my mother's childhood lamp

this lamp was in my mother's bedroom when she was a child.

it sat across town in Honolulu during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

my mother was 14 years old.
her father was a navy-man, and more specifically, a submarine-crew member stationed at pearl harbor.

he was off-duty, and at home asleep on that infamous Sunday morning. he immediately went back to the base before the second wave hit, and the family didn't hear from him for over a week. they didn't know if he was dead or alive.
he survived.

my mother saw the second wave come in from a hillside by her house.

all the while, this lamp sat across town.

now it sits in a kitchen in new hampshire.

tractor love!

me mowing!

Dan grew up on a dairy farm in Oregon. Tractors are in his blood. At the age of three and a half, yes three and a half, he was driving a tractor on the farm. After realizing at a very young age just how much hard work it was to run a farm Dan chose another profession and got off the farm as soon as he could! So, he's never actually owned a tractor of his own... until yesterday!

I fought this purchase for months. It was too much money, too big, too blue, too much money, too, too... But, the grass desperately (as you will see in the photos) needed mowing and after getting bids of $1000 a pop to cut our 4 acres (boy, do we miss cheap labor in the South!) I soon realized that big-blue would pay for herself within a couple of years.

Please don't tell Dan (actually, he kinda figured it out after the fifth time of me saying "my turn"!) but within minutes of driving the tractor I had tractor love!! I was then asking if the tractor was big enough, and if we needed a bigger scoop!! I'm thinking a big hat, my iPod and I'm good to go! Now, if it only had a seat for Ella it would be perfect!

tractor love.... who knew?!!!

Okay, this next sentence is for my niece-in-law, Allison, to tell to my nephew, Forest. For the rest of you it will read blah, blah... blah, blah, blah!! Forest, Dan says it's a New Holland, 45 horse power, diesel, it has a 72-inch finish mower with turf tires, a scoop, adjustable forks that are interchangeable with the scoop, and an 84"blade for grading the gravel drive and also snow removal. You'll have to bring Eli (when he gets here!), and teach him how to drive a tractor!

She's kinda pretty, isn't she!

Ella didn't notice much when Dan was on the tractor, but she thought I was crazy!! Maybe it was the hootin' and hollerin' and waving at her from across the field?! Ya think?!

dang... had to let Dan have a turn.

Mantel love... part II

Last weekend we stopped into a new, very small antique shop down the street from a regular antique haunt of ours in Keene (home of the world famous pumpkin fest), a small town about 30 miles west of us. As we drove up I saw this pair of antlers in the window, and as a lover of all things organic my heart went pitter-patter. (I love rocks, driftwood, forestwood, shells, coral, horns, tree fungus- yes, I said tree fungus!- trust me your gonna want some!! see photo at bottom!) Then, as I was getting out of the car looking at the antlers in the store front window, it appeared someone had carved something in the horn. Very folksy, and not my thing at all. Heart went plunk, as I like my organics au naturel! We went in the shop to find the dealer has a great eye, and even better prices! I walked back outside to view the horns through the window. I realized that there was nothing carved on the horns, what I was looking at that I thought was a carving was actually a natural formation that looked like a rosebud; I quickly went back inside to see them up close. (Now, if Dan were telling this story he would tell you that he looked up and saw me running into to store. But, for the record, that is so not true... I was just walking very briskly!)

The dealer handed us the horns from the front window. I was starting to break into a sweat when I realized that the pair was marked $40. I would have easily paid $240 as I have never seen a more beautiful rack of horns.... ever! Without even asking (and we generally ask!) the dealer said she would take $30 for them. I was one happy girl, let me tell ya!



When we brought the horns (which are caribou horns) home and placed them on the master bedroom mantle they were perfect! While they are horn, they give off this 'driftwood' feel with their color and curly nature. Up until that moment the bedroom I had planned was going in a totally different design direction, but this was perfect! This was the inspiration that I needed. Then I found this wonderful pillow (made from an old rug) that I used to have in my guest room, and I realized that these were the colors I want in the room: creams, golds, browns, greys, and a hint of turquoise! So this will be my inspiration for the
master bedroom- organic, earthy, soothing tones.

this is a large specimen of tree fungus! see, isn't it beautiful, and now don't you want one too?!!
it measures 22 inches. when Dan was growing up in Oregon they used to call them conks. this variety of fungus is hard like wood. we purchased this piece, but I do have several smaller specimens that we have found.

the inspiration pillow made from an old rug (it's surprisingly soft.) there's a hint of turquoise in it that I will use for a pop of color.

here's another pillow, made from an antique tapestry I found last summer in a local antique shop- I'll also use it in the master bedroom.

if we had known then...

