Caroline's Lost and found

Freshening- up!

2009-07-28T05:42:00.012-05:00

So I have decided to "freshen- up" my store

and little blog

to reflect what I have

envisioned

for it...

therefore,

I will be on a little break

to put this all

together!

Take care,

Caroline

A little touch of whimsy!

2009-07-24T12:33:00.007-05:00

Romantic Country

(Please disregard the quality of the scan...I just loved it so much, I had to include it!)

So every once in a while...

you need a little whimsical touch!

So I just loved these pics...

especially on a Friday

and

I would love to have

such a

happy collection

of colorful items

to look at

when you need

that little

touch of whimsy!

I may go out to sales

this weekend...

and start a

bedside table collection...

and create something

like the pic below,

which I just

adore!

Romantic Country

Take care,

Caroline

Oysters...

2009-07-23T13:38:00.010-05:00

Heather Chadduck's livingroom via The Find

This picture really caught my eye...

it is a fireplace decorated with

oyster shells!

Luckily, I read on

and they were cleaned very well

and then were dried out under the sun

for several days....

to get rid of the odor!

But don't they look great??

The idea is so perfect and so "green"!

Take care,

Caroline

So I am very excited to announce...

2009-07-22T12:11:00.011-05:00

Which I have the wonderful opportunity to Co- chair!

Twice is Nice is the Inaugural Junior League Rummage Sale

which will be continued for years to come!

It will raise money for the Junior League's causes...

and also will be

wonderful for the community,

as a place to find gently used goods

at a low price!

Oh, of course...it will be the

perfect place to search for

those "finds" too!

My co chair and I are looking forward

to Spring 2010...when Twice is Nice

will debut here in

Nashville!

Take care,

Caroline

My favorite house...

2009-07-20T05:20:00.016-05:00

Since I saw this home

in Traditional Home...

I have loved it!

So colorful...

such a wonderful mix

of new and old...

and it gives off such a

happy and lighthearted feel!

Please sit back and peruse the

beautiful pictures...

and I hope

you all enjoy the house

as much as I do!

Take care,

Caroline

Good Morning!

2009-07-17T07:26:00.016-05:00

Traditional Home

...and wake up!

This picture is not of my

beloved

West Highland Terrier...

but

it is so reminiscent of every morning

with

Tuffy!

I also adore the absolutely beautiful

monogram!

I hope everyone has a

wonderful

morning

and

fabulous weekend!!

Take care,

Caroline

Simply Elegant

2009-07-16T07:02:00.012-05:00

Sharon Simonaire via The Find

I love....

the simple tin can

mixed with the

elegant

candlestick...

so simple, yet so elegant!

Take care,

Caroline

Lunch anyone?

2009-07-15T06:51:00.007-05:00

Romantic Country

I hope everyone has a wonderfully colorful Wednesday

and

is able to sit outside and enjoy!

Take care,

Caroline

Lingering Lattice!

2009-07-14T06:04:00.021-05:00

Traditional Home

Love

the use of painted lattice

in the garden!

Lattice gives such a light,

but established feeling

to a garden or yard….

and

seemingly

so easy to do!

Traditional Home

These pictures are

inspiring me

to bring

colorful lattice

into my side yard

as a

focal point!

House Beautiful

When

my husband and I

are taking

Tuffy

on his evening walk

walk by some

beautiful homes and gardens…

and I look

longingly

at the gardens...

and

wonder out loud

how they do it?

My husband then tells me

that it just takes

a little work every day….

I am a bit

skeptical,

but...

I am going to make an attempt...

a little bit

each day!

I also found

how you can

bring lattice

into your house…

how fun

and delightful!

May have to try this one day!

House Beautiful

Southern Accents

House Beautiful

Take care,

Caroline

Lovely Lace and other little touches...

2009-07-13T05:22:00.065-05:00

I love mixing in a little lace

with my

decorating and fashion sometimes…

If used as a

small accent,

it adds an element of

depth and delicacy

and

puts a wonderful touch of

fancy

on modern décor.

This past weekend

I found this

beautiful vintage

lace tablecloth,

which I was going to put in my booth

but...

thought it just looked too perfect

on our breakfast room table!

Lace

also

can be used in a

small accent pillow....

My Romantic Home Blog

on some

aprons

hanging on a hook....

My Romantic Home Blog

I used

lace

in my wedding...

on my

wedding dress

by Monique Lhuillier…

which worked out

perfectly

for me

since I wanted

an elegant outdoor dinner party

as the feel

for my reception

and I thought

the touch of lace

added to that atmosphere.....

Other

"little touches"

I have seen is to.....

Village House

add

a needlepoint pillow

to a

dark chocolate brown

modern leather sofa

or....

Em's Heart

have

antique monogrammed linen napkins

on a more

"modish" dining room table.....

or.....

Southern Accents

have

lovely calling cards

sitting on the entry table...

I just love these little touches!

Take care,

Caroline

Wonderful Finds!

2009-07-10T06:25:00.051-05:00

What a wonderful estate sale I went to on Wednesday! It actually was an antique dealer who was just trying to downsize their inventory, but fine with me!

