Amoroso Cottage - A Special Hill Country Retreat

I love discovering that someone you know, or thought you knew, "wears a different hat" than you might have ever expected. 

My opthamolgist and friend, Martha, is just that person. 

While she is an excellent physician and highly respected in her field, it has been great fun to see her and her husband, David, browsing through the antique shows that I do.  They both love old things and rarely miss a show around the area. 

One day she told me excitedly that she and David had purchased an older home in Fredericksburg and were re-doing it to function as a bed and breakfast. They call is Amoroso Cottage and it sits on a quiet street in the historical neighborhood, just a short walk to Main Street, shops and restaurants.

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The house is classic old Fredericksburg, with two doors opening out onto the front porch. I am not sure why they had two doors when they built these house. Perhaps it was for the use of a boarder who might want his or her own entry. The door closest to the rocker is the official front door, and the other ones enters into a bedroom.   I am sure this is a bit of house history I should know!

 Martha and David have added a beautiful stone patio with stone fireplace in the back yard of their house. They also had a gorgeous rock wall built along the front border and incorporated some beautiful iron work as well.

                                                                                  

 The entry is simple, with no strong hint of the charm and wonderful decor to be discovered upon entering!

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  The parlor, or living room, is right inside the entry. I took my photos during the Christmas  season so as you can, Martha and David were expecting holiday visitors!

                                 Every room is filled with vintage finds and comfy furnishings.

The view from the kitchen looking back at the parlor and front door.

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The kitchen has a full dining table so lots of people can enjoy meals and good times here.

 

 The kitchen is quaint and homey, filled with every necessity for staying here comfortably, and has a ton of charm !

 Martha found the iron fixture at Pottery Barn and filled it with vintage cards.

(Hmm....another thing to hunt for at shows and flea markets. I think she may be hooked!)
Very clever and very creative!

 The pewter collection evolved when Martha started noticing it at antique shows and then decided to decorate her cottage.
Funny how we first begin to just stumble upon things at shows and then before we know it,  we begin to hunt for them!

                                                      Wonderful vintage canister collection.

 I am crazy about this chest, and how Martha stacked the smaller painted chests on top! It sits in the hallway downstairs between the bedroom and the bathroom.

       The master bedroom is downstairs off of the kitchen. There are two more bedrooms upstairs. Martha hung the beautiful tapestry behind the bed to cover the second door I referred to. 

Clever, and it makes a beautiful headboard!

                                                         Don't you love the old staircase?

 Both bedrooms are cozy and inviting. Clearly Martha used her talent to create colorful and comfortable rooms for her guests.

 Love the way the vintage and the new are mixed to create just the perfect balance in this wonderful old fashioned house.

                                                                                    

What a fun spot to sit at the end of the day. 

A fire in the fireplace, friends sitting around in the Adirondack chairs swapping stories from their day,  add a glass of wine and some snacks ........makes for a great time!

 

Beautiful iron gate entering the back yard.

If you are interested in learning more about Amoroso Cottage, 

go to Absolute Charm Reservation Service.

You can find out details, prices and availability. Go now, though, because come spring time in Texas we get very busy. Lots and lots of folks love coming for a weekend to see the bluebonnets in bloom and enjoy our beautiful hill country!

Skye and Henry's - where vintage and modern meet!

What is it they say about good intentions? I meant to post about Skye and Henry's well before Christmas! This new, but not really new, shop on Main Street in Fredericksburg, is owned by my friend, Margo.

Margo formerly owned Threads, but when an opportunity came along to move down the street into a space next to an antique shop, she took it.

Along with the move, she decided to change the name of her shop to reflect her style and inventory. Threads was originally a fabric shop exclusively, but with her love of all things antique, as well as her design talent, Margo expanded her inventory and services.

 Skye and Henry's is named after Margo's grandchildren, and reflects a love of vintage decorative items as well as some new, fresh items. Organic bedding,  custom iron beds, antique furniture, soaps, candles, books and more - all combined with her great fabric selection - make this a great source for designers as well as anyone looking for a special gift.

As always, click on my photos for much more detail!! 

I love the old painting tacked to the wall and the sweet nightstand in old turquoise paint.

 

 Margo had a lovely open house one morning during the holiday season. Of course, she had wonderful Christmas decorations and they are included in many of my photos.

One of the highlights of my visit to the shop that morning was meeting one of my blog readers, and we live in the same neighborhood!

