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Monday, May 13, 2013

Paint Inspiration or Not?


 Inspiring paint scheme combinations are now available online, from one of my favorite paint & wallpaper companies,  Farrow And Ball.

I don't venture far from the colors that make me happy (antique white, creme white, yellows) so be prepared to see a lot of GREY here, a challenging color for me.

Laying here in my bed and looking around the room, the first thing I see are my french red sheets, pine furniture, and creamy white walls...perfect! Here in the Pacific NW we can see grey eight months out of the year so why would you want to be surrounded by it too?  Tell me how do you get to warm and cozy with grey. Oh well,  I have one place I can do grey and that's in one of these grey zinc barrels placed out in the garden. They measure 20x18x18 and will be magazine feature out in a garden soon. (will keep you posted)



Tell me if you are thinking about grey paint on your walls.

ELEPHANT GREY is currently the rage. What do you think about this?



Maybe grey paint is meant more for Provence, Charleston, Savannah, Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona?  Look at the bright sunshine beaming from the window!!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Picture Hanging Ideas



Making Your Home HOMEY.. with Pictures.

With Spring here and the urge to make our homes more personalized with pictures of our family....here are several helpful picture hanging arrangements.. in "cottage style".  

These pictures frames have the cutest little faces in them already so they are great to hang up right away until you have compiled your own replacements...

Find all these frames on sale right now at 10% off thru Mother's Day at La Maison in La Conner Washington and online at Maison de Kristine.  

















Call to order. 206 359 0810

Monday, March 4, 2013

Color Trends for 2014

Ever wonder if you are keeping up with color trends for your home and resist making a purchase because you don't want to buy something that will become outdated. Country French colors are never outdated. They are like the good-for-ever stamps you can buy. My basement isn't strictly country French and can take a few more trendy colors like throw pillows every other year. So here is a copy of Pantone's Color Trend for 2014 to help you make any decisions to day that will carry thru all the way until the end of next year and maybe longer. The nine palettes for 2014 are: Techno Color, Physicality, Sculpted Simplicity, Fluidity, Collage, Intimacy, Moda, Tribal Threads and Eccentricities. Pantone offered a description of each of these colors. Innovative Techno Color "acknowledges the advancement of technology - how it is impacting the world of design and expanding the color universe through a melding of both vibrant and deep hues, frequently executed in reflective surfaces." A range of shades, including a multifaceted emerald, an exuberant orange, a turquoise-like blue and a strong purple, plus true blue, jet black and dark citron, "are intertwined in intriguingly inventive color combinations." Physicality speaks to the colors of power and energy counterbalanced by the presence of hues that express the necessity for introspection and calmness. "The stamina of forged iron, satellite gray, antique moss and gothic olive are interplayed with the healing shades of herbal lavender, grayed grape, rosy brown and a quieting, ephemeral foggy gray." Sculpted Simplicity "recognizes how important shape, form and structure are to the end product and/or environment. The colors are unassuming and do not take center stage. The sophisticated tones elegantly harmonize with distinctively nuanced undertones," and include travertine, anthracite, blanc de blanc and twilight mauve, supported by an anodized brown, ethereal gray and a suggestion of silver. Fluidity is the palette that "understands the inevitable human need for life-sustaining cool water tones, rendered largely in dazzling blues and blue-greens." These cooling hues include absinthe green, violet tulle, blazing Samoan sun, dewberry purple and two orange-coral tones. Collage is "a gathering place for found objects that are well worn and somewhat nostalgic - a charming mélange of artfully constructed designs that demonstrate ingenuity and resourcefulness." Tea rose, deep reddish rhubarb, warm pumpkin spice and cozy sheepskin, are refreshed with margarita green, provincial blue and cascading tones of aqua and teal make up this grouping. Intimacy "implies a certain affinity and relationship expressed in tints and tones that are inviting in nature and softly tactile - closely connected, yet subtly different, a happy marriage of adaptable warm, cool and neutral tones." The palette includes gardenia white, lotus blossom pink, rose cloud, fawn and café crème, while pale lavenders and opal gray. Moda speaks of "the drama of high fashion when translated into interiors...red dahlia interacts with blackberry cordial and wood violet, all accented by a yellowed amber green. Corsican blue meets with magenta haze and an expressive linden green, while rich gold waits in the wings for the appropriate moment to add a glimmering finale to any of the combinations." Tribal Threads are "as varied as the tribal diversity they represent, yet they construct a universal linkage of artistic appreciation rooted in personal expression." Included are neutrals, such as bleached sand and kangaroo brown, burnt orange, goblin blue, curry, peppercorn, and a rose-dusted cedar shade. Eccentricities is "tongue-in-cheek in attitude with color juxtapositions that are highly original and cleverly conceived in evocative combinations." Examples here include lemon zest, nectarine, skydiver blue, Fudgesickle, strawberry ice.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Winter Shopping Prescription & Perk