There was a lot of iron pieces, antique ceiling tin, ironstone and other eclectic/shabby chic items...and I just loved it! His larger pieces had some wonderfully low prices, but the smaller items were a bit pricey...so I got a few good pieces!

Below are pictures of some of my favorite items he had....I wish I could have taken them all!

A perfectly shabby old steering wheel from a boat! I thought this would be perfect for a beach home or a family room.

I have seen an idea in House Beautiful where the designer actually used an iron urn/planter as a base to hold the Christmas tree...I passed on these, but I am on the look out- because I love that idea!

Such a cute tin bird feeder!

This patio furniture is a bit too rusty for me, but if it is freshened up with some paint...it would look so nice on a porch!

An old saddle...

An iron side table...lovely design!

A street sign...actually the name of a road near to where I live!

I would love to have this vintage bike...to ride to the pool or to the tennis courts!

Lovely iron patio furniture!

Iron wreath....a friend of mine told me that I could use this as a frame...great idea!

Old pieces of iron, which could be made into planters...too long for my house, but for a large old home...perfect!

Loved the cherubs on the side!

More lovely iron patio furniture!

Loved these iron busts...but the seller was asking way too much...so I settled on a picture!

Another iron side table...

Loved this iron bench seat....could totally see it in a garden!

Can't you just see this organizing your ribbon...or with flowers overflowing!

Loved this so much (and was at a great price)...I bought it!

Loved these old doors (not priced low enough), but could totally see these painted white!

Old ironstone...look at the scalloped edges!

I have been on the look out for an old iron fireplace screen-- I passed on this one since I would like to find one already white.

Now onto what I actually bought:

Love the color and has such a great patina!!

I love old ceiling tin made into wall panels...so I bought 2...they actually sell really well in my booth!

I had a problem taking a picture of the mirror so here is the back...it is a light yellow color on the front...distressed with age....and very large!

It has been so wonderful keeping up with all of your blogs...

this is a new adventure for me and I have really enjoyed it!

Another blog I recently found through a friend is Fresh Vintage- she has beautiful pictures of her finds, gives wonderful descriptions of them and the blog is lovely!

I hope everyone has a wonderful time this weekend

and if you are going "junking" or just relaxing this weekend...have fun!

Take care,

Caroline

To live content with small means....

2009-07-08T06:36:00.015-05:00

To live content with small means....

To seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion....

To be worthy, not respectable,

and wealthy, not rich....

To study hard, think quietly,

talk gently, act frankly....

To listen to stars and birds,

to babes and sages, with open heart....

To bear all cheerfully,

do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never....

In a word, to let the spiritual,

unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common..............

this is to be my symphony.

~William Henry Channing

I just found an amazing blog (52 Flea) and she has this inspirational poem posted, which I just loved and feel that even though we are blogging about design- this hopefully will always be the foundation of my inspiration!

So on that wonderful note, I am excited about a very eclectic estate sale I am going to go to today...I hope to post pictures of this adventure!

Take care,

Caroline

The Find

2009-07-03T08:35:00.006-05:00

The day before I left on a 4 hour plane trip, I decided to finally go by the bookstore and buy some new design/vintage/antique books....and I found The Find.

This is a wonderful book about those who like to go "junking" to find great items with a lot of character and stories behind them.

It is a fun read and illustrates how both regular people and known designers have used Housing Works Thrift Stores, other thrift stores and garage sales to outfit their beautiful and eclectic homes.

Housing Works is a non profit organization that started in New York City to help end AIDS and homelessness. One of their social enterprise businesses is the Housing Works Thrift Stores in NYC. This book is centered around the Housing Works Thrift Stores and branches out from there to show how others use these wonderful finds to create homes with character/charm and uniqueness!

The guy sitting next to me on the plane was captivated by all the pictures...and even asked me about the book and what it was about.

As I have said before, my dream is also to grow my own little business into a non profit upscale thrift/vintage/resale/design shop, which benefits child healthcare issues. I have a lot to learn and figure out, but this is a wonderful inspiration for me!

I hope everyone has a delightful July 4th holiday!

Take care,

Caroline

Big Red Chandeliers

2009-07-01T06:07:00.017-05:00

So I was in Las Vegas this past weekend for a "Girls Weekend" for a really good friend who is getting married in August.

We stayed at the Wynn and the pools were fabulous! They had cabanas...and "lilly pads"-- which sat in the water partially so you could just float on them (in one place) with an umbrella over you or you could sit in a chair (that was in the water) next to the lilly pad where your feet could skim the water and just relax... and the weather was warm/sunny and no humidity...which was quite a change from humid Tennessee!

When I saw these divine red chandeliers in the Encore lobby...they were just so Las Vegas and I just had to take a picture! I don't think I will be installing a big red chandelier in my home, but I thought they looked so dramatic and fabulous!

It was quite a trip and my first Las Vegas experience...and I must say the pools and restaurants were wonderful (I am not much of a gambler) but I could definitely go back for a pool/spa vacation!

