Flea Market Fun

Scott's Mother's Day gift to me this year was a trip to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. 

It was a drizzly morning as my dear friend Sarah and I drove up to Pasadena. 

We got there early-ish and headed straight for the vintage/antique section. 

The vendors were hawking their various and sundry wares--

everything from re-purposed industrial parts to vintage games.

One of my favorite spots was this eclectic collection of pendant lights and chandeliers, 

all created by the vendor in his shop.

I was also sorely tempted by this old farm table and a few others like it. The wide smooth planks and rustic feel would be just the thing to replace my rapidly deteriorating Ikea patio table.

There were Japanese floats aplenty. Many of them looked like knock-offs to me, 

but these ones had an authentic vibe. They were the size of basketballs.

Here's Sarah modeling with some vintage-industrial-whose-a-whatsit-drinking-fountain-thingy.

Speaking of vintage and industrial, this side table cranks up or down to whatever height you like and was salvaged from an old optometry office. At $750 for a pair, they were a little steep for me.

 We had to snap some pictures of this worn turquoise table, in hopes of someday building one ourselves.
It wouldn't be that hard, would it? wood it?

These metal letters and numbers caught our attention--such funky fonts and colors.

And ya gotta love a wall of apple crates. These were taken from a doctor's home. According to the sellers, he had nailed over a hundred crates to his walls and used them as bookshelves. Guess he had quite a library.

So, here are my flea market finds:

An old schoolhouse lectern

 Two wooden crates

Two vintage prints of merchant sailing ships

(Are you picking up on a theme for wall art in my home?)

 An old toolbox

(already filled with my art supplies)

 

And, drumroll please . . . 

the perfect lantern!

What a lucky find--and a great deal too!

(Thanks, Sarah, for the extra little nudge I needed to buy it.)

I think I will love it hanging over our dining room table,

but, as my great-grandmother used to say, "You can't tell 'til it's hooked!"

(Well, yes, she was talking about trying on clothes, but still.)

Mother's Day Genius

My husband is a genius gift-giver.

A few years ago he and Jack and Elizabeth gave me three Eden roses 

in one-gallon pots for Mother's Day.

That was well before a certain-someone had arrived.

(Hi, certain-someone.)

Those three little plants have grown into this profusion of loveliness.

And they are always at the height of their first bloom on Mother's Day.

Brilliant, I tell you.

So, at the risk of over-saturating your tolerance for pictures of roses . . .

here's this year's version of the gift that keeps on giving.

Should I keep you in suspense about my Mother's Day gift this year?

Yes, suspense is so exciting!

My Garden Design Process {and why I love iceberg roses}

Over the last decade of gardening in Southern California, 

I've been slowly learning how to choose plants I like 

and design a garden that can grow and develop over years.

{disease resistant}

My first step is getting inspired~magazines, gardening books, 

and the beautiful yards I walk past in my neighborhood offer plenty of ideas. 

I've realized that it's important to narrow my focus~

identify the style I gravitate toward the most (for me it's French/English country-ish), 

limit my color palette (whites, pinks, blues, and purples with plenty of different shades of green), 

and make sure to repeat the same plants throughout the landscape.

 {consistent, full flowering all season long}

What I don't tend to do anymore is go to the gardening section of Lowe's or Home Depot, 

or to a nursery and just pick plants that look great. 

I've found that impulse buying doesn't pay off for me in the garden.

{prolific beautiful creamy white blooms}

If I think a particular plant will work in my garden 

I keep my eyes open for it in people's yards or in the landscaping in my area. 

You may think I'm crazy, but I then kind of stalk the plant ~ watching how it looks in different seasons, if it gets leggy or too dry and burnt in our SoCal summer. I research the growing habits and then, 

if I'm still interested, I bide my time until I can find an affordable (usually tiny) version to purchase.

{dramatic and classic in the landscape}

So, for me gardening ~ even garden design ~ is a long term process, 

and the fun is in the process of creation over time, 

watching the plants grow into the vision I have for them, 

and always making adjustments, 

enjoying the seasonal transformations, 

being willing to tear things out, cut things back, 

and try something new.

 {complements any decor}

State Street Lanterns

The last time I went to Santa Barbara I was struck by the variety and beauty 

of the many lanterns that line State Street.

{the Arlington Theater}

Every corner, eve, entry and arch seems to be adorned by ornate vessels of light.

{gas lanterns outside Palazzio Italian restaurant}

So, on my morning walk I snapped a few pictures

(well, maybe more than a few),

in an attempt to capture the striking wrought iron beauty, 

stark contrasts of shadow and sun, 

and the typical Spanish-style architecture 

that gives this town such a sense of place.

I love the outdoor lantern--indoors--trend I've been seeing a lot of lately.

So I found it fun to imagine just the right interior settings for some of these dramatic lanterns.

I'd love the find the perfect lantern

for the perfect price

to hang perfectly over my dining room table.

Don't worry. 

Having considered the pros and cons,

and after much deliberation,

 {ornate lanterns outside the courthouse}

I've decided not to attempt a lantern-heist on State Street.