Love the Home you Have

 

The inspried Room is one of my favorite blogs that I visit daily. Melissa Michael's blog is full of decorating ideas and gorgeous pictures. Today is the the launch of her new book Love the Home you Have. I love the concept. And bloggers all over the web are celebrating by writing stories of their homes. So I am joining the challenge.

 

We moved into our current home in October of 1973. When we were first married we rented a small house and then in a few years bought a little house on the north side of town. We lived there for several years when the interstate came through and took our house. When we were looking for another we heard about a house on the west side of town..in the area where I grew up. I called the lady and she hadn't even put the house on the market yet. She allowed us to come up and see it first. I fell in love. it was brick, had a fireplace, and was in a lovely area off the main road.

When we moved in I was eight months pregnant with Ryan. I was happy to be in a bigger place and went about fixing a nursery. The boys grew up in this house, playing outside in the woods behind us and enjoying the quiet of the neighborhood. We have loved our house throughout the years. My decorating tastes have evolved from country with duck themed kitchen, Victorian pink in the living room, to a more sophisticated black and Frency style.

But in 2006 when we added on the sunroom change began to happen. We then made a courtyard with stamped concrete and a pond outdoors. We sold the hot tub and turned that room into an office. We got new bedroom furniture and then remodeled the kitchen. We made the house into our dream house.

 

 

I love my home. It is a place of safety and comfort. As I look out the window at the neverending snow I am snuggled and cocooned in it. It is my peace.

 

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A little photo session

I am trying to get out my camera more often.

I admire the still life photography that I see on the blogs I visit. And I love playing with the apps on the ipad.

This little vintage chocolate pot was purchased at an antique store many years ago when Don and I spent many hours pouring through the treasures unearthed.

We started collecting antiques early in our marriage and loved going to estate sales and auctions.

Don loved cut glass and added beautiful bowls to our collection. The German doll was given to Don when he helped someone move.

 

I was into my country phase and was delighted when I found old cookie cutters. I also love picnic baskets.

 

And of course we were always on the lookout for chocolate glass. Don has quite a nice collection of this Greentown Indiana glass that was only made for four years before the factory burned down.

 

 

Don also has two old Edison phonographs with round records.

 

It has been fun over the years looking for treasures.

 

 

 

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Blast from the past

In 2006 we decided to add on a family room to the back of our house. Many wondered why we bothered because by then the boys were out of the house. But I always wanted more room and so we began.

We had the shell built for us but Don took on the task of doing all the work himself for the rest. It was a daunting task. He did his own electrical work, plumbing,finishing, moldings and painting. As well as roofed. Bless his heart.

The other day Chris sent us these pictures to remind us what it looked like before.

I got a laugh out of this one....notice I hung wreaths on the door and tried out the curtains at the windows? I was so impatient. I couldn't wait to see how they would look.

We have never regretted adding on. I love my big table now and a space to watch tv. We live in this room now.

 

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Peter Rabbit picks

Doesn't everyone love the story of Peter Rabbit? When I taught first grade it was one of my favorite Springtime stories.

I found an vintage copy of the story at an antique store.

 

This story has the most wonderful illustrations.

So for Easter my family from near Harrisburg are coming and I wanted to make cupcakes with Peter Rabbit picks on top. Now if I lived in a bigger city I could just go to Michael's and find lovely picks and cupcake liners. But I have to drive an hour and a half to get there so I got on the web and googled it. After searching a while I found a page wit just the right illustrations for the picks. I printed them out on card stock and added toothpicks. I think they will look nice on the cupcakes.

 

 

 

Another favorite story that I read to my third graders is The Country Bunny and the little Gold Shoes. It is the story of how the Easter Bunny is picked. A clever mother rabbit is chosen.

I can't wait to read this to Sara since it comes with a little necklace of gold shoes.

 

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Geez Louise!

It is snowing outside again this morning. Again!  Even Sadie is getting tired of it and begging me to take her for a walk.  How do you explain to a dog that you don’t want to put on boots, hat, scarf, gloves and coat? She looks at me and whines.  When I look at her she wags her tail and hopes that she can convey to me that she is tired of sitting around and wants to do something.  Me too, Sadie!   

 

 

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Quick and Easy Wreath Tutorial

Everyone knows I love to decorate and Spring is a good excuse to make a new wreath. It’s easy and fun and doesn’t take too long.

First you need to gather your materials. I bought a bush of flowers at Hobby Lobby. I liked this bush because it was a neutral color and had berries and artificial pheasant feathers.



I also bought the grapevine wreath and the initial there. I used a burlap bow that I already had.


