Going. . .Going. . .GONE. . .There's a tear in my eye but I have to face it. . .Summer is over. . .Next week brings FALL and another FAVORITE time of the year. . .But before I donated the ferns and Fred (the ficus) to the Church Rummage Sale tomorrow (Saturday), I thought I'd give you one more look. . .
BECAUSE. . .For the next couple of months. . .MUM'S THE WORD. . .(giggle-smile). . .
Here I am as promised with a peek at my latest collecting interest. . .but first I should remind you that it's time to be thinking about PUMPKIN BUTTER. . .Won't be long until pumpkins will be readily available. . .I canned 22 pints of butter last week from the pulp I froze last year and never got around to canning. . .Such a MONEY SAVER, too! . .I figured my total cost for 22 pints was $3.50. . .The pumpkins were FREE last FALL after the neighbors were finished with them as decor. . .(grin)
John's church is having a Fall Festival and Bake Sale this month. . .That's why these are all dressed up and ready to go. . .only have a few more to finish. . .
We've all seen these classic round containers. . .FARMHOUSE TUPPERWARE in wood. . .Lately, I've found many of the taller ones at antique malls. . .at a very nominal price. . Not sure if the taller containers were for cheese or not. . .Do you know? . .I brought the two above home with me 'to see what I could do with them'.
The stack gets higher. . .I think I have about twelve containers now. . .in all sizes. . .May add some VINTAGE LABELS on a few. . .and display them beside the fireplace for FALL. . .I'll not have room for them all. . .Left-overs will be utilized in the country store museum for winter storage. . .No more plastic bins in a 1930s store!!!!!
I do see so many possibilities. . .They have provided me with more vintage elements to work into my style. . .Something new and fresh and different. . .Since I'm seeing more and more of them for sale, is it the beginning of a trend? . .Maybe. . .I hope they don't become popular too soon. . .at least not until I 'corner the market'. . . (grin). . .Finding the larger ones for $10 or less is a thrill. . .because I do enjoy a bargain . . Whether it's almost free PUMPKIN BUTTER. . .or cheap and plentiful wooden CHEESE BOXES in all sizes. . .give me. . .
It's COOL. . .It's SUNNY. . .It's QUIET. . .except for the cicadas singing. . .I see Little Bit (the barn cat) stretching after a long night's rest. . .Everything looks FRESH and NEW but still a little sleepy. . .and I'm enjoying it all with my first cup of coffee on the much less cluttered BREEZEWAY PORCH. . .A wonderful place to wake up. . .and plan for the coming day. . .
I will admit that for most of the year this same porch was filled with boxes of cast-offs among boxes to open and go through. . .It was an absolute mess. . .and embarrassing when folks stopped by. . .I ignored it each morning as I headed out with coffee in hand to the outside porch and my favorite rocker. . .Then the storm hit. . .We lost the front porch. . .mosquitoes were bad. . .I decided to move inside and enjoy the screen doors. . .to the BREEZEWAY PORCH. . .Of course I had to do something with all those boxes and make it more peaceful without the chaos. . .I rolled up my sleeves and set my mind to the task at hand. . .After all, this is August and I haven't used the breezeway except as a 'warehouse'. . .It took me days to get all boxes where they needed to go and the furniture moved back in. . .Then came the cleaning and dusting. . .the addition of plants. . .and making all COMFY. . .This is a place to ENJOY--not picture perfect magazine style. . .although. . .I do think even in it's simplicity, it's very CALM and INVITING.
Another LIFE LESSON remembered. . .how the loss of one thing is only the OPPORTUNITY to begin another. . .We'll get our front porch back by FALL (I hope). . .where I can sit and look out over the FARMSTEAD. . .but for now. . .I'm sitting in the comfort of a LOVELY room. . .with the breeze calmly blowing through the screen doors. . .just sipping my coffee. . .and thinking how BLESSED we are. . .As I often say at the DUNCAN FARMSTEAD:
"LIFE IS GOOD"
Well LADIES and GENTS, it's been another one of those Summers. . .where nothing has gone as planned. . .I DID take a little time this morning to gather up a few of the junkin' finds and fabrics for the 'new' VINTAGE BEDROOM. . .I'm only experimenting. . .Nothing is etched in stone. . .but I thought I'd show you what I'm thinking. . .It always amazes me how different a bedroom--or any room--can look with a minimum of expense. . .especially if you go a little bit shabby and a little bit farmhouse. . .or as I've said many times before. . .PLAIN AND SIMPLE. . .
Absolutely love the new BLACK FLOORS. . .John did such a wonderful job. . .They look old and painted. . .which is just what I wanted. . .I've noticed in Country Living either this month or the last one that black floors are beginning to show up more and more. . .Mine have actually been down since the first of the year. . .I chose them for two reasons. . .With the black and white checkerboard FLOOR in the kitchen, I thought black floors in the living room off the kitchen. . .and in the bedroom off the living room. . .would compliment each other really well. . .The second reason was the price. . .I actually hadn't thought about a painted floor until we were shopping around for flooring. . .It all looked too new for our old FARMHOUSE and for MY STYLE. . .Then the salesman said in jest, 'I have lots of old-looking black I'll sell you. . .Can't get rid of it". . .You should have seen his face when I said, "Let's go see!". . .He was kidding. . .I wasn't. . .Way, way back in the warehouse was where we found the pallet. . .I fell in love with it right away. . .but I didn't want to seem too enthusiastic. . .I needed a deal. . .AND I got one!!!! Only 88c per square foot. . .It retailed for much, much more. . .He was almost ready to pay us to carry it off! . . .Sometimes things just work out, don't they?
