House – Page 3 – This Old House 2

Are you a Serial Decorator?

I come from a line of women who take decorating for the seasons very seriously. My grandmother Elsie got so into it, at christmas time there were little red bows on the family photos, let alone the tree and trimmings, etc. I don’t go bow crazy, but I have inherited the decorating gene.

Over the years I have visited homes where there is no evidence of the season or the impending holiday, and I always find that sad. Not that there is anything wrong with not decorating… heck, it’s work, it’s clutter, it’s a dust collector. But there’s something about the “stuff” that warms the heart and hearth. During one very stressful year a while back, I let the decorating take a back seat to more pressing needs. Immediately my family started in. “When are you going to decorate? How come nothings out? “….. “Where’s the stuff?”

I whipped the stuff out for fall today. Halloween stuff comes out October 1st. Am I nutz to start this early? Lakeside Feed in Guilford doesn’t think so. I went there to inspect some hay today and was delighted to see all their pumpkins. For those of you who are local, this is a wonderful family business to buy your hay, grain and pet supplies from. They’re located in beautiful North Guilford, farm country.

My new runner,which I adore. Some of you might have ironed it before putting it on the table. That’s where I draw the line. Or leave them in the cloth. 🙂

In the mancave I can’t get all feminine, so just a little happens there.

Outside on the front step, I’ve planted chocolate leaf coral bells and vine that will withstand some colder temps, and stuck fake paper lanterns in just because. I’m not particularly fond of fake flowers, but sometimes they do the trick where you need one.

Have you gotten your stuff out yet?

B is for bargains, barns and blueberries

The barstools we originally bought for the kitchen island at This Old House were nice looking, but not comfortable. The Man of the house wanted something more substantial. Sooo…I went to my favorite vintage bargain shop last week (Gather in Ivoryton) and found two treasures for a real deal. The first was this set of kitchen island chairs… $80. a piece!…and one was $60 because the seat had a scratch! …… as opposed to $265. for others I had seen online almost everywhere else.

PS – the kitchen is a mess because I just finished putting together a Shephards Pie for dinner… in 90 degree summer heat. What was I thinking? I wasn’t.

Then….I spied out of the corner of my eye…this awesome chicken pillow, complete with chicken feather border! Edge? You know what I mean.

I think these are guinea hen feathers, to be honest.

The barn is near completion.. horses moving home in a week or two…

Rubber matted stalls, dividers and doors not yet in…

Mini tack room and grain bin (thanks Jeff!)

You know, when we planned to move here… the GOAL was….

to SIMPLIFY. To NOT create so much work on this new old farm.

Somewhere along the way…

we forgot.

I have to go out there tonight when the sun is more forgiving and pick peas…

care to join me? My Acid Reflux is acting up, I’ll warn you right now, I’m a bear.

But look at these blueberries….

They’re worth the

~~cursing for hours at each other trying to put up netting and throwing your back out~~

effort.

The girls are not impressed.

Typical teenagers.

Fifi O’Neill at This Old House!

If you haven’t seen Fifi O’Neill’s fabulous style in either her books or her Florida home featured in Coastal Living Magazine, here’s just a taste….

Coastal Living Germany issue – Fifi’s home featured

Found on Amazon –
Fifi O’Neill grew up in Paris, France. She lived in Manitoba, Canada, for 15 years where she first fell in love with the region’s vast and beautiful prairies. A move to the United States took her to the great plains where the song of the meadow lark echoes through pristine landscapes, little prairie dogs peek through lush tall grass, and where comfort, simplicity, and harmony with the earth became the foundation for her own style, Prairie Style.
As editor, writer and photo stylist, Fifi O’Neill has produced numerous features on home decorating, food, and gardening for American and European magazines such as Coastal Living, Country Living (USA), Casa Romantica and Casa Antichi (Italy)–and many more. Though her work has taken her from coast to coast and Europe, her heart belongs to the prairie with its enduring aura of romance and nostalgia, its enduring connection between people and places, and its gentle yet resilient spirit.

