HAPPILY EVER AFTER

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Thursday, March 18, 2010

I HEAR YOU...

Thank You!

We are back at the "Epiphany House" . I have received many comments over the last year and a half and I do "listen".

The large mirror over the mirrors in the Great Room has been a very interesting topic! One comment caught my attention. It looked like a Spare Tire to this reader! I have thought about that comment over and over. Each time I entered the room I tried to be a visitor seeing the space for the first time. I finally decided, maybe this reader has a point.

The other topic that has generated quite a following is the positioning of the garden statue of the lady. She has been popping up all over these last weeks. Many will be happy to see that she's Back in the Master Bath. The favorite of many!!!

Actually I worked the two together. The Lady and the Mirror are sharing the same space.

Keep your ideas and comments coming. I appreciate every single one. They inspire me .......

Thank you all!


Monday, March 15, 2010

JEWELS

MY FAVORITE NEW PLACE ........

Last month Master Carpenter and I went to Asheville, North Carolina to visit our Granddaughter and this Blog's Design Assistant and Co-Blogger, Erica, and her husband, Adam. The area, and the "village", are so picturesque and a shopper's heaven!

I hate to think of the shopping I have missed by waiting so long to visit this spot! Erica took us into many of the local boutiques. It was freezing and windy, but we managed to work our way through a number of the great shops . Must, must get back there when the weather is warmer.

I want to share some of the beautiful "Jewels" I saw! We are all getting tired of seeing pictures of "Patty's Epiphany House", I know I am!! Actually, I think it would have been Heaven to have been able to bring home ALL of what we saw and redo the Epiphany House. Wouldn't that be fun!!! I did buy one small treasure. I will show the fabulous way it was marketed in the store and it's new home here. Really wanted the entire display!



YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE MIRRORS, AND THAT LAMP IS TO DIE FOR.


LOVE THIS NEW LIGHTER WOOD FINISH AND THE COMPOSITION DISPLAYED IS VERY "ME"



LOOK, LOOK AT ALL THOSE FLOWER SPONGES WITH THEIR POPS OF PINK

I WANTED TO TAKE THE WHOLE THING, TUB AND ALL.

ONE IN IT'S NEW HOME


I saved the best "Jewels" for last......Erica has done a fabulous job in designing a Spring Window for her shoe boutique, Talloni, ("Heel" in Italian). The place is filled, not only with gorgeous shoes, but scarfs, handbags, and jewelry to make any girl's dreams come true!! Actually, I have no idea how she can not spend her entire salary in a day! The pictures will speak for themselves, no need to comment.....Entire project is a winner!


SKETCH OF "SECRET GARDEN"







.....DO YOU WISH TO USE YOUR AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA OR MASTER CARD????

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA

Not Quite What the Song Was About......

I am taking a little "Literary License"! I have moved things around ...after getting ideas trying to fall asleep (with the lights out) !!! Nothing great or big, just enough to keep things "new" and "fresh"!


FOUND A NEW HOME FOR A PICTURE FROM THE "WAREHOUSE"



I WARNED YOU THE STATUE WOULDN'T STAY FOR LONG



ADDED TREASURES FOR "POPS" OF COLOR


THE STATUE FINDS A NEW HOME



CHANGED LAMP, ADDED FOO DOGS, AND NOTICE NEW BOX

Kenneth mentioned on his Twitter site... (Yes, can you believe I follow someone on Twitter!) that it's almost Spring and he's getting ideas on changing his entire house!!! So, so, Kenneth and OH how I can relate! He asked for everyone to send him words "to be sensible" .....Not me, I wrote back and said "Sense...and take the fun out of life!" His philosophy is one reason I love his work! Always changing and mixing things up. I can't change the entire house, but moving an accessory here and there keeps me alive and feeling good!

The staff here at Patty's Epiphanies has a lot of projects in the works. Nothing I can show yet. Some will have to wait until April and May!!!

Master Carpenter is planning to build a Pergola in the back. We submitted the plans and they have been approved by the ARCHITECTURE Committee !!!! That's the first, and most important step! With the help of John DeRosso (and his truck), supplies should start arriving on "site" next week. Of course, I will follow the progress and keep everyone up to date on the work! Should be equal, if not top, the built-in unit! Maybe not as refined, but much larger!!!! Let's just hope Master Carpenter can survive .............