the Bleak of MidWinter has done me in this year! 
next year it's flu shot for me!
3 weeks of the flu is long enough.
today is the 2nd day of having coffee in over THREE weeks! 
i've probably caused some serious financial setbacks for our neighborhood coffee kiosk.

... hoping that everyone is climbing out of sick bay and feeling better (like me)  here is a retail shopping prescription for EVERYONE that is guaranteed to bring some Winter joy &
includes FREE SHIPPING.

immediately buy a set/4 in our new designs or purchase 4 of an existing PATTERN in the following Le Cadeaux dinnerware pieces:

4 dinner plates, 
or 4 dessert plates,
or 4 soup bowls 
and receive free shipping.

order 8 glasses in any design & receive 1 Glass FREE.

now this is a little tricky so you need to call me to do this, ok?

360 399 1035 Landline or 206 359 0810 My cell phone.



Here is a new pattern called Seville and don't you Love the colbalt blue contrasted with gold.

SEVILLE BLUE
SEVILLE WHITE SQUARE DINNERWARE BY LE CADEAUX

SEVILLE YELLOW

SEVILLE YELLOW


SAN MIGUEL 




SWEET BELLA BLUE COLLECTION 




SWEET BELLA WHITE COLLECTION


Le Cadeaux dinnerware!  Feather lite - dishwasher safe, non-breakable -- it cleans - it entertains;  garden party, picnic at the beach, everyday, or special occasion, 18 patterns and 10 solids to coordinate with 5 tints of classic French style, bistro glassware in 3 pressed patterns.

STYLE personified in a non-breakable melamine china - Francophile.  Mix and match, or order the entire set in a classic  French white with rubbed scalloped edge, our favorite!  Dinnerware fit for a tot, the elderly, and of course, garden dining for those with refined taste of any age!  Easy to lift,  beautiful as a display in sideboards, style that satisfies, while addressing safety needs of those very young, busy moms, entertaining outdoors or in, elderly, or physically challenged.  It's pretty glassware and dinnerware, for everyone, classic Country French style.  Wedding and gift registry available.


Thursday, January 10, 2013

Post Christmas Recovery

Hi ...hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.

 With much intentional stalling on my part...
here are some photos of what we have done to the store so far...
which quickly lost it's purpose because just last night we knocked
down the wall between the existing store and the shop next door so we are 

seems like starting all over again with the design plan. 
A good friend has come up with a logo for the store window which will go 
on one of the windows here.


There is a cute gas fireplace located beheath the mantel on the center wall here where we are
thinking about installing lots of tall rustic open shelving painted white of course.


We even have our own sale table...and funny how it's a very important piece in the store.
think I need to take some chalk board art lessons soon.



I hope they have a merchandising class at the next gift show as I will be sitting center front!



If you had these frames would you leave the picture that's in it or put a new one in? 


Anyone have a big beautiful French Armoire they don't want anymore?



 Small kids section .... but we are ordering Madeline next week and a few more surprises for this corner of the store.


Home Sweet Home at my desk which was just yesterday the closet.



 Looking forward to July when we can sit outside with our beautiful tablecloths and le Cadeaux  dishes! Also looking for a adorable bistro table to put here instead of boxes.



There is so much to do. I just have to be patient.
If you have any design or decor ideas please let me know.

To be continued......