from our home to yours...

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who left your calling card! 
Dan and I have read and reread (multiple times) each and every comment and email!  It has been so fun to learn about you.  Thank you for sharing yourself with us. 
Thank you also for your very generous compliments-  I laughed, I cried, I blushed ;) - I loved every single one of them.  It has been an overwhelmingly amazing gift of blog-love and I am so very grateful.



Our most sincere thanks to each and every one of you...

Sharon in France, Susan in Fort Worth, Mary Beth in Pennsylvania, Laura in NY, Nancy in South Carolina, Pearls in Dallas, Becca, Agneta in Arizona, Sharon in England, Elizabeth in Ottawa, Razmataz in Ontario, Jane in Chicago, Andrea in Canada, Marianne in Ontario , Cindy in Massachusetts, LauraC in NY, Tracey in Australia, Amy in Washington, Liz outside of Chicago, Jessica in Washington, Kathy in Michigan, Kat in Maryland, Elizabeth in Ontario, Sarah in Indiana, Steve in Cambridge, Kim, Diane in Maryland, Kathleen in Oregon, Vicci in Oregon, Leonora in Virginia, Janet in California, Donna in Massachusetts, Ashely in Pennsylvania, Maria in Dallas, Christian in Virginia, Kristine in Kansas, Debra in Texas, Lynne in Washington, Wenda in Utah, Melissa in North Carolina, Tiffani in Texas, Lisa in Ottawa, Miss Flibbertigibbet, Heather in Ontario, Lisa, Kirsten in Georgia, Jenni in Australia, Beth in North Carolina, Vanessa in Florida, Karen in Wisconsin, Nicole in Florida, Audrey in Massachusetts, Dianne in North Carolina, Jessica in North Carolina, Mary in New Hampshire, Bonnie in Wisconsin, Karen in California, Lisa in Vermont, Barbara in Georgia, Jennifer in California, NB in Ontario, Gwennie in Wisconsin, Karen in Ohio, Anon in Florida, Kim in North Carolina, Samantha in Australia, Lillian in Australia and Hong Kong, Terri in North Carolina, Sondra in Colorado, Sandra in New Hampshire, Kat in Pennsylvania, Heather in Kansas, Maggie in Tennessee, Stacy in Alabama, Lizabeth in Michigan, Mary in Massachusetts, Virginia in California, Nora in San Antonio, Carolyn in North Carolina, Victoria in SW Florida, Karen in Australia, Chris in New Hampshire, Karen in Nebraska, Paula in Florida, Alison in Illinois, Lori in Oklahoma, Carolyn in Indiana, Megan, Mary in Ontario, Janell in North Carolina, Jen in Massachusetts & NY, Cathy in NJ, Joyce in Pennsylvania, Verlan in Oklahoma, Mary in Georgia, Lisa in Texas, Maryann in Pennsylvania, Rhonda in Florida, BethA in Texas, Gina in Virginia, Kathy in Georgia, Anon in North Carolina, Ellie in California, Brooke in Alabama, Carmen in Ohio, Jamie in Tennessee, Pinky in Pennsylvania, Ann Marie in Texas, Layne in Nova Scotia, Connie in Tennessee, Lindsay in Massachusetts, Kristen in Texas, Martina in New York, Maggie in California, Stacy in New York, Mystica in Sri Lanka, Diane in Tennessee, Chris in California, Shine in Tennessee, Angelo, Onescrappychick in New Hampshire, Cate in North Carolina, Linda in Florida, Kathryn in South Carolina, Lindsey in Portland, Diana in Maine and Texas, Dotti in New York, Jane in South Carolina, Kim in California, Roxanne, Anon in Japan, Parnassus in Taiwan, Michelle in California, Kimberly in Virginia, Barbara in California, Maura in Kansas, Zolane in Pennsylvania, Becky in Arizona, Tammy in Washington, Kathy in Australia, Dawna in Alberta, Millie in Australia, Carrie in California, B in Texas, Pat in Virginia, Brenda in California, Gail in Texas, Jane in Alabama, Adriana in Australia, Calliope in Greece, Elaine in Alabama, Lisa in South Africa, Penelope in California, Sharon in England, SusanT in England, Jenifer in Germany, Tina in New York, Jennifer, Lori in Texas, Jen in Indiana, Alaina in New York, Patricia in New York, Kirsten in Pennsylvania, Jacqueline in Pennsylvania, laney in Georgia, Erin, Donna in Georgia, Linda in Tennessee, Jeanette in Michigan, Angel's Mom in Texas, John