Take care,

Caroline

This weekend...

2009-06-26T06:51:00.016-05:00

Oh, I hope everyone takes a wonderful

nap...

eats a meal outside on

the porch...

drinks some wine

with friends...

reads a great

novel...

pampers yourself

and...

this weekend!!

Take care,

Caroline

Images: Coastal Living

Welcome!

2009-06-24T09:31:00.037-05:00

So over the summer my husband and I usually have the fortunate opportunity to entertain/host some friends visiting Nashville for a weekend and I thought it would be a perfect time for a little post on guest rooms!

I love setting up the guest rooms and I wanted to find all the little ideas that were out there to make our guests feel as welcomed as possible!

Image: Veranda

This picture shows a wonderful selection of items to have in the room...maybe on a cute side table next to the bed....or on a desk?

I think having stationary with the name of your home (if named) or the street that your home is on...is so perfect! Some cookies...mints...alarm clock....books...hand towels!

Image: Country Living
What a cute idea to hold the towels, soap and other toiletries...the suitcase is even outfitted with a mirror!

I have an antique white wrought iron wash stand..to hold towels/washcloths and soap right outside the guest bathroom. My husband found this piece at the Nashville Flea market...I was so impressed with him!

Image: Veranda

Isn't this perfect! Everything a guest may need...an iron, toothpaste, lotion, advil....a sewing kit and much more!

Image: Country Living

Wouldn't you just love to wake up as a guest to this beautiful setting! A quaint table with cute chairs...a vase of flowers and some tea...or coffee for me!

Image: Country Living
I have been told to keep a dresser in the guest room cleared out for our guest's clothes and the top of the dresser fairly clear too so they have plenty of room to settle in!

Of course, a beautiful vase of flowers and some candles and matches in case the electricity goes out...is always nice too!

I had to include this picture also because of the boots!! I am writing this from Nashville...so the boots fit right in!

Image: Country Living

I could totally curl up in this chair and read a great novel! I am on the look out for a cozy chair for our guest room!

Image: House Beautiful

I wanted to leave you all with this happy yet serene guest room picture...

so welcoming but also relaxing!

Have a wonderful Wednesday evening!

Take care,

Caroline

Image 1: Country Living

My Shoppe: Re-Do

2009-06-22T05:26:00.027-05:00

So this is no Ruthie Sommers'....but her showroom photo (see below right) definitely inspired me to improve my booth "look"!

I have posted some pictures of my booth and am very happy - especially due to what I had to work with.

First of all, I painted the walls a blue color, which is actually called Birds Egg by Benjamin Moore, which I found in an article in Southern Accents.

After painting the booth, I still had an issue with it! And most of the discontent revolved around the "beautiful" peg board that I have as one of my side walls (not my choice, it was there and cannot go anywhere)....so I thought, maybe hanging up drapes to hide it??

So I was off on a search for drapes! I started at Calico Corners because sometimes they have some great sales if they have a few pre-made drapes left over...but nothing was there!

So I was then off to The Fabric House on Sidco Drive...and decided to pop into Another Time

Another Place, which is right next to The Fabric House.

Another Time Another Place is a home decor consignment store, but to me their main inventory is consigned drapes...they have a huge selection! So I found 3 that I thought would work, but chose the pair above....it cost next to nothing, but they are lined, interlined...and so forth-- so they are very nicely made and look it!

I know that I need to get a steamer to get those wrinkles out, but please just look past that in the picture until I can get there with a steamer this week!

I think it helps the colors pop a little bit more and gives the booth a little bit more of a "look." Of course, I am one of those that is never completely satisfied...especially when you look at showroom pictures in magazines, which are so so much nicer!

But all I have to work with is my little 5x7 booth, peg board wall and my inventory....and I am happy for now! But I will continue to change and improve...hopefully!

This is a pic of one of my milk

glass pieces and I put my new business cards in it!

A cute little vintage metal shelf! And the oh so beautiful peg board...the one part of it that I was unable to cover.

A Homer Laughlin platter that I have hanging....

One of my cute two aqua chairs that I already posted about...it is holding two of my painted vintage metal mirrored trays.

I love finding these mirrored trays and painting them white...you can hold drinks on them, hang them in a grouping or use them as they were made to be used on a dresser...but I love love them in white!

I hope everyone has a fabulous Monday!

Take care,

Caroline

My Shoppe!

2009-06-19T08:28:00.018-05:00

Image: Ruthie Sommers via Patricia Gray's blog

Or actually...my booth at an antique store at this moment, but I can always dream!

I recently found the picture above on Patricia Gray's blog and it is of Ruthie Sommers show room at one time...I just loved it and it has inspired me with my booth! So I am off today to paint the walls and re-arrange everything. Currently, the walls are a very very very light blue, which I have not been so fond of....I am not going pink, but will have a picture hopefully on Monday of what it looks like after this weekend. So excited!

I also love love the crisp white furniture in the picture above and it is exactly what I like to to do with my "tossed away" finds! And the fabrics....wonderful colors...modern, but classic patterns....love it!

