One of my favorite decorating tricks is to bring fresh flowers into our farmhouse kitchen, dining room, and every other room under our metal roof! Last week the daffodils were in bloom and I brought a big bouquet of their sunshine inside. This week the flowerbeds are filled with bunches of blue … Virginia Bluebells,…
Some people think Illinois is flat and boring but I find special beauty in the country roads, prairies, corn fields, and big blue sky. Lucky for me, I live where the suburban roads of Chicago meet the country roads of Kane County so I get the best of both the town and country … thus…
Finally we’re getting the rest of the open shelving added to the kitchen! I’ve been talking about it since before Christmas and here it is April, almost 5 months later. Better late than never and no harm was done except that my nerves were getting frazzled because I was running out of space to store…
Pets provide such joy and companionship, and when they leave us it’s never easy. I’ve had pets throughout my life. Some get sick and pass on before their time. Others stay with you for many years. Recently Donna at Funky Junk Interiors lost her beautiful black cat, Teddy. In honor of Teddy, she’s hosting a…
In my attempt to give our old farmhouse a legitimate farmhouse look both inside and out, I wanted to build up a collection of white ironstone. I seem to be drawn mostly to pitchers in all shapes and sizes. Large ironstone pitchers in pristine shape are quite pricey so I decided to collect a range…
My love affair with old houses began when I was in high school. It was quite unexpected, really. I was working on a very important goal at the time … when I turned 16 I vowed to have a date every Saturday night until I graduated. That meant hair, make-up, and clothes were high on…
Our volatile spring weather here in Illinois has hammered an ache in my heart for the smell of dirt and fresh mown lawns. One day we suffer widespread flooding due to torrential rain, and the next day we’re pummeled with snow and sleet. Mother Nature’s wrathful confusion drove me to Shady Hill Gardens this weekend for…
The first weekend of every month is flea market weekend in Kane County, Illinois and I try to never miss it! Hundreds of vendors are spread across the local fairgrounds and it takes a few hours just to walk past them all. Known as the best in the Midwest, the Kane County Flea Market never…
This week my blog is being featured on Hometalk, which is a site where homeowners, renters, and professionals share and help with home and gardening. I’ve shared several projects on their website and now I have the wonderful honor of being featured by them! They’ve sent me some questions to help you get to know me better. While I’m…
Have you ever felt a little lost when decorating your home if there’s no holiday in the near future to focus on? Seems I feel this way every time Easter is over. I mean, it’s easy decorating for Christmas, Valentines, and then Easter. But once the Easter Bunny hops his way outta town … what’s…
My oldest daughter Stephanie was married last June at the Hotel Baker in St. Charles and we’re just now getting the digital files of the photos. I shared photos of the wedding ceremony a couple blog posts ago and now it’s time to share a few photos from the reception. (All photos courtesy of Jolie…
I confess. I can’t take it anymore! We had a bit of balmy weather through Easter weekend but winter is dragging its frosty heels on its way out the door. The temps dropped after our brief “warm” spell (and it wasn’t all that warm to begin with). I’m telling myself that since spring has been…
For the longest time I’ve been on the hunt for a cow picture for the kitchen. Since I want to keep a farmhouse feel in this part of the house, what better way to accomplish this than with a farm animal? I found lots of beautiful cow paintings for hundreds of dollars but as usual,…
Last June my oldest daughter Stephanie married her beau, Matt. And just this weekend we finally got the digital photo files! We’ve waited so long and I’m thrilled to be able to share them even though it’s months later. Rather than share all my fave photos at once, I’m dividing them into two blog posts….
A light snow is falling today and my soul yearns for spring. I miss the smell of fresh dirt and newly mowed lawns. I want to see green leaves sprouting on the trees and colorful pops of flowers in the garden. Hubby and I have deemed this summer as the season of working on the…
Daffodils are peaking through the dirt while small piles of snow still dot the landscape here in Illinois. I grow impatient for spring and warmer weather. Last year we were blessed with an unusually warm spring and I was hoping for the same this year, but no such luck. But since it’s Easter season I…