She emailed me about my blog and told me that she, too, has a house in Fredericksburg. One email led to another and we discovered we live less than a mile from each other! We met at Margo's Christmas breakfast and had so much fun finally putting faces to our email conversations! Her name is Debbie and I so look forward to getting to know each other better in 2010. One of the first things we plan to do is visit each other's homes - not really a surprise, is it?

Turns out, she is also a friend of Margo's AND sells her own line of coffee in the shop!!  The Yellow Rooster Coffee Company is one of many of Debbie's projects and the coffee is really good. Of course, I had to bring home a pound of coffee beans!

You may remember from this post that Margo has a background at Homestead. She carries a lot of similar fabrics that the eponymous store once had, but her shop definitely has it's own twist.

If you find yourself in Fredericksburg, or even close by in Austin or anywhere in the Texas hill country, I suggest you take the time to visit this charming shop. Every time I visit, Margo has something I want to bring home!

Art, Flowers, and Velvet Pumpkins

One of the things I so love about Fredericksburg is the abundance of creative people who have chosen to live here. I can count shop after shop of individuals who have a special gift for creating their own niche in our wonderful town.
While Main Street is the obvious locale for a lot of these special spots, I continue to stumble upon "hidden treasure". One of my favorites is Sprout, created by Michelle Hodges and Rhoda Reynolds. Sprout is not hidden by any means, but has evolved over the last few years and is now tucked into a wonderful old German house just a block off of Main Street.

Peeking in the door, one can see beautiful fresh flowers and wonderful vignettes of vintage accessories and local art.

I love the mix of vintage items, art, gifts, and flowers, each in beautiful composition.

My favorite

find on the day I visited were the velvet pumpkins, made with with gorgeous velvet and real pumpkin stems in an array of yummy colors.

I love the colors, with names like harvest, merlot and rose.



Without further ado, I'd like to share my visit with Michelle, one of the two creators of the wonderful Sprout.

Cute Michelle, working on a custom arrangement, was most accommodating and happy to share her story!

When did you first begin selling flowers? What was the original concept and will you describe the setting you began with? (I am thinking of those days I would see you or Rhoda sitting on the porch swing next door to the Peach Tree, but that may have not been the beginning....)

Sprout began in 2005 as a simple flower stand that was open a few days a week--initially on the porch of a vacant building and later in the courtyard outside Rather Sweet bakery. Both settings were quite picturesque, but only when the weather cooperated.

How did the original concept develop?




I've always been inspired by the appreciation Europeans have for fresh flowers. Even in the poorest countries, it is customary to take flowers when going to some one's house for a meal. I love the idea of seeing them almost as an essential part of daily life rather than a luxury. This appreciation has led to some incredible flower shops as well. I lived in England for a bit and in the nearby market town, which was similar in size to Fredericksburg, there were three flower shops within two blocks of the High Street--each very unique and very busy.






How has the concept grown over the years and what other services/products do you provide?

A flower stand has its limitations, so when a space became available, we expanded into more of a flower market which enabled us to carry more product and eventually we added gift items as well. The first week we were open, we were asked to book a wedding and that has now become a large part of our business as well as offering arrangements for special occasions and events.

How did you begin having art shows in the shop?

We have always had art on display at Sprout. It was just part of the aesthetic that I wanted in the shop. When Fredericksburg began promoting a monthly art walk, we joined in. We don't necessarily have a show every month, but we have had six in the last year and I've really enjoyed seeing them come together. Most of the artists have been local and I love being part of such a creative community.


What is your favorite part of the business?

It has to be shopping for the flowers. Yes, its about the customer and the end product, but going into the flower cooler always makes me happy. This may sound a bit cheesy, but I once saw a movie where Christian Slater delivered flowers. When asked why, he said because of the expression on the people's faces when they opened the door--that's pretty good too.

Are all of your customers local?





Our walk-in customers tend to be local, but most of our wedding business tends to be people from out of town. Fredericksburg has become quite a popular place for destination weddings.

Sprout is also available for custom arrangements and multiple flowers for special events, be it a small dinner party or a huge fiesta! Love the flowers shown here.........


Sprout filled tin cans from a Mexican grocery store for a Mexican themed dinner party.



Aren't they fun!


Of course, with access to this fabulous old rock building, Michelle couldn't let the upstairs go unused, so true to her creative nature, she opened the most charming bed and breakfast, called, what else? Flowerbed!


