Hi, Lidy Baars from FrenchGardenHouse here. Nothing makes me happier than to set my dining table or tea table with a beautiful, gleaming silver Bride’s Basket. Inspired by my love for shiny, elegant things, I bought my first Victorian “bride’s basket” long before I became an antiques dealer. I was 16. When other girls my age saved up for a …
I normally write about someone I know or have at least studied for years, but I have to say I am so impressed with this young woman. I felt the same about William’s mother Princess Diana when she married Charles (excluding all the drama that occurred later in their marriage) as she made the fashion industries return to a time …
By now you probably already know that I love quilts. I have been quilting for more than half my life and enjoy every tiny stitch. You can imagine my happiness to find the Cobble Court Quilt book series by Marie Bostwick. She is a gifted author who brings her colorful characters to life. Marie successfully captures the true beauty of …
I was sitting in my office on a rather cool and rainy day when in pops Tovah Martin. She was in town speaking at a Garden Club conference in a nearby county and found time in her schedule to come by. I was hoping to see her, and I was so grateful she had time for a visit. Tovah is …
I was lucky to meet Dorothy McDaniel years ago. She has been a featured floral designer in Southern Lady magazine and was a big hit at Southern Lady Celebration. She owns one of the most successful floral shops in the Birmingham area, Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market, and loves teaching people her tips and techniques for working with flowers. Anyone who …
I met the charming Susan Woodard years ago at a tea event for one of our magazines, Victoria, and just fell in love with her. She is a lovely lady who is so talented. I got to see and experience her amazing floral designs and was delighted to find out that she is an artist too. She has presented me …
Hello! This is Lidy from FrenchGardenHouse antiques (you may remember me from Phyllis’ post Meet Antique Dealer Lidy), and I am so excited to share with all of you my passion for antique transferware. Transferware pottery, or earthenware, was made in Europe (and later in the United States) in many colors and a multitude of patterns. Until the mid-1700s, most dishware …
I cannot tell you how happy I was the day I found Replacements, Ltd. For people like me who love beautiful china, this is a fabulous resource company. Replacements is a valuable resource if you are trying to find retired or antique china patterns. But I especially love the fact that they can identify a pattern for you if you …
It is always a pleasure to feature one of our outstanding editors at Hoffman Media. Barbara Cockerham is the editor of the beloved Victoria magazine. Many of you subscribe to the magazine and devour every page. Others have asked about the magazine and its contents. Barbara has written a post explaining the lifestyle publication and sharing her thoughts on Victoria. …
Creating beautiful magazines and books is a passion for Cindy. She loves providing the reader inspirational and visually appealing pages in our publications as much as I do. She works on our book development and was instrumental in developing The Cottage Journal magazine four years ago. We listened to our subscribers, and the decision was made to publish a keepsake …
