Romantic Country Magazine Fall '09 Issue

Happy Monday dear friends, I hope that you enjoyed your weekend! I did not realize that tomorrow is the first day of the Autumn Season until I read the newspaper while sipping my coffee this morning. It's still soooo hot down here in Miami and only those who have spent any amount of time here know that the humidity feels like a wringing wet mop at this time of year. Thinking of the cooler months ahead are all that is keeping me going at full speed right now.....whew!

Oh joy, I received my copy of Romantic Country Magazine last week and it is truly exquisite and luscious. Darling Fifi has really outdone herself with this breathtaking issue, I am sure that you will agree. I am THRILLED (but of course!) that once again my home is featured, along with several others that exude all different styles of romance... along with some beautiful projects and photographs. Below is a petite collage of the cover (and the article on my home:-) so that you can easily spot it on the newstands if you don't already subscribe.

Have a wonderful week ahead......

I will be busy with my daughters who will be here, THE MOVE mentioned in my previous post, and "baby sitting" for my older daughter's 3 guinea pigs while she heads out to Los Angeles for a week.

~xoxo~

Janet

She Moves

New beginnings....

The room that she called home for most of her childhood will be empty once again.


The college grad is not finished learning her design craft and will be moving on. Great opportunities are here for the taking:


We have spent the better part of this week looking for the perfect pad.........


and found this great studio on South Beach. Art Deco reigns here, and our little princess will be moving on. She can't wait to start school again and can't wait to decorate. I hope that she lets me help. I will fill you in later.....

~xoxo~
Janet

Romantic Dress Forms, Teacup Chandeliers, In My Studio

Happy Monday sweet friends, I hope that you had some time to enjoy your weekend!

I thought that I would share some of what I have been working on lately. The weather has been pretty dismal here in Miami, too hot and humid for man, woman and even the fur baby....so I figure that it's a good time to stay indoors and create!

First are my signature Romantic Dress Forms that I have been doing for many, many years now. I love to make them and am so thrilled that they continue to be something that my customers crave:-).

This one is done in pale blues and accents of pink....which I think go so well together. I didn't have a chance to blog last night and by this morning it's already been SOLD, but I wanted to show her off anyway~lol!

Another pastel bleu romantic dress form, this was a special order for a sweet customer that received her last week.

I listed this romantic dressform last night as well and she is still available. She is designed to hang on a wall, dressing screen, back of a door or a closet door....

Really she is prettier in person....it's hard to take good photos when it's pouring rain and dark skies!

SOLD!

Another passion of mine is lighting, and both Kristen and I design for the website. Kristen specializes in cherub lighting unlike any that you have seen! I love Kristen....she is such a sweetheart non~diva girl, as are all of the artists on the site:-) Anyway...I don't have anything new of hers to show, as her chandeliers and lighting tend to go in an instant....but here is a bit of what I have been working on in my own studio.

This teacup chandelier is so pretty for a white kitchen and has the most wafer thin antique French Limoges pink rose teacups. Such a keeper if I only had a place for it!

That's it for today, I need to get into the "packing and shipping dept", aka my kitchen island~lol!

Have a beautiful week!

~xoxo~

Janet

Beachy Seats

So here I am sitting at our beach retreat and blogging instead of going down to hit the sea and sands. It's early, Mr. Fufu is out wiping down his car (salt spray is a constant) and our darling younger daughter who is here w/us this weekend is peacefully catching some winks. I am sitting in the breakfast room and thinking about how much I love all of the seating that we have here. Most of it vintage that was accumulated over time and with patience, and for not much money. In decorating any home I feel that having a vision and then the patience to wait for just the right pieces to come along makes sense. Today I am going to share some of the seating that we have, and hopefully give you some ideas.

This spot is where I love to sit in the morning with my morning coffee and laptop, and watch the sunrise over the ocean. I found this vintage patio set years ago at a local consignment shop for I think around $125. Although I do sew, I decided to leave this project to my friend Susan. We picked a lovely cotton floral fabric with a vintage tropical theme and I painted over the set in a fresh coat of cottage white.


In the dining room there is absolutely nothing new, and in terms of seating we have two different collections of chairs going on. These chairs I bought from another antique dealer/friend (again, years back so not sure of the cost) and painted them white and distressed. I recovered the seats with a pale faded looking Rachel Ashwell fabric that has blue roses on white. The chairs are turn of the century Victorian and were a heavy dark wood with horsehair seats. Seeing the potential, and I am pleased as punch with how they look now.


These (we have a pair) are 1940's French caned flea market finds that I painted a light cream and covered in a cotton matelasse that has roses in white on white. Texture and color with lack of color!


Only new chairs in the place are these barstools from Haverty's. We have a high eating counter/bar and vintage was not an option, so these had sort of that casual beach feel that I was going for.


This chair is a real old one and was in Mr. Fufu's family for several generations. I think that it goes well in our den that is a darker room, and sits in front of my petite antique French writing desk (picked up at a yard sale:-)


Resting spot for a pair of vintage binoculars that we often use to spy boats out on the sea. The old perfectly beaten and battered stool was a local thrift shop find for $5. The color and weathered patina call to mind a stormy day over the ocean.


We were so fortunate to receive this custom made patio set from one of my husband's clients who was moving to Maine and didn't feel that these would fit in up there. They are artisan made from copper and rope and would not be affordable.....so I was thrilled to get them!! Perfect for the beach, as they sit outside and have gotten a wonderful patina in the harsh enviornment.


A very old wicker chair that I found years ago at an estate sale in Coconut Grove. Susan made up these cushions from some vintage aqua barkcloth from my stash closet.


Just sorta cute, my $5 vintage vanity stool from a tag sale that I painted and covered in an old aqua brocade. The formal fabric juxtaposed against the shabby iron chair works well here.


My very favorite has to be this old French chaise and ottoman that I acquired at a garage sale back at home for $50! It was worth having this set redone professionally, but I had the finish left as found. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.....and my favorite spot to curl up with a book when it's raining.


Speaking of.......it's NOT raining, in fact the day is just beautiful~so I will talk to you later!


P.S......if you are a fan of the website we have lots coming this week~a mini collage of just a few things to expect.



xoxo,
Janet

Romantic Country Magazine

Hi Friends,

It's time to share some exciting news, as I have been

given the green light by my dear friend Fifi this morning. The new edition of Romantic Country Magazine will be hitting the newstands on (or about) Sept 22nd and by looking at the cover it should be another GORGEOUS issue to treasure! Fifi has taken the magazine to beyond beautiful...and if you can't find it on the newstands you can now subscribe to it~and save some money as well. Just click on the subscription card to enlarge it, save to your computer and print it out....and mail in to:

ROMANTIC COUNTRY

Harris Publications

1115 Broadway

New York, NY 10160~0397

Do you remember my post about the photo shoot at my home?

Darling Fifi O'Neill and her gorgeous sister Sylvie Sommer in my kitchen cutting pink roses

I have been blessed to have had frequent press over the ten plus years that I have been on the internet with Shabbyfufu, yet it's still always a thrill....and you will find my home again in here:

Romantic Country Magazine Fall '09 Cover

I am still working away on the "back end" of the website to post many beautiful new items sometime after Labor Day....so I hope that you can check in with me over at the shoppe then. I hope to show some previews here before.

Until next time...lots of love from here~xoxo~Janet