I have had the honor of spending today with Fifi and professional Photographer Mark Lohman while they photographed This Old House for future publication. Looking beyond their obvious talents, these are two very warm and charming people. To spend a day in their presence was truly inspirational and so much fun.
Thank you, Fifi & Mark ~
and Thank you Kat of Low Tide High Style for making the connection 🙂

How cool is that?

Have you Googled your piece of Earth lately?

I did… and I gotta tell ya ….it disturbs me just a little that anyone can type your address in and virtually drive down your road and park in front of your house. I was even able to pull in my driveway a little. Yeah.. disturbing.

However, Google Earth has not yet updated our “street face”. This is a really cool shot of the house in 2008, before we owned it and took over the renovation. You can see that the house was 40 feet closer to the road originally -notice the power lines at the road. There was alot of overgrowth surrounding the house. The previous owner took down some beautiful trees before we were able to acquire it, broke my heart to see it happen…and If I had my druthers, we would have kept some of that overgrowth, including a big tree that was right next to the house. Because of the extensive work we had to do, alot of that had to be removed. I will probably spend the rest of our years here replenishing the “green”.

This is the face I fell in love with long ago….

The arial view is an updated version.
We’re not really all that far out in the sticks…

Some new old finds and Mrs. N. throws a wrench in it

I did some more junk hunting yesterday – Ever since we started restoring the old mantles in This Old House, we’ve talked about that antique clock we’re gonna have there some day. Mike even went so far as to have a plug installed at the top center of the mantle so we could plug something in if we needed to. I found a glorious thing when having my watch repaired… a 1930 Sessions mantle clock that has been fitted with a quartz setting, so.. no winding every seven days. Everything on the outside of the clock is original.. face, hands, beautiful woodwork. Just the guts have been updated.

I also found this for $28… An oil painting with initials and the year 1895 in the left hand corner.

I just love this horses soft expression.

The picture to the left is an old horse shoe we found on this property

The middle photo is of Clove Lake Stables on Staten Island

where I learned how to ride.

The picture was taken when it was about to be torn down for development.

I found this horse last week at a local basketweavers shop on Route 1 – an old shack/corncrib with

two lovely elderly ladies who’ve done most of the weaving. The horse was tucked away under a display table and covered in dust and what looked like garden dirt.

I believe he’s made of marble or alabaster – weighing about 25 lbs.

Tonight our wonderful neighbor up on the hill, Mrs. N – stopped by to tell us about her Florida trip. She never comes empty-handed…this time her offerings were downright sinful.

Now I’ve been attempting to lose this 15 lb. spare tire I have acquired because T-shirt season is just around the corner and there will be no hiding underneath those layers.

The last 24 hours have been uneventful.

Until.

Enter Mrs. N with heavenly homemade sweetrolls and chocolate pudding with the works.

I have already inhaled two sweetrolls and that pudding is calling me

even though I tucked it behind the milk and OJ and shut off the kitchen light.

Oldest Stone House in New England

I had errands to run in Guilford today – the town we were married in and had our first house and child. I love the historic green, the wonderful old homes and the great shops in this shoreline town and sometimes I wish we had stayed. Plus, it’s right along the water, who could ask for more?

I took pictures of the oldest stone house in New England – built in 1639 under the direction of Henry Whitfield, a practicing reverend from England who also served as one of the founders of the town. Background history for the house possibly suggests it was built with the help of local Native American inhabitants who assisted in the transport of fieldstone from a local quarry. Archaeological excavations on the grounds revealed many artifacts as well as the remains of a temporary or seasonal structure occupied by Native Americans, or possibly the Whitfield family until the stone structure was built.

This is the Henry Whitfield house and museum, just down the road from the town green.

These two interior shots I found on the web – the house is closed for winter but can be toured in spring….

