Sweet Finds!

We scored some really cool goodies this weekend on our latest Thrill of the Hunt pickin trip!

We have become excellent packers and even the dubious gentleman at our last stop were impressed by our ingenuity on how we got it all in. With every item they brought out was the comment, "Now where do you think you are going to put that?" If they did not speak it,  their eyes, sighs and shrugs said it all. We showed them! (even if we had to reposition things a few times) See those trunks? They are even filled with treasures!

Come to the barn sale and see if you can tell what we have done with some of these goodies. We have our work cut out for us but we are always up for a challenge!

Okay...so we couldn't fit in this guy. 

Maybe next time if he is still hanging out waiting to be our knight in shining armor.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Meg

If We Build It They Will Come

What do you do with a very large field that used to house horses in it?

Get out your tractor and cut a baseball field into the verdant green grass!

That is what my dad did this past summer. I think he secretly did it so he could lure his 12 grandsons to come over and play frequently...as long as they stayed outside.  Or being the baseball lover that he is, he might have truly wanted to re-enact Kevin Costner's baseball field of ghost greats! Whatever the case may be, it worked this past weekend when we were coming up with plans to celebrate our oldest sons' 22nd Birthday. When asked what he would like to do, his first reply without even thinking was, "To play baseball at Skip Pops." (That is what the kids call my dad. When we had Christopher, who was the first grandchild, he was younger than I...ouch! and did not feel that he was ready to be called grand pa...so he came up with Skip - his first name and Pop. Makes him sound much younger!) 

So that is what we did! We sure can field 2 baseball teams with family members and the day could not have been any more beautiful!

Christopher is always the pitcher... because he can get it across the plate.

Being that there were so many boys here...I did say 12 grand SONS (okay one was too little to play and his brother was just born a week ago so there were only 10 and 3 live in North Carolina so that left 7) they needed to get some more of their energy out by running around an almost painted empty pool. Tons of fun! Kelsey, our daughter who is spending a semester abroad in London at the present time, would have been standing at the edge shaking her head asking, "Why?" as they completed their 57th lap.  

One thing I observed, as I was walking around the place that I called home for so many years, was an understanding of where my love for patina originated. It is way too seldom that we gather at my mom and dad's, even though they are not that far away. Our busy schedules, and theirs as well, competes for our time. Upon being here during such a beautiful Fall afternoon, it all became totally transparent. Yes, I had grown away from it for awhile while in college. I wanted nothing to do with leaky faucets, a cold 3rd floor where I wore a hat to bed and at least a 20 minute drive to get milk. I went to school in Washington DC. Married, lived in townhouses as the kids were born and then a brand new house.

 Wham, it hit as the kids were getting older! That yearning for coming back to my roots, maybe? A soul fulfilling dream? My love for history never faded and every chance we got to take a trip away from home, it was almost always centered around a historic place or city. History has a way of repeating itself so they say, and I think in this case it is true. 

My quest for creating what my parents had created for us has come full circle, leaky pipes and all. Plaster that occasionally falls from the ceiling, as Shane let us know last night was happening in his sister's room. (That is a whole other story how they are jockeying for her room while she is away...) So much work to be done to maintain these one hundred and fifty year plus buildings, but it is all worth it. They are testaments to lives past and ways of living that have almost vanished and they are filled with a  palatable beauty...to some.

With a heart full of patina~

Meg

Loot Shoot for our Sale in October! Went picking and took the kids!

First of all - SAVE the DATE!! The fall barn sale has been scheduled for
OCTOBER 4th - 6th, 2013. 

So many great treasures, some of which I picked up on a fun road trip with my two of my boys.
 How did I choose the lucky ones that got to go with me? and why would I take them? Well let's just say that my 15 year old loves anything new and sleek and asks all the time if a) he can either carpet his hardwood floors or b) get a new room that does not have a drafty old fireplace in it. Since neither of those requests are going to come to fruition, I have probably scarred him for life against anything old, peeling and squeaky...you can catch my drift . He would not appreciate a day and half trip surrounded by old, peeling squeaky things so he was off the hook. You see, I needed some help loading this awesome pair of shutters that I had purchased on my last trip but had no room to take home. I would enlist the help of my oldest and bring the youngest along to test the waters. He is the creative type and you can either find him a) with his fingers glued together after working on some creative contraption or b) with his fingers glued together after... So the crew was assembled and off we drove into the sunset.

After waking up bright and early and enjoying the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, ( of which my husband says that if it was only served until 5am than I would be there even though I dislike early mornings, just because it is free ) we headed back onto the road and to our first stop. 

Lots of goodies to be found here! Let the trailer loading begin.

One thing I have learned after these many ventures out picking is how to pack the car, truck or trailer to hold the maximum capacity. It really is a science, one that I will be passing onto the boys on this trip. What they will do with it in the future I have no idea.

