LIGHTENING UP WITH GRATITUDE--SPRING IS HERE (a Little Glammy)

I'm getting back to normal and I'm so grateful to G and everyone else who kept MJH DesignArts running. This March has turned out to be my best "sales" month EVER. Even though I wasn't present, my friends watched over shop ensuring that customers called me and 1stdibs and Chairish kept doing "their thing" also. For me, the gift of friends and new relationships are proof that God has set up the Universe for all of us to be connected. I am in awe when I consider how important each of us is in maintaining a positive connection to all; yet the universe will merrily hum along without us. 

Roberto and I chipped away at the small disaster that awaited me: many items had been sold (bare spots), many items out of order, lots of dust, etc. The back wall was reorganized (it's a little dark back there)--the super large shell mirror is centered over a c. 1950s/1960s 3-part Drexel cabinet and just below it is an unusual solid bronze (and very heavy) faux coral chandelier. My Japanese mirror black porcelan Marbro lamps frame the mirror--now maybe those lamps will sell?? As I study the photo, I'm wondering if there is a way to turn the chandelier into a sculpture? It looks pretty spiffy beneath the mirror.....

After many, many months these bedside chests were finally ready to be picked up (or so I thought...). Over the past few months, every time I arrived to pick up these chests, there was something not quite right and which required a bit of touch up or an additional coat of lacquer--today was no exception: there are a couple of rough spot to the top of one chest. But I am "done" with this lacquer person: I need to put my creative energy elsewhere. I love the 1960s/70s Italian chinoiserie lamps paired with the ivory chests--and the chests sit on black lacquered chinoiserie stands echoing the black lacquer lamp bases. 1960s Palm Beach here we come.......

Today is auction preview--I haven't been very lucky in buying the past few weeks, which makes me realize that I need to fearlessly step up my game (ie. be willing to bid higher). I guess that I've become a little spoiled: I started buying good period antiques when no body else was and now that designing with antique furniture is making a comeback, I need to be more flexible. (Just about everything that I have sold this year has been either 18th or early 19th c.)

Wish me luck.

Blessings for the day.

Mary & Jones & Cole

Can't think of a title??????

Well, it's another Friday night and I can't wait til November. Another Friday night and the Washington White House has given us another _____ show. I really didn't think mr. small t could get much worse, but he has. And I am deeply concerned. We have always been a nation based on the rule of law. The current administration continues to make a mockery of all of our cherished democratic institutions. Mr. small t is begging for impeachment--let's give him what he wants.

      PLEASE VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE IN NOVEMBER. 

Now, on to other more important matters--nothing is more important than the above, but we can pretend.

I have been fighting pneumonia for the past month and I am sick of it. Thank goodness G is fully functioning and we've been able to buy some unique and beautifully items. But not many as prices have been extraordinarily high.

I love serendipitous occurrences and I have had a few this week and last. I have been selling quite a bit of furniture and lamps. Lamps for me are funny. I'm very fussy about my lamps: they must be chic; they must be functional; they must not need too much work (eats up profit); they need to be just a little bit different from the usual. And I buy them expensive hats (shades) which I sell separately from the lamps.

All of which means that my lamps go to very specific buyers (not easy sellers).

G and I bought the above lamps last week. They were marked "Chinese Export"--and no they are not Chinese. Here's a close up......

This is a gorgeous pair of "Longwy" majolica covered jars that have been electrified. The intense turquoise blue, the chrysanthemums, jeweled borders, reserves and excellent craftsmanship make this pair of lamps just what I look for......and they don't need anything but shades (perhaps rewiring, but that's minor). The jars have design elements of the Aesthetic Movement and Art Deco--so I'm dating them as 1920s. And they are quite big. 

And that is all that we managed to buy.....I really wanted this pair of Italian c.1960s pottery elephant tables/stools and I thought that we could get them for about $400

  

Boy!! Was I ever off my numbers: Gerry bid them to $1000 and they sold for $1400 + lot or $1620...being at home, I almost fell out of bed when G called to say what they had sold for..........

......This week at Preview guess what was back?? Yep, the elephants!!! The buyer did not pay his bill.... and we (G) bought them for $450 + lot. I have sold every elephant I could put my hands on this year and really needed these guys.

We sinfully coveted a pair of exquisite French carved Art Deco chairs

But it was not to be. These chairs are the best of what they are. I wish that I could name the creator, but I can't. Hopefully the chairs now are on their way back to France, which is where they should be.

I wanted this bistro table (even though the marble top was broken--fixable)........

.....too pricey for my blood (and darn, I needed it).

And G really really wanted this exquisite (I know I'm using that word a lot--but it seems to be the only one that applies) Japanese lacquer table cabinet.

Even the interior of the drawers are done in makie and the tiny handles on the doors are in the form of swans. The condition of the lacquer was exceptional --and condition is key in lacquer works of art. But it also sold for a very high $$$. I suppose if I had done my homework and contacted one of my New York buyers, we could have bought it. But there is always more stuff on the horizon.

I do need prayers to overcome this silly pneumonia... I'm one of the lucky ones: one friend acquired sepsis resulting from pneumonia, another friend was in the hospital for 7 days and another friend fought it for over two months. I need to be functional by Monday!!! So many projects are just sitting around whining at me.

Wishing everyone a great St. Patrick's Day tomorrow...I'm 95.5% Irish and we usually celebrate as a family, but I'm letting it slip this year.

Blessing to all---please pray for our nation to be delivered.

Mary & Jones & Cole

Oooooopppss. Forgot about the large vintage shell encrusted mirror that came home with the elephants.

This guy is big--maybe 48-50 inches in diameter.

PAINTINGS PASSION

This painting is coming up next week. Although it seems as if it might be an 18th c. old master, I think (at first glance) that it's Pre-Raphaelite "Moorish" 19th c. painting. I love her eyes and mystery; the  jeweling on the head covering is finely detailed and the play of light across her face is breath taking. Unfortunately, there is a major flaw in the painting--there are probably more, but haven't caught them yet--the tips of her fingers and nails are not well painted....

One of my favorite items to offer is decorative/middle market to lower end fine paintings. When the crash of 2008 hit, the bottom fell out of the middle market for paintings; I stopped buying. It seems as if that middle/decorative market is making a resurgence. I'm going to study up a bit and sharpen my eye. 

I didn't go to auction this week--taking a little break--trying to complete all of the projects that are already on my plate......

Sending blessings for the week.

Mary & Jones & Cole