Shop Openings & A Little Personal Info

I finally did it! 

I opened my Etsy Shop HERE and my Ruby Lane Shop HERE! 

I’m so excited because it was one of my goals for the New Year.

I also thought I’d take this time to share a few things about myself.  I figured we’ve been friends long enough that you should know….

I’ve been an antiques dealer on and off for about 15 years now.  My love for antiques began when I was in interior design school in college a loooong time ago.  My favorite classes were Historical Interiors and getting to do all the line drawings of period furniture, moldings, and architectural features.

I left the interior design field to become an elementary school teacher.  I taught public school for 10 years, then became an instructional supervisor at the Board of Education.  During this time I was also a Primary Specialist with the State Dept. of Ed and a teacher trainer in classroom technology with IBM.  After leaving the BOE I became a consultant and sold educational software and again did lots and lots of teacher training.  

Blast from the past.  My mom and I in the hall where both of us taught school in the early 90s.  I guess “big” hair was still “in”.

What does all this have to do with interior design and my love for antiques?

During my teaching career, I never once lost my zeal and love for interior design.  I loved arranging and re-arranging my classroom and other teacher’s rooms!!!  It’s truly a passion of mine. I have never been able to “get it out of my system” so to say and I knew one day I’d be able to return to my first career love.  I don’t think I’ve ever read a trade magazine that wasn’t home related.

Throughout all this I always managed to “dabble” in interior design and antiques.

I used to sell lots of antiques on Ebay.

I used to attend lots of antique furniture auctions.

I used to have an antique booth at a large antique mall.

I’ve bought and sold numerous types of collections i.e. flow blue, R.S. Prussia, Victorian furniture, and bisque French & German dolls (I’m also a recovering collector…that’s another story).  I  used to sit up at night doing lots and lots of reading and research on these topics while also attending trade shows related to these things.

I even thought I was losing what I had learned in design school (and since I was no longer a member of ASID) so I took additional classes to get certified with IADA (Interior Arrangement & Design Association) on use what you have decorating and Real Estate Staging.

Taking classes in Washington D.C. below.

Now throw in me being a Francophile.

I knew  all this would eventually lead to something sort of like following your dreams.  And sooner or later, if you stick to your knitting, your number will come up.

So here we are in the present.  This blog was a way for me to meet others with like minds and interests in home décor and to give me a creative outlet in interior design while preparing me for empty nesting.

I never could have imagined where this blog has taken me.  It has given me the opportunity to meet such wonderful people (YOU).  It’s truly been amazing.

So here I am… pretending to be a free lance interior designer, going whole-hog (hillbilly slang) in French antiques, and escorting a wonderful group of ladies to France this fall to share in the same love of antiques and vintage treasure hunting that I have.

I’m not sure where this path will  lead me, but I sure like where it’s going now!

If you get a moment, will you please check out my new shops and let me know what you think? 

Etsy HERE

Ruby Lane HERE

You’ll find things like this…

....and this

I’m  encouraged by so many of you who have lovely shops of your own and who balance life with 

such beauty and effortless grace.

I am not an expert in antiques but here I go…again…in a new venue.

Blessings,

Kim

Linking up to:

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

Monday Marketplace at Common Ground

French Obsession at Le Chateau Des Fleurs

Cowgirl Up! at Cedar Hill Ranch

Blogiversary Giveaway–It’s French Christmas Themed

I can’t believe it’s been one year since I started blogging.  November 2011 was my first blogging month and I almost let this month get away without recognizing it.

The best part of blogging is YOU.  It’s unbelievable how many wonderful people I have met this past year through blogging.  I feel like I have friends all over the world.

The highlights of my year of blogging: 

The Haven Bloggers Conference in Atlanta in June

(just a few of the great people I met – Shirley & Kim, I don’t have a copy of a pic of us)

Meeting Cat Bude from Sunday Brocantes during my trip to France in September.

I would have never met all these great people in person had it not been for blogging.

What an incredible journey this has been.

I thoroughly enjoy all the correspondence with my newfound friends.  It’s my favorite part.

HERE is the first post that I wrote if you want to take the time to read it.   As the old ad says, “You’ve I’ve come a long way baby”.

Hopefully I have many more years of sharing and blogging.

In honor of all my faithful followers and readers who labor along with me and take the time to read my musings and make comments, I’d like to offer some French goodies in light of the holiday season which is upon us. All you have to do for a chance to win is be a follower of La Belle Époque and make a comment on this post.

I thought I’d make the giveaway a Country French Christmas theme since this is what I’m going with again this Christmas season. I’m sure you’re not surprised at the French theme!

If you’re the lucky winner, your gift will include these 7 items:

Bonheur (happiness) embroidered ornament

Pierre Deux Joyeux Noël ornament

Paris soap

Pierre Deux toile sachet set

Gianna Rose drawer liners

Antique French porcelain shield number

Hand-stamped (by me!) jute banner

Again, all you have to do to enter is to be a follower of Kimberly Hites’ La Belle Époque blog and make a comment on this post.  The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday, December 7.   You have over a week to enter.

Also, Please, PLEASE stayed tuned for a very special announcement coming soon.  It’s something I’m very excited about and I think you will be too!

Again, I’d like to say THANKS to all of YOU!

Au Revoir,

Kim

Christmas Has Come Early At My House

After a short break from blogging the past couple weeks, I am officially back in the saddle.  My husband and I celebrated our 12th anniversary in Atlanta weekend before last, and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week.

