A Southern Revival................

Why show you a warehouse of old furniture?  Perhaps to prove one can "take a sow's ear and turn it into a silk purse". This image is just a glimpse of what's in store at Revival......you need a good hour to search the aisles for just what you may be looking for.

 

One of my favorite local shops to visit, browse, buy, and just hang out, has to be Revival.  Housed in a somewhat dilapidated building with the warehouse a few yards downwind from the shop, driving through the potholed, weedy parking lot brings promises of awaiting treasure.  As soon as you enter the shop you are excited at all you see, the antique, vintage and re-purposed larger pieces of furniture, and such interesting accessories, all creatively displayed.

The old furniture, found mostly in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, is transformed by the owners and their staff into beautiful pieces which would look amazing in any home.  Each item in the warehouse shows two prices, as is and refinished - so if you don't want to tackle the metamorphosis yourself, and believe me some pieces you wouldn't dare try, owners Jodie and Joe Hinge's painters will amaze you with their handiwork.

Often there are over sized vintage store fixtures which make me wish for a larger house..........

......cabinets, hutches, farm tables, great chairs and benches...........

............really gorgeous sideboards showing off their new paint - they do the best matte black finishes I've ever seen.

On a recent visit I really liked this interesting table - the finish and the metal top which had been added made it certainly different and a real conversation piece.

Come back to view more of the 'back room' area recently revamped at the shop......but make sure to close the door before the shop kitties get out!

Next time we'll enjoy more of Revival's sometimes quirky accessories!

.....still blooming

Those Morning Glories are still dancing around the front porch.  Deeper purple ones have decided to join the blue ones we watched enjoying last week's ball.  Now they are creeping closer to the house, twirling silently between the ornaments on the old chippy green table......the lanterns, and homes for tiny visiting birds. Our wrens often pop in and out those holes looking for insects for breakfast or lunch.

They are up the down spout......clambering quietly around the beaded candolier, looking for jewelery to wear with their delicate gowns.

What a truly beautiful color as the light shines

through the petals.

Just one short day of beauty. 

Just one quick season in the sun.

Butterflies and sweet potatoes...........

The sweet potato is a very important cash crop here in the fields of North Carolina.  It must love our climate much more than I do.  I can even prove it!

If one teeny little 8" potted plant tucked into the earth in June can survive and thrive through a brutally hot, dry Summer such as we've experienced...........and end up gobbling up my garden bench as this one has, proof enough right?

If the vines are growing on the farmland like this, no shortage of the very nutritious sweet potato is predicted for this Autumn/Winter roasting and pie-baking I'm certain.

So where was I yesterday?  Needless to say, out there in the broiling sun, coated in OFF bug repellant and sunscreen..........no, not sunbathing, more like pruning, trimming, fighting with the vine which now seems to be growing several inches a day.  There's another at the mailbox which had already tried to strangle our lovely mailman this past week, so later I had to tackle that one also....before it crossed the street and got away from me!

The nice part about slogging away, covered in sweat, batting off bugs and panting for a second bottle of water, is discovering the tangled vine is hiding a true 'butterfly garden'.

 

This year the butterflies are awesome - plentiful and gigantic.  These swallowtails are almost the size of small birds!  Swooping and dancing in the air they land on lantana and buddleia bushes to sip nectar, oblivious to the searing heat of late morning.

There is a spot to sit there somewhere!

Please enjoy my butterfly images in yesterday's sunshine.  Their lives are so short, already some have ragged wings and fading colors, but they bring such beauty to the garden for a short time.

.............and yes, my aging birdhouse is listing a wee bit, guess the post has warped in the relentless heat....just like me!