January 15, 2012
What a beautiful day here in Florence. Today we just stayed here and walked around enjoying the day.
The Duomo
Duomo inspired
Of course we snacked.
Roasted chestnuts...
Gelato at Grom..
Pistachio (that tasted like real pistachios)
and chocolate and carmel with sea salt.
All delicious things so beautifully presented.
Checking out the Gucci museum.
The Gucci mobile...
High end/Low end residing happily together...
A free hug from this group wrapped up the day nicely.
January 10, 2012
After recovering from yesterday's jet lag, Nicole and I were well rested this morning and off to a good start.
First things first, we needed a good cappuccino. Stopped in a little bar in the neighborhood.
Did a little driving through Tuscany. Here you see Colle val d'elsa in the distance as we get started.
Already anticipating Spring so here I am checking out antique terracotta oil jars. Spent a few hours here.
A few other stops and then back in the car to visit on our olivewood pieces. Nice countryside views along the way.
Olivewood pre product....
Turns into beautiful olivewood bowls (and some new things coming) for Mercato.
Back home at night and hungry.
Arugula salad with cannellini beans along with some sauteed veggies, a bit of pane Toscana and a glass of vino hit the spot.
Buona notte tutti.
September 29, 2011
We’ve returned from the antique show in Omaha and what a great time we had. The people who put together the show are the best and I love visiting with all of the attendees. You meet such interesting people!
Jan Vrana (my friend and very interesting person I met last year) has posted some great photos from the event on her wonderful blog The French Tangerine. http://www.thefrenchtangerine.com/
Actually, the last few postings are all related to the show.
September 8, 2011
We are happy to announce that MERCATO’s new line of tableware will be here very soon. Here’s a sneak peak of a few pieces...
This design, which we call Tre Fiori, dates back to the 15th century. The bowl is completely hand thrown and hand painted. You can tell too. There is just a wonderful quality to it. This is a large serving bowl and other pieces include a smaller serving bowl as well as a platter, dinner plates, pasta/soup bowls, salad plates, cup and saucer. The bowl’s design has been deconstructed for each of the complimentary pieces and the place settings comes together wonderfully.
Here is a photo of our Stella design. Again, hand thrown and painted. The detail is amazing. The look is free form and far from mass produced. My personal favorites flip flop everyday and today this is it. I am crazy about it.
We refer to this design as the Ramo d’Olivo which quite simply means olive branch. I love seeing the beautiful olive trees in Italy and most importantly value what the olive branch has represented for centuries and that is peace and goodwill. I think this design will be perfect for upcoming holiday meals and celebrations with families and friends.Many more designs and pieces are on the way and we hope to have them on the website in the near future. Stayed tuned.
August 24, 2011
This Saturday, August 27th from 6-9, there is a benefit for the Joplin Art Community. The event will take place at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center in Kansas City. Debris from the tornado was collected and local artists have created unique pieces for the event’s auction.
My friend Dan Dakotas brought by his piece for the auction a couple of days ago. His debris items were the inside parts of a cuckoo clock. Dan created this wonderful necklace. The chain of the necklace is the chain from the cuckoo clock. The glass beads on the chain represent the tears of the people in Joplin. The circular parts represent the circle of life. The face is the face of hope. The bird symbolizes peace and the heart, love.
Admission is a $5.00 donation or a new art supply item. For more information about the event please visit the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center website. http://www.leedy-voulkos.com/
June 22, 2011
There is no excuse not to eat well during the Summer. Putting together a delicious meal takes no time at all.
My sister-in-law Judy (who lives in Monterey, California) always says there is nothing like a Kansas grown tomato.
She's right.This weekend is Kansas City's Urban Farm & Gardens Tour. For more information go to http://urbanfarmstourkc.com . I bet you'll be able to find some great tomatoes.
May 11, 2011
MERCATO tableware.
Dinnerware sets, serving bowls and platters. All handmade using the finest Italian red clay and hand painted by artisans who have perfected their craft. Can’t wait to share this with you.
April 7, 2011
I have just returned from Italy. As usual, it was wonderful. I was there for a couple of weeks working on an exciting project and on this particular trip, my sister JoMarie and cousin Lea decided to come along. We stayed in Florence and the girls were able to visit some nearby cities and towns. I was able to join them on their day in Bologna.
Bologna is well known for its food and food markets. All of the markets are up and down the streets. It is really a site to behold. Living here you would have so many options for cooking and entertaining.
Let me just imagine….
You can find some great cookbooks for menu ideas. You can see by my facial expression that finding the right one is a serious matter.
You will be hungry after looking through cookbooks. Fortunately, Eataly is a food market. You can sit down just about anywhere for a delicious snack. We’ve all been told not to food shop on an empty stomach right?
Big decisions to make. Fish?
Meat? It all looks great. I would have to do both.
The vegetables are my favorite.
Something sweet?
And don’t forget the flowers.
After our brutal Winter back home, the visual stimulation of the markets and people in Bologna just made everything right again. It was a beautiful and delicious day.
