Merry Christmas to all of our blogging friends and readers!!!!!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!!! We survived!!!!!!

Above, a picture of the Hotel De Ville on Ile de la Cite...Our Christmas card to you.

From Maryanne , Robespierre, Mick, Mattie, Murph, Maize and Mojito.

Joyeux Noel!

Some French Holiday Cheer and a request,

During this xmas season, and Beadboard being busy, Thank God, it's been some long hours and few days off for Robespierre and me. We are grateful our shop is busy and our "Carrot" at the end of the long and hectic holiday season has always been a trip to Paris for market in January. We are hanging tight this year and don't know yet if that will be possible.

So, I'm digging out some xmas pictures of Paris to share with all you wonderful readers and bloggers and to ask a favor. Especially you wonderful French bloggers! We would like to know if anyone knows of anyone who has an apartement available for lease in Paris in January...

We have lined up some tentative ones through an agency, but had a not so good experience last year, the tub didn't work in the bathroom, I had to do some cleaning upon arrival, a sink didn't work and the bedroom sprung a leak......Luckily ,we know how to enjoy ourselves and had a great time...........So, email us at the shop beadboardupcountry@sbcglobal.net if you have any ideas....The pictures here are Berthillion the wonderful Ice Cream shop of Ile St Louis, A little cafe on Ile St Louis that serves their Ice Cream(above) and the wonderful Moroccan Restaurant Mansouria, on Rue Faideherbe. ( Middle Shot) Thanks!

Country Homes for the Holidays in Chappell Hill

For two days each year the village of Chappell Hill, Texas opens up it's doors so that people can come through and see beautiful "country" homes. It is sponsored by the Chappel Hill Historical Society..

This year the homes on the "Country Homes of Chappell Hill Holiday Home Tour" did not disappoint. They are WOW, GO SEE THEM.

Seven properties are spotlighted this year from a quaint German Style home from the 1800's, to a ballroom on a ranch featuring gorgeous art and a catering kitchen.


First Up the Diamond 9 Ranch, A Tuscan style Villa with wonderful hosts that like to cook and entertain family and friends.

The spectacular outdoor kitchen all decked out with....






Nutcrackers! Of course! Also a great view.

Even in the cold this beautiful outdoor kitchen was warm and toasty.

Next was the Living Springs Ranch. One of the owners have a design background and she chose sophisticated copper colors mixed with white throughout the house. I love the backlighting behind the reindeer in the bookcases.

The copper tree with the cinnamon poinsettias were gorgeous.

My favorite the outdoor living area with the wrapped garlands.....Just beautiful...I also have to say the designer/ owner had an "over the top" chandelier that was a decorated xmas tree in the gold copper and white... I got a picture of it but it didn't show the detail....It was extroardinary.

This is the wall of the Knolle-Schroeder 1868 House. It's unique feature was the stenciling on the wood of the original two room house done in the 1800's.

How cute and cozy is this???????

I love the chamber pot under the bed.

There is always one home that takes xmas decorations very seriously... That would be the Kenjura's Sen Dom ("Dream Home"in Polish)

The kitchen is cozy and christmasy with little red cushions on the barchairs and great Gingerbread stencils on the refrigerator. Now THIS looks like a great place to hang out for the holidays.

This is entrance to the Halo House on Golden Heart Ranch. The Halo House is a Ballroom /Gallery on the on the beautiful property. I took this picture from the guest bedroom on the upper level and you can see the bedroom reflection here. The entrance features a copper angel in a fountain with marvelous limestone pavers. Note the stained glass windows...

The inside view of the entryway that was the first shot in this blog with the raised Carrera marble floor flanked by a knotty pine facade.

The central seating area in the ballroom. The fireplace had Chinese vases mixed with nutcrackers......

MY favorite room in this place the very functioning catering kitchen. Black and white tile flooring with Carrera marble countertops and delicious delacacies from our own

Brenham Old Town Bakery.

An overhead shot of the ballroom. with two of three chandeliers and

gigantic ornaments hanging from each one.

