Yard Sale FUn - Turn on the Lights!!!

I had a precise yard sale plan mapped out when I left to go yard sale-ing yesterday.  There were 5 sales in a very swanky area that I was going to make a beeline to. I had a printed map with the quickest route for all.  I had maps of others in the area that I could go to after the big 5.  But... my yard sale plans are always apt to change.  There was a wreck on a major road.  As I inched forward, I realized that I would pass by the road to one of my extra, less important sales.  I decided to go there and hope that by the time I left, traffic would be moving.  It was fate.  I got 95% of my treasures at this one sale.  Most of the treasures were lamps and shades. Lots of nice ones!

The best was a stained glass, Tiffany style lamp.  

I had planned to sell it, but... it looked good on my kitchen counter. :-D

Another lamp I planned to sell was this lacy one.  But then, I turned it on to make sure it worked well and, mmmmm, it was really pretty lit up.  The Battenburg lace shade did wild and wonderful things to the light and the details on the base were highlighted, too.  It's a keeper.

I really am going to sell some of them.  The tall lamp (on the left) is going to my booth.  The shade is very interesting.  It's red on the outside and has a swirly black pattern on the inside.   Why didn't I take a picture of that?  The base is pretty, too.  The short bronze lamp (on the right) is going into my holding area.  I don't want to have a million lamps in my booth.  The shade on that one is really nice.  It's so ice I thought about keeping it, but it's more formal/traditional than my decor. 

Some of the lamps came without shades. 

I went into my stash of shades and made matches.  

It's good to have a stash of shades! 

This lamp didn't have a shade or a finial.  I had one extra finial lying about and it was an ugly brass-y mess.  Black Sharpie marker to the rescue!  I colored it.  It looks great and looks wonderful on the lamp.  This lamp is nice, but I'm not keeping it.  I have a couple of lamps in a similar style and that's enough. I prefer to mix it up and have different ones.

I got three pairs of extra shades as well.  And they are really nice. All are lined and have extra details that make them look pricey and elegant.  Those are in my holding area just waiting for some pretty bases to come along.  I had one base with no shade.  None of these extra shades would work with it.  A shade will come along for it one day. Note, there are two of the gray shades, too, but I didn't photograph them together.

I had some other good finds as well, mostly from that same sale.

I'm keeping the Appolia gourmet sunflower dish.  It's nice!!!

I'm keeping the framed roses... at least for a little while.  

I'm keeping the shams.  They've already been cleaned and put into use.

The chair, I'm going to paint it my green and use in my dining room, 'til I find chairs I like better.

The basket is a keeper, too.   It still had the tags on it.

That's all.  I'm headed out the door for some more thrifting!

Southern Living Idea House - The Kitchen

Southern Living is a very important magazine here in the South.  If I wanted someone from another part of the country to know a bit about us, I'd give them a subscription to this magazine.  It's THE magazine that you or your mom or sister or best friend always has a subscription to.    They have features on cooking, gardening, decorating, places to see in the South, house plans and more.  Once a year, they feature an Idea House that they built and decorated.  That's always my favorite issue, with the Christmas issue being a close second. 

This year, I nearly fainted to find out that the idea house is in my town.  Senoia.  I am not surprised that it was chosen.  Senoia is a wonderful little town and they are really doing some brilliant development while keeping the quaint old town look that makes the town special.  Senoia is known for movies & TV shows filmed here - 24 in the last 20 years including Fried Green Tomatoes, Driving Miss Daisy, Sweet Home Alabama and Drop Dead Diva.

 These are some photos I took last week.  If it hadn't been so hot, I could have stayed outside and taken some really good ones.  One day, I'll do a better job and post about it - maybe this Fall.


The Abercorn Place Southern Living Idea House is a 4 story brownstone townhouse right in Senoia.  They call it urban living, but urban in Senoia is really a different pace than what you might usually associate with that word.  Just picture urban living in Mayberry and you get the idea.  Tours are available through December 12.  Sometime in October the house will be redecorated for Christmas.  I hope to go back then.

I did the tour a few days ago.  I took lots of photos (which are allowed now that the magazine is out) and I plan to share in the next few posts.

I'm starting with the kitchen.  Enjoy.

This is the view of the kitchen from the dining room.  There are so many things in this view that are wonderful.  I love the table in front of the island.  The seating is wonderful. The light fixture is so perfect for the spot - from any angle.  The colors - greenery and earth tones and the robin's egg blue.  Very nice.

The only thing that guests seemed to have a problem with was the horse's head.  Now, even though I'm clearly on the "wish it weren't there" side, I totally get why the decorator put it there.  The house has equestrian things scattered around the house.  The dark of the horse is good against all that expanse of cream and light.  It provides a bit of whimsy and something unexpected.  But if the house were mine, that horse would go.  Animal heads (even ones that aren't real) make me sad.

 I fell in love with the herb box on the table.  I immediately thought of the salad tables I have been dreaming of.  By the way, I have started some lettuces and spinach for indoor growing.  I came up with some containers and a spot to put them.  I'll post about that soon. I must say, my solution is nowhere near as pretty as this planter.  To me, this planter is hugely important in this room.  Look at the first kitchen photo and try to envision it without the planter and you'll see what I mean.  Greenery adds so much to a room.  I think I need a trip to the garden store.

My heart did a few flips over the color on these chairs, too.  My friend, Martie, and I are smitten with this color family - robin's egg blue, aqua, turquoise, vintage green...  This color is used throughout the Idea House.

These pretty napkins pulled in some more of the robin's egg blue.  Martie found them in a shop in Senoia and bought a set with 4 different birds.  I'm thinking they might be pretty to frame. 

The keeping room is to the right.  The TV is above the fireplace, behind a picture that opens up.

The scullery is to the left.  This room was very intriguing.  It was small, but still very conducive to work.  The refrigerator is there as well as another sink.  There's an incredible amount of storage and enough counter space to make working nice.  When entertaining, a good bit of the mess you make would be just out of view.  I kept picturing myself working in there.  Very interesting.  Or maybe I should dream bigger and picture myself in this house and my wonderful cook, who I love like family, is in there preparing a low calorie, gourmet meal.  

 This rolling pin holder in the scullery was a fun idea.  Sue Ellen said it looked like a gun rack that had been cut down.  There were more available in a shop in Senoia.  One was painted a nice, vintage-y, blue-green - about the color of the handle on the cream colored rolling pin.  I liked it best.

The large window in the scullery lets in lots of light.

The light fixtures throughout the house were beyond fabulous.  Amazing.  Swoon-worthy.  I'm amazed I didn't end up with a sore neck from looking at the ceiling fixtures in every room.


Here are ALL the Posts in this series -
House and Town details plus the Kitchen
The Top Floor - entertainment room and craft room
The Master Suite
The Main Floor - mostly the living room & dining room
Laundry and Children's Bedrooms
Family Room and More



Want more while you wait?  Check these links -
Southern Living 2010 Official Developer Site
2010 Georgia Idea House - Southern Living's site
The Historic Senoia Project
Senoia View of Good Life - AJC article on the Idea House


I have linked this post to the following parties:

Friday Finding Beauty at Dippity Road
Show and Share Day at Just a Girl
Saturday Soiree #11 at A Little Lovely
Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots and Jello
Mosaic Monday at Little Red House