French Wine Crate Find

I would have missed this beautiful French wine crate at a recent estate sale

if Ron hadn't spotted it hiding in the corner of a dark basement laundry room. 

The wood looked old and, when I saw it was from France, 

I went a little crazy and plunked down $7 for it!

I love all old crates but this one had such a warm honey tone,

fancy writing, and even wooden slots for twelve bottles inside. 

It knew it was special but couldn't begin to guess just how special it was. 

When I took it home, I looked up Chateau la Fleur Petrus and found out

it was a fancy Bordeaux wine from a vineyard near Petrus on the famous Pomerol plateau. 

The estate's original French Country chateau was built in 1782 and 

the wine traces its history to the late 1800's. 

I thought the engraving on the front was gorgeous.

I think the little critter may be a wild boar's head???

If the 1962 date is the age of the crate, it's 55 years old,

thus the mellow aged look. 

We thought it might be fun to go to our favorite wine store and buy a bottle to display in the crate. 

Are you ready for a shocker?

A very knowledgeable man there told us they didn't carry this wine because 

it was usually only available at auction and went for between $220 and $3,500 a bottle!

He said people who bought it often rented an armored truck to have it delivered.

So, I guess we'll probably just put something else in the crate. 

(Internet photo)

I wasn't sure how I would style it so I began to layer things to create a pleasant design.

I started with some white flowers in a white vase for height

then added some teal-colored bottles and mason jars for sparkle.

We'd just trimmed the crabapple tree in our back yard so I snagged some branches 

and added them to the design to fill in the gaps.

My big white Limoges platter with pale blue flowers was the perfect backdrop

for the arrangement and the crate's bottle racks worked just like a plate rail. 

I don't claim to be a floral designer

but I think it makes a pretty Spring centerpiece.

I can just imagine this crate in the winter,

filled with big pine cones, some tall candles and a bottle of wine or 

stacked with old books, an ironstone pitcher and some vintage linens in the summer. 

Definitely, one of my favorite finds!

***

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French Country's Friend : Ironstone

Hi Everyone! Before I get to this week's post, I have a little announcement.

I have finally figured out how to post a link to Pinterest on my blog so you can see all of my favorite photos on my Pinterest boards.  I hope you'll follow me to check out all of my French Country Decorating and Garden pixs. Just click on "Follow on Pinterest" in the right column.

Thanks so much for reading my blog. I really appreciate your loyalty and friendship and I love hearing from all of you. Blogging has given me an unexpected creative outlet that has truly enriched my life. So, let's connect! And, please do let me know if the Pinterest button doesn't work for you. Thanks so much. Now, on to this week's post . . .

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When I first started collecting ironstone, I couldn't help myself. 

I couldn't resist the creamy white dishware and bought every piece I saw that I could afford.
I started out with tiny milk creamers.

And added more substantial pieces as I found them at estate sales and thrift stores.
When you hold a piece of ironstone, you know you're holding something with history.

Pitchers were always my favorites but platters and bowls and tureens called to me too.

Ironstone always looks so fresh and appealing.
It's the perfect accessory for a French Country look --
that timeworn feeling of simple comfortable elegance.

Like white fabrics, ironstone captures many different tones of white

from almost-pure white to mellowed ivory with tints of brown. 

Now that I'm beginning to have a decent little collection,
you'd think I'd be able to resist but I still can't seem to help myself.

Anything with a crest on the bottom finds its way home with me. 

I can always make room for a little milk creamer or a petite egg cup.

The Charm of Imperfection
Even things that aren't in perfect condition are irresistible.

In fact, I'm finding I'm most drawn to things that show signs of wear.

Those pieces with a crazed surface
(those little lines that we all develop over the years) call to me.

And a gravy boat that is missing the tip of its spout
holds untold stories of family holiday dinners long gone by. 

My favorite piece to date, is this little pitcher.

I found it at my local Goodwill and almost didn't bring it home because
it had obviously been dropped and had shattered into several pieces.

But it had been lovingly repaired. 

Someone had painstakingly glued all the broken bits back together and
it made me think of it having had open-heart surgery. And surviving! 

Now it has pride of place in my kitchen.
I love the sweet little lattice design around the bottom.

What is it about ironstone that calls to so many people?

Is it because it complements any style from Farmhouse to French Country?
Or is it its humble design?