Who made all of this happen? The home Tour Diva, Dale Raimey with the help of Shannon Webb and the wonderful docents who volunteered to staff the homes. All proceeds go to the Historical Society of Chappell Hill. Dale Raimey also runs a great country boutique in Chappell Hill called The Bluebonnet House. The tour will continue Sunday Dec 13th from Noon to 5 Pm. Tickets available at the Rock Store, Main St Chappell Hill.

A Glimpse of a Beadboard Xmas

We try to make Christmas at Beadboard fun and magical for our

customers and friends who stop by the shop during the holiday season.

These are two of our favorites.... The very talented John Beland, guitarist who has played with many of the greats..(To many to name) and Pauline Wilbraham, a Brit expat who lives in a charming country house in nearby Chappell Hill.


A little blurry, sorry, but a pixie fairie in a black Juliska compote.
Her feet are wrapped like ballet shoes.



One of the shop's display tables featuring Tea Forte...




Another table with OUR signature sheep. We have sold these since we opened and they have graced may a holiday buffet table in these parts!

Our new VERY WHITE sofa....I found these red ball pillows that are made of felt roses.

Very Christmasy...

Our window with the fairies, glass fibre balls and Bloemboxes with Amaryllis.

I just love these little guys flying around.......We call the balls xmas "Bubbles".

Where did the snow come from??? Houston of course!!!!!

Happy Holidays!!!

Top Ten Things I don't want under my tree....

I know it's important to convey your desires in the xmas season to those who may want to acknowledge you with a gift for xmas. That being said, it seems it may also be important to acknowledge those THINGS you DO NOT WANT. Herewith, for your amusement my personal list of things Santa can keep in the sleigh.

I am not doing many pictures with this because I don't even want to SEE these things.

I don't want a CLAPPER. I'm just not there yet. Give me a little chandelier instead.

I don't want anything REGIFTED. Why would I want a gift the original recipient didn't want in the first place???? EEEEEWWWWW! Bad Form!

I don't want anything you wouldn't give me any other time of year. Like one of those silk pillows you put over your eyes with millet seeds in them... You bet I use one of THOSE daily.....

I don't want anything that comes from a chain drugstore except for the product in which they specialize, like I wouldn't mind a gift box full of Aleve or heartburn medicine..( although those stuffed animals that you press the button on their foot who dance are sometimes amusing.)

Don't give me anything that wets, poops, or bites. There is no room at the inn!

(Ok, maybe for one more... I am a spineless wonder)

I don't want a trick bed. I just want one that feels good and you can get a good nights sleep in it. Period. I don't want to dial my bed, make it go up and down, or balance a glass of wine on it while someone jumps up and down on the other side.

I don't want anything that is FAKE FRENCH. There's been enough of that stuff.....Give me the real thing.......

Oh and please don't give me anything made out of Styrofoam!!!!! Do your bit and save the environment. I won't use it anyway!!!!!!!

And please God, no way, never, not one of these!!!!!

Not until they figure out a way to make these things grow cold hard cash!!!!!!!

How bout all of you ???? You have any gifts you really hate?? Come on lets hear!!!!!

Next up the ten things I would love to get as gifts with Pictures>>>>>>

I need to add a big #11 to this: Ruth at The Beautiful Life commented that she didn't want a "Snugglie". ME EITHER!!!!!! I don't need to sit on my sofa dressed like a monk.... This is going to be funny!

A Gift to all My Design Blogging Sisters

If I were coming to your house for Thanksgiving or for the Holidays I would bring you this:

A Bloembox.
Whatever Bulb Flower is on the top of the box is the live version ready to plant inside. This is the White Dazzler Amaryllis.

There is also a Paperwhite Narcissus. I also have a surprise. The very talented Kees Terberg was kind enough to help with Beadboard's window featuring Fairies and a tree made of Bloemboxes. I learned about him from Lee Ann and Fabulously French. Look at the magic he worked with them.



The paperwhites.....




A Beadboard Fairie over the Red Lion Amaryllis.






And our favorite lady perched on it. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you marvelous bloggers and readers. If I could, I would send you each one...... Thanks Kees, you did a wonderful job and we are very grateful....:) To see more of Kees's work, google Kees Terberg Fairies....

The touch the feel of cotton, linen and alpaca....