The first step was to paint the initial..easy, peasy.


Then I cut apart the bush with small snippers.

This separated all the elements for arranging.


Then I just stuck the pieces in around the bow and wired on the initial…..all done!

Love the look….I don’t think it will make it to the outside door. It looks nice against my yellow door inside the kitchen.

Trying out a new restaurant

Today our Circle of Friends...formerly REd Hats....had lunch at a new place. Vavalo's is a small restaurant that is about fifteen minutes out of town and up on a hill in a very small community. We like to try new things and heard that the food was good here.

Vavalo's had been recently remodeled and opened and was very clean and decorated, if not modern, in a comfy style. There were twenty of us so we knew that we would have to wait a while for our food since we were ordering off the menu. Surprisingly the food for one side of the table was brough out in a reasonable amount of time. OUr side of the table however didn't get our food for a half an hour later. It was explained to us that the waitress for our side of the table didn't get our orders in before the other customers so we had to wait. The first side was all done eating by the time our food was served. The food was typical bar food...sandwiches, fries, chicken..but very tasty. Too bad the cooks were so slow.

Since they are in their first few weeks I hope that they can work out the kinks.

Quite a rainy and cold day..it didn't even get to forty. Very gloomy and damp. Come on Spring!

 

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Don't you love the light?

Have you noticed the days are getting a lot longer lately? It's seven fifteen and the sun has just gone down over the mountains and we are in our twilight time. And it is forty nine degrees which is a heat wave compared to the cold spell we've been having.

Are you making the most of your hours? Perhaps reading more of those library books or picking up a camera more often. As the season begins to change so we do also. We get a restlessness in the spring. An urge calling from deep in our soul.

Do you feel it?

 

What does it make you want to do?

 

Spring clean? Dust away the cobwebs and shine up your

Abode?

 

Or like me do you get restless feet and

Want to travel?

 

Or begin a new project?

 

What is stirring in you soul?

 

 

 

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Off again

Ok, I missed yesterday's post. I can't help myself. I've gotten involved in Orange is the new. Black, a Netfjlix original show that I am watching like a marathon. I had heard about it but didn't think a subject like that would be of the least interest to me. It's about a woman's prision. But I think in another like I must have been a psychologist because I like shows that deal with human relationships and this one is a doozy. Every spare minute I have it on and each episode sucks me in . the dyamics of the characters is fascinating.

 

 

 

 

Spring has definitely not come to our neck of the woods since it was twenty five yesterday morning. My brave face and positivity is going right out the window as I am getting really tired of this cold weather.

Today Don and I are going to Erie for a checkup on my skin cancer on my head. I've had two rather large skin grafts and everything is fine...just a checkup. No worries. Maybe a little retail therapy will cheer me up. We will eat at Olive Garden this time. So....we're off. Hope whatever you do that you will have a great day. \

 

 

 

 

 

 

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First place

 

Sean won first place in the Pinewood Derby today. He couldn't be prouder...and daddy too!

He won first place when he was a Cub Scout.

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Busy Friday

Missed posting yesterday. It was a busy day. First the floor guys were here for two days and the floor is done. I chose to go with sixteen by sixteen inch vinyl tikes with grout in between. I love the look.

Now the kitchen is finished. I'd still like to replace the light fixture over the table and bye a new style of chair but for now we are done.

I had my final literary Club luncheon at noon. Joan was picking me up and when she came I walked out the French doors since I couldn't go out through the kitchen and two steps later my feet in their dressy flat soled slippery shoes went right out from under me. I fell on my hip as my head bounced off the ice. I anticipated tht I was in for a world of hurt but after icing my head down to prevent a goose bump I was actually able to attend the luncheon. I have been so careful all winter and to fall right at my house was upsetting. It really could have been a lot worse. I was so fortunate.

 

Our luncheon was at the Bradford Club. The appetizer looked gorgeous. I wish I had my camera to take a picture of the food. This is a private club so I don't eat there very often. On the salad plate were three spinach leaves set in a petal shape. Then very thin slices of mandarin oranges topped with radish straws Ina lemony vinaigrette. The main course was turkey beast rolled up with a soft stuffing with cranerries and oranges with the most beautiful golden citrus sauce on the plate. The vegetable was thin ribbons of zucchini and carrots. There was also a twice baked potato and rolls. For dessert an angel food cake stuffed with strawberry mousse. Just delicious.

Our speaker was Cheryl Bazzoui a local author who read one of he short stories to us. She writes under the pen name Ann McCauly. Ann's Runaway Grandma has been recommended for book clubs by bookmovement.com.

It was an enjoyable day

 

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