Last Night's Storm

Last night's storm more or less kicked our butts. It wasn't so much the amount of snow, but the heavy, icy, slippery, slushy quality of it that made plowing difficult. While plowing early in the evening, the truck became stuck at the bottom of the road and had to be pulled out by the neighbor's tractor. A few hours later on a second plowing run Josh became stuck again and this time left the car on the road and walked back up the hill. Today's goal is to either find chains for the tires or finagle some other way to finish the plowing.

Around 8 pm the power went out, so the rest of the evening was spent talking and reading by candlelight, which was admittedly nice even though internally I was worried about online orders for the shop and that need to be fulfilled today. Thankfully a surge of power and bright light in the bedroom woke me up around midnight. Showering and internet use is back on the docket for today, hooray!

While we struggle to plow and shovel today, at least someone is enjoying the snow...

New in the Shop

A few new goodies in the shop this week...

Silver & Gold

Industrial

 Preppy
And my favorite new listing...a vintage woven rug of course!

Melt Off

Our little town has been bundled in a cloud all day. Heavy snow earlier this week followed by warmer temps today created heavy fog. With everything so soft and dreamy, I couldn't help but snap a few shots.

Images above:
1. The house, barely visible from the bottom of the driveway
2. Fencing at the neighbor's house
3. Fog pooling at the base of a mountain
4. The garden and barn
5. The barn
6. Fern and Riley
7. My favorite tree
8. Deer tracks in the yard
9. Bare branches
10. View of the yard

Tomorrow morning we are off to Boston for Christmas with Josh's family. Hoping all of you have a safe and happy holiday! See you all back here later this week.

Evergreen + Twinkle

The folks in Woodstock really know how to do holiday decorating right. Most shops and homes in town have a simple wreath on the door and a few twinking white lights. The foot of snow on the ground sure doesn't hurt, either. Even a plain red door with no decorations looks festive against a blanket of pure white powder.

Make It Yours via Etsy

Last week while browsing Pinterest I came across this image from Modern Thrifter. Not only do I like this little vignette, but it struck me as completely attainable due to the fact that I have spotted similar or exact versions of every piece in this photo at thrift stores numerous times over the years. I even had that little gold Tensor lamp in my shop at one point.

I popped over to Etsy to see if I could find similar pieces, and had no trouble rounding up a set. Of course these prices are higher than what you'd pay thrifting for the items yourself, but if you're like most people and do not have hours of spare time to dig scour junk shops each week, these prices may do.

1. scale model bridge kit, $5
2. starburst clock, $72.75
3. orange shell chair, $50
4. mid century walnut desk, $775
5. mid century brass lamp, $65
6. vintage ceramic vase, $40

Perry Hill

Last week I hopped a plane to Virginia to spend five days with my friends Adrien and Jill at Jill's farm in rural Virginia. Jill and her boyfriend have spent the past year farming (Perry Hill Produce) a small plot of land on the 180 acre Perry Hill estate in Buckingham while living in a cottage on the grounds. We spent most of our time cooking, reminiscing, driving along back country roads, and eating good meals. I took a few photos with my camera before the battery died, then finished off the trip with iPhone photos.

The field.

 

A number of lost hunting dogs stopped by the cottage during my time there. It broke my heart. The poor things were skinny, injured and cold. Owners finally came to pick them up, but I'm pretty sure they are no better off with owners who don't seem to actually like dogs or want to take care of them.  Two dogs trailed us around the property the afternoon before their owners came, and I completely fell in love with one little girl who looked to be not even a year old. Despite being abused and hungry, these dogs were incredibly sweet and loving. I say we have a lot more to learn from them than the other way around.

 

 

At night Adrien and I crashed in a cozy loft in the cottage.

View from the loft. A wood burning stove kept us cozy at night.

The cottage.

Jill's cat, Major, is a seriously sweet kitty.

Us ladies.

I returned home Sunday evening to a clean house with meals cooked for the week. Josh did good while I was away! We spent today working in the barn, me packaging vintage orders for the shop and Josh building a peg board storage cabinet for his tools.

The weather is frigid (-8 tonight, ouch!), so a lot of time was spent stoking the stove, plowing and sanding the driveway, doubling up on socks, and sticking my hands in Fern's armpits to defrost my fingers :) She appears to be completely unfazed by the weather. I've never seen so much as one tiny shiver out of her as she sits stoically on the deck in subzero temps surveying the yard. As I snuggle with my girl, I can't help but wonder about those sweet hunting dogs and how they are doing. Perhaps  working with an animal rescue group that saves dogs from the south is something I should look into. Can't seem to get those abused pups out of my mind. Are any of you involved in animal rescue? I would be interested to hear your experiences.

Hello from Rural Virginia

I hopped a plane to Virginia this morning to visit my friends Jill and Adrien for a few days on Jill's farm in rural Virginia. We're staying in a tiny cottage next to a pond on 180 acres. I don't have phone service and have limited internet access, so my posts may be light for the next few days. Hopefully I will return with lots of nice pics of the land, cottage, and friends when I return. Have a great week, all!

Before & After: Covered Porch DIY Remodel

After a good 6 months of DIYing it, we've finally finished the covered porch remodel, or at least finished enough that the photos are worthy of sharing.  The covered porch space at our house started out as a concrete slab with rough plywood walls, open window holes covered with chicken wire, and a chain link door. The previous owner used the space as a dog kennel for two large dogs, and it showed. Here's what we started with:

BEFORE:

Let's just say it wasn't the best.

Our plan was to add windows, doors, and walls, tile the floor with natural stone, and finally install a ceiling and lighting fixtures. Here's a small glimpse at a what happened along the way...

DURING:

And now can I get a drum roll please?

The AFTERS:

And there you have it!

I don't think I can adequately convey here just how relieved we are to have this project finished. We may take a break from remodeling projects for a spell while we enjoy our finished spaces and non-construction zone house.

In the spring I would like to add a bistro-type table and chairs so that we can use it as a breakfast/coffee/newspaper reading spot in the mornings during warm weather. This porch is also adjacent to a guest bedroom, so when guests come they can use it as a private spot to hang out and relax. Who wants to come visit?!