Preparations are underway...

 It was a busy weekend as we worked hard getting things ready for The Prop Shop Sale starting on Thursday.

 We got up the tent.

 and plotted out several different zones for your shopping pleasure.

 You will not only be able to shop the prop shop which has stocked shelves and pull out drawers filled with fun things like a general store, but there will be garden, furniture, art, and lots of smalls and unique finds spread throughout the yard and my mom's garden room.

 (Sorry it's so dark. I took it at the end of the day yesterday)

 There will also be a section for those of you who love DIY's otherwise known as Do It Yourselfers.

 I have found many things in my forays that I planned to transform and never got around to.

So my lost opportunity could now be your new creation.  I would love to tell you what my vision was when I bought it!

There is still a lot of work ahead in the next few days but I promised you all some photos to whet your appetite and make it worth your while so here are some quick pics I took over the weekend.

I will continue posting photos up until the sale as we make more progress.

 Exhausted but happy with our efforts over the weekend, we zipped up the tent and went home to watch The Grammys.

What I'm getting the most excited about though is getting the opportunity to meet those of you who read my blog and have followed along on many treasure hunting adventures with my mom and I. 

We both can't wait to meet you!

Spend the day in Alameda

Alameda is a funny little wedge of timelessness in the midst of the bustling Bay Area. The city actually occupies an island just off the Oakland shore.  If you are thinking of coming to my Prop Shop Sale next week I thought I'd share some fun things to do while you're here!

We are well known for The Alameda Point Antiques & Collectibles Faire but did you know that The Pointe is also the location of St. George Spirits, an ingredient driven artisanal California distillery?

The building that houses St. George Spirits may look like a naval air hangar on the outside, but inside lies a vast warren of copper pot stills and casks filled with artisanal spirits.

St. George was founded in 1982 to make eau de vie fruit brandies, and the process of making handcrafted eau de vie continues to influence their development of other spirits. 

California cuisine is known for being ingredient driven and their Californian spirits follow suit.

The distillery is a kitchen of sorts and their spirits are made from the most extraordinary fruit, vegetables, herbs, grasses, and grains that they can find.

Though flavor is of the utmost concern, they source their ingredients conscientiously-locally and organically.  They take a "whole hog" approach to distillation-using source materials in their entirety, capturing all that is beautiful about raw ingredients in their natural state.




Eau de vie is all about capturing the essence of raw materials-it's the only way to make fruit live forever. The goal is to maximize flavor and aroma, not profitability. It's an artisanal process that results in a better tasting product.

They express themselves through craft distillation.
It's their art form, their passion, and their way of making the world just a little more beautiful.

 

The best place to taste and buy their spirits is right at the source: the distillery in Alameda.

When you visit the tasting room, you can sample everything they make, ask questions about spirits production, and make purchases onsite at their distillery store.

St George Spirits
Drinking Squadron
2601 Monarch Street  Alameda 
510.769.1601
www.stgeorgespirits.com

Next door to St. George Spirits is Rock Wall Wine Company. 

 
Rock Wall Wine Company represents a new chapter in the East Bay urban winemaking scene. Founded and operated by a small group of wine industry veterans, including consulting winemaker Kent Rosenblum and his daughter, winemaker Shauna Rosenblum, the winery offers wine lovers a unique wine tasting experience.

Rock Wall wines are founded on the philosophy of the right grape in the right place and are the result of many long-term relationships with acclaimed vineyards. Grapes are sourced from all over California, creating a diverse winemaking environment, complete with various grape varieties, styles, and regional flavor profiles.

 

Ideally situated in Alameda, the winery boasts spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline. More importantly, its locale is regionally centralized-ensuring that the winemaking team is able to handle the fruit soon after it is picked, whether it be Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Napa Valley, Zinfandel from Sonoma County, Petitie Sirah from Mendocino County or Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands.

"A family affair, Rock Wall is about having fun together while making the best wines from the best regions, and sharing the experience with others."

