A Tease, and A Please!

On Friday, I took Howard on a Mystery Trip.
Where do you think we went?

To the shore, with its white foamy waves . . .

and aqua water?

Ummm... not exactly.

We went to the basement of a church, where one of New Jersey's best thrift shops is housed.
It is open only one day in the summer. One day! And we were there.

I found a few things for Anne's apartment.
I hope she won't like them, because then I get to keep them.

Me and Prince Machiavelli -- separated at birth.

A few teasing pictures:

And all will be revealed next week!

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And speaking of next week, please visit That Old House on Monday.

I need your help!

This is our parlor:

Notice what is on the coffee table. 6 coasters.
That is all. 6 coasters.
(Really. 4 stone, 2 beaded.)

We use this room for pre-dinner drinks with guests, or for dessert,
so that old coffee table holds lots of sweaty cold glasses and hot cups of coffee.

I'm not eager to gussy up the coffee table,
although I'd like to come up with a more attractive system for coasters!

But I do want to gussy up the mantle above the fireplace, so it doesn't look,
as my Grandmother used to say, "Like dead people live there."

Clearly, the stinky old flower-water and spent-petals look is not working:

Ick.

Over the course of the weekend, I am going to shop the house and try out a few different looks for this mantle. I'll post them for Metamorphosis Monday, and I would really appreciate your input.

Come back Monday and vote, yay or nay, on the Mantlepiece Poll! -- Cass