Repatriation (Part 3)

Bon jour! My name is Maxie. Oh sorry, I am so use to barking in French. Did you know I am a bi-barking pup?! I am so smart! Zsa Zsa gave me French lessons all the time. She was a little better than me, but I was really catching on! You probably know me by now because my Mommy talks about me so much and takes pictures of me all the time, which is really annoying (shhhh, don't tell her I said that!). I have learned to just sit here and let her do it otherwise she cries and I do not like to see my Mommy cry. I am so glad to be back home in the States. Although my Mommy cannot take me to as many places as she could when we lived in Europe, I love being back. I am finally getting use to my new house and backyard! Oh how I love the sunshine!!! The sun did not shine much in Belgium and my poor little nose was losing its black color. That was really giving me some self image problems, but now I can lay out and get my nose tan! Life is good! Oh, and yes, the back of the couch is my favorite spot to lay!

Mommy wanted to show you some treasures we found in Belgium and while traveling around the world! (I am going to let her take over now...it is time for my afternoon nap!)

Maxie is only a weeeee bit spoiled!

As Maxie said, I would love to share some of the little treasures I picked up during my travels as well as in Brussels.

This is probably my favorite piece. I am really not into antiques, but I knew I wanted to get some special items to bring back with me. There is an antique sale every Sunday in Waterloo, Belgium, which is really more like a flea market in the States. But, there are vendors there who sell lots of antique pieces. The first time I went, I came home with this....Don't you love it? I sure do! The only history I know about it is that it is over 200 years old and came out of some Belgian castle. Cool, uh!?! Can you believe a piece of furniture is almost as old as our country?? That amazes me!

Since I loved that piece above so much, I decided to go back and see what else I could find. I found these items about a year later at the same market. The vendor did not know the history of these pieces. This piece is in my dining room. I got my mom the matching buffet! Yes, it has the same marble top as the piece I bought above! Isn't that cool?! Must have been the style back then!
I cannot tell you how in love I am with these pieces. I loved them when I bought them, but to see them in my house now...wow!!! Love!!!!

At the same market, I found this little dresser. It was the mirror which sold me! I absolutely love it! It is now in my bedroom!When we were planning our trip to visit friends in Istanbul, Turkey, I knew I wanted to come home with a Turkish rug. This is it....
Belgium is famous for its tapestries. A little history....Tapestries became status symbols amongst the aristocracy in the Middle Ages. They also had much practical use, providing insulation for castle walls, covering openings and giving privacy around beds. Kings and nobles took them on their travels from castle to castle for reasons of comfort and prestige. Tapestries often changed hands after battle, and since the victor's door and window openings might be a different size the acquired hangings might be cut up or even joined to other tapestries. I bought this Belgian Tree of Life tapestry before I even selected the colors for my new house! Isn't it fabulous!?!Polish pottery from Boleslawiec, Poland is probably one of the finest pottery produced in the world. It is very durable, high-fired, non-porous stoneware dinnerware that can go straight from the microwave/oven to the table to the dishwasher. Boleslawiec Polish pottery line is classified as high-density stoneware, a very hard product shaped from opaque, white clay of the superb quality. It is resistant to chips and breakage. The artisans coat all the colored patterns with a transparent, protective glaze in order to prevent wear and food from sticking! I absolutely LOVE it!!! I bought so much of it since it is so much cheaper to buy in Europe than in the States. We saw some pieces in the States costing 3 times what we paid in Brussels! Wow! Anyway, I LOVE IT! So, here are a few pieces I use all the time!I found some fabulous Bohemian crystal while on my trip to Prague, Czech Republic! Oh the memories of trying to get 5 sets of 12 crystal glasses packed in luggage and to Brussels without breaking anything! (We succeeded!!!!) I love these glasses! I hosted a brunch over the weekend (which I cannot believe I did not take 1 single picture...so annoyed). Anyway, Susan and Kathy brought over stuff to make mimosas so we used my champagne glasses! So fun!So, this was a little glimpse into some of my European treasures (more to come) that have found a place in my new house! I still cannot believe that I lived in Europe for 2 years but unpacking all of the things that I bought while over there has made it all real and holds very special memories!

More than anything I picked up while living and traveling abroad, it was the people I met and the experiences I had which will remain with me forever! And yes, that includes Zsa Zsa!
I am starting to feel more and more like myself now that I have been home for about 3 months. One observation that I have noticed is my Southern accent. I have always had a Southern accent, but the more I have traveled over the years the more I seem to have left the accent at home. However, since I have been home, I have really seen my accent come back! I even catch myself making 1 syllable words into 2 syllables....and I just laugh! And you know what...I like it!

And, just for fun, here is my favorite room in the house! My master bath!