Found ~ A Banker's Chair

It makes me happy to give an item or a piece of furniture another chance at being loved and used.  I'm never disappointed with the assortment of wonderful finds at Dwell With Dignity's Thrift Studio.  A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to walk away with this beautiful banker's chair which was part of their last pop-up store.  I'm always amazed at the fabulous pieces that are donated and sold for this most worthy organization.  If you didn't get a chance to make the fall studio, no worries, this is a biannual event that will be coming again next spring.

Have a happy fall day!

Before and After ~ Knoll Chair

It's long been a dream of mine to own an original Knoll piece of furniture.  But as we all know, they are so dang expensive.  When I attended Dwell With Dignity's Thrift Studio last fall, I was thrilled to find this vintage Knoll chair ~ with nameplate intact. 

 

Obviously, the chair needed a makeover.  

 

With the addition of this lovely faux white leather fabric. I think the Knoll chair has been returned to it's former glory.  I'm happy as a clam to have it sitting in my home.

I hope today you're feeling happy too!  What treasure has brought some joy into your world lately?

XO ~ Dana

Rachel Ashwell and The Prairie

~ This is the floor in the foyer of Lilliput Lodge ~

This is the place where you enter into Rachel Ashwell's world and her life on The Prairie ~ the house where she stays, when she is in Texas.  It's lovingly named Lilliput Lodge ~ after her daughter, Lily.  

You know the question that we've all been asked one time or another, "If you could invite five people to dinner, who would they be?"  Well, for me, one of those people would be Rachel Ashwell.  And if you were to have told me years ago, when I was a young mother, that one day I would have a chance to have a chat with Rachel, I would have let out a little chuckle and said "Yeah right."  Monday ~ I had the honor of meeting this remarkable lady ~ at a blogger's luncheon.

~ Rachel pausing to chat during lunch ~

Let me share why I have so much admiration for Rachel ~ mind you the reasons are in no particular order but are merely how they popped in my head on this day.

First, I respect her as a mother.  From reading her books, one can't help but appreciate her unfailing love for her children.  Through the years, she has tenderly shared snippets of Lily and Jake's lives.  I was always impressed by her devotedness to them and moved by her desire to create a beautiful environment they could live in without worry of mussing things up.  Perhaps my deep respect for Rachel as a single mom, stems from the fact that my widowed mother raised four children alone.  

~ Rachel giving a tour of her home on The Prairie ~

Secondly, through her signature Shabby Chic style, she validated my love for tattered things.  She dared to be different and gave me the courage to march to the beat of a different drummer.  She was true to herself and consequently, she has significantly impacted the design world. 

 

And lastly, I appreciate Rachel for her genuine heart ~ she's the real deal.  She is a gentle and gracious hostess and comfortable in her own skin.  She loves blue jeans, t-shirts and cowboy boots and likes them all the more when they're worn and comfy ~ my kind of gal.  She's a lady and speaks softly and sweetly ~ surely she must lose her temper every now and then.  :)

~ A snapshot taken at Shabby Chic Couture on The Prairie ~

I left the ranch that day, feeling rich ~ happy our paths had crossed and so thankful to have met Rachel and her gracious staff ~ they all are truly a special bunch.  Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you.  I hope you have a happy weekend!

Calligraphy Name Tag Project

A quick, short blog today about a project I've been working on for the last little bit.  I've been crafting name tags for a Blogger's Luncheon I will be helping out with next week at Round Top.  The luncheon will take place at The Prairie, by Rachel Ashwell.  The event will bring together 35 bloggers, most who have never met before.  So, I decided to create a unique personalized tag for each attendee ~ I adapted them from a previous project that I did here.  It begins with the pocket-sized French book pictured above ~ I found it one day while shopping here. 

The first step was to pull pages from the tiny book ~ it was indeed an unfortunate part of the process.  It felt as if I were committing a crime ~ at least in my mind anyway.  I had a friend of mine (thanks Shannon) hand calligraphy the bloggers names on the torn pages from the book.  Shannon was recently inspired to learn the art of calligraphy specifically for the reason of hand addressing all of his daughter's wedding invitations.  A pretty special gift to his girl, Madison, if I may say so myself.

After the pages were penned, I laminated each of them.  

 

Then I punched holes in the top so I could loop a ribbon through to serve as a lanyard.  

Lastly, I strung ribbon through the holes and knotted the ends.  The "ribbon" is actually vintage hem tape I bought from a vendor at Brimfield.  Below, the name tags hang from a vintage I.V. pole I landed while fleaing one day.  I think the tag would also serve well as a luggage tag or would be quite beautiful hanging on a chair ~ as a place marker at a dinner party.

  

Just hangin' out ~ Round Top or bust!

I'm anticipating a great trip filled with good things.  Thanks to Bud, "The Pieman" from Royers Round Top Cafe, in advance for the wonderful grub we'll be partaking of at the blogger's luncheon on Monday.  Also, thanks to my friend, Kelley, of The Hidden List, for coordinating the event.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit Dwell With Dignity.  Shopping at Rachel's new store, Shabby Chic Couture is sure to be one of the highlights of the trip.  I'll be sharing photos and some of my experiences here as well as on Facebook and Twitter.  Have a good weekend.  :)