New Year's Wishes from Life's Patina

“I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.”
― Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald

As I was searching for the quote to start off my New Year's greeting to you all, this one jumped out at me. No, it was not like the majority of them that espoused good luck, happiness, out with the old- in- with the new, clean slate wishes but it hit a chord with me and is what I chose to pass on to you for the new year. I love the first line, "I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life." This has become much more important to me the older I get. It is not worth the waste of time to sweat the small stuff, to bemoan circumstances in  life or relationships. Plow forward, move ahead and be enthusiastic about everything in life! Life is an Exclamation point! We coined this term in 2013, as Chris and I both realized that we used a heck of a lot of exclamation points upon communicating with each other and others. This spear headed our full day retreat on that point. We had intended to hold more events based around Exclaiming your Life, but we were so passionate about the other things that we were doing in the barn, that time ran out for us to carry it off.  As father time is ticking forward, one thing that we realize all too often is that  many of our best laid plans go to waste, due to a lack of time. It is certainly not slowing down for any of us! We will be bringing that concept of Life is an Exclamation point to the barn this year so stay tuned!

All that being said, not only did the being enthusiastic bit strike me, but the rest spoke to me concerning how we do things at Life's Patina. I was interested in this far flung concept of corralling all of the things that I  love and would have in my home or that I would make out of old materials and offer them for sale a few times a year. I embraced it with both arms and my soul, and went full speed ahead. We brought in artists who also were believing in something that they were doing and were moving "full speed ahead." We   have embraced what we do, we love what we do and we are passionate about what we do. 

We have grown over the four years that we began with an idea and have moved it forward. We have expanded with events that cater to ideas that we are passionate about. Each and every one of our sales is attached to a charitable organization that we donate a portion of our proceeds to. We have given close to $18,000 to various local organizations through our sales and raised friends for all of them. We have supported those local artists that I referred to above and will continue to do so in the coming year.

We spend way too many late nights to count in the barn, putting all of the finishing touches on our vignettes and design so that when you walk into Life's Patina, you not only are shopping, but you feel something. We like to create experiences at Life's Patina. We do that through combing antique markets on the East Coast, buying from vendors who embody the products we want to pass on to you and by creating an environment that you feel good in and want to come back to.  We offer design services that can help you do that in your own home and will be offering more of that in 2015 for I will be working with Jill Harris from Vintageologie, who has much the same design aesthetic as I.

When Chris told me that I had to start a blog and join Facebook, when we first started,  I was certainly not passionate about either of those two propositions. I really was not game in sharing where I was eating lunch or sharing any of the information that I THOUGHT is to be shared on Facebook. I was not a writer for that matter either. Yet, I begrudgingly embraced both and have become very passionate about what I write and share with all of you. That will continue this year, for I feel that by sharing our experiences we just might be able to help someone who is in the same place.

2015 is an exciting year for us, for we intend to bring to you more of what we love and are passionate about through our events. Stay tuned and keep posted for we have some exciting announcements to make in that department as well as some new services that we will be offering. You can trust in one thing at Life's Patina, and that is that whatever event we are hosting, whatever sale we are holding, whatever life experience we are writing about it, we believe whole heartedly in it and we are hugging it, loving it, embracing it and are passionate about it!

The most important thing that we are passionate about is YOU:

 our customers, our followers on Facebook, our Blog readers. You make it all happen and without you, our passion towards what we do would be worthless. We appreciate all that you put aside to come to one of our sales for we know that it is difficult in this world in which time moves too fast, to show up. We value your support and the support of some of the charities that we have hosted. We love talking to you and finding out a little bit about you when you come to Life's Patina. We appreciate our readers more than you know, for it is equally valuable as people showing up for a sale to get a comment on a blog post that you enjoyed reading it or that the words helped you in some way, shape or form, or reached you somehow or you just plain enjoyed it! We LOVE all of our supporters in whatever fashion and we have a special event planned, just for you in 2015 in which more information will be forthcoming. We love celebrating the beauty of life, past and present with ALL of you!

So, in closing on my wishes to you in the New Year, I hope that you are an enthusiast in your own life, wherever it is going. That you are interested in something that you can embrace with both arms; an idea, a concept, a person, people. Run with it, hug it, love it and be passionate about it. I agree with the writer in that lukewarm is no good! Life is an exclamation point! If you have any exclamation points in your life that you want to share with us; a  charity or organization that you are passionate about, an artist or craftsman that you love, a blog that embodies the same spirit that we do or an intern that might be able to help us in advancing or growing our passions, please give us a shout out. 

