Newport Idyll Rich, Rich, Rich

As New England cities go, Newport, RI is definitely one of the crown jewels, if not the Crown Jewel. And, among the well-preserved Gilded Age "cottages" and high-brow nautical haze of Lily Pulitzer, seersucker, whale belts, and wide-brimmed straw hats, there is an occasional glimpse of modern design and unexpected whimsy. Witness 41 Degrees North, which looks as though it secretly floated up from South Beach, Miami — gleaming white finishes, and bits of snobbery included.

Wall planters in the banquet dining area.

Life is a banquet...

At the other end of this great space, I found an oversized chess set.

Chess anyone?

I waited for 10-foot-tall Alice to join me for a match but she was a no-show.

It's your move.

In addition to being a great Sunday brunch spot (try the lobster sliders and a mimosa or two — delicious, delicious), 41 Degrees North is near lots of great shopping opportunities.

Shopper in hot pursuit.

Another Newport highlight was touring Kingscote, one of the smaller Gilded Age mansions on Bellevue Avenue, originally built in 1839 in the Gothic Revival style, and designed by the architect, Richard Upjohn. It was later enlarged by the renowned firm of McKim, Mead and White to include a new large dining room featuring an unusual cork tile ceiling, and opalescent glass bricks by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Kingscote front facade.

Other unusual features include the thick moldings over the windows. These molding details also appear over the inside windows as well.

I also enjoyed the great privilege of visiting the Tennis Hall of Fame. An exceptional friend of mine scored tickets to a very special luncheon, the induction ceremony, which featured Guga, and Jennifer Capriati, and tickets to the tennis matches held on the following day. The luncheon was held at the wonderful Horseshoe Piazza, a Victorian masterpiece also designed by McKim, Mead and White.

Horseshoe Piazza window trellis.

These highlights served as the ingredients for the perfect summer weekend, darlings. It's no contest: "Love all."

Dirty Vintage Treasures Done Dirt Cheap

July's Brimfield Antiques Show was uncomfortably hot, but offered plenty of nostalgic looks at childhood classics like Gumby and Pokey...

And Buster Brown and his dog Tigh...

Buster Brown throw rug

Of course, no day out in the country would be complete without...

Shouldn't the last word be "COOKIN'"?

I also found a few bargains I couldn't pass up, beginning with a great selection of picture frames. Prices ranged from $1 to $5 each...

13 1/2" x 17" blue painted wood, probably 1920s

13 1/2" x 18 3/4" gold leaf painted wood, age uncertain

9" x 10 1/2" silver art deco, wood, probably 1930s

8" x 10" tropical green painted wood, age uncertain

Then, because I can never have too many skinny ties, two for $5...

The tie on the left is All Silk, and has an interesting geometric horse pattern...

I also found this "new" looking checkbook cover on a friendly $5 table, which might be from a 1970s Sears catalog, or similar...

The most interesting "Why Did I Buy This, and What Will I Do With It?" item was this industrial looking light. The dealer told me it might have been inside a chicken coop. I asked her if it worked, and she said she wasn't sure, so she reduced the price from $15 to $10. I liked its minimalist design, and the attached swivel clip makes it especially versatile.

Industrial light awaiting magic

I ended up clipping this to the ceiling light fixture in one of my closets, which hasn't functioned in quite some time. I ran an extension cord along the inside of the closet, which is plugged into another extension cord in the room that operates by a button you press with your foot. Yankee ingenuity at its best? Yee haw!

Little Things Mean a Lot of Dots

This was the first decoupage project I completed for my class back in May, which I meant to post much earlier. I think of it more as an "art" project rather than decoupage, as it doesn't consist of layers of paper. What I most like is that it has a fun sense of self-reference, borrowed from French trompe l'oeil.

Inside with actual bow tie

The box is clear hard plastic, which is generally a good surface to decoupage. I photocopied the top and bottom of the bow tie itself, cut them out, and used acrylic gloss medium to attach them to the box.

Then, my teacher came up with the great idea of spray-painting the inside of the box silver.

Inside

Next, I placed another photocopied image of the bow tie on the inside top and bottom of the box.

For the final step, I used the tip of a pencil and dipped it in burgundy acrylic paint to apply dots to the outside top and bottom of the box — and voilá!

Top

Bottom