Hi, there! Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been really swamped! Just finished year end inventory at the shop and at home. Kinda fun, but got me thinking..... Sometimes I worry about my obsessions. Combing flea markets for white vellum books. Driving hours to Pennsylvania for an early crop [...]
When I wrote about being the youngest of 12, I was so pleased to receive many comments and questions about my family. And, I was pleasantly surprised to learn some of you are also from large families. Christmas in a large household was always exciting. My older brothers would take [...]
Welcome to December! This is a special time of year for us, as it is for many of you. Tom and I will be searching for our tabletop Christmas tree this weekend. The tree will be placed at one end of our living room, and I’ll decorate it with antique [...]
I love what houseplants do for our home and shop. They can cheer up any room, and bring life to them. When it is dreary and cold outside, I especially appreciate the greenery inside. With nighttime temperatures hovering around freezing, all of our houseplants are now indoors. I’ll be picking [...]
The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the U.S. are expecting a hybrid superstorm that could bring torrential rain and extremely high winds early next week. I hope the storm passes quickly with minimal impact. On a positive note, our Sasanqua camellias are in full bloom. More on the camellias below. [...]
Recently a friend expressed interest in a piece of furniture at our house. I jokingly said: catch me during a slow month and it might just be yours :) Actually, that’s not entirely out of the question. I know many of you enjoy decorating, redecorating and / or are members [...]
With the garden season winding down, I thought it would be interesting to tour our white border garden throughout this unpredictable year. Spring began very early after a mild and short winter, causing much confusion for many plants. In late spring there were quite a few severe storms that wreaked [...]
We’re enjoying marvelous weather here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Sunny, comfortable days with low humidity and lovely cool evenings. Last weekend, a visit to the countryside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania seemed like a splendid idea.We decided to visit the small farms and local nurseries in search of seasonal [...]
Many friends, clients and I share a passion for antique weather vanes. These symbolic, charming, and sometimes folksy pieces have gone from assisting farmers, sailors and others with weather forecasting and wind patterns to becoming highly collectible art. Collectors look for rarity in form, craftsmanship, original condition and size---either big [...]
The first Swedish antique piece we purchased was a Mora clock. My partner, Tom, and I discovered one while on holiday in Sweden. We were in the elegant neighborhood of Östermalm, Stockholm, and noticed, in a shop window, a very shapely tall-case clock painted in the palest shade of dove-gray. [...]