and Sally in Massachusetts, Vicki in Iowa, Michelle in Oklahoma, Amanda in Georgia, Angela in Virginia, Jill in Georgia, Rosie in Illinois, Marie in New York, Betty in Mississippi, Sarah in Indiana, Kara in Iowa, Terri in Missouri, Lauren in Georgia, Betha in Alabama, Amy in Kansas, Jen in Canada, Kate in New Jersey, Marcie in Georgia, Kristincita in New Hampshire, Kinley in Connecticut, Corinne in Louisiana, Zoe in UK, Book in Iowa, Jennifer in Pennsylvania, Irene in Scotland, Carmella in Wyoming, Kristi in Utah, Tami in South Dakota, Cassandra in California, MarySue in Arizona, Spring in Washington, Judy in Alabama, Marla in Ohio, Gerry in Missouri, A-M in Australia, Mia in Washington, Tima in Tennessee, Kathy in Massachusetts, Jennifer in Georgia, Julie in Kansas, Jenny in New Hampshire, Bev in Canada, Candice in Argentina, Janice in Illinois, Jo in Georgia, LL in Kansas, Mary in Connecticut, Dawn in Eden;), Carol in Kentucky, Lee in Maine, Rebecca in California, Pamela in News Brunswick, Karla in Tennessee, Cathy who had lived in Alaska, Sara in Ohio, Nicolle in New York, Mary in Maine, Delivered in Kentucky, Mary in Massachusetts, Leslie in Illinois, Theresa in Nebraska, Victoria in South Carolina, Tara in Ukraine, Pondside in Canada, Leah in Australia, Vicki in France, Susan in Pennsylvania, Prahlad in Australia, Vicki who asked after my pillow, Maria in New Hampshire, Anon in Switzerland, Cheryl in California, Rebecca in Montana, Charlotte in Georgia and North Carolina, Kate in Maine, Michele in Pennsylvania, Jacqueline in Japan, John and Mandy in UK, Kim in New Jersey, Linda in Texas, Katherine in England, Wendy in Florida, Melanie in Illinois, Paddy in Australia, Elizabeth in Virginia, Maria in Spain, Anon who's son is gutting grandparent's farmhouse:), Amy in Tennessee, Liz in Indiana, Peggy in Michigan, Vicki in Australia, Robin in Kansas, Trina in Oregon, Wendy in Australia, Kathy in Ohio, Sandy in Virginia, Mary Lauren in West Virginia, Susan in Florida and Pennsylvania, Ruth in Massachusetts, Pam in Colorado, Pam in Texas, Shilpa in Connecticut, Katherine in Canada, Andrea in Michigan, Ginny in Colorado, Claudia in Indiana, Xenia in New York, Angélique in Holland, Patricia in Texas, Alie in Australia, Anon in Oklahoma, Shawne, Jeff in North Carolina, Mary Carol in Kansas, Rebecca in Virginia, Jo in Australia, Janette in Kentucky, Kate in India, Donna in South Carolina, Lumen Drops in Virginia, Bethany in Virginia, Susan in New Hampshire, Annie in California, Nina in Virginia, Jennifer in Massachusetts, Lauren in France, Erin in Illinois, Kathy in Arizona, Julie in Virginia, Angela in Nebraska, Di in Australia, Jeanette in Sweden, Piritta in Finland, Nadia, Theresa in Maryland, Eleanor in New Jersey, Gretel , Sheila in Michigan, Patti in New York, Sally in Washington D.C., Joelle in France, Janel in Kansas, Anon in South Carolina, Donna in Massachusetts, dmw in South Carolina, Angela in Mississippi, Marcie in Utah, Kathleen in Virginia, Amber in Kansas, Nancy in Virginia, Jaybird in Texas, Haden in Tennessee, Alana in Canada, Meagan in Vancouver, B.C., Susan in Colorado,  Rita in Texas, Anon in Texas (no, it isn't Coquille;), Jones in Texas, Regina, Mary in Massachusetts, Elizabeth in New York, Julie, Shanna in Florida, Donna in Virginia. Laura in Alabama, Kathysue, Michelle in Washington, VintageBeachGirl in Alabama,  Kim in Houston, Pamela and George in Greece, TDM in Australia, Karen in Rhode Island, Karen in California, Debe in Texas, Elizabeth in Florida, Roberta, Carol in Texas, Julie in Alabama, Delores in California,Gwen in Tennessee, Vinitha F in Sweden, Anon in Washington, Teresa in Washington, Beth in California, Tammie in Tennessee, Lisa Perry in Texas, Brooke in California, Marisa in Portugal, Dee Dee in Ohio, Randy in Georgia, Gwyn, Debra in Kansas, JamieK, Donna in Florida, Lisa in Oregon, Barbara in Massachusetts, Heather in Oregon and Heidi.