I will leave you all with a picture of Tuffy on some of my "freshened up" tossed away chairs. Oh, some people have asked what breed Tuffy is....he is a West Highland Terrier...I would definitely recommend this breed...so loyal, smart, loving with a little bit of stubborn mixed in...and oh so cute! Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Caroline

My two cute aqua chairs!

2009-06-17T05:48:00.047-05:00

I recently finished these two aqua chairs that I found at a flea market here in Nashville. Aqua is not a normal color I use, but for whatever reason it was on my mind and I used it!

The color was a little much (to me) when the chairs were all painted, so I decided to distress the chairs a bit, which is something I usually do not do...but I felt that it "mellowed" this aqua color a bit! I am still trying to get used to variants of aqua...but really love it!

I was wondering how I became so "aqua" inspired...since I do not use this color in my home...but I have found that I do love it when I see it. Such a happy color and what a statement! So here are some of the pics of aqua/turquoise/azure that have inspired me:

Image 1: Patricia Gray Image 2: Suzanne Kasler via Southern Accents

Patricia Gray has a wonderful blog posting on turquoise/aquamarine and Southern Accents has a wonderful article on the use of turquoise also.

Image: Southern Accents

Just love the combination of aqua/azure with this dusty pink...so lovely...cool, happy and relaxing to me!

Image: Traditional Home

I also like how aqua plays off of red really so well....look at that lamp and how it is set off by the red! And I would have never thought of putting those two colors together!

Image: Patricia Gray

Wouldn't this door make going to work every day just a little bit better! To see this beautiful color on my front door every day....would be so nice!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Take care,
Caroline

Dreaming of White Bedrooms....

2009-06-15T06:15:00.044-05:00

Image: Country Living

Isn't that perfect for a Monday back at work!

I absolutely love white bedding in any bedroom and beautifully ruffled bed skirts....that are white or a very simple off white pattern....just so lovely and very relaxing!

I have posted a few pics below of bedrooms I love. I currently have the white bedding in my own bedroom and the lovely ruffled bed skirt, but am working on "whitening" my current 4 poster mahogany bed and cozy side chair....and these pics are inspiring me!

Look at the beautifully ruffled white bed skirt and the slipcovered side chair...love it! I am always on the search for a lovely vintage mannequin....

Images: Country Living

I love all the "flea market/vintage" finds in this room! The beautiful needlepoint pillow and the rustic chic metal desk and the iron work over the bed...and that headboard! Then there are some vintage mirrors and crystal sconces...and my favorite...the holder above the bed is seemingly dripping with pearls and also hats! And they all play off the white bed linens and canopy...so relaxing!

Even though I love rooms based off of a completely white theme...I never actually pull one off! I always end up with color somewhere in the room and that usually is on the walls. I absolutely love this little blue bedroom below...the white mirror and ladder are so crisp, clean and white!

Image: Country Living

Image; House Beautiful

Oh, look at this lovely bedding...with the white and pink scalloped edges!

We have a 4 poster mahogany bed, which was a find...so when Robert (my husband) is not watching...I am planning on painting it a fresh white color and I am on the search for a Swedish armoire like this picture here!

Even though, I have been dreaming of white bedrooms today...colorful designs always sneak through...and I found this lovely picture of a pink and green bedroom from the 1970's...and it looks so current, happy and fun to me!

David Hicks c. 1970's via Patricia Gray Inc Blog

Have a wonderful Monday!

Take care,

Caroline

Friday Finds!

2009-06-12T08:29:00.023-05:00

Today, I am reloading my booth because I have finally finished some projects!! The picture above is a wooden "something" that I found and thought it would look nice painted and used as a jewelry/necklace holder...so that is what it is now! I love how the graphic designer made my business cards/tags, so I took a picture of my tag above too.

I also found two iron candelabras and thought they would look better in a white color, so I have a picture of one right here. I love them! I can totally see them on a mantel or table!

I also just "found" this vintage hobnail lamp. As I have said many times...I love love milk glass! However, I have never found a milk glass lamp that I liked since I think many really look too "old fashioned" for me...but this one was different! This milk glass lamp just needs a shade and it will be so nice!

My big project has been this chest of drawers. I found it at a yard sale and it is an old piece made by a Memphis furniture company....it even has the sticker on the back! The chest of drawers was painted with a brown paint, which I did not like...so it has been "re-freshened" in white. I wish I could have taken a better picture of it, but it is too big for my background...so I had to be all about the angles! Now I have to figure out how I am going to load it in to my booth without Robert's help today...we will see!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Caroline

Social Inspiration: Philanthropist Boutique

2009-06-08T07:07:00.016-05:00

So as we were traveling this weekend to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for my brother's wedding...I bought the latest Town & Country magazine when we were in the airport.

This was the Special Philanthropy Issue of Town & Country and had a wonderful article about a new boutique in San Francisco named Philanthropist Boutique, which gives back 100 % of its profits (after operational costs) to the community. Every 3 months, they take this money and give it to a charity-- which focuses on poverty. What a wonderful idea!!

