Longchamp for Less

If you love Longchamp but not the price, then I bring good news.  There is a treasure trove of Longchamp bags at Saks Off Fifth.  Run, don't walk and stock up on this classic brand.  These bags make great gifts for graduation, the holidays and beyond.

Fabulous Friday Finds

Thanks goodness it's Friday, this very cold morning in Virginia.  We are seeing normal February temperatures today for a change.  Here are some fun Friday finds that I hope you will enjoy.  Hoping you have a wonderful weekend planned.

Love this vintage lamp from Etsy.  It does not come with the shade but a trip to The Shade Shoppe can fix that.  Get it while you can!

Chris Benz, the new designer at J Crew, is starting to show his stuff and there are several items in the new spring rollout that I like for a change.  If you're into Liberty then you might like this new floral print.

(Liberty Blouse)

Absolutely love this matelase jacket that I would wear with jeans or even white jeans.  It comes in three colors and I love them all but this is my favorite.  Tempted to order the blue one as well.  Pair with a white t-shirt and an Hermes scarf for a classic look you can wear for years.  This is hidden in the "suiting" section of their website. I might change the buttons on the blue one. Love.Love.Love.

This pink tweed dress screams "Jackie" to me.  Pair this with a wide brimmed hat with pink flowers for the Derby and you have the best outfit.  Love this!

 

Love this needlepoint eyeglasses case from Tricia Heaton Designs. This can be a quick project to complete and how great will those sunglasses look in this?

Kate Dickerson has discontinued her needlepoint Herend horse.  If you want to add one of these to your stash (I have a green one and a brown one in mine) Po's Point has a few left, 30 percent off.  You can call the store directly to order one or there are a few on the website.  Use "horse30" for your discount if ordering on the web.  These will make great pillows or finish as a stand-up.  Better hurry before they are all gone.

Love, love, love this book.  It weighs a ton but I have spent hours already and have not even scratched the surface.  It's a decorator's Bible.

Derby Dressing Part 1

It is definitely not too early to start planning your Derby outfit or your outfit for any of the upcoming race meets. We have three trips to the races planned this year so far, so the dress, the hat, the shoes, and the coat all need to be in good order. You almost have to have a warm weather outfit, a cold weather outfit and a wet weather outfit. 

I've perused many sites, looked at many hats and dresses and here are some of my picks so far.  The shoes have to be comfortable. We do tons of walking when we go to the races and you need to look good but really high heels just won't cut it.

1) The Floral Look
Flowers are everywhere as well as ruffles.  I am not a heavy ruffle person but this dress is lovely. It is long sleeved but sheer enough to wear in warm weather. This is also a perfect pick for a wedding or dinner party.

This dress needs neutral accessories like this clutch:

These Zara slides are perfect for this dress.

And this hat:

2) The Liberty Look
This is a really cute dress and I wanted to own it but these dresses just don't fit me. This one is very long and they offer petites if you are short.  It's lined and comfortable.

The casualness of this cotton dress demands a more casual look for the hat as well.

These are the same shoes that Pippa Middleton frequently wears. Love them with this dress and hat.

3) The Preppy Equestrian Look

I adore this dress from Julie Brown and am tempted to add it to my bulging number of dresses for spring as it's greatly reduced.  This brand runs small so size up at least one size.

These Loeffler Randall mules are great for a dress that has a ton going on as they are neutral.  They will go with most everything in your closet and they are greatly reduced.  Get them while you can.

Love a simple clutch with this busy dress:

And top it off with the perfect hat:

4) Chic Animal Print Look

I am totally in love with this dress which is perfect for a tall person.  Love the fabric, the print, the look, everything.

The shoes should not distract from this fabulous dress.  These will work well and they are the right heel height for all day walking.

Love this Zara bag with this dress. Less is more.

Topped off by the perfect hat!

5) The Easter and Race Dress Option

This J McLaughlin dress is perfect for the races but can easily do double duty as an Easter dress.  Love the print and it's fabulous in person.

This dress also needs a somewhat plain bag like this adorable clutch.

And this hat will make this outfit!

