Mansions & Mondays, Oh my....

Happy Monday evening, all...
I am back from a lovely weekend house-sitting, or shall I say, mansion-sitting at Juniper Hills with my daughter Ellie, her friend, and my Mama.  It's a tough, tough job...sigh...take a look. This was some rough living:

This is where I slept... pink and yellow deliciousness. And, of course, my favorite part, a drippy antique chandelier. Loving the hot pink, velvet desk chair, as well. This was my adjoining bathroom:

The wallpaper in here is made of MICA. Yes, mica. Nice.
 Just clean, sparkly, gorgeous. See?

Eloise and Regan stayed in the king sized bed. They felt like princesses underneath that canopy!

The canopy was detailed and beautiful even laying down. Look at the view...

No one stayed in this room, but like every room in the B&B, it's worth showing:

I have written about Juniper Hills on the blog multiple times. I love it there. I love it's owners. I will always write about how perfectly decadent it is. What a treasure in Trumansburg. Stay tuned for more T-burg posts...found some wonderful little shops and some stunning waterfalls in the park. More to share soon...

Va Va Vinyl....

Who knew that vinyl records could be so utterly chandelierious, raise your hand?
Until about two months ago when I started a part time gig at my friends store
Leone's Collectibles I didn't have a clue.
I remember loving records as a kid. It's simple. They're cool.
The ones I consider uber cool, chandelieriously divine are the oldies. The cover art on these vinyls from the 50's and 60's are fantastic. Take a gander at some of these gems I've come across at the store:

(Kay Starr...look at those fierce bangs and fur stole... You go, Kate!)

How fashion fabulous are these covers?! They are worthy of being framed.

This one right above? This one, Whipped Cream and Other Delights holds a very special place in my heart. We listened to his one, specifically Love Potion No. 9, over and over and over again. I just introduced Ellie to it the other night and she loved it, too.

Maybe it's me, but these covers trump todays any day. With the exception of Whipped Cream, I have no idea what the music is like. But, that's not the point. I'll dedicate a post to great music another day. Today is simply about va-va-voom, fabulous vinyl covers.
Happy Wednesday....

Tips-y Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! Today's tip? Get yourself one of these:

Crosley Mini Turntable (Black)

I bought this one from Amazon. It closes up and even has a handle for portability. It's not the fanciest one out there, but it's perfect for me. Just a wee bit tinny...I love that sound. I hadn't given records a second thought in years till I started working for my friend in his store, Leone's Collectibles, in Greece, and his online stores on Amazon and Ebay (mr-magazine.com). Come into the shop and check out the huge selection of vinyl! They're all around $1.25-$2! It's so fun and nostalgic looking through records everyday that I had to just had to break down, get a turntable and start up a vinyl collection. I am even dedicating a future post about album covers. One of the most fun bonuses? My daughter thinks it's straight up awesome. It was a completely foreign concept to her and her extensive knowledge of imacs, ipods, itouches, itunes, iphone, i-everything...
Dig out your old one, or opt for something new, but I think you'll thank me!

Thirsty Thursday

I am heading out shortly for a little mexicali dinner and the temperature in Rochester today reached a balmy 54'! That's practically a heat wave in these here parts these days! In honor of both things, today I am posting a Sangria recipe. Who cares if it's premature?
Mmmm....
                               Blackberry Sangria

• *4 cups fresh blackberries
• *3/4 cup sugar
• *1 1/2 cups water
• *2 750-ml. bottles rosé wine
• *1 cup cognac
• *1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
• *3 cups sliced peaches and/or plums
• *Fresh basil sprigs (optional)

1. For the syrup, in a medium saucepan* combine 2 cups of the berries, the sugar, water, and a dash of salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Strain through a colander, pressing gently without crushing the fruit; discard berries. Cool syrup.
2. For sangria, in a gallon jar or pitcher combine the blackberry syrup, rosé wine, cognac, lemon juice, fruit, and a few sprigs of basil, if desired. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.
3. Serve with ice, additional fruit, and basil. Makes 13 cups (26, four-oz. servings).
4. OLE! (props to Better Homes and Gardens for this 5 star rated recipe!)

Tips-y Tuesday

Happy tipsy Tuesday! Today's tip? Get thee to the thee-ah-tah! 
Once upon a time I wasn't just a stay home mommy/blogger/wannabe decorator. I was kinda sorta an actress. Musical theater style. I am not quite sure how I got derailed and ended up retired.
In the last few years, I've started to get the itch again. I have continued going to the theater and have made a point to raise Eloise that way...her young life has been enriched by theater experiences here and on Broadway. It's in her blood, like mamas.
Well, I decided to dip my feet back into the theater pool with a pretty brilliant local theater company, Blackfriars. I will be in their production of "The Who's Tommy", starting April 23.