This totally inspired me since I just started my little antique/vintage chic booth at Gas Lamp Antiques and have been wanting to use my abilities to further a non profit cause close to my heart (which is usually always child health care issues due to my background as a pediatric nurse practitioner).

So now I am fixated on creating Caroline's Lost and Found as a not-for-profit organization that will give 100 % of my profits (after operational costs) to a very deserving child health care cause here in Nashville!

My lawyer of a husband will not know what hit him in a second when I tell him my plans...but I have actually already run my plan by him during the long flight to Pennsylvania and he seemed to be very interested in helping me out with all the legal things, which I would just get lost in!

I am so very excited about this new mission/calling and can't wait to start the building process and see where it all goes!

Also, since I just finished being a bridesmaid, I just wanted to pass on my favorite thing to do with a bridesmaid dress...I donate it to the local high school for the next prom/homecoming....so they have some free dresses to give out to those girls who cannot afford to buy one. What a wonderful thing to do with an absolutely beautiful dress that I know I will never wear again!

Take care,

Caroline

Morning Inspiration!

2009-06-04T07:10:00.013-05:00

I just love these pieces of scripture (made into art) that I found this morning on Red Letter Words! They are perfect for me right now during times of change and transition.

Take care,

Caroline

A Find from TJ Maxx!

2009-06-02T06:24:00.042-05:00

This past weekend was pretty warm here in Nashville! On Saturday, morning I went to some garage sales in the Hillsboro Village and Sylvan Park areas of Nashville...I found a few small things such as a small shabby chic iron shelf (perfect for a cute half bath!!) and two iron candelabras that I am "freshening up" with some white paint.

I also went to TJ Maxx to return a picture frame and stumbled upon this upholstered chair!

It was out of place and when I saw the little red sticker on it (indicating it was on clearance) I looked at the price...49.00....so it was sold in my mind!! It was a bit cumbersome to carry, but it got into my car absolutely perfectly!

The chair matches our family room and I have a desk in there, which I think it will work well with! In addition, I will be working on making a white slipcover for our sofa and this new chair will go with my color scheme very well!

I have also been wanting to work on my picture taking abilities...since my pictures never look very good! So I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics to buy some background fabric for my pictures of my found and refreshed items! I totally lucked out that Jo-Ann was having a 50% off sale!

We have a carport here and it is the perfect place to hang a roll of fabric as a backdrop so I can use natural light to take my pictures. I just have velcro on the end of the fabric and then the other piece of velcro under the top of the carport....so it works wonderfully! I was very impressed with my engineering prowess and that I did not have to ask Robert for help with this one!

So I have the blue fabric all ready to go and I used this backdrop for the pictures today. I also have a muted coral/pink color waiting to get the velcro attached...I ran out of velcro so that will be next week!

I will leave you with a "close up" of Tuffy on the chair...he was just begging to be let outside and put in the photo shoot! He is so darn cute looking out at me from the french doors...I could not help but let him be involved....he does love being the center of attention!

Take Care,

Caroline

Friday Finds!

2009-05-23T05:28:00.021-05:00

Yesterday (Friday), I went out early to catch some garage sales here in Nashville. The last 2 weekends have been full of rain and this Friday was finally rain free-- so I took advantage of it! At the tail end of the morning I ran by our monthly flea market....and I found some great finds almost everywhere I went!

As you can see in the pictures, it was quite a "white" theme! I absolutely love milk glass (and white glass) objects...I am just drawn to them!

So at one garage sale/estate sale...I found gobs of milk glass. I put it in my box and was just fretting about how much the owner was going to charge me for them (I think it was the daughter of the owner). I knew I was giving myself away since all I had in my box, was like 6 pieces of milk glass including a huge milk glass bowl, a rectangular milk glass planter, a couple milk glass bud vases and such-- I thought she was going to charge me since it looked like I was going after this stuff. Anyway, when I showed it to her she hesitated (and I worried) and then she quoted a really low price for each item....I looked at her like she was joking (I do not have a good "poker face") and said "perfect!" And promptly paid and left. At the next garage sale I went to they had some milk glass bud vases, so I picked them up and a cute plate with roses on it. Then I headed to the big and overwhelming flea market at the Tennessee State Fair Grounds.

This is where I found this delightful white painted iron plant/candle holder...I love it!! I took pics of it with candles, a flower and with my new milk glass...just having fun with it!

I also bought two shabby chic painted white chairs--- that are the same size, but different structure-- so they look great together, but not too matchy- matchy! I haggled a bit and she dropped the price, which was nice! The only "non-white" find was a lone drawer I bought...I have seen how people have turned lone drawers into storage by putting wheels on the bottom of them so they can slide under a bed. I will most likely be painting it white-- go figure-- unless I am inspired by another color-- and will attach some old wheels that I have from an antique dresser (which was on wheels...for some reason) and will try this little storage idea out!

Due to my success yesterday...I will be staying away from garage sales today and will just work on "freshening" up some of the things I already have...and also running by Gas Lamp to "freshen" up the booth for Memorial Day Weekend!

