My Americana Kitchen ~ Part Two

My Americana kitchen.

I painted this little Americana Folk Art Bunny way back in the mid 80's when I use to teach decorative folk art painting. I taught how to paint this bunny at one of my classes for beginning students.

Yesterday I shared photos of the kitchen in my Texas home, and today I am sharing the kitchen nook in my present California home.

But... it doesn't look like this anymore. 

This was how it looked when we first moved in and before I tweaked the decor. Those red chairs are back in the dining room and the blue chairs (from yesterdays post) are back here in the kitchen nook area. 

The chandelier will most likely get painted when I redo the furniture in the near future. I am thinking about white, just for the wood  part. 

This is the top on the hutch.

Those little yellow cats are symbolic of my big cat named Norton. He was found in the shipyards of Norfork, Va. when he was a little tiny kitten and was so dirty and oily that he was thought to be a black cat .

He traveled all the way from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast of Washington State. All that way in the backseat of my daughter's car... along with her sailor husband, a toddler and a baby. 

His next move was down the Pacific Coast to Northern California in a mini van. He squeezed in with three dogs, another cat, a very elderly grandma, two grand kids, a grown daughter and of course me. 

The Mr. had already moved a month or so before and the boys flew. That was a preview of how our three cross country moves would be like over the next 12 years.

The coyotes got Norton one month later... right off our front porch. No one had warned me about coyotes. I sure miss that cat. He lived seven happy years. The other animals all lived to be over 14-17 years old.

Okay... back to the kitchen. 

This little (inexpensive) hutch was purchased online as a display for the shop I had in Texas. (I have two of them.) I will be painting one of them black to coordinate with the table and chairs that will also be painted black. I am thinking of replacing the back of it with some beadboard paneling painted white.

The Shaker pie safe cabinets (from yesterday's post) are actually sitting on each side of the hutch at the present time. 

As soon as I paint the table, chairs, hutch and pie safes, I will take more pictures to share  with you. I am pretty sure I will be going with black as I have two tall skinny chicken pictures framed in black that go above the pie safes.

Well thanks for letting be share my kitchen(s) today and yesterday. If you missed the Texas kitchen yesterday be sure to take a peek. It showed more of the Americana dishes and painted furniture pieces.

I am joining these parties:
Tabletop Tuesday
Sunny Simple Sunday

xoxo

Bunny Jean

 

A Valentine Fantasy

This is an encore presentation of my

Valentine's Day fantasy...

2010.

What could be nicer than a 

Valentine's Day tea for two?

Maybe a romantic dinner with a nice wine?

How about a late night dessert of strawberries dipped in chocolate... and a glass or two of champagne?

How about all three?!

~ ~ ~

Tea for Two

This fine bone china is Old Country Roses, 

made in England by Royal Albert. 

It was passed down to me by my mother.

I have quite a few pieces and will share more another time.

Tea is served at 4 o'clock.

This clock is 24k gold plated and it was 

given to me by my mother forty plus years ago.

My sweetheart and me.

He is 6'3"... I am not.

We have be happily married for 32 years. 

We are blessed and appreciate that... 

because it is the second marriage for both of us.

We met on a blind date!

These are faux candies. 

The are very good for any diet plan... 

because they are 100% calorie free ;) 

These pretty little sugar cubes are also faux.

This large table doily was also my mother's 

and is also very old... older than me!

The napkins are actually pretty little hankies 

that I just opened for today's tablescape. 

They were also my mothers.

Did you enjoy your tea?

~ ~ ~

Dinner will be served... 
at 8 o'clock.

Oh My... dinner is starting a few minutes late.        

We will have some nice wine served in 

my old Princess House stemware.

I've used long taper candles for a romantic feel. 

The wine will also help with that.

The dinner plates are from TJ Maxx.

You've seen them here many times. 

I love the detailed edges.

The flatware has real gold detailing. 

It was fairly inexpensive, 

but still feels good in the hand.

These little lead crystal candle holders 

have a real gold band on them... 

and were found at Goodwill!

The china also is trimmed with real gold.

There we are again... 

Do you see us peeking out between 

the salt and pepper shakers?

We are very lucky to have each other!

Time sure has passed quickly!

It's 10:35 and I'm ready for dessert!

We have a nice bubbly champagne!

These are the old fashioned champagne glasses, not the fluted ones that are so popular today.

I just can't resist lovely plump strawberries dipped in decadent milk chocolate... how about you?

Or do you prefer dark chocolate?

I will place the fresh strawberries in the little oblong dish, and the chocolate in the precious little swan... 

just the right size for dipping the tip of the berry!

These champagne glasses are lead crystal 

and have a beautiful "ring" to them 

when you tap on the rim.

They are from Princess House.

I sold Princess House for a short time 

when the kids were little.

Is that still in business?

Well... look at the time...  

It's almost midnight!

Good night to all my bloggy buddies...