6) The Hat is the Center of Attention Dress

A plain dress is in order when the hat is the main focus.

The hat which can be customized in whatever color you want.  Love it, but Visa will know you bought it! 

Or this one!

Hoping I have given you some great ideas to start planning your race day outfits. 

Modern Needlepoint Samplers

I learned to needlepoint and cross-stitch with my grandmother way back when, at about ten years old.  Obviously, the bug caught on as I'm still doing it.  Those were traditional ones, though, not like the ones I love today.  This is a sampler, from Birds of a Feather, that I finished last year, for the cabin and gave it to hubby for Christmas.  I finished it so it will hang like a picture with a grosgrain ribbon and it's covered on the back with light greenish brown velvet.  It turned out so well, I'm in love with it. And I bought the canvas from Stitch Therapy for 50 percent off (it was in their sale section).  Hint - Stitch Therapy often has 25 percent sales on their entire inventory if you are willing to wait to order. 

Birds of a Feather makes the best ones, but there are others out there too.  Here is one I love from this artist but I would do the colors in something wild and unexpected.

(Nordic Sampler)

This Quaker Sampler is in my stash for 2020 but I am going to change the colors. Not sure yet what the colors will be but I'll show you the finished product when I am done.

(Quaker Sampler)

Here's the sampler I completed. It's 12 x 12 and I did not alter the colors at all.  

(Stag Sampler)

Historic Garden Week in Virginia

Every year in late April, some of the finest, oldest and nicest homes and gardens in Virginia are open to the public.  You can buy a ticket the covers everything open in the entire state or you can visit selected locations.  We went to Staunton, Va last year and saw some magnificent homes.  It is well worth the time and expense and I'd love to visit one location a day for the week - in my next life!

The book will be published soon with the schedule and details about each location being offered this year.  The Facebook page has information as well.   

The dates are April 18 - 25.  Mark your calendars and come to Virginia to see some of the finest old homes and gardens anywhere in America.

Limoges Boxes

Like Herend or Staffordshire, Limoges boxes are a collectable and they also make great gifts to mark special occasions.  You can find these now in resale shops, on the Internet and of course, Etsy is a great source.  You can find them for as cheap as $40 and into the hundreds of dollars but most seem to be priced around $100 unless they are extraordinary.

These small boxes are made of hard-paste porcelain near the city of Limoges, France and were first created in the mid-18th century when King Louis XVI gave the city the exclusive right to produce these Royal boxes for the Kingdom of France.  The first ones made were long narrow containers created for expensive needles.  Snuff boxes were made beginning around 1730. The animal ones are my favorite.


The creation of the Limoges box is a time intensive process of creating a master mold, detail painting by hand of color and design, performing multiple firings and glazing upon the porcelain mold, and a final touch of a metal hinge for opening and closing. The painting of the Limoges porcelain in the Limoges box industry are accomplished by small handed French artisans, as experts at the fine brush strokes required for such detailed work. After painting, there are multiple firings. The final firing at a temperature of 1400C is unique to Limoges, giving them a very fine pure and strong white finish. The final touch to a Limoges box is the metal hinged mountings that are meticulously fitted to the finished box. The entire work process is made by hand, so small variations are the norm, thus making each piece really unique. Each model is often made in very limited numbers, & signed by the artists.

(Dog Box)

(Inside the Dox Box)

 (Horse)

 (Bunny Box)

To be authentic, a Limoges box must be made of the kaolin clay that is found only in France.  A back stamp (on the bottom of the box) saying Limoges France will indicate if it is authentic.  A law passed in 1871 states that all Limoges boxes must be stamped this way.

Many studios operating around Limoges mark their porcelains with their factory symbol of initials. The number of factories producing Limoges currently estimate at about 35 different companies.

 (Horse)

 (Horse Box)

Here is an older one:

(Older Box)

(Cat Box)

(Cat Box)

(Tiger Box)

(Frogs)

(Bunny and Egg)

(Bunny and Egg)

(Bunny and Egg)

(Bunny in Hat)

 (Deer)

Love these!