Ireland's Rustic Lodges, Oregon

The 'luck of the Irish' was with us on our Oregon Road trip this past summer as we cruised along the Oregon coast with no reservations - we found a gem in Ireland's Rustic Lodges!

As Mike drove, I looked up hotels on the internet, looking for good or great ratings on Yelp. The Ireland's Rustic Lodges had great reviews* and as we pulled up to the hotel, we sighed in relief at the 'vacancy' sign.

The grounds were well kept and lush green, much like what you would expect of  'the Emerald isle' but with redwoods you knew you were not in Ireland!  The Ireland's Rustic Lodges have various rooms and suites with lovely names like "The Sequoia" and "The Monterey".  

 
We picked "The Pacific Breeze" since it sounded relaxing, got the key, drove through the meticulously kept grounds, parked and unlocked the door to our suite.

Warm wood paneling throughout the interior, we felt immediately relaxed.  After setting our suitcases down, we walked over to the window and opened the curtains to a gorgeous view of the sea!

It was warm or we would have lit the logs in our fireplace - a welcomed ammenity in the cold winters along the coast I am sure!

Those bottles of wine we had picked out in St. Helena were opened quickly as we settled in on our own private balcony listening to the surf in the distance, smelling the pine in the air.

 The gorgeous sunset view from our room was something we cherished!

A buffet breakfast awaited us in the morning after which,we took a stroll along the beach.

 The Ireland's Rustic Lodges are located along Oregon's Gold Beach, given the name for being the sunniest beach in all of Oregon!

 Beautiful views from all 360 degrees can be seen from the private lighthouse on the property!

 A tradition of those staying at the Ireland's Rustic Lodges is to find a rock on the beach and paint it with your name, and leave it at the base of the lighthouse for all eternity.

Looking down at the foot of the lighthouse we saw brightly painted rocks - lots of them!

 
The painted rocks chronicle honeymoons, anniversaries, engagements, summer trips, and romantic get-aways to name a few!  The rocks dot the verdant landscaping all around the Lodges' grounds.  Generations of visitors left their mark, no doubt venturing back to find their 'family rock' on subsequent trips!

*While we were packing to leave I was reading the hotel's check out procedure and I noticed another framed message on the wall.  Evidently, a hotel competitor was trying to bring havoc to the Ireland's Rustic Lodges and shut them down.  As we looked for hotels, we saw great reviews and then some horrible reviews and we couldn't understand how a place could be so different so we thought we'd check it out! Now we knew why!  The competitor is posting rude and untrue remarks on Yelp and Yahoo and other internet sites about the cleanliness of the hotel and telling potential visitors that is is in poor condition, trying to get the Lodges to close down so they can buy the property and put up a mega hotel, which would completely ruin the charm of Ireland's Rustic Lodges!  The message was from the third generation owners who explained their dilemma and asked that visitors spread their story in support. 

So this post is to let you all know all the negative reviews of this hotel are completely false and do not believe them!! The Ireland's Rustic Lodges are indeed excellent accommodations as we experienced, beautifully maintained. clean, friendly and absolutely an escape! The Ireland's Rustic Lodges are a premier destination as written about in Frommer's Books as well! If you ever need a place to stay along the Oregon coast we recommend it with five stars and hope and pray it will be there the next time we return, so we can leave our painted rock!

Before and After: Vintage Vanity and Mirror - Together at Last!

 An incredible stroke of luck brought me to this piece that I had been searching for since last March! My husband and I were on a summer road trip through Oregon and he was kind enough to let me go pickin' along the way! 

Our trip started in St. Helena and we then traveled north to hit the Oregon Coast. With absolutely no reservations or plans we were free spirits - we both love 'winging it'! We've been pretty successful thus far with this modus operandi, finding hotel gems such as Ireland's Rustic Lodges (next blog post!)

After stopping at numerous thrifts and antique stores, I received a recommendation from a shop employee to visit another Antique store just up the road - but I had to hurry since they closed at 5!  We arrived at 4:45pm and the owner was kind enough to let me take a 'quick look'.

It is REALLY hard to take a 'quick look' at a beautiful antique store full of treasures and this one even had an upstairs! I was going to have to go fast!  I whisked along, my eyes darting to and fro, taking in as much as possible without causing sensory overload!

