Come with us to Vermont, won't you?!

One of the many things I love about where we live in New Hampshire is the fact that we are only an hour and a half from Maine, and an hour and a half from Vermont!  Yesterday we drove to Vermont to do a little antiquing in the small town of Chester.  We like to take the back roads as much as possible to see more of the countryside of our newly adopted region, and on the way home we drove through the charming town of Grafton, Vermont.  We've driven through Grafton many times- it has a lovely energy and is filled with charming antique houses, many art galleries and museums.  The surrounding mountains offer a warm embrace.  We always feel as if we have been transported back a hundred years when we drive through. 
I thought you might like to join us?!

It was a cool-ish 50 degrees with cloudy skies and sprinkles every now and again.... in other words, it was a lovely day!!

You can't go to Vermont without seeing at least one covered bridge!

This one was near the Grafton Village Cheese Company.

I'm guessing this is a sign you're not used to seeing everyday?!

I adore this house with its mountain view!

The town library.

Many small New England towns have village stores like this.

The Grafton Inn.

The Town Offices- please notice that taxes are due this month!

Look what I found at this lovely home.... another Texan!!!

This house belongs to the Justice of the Peace!

Another covered bridge!

Main Street.

I love this truck!  My dream is a red one;)

Not just for show, this truck is still a workhorse.

Loved this twig fence- it went on for a good 100+ feet.

Love the purple front door.

I love how this entire house is red, even the trim.

Don't miss the chicken in the front walk at this house!

This charming side porch belongs to the house above.  It overlooks the river that runs through the town.

This river.

We loved this antique stone wall and the stone steps going down to the river.

Thanks for coming along!  Hope you enjoyed your visit to Vermont this weekend;)!!

post script...

I hope you'll also join me on Instagram!!  (see the very bottom of the page)

I'll be posting random snapshots at least once a day!

(username:   fortheloveofahouse )

(for those without smart phones you can also view the images at the bottom of the page!)

xojoan

vintage japanese glass fishing floats

basketball-size fishing float in antique urn at front door


(This post could also be entitled "it's a small world," but I'll get to that story later in this post!)

Japanese glass fishing floats were once used by fishermen in many parts of the world to keep their nets afloat. Large groups of fishnets strung together, sometimes 50 miles (80 km) long, were set adrift in the ocean and supported near the surface by hollow glass balls or cylinders containing air to give them buoyancy.  These glass floats are no longer being used by fishermen, but many of them are still afloat in the world's oceans, primarily the Pacific.

The earliest floats, including most Japanese glass fishing floats, were hand made by a glassblower. Recycled glass, especially old sake bottles, was typically used and air bubbles in the glass are a result of the rapid recycling process. After being blown, floats were removed from the blowpipe and sealed with a 'button' of melted glass before being placed in a cooling oven. (This sealing button is sometimes mistakenly identified as a pontil mark. However, no pontil (or punty) was used in the process of blowing glass floats.) While floats were still hot and soft, marks were often embossed on or near the sealing button to identify the float for trademark. These marks sometimes included kanji symbols. Today most of the glass floats remaining in the ocean are stuck in a circular pattern of ocean currents in the North Pacific.   Once a float lands on a beach, it may roll in the surf and become "etched" by sand. Many glass floats show distinctive wear patters from the corrosive forces of sand, sun, and salt water. When old netting breaks off of a float, its pattern often remains on the surface of the glass where the glass was protected under the netting. Other floats have small amounts of water trapped inside of them. This water apparently enters the floats through microscopic imperfections in the glass while the floats are suspended in Arctic ice or held under water by netting.  Most floats are shades of green because that is the color of glass from recycled sake bottles (especially after long exposure to sunlight). However, clear, amber, aquamarine, amethyst, blue and other colors were also produced.

They have become a popular collectors’ item for beachcombers and decorators. Replicas are also being manufactured.

(The above excerpt is from Wikipedia and the full article can be read here.)