Take care,

Caroline

A Baby Shower: Oh Boy!

2009-05-18T05:35:00.052-05:00

This past Saturday, I hosted a couples baby shower for a wonderful friend of mine and her husband. I had so much fun with all the little decorating details-- I just had to take some pictures and share!

I used "Oh Boy" on the invitations (can you tell??) and decided to play off of that theme...and at the same time use up some of the left over invitations! In addition, I know I have some pink flowers above (which were already in my dining room)-- but I think every male needs a little "pink" in their lives, so I left them!

Bacon and Caviar catered the shower and did a wonderful job! I wish I had taken a picture of the food, but they made an amazing jalapeno hors d'oeuvre, which was stuffed with a cheese filling and then wrapped in a piece of bacon...not healthy....but very delightful! And they were perfect since the mom to be is from Texas and her family from Texas really enjoyed them!

The father to be's mother was so nice and wanted to participate even though she was coming from New York...so she ordered this beautiful wreath for the front door...when I saw it I was just taken aback!

They would not take the wreath with them when they left, so it is still hanging on our door and it is gorgeous. I am just waiting for one of our neighbors to ask us if we have any good news to share due to this beautiful wreath hanging on our door....

We had all the guests sign an over-sized version of the invitation for the mother and father to be, which I feel will look lovely framed on the wall in the new baby's room!

I will leave you with our party favors, which I thought turned out so well! There is a little bulb inside each bag...and an assortment of colors to choose from!

Take care,

Caroline

Tin Cans and Steeplechase!

2009-05-11T08:57:00.002-05:00

So here in Nashville we have the Iroqouis Steeplechase, which to my Charlottesville friends, is very similar to Foxfield. So to prepare everyone for the day- long party, the Junior League hosted "How to put on the Best Steeplechase Tailgate" Cooking Class, which I helped to put on with a friend. We had so much fun! One aspect of it was our centerpieces, which we used cans and flowers to create. We saved up cans over a couple of months and peeled off the labels and then spray-painted them in an array of delightful colors. We then filled them up with an assortment of flowers from Costco's budget friendly flower section!

The inspiration came from

this Country Living picture...and I think ours turned out well...especially due to being on a budget!

So I was inspired to find more delightful ways to use tin cans and found the following:

How to make a tin can vase

This vase was made with birch bark wrapped around the can...such a wonderful idea!

Tin Can Herb Garden

How to make this Tin Can Storage piece

Take care,

Caroline

A few little finds!

2009-05-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note about a few things I found this past weekend....I thought these vintage salt and pepper shakers were so so cute! The hand-painted yellow flowers are adorable!

They are perched on top of a cute "peachy-pink" wicker basket I found...perfect for a guest bathroom waste paper basket!

This past weekend my husband hung a green and yellow vintage tole chandelier I found at the TN Flea Market last year. It looks perfect in the green guest room and I cannot wait to take a picture of it. Right now, my husband is re-hanging the dining room chandelier after we put a medallion on the ceiling...it will make the dining room look a little more finished! Now I have to tackle re-upholstering the dining room chairs!

The Brooklyn Flea Market

2009-04-29T05:16:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend, my husband and I took a trip to NYC and had a wonderful time! The weather was absolutely perfect and everyone was out and about in the city.

I had always planned that the next time I visited NYC (which is not very frequently...the last time being more than 6 years ago), I was going to go by the Brooklyn Flea market, which I read about in Country Living....so on Saturday morning my husband and I took a taxi from Midtown Manhattan to the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn. We had a wonderful time!

This picture is a great vintage chair that I found and thought it was just displayed perfectly! I will have to say (besides this chair and some of the items in my other pics) the flea market was much more eclectic than what I am used to in Tennessee and Virginia...but I was expecting that and it was neat to see something new!

I found this wonderful retro pink patio set....I saw it from a distance and it just caught my eye...I am usually not this "retro" in my decorating, but if we did not have to get in a plane to go home, I think this may have gone home with me!

The Flea Market is located on the outside play area

of a local school and it is on Saturday from 10-5pm.

You can find more information about it at

http://www.brownstoner.com/brooklynflea/

They also have an inside flea market on Sunday, which I did not have time to go to unfortunately...but it is also described on the website above.

I found a few things that I was able to fit in

my suitcase...I was really into looking for a

vintage purse while I was there. I think that was for two reasons...it was something I could bring home with me and a lot of booths had great purses! I found a very classy white leather Bienen-Davis purse, which I am very happy with! I also found a vintage apron, which caught my eye. I hope to have pics of those items posted soon.

Below I have posted a few more pictures of the flea market....

This is an overview of the flea market, but also showcases one of the great vintage furniture booths!

This is the school that the flea market was held at in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn.

I loved this booth....the white and blue colors....and all the enamelware in her booth was fun to look at!

I hope to share some more pics from NYC soon...I found some great outdoor decorating ideas in the city, but I also want to share a bakery where I had some yummy cupcakes!