Below is a stark contrast in housing just two blocks over from the Henry Whitfield House..

A condo complex! We’ve always called it the spaceship…how cool is that!

Or weird.

Well.. both.

The Red Shack on the Guilford Harbor – I don’t know the history, but always wondered what it was supposed to be used for, other than catching high tide at a bad angle. Probably why it’s abandoned.

The first Good News story has been published on Roba Dolce’s new blog…

check it out if you have a minute, and tell them your story if you have someone you’de like to nominate!

http://robadolce.blogspot.com/

The Thomas Lee House

While we were out reveling in the glorious 60 degree weather today, we passed an old home heralding the year 1660 – that’s 351 years and the house is in remarkable shape. Right next to it is a little red school house dated in the 1700’s. I took some pictures and then came home and did a little online research –

The Thomas Lee House, located in East Lyme, CT is one of the oldest wood frame houses in Connecticut, still in its primitive state. The original circa 1660 dwelling consisted of a timber frame erected on six 2-story wall posts, enclosing a ground floor with the Judgement Hall below and the Chamber above. Shortly after 1700 the house was doubled by adding the West Parlor and West Chamber. After two hundred years of Lee ownership, the house was sold to a neighboring farmer, who used the building for a chicken coop and to store hay, intending to tear the building down eventually. The East Lyme Historical Society, with help from the Connecticut Society of Colonial Wars, the Society of Colonial Dames, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, and several Lee family descendants, was able to purchase the property in 1914. Today, it continues to be owned and maintained by the East Lyme Historical Society.

The old and interior photos is provided from a TL site on the web…the house was closed today and I’m not sure that it’s open to the public.

The weather was downright balmy today, I am giddy with spring fever. And damn it, there’s nothing like spring weather and shedding of the winter layers to smack you with winter weight gain reality. Ah well…

These are photos of some of my kayaking stomping grounds at the mouth of the Connecticut River…

Osprey nest to the right… there are many along the river and its highways and byways…

Saybrook Light off in the distance…

Ice melts in winter lace form along the waters edge..

Pimp My Chicken Coop

Yesterday after visiting my horse at the barn… SHEDDING BLADE WEATHER, YeeeeeHAAA!!!…. I drove down to the shoreline for a little vintage junk hunting because I have a vision for this chicken coop we’re going to have come spring. I got nothing.

This is the area where the coop and yard will go – just in front of the garden shed. For those of you who are new to my blog, that window in the garden shed is from the original Chester house, which is in the background. It’s the family room, mancave and loft area dog leg of This Old House. So, TOH is actually a restoration of two old homes joined at the….hip? I loved that window but it’s R value is zilch, so Jeff’ (our restoration expert and good friend) made use of it in the shed.

Have you seen FancyFarmGirl’s chicken coop ? It’s my dream coop!! Heck, it’s my dream COTTAGE… But since our coop is already under way, I can’t change it now. HOWEVER…. I can certainly tweek it some… and that I will. I will not have a “front” room, as she does..hence the ability to really go to town with the vintage decor…

So this is the junk I’m hunting..

Vintage Egg baskets

Vintage Chicken signs

Cow art – I have always loved cow art….

Two old milk cans

And now a question for those of you who have kept chickens… What kind of base did you use in your coops – straw in the nesting boxes, and what on the floor? I have seen several recommendations and people rave about each, depending on what they use – Pine shavings or Sand? Or something else?

Now that we’ve been here a while….

Instead of all the unpacking, I can now pay more attention to the details inside the house. The dogs run from the mudroom through the kitchen many times a day, and the wear and tear on the wood floors is enough to send Mike into cardiac. So.. I’ve been looking for a runner that would protect that particular area, and until now I found the size only in magazines special order for about $400. Two days ago I found this runner for $70. in Ocean State Job Lot. I don’t know that I’m crazy about it, but it will protect the floors for now.