Fishing floats on the dining room table.  I love them all, but my very favorites have the rope etching.

photo for the love of a house






A collection of baseball-size floats still in their nets.
Vintage Biltmore Hotel Silver tray.photo for the love of a house



Close-up of the "marking" on the float.

photo for the love of a house

More of the collection in the basement!  This jardiniere is huge, so the size of the floats is a little misleading..... the largest in this photo are basketball-size and the smallest is grapefruit-size!
photo for the love of a house



My own personal exposure to fishing floats came at a very young age...  as I've mentioned before, my mother grew up in Hawaii (the story of her childhood lamp that now resides in my kitchen is here) and she would find floats on the beach that had washed ashore.   When she married my father and moved to the mainland she brought those floats with her and I grew up in San Antonio with the floats scattered in the yard amidst the flowers and shrubs.  After meeting Dan and moving to the Pacific Northwest we began antiquing to furnish our then apartment.  I started spying the small floats at shops, back then for very little money- usually around $1-$3 each!!  The floats captured my heart for three reasons:  I have a fondness for the orb shape (as can be seen throughout the house); they reminded me of home; and being poor newlyweds,  at $1 it was sometimes the only thing I could afford to buy on a shopping trip!   
Thus, a collection began!!

Fast forward several years and many floats - small baseball-size floats, grapefruit-size and large basketball-size floats have now been added to our collection!  We lived in Dallas at this point, and my much;) older sister, Susan, and beloved brother-in-law, Doug, admired our collection and started collecting floats themselves.
We had many wonderful antiquing sources in the Northwest, so for my antiques business in Dallas Dan and I would fly back regularly to shop.  On one such trip we took Susan and Doug with us, and went to the Tacoma Dome Antiques Show.  At the show, we separated to shop and when we met back up with Susan and Doug they were in a booth that had floats for sale talking to a man who was introduced to us as "Frank Forster."  Frank evidently had a vast collection of floats and the next thing I know we are driving to Frank's house in Tacoma to see his collection!  And vast it was- Frank was a serious collector and a whole room had been dedicated to fishing floats!   We also met his lovely wife Kim.  My sister corresponded with Frank and Kim for several years, until Frank's death.

So..... imagine my surprise when several months ago while blog-hopping I stumble on a blog called

Glass Float Junkie 

and on her site find photos and a mention of Frank and Kim's collection!! 

It is definitely a small world, yes?!

Rich Richardson and Frank Forster

photo Glass Float Junkie

Kamichia used to live in Alaska (she now lives on the Oregon coast) and would take plane trips to remote
beaches and find the likes of this....

photo by Glass Float Junkie



I squealed out loud when I first saw this photo!  The mother load of fishing floats right on the beach!!  Like an Easter egg hunt, only better!!!!  Can you imagine?! 

For a fascinating pictorial be sure to click on all of Kamichia's photo-links on her sidebar here showing her beach combing trips and the individual photos of different types of floats!

Since floats are now considered "collectibles", there are a lot of fakes out there too.  Kamichia talks about how to tell what is real from what is fake here.

Several of you have asked me where you might find fishing floats for sale; Kamichia also sells fishing floats on etsy,  (you can also look on ebay), but-  be forewarned.....
fishing floats can quickly become an obsession!!!:)

Here are a few other photos of how I use the vintage fishing floats around the house...
placed in the center of the iron dining table on the back porch

...in a copper tub filled with fishing floats and copper floats on the back porch

... in an old wire basket on the upstairs master bedroom porch.  I love the pop of color of the one amethyst float!

do you Craigslist?!

If you do then you know the great finds that can be found; if you don't may I suggest you do!

One of our favorite stops on Craigslist is the "free" section.  We are constantly shocked and amazed at the really good things that people give away for free.  (We are also shocked and amazed that people list postings like:  one free container of baby formula - I kid you not!) 
I can't tell you how many times I have told Dan I could decorate a whole house with the things that people give away.  I do acknowledge that we seem to have a very generous free listing section here in New Hampshire.    For example...before Thanksgiving there were probably 50 listings giving away Thanksgiving dinner to families in need- some with all the ingredients to make your own, some in a restaurant and some actually invited strangers into their home.  I realize this sounds crazy and frightening to many (depending on the size of your city) but we have found New Hampshire to have a very helpful and generous spirit.  I thought maybe this was the new "thing" but after looking at a dozen cities (of varying size) across the country the only place I found people offering free Thanksgiving dinners to those in need was here. 
But, even if your free section isn't as overly generous-  still check, you never know what you will find!

