Christmas Sparkles at the Farmhouse

Silver snowflakes sparkle by day . . . 

. . . a silver wreath sparkles at night.

Fresh Paint for the Porch

A fresh coat of white paint on the front of the farmhouse feels like putting on a crisp white shirt.  Painting only one section at a time, but the front is much more pleasing to see as we come down the driveway.

Painted the door and window in a chocolate brown-black.

The settee and chair got a good scrubbing.  Placed a few of my farmhouse antiques around, an old apple ladder and washboards.

Bob put up my old rusty cow bell next to the door.

Hung my wooden possum from the rafters.  Every farmhouse should have a possum!

Splurged on a crepe myrtle named "Black Diamond" which will be planted in front of the farmhouse along with pink roses. 

No water yet, so will continue to do things outside weather permitting.  Hoping I can get Bob up on the roof to place the weathervane.
 

Adding to the Farmhouse Feel

Thanks to my mother, my milk glass collection keeps expanding.  We are now adding to the chickens, and a theme is starting to emerge.  

I've had the blue chicken for many years, throwing off my white collection, but I added her in the photo anyway.  

I've had the salt chickens for many years, also, and a friend encouraged me to buy the primitive chick feeder  not knowing I had the tiny salt chicks, and they sit nicely atop it. 

Another wonderful find by my mother for only $6, a beautiful milk glass punch bowl and cups.  I now have a nice collection of milk glass punch bowls, too, used at the holidays.

Since the water still has not been restored so I can start the cleanup and then painting, it has given me way more time than I needed to pick a paint color for the kitchen.  I came across this pinky-beige colored wall with milk glass on it in a Country Home magazine, now I want to emulate that and display my collection.  The more time you have, the harder it is to choose a color.

I think shelves in both corners of the kitchen on each side of the sink would look really nice with that type of display.  Now to find the shelves.  

When looking through my vintage linen stack for some things to put in my Etsy shop, TinyFarmhouseSurplus, I came across this tablecloth, which I had forgotten about.  I think I like it more today than I did the decade ago when I got it. 

Even though it probably is from the '50s, it has an American Colonial Revival theme with the Windsor chairs and the silhouettes, which I really like.

All around the border it has quaint script, which is very true to this day!

Maybe next week the water will be restored?  If not, maybe the weathervane will be placed on the roof?  If not, maybe I'll have the paint color chosen and start the walls?  It's anybody's guess!

Gifts for the Farmhouse

My neighbor stopped by one day when her partner was here to find the leak somewhere in the outside water pipes, which has been keeping us from getting anything accomplished on the Tiny Farmhouse.  She came bearing a gift, as she said, from hearing me talk about things I like, something she had that she would like for me to use in the farmhouse.

I was worried as she handed me a gift bag, afraid that what was inside would be a handmade craft or something that I would not want to keep out for display, but would have to knowing that she would be visiting from time to time.  I was thrilled when I saw this vintage enamel platter with a big colorful turkey on it. 

I have a few pieces of enamelware and love it, but they are gray, also called spatterware, very dull and utilitarian, the opposite of this piece with all the color and pattern, and I absolutely love it!  Right now I have it up at Camp Blue Wall because I like looking at it, and once the farmhouse is finished, I will find the perfect spot for it, most likely in the kitchen.

Another gift was from Ziggy, my goat milk supplier.  He tossed in a big head of Oak Leaf Lettuce, a huge, fresh salad for dinner!  As I write this post, Jim has found the leak and will be replacing the pipe this week.  That means things will be gearing up on the farmhouse once cleaned.  The Tryon International Equestrian Center has just opened, the likes of Sting and Trump will be showing their horses there.  Accommodations are desperately needed in this area, and we have been told our farmhouse will be in great demand.  Fingers crossed!

Dressed for Easter

Topiary Bunnies . . . 

. . . in an old wooden dough bowl . . .

. . . surrounded by a collection of vintage pansy doilies.

Paper cuttings dangling in the window.

Vintage ceramic Easter basket waiting to be filled.

Hand-painted flower welcomes visitors to the Tiny Farmhouse.

Spring Has Sprung at the Farmhouse

It's amazing what 72 degrees, a soft, warm breeze, a few open flowers can do to get you moving.  Off to the farmhouse I went early this morning and started to get some things in order.

I rearranged some furniture, hung some paintings, put down some hooked rugs, vacuumed, took a lot of things up to the main house.

The living room now has two seating areas, all neat and tidy.

Hellebores that a friend gave me years ago that I moved with me from Georgia are starting to bloom.

This corner of the living room with the shelves shows how crooked the floors are in the house and is dirty and unsightly.  I had the old painted door propped up in front of it, but it didn't cover the whole thing, so I decided to use a curtain I bought from IKEA, which would cover it from ceiling to floor.  I loved the pattern on these curtains, but had no place to use them, so this was perfect. 

The mahonias are budding with fruit for the birds.

Hung the theorems I painted many decades ago when I had free time!

Blooming mock orange.  I have found three very old bushes.

On the opposite side of the living room was the only space I could find for my primitive painted milk cupboard, which I was not ready to let go of.  It will come in handy for magazines and extra blankets for guests.

An antique chandelier, which will go in the living room where there is now only a lightbulb.  Contractor coming this weekend to see about fixing the water main to the house, then the cleaning and painting can begin.