Little Finds from Little Shops

In Florida, I had little time for antiquing since we were so smitten with the beaches and didn't want to go indoors.

In St.Petersburg, I did stop for 10 minutes at a shabby chic store on Central Ave. (near the popular Taco Bus, where we had lunch) where I picked up a pretty little Royal Worcester off-white vase:

Before that, we stopped at Michael's Antiques (7219 Central Ave.) where I bought a vintage Coach purse and a little mirror.  I recommend Michael's - the proprietor was lovely and he has a neat collection of things, some traditional but many mid-century.

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After returning to Calgary, I stopped at a shop in Inglewood called Pretty Little Things where I picked up this darling crystal lighter (without the lighter part):

Pretty Little Things is a fun little shop full of vintage clothing, some furniture and small decor items.  The shopkeeper is a lovely gal with a style I might call "old Hollywood".  The shop looks a bit cluttered at the front, but there are lots of small finds and she has some lovely linens and cool vintage clothes.  And everything is old and has a provenance! 

This lighter came from an old lady lived who had lived in Hollywood and whose family had won the Kentucky Derby (the elderly son now lives in Calgary).

It has some a bit of black staining around the lid (that doesn't want to come off), so I think it needs a little more TLC or a stronger solvent.

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In health news:

My GP requested an MRI due to the enlarged pituitary (14 mm) that Dr. Piper found.  

I got the call, and it's scheduled for next Friday!!!  Usually MRI's take a month or more in Canada (thanks to socialized health care...they are free but you are "triaged" and often get to wait a bit unless you have an emergency, etc.).  

However, they must think mine is serious as they are seeing me next week.  I think I must have a pituitary tumor, but I will know more in a week or so.  The receptionist was surprised that I'm getting in so quickly (which sounds like both a good and bad thing!)

Keep your fingers crossed for me please.  

(And prayer is always welcome, if that's your thing).

Happy weekend!

~ The Pretty Room ~

Nothing beats a pretty room to make my heart skip a beat and feel suddenly at home.

There are all sorts of "pretty" rooms, from simple to sophisticated, but by my definition they all have tranquil pastel palettes that soothe the eye and the soul! Soft pinks and blues and lavender, complemented with lots of white, can't help but make a room look oh-so-pretty.

Curvy furniture in feminine colours looks pretty and nurturing, and lots of softly-textured pillows in magical fabrics are inviting and enveloping. Small elements like a bouquet of flowers, a "curlicue" sconce, a delicate lamp, or a canvas of floral wallpaper are often the only flourishes needed to soften and make a simple room go from plain to pretty.

The photos shown are some pretty rooms I've found in the last few months and saved to a "Pretty" folder for a rainy day. I wanted to post more photos, but just didn't have time to go back and dig out even more images from all the country magazines I love (that are often the cat's pyjamas of romantic pretty!).

All the rooms shown have elements I find pretty, some more subtle than others. They share soft colours, feminine motifs, pretty (sometimes country or elegantly curvy) furniture, bouquets of lovely flowers, and a certain feminine je ne sais quoi. They all make me want to redecorate for spring!

What do you find especially pretty? A certain colour? A certain flower? A particular style of furniture? A romantic pattern?

Sometimes I think I want a genteel, slightly worldly and academic house, but then I see these exquisite, relaxed, pretty rooms and I just want to forget sound and sensible and go wild with curvy, romantic, pastel loveliness!

Luckily that look can be mimicked in many rooms by bringing in some flowers, adding some pretty pillows or bringing in a few candles and a new pastel accessory or two for spring. We just bought a celedon green glass vase for our living room, at an art sale, and it's eye-catchingly pretty for spring! Happy Dreaming!
All photos Domino, except for mint green bedroom (10th photo) and elegant lavender living room (2nd photo) from Traditional Home. First photo is from Country Home.