

Yesterday, store on the way home from working on my mother’s house, I thought about what I would write about in my blog today. Nothing much has been going on. Then I thought about inviting you to my home for a little visit. I love my home, and I love to decorate and garden. Bill and I have lived here for the past 25 years. I guess you could say, it’s our “homestead”. We never tire of it, or the work that is involved, to keep it looking beautiful. It was built in 1950 and has the look of an old Federal home. I am told that the tiles in front of the fireplace are well over 125 years old, and were shipped here from England. When we moved here, the grounds were pretty sparse, with the exception of a large pear tree and quite a few old hemlocks. Bill planted an enormous amount of trees and bushes, and a hedge across the front of the property. When we look back, we wonder how did he ever do it!
So, come on inside, and make yourself at home, while I make us some coffee.



I love Schooner redware and use my early 19th c. corner cupboard to display it. I love this old cupboard because of it’s simplicity and the “make do” , oh, darn, what would you call it, umm, you know when you stand a plate up against a shelf, and there is an indentation that holds the plate, well, instead of indentations, there are little twigs nailed on each shelf, to hold plates. I love that! I also collect pewter and love to display it on my mantel. Bill and I purchased this 18th c. desk from a dealer in Adamstown, Pa. several years ago. We fell in love with it and it is still one of my favorite pieces. As you can see, I love dark paint colors. They make me feel warm and cozy and makes me feel like I am in an old house. I like that.

When I was in my twenties, I loved old samplers, and I still do. I wanted to make some for my home. In those years, from 1975, until about 1985, I made about 25 of them, all antique reproductions. Now when I look at them, I can’t believe all those little stitches, and I didn’t wear glasses to do it!! My favorite is this one, originally made in Wilmington, De. in the late 1700′s. I think it’s the combination of emroidery and crewelwork that makes it so special to me.



If you have been reading my blog, you know that I paint murals influenced by the American painter Rufus Porter. I painted my dining room in an 18th style, in rich colonial colors. My table and chairs are made by cabinet maker Elfred Wheeler. The chairs are chippendale. The large cupboard is a Lancaster Country piece dated at around 1830. I love it!

I hope you enjoyed your visit today. Will you come again and we can take a walk around the yard, and if it’s really a nice day, we could walk over the Bellevue State Park. I’ll be happy to have you! Happy day!!



