Architectural Salvage from a French Chateau?

We have been looking for a huge piece of architectural salvage to hang on our living room wall above the TV ever since we bought this house last fall.  We finally found it a couple of weeks ago.   See it below?  The huge painted door panel?

I don't have a picture of "before" above the TV facing straight on, but you can see the TV to the left in the picture below, with nothing above it.

I found this picture below, of when we were looking at the house and it was "staged".  You can see the big blank wall.

Here is a closer picture of the panel.  We found it leaning against a wall in a horse stable, outside of a French Chateau.  Really....we did.  But, how could that be?  We didn't go to France a few weeks ago.  I will tell you the whole story at the end of this post.

Here is a different angle shot below.  The piece of iron above the panel is a piece we have had for years.  

So, on to the whole story about the French Chateau and horse stables.  Here is the Chateau...it is about 20 minutes from my house.  It is the Biltmore Estate.

To the right of the house, are the old horse stables, that have been turned into shops and a restaurant.  In one of the shops, we found this antique reproduction panel leaning against a wall and new it was the perfect piece for our TV wall.

Now, changing the subject....our pergola is coming along, slowly.  We have to work on it, early evenings after Mr. Comforts is finished working for the day.  We have had some afternoon thunderstorms that have halted the work.

What are you up to this week?

Linking with:

Coastal Charm ~ Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday

Cedar Hill Ranch - The Scoop

Spain Anyone?

You don't always have to travel to go to another country.

We are getting ready for a paella dinner party tonight in our back yard.  The paella will be cooked on the grill.  The spicy aroma will fill the air.  There will be sunflowers on the table and some Spanish music playing in the background.

Yes, I am going to Spain tonight for a few hours.   Where are you going this weekend?

Blue Ridge Parkway

Last week, when we had company we took a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, outside of Asheville, NC where I live.  We went to Mount Mitchel State Park and did a little hiking too. 

Sometimes I feel like I should be an ambassador for North Carolina.  It is such a beautiful state.

Here are some of the pictures I took, while hiking and stopping along the Parkway overlooks.

The hiking trail was at the top of Mount Mitchell which is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River at 6684 feet elevation.  We were literally walking in the clouds.

Click on the pictures to enlarge for beautiful detail!  Click on the BOTTOM picture and work your way up, after clicking.  If you click on the top pictures the advertising on the sidebar covers the picture, but if you click on the bottom picture first, it is better.

The moss and lichen were so beautiful.

The next pictures were taking on the Blue Ridge Parkway at a few overlooks.

Want to come hiking with me?  

Good Morning!  I woke up about 6AM this morning for some reason.  I went outside on the porch and the birds were singing to beat the band.  It was raining lightly and overcast, so you couldn't see the mountains very well.  I grabbed my camera, put it on video and shot this.  When you enlarge the video, it becomes grainy.  It is best viewed in the small format.  Turn your speakers on to hear the birds.

On another beat, we worked on the pergola this weekend.  Here is what it looks like so far.

Two 4x6 posts up

All 4x6 posts up.  The boards nailed to the sides are just for support until the top support boards go on.  The posts sit 18 inches down in the ground in concrete.

Happy Monday!