House in Swansea

This post is a continuation of Mirabelle's Bday weekend. Her grandparents' house is in Swansea, Mass. and is one of the more unique homes I've seen. Below is a photograph I took last fall when I visited for Thanksgiving. Bob & Nancy Zexter are two of the kindest people I know! I think of Melissa (their daughter), her hubby Lance & their kids, Mirabelle and Odille as family :-)

Here is Bob Zexter...

Below is Nancy...

Zexter with fruit...

and Lance with the young ones :)

Their backyard is expansive and unusual as it sits on a public golf course. Can see some carts below.

Above, the closest neighbor to them and below a nearby home I would love to renovate and make my own!! What a window in center-- adore it!

Melissa's old friend, James came to visit Friday night with his family. His wife, Mireille is french and after spending many years in Paris, they have been raising their sons, Oscar & Mattie, in Geneva, Switzerland. Can't help myself, that just sounds so cool to me!

She worked with James in the early '90s at her aunt's store on the Upper East Side called Tender Buttons. This is a button shop like you've never seen! Jam packed with inventory ranging from simple buttons to incredible antique pieces. I love the 18th Century style painted ones!

I am a big fan of the bubbly! I love Champagne, Cava, Prosecco and Sofia Coppola's Blanc de Blanc. It comes in a beautiful bottle and Zexter found these little 4-pack cans!! Not sure when these were put on the market, but perfect for casual outdoor dining and just as delicious!

Straw attached :)

Above, Lance tries on a horseshoe crab shell as a bike helmet, getting a pretty good laugh!

Enter their house and find a treasure trove of antiques, toys, paintings, books and more...

Nancy painted stencils in practically every room in her home. She also painted a representational mural of this house in one of the bedrooms.

I like details like wood beam ceilings and sturdy hardware like this lock on their kitchen door.

These are not actual tiles, but self adhesive squares Nancy applied to their bathroom walls, then applied a shellac protective layer. Completely fooled me the 1st time I saw them.

The little girl in this painting reminds me so much of Odille, especially when her hair was cut this short last summer.

Old, well-loved toys, a favorite of mine. Still, I feel bit sorry he has no eyes left :(

Melissa painted this self portrait with her mom in high school. I appreciate the teen-angst-ridden expression on her face. Of course, gotta love the decorative seashells ;) It's a Masterpiece.

Saturday night after bday party we headed to Tavino in Warren, RI for more food! Nice, airy atmosphere, good food & on the water...