Yesterday Dan and I (and, of course, sweet Ella) drove 5 hours round trip, in the snow to pick up a free antique Victorian sofa that we found on Craigslist.  Neither of us could bare the thought of it going on the burn pile which was to be its next stop (the burn pile was literally roaring when we arrived!)   It was a very dark day which is why this photo is so grainy.  This is how we found the sofa- sitting alone in the dark corner 'praying' it wasn't next to go on the fire.  I thought it would make a fine addition to the loft (office space) that we are creating in the barn.  To be perfectly honest, this is not a typical style of sofa that I would normally chose, but it was exactly because of that, and that I think the lines will look fabulous with the exposed beams of the room that I wanted to have a closer look!   The piece is indeed antique with its original horse hair peaking from under the springs, and once the rather ornate woodwork is sanded down and either left with hints of the white paint (that someone unfortunately slapped on years ago), or maybe painted a gloss black- then upholster in a brown/mushroom velvet with one long, down-wrapped linen cushion......  I'm thinking it will be fabulous and fun, and it was FREE!!!

Look past the hanging springs, the b.a.d. white paint on the frame and the nasty 1970's upholstery ripped and exposing even older upholstery to the lines and curves of the back and the arms!  The sofa is really long and deep, and looks perfect for napping!  And, if you can't look past all those things, then I will say what I occasionally say to Dan.... "trust me on this one!"

Dan and the husband of the woman who posted the listing carrying the sofa through several feet of snow as it wouldn't fit through the doorways to enable it to be carried out the front of the barn.
A favorite part of this sofa story for me is that this couple was hired to clean/clear out the house and the barn, no doubt making minimum wage... that the woman saw the beauty in the sofa and took the time to take a photo, post a listing and take phone calls regarding the sofa warms my heart.  It would have been much easier to simply toss the sofa on the fire and be done with it.  I thanked her profusely for taking the time to help the sofa find a new life (and slipped them a twenty;)

This iron chandelier will find its home in the barn room, and is another recent Craigslist find.  
And, although I paid for this one it was still an amazing find and bargain!  I have had my eye out for a chandelier for the barn room for well over a year.  The room is a good size, and I knew it would need a rather large chandelier.  I knew I would not find anything that large in an antique, and all the beautiful new ones I could find that were large enough were thousands of dollars, and that wasn't in the budget!  One day I thought to look on Craigslist, and kept expanding my search to neighboring states.  I stumbled on this beauty in Connecticut (another 5 hours round trip!)   People are notorious for posting bad, blurry photographs and not giving any information, so don't hesitate to ask.  In the original photo this chandelier was laying on the ground in front of what was obviously a really large staircase and it covered the expanse, so I knew it was big.  I was thrilled to find out that it was just over 4 feet.....  perfect scale for the room!

She was asking $300, I offered $250 and got it!!

The chandelier is not old, but is hand wrought and has great lines.

Dan and our carpenter hung the chandelier in the barn room so I could see it up and see the scale!  I will probably paint it  a brown/rust color.  The piece of plywood is giving the illusion of a large candle sleeve!  (oh, and I'm sure some of you are wondering.... the green stuff on the wall is soy-based insulation!)

I would love to hear of your great Craigslist finds!

My lunch with Bunny Williams...

was truly magical.

And, as if having lunch with Bunny Williams wasn't the best birthday gift ever, we had the great pleasure of meeting and spending the afternoon with her handsome and most-charming husband, antiques dealer extraordinaire John Rosselli.

To start off the day you must envision a quintessential New England Fall day: sunny, cool, crisp, leaves changing colors. It is a beautiful three and a half hour drive from our house to her country house in Connecticut, which took us through the Berkshires in Massachusetts. The leaf-peepers were everywhere!

Just driving up to Bunny's house takes your breath away, and as the gates magically opened upon our arrival I felt like I was arriving in the land of Oz! As we walked into the Barn we were announced by Lucy and Elizabeth- the resident pups! Bunny emerges, like a vision, from the conservatory and John from the kitchen. Their gracious hospitality made us instantly feel as if we there visiting with long-time dear friends. Within minutes of our arrival, there was a tray of fabulous champagne being served! Talk about feeling welcomed!

The Barn was even more beautiful than I had remembered it, and more beautiful than even the gorgeous photographs of it in her book. Bunny said that in her experience, no matter how beautiful the room, a photograph is never the same- a room is always better in person. She went on to explain that it's because in the photo you can't feel the room. At this point I remembered a comment I had received in a previous post from Daniel in NYC wanting to know what it felt like to be in the house rather than looking at the pictures- which I thought a wonderful query!

