Summer Favorites…

Parasol and Roses

When summer comes, there are so many things that I look forward to. First and foremost…the beautiful weather that we don’t get for too long around here. I try to soak up every minute…

And right up with that…shopping! Flea markets, garage sales, and anything of the like keep me very busy during the summer months.

Josh and I have been rising early on Saturdays to get to the Public Market for fresh fruits and vegetables, and this past Saturday, we wandered down to a local flea market.

It was a big warehouse filled with clutter and mostly junk…but I do enjoy the hunt…

Parasol and Roses 2

When I spotted this beauty hanging from the ceiling, I got so excited. I have wanted an old paper parasol for so long now and wasn’t sure where I would ever find one. I was worried it wouldn’t be for sale since it was hanging above an empty space, but when I asked the man who appeared to be running things, he said it was only 5.00.

He got an old ladder and knife…and a few minutes later I was carrying it home…

Vintage Parasol

And now it has a perfect home right above our armoire. This space has been empty since I rearranged the living room last month, and I hadn’t yet found anything that seemed to fit quite right…

Living Room Corner

In the photos you can see another summer favorite of mine…fresh roses…and my pink bush has been blooming beautifully in the last two weeks…

Pink Roses

I have been enjoying them around our home…they smell so good…

Pink Rose

Near my favorite candlesticks above…and my favorite Marie bottle from dear Tracie below…

Pink Rose and Marie

And there is nothing so lovely as a fresh bouquet at the dining table…

Fresh Bouquet

I thought I would share a few other snippets around the recently redone living room with you {more to follow when I get it all clean and tidy!}…

A little “side table” created with an old trunk and stacked suitcases…

Living Room Decor

A hanging basket, found at a church sale for about 50 cents, that hangs on an old door…

Hanging Basket

And near the entryway a pair of old shutter doors sit with clothes-pinned cabinet cards…

Shutter Doors and Old Photos

The room is light and airy for the season, and I love looking out our big picture windows to watch my roses bloom away…

What are your summer favorites? Looking forward to your thoughts…

Till next time…

Alicew

28 Comments

  • June

    Hi Alice,
    I love your parasol and for a fiver too! It looks lovely in your space. I love seeing pictures of your gorgeous home. You do the prettiest vignettes I’ve ever seen. You know I love your roses.
    Smiles,
    June

  • Sammy Girl

    Hello!
    I just discovered your blog and wanted to say WELL DONE! Your fun finds just made my evening! It’s been a crazy month and I am looking forward to looking back …. at your earlier posts, that is!
    Have a great week!
    Betty 🙂

  • Tracie~My Petite Maison

    That parasol is just right for the Summer and what a fantastic price. I must go shopping with you, Alice. I am quite taken with the hanging basket too, so precious with lace and roses. And petite Marie, as always she looks beautiful in your home (lucky Marie!), thank you for mentioning her original home here. Final note: Please come visit me and give my home a much needed makeover!
    xo~Tracie

  • Denise

    I love it Alice! It looks so perfect there. My favorite part is getting in my garden and bringing in fresh bouquets all summer like you. Your roses are gorgeous!

  • Lizzie

    i have an old parasol painted with beautiful chinese art. i LOVE it but have never been able to find a good place for it.
    the roses look so gorgeous! great snap shots as always 🙂
    in summer i look forward to lounging around with mu kids, reading a good book on the front porch and being lazy 🙂

  • Dawn @ The Feathered Nest

    Is it OK that I’m sitting here drooling on my keyboard over that parasol??!! Oh Alice, you did GOOD!! And what a perfect spot for it ~ it looks gorgeous there….I love everything in your house! Wishing you a wonderful week sweetie ~ xxoo, Dawn

  • LindaSonia

    My goodness – your photos posted today are just gorgeous!! So happy I follow your blog. LindaSonia

  • Lori

    I don’t even have to tell you how beautiful your home is. My favorite part of summer is going for a drive with the windows down, starting at twilight and heading into the night. And I really like to do it barefoot! There’s something about it that makes me feel so free! Have a wonderful week! ~Lori

  • karla nathan

    I just adore summer, and just like you said, not just the wonderful weather, but the sales!! Garage sale season just doesn’t last long enough in the midwest.

  • Joan

    I love your blog – it is beautiful. Your photos are breath taking. I especialy love the pink roses – that is my favorite flower and color. I hope you have a wonerful day.
    Namaste,
    Joan

  • Leah C

    Do you think I could just move into your home? {lol} It’s so, so lovely! And I love what you did with that pretty parasol:)

  • Lori

    Alice ~ I just love to find treasures like that ~ I do think it is definitely the thrill of the hunt ~ I love your beautiful photographs too ~ Oh my goodness just gorgeous roses !!
    xoxo,
    Lori

  • Chatelaine

    Fabulous photos. Love the parasol, I bought one in Martha’s Vineyard a few years ago, I treasure it.
    In summer, I look forward to fresh strawberries, warm breezes, linen clothing, day trips to Maine, fireworks.

  • Lesley

    Alice, your images are so beautiful and such a reflection of you and your beautiful spirit! I love the parasol and it is a perfect addition to your lovely home.
    xo,
    Lesley

  • Claudia

    Dear Alice, the parasol is beautiful and just the right touch. (I have a blue one that my cousin brought back from Japan when I was a child and now you have thinking about pulling it out and using it.) Love the photos of your re-done living room. You have such a wonderful eye for detail and your taste is impeccable!
    Summer…gardening, sitting on the front porch with my dogs, watching baseball, the smell of newly mown lawns…wish I could capture that feeling I had as a child that the summer stretched on forever.

  • Cindy

    What a beautiful tour through your home again…gosh I wish just one corner of my house looked this pretty! 🙂 Hmm…summertime favorites: pink roses as well, the sounds of crickets and frogs at night, strawberries and watermelon, going to the beach, wearing sandals, staying light outside, the carefree pace…

  • Stephenie

    Alice, I just looooove your post..You have such a beautiful home…I just love your new treasure, what a great price to…Love your pretty roses…Perfect color….Hope all is well…
    Stephenie

  • CIELO

    Gorgeous photography and vignettes as usual, Alice…. you have such a lovely and cozy home…. and I love your refined taste…
    Hugs to you pretty lady!
    cielo