The bungee cords and blankets were enlisted, and right around 3 pm we were finished loading. We were all hot and tired and the boys

 were thrilled to be involved in the days activities. Can't you see it on their faces? Don't you worry! They will thank me later for this experience and their future wives will love me for it. At least that is what I like to tell myself.

So stop on by the weekend of October 4th-6th to check out our finds from this picking trip along with other forays. 

Happy trails to you!

Meg

The Final Shades of Summer

As school children across the US head back to school after the Labor Day weekend and we cross the bridge into a change of mentality, colder days, darker evenings and a more hurried pace, I thought I would give a last look back on Summer decor. 

The shades of summer are filled with blues, greens and tans that change with the skies and the light. I love to reflect the outside hues indoors and use the same tones to fill interior spaces. If the skies are bright the same colors light up and become much more vivid and bright.

I am sharing how we incorporated these outdoor colors in a beach house whose windows reflect these scenes. Why fight against these magnificent colors?

Colors magnified...

Cheers!

As we move towards a more Earthed toned palette and turn our heads towards the cooler days of Fall, may your memories of the Summer past fade into the present days and how to make them just as beautiful! The change, though difficult at times, is a welcome sign of moving forward. To be truly honest with you, I welcome the brisk days of Fall, the first smell of fires burning at the hearth and the turning inwards that Fall brings on.

Enjoy!

Meg

London...Here she comes!

Today was a day filled with excitement, fun and sadness all at the same time. Our only daughter was heading to London to complete the first semester of her Junior year in college. She is the glue that holds the boys together and my right arm and we will all miss her dearly. She is about to begin an adventure though that is an experience of a lifetime and I am beyond thrilled that she is able to do this. She was accepted at the school that she applied to in London where she will be enrolled in classes as well as participating in an internship with a PR Firm. She was a bundle of excitement, preparedness and nervousness all rolled into one, the last few weeks. To put her at ease and celebrate her departure we had a little English Brunch for her today. My lovely British friend lent me a British flag to set the tone.

One cannot have a proper English affair without tea

and scones with lemon curd and raspberry jam!

A Buffet table filled with traditional English fare 

as well as some other foods from countries she hopes to visit.

(You cannot have a brunch without quiche.)

We threw in a some little goodies wrapped in adorable Paris wrap from Cavallini Press

and a lot of LOVE and well wishes from family and it was a perfect send off! 

Sending prayers and wishes for safe travels across the pond Kelsey~

xoxo

Mom

Animals of Willowbrook Farm

This is one of my favorite shots of the cupola on our barn.

It is a barn that has housed over two centuries of animals, hay and machinery.

It no longer serves that purpose, but it is a beautiful reminder of the agriculture and the people that settled this area of our country. 

Willowbrook Farm's change from a working dairy farm came in the latter part of the 1900's when the land became more valuable then what farming it would bring in. Today, we have a large vegetable garden, many flower beds and a stable where we board horses. Thus, let me introduce you to the animals that you might see if you come to one of our Barn Sales at Willowbrook Farm this September, October, November or December.

Our longest standing pets came with us upon our move, Skittles and Snickers. Our two cats with grand personalities that are going on 16 years old now. One is an aloof female who scratches on each and every door between the hours of 3:30 and 5:30 every am to be let out. Her brother, the hunter, comes and goes when he pleases bringing us back his catch to show us with pride. Both are integral members of our family and are loved dearly!

photo taken by Brenda Carpenter of Cinnamon

Once here, we slowly acquired a menagerie of furry creatures...some pets and some pests...all of who add to life here at Willowbrook. Our first additions came when we acted on advice from the former owner of the farm. "To keep the grass cut on the island in the middle of the pond, which is accessed by a bridge, we have always kept goats on it." Thus, we got ourselves two baby goats...Cinnamon and Spice who proceeded to jump into the pond once on the island. Upon surfacing from their submersion, they looked like two Rastafarian braided baby goats. They have not jumped in since. Wether from embarrassment or the fact that they do not like water has not been established.

 Cinnamon and Spice have created much adventure on the farm over the six years that they have been here. The farmer we got them from did not alert us to the fact that two unfixed male goats with horns, are a force to be reckoned with. The origins of the terms "ram", "rammy" and any other variations became quite apparent to us, thus leading us to shield ourselves with metal garbage can lids when bringing them from the barn to the island in the winter and back again. Combined with the lack of warning from the farmer about their "rammy" personalities was the lack of warning from the past owners to be careful when a really bad storm or hurricane comes up the coast. This might lead to a bridge wash out on the island with a stranding of the goats on said island. This event led us to borrow a row boat from a neighbor in which to "row" the food over to the island. This little feat became quite difficult once winter hit, said bridge was not fixed, and the pond began to freeze over. "Okay", I said to my oldest son, "It is getting too cold and snowy for the goats to be over here anymore. We can walk them over on the hardened ice." HA! HA! Have you ever seen the movie Bambi? The scene when he hits the ice, spins around in circles, legs splayed apart and hits the snowbank??