Here's the difference.... as you walk in, you see the fire in the fireplace, you hear the logs crackling, and smell the sweet smell of the logs burning, you hear and see and pet the dogs, you smell lunch being prepared in the kitchen , you see the sea grass rug and feel it underfoot, you feel the welcoming hugs from Bunny and John.... in essence the whole of the room envelopes you!

the gates opening!

The Barn.


Beautiful 16-year-old whippet, Elizabeth in her gorgeous bed.


Bunny then took us on a garden tour! Talk about inspirational... even at this point in the season, when plants are going into decline, the gardens were stunning!

Walking to the pool house.

Bunny in the pool house. The structure is amazing!

After the gardens tour we came in for lunch in the conservatory.
The room was stunning, and the table setting absolutely lovely. John is quite the chef, and had, in fact, made our lunch! We dined on shepherd's pie, brussels sprouts, salad, and a spectacular apple crisp made from apples from their own trees, a wonderful red wine and iced tea!
Lunch was delicious! The proclivity that Bunny and John have for entertaining, and making their guests feel like "old friends" is indeed an art form.



I have to confess to you that I had a moment of "intense realization" while sitting there in the middle of lunch.......
it was as if the world momentarily stopped, and I realized that.............
I was in Bunny William's conservatory, sitting across from and chatting with Bunny Williams about Mrs Parish, and sitting next to John Rosselli, who had just prepared lunch for us, looking up at that stunning mirror and plantings above the fireplace, and then......to top it ALL off, little Lucy, the dog, (who is elderly and has had a stroke and has difficulty walking) is laying- literally laying on top of my feet under the table! Seriously, I was done! I was over the moon....
I could have wept!!


After lunch we had a tour of the main house! After having seen photographs of the house in magazines and books for so many years this was a very cherished tour!


the front porch


details of the window



I adore this photograph of Bunny inviting us in at the front door!


I can not express to you how surreal it was to be standing in this stunning living room that I have admired and studied for years.


Love the lamp. You can see one of Bunny's BeeLine Home chairs in the reflection in the mirror. It was gorgeous, and so comfortable!



Bunny and Dan on the screened porch.


The master bedroom. I have never seen a more gorgeous suzani in my life. John had the bed made for Bunny. The room was absolutely breathtaking! I adore the rug.


the kitchen fireplace..... sigh!


the dining room






Ella got to meet Bunny too! She was actually a stowaway in the car, as her puppy-sitter canceled at the last minute. Ella was spied towards the end of the visit, and Bunny and John, being the dog-lovers that they are, told us that we should have brought her in!



So, Ella got to meet Elizabeth and Lucy, and this is Marco who is a Katrina-rescue owned by Bunny's Head Gardener, Eric Ruquist (hi Eric!) Eric has friends in our area, so we invited him to come visit the next time he and Marco are in New Hampshire. I hope he takes us up on that!
Marco loved Ella! He followed her around like this the whole time!
Also, please note the gorgeous design of that gate!



Ella and Marco in front of the barn. John invited Ella into the Barn and now, of course, she wants a bed like the beautiful Elizabeth!!



The gates opening for our departure....
Sadly (for us!) the fairy tale had to come to an end. The whole way home I told Dan I wanted a "do-over".... usually you want a "do-over" because something went wrong, and you want to correct it, but I wanted a do-over because we had such a fabulous time that I wanted to do it all again!!




I realize that just as the photograph does not do the real room true justice, my words can not adequately express the true magic of this day. . .
The love and respect that Bunny and John have for one another, for their home and their dogs is palpable... it is also infectious, as we left their beautiful home with hearts full!

My most sincere thanks and gratitude to Bunny and John for being the best birthday present, and for the gift of their time.



I also want to thank my sweet, dear husband Dan for being just crazy enough to know that this would be a gift I would love, and then being even crazier to act on it!
I also thank Dan for taking the photographs. I must admit that from the moment I walked in the door I was so "in the moment" of being there that the thought of taking a photo would never have occurred to me!
In the end, perhaps the best gift of all was that my sweet husband enjoyed every second of this day as much as I did! That I got to experience this with my best friend, and then that we discussed it for days is my gift forever !



xo,
joan




You must check out Bunny's new book that just came out....
Bunny Williams' Scrapbook for Living