Random musings and a blue and white giveaway!

Hello! Hope you had a great weekend.....it really is so hard to believe July 4th has come and gone. Though our big Maine plans not working out was a big disappointment, getting to the Hamptons hardly felt like a consolation prize:) That said in anticipation of Maine, I had my lobster bib ready and envisioned lazy bike rides along the shore, kayak trips with picnic lunches packed,etc...you get the idea. Oh well.....now we are trying  to work it out possibly for later in the summer, we will see.

When it comes to kids (teens and beyond so if you have little ones ENJOY being in charge now).....seems it's always a crapshoot until you are actually en route to where you want to go!  Until we are on a plane or in a car together, that's when I can sit back close my eyes and say "victory at last" :) Moving along............Today's post is a random post, kind of all over the place, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Hope your week is off to a great start.......



Hamptons. Lucky enough to live close enough to go almost as often as I am craving a lobster roll (which would be daily if I were lucky)! Just a few highlights which are always fun to share of my recent trip there with a friend, we had lunch, shopped and did a lot of laughing and mourning over the fact that we will both be empty nesters in a year or so, to me that is totally heartbreaking! This is kind of like a part 2 to the other post where I featured many more Hamptons pictures.....

 Adore all the wonderful colors and patters from Roberta Roller Rabbit, love this store!

 This was taken at the new pop up shop of Serena and Lily, love the crisp white slipcover with navy piped pillows.....great look for The Hamptons!

 Cute tunics and dresses can always be found at charming Gretchen Scott.....

 More fun colorful tunics....

Calypso is always a store I must stop in...great summer clothing

 I am like a kid in a candy shop at Sequin...where they have every colored enamel bracelet one could dream of!

 Had lunch at B Smith in Sag Harbor with a front row seat of all the yachts ready to take their next trip....

 How seriously picturesque is this? GORGEOUS!

Sooooo beautiful...could stare at this all day long!

 I am madly in love with white hydrangeas....just breathtaking!

Random pictures that are floating my boat. I am rarely at a loss to find pictures that inspire me somehow. I am extremely visual and few things get to me the way a pretty picture does especially one that has a beautiful interior, gorgeous flowers, a beautiful party, wonderful food, etc.....so here are a few that are recently inspiring me in a big way.

Kind of loving this first room, how decadent and rich the brown damask walls feel with miles of crown molding, and the blues and whites just totally set it off!

Have a major thing for topiaries of all shapes, sizes and variations...aren't these just beautiful!

Love this oversized fancy monogram!

And how about this wedding.....kind of reminds me of a glammed up version of my own Fathers Day table

Monograms. Kelly green. Blue and white...need I say more? Fabulous!

And beautiful flowers get me every time......

Especially mounds of peonies stuffed into blue and white vases.......

 Beautiful table setting courtesy of Tory Burch

Has McDonalds "big M" ever and I do mean ever looked so chic as it does in blue and white!!!!!!!



A talented artist. I was contacted  by Juan, a young artist  who so generously offered to send me a few samples of his art. I was totally blown away when I received his box (gift)  all the way from Europe. This is the kind of talent I am insanely jealous of. I mean can you imagine waking up and just being able to paint like this!! I am so in awe of his work and am seriously considering having him paint something for me. I just had to share both his gift to me and his gift of his work with all of you. Click here to see him on Pinterest and his website is www.sanmartin-artscrafts.com. Thank you Juan!

An interesting new book.   Getting back into reading and loving every page. I have to say I am one of those odd birds that likes reading everything from good fiction, to autobiographies to exploits on Everest, always  enjoy a great cooking book.....and recently discovered this one, about the life and tales of famous sommeliers. Talk about an interesting and fascinating read...if this is remotely interesting to you, go to Amazon I promise you will be entertained!! Click here to purchase......

White hydrangeas. These have always been a favorite. But this summer I am mildly obsessed with them and on a hunt for more more more! Finally planted the cluster of 5 large bushes that i bought and cannot wait to watch them bloom for the rest of the summer....

