Spring Madness

A little Madness in the Spring 

Is wholesome even for the King.   

~  Emily Dickinson

Okay, like a lot of people here in the South, we thought winter was over, then came another front!  
But spring is finally here and spring madness at my house has begun so I decided to post a few more 
thoughts on spring rituals ...

Spring madness at my house means putting away 

winter accents, rearranging furniture and adding 

touches of spring to every room.

Here are some tips to help get you started:

• Select a fresh paint color from nature, maybe a soft blue/green, to bring the outdoors inside. It makes a great neutral backdrop for everything from pink to burgundy, green, blue, yellow and orange
• Mirrors are great reflectors of light and make the whole space glow so add mirror accents to your walls or tabletops
• Playing up metallic finishes is another way to reflect light into your space.  Be it cool silver or warm gold, metal will lighten the feel of your home
• If you have crystal, USE IT!  Nothing says spring quite like crystal sparkling in the sunlight
• Change up your patterns, clean, colorful stripes or a fresh damask.  Textures such as raw silk and sheers bring a soft ethereal atmosphere to a room, especially one with an eastern exposure.
• And what is spring without flowers?  You don't need expensive bouquets, many grocery stores carry inexpensive daffodils, daisies and tulips this time of year so take advantage of their availability.  I love roses but do not have a garden so this year I have planted one bush of my favorite variety, Queen Elizabeth, on my 3rd floor patio.  This will allow me to have at least one bud on my bedside table each week, so think out of the box and find a way to enjoy your favorite blooms every day.

Visit us at 

www.maggieandreese.com

for more spring ideas for your home. 

~ Maggie

Round Top, Texas

The Round Top Texas Antiques Fair

has been operating for 45 years.  

There are 4 shows throughout the year

that feature everything from early Americana, 

Texan primitive, and a wide variety of antiques 

from the European continent.

So after schedule and route planning, Reese

and I packed our bags and headed

for South Texas!

Of course, being the roadies that we are, the 

first order of business was where would we eat

on our way south?  Reese has a favorite BBQ 

stop not too far off the path 

(less than the required 1" on the map)

so after 3 hours on the road and only 1 stop, 

we pulled into Salt Lick Bar-B-Que

Nothing like a 2 meat combination plate 

to keep the antique hounds going!

Happily satisfied, we headed back to the truck 

(compliments of Maggie's husband for all of our finds).

In spite of the fact the weather forecast had called

for sunny mild days, dark, ominous clouds were looming overhead and by the time we rolled into our Bastrop hotel,  the rain was steadily falling and the temperature had dropped to what we here in Texas call cold, low 50's.

But we were not going to let a little rain stop us so 

after fighting an actual traffic jam over the river, we arrived in downtown Bastrop.

The town of Bastrop sits on the banks of the Colorado River 

and although a settlement had been here since 1804, 

it was officially named in June of 1832.

Bastrop Courthouse

Downtown Bastrop

Our late arrival meant not too many shops were open
but we did manage to find a beverage shop. So as they locked up the town for the evening,
Reese and I headed back to our room for a
night cap and Baylor Basketball!

We believe in the old saying "when in Rome", so a little Texas wine tonight!

The next morning we got up to a cold, brisk wind 
but after a Texas shaped waffle and
biscuits and gravy, we headed out to the fair!


We arrived about an hour after opening
but quickly found a spot to park.
Once we made it through the mud and
slightly trampled bluebonnets
into the Big Red Barn, the hunt began!
There were wooden bread bowls, English china,
buttons, chandeliers, Majolica,
brass sconces, furniture, glassware.
Our first purchase came thirty minutes into the hunt,
a pretty chocolate set from England.

Not too long after that we scored a
beautifully etched pitcher of Emerald green
(seems 2013 Color of the Year is haunting us!)

After a quick lunch break we found a few more items uniquely suited to our boutique
before it was time to head out.
On the way back, we took a quick side trip
to the actual town of Round Top,
which is really just a wide spot in the road...

Of course once back to Bastrop it was time to eat again.
The previous evening while we were checking out the town we came across a quaint little steakhouse so we headed over to warm up with a big glass of red wine.  Dinner was great and dessert sounded so tempting we could not pass it by, Brulee Cheesecake...

No basketball tonight, just exhaustion setting in 

so it was early to bed in preparation for tomorrow's hunt.

Reese decided to join Maggie in a Texas waffle 

before we headed to the Carmine Dance Hall.

We were a little earlier and the venue a little smaller so with our last few purchases done 

we decided it was time to 

wrap up the road trip and head back to the big city,

after we stopped for a coal fired pizza for the road!

All in all, we feel the trip was a fabulous success and we are so excited to have some unique items to 

offer under our new tab:

Vintage Finds

http://maggieandreese.com/VINTAGE-FINDS_c16.htm

So check it out and keep checking back for new items!