Magnolia Bakery

http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com/

Caroline's Lost and Found Website

2009-04-23T05:13:00.000-05:00

I am very excited about a last minute change!

I have been working on a website since February with a web designer and it just was not going anywhere...so I decided to try to find a new web designer on Tuesday and that is when I found this wonderful web design template! The web designer of this template (http://www.enchanting-webdesigns.com/) has been absolutely wonderful and the site is up and running. I still have to plug in products and such, but it is up and functioning and I really like it. Please visit it at www.carolineslostandfound.com and let me know what you think!

Vintage Lilly and Linens!

2009-04-19T16:29:00.001-05:00

Well I had a new experience! Early...and I mean early...Saturday morning, I went to a neighborhood garage sale with two friends. This was at a huge neighborhood in Williamson County, which is outside of Nashville. I mean this neighborhood (Fieldstone Farms) never ends and I felt lost most of the time!

The reason I felt lost, is that twice a year they put on a neighborhood garage sale where each family can create a garage sale on their yard and people drive around going to each house that they want to...so we were able to stay in the car and peek at what the house had in their yard (from the car) and if we liked it...we stopped...and if not...we kept driving!

I got to my friends house...a little late at 6:30 am and we got to the sale a little before 7 am...the sale started at 7 am. There were Uhauls and large trucks already there...for people to haul away their treasures!

So for whatever reason, I was into buying things Saturday morning...so I got a lot...maybe too much! But there were some great finds. One was some vintage "His and Her" handmade embroidered linens! It was just too cute and I got it! Robert would never have it...so it will go to the booth, but I have a picture now to remember it by.

Then...there was this great vintage Lilly Pulitzer skirt....in perfect condition!! My friends found it, but they so nicely let me buy it! And I just love LP! And I have nothing vintage Lilly. I was going to wear it to church on Sunday...but it needs to be tailored a little bit, but I cannot wait until I get to wear it!

Oh, and my favorite sale shop for Lilly is http://www.thesaleshack.com/...this is the online sale section for C. Orrico (a Lilly Pulitzer store in Palm Beach, FL)-- their Lilly shoes are really marked down!

Otherwise, some other things I got were two old iron tables for next to nothing...they just need glass for the top...but otherwise have a great patina to them!! I have the smaller one pictured below...I am currently looking for a glass store here in Nashville....

There were many other things that I bought...but I think I am just going to end it here. It was a very fun day and I cannot wait until the fall when Fieldstone Farms has their next neighborhood garage sale!

Anything tole!

2009-04-17T07:04:00.000-05:00

So I have had a few recent fun finds...a vintage tole tray and a pair of small Italian tole lamps....which I just love! For whatever reason anything tole....just catches my eye and I cannot resist...especially if the price is nice! These items do not seem to sell well in my booth, but that is okay...just gives me an excuse to keep them for my home!

The first is a muted blue/green tole tray, which I just picked up yesterday. I saw it advertised on Craigslist (CL) and it was actually being sold by the same lady whom I bought a vintage chic white wicker rocker from last week! I don't buy too much off of CL, but I liked her items and the prices on CL are usually pretty low! It is also a nice to have a little bit of "retail therapy" at work...which is when I peruse CL. I really don't think I am going to give this up to my booth yet, since I love just looking at it in my living-room right now!

The Italian Tole lamps are a find from Montgomery, Al. I was down there a few weekends ago to research a Junior League event that we will be putting on here in Nashville in spring 2010 and I could not leave until I went by a few re-sale shops and antique stores...of course!! My husband was with me, so I did not go overboard, but I did find these adorable lamps at Eastbrook Flea Market and Antique Mall in Montgomery. What a wonderful antique mall...the mall had three floors of booths after booths after booths... of all kinds of treasures! Robert found an antique/vintage armoire for very little $$ and if we were not 5 hours away from home, that may have come home with us too! The lamps are now residing in the dining room on our buffet....I don't know if they really "go" with the room....but I just love looking at them, so that is where they are!

Oh, I took a picture of the tiny brass band that is on one of the stems, which states that it was made in Italy...I just thought it was a nice touch that it was

still there!

New Inspiration!

2009-04-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

So I have not been updating my blog recently and have sort of lost some of my inspiration with it. Two things happened this week, which have re-inspired me!

First of all, a friend sent me several wonderful blogs which she follows of other women who like "old treasures" like me! Also, another good friend informed me that she was starting a blog about what she and her husband are up to!

So I feel re-inspired now and started to take pics of what I am working on for my antique booth and what we have been working on around the house, which I will share!

First of all, my next project for my booth is this wonderful old wood chest of drawers (the drawers are not in it right now). The chest has a sticker on the back, which states that it is from a Memphis furniture company. I bought it at a garage sale a few months ago and have gone ahead and sanded it (well my husband Robert sanded it) and it is ready to be painted! It had a really ugly brown paint on it...and it was so hard to sand it off, so that is why my husband was so nice to help out! I cannot wait to see what it will look like!!

