Melanie Turner Interiors

Melanie Turner is an Atlanta based interior designer who has made the cover of Veranda! Check out some her amazing work! I love her use of colors whether its yellow accented fabric benches in the kitchen that match the yellow fabric backed dining room chairs! How can you not love an Hermes orange room complete with an Hermes tray and the large equine Natural Curiosities print. Which room is your favorite?

Antique Tea Caddies

I have always loved tea caddies from finding them in antique stores or seeing them at Scott's Antiques. Both the wooden boxes and tortoise shell veneer are pretty, I can't pick a favorite.

Of course with every antique is a story. The earliest of tea caddies that came to Europe were from China in the form of the ever so popular blue and white porcelain ginger jars. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the jar style was abandoned and these boxes with a lid, lock and departments were made out of mahogany  rosewood, and satin-wood and larger versions were known as tea chests. Back then tea was a pricey commodity subject to theft, as with  jewelry, and therefore was kept safe under lock and key, which is why the period pieces have locks. The term caddy became popular after the Malay word kati, a measure weight of tea (approximately 1.3 pounds) and therefore boxes were designed with this size in mind.

As the price of tea grew cheaper, their appearance was of less concern and they fell out of use. Today, they make great ways to store collectibles such as cuff links, or conceal clutter to put your keys, blackberry, or loose change in. They also look great great on a sideboard or buffet.

How would you decorate with an antique tea caddy?

Bookcase styling with assorted tea caddies  and tortoise shell boxes from James Michael Howard

Larger tea caddy adds balance to this antique sideboard from Phoebe Howard

Tortoise shell tea caddy and boxes on this nightstand from Barbara Westbrook at Atlanta Homes

Stacked tea caddies look great in this hallway from Room Service

Tortoise shell styles caddy from BHG

Insanely beautiful beautiful tented tortoise shell tea caddy from Ruby Lane

This beautiful tea caddy that resembles tortoise shell featured on Trad Home

Beautiful tortoise shell caddy from Sallea Antiques who carries a large assortment of various styles online

Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies & Society

National Margarita Day

Today is National Margarita Day! Who knew? I thought that Cinco De Mayo was National Margarita Day! Since I learned something new today, I wanted to share this with you! (or am I the last person to know this?)

How do you like your margarita? Frozen or on the rocks? Salt or no salt? Flavored or traditional? One of my favorite margarita's is from Taqueria Del Sol here in Atlanta...on the rocks no salt!

Margarita floral arrangement

Margarita Bars

Margarita jello shot with cucumber ribbons

Fun Margarita Recipes!

Margarita with Chambord 

Blueberry Lime Margarita

Salty Chihuahua...Margarita with grapefruit

New Orleans designer Jon Viccari

In honor of Fat Tuesday I wanted to showcase an amazing New Orleans based designer, Jon Viccari. New Orleans is a great historical city full of rich architectural details. Viccari has a fresh take on classicism respecting the traditions inherent with the "old New Orleans style" while updating them for life in the 21st century.

Forest Whimsy from Fawn Galli

House Beautiful featured this whimsical Greenwich Village prewar house that was transformed into an "enchanted forest" theme by designer, Fawn Galli. The client wanted something fairy-tale-dreamy and used the book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as inspiration in which the characters emerge from the back of the wardrobe. Great wallpapers and colors are used throughout the house. Which room is your favorite?

In this apartment the front door opens to a white entry hall lined with birch-print wallpaper which sets the tone for the winter forest theme.

Cole & Son Lily Wallpaper in the bedroom. Love the variety of green fabrics in the room and of course the gorgeous french canopy chair.

Lucite dining room table "disappears" allowing the blue chairs to be the showcase of the room

Beautiful girls room with lucite chair and desk

"Dreamlike enchanted feeling with butterflies flying around" Farfalla wallpaper from Nina Campbell

Beautifully decorated side table

Cole & Sons Orchid Wallpaper with a baroque style purple mirror

Modern home office 

This was one of my favorite magazine covers which features another angle of the master bedroom

Chocolate Covered Bacon

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day! I made my Valentine a few surprise sweet treats I found on Pinterest. Chocolate Covered Bacon and Oreo Truffle Balls! About a year ago we were at The Fresh Market and saw Vosges bacon chocolate bar which we bought (unfortunately it was $7 for a smaller bar). So that is what inspired me to find a recipe for chocolate covered bacon.  I have found so many great recipes on Pinterest I am glad I tried a few. It turned out good, and next time I would make the chocolate a little bit thinner.

I cooked some very thick cut bacon in the oven for around 25 minutes on 400 then patted dry. I wanted the bacon to be very firm and stiff. I then dipped in semi sweet chocolate and I drizzled some white chocolate over some and put sea salt on a few pieces as well. 

3 Ingredient Oreo Truffle Balls 

My husband surprised me this Twist n Sparkle a smaller version of the make your own sparkling water at home. I love LaCroix waters, Izze drinks, Hint sparkling water so I am excited now I can make my own flavor combos at home.

Sailor's Valentines

Happy Valentine's. In honor of Valentine's day I wanted to share these amazing Sailor's Valentines!

Sailor's Valentine's are a unique antique souvenir or sentimental gift brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea for his his loved one between 1830 and 1890 and are believed to be originated from Barbados and weren't made by sailors but purchased as a gift for their love back home. They are typically octagonal, glass fronted wooden boxes that display intricate symmetrical designs composed entirely of small sea shells. Patterns often include a compass rose or a heart design, hence the name. Today these originals are collectible and valued for their beauty and unusual qualities. There are also artists who make them today or you can collect some shells to make your own.

Beautiful display of various size and colored Sailors Valentines by Diamond & Baratta from Veranda

Bedroom decorated with mosaic of similar styled sailors valentines from Phoebe Howard

Beautiful large sailors valentine on a stand from Country Living

Authentic clamshell style Sailors Valentine which was shaped this way so that it could be closed and kept safe during travel from Guinevere on 1st Dibs

Amazing neutral palette with floral theme from Sandy Moran

This close-up picture really shoes the amount of detail from Martha Stewart

Authentic Sailors Valentines on loan to Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum

Very neat octagon shaped book featuring many of these classic treasures "Sailors Valentines by John Fondas"

Desire to make your own with this kit