Oh how I adore Christmas. Fall is my favorite "season" but Christmas is my favorite "time of year." Does that make sense? I only wish they could move Christmas to oh, say February. That way we could just relish every moment of Autumn, and then happily anticipate Christmas. As it is, it seems just when you are basking in the fall colors, smells, sights, it is time to think about Christmas.

For me, the ultimate shopaholic, it is Christmas all year round as I am constantly on the lookout for treasures for those on my Christmas list and now you, our dear Duchess and Bird friends. And though my children live on opposite coasts and I'm here in the midwest, visiting them gives me an opportunity to scour antiques shops, flea markets, and out of the way boutiques that I otherwise would not have found. You see how I'm trying to find the silver lining in this?

But I never lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. And I don't for a moment believe that it is all about "shopping."

Whereas it gives me untold joy to give carefully chosen treasures, wrapped lovingly and beautifully, to my friends and family, the truth is that they are MY gifts and I never forget this.

And you, our new friends are our gifts as well. We look forward to hearing from you. I always love hearing about different family holiday traditions.

( Photo is my son and his new wife, married on New Year's Eve)

Our warmest wishes to you all

Duchess and Bird

Visions of Black Friday

Everyone seems to be writing about Thanksgiving in their blogs. Though we love this holiday with all our might we think the following day gets our juices flowing! Shopping for that special gift is always a treat for us whether it is for our families and friends or for our web store. Finding the perfect gift thrills us and we know it immediately when it is spotted. We like to scour the second hand and consignment stores for gifts that can be altered, spiffed up or recreated for that someone special. So in this spirit we wish you Good Hunting and will also be Thankful for you!

Duchess & Bird

The Magic Of Autumn

Here at Duchess & Bird the autumn is our favorite time of the year, our favorite season. The cool evenings, crisp days and most especially the colors are so comforting to us. It's time to make a pot of stew and a family favorite soup. This amazing home has always celebrated the season with piles of homegrown gourds.

It's a season of quiet. It's about families gathering and sharing a meal just like our ancestors have for generations. There will be stories of going to Grandmas or friends and what was traditionally served. The youngest will be hearing the stories for the first time and the oldest may have forgotten some of the lore.

We remember our past mostly by the smells they say. Well to us the fall smells were burning leaves, apple pies and hot spiced cider. We wish we could find a candle that most resembles that!

Cherish your memories and pass them on to your next generation. We hope you will enjoy this season as much as we do before the rush and excitement of the next.

From our homes to yours,
Duchess & Bird

So we're up and running here at Duchess and Bird. This has been a labor of love for Bird and me. For ten years, we two bff's (and unabashed francophiles) have been traveling to Paris. Our fantasy is to be locked inside the gates of the St Ouen Marche Aux Puces, our favorite flea market. There never are enough hours in the day when we are there. We now have a great excuse to spend practically every waking Paris moment at the flea markets. We will be looking for treasures for you, our Duchess and Bird website visitors and shoppers.

While we don't yet have a date for our next sojourn, rest assured we will be airborne as soon as everything clicks into place. If there are lovelies that you are particularly interested in, please let us know. We make no promises, but we sure will try our best to search for you. In the meantime, Duchess is spending time with the Rosetta Stone trying to get the rust off of her French language skills. I need to know how to get the best bargains pour vous, oui?

We would love to hear from you. Til next time

November Finds

I always enjoy beginning each month at the Alameda Point Antique Show. It's a huge outdoor market the first Sunday of each month. This morning started very foggy cold and gray but the sun finally made it's way through burning the fog away.


I like to get there when it opens at 6 so I have first pick from some of my favorite dealers. I make a beeline ( what is a beeline??) to Jana from Cottage Girls. She has an eye for the unusual and never disappoints. I then stopped to talk with Danielle and Eric from Euro-Linens about their gorgeous linen pillows and what's new and what shows they have been to. Look at the wonderful doors Sean brought for his Big Daddy's corner, I always draw inspiration from his vignettes.

The bottles photo shows a marvelous, ingenious way to display bottles from England. Anything with writing on it makes me stop in my tracks!

Happy November!

xxoo, Bird