographs are intended to show the scale of the reindeer as well as to show one of the things I will miss most about this area, which is the ability to go without a shirt year round.

Jellyfish Drawing with Blue and White Porcelain

I bought this frame in a local antique store and fell in love with it's shape, size and antique look.  After the Seahorse drawing, I decided to stay with the marine theme and draw a jellyfish to place in it.  I think it turned out strangely elegant.

Jellyfish Drawing:  The drawing measures 16"W

X 34"T.  Matted and behind glass in the antiqued gold-leafed wooden frame the piece measures 25 1/2"W X 43 1/2"T.  This drawing is no longer available.



A House of Many Pages

I love books.  I love the look of them, the smell of them and the feel of them.  There are hundreds and hundreds of books in the House.  And although many are used as props and decorative items, the vast majority of them have been read and enjoyed.  Here are just a few photos of the many books we have and how we use them.

The second to last photo is a book signed by the interior decorator Mary McDonald.  We went to hear her speak a couple of weeks ago and got the book signed then.  If you do not know her, look her up.  And watch the second season of her show, Million Dollar Decorators, on Bravo this summer.  She is fantastic!  It really is the only television I watch.



Lakeview Painting in the Great Room

This is a painting that I did rather recently and that hangs in the Great Room of the House.  We tend to hang artwork Salon style, which means hanging artwork floor to ceiling in a room.  This way of displaying art was made popular in the Paris Salon Exhibitions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

I love the colors in this painting, especially the orange, and one day will probably reframe it in a thicker frame than what you see here. Not sure why, other than I think it could handle it.

Lakeview Painting

The oil on canvas painting measures 24"W X 36"H.  In the custom black and gold wood frame the piece measures 29"W X 41"H.  Pricing and shipping information is available upon request.



The House of Silver Bowls

There are many silver bowls of all shapes and sizes scattered throughout the House.  The photos above are just a few of them.

From the top: A bowl that my family gave to Richard this week sits on a black console table in the front Living Room.  Nuts and olives are often served in two small bowls on the red wine bar we keep set up in the Great Room.  A large simply designed bowl sits in front of a book-filled case in another part of the Great Room.  Two bowls are nestled among dinnerware above the refrigerator freezer unit in the Kitchen.  I keep a beautiful small bowl, that I have had for years, on the table by my bed.  Two more bowls sit in one of the bookcases in the front Living Room.

Touches of Red from around the House for Valentines Day

Bobby leaning on his red truck.

An old photo of my mother and me.

Happy Valentines Day to all.



Wicker Table in Great Room

Bobby and Richard both have a great eye for finding beat-up old furniture that can be refinished and turned into a beautiful piece.  Bobby came home from walking Jake with this table.  A neighbor no longer wanted it.  It was painted black and the top was splintering off.  We stripped, sanded, stained and finished it.  Turns out the table is an old Heywood Wakefield piece.  I love the look of it now.  It is a gorgeous color and the satin finish looks so soft.

Wicker Table

This Heywood Wakefield wicker table measures 41"W X 30"H X 24"D.  Pricing and shipping information can be found at http://www.etsy.com/listing/92772313/heywood-wakefield-wicker-table

Sea Clouds Painting in the Great Room

These photos were taken in the Great Room of the house. The table is one we built and layered with fabric. The blue and white porcelain lamp is one of a pair found at a local antique shop.

Sea Clouds Painting
The oil on canvas painting measures 24"W X 30"H. In frame, the piece measures 29.5"W X35.5 "H. I built and gold leafed frame for the painting. Pricing and shipping information is available at http://www.etsy.com/listing/92429130/sea-clouds-painting.