Closing down the open house

Since I started it, I should finish it..before it gets any more stale.

  Rather than prolonging it into two posts, I'm lumping the whole thing into one.

With the exception of the bathrooms, laundry room and utility room, I present

the conclusion of Open House 2012:

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

BREAKFAST NOOK

KITCHEN

KID'S ROOM

MASTER BEDROOM

CRAFT ROOM

UPSTAIRS DEN

I hope you enjoyed 'touring' our home as much we I enjoyed sharing it with you.

I used BigHugeLabs to make the mosaics.

Welcome to our home:

Open House 

1-1-2012

FRONT FOYER

Snowman collection is displayed here.

GUEST ROOM

DEN

For you eagle eyes:
A close-up of the strange board on the piano that we displayed during open house. This is section of wall we saved from a renovation. Why? you are asking? It was signed by the electricians and dated July 20, 1911.

Each room contains pieces belonged to, and/or was made by parents, grandparents and great grandparents. This is really the hallmark of our home.  I made a card for each room listing these items and their origin, placing it on a small easel on a bed, bench or table.

I hope you enjoyed the first part of the tour.  There will be more to follow.

Happy 100

In the fall of 1996, we were blessed to be able to purchase our current home.

 2011 marked its 100th year.

circa 1911

2011

Structurally sound, it was a blank slate that had been sitting idle for a couple of years.  We will always fondly remember the vine growing in through the back door.  We giddily moved in with an eclectic collection of semi-modern furniture that had filled our previous house, now sprinkled throughout this cavernous beauty like an incomplete set of building blocks.

Throughout the years we have done some remodeling, some restoring, some collecting of antiques, and best of all: gathering of heirlooms. Every room, graced with precious pieces that once belonged to parents, grandparents and great grandparents, is furnished with a comfortable mixture of the old and new.

While our home has been the gathering place of many family, social, and church events, these are usually confined to the downstairs, the more public areas of the house, if you will.  But on this, the 100th anniversary of the house, we threw privacy to the wind and had an Open House on New Year's Day, to celebrate the grand ol' girl, share her with friends and neighbors, and satisfy some curiosity. Countless times we have had remarked to us: "I would love to see your house sometime."

Preparations began the day after Thanksgiving--a now or never type decision: the official 100th year was drawing to a close.  Christmastime would be a good time, with the ol' girl all dressed up in her holiday finery. We made a list of back-burnered projects and over-looked eyesores (when you start looking around your house with the fresh eyes of visitors, you see things very differently) and set to work.  For a while, the list grew; even as some things got checked off, more were added.  Finally, we began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

This past Sunday, January 1, we opened our home to family, friends, and neighbors.  It was a wonderful day.

While I work on a photo collage to post, (now that I'm not cleaning every.spare.minute) you can read more about the deliciousness we served our guests (and snag the recipes!) here.  My very own generous and gifted daughter 'catered' the affair!  Never mind all the historical  mish-mash: these cookies were all the rage!!

Have a seat

There is something about chairs that appeal to me.

Big ones, little ones, and especially old ones.

My grandmother's rocker c.1940

My baby rocker c. 1979

Even if they aren't  mine.

A make-over for the library

A make-over for Kristin

They even frequently find their way into my art.

A page from my House book

Here is a sample of  the many minis I've collected along the way:

And here are some life-size ones I've been collecting:

These were gathered for a special purpose:

More on these later

A really cool chair, even it she's tattered and torn

 is hard to resist. 

You can be sure there is always a seat -or 10- available

 at my house!

What fun and interesting collections do you have?

Painting Fever

I have it.  

I caught it from all the paint fumes.

Because I have been doing a lot of it!

Not this kind:

This kind:

And this is what I have been painting:

a bathroom door and facings (both sides)

a claw-footed tub (on the outside)

risers (22 of them!) and moldings on the staircase

door and facings to the laundry room

Our house turns 100 this year.  

We have lived here for 16 years this fall.

To keep things simpler, all our doors, facings, and moldings are white--the same white.

I once counted all the doors, but I forgot how many there were.

I'd be embarrassed to say.

But every now and then, one of them gets a touch up,

because there is always one--  four-- plenty that needs it.

Too many halls! Too much decking!

Oh, it's all fun and games pulling all this stuff out!

It's all fun and games until December 29th, when it all

has to be put back!

Because 4 days after Christmas is my limit, baby!

But in the meantime, let's enjoy, shall we?

A new look for the baker's cabinet.

On second thought, this garland just might 

get to stick around and see us through some

dark dreary January days.

A new look for the mantle.

A new location for the grande nativity set.

A new ornament that spoke to my  heart.

The hope of Christmas IS forever--forever with Christ 

purchased by Him on Calvary.

John 3:16

The snowmen are just too many in number to all

get to come out every year.

Here are a few that made it this year.

An entirely new decoration.

White sticks and white lights......

....now, wherever would I have 

gotten such?

Add some blue glitter snowflakes,

viola!

A lovely wintery accessory to compliment the snowmen.

Finally, here is another delicious little ornament

that we didn't have last Christmas.

Our very own Santa-Baby!

Now, that's sweet!