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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Red Or Blue, What Say YOU?


'Way back in late January, I wrote about my brother Lindy's giving me what he calls Uncle Marty's Inca Treasure. It is a small tile-topped wrought iron table, just right to hold summer drinks.
Story here if you are curious.

The Inca Treasure arrived here this past Sunday, and has been hanging out on the front porch
with Lucy Ricardo, the old metal lawn chair we bought earlier this month off Craigslist.
That story here.


Except for Lucy, who is still wearing her chipped coat -- or more accurately coats --
of green paint, the other porch seating is fire-engine red.

You know I love and trust you, as I'm showing you our front porch, warts and all.
And Craigslist tables waiting to be painted!
A beautiful front porch and I have yet to decorate it. My bad.

Anyway, I planned to paint Lucy red as well.
But what do you think?
Should I let the Inca Treasure dictate a new color scheme? Blue, green, white?

Or stick with red for the chairs, and let the Inca Treasure fit in as best it can?
It will still hold Martini glasses, won't it?

***************************************************************************

Among some other things Lindy and Carol don't want to move to
North Carolina when they sell their Long Island house, was this:


Years ago, when Lindy was walking home from grammar school,
he found it put out to the trash at a neighbor's house.


Thus began his long career of curbside shopping and dumpster diving.

My mom lightly painted the wood a sort of gold, and kept it filled with plastic grapes for years.
Stay tuned for where it will end up at That Old House.
For the time being, it's hanging out in the conservatory.

In case you don't come from a family of bootleggers, this is a wine or cider press. They crop up on eBay pretty regularly, and for pretty nice prices, too. But I'm keeping this one; it's been in the family for hundreds of years, since my big brother was a little kid.

*********************************************************************************

Now, it's show off time!

We have our first ripe tomatoes:

They are only cherry tomatoes -- very large cherry tomatoes -- and Howard
brought them to my Dad, so he got the first taste of our homegrown tomatoes.

Our heirloom variety is beginning to blush:

The others are just growing bigger; no red yet.


On Wednesday, Howard pulled renegade vines off the grapevines,
and exposed more of the fruit to the sun.

Now are they cute, or what?
Is there anything more beautiful than fruits and
vegetables growing in your own garden?


I hope you enjoyed my Show and Tell for this Friday.
Skip on over to Cindy's My Romantic Home blog for more!


While Claudia at Dipity Road hosts Finding Beauty on Fridays. Visit!

Have a wonderful weekend.
I have been a terribly lazy blogger this week,
but hope to visit lots of you today, and be inspired. -- Cass

Lindy and Carol,
delivering Uncle Marty's Inca Treasure
and other goodies
to That Old House last Sunday.



Dion is giving them the Big Sniff,
hoping there is REAL turkey in that
bag of Thanksgiving decorations
Carol is holding.



Dion is out of luck.



. . . And . . .




. . . he wonders
(and who can blame him?)
why this contraption was delivered,
and not a boatload of
freeze-dried liver.

Humans are a mystery,
aren't they, Dion?

41 comments:

  1. I am no help regarding the color choices here! I love the red but, I could also see the blue and greens being beautiful!

    I am so jealous of you already having ripe tomatoes! We don' even have tomatolettes yet!!

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  2. I want the red rocker with all the frills on it!!! no...I NEED it!!! I say paint it red...keep the inca treasure a one of a kind accent...
    your flaunt today is fantastic!!! Your garden is coming along very nicely! thanks for linking in today!!!

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  3. I m envious of your grapes and your tomatoes, still have not been able to start a real garden yet...

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  4. Your home looks so inviting with your cute little chairs and your garden is awesome. Such wonderful produce already. We are just getting our ground warmed up.

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  5. Leaving the table white would be okay as it goes with the porch railing and would make the lovely tiled table top a special feature. Wonderful tomatoes and grapes!

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  6. I would LOVE to have the red rocking chair myself!! Whatever colors you choose, they're gonna be a perfect setting.

    My Show n Tell is 'showing off the flowers...". Do come by if you have time today, I'd love to have you visit with me.

    Hootin' Anni's SHADES OF SUMMER

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  7. Hello, I'd go for blue and green on your porch. I'd love to taste some of those grapes and tomatoes when they're ready, they look so good!

