The flight was long and we finally got to our hotel around midnight. We decided to turn in and get a good head start in the morning. Although most people do the beach thing while here, we have little interest. I’m sure that will seem a little strange to most but that’s just who we are. However, we did drive out to the beach yesterday evening and walked along the boardwalk for a bit.

We love to experience the culture of any place we visit by driving, walking and exploring the nuances of different neighborhoods. We look at homes with such enthusiasm, recognizing the similarities and dissimilarities. For instance in Miami, masonry homes with tile roofs and gaited front yards prevail.

We’re staying in Coconut Grove which is very nice. Thursday, we strolled through the Lincoln Mall, bustling with foot traffic and a mix of store fronts and restaurants with alfresco dining.

Then right in the middle of the mall sits Miami Beach Community Church. Surprised by its presence, I was taken back by the architecture as well.

Today, we drove through Little Havana and Little Haiti en route to Las Tias, a vintage home store I found online.

After browsing the store, I had the opportunity to talk with the owner, Esther, who was happy to give me a brief history of the store which is packed with an eclectic mix of 40’s, 50’s and Mid Century Modern home furnishings. Turns out this unique store with “upscale resale” lettered on it’s facade was an unexpected surprise in the making. Esther, a real estate professional, was unable to rent the building. She began using the place as storage for finds she acquired during her real estate dealings. Fast forward 3+ years later, she and her partners have created a store full of vignettes jam packed with consignment furniture and accessories worthy of careful examination. Have a look for yourself.

Isn’t this chair fun offering a little of the unexpected with the shaggy fur on the back?

Love this lamp!

And these night stands are adorable.

If you’re ever in Miami, Las Tias is worth a visit. There is definitely enough eye candy to tempt the appetite of any design enthusiast.

Junk has two locations within a short walking distance of each other. As I approached the front entrance, my heart started beating quickly. I could tell this was going to be my kind of store.

Shelves and shelves of glassware, dishes, vases, need I say more?

I always admired these insulators. If I could have found at least 3 in this color, I would have bought them. Though, not sure just what I would have used them for.

Furniture and lamps galore.

Containers,

clamps

and buttons.

Couldn’t leave without purchasing some, of course.

Pictures and frames lined the balcony,

And here’s a shot from the balcony.

So many interesting things tucked into every square inch of the store.

Oh yeah, remember these?

I know I am dating myself but I imediately slipped into a nolstagic euphoria.

And 45′s too!

There were some things that caught my eye, but I just couldn’t buy. Too many items already waiting their turn in my garage.

Junk is delight for makers or vintage connossieurs. It is a creative breading ground for all your DIY project ideas. You never know what you’re going to find in this treasure trove. If you’re ever in the area, I hope you will have a look for yourself. The addresses are 197 North 9th Street (between Driggs Ave & Bedford Ave)
and 567 Driggs Ave (between 7th & 6th St), Brooklyn, NY 11211

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So, I was in heaven when I walked into this store.

With bolts and bolts of fabric

and buttons galore!

Zippers in every color and every size

and trims, so many, my oh my!

Just wanted to share a little piece of fabric heaven with you. But now it’s your turn. Where is your fabric heaven? I would sure like to know.

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First they sat in my garage stripped for at least 2+ years, then I couldn’t pick a color after I primed them (16 months ago), then I couldn’t decide on fabric so I decided to make my own fabric using art stamps (4 months ago). I covered all the seats and then decided to re-reupholster them using some fabric I had all along. I know, I know, ridiculously indecisive, I drive myself crazy! And though I attribute this indecisive madness to an overly creative mind, nonetheless, it hampers my productivity big time.

And even after all this creative drama, there’s more. I couldn’t find the right trim to finish the edges. Everything in my trim collection was either too narrow or insufficient yardage. I decided to make my own cording but I wasn’t able to manipulate it to form square corners. So I decided to buy some trim. I had no luck with that either. There are few stores and very limited selection in my area. So out of sheer frustration and desperation, I went back to making my own fabric trim. Here’s a closeup of how it turned out.

So 16 months ago they looked like this

and 4 months ago like this

And now they one of them look likes this

The other three are waiting for the their trim. But, I haven’t decided if I really like it or not. I like the seat but the back doesn’t WOW me. I’m thinking about experimenting some more; however, these dining room chairs have been sitting around way too long without a purpose. Funky Junk Interiors is hosting a slipcover theme party this Saturday so I might make a slip cover shrug for the top until I decide how to proceed. So please, let me know your thoughts. Can you relate? Any suggestions – 12 step program, creative rehab, trim store etc. would be greatly appreciated? I wasn’t kidding about needing help. It’s about time for this story to end, don’t you think?

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This year’s story was about a girl, Virginia, questioning the existence of Santa Claus. Here she is:

I apologize for the lousy pictures due to the glare and reflection from the window.

I like her mother’s response though:” Believing in Santa isn’t something you prove. It’s something you do when you are kind to others, that makes Santa real. That’s the proof.” That works for me! Not so sure about No. 2 Son.

And a few more not so great photos:

Even though his excitement is waning, mine continues to grow. The creativity behind the design will keep me coming back even when No. 2 Son says “Enough already, Mom. I’m too old for this.”