Again, thank you for supporting all that we are passionate about and looking forward to seeing you in 2015~

Chris and Meg

meg@lifespatina.com
www.lifespatina.com

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

As the Christmas season formally comes to a close as the first day of the New Year is about to be put to bed, I cannot help but to reflect back. I am always a little sad at this time of the year, for the magic glow that is December is fading and our thoughts turn to the start of a new year and a new chance at doing things the way we REALLY want to do them. This year is going to be different, we say, for I am going to... 

That is the subject of my first post of 2015 which will be coming soon, but before that, I would love to show you some of my favorite things about this past Holiday that has just flown by. They actually both embody some favorite lines that come from The Grinch, and go against what that famous story has to say. They make me giddy with thankfulness that I have the families that I do, that enable me to participate in the shenanigans that we all do, to get ready for, and participate in the season that really is the best of them all.

It all starts with my four siblings and their spouses and our Secret Santa lists right after Thanksgiving. The Santa's are picked and each of the kids pick a cousin to be Santa for as well. The wish lists result in lengthy hilarious emails back and forth concerning the items on these lists. Tripp...are you kidding me? a walking stick with a silver flask on one end and a sword on the other? Is that just in case you run into a hooligan in NC and you have options, either a drink...or a sword fight? 

This year Aunt Jennifer started things with a bang after "finding" two safety cones that were on one of her children's Secret Santa requests from cousin Finn.

Unfortunately, they were on her school's property and she thought she could borrow them and take them all the way to PA.

You can see where this got her...

(no actors were hurt in the filming of this segment) After viewing this carefully crafted piece, we all of course, felt that we had to one up Jenn...we never did, but it definitely set the tone for the gathering that would soon ensue on Christmas Eve and continue for a few days after.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

The music...

The Trans Siberian Orchestra performance at Christmas...

Baking with my daughter...

The Christmas trees...

and the fact that we all still gather around my parent's tree on Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve at my sisters this year with all four of my siblings present and their families and my parents...a blessing indeed!

Christmas Brunch...it certainly helps that we all like to cook!

Quiet moments on Christmas day...

Babies...

Cousins...whoa...that is a lot of boys!

more cousins...

and more cousins with Legos...

Creatively wrapped gifts by my uber creative sister in law Meg...

Sushi at our adult dinner out, where we tell stories of past Christmas shenanigans...

Mushrooms picked from the wood pile...yes that is correct and then whipped up into a most delicious appetizer by brother Tripp. (Don't worry, we have practically two naturalists/botanists in the family and they put the shrooms through all the testing before we all imbibed)

The decorations...

The good natured fun in the outdoors. Be it Football, soccer or row, row, row, your boat...

The second round of celebrations with my family in laws...the best ever...

Time spent with my grandmother and my children's great grandmother...and ALL of the people that are so much a part of who I am and what I have become...and what I still aspire to be. Loved ones are absent and sometimes it feels as if we are all acting on borrowed time. We have all aged and moved through the stages and challenges in life and have more to face, that is certain, yet this is a time when we gather together to celebrate each other. Quirks, idiosyncrasies, and "drive you crazy" attributes are put aside and seem to mellow in the glow of Christmas. 

It is by no means perfect, ( you did see little Cole playing with pumpkins when it is Christmas right?) except maybe in our own eyes. 

We all would love to crash on the floor like this precious little one once it is over...but it sure is a gift while going on that creates memories that can never be erased for all involved.

"It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!"

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
             Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

           "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.

              "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

My sincerest wishes for a Christmas and or Holiday season that was perfect...in your own eyes, for it does not matter what the eyes of others see.

~Meg

Setting the Christmas Table

One of my favorite things to do for the Holidays is to set the Christmas table!

Here I thought I would share some ideas with you on how to make beautiful the place where we gather to share the meal that is prepared with such thought, care and hard work. Why not go that extra mile to pull it all together?

This year is my sister's turn to host Christmas Eve so I will not be setting the Christmas table until a later celebration with my husband's family next week. Until then, here are some simple ideas that you can utilize when setting your tables over the next few celebrations for the holidays.

When setting a table for a festive occasion, the first thing that I do is to go through all of my dish ware and china. Than based on what I already own and the celebration, I pull together a color combination. I mix and match pieces especially if the guest count is large for I do not have too many place settings of any one dish. I have collected and picked up pieces over the years and many are in small numbers. That is okay and makes a table much more interesting I think.

Cream dinner plate with pale hued Christmas plates, greens tucked into napkin ring, a shiny ornament and a place card holder made out of a terra cotta garden pot enliven this little table vignette.

 Here a silver charger set beneath a blue and white china plate holds a small white putz house and the terra cotta pot at each setting.

Traditional reds and greens, although a paler shade of green, sit atop a white charger with silverware tucked into a beautifully folded linen napkin

Thanks Jill from Vintageologie for this tablescape!