Just weeks before we closed on this house I read an article in a shelter magazine where a couple had painstakingly restored an antique home. They made the comment that if they had known then what they know now, they probably wouldn't have done it. But.... they were so glad that the didn't know, and that they did do it because they loved living in their house! I didn't want to admit it at the time, but I secretly knew I would later hear myself repeating those same words, "if we had only known then....,but I'm so glad we didn't"

The six and a half months of the remodel are a blur at this point. I sometimes can't bear to look at certain photos because of the difficult memories they bring back. That said though, there were also these magic moments in the whole process where you could literally feel the house angels breath on the back of your neck whispering... Yes, you are supposed to be fixing this old house. These magic moments came when you least expected them, in the middle of pulling your hair out over some problem you would find the perfect 'this or that' for some part of the house. It was as if the house angels were whispering that we were on the right track, and encouraging us to keep up the fight. Here are a few of our magic moment finds for the house!



We found this gorgeous antique light fixture on a trip to Maine. We actually went that day with the intent of looking for a front porch light. I walked into Old House Parts in Kennebunk and right there to the right of the front door sat this iron fixture. I saw it, grabbed it, and didn't put it down until we went to pay for it. It was just too perfect! We love iron fixtures, we loved the design and it has this gorgeous mica shade- our grounds are covered with little flakes of mica! The back plate was a new replacement, and it couldn't carry the weight of the piece, so on our very next trip to Maine (we go every three weeks, or so) we stopped into Portland Salvage and found the perfect iron back plate that looks like it was literally made for this fixture.
(disclaimer: the exterior has yet to be painted...)

We found this transom in Vermont just days after making the decision to add one to the doorway between the kitchen and the barn room. I hadn't written down the measurement, but vaguely remembered it was a five foot span. We purchased this piece based on our gut, as it was exactly five feet! The transom fit the opening so exactly there was barely 1/8" to spare.



When we bought the house the walls on each side of the living room fireplace had been removed, this opened up the living room into the small room behind it that we have dubbed the Reading Room. The fireplace just floated between the rooms. It was wrong on so many levels, so needless to say, we built the walls back which enclosed both rooms as they were meant to be, and it left a little nook in the Reading Room where we planned to put some shelves for books, and the computer wi-fi and printer on the bottom. It's a small and odd size nook, so we had our doubts about finding a door to cover it. While antiquing in Concord, Massachusetts (a most charming and historic little town) we found this wonderful antique door with old glass on the top (where the books would go) and a panel on the bottom (where we could hide the computer components)- perfect! And then to top it off look how perfectly it fit the space.... meant to be.


And finally, there is this purchase I made over two years ago when we still lived in Dallas. We were trying to sell our house so we could buy this one. I bought it on a wishful whim that it would one day sit on this very island in this very house! Last night I cut some white peonies that I found on the property (my favorite!) and filled the vase for the very first time. I stood back and cried. It looked exactly as I had envisioned it would over two years ago.





thank you house angels!

this is Mary

(disclaimer: I know this is a silly post, but hey I'm unpacking!)

I just found a box that holds my childhood dolls (it resides in a closet.) Mary is my Madame Alexander doll that Santa brought me one Christmas morning when I was about six. I had wanted her for a very long time, and when I received her that Christmas I fell in love! I would cry if anyone referred to Mary as a "doll." She was a baby. I don't think Madame Alexander sanctioned the washing of their dolls hair, but babies must have their baths, and so Mary has a rather frizzed do!

The dress she now dons, and has for years, was actually my dress when I was a baby- my mother made it. Mary is also wearing diapers (helllooooo, she's a baby after all!) and the diaper pin on the diapers was also mine! I still think she is the most beautiful baby doll!

So... what was your favorite doll baby's name? Do you still have her?


Here I am in said dress with my two much-older sisters!!! ;)!

And, since this is a house blog, please note the fabulous antique Chinese ginger jar in the left of the photo! It is one of a pair that my mean, mean mother ;) gave to my oldest sister.

I covet those ginger jars!

Mantel love...

In our last house we had one fireplace, but no mantle... now I have not one, but four mantels, and most likely a fifth one when we do the barn room fireplace! Yes, our fireplace cup runneth over! This is our living room fireplace. While I wouldn't usually put so much on a mantle, this all just seemed to work for summer. The beautiful coral fan we found just last weekend on a trip to Maine.

I mentioned the blue and white double happiness jar and the hotel silver piece on an earlier post. The antique Chinese green lidded jar on the right is one of a pair. I bought them from our favorite importer friends Don & Val in Seattle years ago. I convinced Dan (even though he knew better) that they would fit under the airplane seat. They did not! This was back before 9/ll and luckily a nice flight attendant stashed them in a closet for us for the trip home!