I thought the black might be a bit hard to keep clean, but honestly it's not. . .I keep an old-fashioned dust mop at hand. . .A quick swipe when necessary is all it takes. . .
The next challenge I had to meet was the ceiling fan. . .I needed one, but nothing looked old enough. . .Easy to find a fan alone that looks old. . .not so easy to find a light fixture. . .I did not see anything locally that fit the bill. . .'OH, JOHN. . .' Bless his heart. . .He's always game to try out my ideas. . .
We bought the fan in black. . .Found a silver cage that we spray painted black. . .John gathered all the other makings. . .and in a few short hours, the one-of-a-kind FARMHOUSE FAN was completed. . .The above right photo is the fixture I took down. . .a little fancy for me. . .Remember. . .I'm PLAIN AND SIMPLE. . .
I ran across this BEAUTIFUL QUILT while cleaning out the sewing room. . .I've had it about 20 years. . .always loved the detail. . .the SMOCKING and CURLICUES. . .Lots of movement. . .I didn't notice until I was editing the photos that the whirls mimic the METAL DOOR piece leaning against the wall. . .
Looks as if I did that intentionally, doesn't it? . . .Of course, I did. . .(grin). . .I'm trying to find the WHITE DRESSER I bought a few years back so I can replace the dresser you see here. . .I don't know where we stored it. . .If I don't find the white dresser soon, this one may 'turn white' one day when I have an extra minute or two. . .Like I said. . .these are all elements I MAY use. . .I've been known to change my mind. . .(wink). . .
FABRIC is forever my friend. . .Found this piece of BLACK FLOWERED UPHOLSTERY in my stash. . .I laid it on the CHAIR I plan to use in the bedroom. . .not tacked down. . .in case I find something I like better. . .The more I look at it, though, the better I like it. . .
The colors certainly compliment everything else, don't they? What do you think?
On the floor beside the bed is another REMNANT find. . .
It's a bit blurred but I'm sure you get the jist of it. . .I bought the heavy upholstery to make an area rug for the living room. . .Had searched and searched for a black and white check rug with no luck when I ran into this find for $5 (It's doubled in the photo) . .figured I'd make a rug. . .Now I don't know if I want to use it in the bedroom or the living room. . .I may have to search further for the living room. . .I'm liking it right where it is.
We had damage to other buildings also that we are gradually repairing as the weather permits. . .Neither John nor I can work in a heat index of 115!!! . . .Looks like this Fall we'll have to remain closed for maintenance and repairs. . .instead of having our tours. . .The storms threw us off schedule. . .and we do want it safe for our visitors. . .It's almost like we're starting over again in many ways. . .
Sure hope YOUR Summer is going well. . .Miss not being as in touch with you all but the time flies away each day before we know it. . .I do have a NEW COLLECTION of. . . .Oh. . .I think I'll save that for another post. . .Give you something to look forward to. . .I promise I'll share soon. . .They are prim and farmhouse and inexpensive (right now). . .Who knows. . .I may be setting another trend? (grin)
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Photo by Brian Woodcock, Country Living Magazine, July-August 2015
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"These fizz-tastic finds—from crates to coolers to syrup dispensers—are bubbling over with retro style."
One day last week I actually took a break and sat down with the newest issue of COUNTRY LIVING magazine. . .only to find that once again I was ahead of the game in FARMHOUSE décor. . .Let's face it. . . I do think outside the box many times in my decorating style. . .often finding a year or so later that the trend is heading that exact way. . .Doesn't bother me that I'm different. . .I enjoy buying while the prices are low. . .and challenging myself to use the great finds with FARMHOUSE STYLE. . .
"In the early 1900s, the burgeoning soda industry was made up of local drugstores who mixed and bottled small-batch recipes and delivered them in hand-stenciled crates. Today those rare boxes fetch up to $200. More recent specimens (like the 1950s and 1960s ones shown) go for $20."
Yikes!!!! $200!!!!! My point exactly. . .Only two or three years ago. . .when no one wanted soda crates. . .I was picking them up for $5 and less. . .Pickles!!!! (my word for 'heck'). . .Some people GAVE them to me and were glad to get rid of them. . .They probably laughed as I drove off.
I was actually collecting them for OUR OLD COUNTRY STORE displays. . .but a few did end up in the house. . .I especially enjoyed them in the summer. . .Maybe you remember?
SODA CRATES are still relatively inexpensive. . .You can find them for much less than $200. . .We went junkin' in Missouri last week and ran across many for $20 or less. . .They are so versatile for a FARMHOUSE look that I'd encourage you to add one or two to your decorating style. . .And while you're at it, don't forget about the VINTAGE SODA BOTTLES. . .They are super with the crates. . .Try putting a couple of daisies in the bottles and you'll have a instant eye-catcher with a lot of impact. . .
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Country Living Magazine
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Decorating FARMHOUSE STYLE is so easy. . .All you need is a make-do attitude. . .and an eye for possible uses other than the norm. . .Think outside the box (a soda box?). . .then set back and accept the compliments. . .