And if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to come to Texas, you might try to schedule a trip to

the Round Top Antique Fair,

it is an experience you don't want to miss!

~Maggie

Spring is in the air...

With blue skies and flowering trees everywhere

Maggie & Reese are ready to bring spring indoors!

Here are some ways to brighten your interiors:

Move around existing accessories with 

spring motifs and create a new side table vignette:

Nothing says springtime quite like the traditional 

color combination of blue and orange,  

to keep the look fresh and current, add a touch of 

Emerald Green, 2013 Color of the Year:

 

Take a walk outside for inspiration...

Think reflective surfaces to keep the 

look sunny and bright...

Pink and purple, flowered coasters and bug candies 

in an antique dish... 

And if you find yourself in need of a 

few extra elements, visit us at 

www.maggieandreese.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Fun Fact:

 

Ever wondered why you get pinched on

St. Patrick's Day if not wearing GREEN? 

 

It was believed that wearing GREEN made you invisible to leprechauns who would pinch anyone they could see!

 

 

Here are some of our favorite GREEN items for the

home from www.maggieandreese.com

 

 

1. Frog Prince Bottle Opener

http://www.maggieandreese.com/Frog-Prince-Bottle-Opener-1618-0.htm

 

2. Giant Ceramic Leaf Bowl, Sage

http://www.maggieandreese.com/Giant-Ceramic-Leaf-Bowl-CPH21.htm

 

3. Garden Tealights S/3

http://www.maggieandreese.com/Garden-Tealights-S-3-200996.htm

 

4. Peacock Napkins, Relish & 5 Other Colors!

http://www.maggieandreese.com/Peacock-Napkins-Marrakesh.htm

 

5. Artichoke Tealight Candles S/6

http://www.maggieandreese.com/Artichoke-Tealight-Candles-S-6-CN210.htm

 

6. Insigne Throw Pillow

http://www.maggieandreese.com/Insigne-Throw-Pillow-IN-4752.htm

 

7. Lafco Candle, Library & 7 Other Scents!

http://www.maggieandreese.com/Lafco-House-Home-Candles-HH.htm

 

 

"May the roof above us never fall in and may the

friends gathered below it never fall out"

~Irish Toast

Life Changes

One of the things I have learned over the years is 

that life changes when you least expect it!

Last year I took time off 

of work as my "baby" got married.  

After the happy event my husband and I settled 

into being parents now to two happily 

married sons and their wives.  

With our oldest and his wife living in England 

and the newlyweds based in Arizona, 

we figured our life would probably 

settle into Skype calls once a week, 

until life decided we needed a change!

On February 21, our first (of hopefully many) 

grandson arrived!

Meet Quentin!

(or Master Q as Grandpa refers to him!)

I am totally in love with this beautiful little boy

and have pronounced that as of this moment, 

I am sure he is the most perfect baby on the planet!

After a week of snuggling and cooing, I had 

to finally get in the car and face the 14 hour drive home.

Very, very hard! But as the old 

Frank Sinatra song goes ~ that's life!  

And we are so happy to have this 

new life to share.

~ Maggie      

Spring Festival

What do a Rooster,

Rat, 

Horse,

and Dog,

have in common?

Besides being fabulous finds at

www.maggieandreese.com

they are all zodiac symbols from the Chinese New Year!

The Chinese New Year is the biggest 

Chinese festival of the year.

This year it begins on February 10 and 

runs for approximately 16 days.  

2013 is the Year of the Snake.

Maggie's sign is the Dog and Reese's sign is the Rabbit.

Check out your Chinese symbol at

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/ChineseNewYear/

And since this is the Spring Festival, 

maybe warm weather will soon be on it's way! 

Until then,

Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese Cherry Blossom Tote Bag from Maggie & Reese

OSCAR WORTHY ENTERTAINING & ACCESSORIES

 

The Academy Awards will be held on

Sunday, February 24, 2013 on ABC!

 

 

Whether your style is traditional Hollywood glamour

 or a more modern Bohemian chic,

Maggie & Reese has the perfect entertaining & accessory

 items to make your Oscar party a winner!

 

 

 

 

1. Frog Prince Bottle Opener -

The perfect conversation starter

 

2. Three Section Server -

Don't miss our coordinating pieces

 

3. Linen Luncheon Napkins ~ On A Roll -

Elegant, yet disposable napkins

 

4. Red Wine Carafe -

Also available for White Wine & Water

 

5. Tea Glasses S/6 -

Perfect for an apertif or as tea light candleholders

 

6. Round Pull Up Table -

Great place to rest your cocktail

 

7. Dream Pillow -

Oscars are what Dreams are made of

 

8. Lafco Candles -

Beautiful way to set the mood & the hand blown glass containers can be repurposed as vases or glasses

after the candle is gone

 

Shop these and other great Oscar items at www.maggieandreese.com!

 

 

~Reese