Rock Wall Wines are available to taste in their tasting room which is open Wednesday - Sunday from 12PM to 6PM

Rock Wall Wine Company

2301 Monarch Street

Suite 300, Building 24

(510) 522-5700   RockWallWines.com

If The Alameda Point Antiques & Collectibles Fair is the only thing that brings you to our fair city, now you have a few more things to discover!

I look forward to seeing many of you next week at my Prop Shop Sale beginning on Thursday Feb. 16th.  Email me for details and directions.

Have a great weekend!

I'll be busy getting things ready for you!

*Info and images found here, here, and here

My back-orderd Christmas gift just arrived!

I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this pair of Aiden Gray sconces from Ballard Designs that finally arrived this week!

I've been keeping my fingers crossed that they would work out the way I envisioned them.

It was a big decision and a big change for our family room.

We've had this beautiful Welch cupboard for over 20 years. 

 


It is a very sentimental piece of furniture and holds a special place in my heart.   I had just had my second miscarriage and decided that I needed to change my focus from trying to have a baby to decorating my house and this was the first "investment" piece of furniture we purchased that started us on the journey of making our house a home.

It was not long after that we were blessed with a healthy pregnancy and beautiful baby boy who is now a sophomore in college!

 It seems fitting to make a change now. 

I found this large painting last year at the White Elephant Sale and have been thinking that it could really add some drama and wow to our family room, which is right off the kitchen and where we spend the most time.

And of course I love the subject matter!

It's almost like a window with a view of the beach! 

The challenge with the wall being so large was to find something dramatic to flank it.

I found these Valletta sconces in the Ballard Designs catalog back in late November and showed them to my husband hinting at what a great Christmas present they would make.

I had been preparing for their arrival for the past few weeks and so by the time my husband arrived home from work I had emptied the Welch cupboard, assembled the sconces and had the painting leaning against the couch.

 

 We brought over this McGuire table from the La Dolfina's Prop Shop to place under the painting.

I originally had a different table in mind, a raffia papered Parsons style library table until I came across the stunning home of Mark Sikes in the pages of House Beautiful's Dec/Jan issue. 

 


Several of the vignettes in his home were just the look and feel I was after. 

I was especially taken with the blue and white pottery dispersed throughout the house and garden and felt they added a wonderful dimension to the rooms and vignettes.

So, after raiding La Dolfina's Prop Shop I asked my mom if she had any blue and white pieces I might use.

Sure enough she emerged with this beautiful antique lidded chamber pot with a wicker handle.

We reminisced about the day she found it, and then she handed it to me saying that she was looking forward to seeing it in my home.

Moms are the best aren't they?

I brought it home and placed it on the McGuire table with some orchids. I stood back to observe the interplay between it and the painting and immediately understood the love affair so many have with blue and white pottery and why Mr. Sikes has amassed such a wonderful collection.

 


 I am just beginning to play around with different vignettes and compositions, and have asked my brilliant and stylish friend Lisa to come over and play with me, but for the time being I have set up a makeshift bar which even though I don't drink, I love the look of.

I think it makes a room a bit more civilized.

  Can I get you something to drink?

This is the polite way to offer a guest a drink when they're visiting you at your home.
It sounds more polite than "Would you like something to drink?"
It's normal to offer people a drink when they visit you.


If you want to offer your guest some alcohol, you can ask:

Can I get you a drink?

The difference between "something to drink" and "a drink" is that "a drink" usually means alcohol, while "something to drink" can mean water, juice, coffee, etc.

 

One of the benefits of being a passionate and life long treasure huntress and collector who has a Prop Shop is being able to redecorate a space on a whim.

 

If you are in the mood for an update or looking for a few key pieces to add some punch or drama to a room or space in your home then you should mark your calendar, grab some friends and plan on coming to La Dolfina's Prop Shop Sale starting on Thursday Feb. 16th.

 



Email me for an invite with details and directions.
I will also be including fun things to do and places to eat in Alameda so plan to make a day of it.


I would love to see and or meet you!




NEW TREASURE JUST LISTED AT
IL TUO TESORO.

*Photos La Dofina 

*Photos of Mark Sikes home courtesy of Habitually Chic