Miss Bloomers : January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

Favorite Fabrics

Last week while running errands I thought I
would check out Hancock's January fabric sale.

I've been wanting to recover my dining room
seats since we inherited my mother-in-law's
Thomasville dining room suite several years ago.

(Baby shower- 4 years ago)

I know ...right? Several years ago is now almost 5 years! Time passes too quickly! My mother-in-law had them covered in a yellow silk (which may have been original and can be seen in the above picture) and they were fine but the bright yellow just didn't do anything for our dining room. I've found several fabrics over the past few years that I have liked but nothing that I was just really in love with
enough to purchase.

Obviously, recovering them was not on the top of my to do list and I love yellow so it wasn't bothering me that much and I prefer to wait for that right fabric. I found these fabrics on Pinterest and just love all the colors and patterns together.

I'm sure I won't use the exact patterns above but this is the style I'm after. These fabrics remind me of Carmel-by-the Sea and some of the beautiful B & B's we've stayed in over the years.

Seven Gables Inn

I thought I would check out the fabric sale this week since I was already in the neighborhood and I really did need to recover my kitchen desk chair.

I couldn't find anything hanging on the fabric roll displays that I liked so I went back to the end of the bolt tables and literally started digging for buried treasure. Priced at only $5/yard I could have really gone crazy because the selection was incredible. I used great restraint and only bought 3 end bolts of different fabrics for the huge sum of $27.68. There is enough fabric to cover 11 chair seats with some leftover. I had decided at the beginning of the year to start adding new fabrics and provencal prints to my home as I replace things or redecorate an area.

I was excited to find a soft jacquard with a gold pineapple pattern for my kitchen desk chair in the bargain area. The color is subtle and looks wonderful on the chair and I love that the pineapple is the symbol of welcome.

I found the exact fabric on the

internet for $26/yard at Amazon when I got home from Hancocks.

I did a real happy dance when I bent down and saw a bolt of fabric with just the right colors for my dining room chairs. I gave the bolt a giant tug as it was buried under dozens of other fabrics...but after I wrestled it out I was SO in love with the pattern and the colors. It reminded me of the Morris historic wallpapers and fabrics I have admired. I was praying that there was enough fabric to cover all eight of my chairs. There was a little over 3 yards and for only $15 I thought I would go ahead and get the bolt as I could always use it somewhere in my house. It had been marked
down from $59 a yard!

Once again I found the same fabric on the
internet for $46 a yard. Score since I only
paid $5 a yard!

The fabric is a brocade and quite heavy and should wear well for dining seats. There is also a Waverly pattern that is quite similar

Waverly Ballad Bouquet Sepia

I also love this pattern and have a runner
I use in my dining room seasonally.

My husband was impressed at how great the

chairs look with the new fabric.
I need to get out my little birdies and redecorate
my side table for spring.

This picture was taken after dark so will have to get a better picture when the sun comes up of the
entire dining room.

The problem is now I need to change
out the dining room valance.

I am saving the leftover fabric in hopes of
making a coordinating valance.

One thing always leads to another--
but it's all good!

I'm linking with

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday

and

Nita's Mod Mix Monday

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year!

I was blessed to be raised mostly in and around Destin, Florida and each year our family tries to spend the Christmas Holidays there together. My grandparents moved to the area in the 1950's so I've seen Destin grow by leaps and bounds!

This year I went a week ahead of the rest of my family to be with my Mom as her health is not what it used to be and she lives in an assisted living facility. I wanted to give her a "girls" week before everyone else arrived. We were able to stay in the Emerald Grand for "our week" and enjoyed shopping and lunching with friends before the rest of the guys arrived at which point we moved to a golf villa in Sandestin for Christmas week.

The Emerald Grand balcony views from our 11th floor room included a slice of the gulf, Okaloosa Island- where my parents once had a beach home, and a view of the Choctawhatchee Bay. Every

view is a water view!

The sunsets are so beautiful and I made sure I enjoyed sitting out on the balcony everyday.

The resort is beautifully decorated in a coastal theme with lots of blues and neutral tones with pops of yellows for extra sunshine!

Fish art in the kitchen and

I loved the sunflowers in the master bath!

I love to take pictures before unpacking, don't you?

The lobby had a life-size Santa and a

beautifully decorated tree.

My Aunt Pat came down for a visit too!

My mom, brother and his family live along the Emerald Coast and we always get together to enjoy a good shrimp boil on Christmas Eve and then Prime Rib for Christmas Dinner.

It's always a fun and delicious time at the holidays!

A favorite family tradition is a trip to Joe Patti's in Pensacola...truly one of the best seafood markets in the country! Everyone picks out their favorite fish and we buy pounds of royal red shrimp to bring back for our seafood and shrimp feast. Emeril shops there too, so if you are in the area it's a must on your places to visit.

The beignets are to die for and can be found right outside the front door!

I was able to cook for all 14 of my family members in our rented "golf home" in Sandestin

...thank goodness for a well stocked kitchen! We always bring a few things from home like our huge shrimp pot and a Christmas tablecloth so I can pretty up the table!

Christmas day included a walk (note: dogs are not allowed on most beaches-so be sure to check first) along the beach enjoying the pristine white "sugar" beaches with the blue watercolors of the gulf.

The beach is just a nice stroll across the bridge from our rental that overlooked the golf course

and duck pond.

Our newly found "friends" made our trip even more fun as they quacked for their breakfast

and dinner each day.

The little ones in our family...

and yes even the grownups enjoyed

feeding the ducks.

Everyone enjoyed the golf courses, the beaches, museums, shopping, sightseeing, and wonderful restaurants. The heated pools and hot tubs without the crowds make winter a nice time to visit northern Florida!