Don't be afraid to use unusual chargers like pieces of wood! Here we have a brown, cream and green color scheme going on with a small pot of moss with silver ornaments tucked inside.

The colors do not have to be in the traditional fashion that you normally think of for Christmas. Add a few elements that bring the season into your tablescape. 

A paler blue hue, silver, gold and white take the cake in this setting.

Silver, grey and white are the focus here.

If you are having a sit down dinner, brunch of lunch, use a conversation starter at each place with a black and white photo of each guest placed inside a Ball jar. Add a little artificial snow and set at each place setting. 

Be creative in what you can use to make place cards out of. Vintage glass Christmas tree bulbs look cute tied with a piece of twine and a handwritten place tag.

A beautiful roll of velvet ribbon can be given out at each place for the guest to take home and use for their gift wrapping. Handwrite a tag and pin it to the ribbon with a beautiful sewing pin.

Jill came up with this simple yet elegant idea of punching two holes through the top of the place card and threading a piece of fresh rosemary through it.

Pinecones make simple place card holders and they are abundant in many back yards!

If you are having a buffet, you can put just as much thought into making the presentation comparable to the food about to be served! Greens, pretty stacked plates, lights, ornaments and sweets spread about make a festive presentation.

Just remember, be creative and take a risk. Blue and brown dishes that have nothing to do with Christmas can make a beautiful statement for a Holiday table. Run a piece of burlap upholstery ribbon underneath each plate. Tuck some greens in behind the plate and maybe even add an adorable sugar cookie that you made as a conversation starter and as an appetite spoiler...opps! not the intended purpose but sure to happen! Take it from experience!

Whatever you do, don't sweat it, have some fun in setting it up and be creative! Most of all enjoy the moment...for it is a blessing to have such special guests gathered around your Holiday table all at one time! 

~Blessings~

Meg

On the 1st Day of Christmas...

 On the 1st Day of Christmas my mother gave to me...a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my children gave to me... 

 two Booksie Phone Chargers (one green and one blue),

 and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my student gave to me...

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers 

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 4th day of Christmas my aunt gave to me...

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 5th day of Christmas my hubby gave to me...

five Golden Globes  (he says I really earned them),

four Cake Vintage papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers,

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon

On the 6th day of Christmas my daughter gave to me...

six French Pastry Ornaments,

five Golden Globes (he says I really earned them),

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 7th day of Christmas my hairdresser gave to me... (yeah right!)

seven Vintage Fashion Prints 

six French Pastry Ornaments,

five Golden Globes (he says I really earned them),

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

                                       On the 8th day of Christmas my grandmother gave to me...

eight China Tea Cups,

seven Vintage Fashion Prints,

six French Pastry Ornaments,

five Golden Globes (he says I really earned them),

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 9th day of Christmas my brother gave to me...

nine Fur Trimmed Stockings,

eight Chine Tea Cups,

seven Vintage Fashion Prints,

six French Pasty Ornaments,

five Golden Globes (he says I really earned them)

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 10th day of Christmas my wise acre friend gave to me...

ten Tongue in cheek napkins (and a luggage tag),

nine Fur Trimmed Stockings,

eight China Tea Cups,

seven Vintage Fashion Prints,

six French Pastry Ornaments,

five Golden Globes (he says I really earned them),

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 11th day of Christmas my true friend gave to me...

eleven Wine Bottle Corks (and a wine bottle candle and a wine bottle carrier...you can see where this is going)

ten Tongue in Cheek Napkins (and a luggage tage too),

nine Fur Trimmed Stockings,

eight China Tea Cups,

seven Vintage Fashion Prints,

six French Pastry Ornaments,

five Golden Globes (he says I really earned them),

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

On the 12th day of Christmas my coworker gave to me...

twelve Beth Bell Belts,

eleven Wine Bottle Corks, (and a wine bottle candle and a wine bottle carrier...you can see where this is going)

ten Tongue in Cheek Napkins (and a luggage tag too)

nine Fur Trimmed Stockings,

eight China Tea Cups,

seven Vintage Fashion Prints,

six French Pastry Ornaments,

five Golden Globes (he says I really earned them),

four Cake Vintage Papers,

three Letter Books,

two Booksie Phone Chargers 

and a brie baker with a wooden spoon.

Join  Waltzing Matilda, Twin Valley Coffee, Yellow Springs Farm and US in the barn tomorrow to pick out gifts for the ones you love!! There is something for everyone in the barn!

Doors are open from 10 am until 4 pm 

We heard a rumor that there will be no rain~ We were shocked and surprised by the number of guests that came out today in this weather that was only fit for a duck! Thank you and see the rest of you tomorrow!

~Meg