While on the subject of Master Carpenter....he must be bored waiting for the Pergola lumber to arrive, because he decided to do "finishing" work on the spaces where the sliding doors were removed. He has built new trim and will caulk and paint in the next few days. He's "designing" a way to connect the two flooring elements. The noises coming from the "SHOP" are very loud right now!!!!!!

Erica has two projects in the works......I do keep that girl busy!! It amazes me, she does have a life outside of my projects!!!! You should see what wonderful design work she did in the shoe boutique where she works. Her window display is fantastic. She's planning on adding some photos to her website.

In April, Patti, will bring me the first of her new projects. She has made four 20" x 20" throw pillows for the sofa. They are in two different black velvets. Erica did the shopping for supplies, so I will be "surprised" when they come. She finds the prettiest fabrics at her favorite sources and I trust these new pillows will be beautiful!

She is also working on a very special art piece. This one has a LOT of sentimental meaning. The seeds of this project were planted over the last couple of months. An art piece, pictured in a room in a magazine, caught my attention. It was a large, heavily textured, all white, canvas. If you looked closely, you could see the shape of a dress in the texture. It looked like something I knew Erica would love to tackle!!!! While we were visiting Erica and Adam a few weeks ago, I showed her the picture. Her eyes lit up and in a split second asked..........."Grandma, do you have a dress we could use, I think that would be a great way to duplicate this idea?" It took me just another split second to answer......"Yes, I have the perfect dress...will ship it to you and we can go from there!" What came to my mind, instantly, was a Christening dress. It has been in my Mother's family since the early 1900's! All the babies in her family were Baptized in this dress....including yours truly, my children, and the latest, my Granddaughter, Tess. The dress is now completely unwearable. The top is dry rotted! It has been mended and patched many times and yet, it remains BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!! Now, thanks to Erica, it will be preserved and seen by all who visit my home. The hardest part... I have to wait until May to receive it. She and Adam are visiting in mid-May and will carry it here with them.

So, dear readers, this has been the week here in "Senior-ville"!! Oh, I must relate one additional little "story"!

The other day as I walked through our great room, I noticed something different with our new chair ...IT HAD MOVED!!!
Now, all my original followers know what this means.............Yes, Bill is at work!!! He has been back since he inspired me with the Asian screens and I believe is still here!!! The reason he moved the chair.......( I MUST state that Master Carpenter refuses to believe this!!!!).... I found out that the Thomasville Outlet Store still has one of these chairs in stock! I think, and Bill agrees, it's the perfect opportunity to have a pair of these fabulous chairs.....at an unbelievable price!!!! So far, Master Carpenter, has won this decision.................

Welcome Spring this weekend and enjoy all your wonderful inspirations. Go with them.... What do you have to lose?

Monday, March 1, 2010

GRANDMA'S PARTY CURRY CHICKEN

Well..........who knew? You asked for a recipe from ME!!!!!

Here goes...the amounts are for 10 to 12 people. Adjust accordingly!

6 to 8 Chicken Breast with bones and skin
6 to 8 Chicken Thighs with bones and skin
3 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
2 cans of Golden Mushroom soup
1 can of Mushroom Bits and Pieces

Sherry to taste
Curry Powder to taste

4 cups Rice
Fruits and Condiments of choice......the more the merrier!!!!!
.....note........it is not necessary to add any salt or pepper

Cook chicken in a large pot of water. Remove the cooked chicken, set aside to cool. Continue to cook down the chicken stock for about an hour. After the chicken has cooled, bone, skin, and cut into large chunks. Put the chicken in a large baggy and refrigerate. Strain the stock. Add the soups, mushroom bits and pieces, sherry and curry powder. Cook at low temperature for about an hour. Allow it to set and cool and put in the refrigerator.

About an hour before serving remove chicken and soup mixture from the refrigerator. Add the chicken to the soup mixture and heat to serving temperature.

Assemble all the ingredients in gorgeous bowls, plates, and serving utensils!!!! Serve buffet style and allow guests to add their own choices to their plates!

Enjoy,
Patty

LADY OF HOPE AND LOVE

WHAT A LADY



The piece is titled: Lady of Hope and Love. It is the icing on the cake! Erica explained the "Lady" is blowing the petals of the flower towards our new dining room to shower the room with hope and love to all that enters !!!! She also wanted to add that "Pop" of red to center the other reds that are scattered from the kitchen to the new dining room!






THANK YOU ERICA