 

Aerin.......I am blaming the resurrection of the white hydrangea hunt on you! This picture just did me in and sent me on a wild goose chase one day of finding huge white hydrangea topiary trees!! So I finally found them not yet in bloom which is perfect but they are two hours away and I am trying to figure out a cost effective way of logistically getting them to me..I am determined!! 

Newsflash as of Wednesday night (my local nursery was able to get them).......look what landed on my back patio!

 They are just starting to open with many many blossoms.....

 Now need to figure out if we are putting them in these blue Provence planters and if so I will want to have 6 across the back of the house..can you visualize it?

Sunflowers. Another summer fave. They are so cheery and uplifting and colorful and these were huge...as in towering over 2 feet huge! I put them in my blue and white jar and loooove the effect. It even got me back into party mode thinking about planning a Tuscan themed dinner party......oh boy! Had a few family members over for a super casual BBQ on Sunday and used my pretty melamine plates with the sunflowers and have to say it made quite a pretty table!

2 great news books I recommend. While we took  our little getaway I finished Beautiful Day by Elin Hidreth and I must say I really enjoyed it, one of her better ones in my humble opinion. It was  a perfect summer read, finished it in 3 days so it was easy (always a plus). On a very different tone, Pain, Parties, Work and is another book I am currently  reading and really enjoying, highlighting Sylvia's arrival to NY in the glamorous 50's , its fascinating, tragic and entertaining. (Did you read The Belljar)?

A great new line for monogrammed goodies. You know by now I have a total obsession with monograms, right? The fabulous site of , Mark and Graham has oodles of incredible monogrammed goodies. I was drooling over every single item and found the prices to be more than fair. Great site for personalized special gift ideas. This is going to become a definite regular "go to" for me so had to share! Check out some of the beautiful items....and click here to visit Mark and Graham.

Shop news.  

Very excited to have just gotten in a few new styles of bell jars. The belljars continue to be one of my best selling items. I discount them almost 40% from many online and retailers so my price is impossible to beat. Not to mention they are just gorgeous and add a sense of elegance and beauty to any room they get hung in. Here are some of the new patterns, and to anyone who was waiting on the ever so popular tulip pattern, the container just arrived. They are quick to sell out so be sure to contact me if interested. New styles will be added within a few days but as always if there is anything you want/need or just want to make an inquiry, email me here.

 The tulip now in stock in all sizes including the jumbo

 Love this, double row Greek key...stunning and such a classic!

 Just got the vertical feather in jumbo (as well as other sizes)

 Star and feather....beautiful!

 Diamond cut, very classic

Clover trellis

All are available in the standard oil rubbed bronze, or upgraded finishes of polished nickel and ant. brass.


These gorgeous blue and white bathroom pieces are now back in stock. Love them........

And very unexpectedly I got in another 80 pieces of these beautiful blue and white dinner plates (replicated for the Vanderbilt family of Newport). I had gotten in 120 pieces a few weeks ago and they literally flew out the door,  so happy to have more. They are sold individually and there is a price break when 10 or more are purchased. As always email me to inquire, theenchantedhome@gmail.com.

Here is a sample of how I put mine to good use......

 Click here to visit my online shop, The Enchanted Home Shop!

Now onto the giveaway....I am giving away a pair of the gorgeous blue and white plates!  They would make a great start to building a collection or even as a pair are highly decorative to use or hang/display. All you need to do to be eligible is visit my porcelain shop and come back here and tell me a favorite item.  Click here to visit. 

I will announce a winner on Tuesday morning.  For a second chance you may leave a comment on The Enchanted Home's Facebook page by clicking here.  Anonymous leave your first name and last name initial in the body of the paragraph.

So that's a wrap. Hope your week is going well. It's been a busy one but one that has included some fun outings and finally feeling like I am getting to enjoy summer, so no complaints. I am taking off on Friday through the weekend for a tournament for my son so this will be it until Sunday. Wishing you a wonderful end to your week and talk to you in a few days. Thanks as always for stopping in!