February 3, 2011
I was thrilled to see my friend Valerie Johnson’s work on pages 93 and 102 in the February 2011 issue of House Beautiful. The article “Grand Gestures” features the work of interior designer Erin Martin of Martin Design. Valerie’s business is Custom Tailored Home Furnishings and the window treatments in this photo nicely demonstrates her work. In the article Valerie is mentioned not only by name but referenced as “an artist in Kansas” and believe me, the shoe fits. For those of you who are local customers, we have some examples of her pillows and bedding which just happen to go so nicely with our antiques here at MERCATO. We have mentioned Val’s work before and we definitely think she is mention again worthy.
Good news for our online shoppers, Val now has an Etsy store which offers a wonderful selection of her pillows. www.etsy.com/people/pillowville
December 20, 2010
I am looking forward to Christmas. The kids are on break from school and today we made Florentine hot chocolate. It is very thick. Like drinking a melted chocolate bar. You can find this wonderful drink everywhere in Florence. My kids love it.
The recipe I used is out of the Williams-Sonoma FLORENCE cookbook. If you like hot chocolate, I encourage you to try this! Below is the recipe.
I recommend using your whisk to stir the mixture throughout the entire process. Also note that the mixture boiling looks like lots of tiny bubbles around the side and throughout the hot chocolate. Not like water boiling.
November 5, 2010
I love the look of beautiful fresh-picked produce. I enjoy cooking with it as well. The cool Autumnal weather descending upon us leaves me craving the vegetables of the season. Fortunately for me, Prairie Star Farm (www.prairiestarfarm.com) is only 5 minutes from my shop. Bart and Margit Hall grow the most beautiful and delicious organic vegetables in the area. If you live in Lawrence you can buy their vegetables at The Merc. For the rest of you in Kansas City, you’ll need to head out to their farm—be sure to stop by my store to say “Hi” along the way.
In Italy, it is easy to find great vegetables and other foods. There are fabulous markets everywhere. I do think, however, that I will check out this couple’s organic market on my next trip.
Their place just south of Florence is called Tenuta il Palagio.
Take a look at their website too. www.palagioretreats.com . Looks like they offer Yoga retreats as well. No wonder they look so great!
September 23, 2010
Mary is at the Lauritzen Gardens Antique Show in Omaha until Sunday with many wonderful items from the shop. She said I could post a couple of my favorite things from the latest shipment and these two jars are two of my picks. They are beautiful hand-painted, footed ceramic jars that I just love. I have a feeling they won't be coming back to the shop with Mary!September 10, 2010
I never know what treasures I will find while in Italy. Always something great. We've just unloaded the container from our recent trip. These Italian mannequins in theatre costume are really something else. True works of art.
Hope to see you at the store soon.
-Mary
July 16, 2010
Everytime I travel to Italy I find great antiques, but I also find incredible artisans who are willing to share with me their craft and explain the process.
On my recent trip I met Enrico Giannini, a fifth generation marbleized papermaker in Florence. He was gracious to show me how he crafts these beautiful one-of-a-kind papers.
Different colors are sprinkled onto a liquid bath that contains a glue he makes by combining seaweed and water. The glue keeps the colors floating and separate from each other
He then uses a series of tools, including combs and skewers, to make patterns with the colors.
He transfers the pattern to paper by carefully laying the paper on the surface of the liquid.
He then pulls it through a blade to take off the excess color and water, revealing the beautiful pattern.
Once the sheets have dried they are used to make beautiful objects, such as decorative frames and boxes. Here is my purchase from this trip. These beautiful pieces have much more meaning and value when you know how much time has gone into their creation. True works of art and all uniquely different.If you are planning a trip to Florence his tiny workshop is located on Via dei Velluti, 10/R.
July 14, 2010
Religious fragments are always something that I appreciate and value. They are beautiful objects that have held special and inspirational meaning to many people. Here are just a few pieces that I selected from my recent trip. These are Italian, of course, and from the 18th century.
June 23, 2010
Typically while on vacation I would be disappointed if I looked out my window and my view was blocked by a large building. Here in Florence, the building blocking my view doesn't seem to bother me.
June 16, 2010
We have several antique bed frames at Mercato. We recently put this one together with the help of my friend Valerie Johnson who has her own tailored home furnishings business.
May 28, 2010
For all of you Buon Ricordo plate fans we have now listed them all online under the Terracotta/Ceramics category.
If you don't know what they are, here is the story....
May 7, 2010
We are excited to tell you that we are listed in the resources section of Elizabeth Helman Minchilli’s latest book Italian Rustic. I know many of my customers have her books and often bring them in as reference. This book we recommend as well. And Linda G…..if you are reading this, refer to chapter two which is about interior wall finishes. A great reference for your project.
April 29, 2010
We really love these amphora shaped antique glazed jars originally used to store oil.
This large one is really spectacular. You can’t ever replicate the age and texture from time gone by. This is what gives the piece its soul.
