Our Container of French Fabulousness Arrives...

The phone rang the other day and it was our customs broker in Houston calling to tell us that our long-awaited container had not only arrived safe and sound in Savannah but had miraculously cleared US Customs in world-record time...and were we ready for it immediately?

After jumping up and down with joy and excitement, we set up delivery for 7 a.m. the following morning and got busy making calls to our reliable and nice movers and a couple muscly, strong Huffington teenager boys.  Then, we frantically started clearing a nice big spot in the back of the store to corral all the goodies that we'd be unloading the next morning.

Now, you have to understand that Ann did the shopping for this container back in April and we were all dying to see what she had picked out as she made her way through her favorite little markets and fairs in France. While she was buying, she'd tempt us with Iphone pictures like these just to whet our appetites:

"...and I just had to get this fabulous crunchy ladder - perfect for North Georgia lake houses, don't you think?"

"...I just couldn't resist these." (We didn't blame her one bit.)

".. and I got two of these - aren't they fabulous? Can't you just see them on either end of a long and elegant sofa?"

We all know that Ann possesses a killer eye and can sift through piles of junque to uncover the most lovely little treasures. And she's a whiz at identifying styles and woods and she definitely has a weakness for Louis XVI mirrors and old sparkly chandeliers.  So no wonder that we were really, really excited to see our treasures, like this Swedish buffet a deux corps.

This has initials and a date painted on it but they're so faded you can barely see them. Feels romantic to us.

We were ready to get to work.  As the sun came up, our gigantic 18-wheeler was already waiting for us at the store and our helpers arrived bearing coolers of Gatorade and water (did we mention it was a typical 90 degree, steamy and humid July morning in Atlanta?)

After we scrounged a bolt-cutter to cut the iron bolt that locks the container (note to selves: let's just buy one and keep it at the store...), Ricky and guys flung the doors open and the fun began:

The guys unloading an antique console that seriously weighs about a zillion pounds.

Eric Wagasky and Quinn Mohan, our adorable (and strong) Huffington teenager helpers.

There was lots of oooohing and aaaahhhing as boxes were unloaded and we went crazy with scissors and box-cutters. Ann had her list going and she was positively glowing with delight as her treasures arrived.

Ann checking her list (it's a little blurry but maybe that's a good thing because it was literally the crack of dawn.)

Every once in a while, she'd say "uh oh...I'm not sure what I was thinking with this one..." but we'd all end up adoring whatever the piece was. It really was like Christmas in July.  There was packing paper and boxes everywhere, we were all dripping with sweat but none of that mattered.   How could it when we were feasting our eyes on little vignettes that just kept making themselves:

We were feeling a little bit like our own little French antiques fair by the time these beauties showed up. We loved them propped on the wall outside the store.

Crusty antique sap pots that still smell of pine.

"Alarm clocks" kept showing up on our paperwork and couldn't figure out for the life of us what that meant. Here are the charming and sweet Frenchy clocks that we're all dying over.

Vintage hotel silver with the most gorgeous patina. Perfect for a stylish bar at home.

A lovely armoire has this inscription carved into the front: "Arts et Lettres."

The key to the "Arts et Lettres" armoire was nailed into the back of it. There was no way that key was going to be lost. What a nice, old-worldly touch.

Voila! The "Arts et Lettres" armoire all dressed up in its new home and full of the vintage hotel silver as well as new sleek nickel barware.

Ann kept telling us about this wonderfully old, very long crusty table with an iron base that she wasn't leaving France without buying.  She had sent us a picture of it and we were salivating over the thought of it:

The "very long table with iron base" that we were dying to see. Here it is when Ann found it with painted blue metal chairs that are adorable in their own right.

And here it is after we fluffed it: it's a spectacular library table...and we do humbly think the antique zebra rug looks great with it.

Needless to say, we've been having a blast this week fluffing, arranging and moving our mountains of buffets, shutters, ladders, accessories and armoires around - and we can't wait to show them all off.

A scrolly iron coffee table base from Paris.

And, finally...our very favorite little piece that now sits outside the store during business hours - and has been stealing all the attention with its very Frenchiness:

Une bicyclette made of French willow. We added the wine.

Ta ta.

p.s. This is a busy week for us...we're also hosting our fifth annual Bastille Day show at Huff Harrington Fine Art on Saturday, July 14th from 6-8 p.m. Hope you'll join us for this fun celebration: we'll have bubbly, nibbles and our favorite accordion player belting out lively tunes - all while surrounded by paintings that evoke the very essence of all things French. A bientot!