fun finds and Matthew Mead too!

( iron industrial baskets - we think were used in some sort of manufacturing process - that will make fabulous candle holders on the the iron table below....)

This past Sunday Dan and I (and Ella!) did our usual weekend routine of driving 4o minutes west to eat some of the best pancakes in the world at a diner in a tiny, little town in southern New Hampshire! After breakfast, we always go to one of our favorite antique malls in the same town- lots of dealers, great prices, and constantly changing merchandise....

We were walking down an isle when we passed a man moving a piece of furniture and Dan asked him if he needed some help. I turned around and saw the man and thought "I know him!" Well, I didn't actually know him, but knew of him!! Turns out it was Matthew Mead! Matthew was the Style Editor at the dearly departed Country Home magazine. I remember seeing his photo in CH, and also on some segments he did for HGTV. I also recognized him from the photos in his new book that I had purchased (but forgot to mention to him) several months ago.

Matthew also has a Halloween magazine on the stands right now! Matthew was delightful to chat with and I was excited to hear about his new venture with Ki Nassasuer... a new magazine called Flea Market Style which will be out in Spring 2010! This blog is a behind the scenes look at the making of the magazine! Be sure to pop over and check out the magazine and Matthew's website!

Matthew, it was great fun to meet you!

Hope Oscar is feeling better...


We bought this 8 foot iron table for the barn room. It will be placed in front of the original barn door that will be mounted on one of the walls in the barn room as a large piece of art! The wood top will be replaced with a slab of limestone.

We've been looking for a large table for a while as the running joke is that I keep talking about all of the things I want to put on this one table! Like: my collection of antique Chinese blue & white ginger jars and vases/ my collection of antique French confit jars/ my huge clam shell- it measures 36 inches /and now the above candle holders! I think I'm going to need another table!!!

The day after I first spied the above table, we saw this table in Maine. Loved the stone top (this is where I got the idea to use limestone), but at $1200 I liked my table better at $105!! And 30%off never hurt any sale... don't you agree?!

no more snow...

Just beautiful Fall weather!

The high today is sunny and 65 degrees and tomorrow, sunny and 68!

Perfect for painting!

it's snowing!

It will be back in the 60's this coming week, but today is cold and snowing!

A perfect Sunday!

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

I've had blogger's block!

...sorry.

Even though things (i.e. house painting) have been happening around the house, I just couldn't get a post out. Time and time again I'd sit down to write, and nothing..... so I'll attempt it one more time!! Here we go!

We are having a gorgeous Fall! (this photo was taken last weekend about 25 minutes west of us towards the Vermont border.) The leaves to the north of us are at their peak- perfect timing for the holiday weekend. Ours, in southern New Hampshire, are still a week or two out. While New England Falls are renowned, what might not be known to those of you unfamiliar with the region is just how long they last! Fall here will literally last over two months. The peak is only a couple of weeks of that time, but from the time you first start to see leaves turning color to the time they are all off of the tree- over two months! Fall is indeed a spectacular time of year here!

Our sugar maples here at the house have just started to turn. You can see what they will look like HERE from my very first post almost one year ago!

The painter and his helper are working as hard, and as fast, as they can trying to get as much of the house painted before winter sets in. It seems every other day it rains, so we've been contending with that too. They have made good progress and I can not tell you how happy we are to have "our" colors on the house and to be done with the red barn! I have nothing against red barns, in fact find them charming, but it just didn't fit on our farmhouse. The farmhouse is simple and quiet and the barn seemed to SCREAM at you! So now the farmhouse is white and the barn is a fabulous gray that has hints of brown and green in it depending on the lighting. From what little of it you can see from the road, and from all over the property it "reads" gray. As my painter will attest, I have "gray" issues! Or rather "grays-that-read-blue" issues! So many times you will drive by a house and just know that the owner intended to have a gray house, but it instead it comes across as blue.




Several people have commented to me that they thought the farmhouse was already white, and it does look that way in the top blog photo, but it was really a pale, tired yellow. In these first two photos you can really see the yellow compared to all the white primer.
(old olive jar- one of about six we have! from Mark Sage/Love Train Antiques, Atlanta)

So exciting to see the house turn into a classic New England farmhouse! You can see my barn paint samples on the corner of the barn. The winner "Legendary Gray" is directly under the square window at the corner of the barn. See how the ones closer to the ground look blue?!

The white is a custom mixed color and was chosen to be a soft white, not a bright white.

The house is painted and the barn is stained. All paints and stains are California Paints, which ironically is made in Massachusetts!

The windows and trim on the barn will be white. The main house windows will have gloss black shutters. The ell will not have any shutters. The basement windows will be painted the color of the granite foundation to make them go away.

And, on a side note, remember the AWOL window from the barn window post that Marvin accidentally forgot to order? It was expected to take three weeks to get to us, and fabulous Pam at our Marvin store got it to us in ONE week! A window made and delivered in one week! We love Pam!! So, that side of the barn is being painted next. In fact, the wonderful painters are coming on Sunday!

This photo shows the leaves just starting to turn in the front meadow.

Posting in Pink In honor of my friend Mary....

I am posting in pink today as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Mary of St. Mary's blog is a breast cancer survivor, and has an inspiring story.....the day she bought an antique church to turn into her home, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mary says she saved the church, and the church saved her.

Mary is a funny, independent,and very strong woman.

(fyi- Mary is not a minister or pastor, her blog name is a play on words, as she bravely bought a church to renovate!)

She has been a dear friend and ardent supporter of mine, and I am so very grateful for the gift of her friendship. If you haven't already done so, be sure to visit Mary's blog (HERE)- she just got back from Africa!

"Posting in Pink" was brought to my attention by Mrs. Blandings and by Pigtown Designs. I have borrowed this link from Meg at Pigtown...

You can help a low-income woman get a breast cancer screening by clicking

HERE.



here's Ella this morning wearing pink today in honor of Miss Mary!