"Tommy" happens to be one of my favorite shows and I've always said it would be the one to get me "out of retirement." Couldn't make a liar out of myself, right?
Well, today's tip isn't really about coming to see me in a musical. It's about going to see ANY theater. Please, go...it's soul food. It's a beautiful tradition to start with your children, exposing them to this art. Be it high school productions or Broadway shows. I know it's not always the cheapest thing in the world, but think of it as an investment. That's what it is. An investment in your life, your soul, your growth, your family, your mind, your well-roundedness.
After all, the show must go on...

Thirsty Thursday

It's 16' out. Ouch. But, at least the sun is shining and the sky is blue. Yeah...there's that.
It's a perfect evening for a hot toddy! My friend Jen loves these...(hi, B!)
This recipe is eerily similar to the one I posted while sick last week, right? The difference is I am better and this isn't medicinal. It's a straight up  cocktail!

                                        
                            The Classic Hot Toddy 


* 1 oz. Brandy, Whiskey or Rum
* 1 Tbsp. Honey
* 1/4 cup  Lemon
* 1 cup hot water
* 1 tea bag


Coat the bottom of a mug or Irish coffee glass with honey. Add the liqueur and lemon juice. Heat the water for tea and steep. Pour hot tea into the mug with the other ingredients, stir and chill....or warm up, I should say (hardy har har).
Cheers!

Purple Love, Take 2.

See these? Aren't they beautiful? I wrote recently about random acts of kindness and only yesterday about purple prettiness. Well, these earring are a perfect example of both. I commented on Karley's (Loubird Handmade, of course!) latest creations earlier this afternoon and lo and behold, not 10 minutes later, these gorgeous gems were in my hands. Please visit her shop and if you're on facebook, do check out her Loubird page! Karley is so talented and lovely, inside and out.

Purplicious!

Eloise recently informed me that her favorite color is now purple. It had always been aqua blue, but apparently when you turn 7, things change, right? Right. So, purple it is! 
Purple is known as the color of royalty. And, no wonder... it's rich and regal. It sings with gray, green or a bright, clean white.  It makes for a perfect balance  between"girlie" and.. well..."not so girlie." As easier shade on those who might find pink to be too feminine, this color can make both men and woman feel comfy.
What's your purply pleasure? Pale lilac? Whispery grayish lavender? Juicy grape? Violet?
I prefer violet. That variation has the perfect tinge of pink and red mixed in.
Take a look at this one and you'll see what I mean. This wall color is by my favorite paint manufacturer, Sherwin Williams. # 6838 Vigorous Violet.

If a purple drenched wall is too bold for you, add a pop of grape with something like this accent chair from Overstock:

This pretty plum comforter set is also from Overstock. A nice blend of modern and feminine styles, just design/gender neutral enough...(and less than $60.00 for us thrifty shoppers!)

These faux silk curtain panels are available at Target.

As is this beautiful art piece on canvas, which brings to mind Spring in the midst of this dreadful winter we are having!

Nice choice, Eloise. Mama likes your new favorite color, too. Just might have to treat myself to some lavender roses now...this picture has me jonesing...

TGIF

Happy Friday, everyone! Hopefully this day is a great kick off to an even greater weekend. The sun happens to be shining in the blue sky and that's a beautiful thing.
Just a simple reminder today to check out the Chandelierious shops!
Divinity (if I do say so myself) awaits for you at Be Chandelierious. And, add something darling and sassy to add to your childs life from Chandelierious Kids. Contrary to how fancy and fabulous all the items are,  my thrifty side promises nothing is out of reach and I will be adding new items regularly!
Also, keep in mind that Chandelierious is "for hire". Check out the services on my business card and  contact me for any information.

Have a wonderful weekend...

Thirsty Thursday

Hello out there! I've admittedly been hibernating, but, I'm back in time for a Thirsty Thursday cocktail. Personally, I don't think there could be a more chandelierious martini out there. This one even sounds chandelierious...


The French Martini. Ooo, La La....

* 2 oz. Vodka
* 1 oz. pineapple juice
* 1/4 oz Chambord raspberry liqueur 
* ice
Mix all ingredients in cocktail shaker, shake away, pour/strain into martini glass.
Divine.
Cheers!