This has panned out to be a very Frenchy month for me much to my delight.  After receiving two gorgeous French baskets in the mail from Cat at Sunday Brocantes, my husband took me to a great little restaurant in Lexington where I had the most delicious traditional French la bouillabaisse.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s basically a seafood stew.  Our anniversary dinner was at Bistro Niko, the only French restaurant in Buckhead. (my husband obviously knows about me being a Francophile!)

But if that wasn’t enough, guess what was delivered the Monday before Thanksgiving?

Yep, there she is in all her glory. At 87” tall and almost 5’ wide, it is one honkin’ piece of furniture.

Finally, my French armoire.  My dream piece of furniture.  You may recall the story of me making an offer on it this summer, finally getting it early fall, then having it delivered to an antique furniture guru for touch-ups, then to the upholsterer for covered shelves.  Shew!  This process took almost 5 months.  But it was worth it.

It’s been authenticated as most likely a wedding armoire from Normandy and made in the late 18th century. It’s made of cherry on the outside and some walnut on the inside.

It has all the original hand forged iron hardware and is peg-joined.  It even has the original very large key which I am told is actually quite rare.  Lucky me !

 

It has the most beautiful hand-carvings.

 

 

The steel ferrures are gorgeous, too.

Wanna take a peek inside?

 

I chose a traditional black and cream toile for the padded shelves.

I think it turned out very nicely.

I really don’t need the storage, so I’m gonna style the shelves with linens and Hermes boxes.

Now I feel like I can finally finish my master bedroom.  My dad hung the toile cornices. 

Here’s my new modern chair by Barclay Butera that is covered in vintage French linen.  A friend of mine brought the fabric back with her on one of her shopping trips to France.  The orange linen pillow is studded with Swarovski crystals.  I love this combo.

I absolutely love the shape of this chair and it’s so wonderfully unexpected with the antiques.

I just ordered the Alexa Hampton swing arm wall lamps in dark nickel so hopefully they’ll be here soon.

 

 

 

 

Yes, that’s Murphy’s bed on the floor.  He gets to sleep next to the armoire.  He’s a Francophile, too!

Kim

Linking to:

WOW! Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Family Room Media Wall Reveal

Can you believe it?  I finally have something completed in my house!!!

ONE WALL… YAY!  (just 3 months, 4 major trips, and 2 college move-ins later)

I’m lovin’ this simple board and batten treatment (and so is the hubby).

I must give credit where credit is due.  This was not my idea.  I repeat. This was not my idea.  I got this idea from outrageously talented Mandi from Vintage Revivals when I visited her blog after seeing her on the Nate Berkus show back in the summer.  Click HERE and HERE to see her examples.  She also has the tutorial HERE on how to do this.  Thanks, Mandi!

I knew this would be a perfect wall treatment for my awkward “not-done-properly when we built the house” media wall.

So here’s the breakdown:

Blah wall that’s masquerading as a media wall.  Doesn’t it resemble a jigsaw puzzle?

The new wall color that you see on the top is Sherwin Williams Wool Skein and it rocks!

I had already pre-measured everything and had the lines drawn onto the wall of how I wanted it to look.  The pencil lines just don’t show up in the photos.

Beginnings of a transformation.  Already better.  No more jigsaw.  Much more continuity.

My excitement is building.

 I can’t even believe it’s the same wall.

The lead carpenter, Brad, did an awesome job.  (Yes, I used our contractor.  I’m a wimp when it comes to more than just spray or chalk paint!).  Brad even installed a hidden panel to access the wiring to the surround sound.

And, voilà!

Materials for my project:

Existing crappy built-ins

2 carpenters

MDF board

Wood filler, caulk, nail guns and such

Oh, and saws and sandpaper

2 painters

Primer

1 gallon gloss paint—Queen Anne’s Lace

Did I actually say “finished”?  Now I’m wondering if I should add some artwork or cool letters or something to the top squares.

Maybe some vintage frames like Mandi used.

I wanted some contrast and texture so I picked up these baskets at Target and added some different antique enamel number tags from my French collection.

I knew they’d come in handy someday.

I may have even gotten carried away with the number tags!  But I love them!

Some might even think I have an obsession with Hermes orange right now!  I’m not sure where I’m going with it yet, but I can’t seem to resist it.

Remember the bright orange tray that I spray painted week before last using high gloss paint?

Guess where it ended up?

How do you like my lacquered Hermes tray?  (Hey, it’s my story and I’m sticking to it!).

Another great French basket from my friend, Cat sits atop the table.  Please visit her Etsy shop HERE.

I’ve had this antique Provencial tile for quite some time.

Here’s a different view of the room.  (Bad lighting when you are facing windows). The half-finished part.  The old heavy drapes came down and I’m going to do simple linen side panels over the existing blinds.

I now have the original Levier painting over the sofa.  Read about it HERE.

Can you say Dark Brown?  I realize we have too much chocolate brown leather furniture in here.  It just sort of happened that way.  It’s Bernhardt so it’s not getting replaced and besides, it’s easy to keep clean with Murphy in the house.  I’ll have to lighten the room up in other ways.

Checklist of what’s left to do in the family room:

Linen panels for windows

Decide on additional artwork

Style the fireplace mantel

Change the ceiling fixture

More pops of color with pillows (obviously with orange since that seems to be the direction I’m headed)

But for now….right now….I’m happy with my new and improved wall.

Happy Decorating,

Kim

Partying at:

WOW! Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style