from our home to yours...
we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

dan, joan
and
ella
(wearing her red velvet Christmas collar!)
 

please leave your calling card...

I think Christmas is the perfect time to tell you thank you.

I want you to know how very grateful I am that you visit us, and that you are interested in the happenings at the farmhouse.

Your presence here is a gift, and for that...

 I thank you.

It is that time of year again when I bring out the antique brass "Christmas" tray and place it on the living room coffee table.  The tray would have been originally silver-plate, but when we found it many years ago only hints of silver remained.

It is engraved:

MA

from
Mary and Nannie
Christmas
1881 

As I wrote last year...

  Over the years I have spent hours wondering who was MA?, who were Mary and Nannie?, what was their Christmas like the year this beautiful tray was given as a gift?, where did they live?, and on and on... . 

Just as I wonder about these three people whose names are engraved on an antique tray that has a presence in my home, I also wonder about you, who also have a presence here.

Some of you I know, as you leave me dear comments or send me emails.... but others of you remain a mystery. On my site meter I get visits from places that are near and dear to us, and places that are far away and magical. Dan and I always talk about and wonder who all of you are!

Last year I mentioned a regular visitor from a tiny town in Oregon.  It is the small town where Dan's father (who died when Dan was two) is buried.  I wrote that we would love to know who that person was. 

Several days after Christmas, I received an email from this woman.  I cried as I read it to Dan.  She lives within walking distance of the cemetery where Dan's father is buried.  Her son learned to ride his bike there; she and her husband often take walks there.  To know that someone across the country just happened to find my blog, and now visits our home, and to know that that person lives so close to Dan's father's resting place, and that this all happened because we share a love of houses is a sweet and dear connection that makes the world seem that much smaller. 

You just never know the connections that we all have to one another... . 

 

Last year one of the things that surprised me the most when I did this calling card post was that so many of you commented that you were surprised that I wanted to know about you!  I was shocked!  Of course I want to know about you!!  You are our guest and I want to know all about you... who you are, where you are, what makes you return to visit!  Anything and everything you wish to share.  You might share something that resonates with another reader, and thus another connection is made. 

As was the custom in the period of this Victorian tray, people would leave their printed "calling cards" in trays at the homes they visited.
(click here to see images of Victorian calling cards)

On the tray is a collection of antique tortoiseshell and sterling calling card holders.

Dan and I are hoping that in the spirit of the holidays that you, too, will drop your "calling card" in the tray and let us know that you stopped by to visit!  We would love to hear from each and every one of you- those who regularly visit and leave comments, and those of you who usually come and go quietly!!

We are honored to have you all here, and we thank you for stopping by today!

Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays!

dan, joan and ella

the birthday bookcase

When I originally posted the master bath I had said I would do a whole post on the bookcase that Dan made.  I failed to do that, and a recent request (thank you Amy) brought that to my attention!






 Dan and I married on my birthday twenty three years ago. 

Not long after we married Dan started the tradition that he would "make" my birthday gift.  It began with Dan surprising me with a simple wood stand for an oriental Peking-blue porcelain duck. 
The gifts evolved into bigger projects like making a zinc-topped potting table,

making a wood garden gate,

 



making a beadboard vent-a-hood cover for my kitchen in Dallas from vintage beadboard we picked up off a someones bulk trash pile that was going to the dump,

taking out the small entry closet to make a larger entry,

and making a wooden driveway gate! 
(funny story.... just out of view at the front of these photos was our large air conditioning unit.  It was older, so I painted the ugly metal part the house trim color to make it blend in and go-away visually.  One day Dan was walking a contractor of some sort down the driveway and the person said "I've never seen a painted air conditioning unit,"  to which Dan replied..."And, you've never met my wife!" :):)

 


One year I designed this bookcase for our kitchen in Dallas.

The project was started, but took a little longer than planned, so it wasn't finished by my birthday... this is what I found the morning of my birthday!





Note the garage of an antiques dealer- three chandeliers hanging in wait!

I wanted the look of an antique piece that had been originally stained, but had been painted-over many times throughout the years.

I have painted the exterior of the piece Benjamin Moore's White Dove since we moved into the farmhouse, but the interior finish is the original French blue that I painted and waxed 9 years ago.  It turned out that the interior was almost the same color as the Benjamin Moore Horizon (OC-53) on the walls!
 The shelves are adjustable and their design was copied from antique furniture pieces we had seen in France. 

Antique glazed terracotta architectural fragment sits on top of the piece.

Collection of vintage alabaster compotes.  I love the birds!
I left the ceiling of the bookcase the dark stained wood, which is the base color of the whole piece.

Antique starburst mirror found at The Mews in Dallas.  Trio of antique mercury glass vases share the shelf with an "American Brilliant" crystal bowl which was a wedding gift given to Dan's grandparents in 1917.

Old hotel silver tray from the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas found at Round Top.  Dan found the decanter while we were antiquing one day- I envisioned it filled with bubble bath; Dan envisioned filled it with Glenmorangie.  The scotch won!  Antique French gilt wood fragment found at the Porte de Vanves flea market in Paris.  Dan found the coral on a beach in Aruba; the tiny shell fossil was found in a wonderful little shop in Creede, Colorado!

Large clam shell with Japanese fishing float and small piece of coral found in Florida.  The color of the interior is a little bright in this photo (the color in all the other photos is more accurate), but it gives you a good view of the cut out notches for the wood crossbars that run front to back that hold the shelf .  The photograph above with the starburst mirror shows the crossbars well.

Alabaster compote filled with collection of old silvered Christmas ornaments.  Antique mercury glass pieces share the shelf with an antique oil painting found at the Scott Antiques Market in Atlanta and an alabaster shell.

I found this large piece of blue coral at a consignment store in a nearby town.  I left it.  Then came back with a paint chip to make sure it would match the walls and the painted inside of the cabinet.   It matched perfectly!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my very creative and talented husband who makes all my designs and dreams come true.  Without Dan's creative vision and innovative designs my "ideas" would remain just that.... ideas. 

Thank you my talented Dan!