We are pleased to announce we have a new name.... Mercato Italian Antiques and Artifacts. Since we specialize in offering a wide variety of antiques and artifacts personally sourced in Italy, the new name and logo better reflect how our business has evolved over the last year six years. We are the same people excited to share with you the great things we have found and learned on our travels. We think you will like the new look.
July 30, 2009
For everyone that attended, I hope you enjoyed the afternoon with Sarah Dunant. She is an amazing writer and captivating as a speaker.
Many of you requested recipes of the dishes we served. I promise to get those to you soon!
June 20, 2009
This summer my family and I have enjoyed many evenings dining outdoors, or "alfresco" as the Italians refer to it. Friends join us often for these evenings as well. It really is the best way to unwind and enjoy life.
One of those friends recently returned from a family vacation in Italy where they had a wonderful time. Here are a couple of pictures from the trip. I particularly like the one of her children waiting to enjoy an authentic Italian meal alfresco. Hopefully an experience they will remember forever.
June 5, 2009
We are really looking forward to Sarah Dunant’s 2nd visit to our store on July 27th at 1:00 PM. Sarah is the International Bestselling Author of THE BIRTH OF VENUS and IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN which have received major acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.
May 30, 2009
Inspiration comes in many forms. Sometimes in the form of fun and entertainment. The recent 5th annual Art Tougeau parade in downtown Lawrence Kansas was a great display of “thinking outside of the box”. I am thankful that there are people who put together events like this! Bikes and cars are decorated and onlookers can admire and even laugh at the creativity of the participants in the parade.
Here’s Ian, a friend’s son. Great job Ian!
This is how you surf in Kansas…..
May 22, 2009
Discovering that apes practically rule in Gibralter is only the beginning. Have fun and go discover the world.
Love,
MomMay 8, 2009
Last year I planted a few dianthis plants in between the stones of our backyard terrace area. This year they came back stronger and more vibrant than ever. This particular one I see every morning while enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. Simple pleasure.
April 24, 2009
There are a couple of places I like to visit every year at this time when I begin dreaming of life al fresco.
Not too far from my shop is Prairie Star Farm . The owners Margit and Bart Hall have a great selection of flowers. I just stopped in after work the other day. This was just the kind of therapy I needed. A sign that warm and sunny weather will be here soon.
April 10, 2009
In Italy around Easter time you see these chocolate Easter eggs in various sizes. Inside is a little gift. They can be very simple to over the top and extravagant. Here is a photo my friend Angie took on one of our buying trips. Happy Easter.
March 27, 2009
I really enjoy looking through this book. It is by French photographer Claude Nori . He really captures the feeling of Summertime in Italy. Most of these photos were taken during the mid 80’s to early 90’s.
March 6, 2009
The Italian antiques are here and waiting to be unpacked this weekend. This always makes me feel like a child at Christmas waiting to unwrap my presents! We look forward to hearing from or seeing you soon.
Here is a peek of a few of the items inside…..
February 27, 2009
Here's proof. A few customer examples...
Italian antique wrought iron chandelier being used in a family room.
Italian wrought iron chandelier for an office.
February 13, 2009
Ex-Votos are wonderful tokens of devotion or gratitude and you will see them throughout Italy in churches or around holy or religious images. They come in many shapes such as animals or various body parts. My favorite shapes are the hearts, and since Saturday is Valentine’s day, I thought these images would be appropriate.
January 16, 2009
They don’t make em like that anymore. This is the phrase my sister-in-law Mary Sue always uses when describing the antiques we find on buying trips. It makes me laugh when she says it because it is so heartfelt. The phrase however, is absolutely true.
Today I was looking at some photos of the pieces we purchased on our most recent trip to Italy. Here are a few examples:
I really loved this garland that I spied while out and about. It is supposed to look like della Robbia. Luca della Robbia (1400-1482) was an Italian sculptor from Florence noted for his terracotta roundels. This idea I am going to take home.
Taking a walk through the San Lorenzo Market. My daughters have requested scarves. There are plenty to choose from here.
These always remind me of my good friend Mary Jo. Marzipan, which is almond and sugar paste, in the shapes of fruits and veggies. She doesn't eat them though. She collects them and keeps them in her china cabinet! I always enjoy seeing them when I am at her house.
One among the many different confectioneries on display.....The fisherman's cookie. These are my favorite. They're great.
The confectioneries during the holiday season are really special!! Sometimes you have to go in and sample. Here I am trying something new. Candied chestnuts. They are very good.
I arrived in Florence the end of last week and have already found some fantastic Italian antiques to ship home. Can't wait to share those with you. Sunday, Mary Sue (my sister-in-law) and I decided we sould take a little passeggiata and do a little Christmas shopping. Monday was another day for some personal time. It was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception which is a holiday here in Italy. You can see all of the people out and about. Not Tourists either like there are in the warmer months, These are mostly Italians out in droves having a great time.
Another tantalizing display outside a restaurant. No plastic here. This
display is real. I love that!
~ we go to italy, we find great things, we bring them home. ~