Then there is a picture of a vase of beautiful blooming lilies in our living room and in the background is an oil painting that my husband and I recently bought from a French artist we found when we were in Paris for our honeymoon. Her name is Virginia De Zan and she has a website (http://www.virginiadezan.com/). I think she just has a very unique painting style and she uses such vibrant colors, which I love! This painting is called "Ne pas Deranger"...which means "Do not Disturb"....which I guess is not very nice, but I just loved the dog in it and the child's skirt!

The last picture (which is actually the first one at the top, since I have not figured out the best way to get the photos in the order I want them!) is of my grandmother's chair, which my mother had recovered. I have placed two needlepoint pillows on it...the larger blue one...I found on craigslist and the smaller one with a Westie on it (of course)...Robert and I found in Paris. I could not pass it up!

I hope you all will find this blog enjoyable! I also am starting up an online store (in addition to my little booth at Gas Lamp Antiques in Nashville), which I hope will be up very soon and will share that as it comes along! Take care....

Tuffy!

2009-02-23T11:51:00.000-06:00

So Tuffy had his picture taken last weekend for the Caroline's Lost and Found website, which will be up soon. He was actually well behaved for this shoot that Robert (my husband) helped out with. Tuffy sometimes will not smile when he is having pictures taken of him (but he still revels in the attention), but Robert's new camera takes a lot of pictures in a row and we caught a partial smile! Yea!!

Tuffy was groomed the day before at Miss Kitty's Bed and Bath...he is normally not this white and was practically carried outside and placed on the ground to go to the bathroom before the shoot so he would not get dirty...he is all terrier! Anyway, he was glad when it was over (he regained his outdoor freedom) and I am very happy that the picture turned out well!

This past weekend I went to an Antique Show with some friends at the TN State Fairgrounds. It was so nice to see all of the antiques and dealers. I did have some "sticker shock" but it was neat to see what things I should be looking for when I am out and about...I guess I can call that "junking" or maybe going to the "brocante" or going "brocant-ing" since I understand brocante to be "junk shop/second hand market/flea market" in french. I may be completely wrong, but thought it sounded unique!

Anyway, it has been an exciting weekend. I am actually now working on an old door to a china cabinet (c. 1940's). I had already taken off the door since it had lost the glass in it. The china cabinet looked great without the door and I painted it and sold the china cabinet already. So now I am painting this door frame and trying to make a fabric covered bulletin board out of it...I hope to have that posted next!

My sweet "blue chippy" table!

2009-01-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

So one Saturday morning a couple of months ago, I dragged my poor husband to an early morning "Barn" sale in Columbia, TN- which is a quaint town outside of Nashville.

The barn, where the sale was being held, was adjacent to a cute old country store, which had been turned into an antique store with multiple vendors. The antique store, called Carters Creek Station Antiques(http://www.carterscreekstationantiques.com/), was full of "old finds" that were both shabby chic and primitive- with wonderful prices!

The barn next door was full of the same kind of furniture and I immediately saw an old blue "chippy" table sitting out in the yard. The paint was coming off, which gave it a great "patina"...and I just had to have it! I went to find the seller, who was an older lady and her husband and I bought the table.

This lady also said that she refurbishes old furniture and she asked if we wanted to see what she does since her house was right down the road. For some reason, we said "sure"....and followed her down the dirt road to her beautifully restored farmhouse and barn. Inside her barn, which was so perfectly clean and organized, she had beautiful pieces of furniture (armoires, dressers & side tables) that they had restored to their original look (she did not paint them like I do)...I was just amazed to see her barn and all that she does! She sells many of her pieces to some antique stores in Louisiana and many had "sold" tags on them, which were just waiting to be shipped out.

After seeing her place, I now keep thinking how wonderful it would be to have such a workplace one day!! But I had my little sweet "blue chippy" table from that trip and I was very happy with my purchase. After a month or two of looking at the table and trying to find the time to do something with it, I decided to sand it a bit (actually my husband did the sanding) and I painted it a "dove white" color since there were some places that needed to be painted and I felt it could not be sold as is.

Even though, I really liked the "blue chippy" look...the new white color took to it well and it still has quite a shabby chic look. My sweet "blue chippy" table is now sitting in my booth at Gas Lamp Antiques...but I guess I need to call it my sweet white table now!

My Inspiration

2009-01-15T13:05:00.000-06:00

My inspiration for starting Caroline's Lost and Found came from my mother.

When I was in college she found the chairs in the picture above, but they were painted a horrible color and the seats were dirty white leather. She loved the shape of the chairs, so she sanded & painted the chairs. We then went and searched for the perfect fabric and she reupholstered the seats.

My mother also had the wonderful idea to find a black iron base from an old sewing machine and paint it white. She then found a decorative panel to place on top and then over that she placed a heavy piece of beveled glass to make a great tabletop. Since college, I have continued to use my kitchen table and chairs and it is currently in my breakfast room today!

Growing up, I also went with my mother to estate sales. She taught me the art of finding a good deal and I have put all of this together to create Caroline's Lost and Found. I enjoy shopping, finding great bargains and "freshening" them up for a delightfully new purpose!