Actually, I had a date to attend a taping of the Nate Berkus Show. But I got to see him up close and personal and had the pleasure of shaking his hand. Swooon! The man is even cuter in person! How could that be? I have to say, I was smitten. Anyway, I have been watching and enjoying his show so much, I wanted to to see how it all comes together behind the scenes. Slightly different then I had imagined, it was so fascinating. Clearly, you can see all the hard work and planning required by his crew and staff to orchestrate each segment. As everything unfolded before my eyes, I watched in amazement and smiled the whole time. Even though cameras are in your way at times, it was a wonderful thing to watch.

Dina of One Funny Mother, warmed up and kept the audience laughing between segments. The segments flew by quickly and, honestly, I have to say I was so mesmorized by everything and everbody that I didn’t absorb all of the subject matter so I will look forward to watching it again when it airs. I might even get a glimpse of myself in the audience since I was sitting next to an audience member who was selected to participate in one of the segments.

At the end of my date the taping , Nate graciously thanked everyone for clearing their schedules to attend, recognizing how hard that can be to do. How nice is that? I walked away energized and feeling so good I just wanted to scream! The audience participants got gift cards and the rest of got a role of removable wall paper that he used in one of the segments. I might use it to finish out a couple of white bookcases I brought back to life recently.

I definitely would like to attend another taping and I highly recommend it even if you don’t live in the area. A couple of people started out on their journey to the Nate Berkus Show at 1:00 AM traveling from Boston. Now that’s loyalty! I had a wonderful time and this was definitely a highlight. Life is good!

On Thanksgiving Eve, I decided to take No. 2 Son to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons being inflated. What an experience! It was so much different then when I took No. 1 Son years ago. Here is just a little of what we saw.

It starts out a little abstract; the balloons are so massive and up close you’re not quite sure what you’re looking at.

As you can see Mickey was not quite finished being inflated

But as we moved on, we began to recognize everyone.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid made his first appearance,

a few of the many workers we saw that night,

helium trucks of course,

and the Macy’s star was the last thing we saw.

As for the experience, it was a bit hectic. There were just too many people there. I would love to know how many people come to see the balloons being inflated vs. the actual parade? I felt bad for the kids in strollers because all they could see is the back of people’s legs. Literally everyone was walking shoulder to shoulder, inching along taking baby steps. I am not exaggerating. Every other step I took, someone was stepping on my heels. It took about 45 minutes to walk from the train exit to to the starting point (2 blocks away). And it took at least 1 1/2 hours to finish the 4 block tour.

For those of you who may consider doing this in the future, if you don’t mind large crowds, I mean really large crowds, go for it!

However, I found it to be more of a chore than a wonderful experience. Even No. 2 Son got irritated and overwhelmed at times. It was one of those things you do once, and perhaps never again. It was so much nicer to watch the parade the next day on the HD flat screen, in a warm home while preparing dinner. I think I will stick to our holiday windows tradition instead.

How about you? What are the Thanksgiving festivities like in your town?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Portobello Road Market, I visited Chloe Alberry, a must visit if you’re ever in London.

Happily surprised, when given permission by the shopkeeper to take pictures, I wanted to devote an entire post to some of the eye candy hardware you will find there.

Normally, I would apologize for all those reflections, but I think it’s a rather interesting photo in a strange sort of way.

Chloe Alberry has a huge assortment of…

stunning stone and gorgeous glass,

pretty porcelain,

charming ceramic,

shiny silver,

brillant brass,

beautiful black,

knobs, pulls, hooks, brackets….

tantalizing tins and so much more!

I was drawn to the ceramic knobs so I purchased a couple of them. No project in mind, just because. Because what? Because they were pretty. You just can’t walk out empty handed. Everything is just too irresistable. Chloe Alberry is a gem of a store that will have you saying out loud in that high squeaky voice, “oh, how preeeeetty,……. oh, how cuuute”, you know, like when you’re talking to a baby. Quickly looking around to see if anyone heard you thinking out loud, you will soon realize, everyone else is doing the exact same thing.

Have a “must visit” store you would like to share?

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Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

A Soft Place to Land: DIY Day

Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday

Mustard Seed Creations: Furniture Feature Friday

On the weekend, the shops are over shadowed by the vendors and the street is so packed with people you can barely walk.

I don’t know what it is about London businesses – shops and street vendors alike – picture taking is a major “No No”.

This is one of two vendors (the other was at the Convent Gardens market) that gave me the okay to take pictures.

Don’t you just love the vintage buttons? I thought I was going to make my way back to buy some but by the time we got to the other end of the road, my guys and I were tuckered out.

Wow!! What a difference a day makes.

On weekdays, you can see all the great stores on Portobello Road.

Honey Jam is just the cutest toy store with “back in the day” toys, you know, the kind that don’t require batteries.

Everybody stops in their tracks for this one, not just sewers. All those vintage sewing machines and it’s a clothing store!

And even more inside!

Toward the end of this very long road, I found Chloe Alberry.

When I got a glimpse of their tables Between Naps on the Porch:out front, I was in awe of all the eye candy. Doesn’t this look inviting?

At this point, my guys and I had had enough of the crowds so I promised myself I would have to come back. But you have to come back too, so I can share with you some of the beautiful hardware this unique store has to offer.

I am sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday.

Speaking of inspiration, one of the things I instantly fell in love with, was London’s architecture. The buildings there have such presence with their ornamnentation and detail. Balconies ordorned with flowering window boxes were breathtaking and made my heart sing. As I walked from neighborhood to neighborhood, my jaw would just drop at the magnificence and overwhelming beauty. Here is a sampling of the eye candy I had the pleasure of seeing:

What do you think? Have you ever experienced architecture that stopped you in your tracks, compelling you to be in the present moment so that you can take it all in?