When we were selecting blankets to carry at Beadboard I wanted the following: They had to be beautifully made, unique, washable, and of a quality that would be passed down from one generation to the next. The other criteria was this: They had to be made in a place where it is COLD.

It is cold in Maine. And, in my opinion,Brahms Mount in Hallowell Maine makes the best blankets there or anywhere else in the US. They are unique because they have thick threads and are made on old looms from the 1930's. Much of today's technology can't handle the sheer weight of the thick cotton, linen, and alpaca they use. Besides I didn't want to say our blankets were made in someplace hot like Miami...



Each loom has to be hand set for a different pattern. Shown here is the ticking weave in black and natural.



Above is their 100% linen blanket. Look at the texture.......Don't you just want to wrap up in this??????? They also make linen towels.....




This is a cotton throw with the hand tied knots. It almost has a nautical feel to it.





100% white cotton in the Checkmate pattern. When Claudia Brahms and Noel Mount, the designers and founders of the company, select the weaves and patterns they always hit the mark. This checkmate pattern is also available in the most awesome crib blankets.



My favorite pattern is Starry Nights. We had this throw in the shop as a blanket on a bed in the front of the shop. Snowy white. A gentleman was considering purchasing it and left to ponder.
The next day a customer came in with a "to go" box from the restaurant next door. Evidently she had had capellini with tomato sauce for lunch because as she was looking at something else in the shop the sauce poured out in a stream on the snowy white blanket in a diagonal across the corner. Uh Oh. I saw it after the fact and snatched up the blanket and socked it with Orange Clean and water. I threw it to Robespierre, who prompty hustled home and washed it in cold water in La Blanc Towel wash and stuck it in the dryer. It turned out perfect. And of course the gentleman came back the following day and decided he wanted the blanket. So I confessed and told him I could order him one and spilled the beans about the episode. He was amazed. He asked me "that happened to THIS blanket?" I replied "YUP".

Then he said, " No I want THIS one."



A favorite of the shop the Ribbed in Natural.


No wonder they named this pattern "Starry Nights"......
Sweet Dreams.....
ZZZZZZZZZ..

Road Kill Design OR I Brake for Furniture!

At the risk of the title of this post ruining my design credibility..........I have decided to admit to the world that I suffer a syndrome I call "Road Kill Design" or, slamming on your brakes after you spy a piece of furniture or junk by the side of the road that has great lines or is just "cool". This happens to me on occasion. When I drive home and mention to Robespierre I have "FOUND"something, so cool, so appropriate, the perfect size, or so different, he gets a glazed look on his face translating into "OH NO". If the object is too big or too heavy to fit in the truck, it seems there is more cause for concern. If the thing is 4 hours away, that is not good either. The French, of course, coined the term for these things"Found Objets" which is the same thing, kinda. "Found Objets" lacks spontaneity. It is, however, how and where one "finds" the objects that differentiates the two terms. The way I see it "Objects" are found in Europe in a castle and have some historic reference. Road Kill is just great stuff found is unlikely places with possibilities. And you know what????? Every designer worth their salt has done this!!!!!!! Why? Because it makes a great story........

Nope, I don't normally shop here....... But you see the banks of lockers at the bottom of the sign???? This place doubles as...




Ricks office furniture. Of Course. This is where I found this...



Yup. Gym lockers. Aqua gym lockers...Great for my Retro California Kitchen!!!!! We had been looking at cabinets but they weren't Retro enough......

Here they are..... Not bad eh! Robespierre has put things in them, and, for instance, if you want some birdie treats it is located in #525. Mojito knows 525 is the GOOD locker. There are also hooks inside for you to hang strainers......Other cooking stuff.

Nope, I normally don't shop here either, but I spied an old Drexel Dresser that would make a great sideboard. Some Behr Ultra Premium Plus did the trick...

So here it is.......Great lines......

This is an old 1800's building. I was driving by and saw a thing chained to the post in front of it.

After knocking on the door the person gave me the number of the person who owned the thing.

I called the number and she agreed to sell it and after sandblasting it and powder coating it it is now the outside home of ...

You know who.

I would love to hear some of your own Road Kill Design stories.......And see pictures too!!!!

And remember, always wear your seatbelt.