Can't share any more!

xoxo

Thank you so much for visiting me today. 
I enjoyed my little Valentine fantasy.

I am sharing at these fun parties:
Wednesday's Bunny Hop 
Tablescape Thursday
Lauries Valentines Par-tay
Pink Saturday
xoxo
Bunny Jean

Remember the Bunny Hop 
is now open to ALL BLOGGERS!

Apples and Old Lace

No Arsenic today…

Just sweet memories for this old lady.

(Remember that old movie "Arsenic And Old Lace" starring Cary Grant?)

Today I wanted to share my the kitchen nook in my new desert home. Even though we have been here almost a year, I have yet to really “decorate” it. This is the first time showing my kitchen because I am kind of embarrassed that it is not yet a completed project… if there is such a thing in home decorating.

That lace doily on the cake stand was my mother’s. I have two smaller ones that match. They were on the “hard rock maple" colonial furniture that I grew up with.

When I started my first home in 1970 I was NOT going to have that “yucky old stuff” in my home! NO WAY… it was all black leather (pleather), chrome and glass.  I wanted my “own style”…  even though it looked like everyone else’s. Lol.

Then “country” hit big in the mid 80’s. I was hooked on this “new” style. Silly me. I found that I actually felt more comfortable in a country style home. Warmer colors and comfy textures and patterns. PATTERNS! Wow…I was the queen of multiple patterns in one room. Talk about visual overload… did you use lots of patterns back then?

This is the little hutch (one of two) that I once had as a display piece in the Texas gift shop where I leased space and sold my decor items. That was four years ago.



The Susan Winget dishes are from almost twenty years ago. I should get newer ones but I am sentimental. My Children and grandchildren ate on these dishes before we we “all” grew up and moved on. If I do get newer ones these will for sure get safely packed away. Does that make me a hoarder?

Those valances have traveled to five homes so far. I just put them up for this photo shoot. Took two sets and layered them. They stayed in the box for the six years that we lived in Texas. They don’t know it yet, but they are just temporary. See where I put one set in the back of the hutch? (You can see it better in the previous picture) I put it there because that hutch didn’t have any wood backing in that spot.

Yes, country is still very much still alive in my kitchen. Now that the “new  farmhouse country” has become popular, maybe I can just update it somewhat. Stay tuned to see the "New Country Farmhouse" kitchen makeover.

That chandy is something I got when working at Ethan Allen. I won’t ever part with it. Maybe just paint the wood off white… when I get around to doing my kitchen update.

You can see that I definitely need to add some depth to the room. Maybe wainscoting or board and plank details. I really, REALLY want to put in a nice deep cushioned 4-6 inch (sofa) banquette!  I would then put a few shelves on the length of the wall for my dish display. I have SO many stuffed away… Where do you hide all your dishes?

I thank you for sticking around to hear me relive my decorating past. Actually I am still living in that past… lol. One day I will get it all updated.  Hopefully.

This week I am sharing at these wonderful parties:

Show Off Your Cottage Monday @ The House In the Roses 

Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

FarmHouse Friday @ LaurieAnna's

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm Of Home

I want to thank all the lovely hostesses 
for making it possible for me to share my blog.

xoxo Bunny Jean

My Pretty Pink Valentine Surprise!

I would like to share a "Pretty in Pink" Valentine's Day tablescape and some past Valentine's Day gifts.

~~~

This little rose topped trinket box was given to me by my grandaughters many years ago.

Isn't it just precious?

What could be inside???

Oooh... a necklace from my Hubby.

It has Diamonds on both sides.

I love diamonds, don't you?

These little pink heart dishes were purchased from Ross a few years back. The cream dinner plates

are from TJ Maxx.

These yummy looking frosted brownies

100 % calorie free!  Yes they are!!!

They are faux. That is a fancy French word for false or fake. They have "frosting and whipped cream".

 See how real those chopped nuts look.

(see top of sidebar for purchase information)

Hubby gave me the most beautiful long stemmed roses a few years back that arrived in that hand painted vase.  

I love these pink glasses that I found at Tuesday Morning. The pink votive holders are from Ross.

These little sugar cubes are decorated with dainty "frosting" roses... and they are also faux. 

These pink napkins are made from some Waverley fabric remnants left over from my designer days.

The flatware is just stainless but it is trimmed in real gold and is still very pretty... although inexpensive.

I hope you have enjoyed all this pinkness as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you!

~Optical Illusion~

Does the glass on the right look like it is upside down? Or is the one on the left? It is just an optical illusion. Turn your PC to the side (only if it is a laptop, lol) and it will appear normal.

I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXO

~~~

Since I'm not much of a cook (Hubby does that) I might be cheating just a bit... but I am joining Foodie Friday. Thank you Michael for hosting this.

Please click here

I also want to share this tablescape with all the bloggers who visit Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch. Thank you Susan :)

Please click here