Is it its pure white tone that goes with any color scheme?
White is so easy to live with. It calms a chaotic room and soothes our busy minds.

For me, its always about the history of a piece. 

I love fancy antiques but my heart is always touched
by the simple things that people used every day.

Those well-loved pieces never go out of style. 

And will always find a home with me.

***

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French Country Reflections : Old Mirrors

In an earlier post, I talked about how to use old mirrors in decorating 

to add sparkle to a bland wall or to set a mood, whether cheery or romantic.

How to add light to a dark room by hanging them across from a window. 

And how to create elegance or a sense of history with lovely patina on old frames and hazy glass.

But this post is not about decorating with mirrors per se.

In a way it's about what we see in the mirror and how that reflects who we are. 

Mirrors do reflect the room they're in 

but they also cause us to reflect about ourselves and what is important in our lives.

Have you ever tried this little exercise?

If your house was on fire and you could only save three possessions, what would you take?

Of course, pets and family members are not possessions so they don't count.
And they would certainly be the most important things to save. 

I'm talking about those material possessions that matter most to us.

That personify who we are and in which we see ourselves reflected.

When I asked myself this question, I walked through my entire house,

looking at everything and you know what? 

Nothing jumped out at me and yelled, "Save me!"

But the more I thought about it,
the more I realized I am, to some extent, my stuff.
We personalize our homes with our possessions.

Were I to downsize to just the basics, would I (the person that I am today) still exist?

I'm all about simplifying and getting rid of clutter but I'm definitely not a minimalist.
I look at my belongings, those things that I have collected over the years,
and I remember where I found each thing or it found me and what it meant to me.
And still does.

So, what would I save?
Of course, I would save personal photographs and my old teddy bear.
These things have an emotional value to me.
They reflect my love of family and friends.

And how could I not save my favorite pieces of ironstone
 after all the estate sales and thrift stores I've sought out to find that special piece?
Ironstone reflects my down-to-earth simple style. 

I love the vintage furniture I've brought into my home, especially those cherished wooden pieces.

Somehow, I'd find a way to save my antique English hutch and my chippy red farm table
even if I had to ask the firemen to help me carry them out!
These sturdy old pieces reflect my love of history and respect for hand-crafted things.

I'm not saying material possessions are who I am; they don't define me.

But, when it comes down to it, I recognize myself in them.
What I see in a mirror is not just a room full of furniture and accessories.

These things have become part of my personal history. My story.
My home and my possessions reflect my journey. 

And I see that story reflected in my mirrors. 

And what I see in my mirror's reflection is not a house but my home
-- a solid yet intangible thing --
(that I fervently hope the firemen save if there's a fire!)

Yes, it is about possessions but not simply materialism. 

It's more of a feeling that my mirrors reflect back to me. 

Of safety and shelter and comfort and memories.

And so I hold my mirrors' reflections dear as I save them . . .
in my mind and in my heart.

***

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~~ Spring Changes in the French Country Dining Room ~~

It's Spring! Time for a fresh new look in my French Country dining room.

My dining room in winter seemed a little spare 

with only vintage mirrors and an old farmhouse mantle on the wall.

I love how light and airy it is but . . .

I'm always looking for ways to make it better.

I've been wanting to move the green chippy cabinet so it would be more visible.

So, I slid it across the floor to the left side of the mantle and tucked it into that narrow space.

After I put my old medicine cabinet on top of it and added some ironstone, 

it filled the space perfectly.

The chippy paint added some yummy texture to the neutral wall . . .

and the cabinet is much handier now -- storing napkins, old tablecloths, vases and candles.

The other side of the mantle looked a bit lonely so I moved a plant stand from the foyer 

to the dining room and placed a sweet little basket on top of a linen scarf.

Looks like it's ready for a picnic in the country!

Flowers in a silver pitcher warm the space and bring the outdoors in.

The sun streams into this room for my morning cup of coffee. 

My latest Goodwill find . . . this fabulous "frenchy" straw hat. 

Love the black ribbon. Ooh la la!

A few small changes on the mantle included ironstone butter pats to hold candles.

And here's the French Country dining room with a spring update.

Isn't it fun to take what you have and move it around for a whole new look?
The only thing I bought for this spring update was a $3 straw hat!


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