That turquoise blue always catches my eye and this beautiful milk glass piece jumped out and stopped me in my tracks!  I set it on the counter and then I almost took the stairs by two. When I got to the top I turned left - and then I saw it! The bottom half I needed to complete my vanity!

You see, I bought this mirror (shown here without the glass!) at a consignment store in 
St. Helena nearly two years ago.  I thought for certain I'd be able to match it up with a bottom half fairly quickly and then refinish it for resale.  But it wasn't as easy as I thought, since the mirror was huge and had a part that dropped down with no frame - I was going to need a special cabinet to complete the set.

  

 My husband said, "How do you know its going to match up with the mirror?"  I told him it was karma and I had been looking for a long time so I just knew it would match up! I quickly paid the lady and loaded it into our car.  I had no idea how well it would fit until I got home and took the mirror out of storage - it was the exact same width! The cabinet had two piers, which accommodated the mirror, since the mirror extended below it's frame.

I took the mirror out of its frame and sanded it down. 
Then I did a quick sanding of the bottom cabinet part of the vanity as well.

After a few coats of Annie Sloans' Old White, the pieces looked refreshed!

 I then distressed each piece to bring out the beautiful carvings and details . . 
.

 (Monet likes to give me advice!)

 . . . and added a coat of clear wax for protection. 
After almost two years, it was time to finally see the finished pieces together!

I carefully replaced the massive mirror and secured it with the holds. . .


and replaced the glass knobs on the drawers. Now for the  big marriage,
I heaved the mirror up to place on top of the vanity cabinet.

I absolutely love it!  My long lost vanity is now complete 
and I can't even think about selling it!

This is one piece I will hold on to - a piece to cherish 
and hand down to the next generation.

I guess it's true - good things come to those that wait!

 

I've joined these link parties! 

 Wow Us Wednesdays!

Chic on a Shoe String's Flaunt It Friday!

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

Delightful Dress Forms!

Walk into any shabby chic or french boutique

and you'll see a dress form in one way, shape or form!

Dress forms are made of so many different materials, they make

versatile display pieces. Scanning through my photo album over the last year, I realized I photographed many creative dress forms and I thought I'd share!

 At first glance this looks like a tumbleweed! I spotted this outside a dress shop in Biloxi, Mississippi. The dress shop owner said after Hurricane Katrina, this dress form appeared on the front lawn of the shop! The owner felt if it landed there, it was meant to be there, so she stood it up and it has welcomed her customers since then!

Some dress forms are actually working forms seamstresses 

can adjust to the size of the person they are creating a garment for -

and its my experience many shabby chic lovers do not care what condition they are in
- the shabbier the better!

Many a dress form grace shop windows to draw in customers and spark conversations.

A friend and I were window shopping in St. Helena, CA when we passed by this window -

the top half was like metal armor pieced together and the bottom skirt was made from  burlap and linen fabric pieced together!

One of the most unusual dress forms I have encountered was this striking 'mermaid' form!

The texture of the wicker top half is a great contrast to the grassy ruffled skirt, and I love how the bodice is cinched together. Seeing this form from a distance grabbed my attention and made me cross a street to check it out much closer - AND I ventured into the shop where it welcomed me!

Natural materials were also used for this 'angel' dress form 

seen outside a florist shop during the holiday season!

This shabby angel is an artistic assemblage welcoming visitors to Magnolia Pearl's space
 in Round Top, Texas.  With so many unusual details in this piece of artwork, it draws you in closer to check them out!

I love how this satin blouse is a stark contrast to the rough burlap skirt!

Dress forms are used by museums to display historical attire . . .
and 'haute couture' from all eras!

The peacock feathered skirt on this dress form takes the cake!

 
 Seen in Benicia Antique Mall,
 it's all tied up with a big red bow!

 This is one of the most beautiful draped dress forms I've seen!
Spotted in Anthropologie's window, whoever created this. . .

was an expert at draping fabric and using quilter's pins!
I just love how the pins follow the contour of the dress for
and create a design that becomes the focal point.

From elaborate dresses and high fashion to simple uses for display.
dress forms are essential to retailers, dress makers, and designers.This dress form displays multiple brooches at Cobwebs Antiques, in Bishop, CA

And sometimes they are just another cherished treasure in your home!