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  8. Hmmm....you COULD try yellow. Cheery and it would stay cooler. Otherwise I'd say red- red seating and accent colors in other pieces I WANT a porch!
    xoxo pattie

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  9. I was thinking yellow too. The house, the table.

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  10. I like the yellow suggestion for the green chair only. It would coordinate with the tile on the table but leave the other chairs red! Thanks for explaining what the wine press was, I thought it was an old ice cream churn. LOL! I really am in love with the fruits of your labor though! Those grapes and tomatoes look delicious! Homegrown are the best kind!

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  11. Your gardens look wonderful. Tomatoes, mint, ivy, petunias and grapes... I would love to see the rest of what you're growing, too. I bet it's just as luscious looking. My mouth is watering for grapes now.

    Hope your day is wonderful,
    Susan
    http://simplepleasuressimpletreasures.blogspot.com/

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  12. We just didn't get the tomatoes planted this year and now as I look at yours I feel sad. Nothing like a tomato sandwich with a tomato off your own vine!!! Don't you just love the smell of the vines, too?

    Your lovely yellow vintage home is a home after my heart...love older homes and all their personality!
    Your little tile table is a sweetie!
    Jil
    xo

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  13. I am not much of a blue fan but I think it would be the better choice. I would paint the table and go red with the chairs. I guess you don't want to paint the tiles but that is what I would do. Or put a little table cloth on it.

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  14. Sorry I am no help on the color. I am having problems picking colors for some of my projects.
    Looks like you are going to have some good eating in the near future.
    Have a great weekend.

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  15. Ok...I am in love with your house!!! LOL!!!! I love the chairs. I just want to sit out there with some sweet tea and enjoy the afternoon. You have a wonderful weekend. I will be enjoying myself at the beach, but I will be lounging by the pool

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  16. Thank you for stopping by my blog. Before I forget, no I didn't make the hat my daughter is wearing. I bought them off ebay. Look for beanie caps. Anways, I vote for keeping the red chairs red. It is such a nice pop of color.

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  17. Great new table! And I can't NOT comment on your red chairs... love em!! Thanks for visiting my blog! I believe I may do the Father's Day scrapbook picture/frame every year. :)

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  18. What a fun post! You have my vote on painting everything Red! :) but then stand alone wonderful is also cool... LOL see on my off time i dont like making solid decisions.

    Your grapes and tomatoes are awesome.

    Thanks so much for joining with us at FFB :)

    OOOH! and your lovely pooch is fantastic.. look at those killer eyes! yum!

    Claudia

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  19. my tomatoes are getting big too, but no red

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  20. Well, I enjoyed viewing all of your beautiful photos and reading about your porch and newly acquired treasures, but I was tickled to see the last photo of Dion. What a cutie!

    Fun stopping by to visit with you!
    Kindly, ldh

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  21. Mmm, your tomatoes look delicious. Mine are still green. Those grapes look really good. I'd vote for yellow on the chair, but it's a tough decision. Good luck.

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  22. I ama pushover for red on a front porch. I say just keep the red and let the little table find it's own way into the design of the porch. Have a fabulous week-end,

    DI

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  23. I think a blue chair would be pretty to offset the red! Love your finds and your garden!
    suchakingdom.blogspot.com

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  24. I am a huge fan of red, but I think greens and blues would look lovely with your yellow house.

    I love fruits and vegetables in my yard (I am even doing some "edible landscaping") and your grapes are especially beautiful.

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  25. I think blue or yellow would be nice on your new table! my tomatoes here are very late, i love grappes.Have a lovely week end.Catherine

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  26. You have a beautiful porch. Im sure it is going to look nice once you finish decorating. Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend....Julian

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  27. Cass..
    of course I see you as a 6 ft tall superthin, supermodel..
    you are just ahead of me on the Catwalk in Milano..
    or if it's Friday..
    then we must be in Paris..
    love you!!
    warm sandy hugs..
    Loui♥

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  28. Thank you very much for your visit .Meet you has been a pleasure

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  29. Happy Friday! I am stopping by via the linky party.

    Your porch looks utterly charming!

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  30. OMGosh... fantastic porch and I Love Lucy (chair), lol. You are lucky to have that brother of yours as well.