For more information click here.

Thank you so much, Michelle, for sharing the story of Sprout with me.

Oh............and did I mention that a few velvet pumpkins came home with me? Just perfect for the season, don't you think?

Congrats to My Pals, RED, ROOT, and SOMETHING DIFFERENT II

I am so happy to tell you of an award given to three of my favorite shops in Fredericksburg. In a vote by customers these three shops have been determined 3 of the 45 best stores in Texas!

One of my first posts was about my friend, Carolyn, and the amazing shop she manages , red, in Fredericksburg. See that story here.

I also did a story about Something Different II, here.

Not too long ago, I posted about my friend, Cassell, who owns Root and did an amazing auction using decorated Toms to benefit the charity work of Toms. Read that story here!

All three locally owned shops are either owned or managed by incredibly creative and hard working women. I want to congratulate them and say how proud I am to call them my friends!

Antiques, Fashion, and Great Design - What's not to Love?

Wandering into the North End neighborhood of Boston, I knew the shop I was looking for. I had read about it in the Improper Bostonian in their Best of Boston issue, and I added it to my "must see" list for my time here. The streets are narrow and one has to make a point to look up to see the names of some shops and restaurants. I was determined to find Acquire and had called to get directions from the shop owner, the charming Nikki Dalrymple.


Nikki was happy to give me directions and most friendly upon my arrival. Here it is! Tucked in a small space that was once a candy shop, Acquire did not disappoint!

When I know a shop is going to be good, really good, I have to stop when I first walk in and just take it all in - the visual experience thrills me and I don't want to miss one thing.

Nikki has blended the best of contemporary design with unique vintage items that are guaranteed to make one smile. She includes some lovely vintage jewelry as well as some men's accessories in her stock.

I've been wishing I could be in Brimfield right now for all the great antique shows, and I discovered the next best thing - Nikki had just been there and brought back some great finds!

I fell in love with this old circus mallet - the kind one would use to hit the platform with all her might to see how high the meter go! What fun!

Nikki carries great industrial furniture, wonderful barware, and an assortment of old seltzer, champagne and wine bottles.

Vintage paintings and reproduction prints, along with some beautiful contemporary photography by local artist, Melanie Thornton, fill the store.

An incredible find from Brimfield - an old case used by a magician who also a ventriloquist as well. Wonder who was Harold and who was Harlow? So, so charming.

The sweet paper mache snuff box from the Victorian age makes a nice vignette with the scrimshaw piece and the cute little toothpick holder, whose inscription says "Take your pick". Too cute.
This photo, taken from Nikki's blog, shows how industrial objects can take an artistic form when displayed like this. This is a grouping of old factory molds from a foundry in Maine. I love the shapes as well as the three dimensional quality.

Another photo, courtesy of Acquire, is an example of reproduction Audobon studies printed on museum archival paper and affixed to hand distressed wood blocks. Wouldn't a grouping of these be lovely anywhere!
I noticed these wonderful paperweights while in the shop, and then forgot ( or was so distracted by ALL the goods!) to ask Niki about them. They have a vintage feel, but can be custom ordered with a monogram. There are some wonderful ones without monograms as well.

What a treat it was to visit Acquire. Besides having a fantastic eye and style, Nikki's warmth and personality make everyone who visits feel welcome. I look forward to my next visit!

The chic and trendy shop Shake the Tree sits just a few doors down from Acquire.

Again, upon entry, I stop, thoroughly enjoying the view. I have walked into yet another great little independent shop full of more great finds!

Although I take in the full scan of the shop, my eye takes me back to the red Orla Kiely bag in the window. I love all of her prints, but this one...............oh, this one is really nice.

Shake the Tree is filled to the brim with items carefully chosen to tempt anyone. I started thinking about Christmas shopping while I was here. There are tons of sweet items that would make perfect gifts for my girls.

Home accessories, clothing, jewelry, very unique greeting cards........................

and a wall full of my current favorite - fabulous Tano bags - made me smile as I explored this ultra cool shop.

As in most of my experiences here in Boston, the shopkeepers had such a friendly manner and seemed quite interested in what my impressions of their city are. We had a great conversation and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit at Shake the Tree!

I think living in Fredericksburg, a town attracting loads of tourists, I am extra sensitive to how people are treated when they visit a business - whether shop, gallery or restaurant - and I have to say, Bostonians have been very welcoming. I have one more week and am loving every minute of my visit here!