The antique french mirror was purchased in Fredericksburg, Texas many years ago. Someone once told us that they didn't think we owned a single mirror that you could actually "see" in!

I love to garden, so the antique herbariums are very dear to me. I purchased these (here) at the Scott show in Atlanta. They were done by Anna E. Andrews in Scotland, South Dakota. The majority were done in 1898, but several are dated 1888. When I purchased these I was given a photo of Anna which was really exciting, since unless your antiques come from relatives, you never really know who owned, or in this case, made, the piece. I had it copied and there is one on the back of each herbairum. As I am only the caretaker of these antiques I want the next person who owns them to also know what Anna looked like.

On them Anna states where she found each specimen- "by the railroad," "by the creek," "in the graveyard"... I especially love the fern which reads "Picked in Marion, Co, Ill. during the summer of 1888 by Mrs. E.A. Scott."

I had them framed using antique wavy glass. I now have a house full of old glass, but in Dallas it was a bit tricky to find!

The antique urn in the third photo is filled with forestwood we would bring home from our trips to Colorado and Wyoming. Yes, each piece was carefully wrapped in tissue by our wonderful movers! I'm sure they thought I was crazy to be moving wood!
The antique chair in the same photo was also a Scott show find. It is covered in antique Flemish tapestry.

see anything wrong??

No, not that the top drawer is missing. No, not the squiggly line on the beadboard (I'll address that at the end of this post), though that is wrong too! Look closely... see it??? The faucet spouts are two different sizes...go figure. There was an inch difference between the two. Ah, the fun little surprises of a remodel!!

These little lovelies in the master bath are Rohl's Country Bath Collection Hex Spout Widespread faucets. I purchased them along with my Shaw sink and my Perrin & Rowe kitchen faucet on ebay. They are all "firsts" and I saved a lot of money by buying on ebay. I just happened to purchase everything (because they aways had the best price) from a company called Buy Aggressive. I have nothing but rave reviews for Leo and Peter of this company.

When I first received my pair of faucets one of the spouts had a deep scratch defect in it. Leo assured me he would "take care of everything," which he did. He sent me a pre-paid shipping label to return the damaged faucet, and then sent me out a replacement. New faucet arrived and was perfect, so plumbers installed them both. Several days later I realized something was off! I finally figured out that the faucets were two different sizes (the cross handles are the same size, so go figure.)

I had already left positive feedback on ebay for the purchase, so in theory Leo/Peter could have said "Sorry" and left it at that, but they didn't. They again told me they would "take care of everything" and sent me, not one, but two new faucets so I could be assured of getting them both the right size this time. They sent me two (un-paid for) faucets trusting that once my plumber changed them out I would send back the two mis-sized faucets; again, with pre-paid return labels. In my book that's great customer service! So, if you're in need of any faucets or sinks, check them out on ebay!

I know a lot of people are leery of buying on ebay, much less large ticket items, but I have always (knock on wood) had really good experiences. I was only stiffed once for a $3.99 DVD!

p.s. please don't ask about the squiggly line of silicone caulking on the beadboard from where (with only minutes before it set-up for eternity) Dan was able to pry off the marble backsplash after our knuckle-head plumbers were told by our bigger knuckle-head CG to install it (evidently with a whole tube of caulking.) The top edge that butted up to the beadboard hadn't been finished out and it had a very jagged edge and we were going to take it back to the stone fabricators; the plumbers, of course, thought it looked perfectly fine. If you've ever tried to remove silicone caulking then you know it is virtually impossible... it took Dan about two weeks to finally get most of the squiggly line off! Marble installers were back to the house this past week and it is now finished, installed properly with only a few "dots" of silicone and is beautiful! Photos to follow!

unpacking a bunch of grapes

Bunches and bunches of vintage alabaster grapes!

I would buy the creams, golds and whites in varying sizes. If you've ever priced these at antique shops you know how ridiculously expensive they can be (luckily we always found good deals.) I told our Dallas movers that their value would lessen if any of the stems were broken.... they were each wrapped like little gifts, and nary a break! This antique oval urn was an Atlanta (Scott show) find! We have a collection of antique urns... iron and marble.

This upstairs window is directly over the front door. To the left of the table is one of the two doors going into the master bedroom, to the right is the south guest room door, and across is the door leading to the attic. Out the window you get a glimpse of our neighbor's 1760's estate. Our property is thought to have once been part of the estate, maybe the overseers property, as our house faces the estate as opposed to the road. Not a bad view, no?!