 Onto Plan B, "Let's lay out sheets of plywood for them to walk on." Again, easier said than done.  Due to both the immersion in the pond when they were babies and the slip factor they just experienced, it took my son pulling with a leash and pulling their horns while I was pushing from behind with all my might to get them across. Go ahead...just picture it in your mind...the whole process took a good hour and a half.

Along with the goats came two bunnies, Sugar and Cocoa. Yes, there is a reoccurring theme here with the naming of the animals, food, especially sweets! We lost Cocoa after friends who were visiting inadvertently left the bunny cage open. We found Sugar due to the fact that she is...what color do you think? I will never forget running to one of the windows of the house to look out as our youngest was yelling, "It's the Easter bunny!" Unfortunately, Cocoa was what color do you think?

 Never found her. She has since been replaced by a Lion Maned bunny who resides in the aforementioned youngest son's room who to this day has not been named. 

The above mentioned pets did nothing to help our ever increasing flock of geese. In the Spring, when coming back from their winter vacation, they proceeded to wake us every am around 5, whilst partaking in their mating dances, calls, quakes etc. That combined with the sense that we were missing something.. the "Go TO" family pet...the dog, Willow, our fiercely energetic female Border Collie joined the forces and began to herd the heck out of those geese, as well as anything else that moved. I vividly remember saying to my husband,  "With the energy that flies around this house on a daily basis, why did we not get a calm little dog who would just lay on the couch and look at me?" Willow, we realized needed a buddy and when Willow was 3 we got Murphy, a puppy,  from a Border Collie Rescue Farm. They have become fast friends and fierce protectors of Willowbrook.

When I was 13 years old or so, the dream that almost every little girl has, of owning a pony came true for my sister and I. We learned that having a horse was hard work and the lessons of waking up at 6 am to muck stalls and carry buckets of water out to the barn where the pipes had frozen was not quite what we thought it would be. We loved it though and I have great memories that all stem from those experiences.

  When we moved here I thought that it would be incredible to create memories like those for my kids. The only difference is that now...a few years removed from "days of youth and little responsibility," getting up at 6 am to muck did not quite hold the same appeal when trying to get 5 kids on their assorted buses. Bribing the not so young... youngsters to grab a pitchfork and throw the offending muck in a wheelbarrow also did not quite hold the same appeal. They obviously did not share in my enthusiasm. That coupled with the fact that I rode exactly one time in a year led me to turn our little stable into a boarding experience. So, we rent out stalls and others get to ride and we get to admire the beauty of the horses!

Who could resist these two little faces?

photo by Brenda Carpenter of Mrs. Blick

As I said,  we have a furry menagarie of animals that reside here, some pets and some pests. On that note, I will introduce you to our 3 absolutely adorable kittens who arrived here quite by accident. Their mom was a stray who we really think was someone's beautiful Blue Egyptian, who must have stayed out past curfew and met the tomcat that hangs out in the front field.  Lo and behold, she needed to find a comfortable safe place to have her family. So she chose our upper barn, as we were getting ready for our Spring Barn Sale. I addressed this topic in a prior blog where I chronicled working around baby kittens, baby birds falling out of their nests and hungry mamma kittens. Let's just say it caused quite a bit of chaos! After taking care of the kittens once mamma up and left one day, we grew quite close to them and that is how we came to have 5 cats. Two of which have boys names even though they are girls. Seems like the first vet we took them was a little inaccurate in her assessment of them. Mr. Blick won't be too scarred for life if he really is a Mrs. will she?

All of our animals have distinct personalities, quite like our children.

Hmmm...which one does this cat resemble?

and this one??

We rounded out the flock of pets this past Spring with some chickens. Notice the lurker in the background? Our grand ideas of "free" ranging quickly turned into trying to prevent the chicks from becoming "free" birds flying to their resting place in the great chicken heaven in the sky. Thus we built Alcatraz #2 to keep all possible intruders out. (Alcatraz #1 surounds the veggie garden, which I am sad to say has had some break ins.)

photo by Brenda Carpenter of the chicks

It seems like almost every day my youngest, who is an animal lover, asks for another pet. I did not even go into his pet turtle and fish that have lived for six years now in his room. I mean, come on! How many of you have had a fish live for six years that your child wins from the school fair? Of course you say, "Yes honey, you can play that game," knowing full well that they will come home with a baggie ensconced fish and it will live all of 6 days...maybe! Six years??? Have any of you ever cleaned out a turtle tank? I am still trying to convince him that turtle would love to live in the pond with all of his other turtle friends. Every time I bring it up, I am met with the same wail, "But moooommmm, he will freeze when the pond freezes!" I will get another pet when you know what freezes over... or until I meet another pair of needy eyes that are not one of my own.

Thank you for bearing (I am definitely not getting one of those) with me and I truly hope that you can meet in person one of our furry friends in the future!

Until next time~

Meg