Curating a Crystal Mineral Collection

Crystals and Minerals have been coveted since ancient times. These mysterious, eons old beauties connect us with nature and center us in a world of sensory overload. Truly, they are nature's most beautiful medium and savvy decorators use them to enhance the decor of homes around the world. They work with every decor style, mid-century, bohemian, traditional, French,or Italian.
Some women covet jewels but I prefer them in their natural state and I have collected a number of quartz crystal specimens, a few of which you can see below...

These gold leafed amethysts mounted on clear acrylic bases are very versatile...

This enormous quartz point and a set of 4 quartz point candle holders add ambiance as they catch the morning light...

A perfectly placed specimen enhances artwork..and can make a conversation starting centerpiece.

When I first began collecting, pieces were only available at fleamarkets and mineral shows. Both are still great sources. Now however you can find them on Chairish,at Horchow and numerous other online sites dedicated to decor. I have a few mounted on museum stands, like sculpture but in general I prefer a more casual approach, resting on books or other unexpected locations.

No matter which type of mineral you gravitate to, you cannot deny that Nature is the world's best designer!

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How to Restore Old Brass Without Losing Patina

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Southern Bacon and Crawfish Cornbread Dressing

Imagine you are dining outside at Blake Shelton's house this Thanksgiving and deep frying some big turkeys. A crawfish dressing would probably be on the menu. Deep fried turkeys and outdoor dining on Thanksgiving day is very popular in the South. And while people don't wild catch crawfish like they did a century ago, crawfish are always popular on the menu. Here I have paired it with bacon, corn, mirepoix,and jalapenos to give you a dressing with real local flavor. Here is what you need: 5 cups crumbled cornbread 1 1/2 lbs boiled crawfish tails ( frozen is fine) 10 ounces bacon, cooked and coarsely crumbled 12 ounces yellow corn 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion 1/1/2 cups chopped celery 1/1/2 cups green red and orange bell pepper 1 jalapeno ( optional) 2 eggs beaten 2 cups chicken stock salt, thyme, and sage to taste. Fry your bacon until it is ready to crumble, remove from pan and set aside. Saute the mirepoix, (onions ,peppers and celery) corn and jala...

Birdcage Beauties

Bird keeping is an ancient art. Long before the Spaniards invaded Mexico, Macaws were being bred as pets and the Japanese were cultivating beautiful songbirds. But of course it was the French, during the time of Louis XIV that brought bird keeping into popular culture. These birds all needed housing and the variety of cages designed for them is as varied as our own homes. From the Baroque... ..to primitive... ..whether for decor impact, or for keeping live birds.. beautiful bird cages, with their airy design adds ambiance to every space they grace. It is no surprise that they are the darlings of decorators around the world. If you love bird cages as much as we do, we offer this gilded cage currently on Chairish. https://www.chairish.com/product/286472/gilded-birdcage or click our icon in the right hand column. A stunning home for a pair of Java Temple Birds, Finches or Canaries. Until next time..

Oh La LaY'all......French Style and Southern Charm

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