    Oh yes, I would paint the table blue :o)

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  31. You do have a charming front porch, Cass! And I adore your Dion; adorable! I love the red but you will do what you think best.
    Thanks for stopping by today and commenting on my wedding post. I was a bit hesitant to do a post because I really didn't think I had much to share but everyone, including yourself, has made me feel like I had something to share after all. Have a wonderful weekend.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  32. I've given your porch dilemma a lot of thought (at least 10 minutes!), but it seems you've got one too many colors in the mix and no way to tie them all together. Yellow house, green shutters, white trim, red chairs, brown tables, green chair, and blue and yellow table. Don't know how you feel about sewing, but what I would do is look for sturdy outdoor fabric in a vibrant (not too small) print or stripe that contains all of the main colors (red, green, yellow, white, and blue) and make cushions or pillows for the chairs out of that! And then choose whatever color is used the most for the other chair. The table would then coordinate with the fabric and the whole thing would pull together. Soooo, whatcha' think??

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  33. Cass-Go crazy and paint the back one color, the seat another, and the legs another! I am in love with that "fancy" red rocker!!! My grandmother who never drank a drop (to my knowledge) grew muscadine grapes and made wine. I don't think she had a press though. Probably stomped them like Lucy and Ethel. Now, go buy Dion a treat!!

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  34. I'm thinking blue and white would look very nice on your porch. I haven't "visited" you in a while and it is nice to be back. Would love to sit on your porch and have a margarita! It is so hot and humid here - high nineties.

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  35. Hi Cass Sweetie...
    Oh thank you for stopping by. I absolutely adore this post. I say, "Paint Lucy red, but leave the table." It has such history behind it. When you have company and you want a little red on top, just put a doily over it or a placemat for the occasion. It certainly has a life of its own.

    Your porch is so down home country. I could sit in that red rocking chair all day with a glass of ice tea (in a Mason jar ofcourse) and be happy as a lark on the fence. Your gardens are just beautiful, and I could smell those tomatoe plants as I viewed them. Love the press. My what a special find that was. You won't find any of those on the curb here in Phoenix, and from the look of your grape vines I would say you may be able to put it to good use.

    I so enjoyed my visit. I am still under lock down until I see the doc on July 9th. He will decide then if I can return to work, or stay on home leave like now. (I worked my first week from home this week. I slept at night, I think it was from exhaustion.) I go to see the Ear Nose and Throat specialist on July 2nd. He will check out my larynx and make sure there is nothing going on there. I am still so hoarse, not alot comes out when I speak. We think it is from the severe coughing but need to make sure.

    Thank you for your visits, your love and your prayers. It has made me stay inside so much easier. Thank you for sharing with me this beautiful trip on the front porch. Country hugs sweetie and so much love, Sherry

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  36. A man's trash is another man's treasure, I always believe this!

    Look at those vine ripe tomatoes, they are so delicious!

    P.S. If your daughter can go to Temecula, probably 90 miles away or even less, there is a Chalk Art Festival this weekend at the Old Town till Sunday. I don't know if your daughter has a blog, but please relay this to her.

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  37. Darling Dion - sweetheart, be nice now. I would love to be gifted with a cider press. I would have a ball (in the appropriate season) while Zebbycat would just eat, purr, sleep, purr, snuggle, purr, and demand food and affection, LOL. No surprises there then.

    Sending loving huggles to you all, bBacked up with special back and tum rubs for Dion,

    Michelle xxx (Zeb is very busy, warming up HIS (our) bed}

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  38. I like the red and green. The chairs are fabulous! But I do see how that little table may dictate other colors. But honestly, I am repainting my tester white wicker chair yet again for the perfect porch. I am beginning to believe I need to go back to my old favorite and tired and true deep forest green. With a porch like yours, I am thinking it will be wonderful!
    Linda @ bushel and a pickle (http://omega57.wordpress.com)

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  39. I really like the red! I think it looks terrific with the white porch railing and the table. But I'm a bit biased, red is my favorite color. And I'm sooo jealous of your tomatoes! Mine aren't close to ripening. As for Dion, he is just the cutest thing and I love seeing his reactions to your activities. I agree with Dion, humans are such a mystery.

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  40. Hi Cass
    Just stopping by to say hello. It's been awhile. I like the red on your porch. it look so cheerful! Oh and those tomatoes look yummy, Nothing like ripe tomatoes still warm from the sun from your own garden.
    Hugs, Rhondi

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