A Turning Point

Today I put up my bird transfer ware. It's a significant day as it marks a vision I had during our long remodel. Amidst dust, storage boxes, and utter chaos, I dreamt that one day, one beautiful calm day, I would put these up as a marker of spring.

My collection of transfer ware started fairly recently after I inherited my Grandmother's red transfer ware. I had these up at Christmas. She just loved her patterned plates and now I love them too as they remind me of her and our memories together around her dining room table.

My Grandmother would have loved this bird and floral pattern. Nestled up in the hills of Los Angeles, she fostered somewhat of a bird sanctuary with a large iron bird feeder that her mother had given her. She loved to watch the birds from her window and one of my favorite things to do as a young girl, was to fill the bird feeder up with bird seed and feel the swoosh of birds flying in all around me.



I hemmed and hawed about buying these plates. They no doubt made my heart go pitter pat when I saw them, but we were in the midst of our remodel and I knew we couldn't really afford them. So despite the fact that they were already marked down from $375. to $275, I made an offer for $200 (for a 21 piece set). and got them. I had oodles of kisses for hubby when I got home as he was the one I called when I was hemming and hawing. Thank you hubby for supporting my love of transfer ware.

A Beautiful Walk

We set off at dusk for an evening walk through rolling hills.

Usually, we walk down into the valley where the horse stables are. But this night we decided to take our walk up to the quiet fields, secretly hoping to finally get a glimpse of the infamous Gilhouley Elk Herd that have been migrating through these parts for many years.

Last week we heard an elk bugling close by. So close that you couldn't help but watch the fields in hopes that you'd get a glimpse of the creature making so much noise. There are hundreds of elk footprints along our road, on our property and in the fields. But still, we had yet to actually see one face to face.

Until last night.

At first we spotted three along the horizon of the hill. As we got closer, we saw fourteen, and closer still, we saw twenty.

Twenty gorgeous elk grazing under the setting sun. Twenty gorgeous elk gazing at us and us back at them. It took our breath away, to see so many. What a blessing it is to share this mountain with such beautiful, majestic creatures.

It was one of the most beautiful nights of my life.

A Drawer

This is our kitchen drawer. I'm posting on our kitchen drawer because this drawer makes me happy. I just love the colors and textures of shiny silver, wood, wicker and metal together.

I wish every drawer in our house offered such good feelings. They do not.

You may find it surprising that a lot of the items in this drawer are recycled. These items include: 

• The flatware in the oval wicker basket in the back of the drawer. This flatware comes from my Grandmother's house. It was her everyday flatware so every birthday cake, pumpkin pie, and home cooked meal was eaten off them. I love the pattern but especially the monogrammed "B." I married a Mr. "B" so the monogram still works!
• The wooden cutlery drawer this flatware sits in was my Grandmother's cutlery drawer as well. Love that.
• I picked up the square wicker tray (an old paper tray) at an antique store several years ago.
• The dark wooden cutlery drawer that sits in the wicker tray is something I picked up awhile back in Maine and have used it for over ten or so years.
• The rest of the utensils...ice cream scoops, serving utensils, knives, bottle openers...are all vintage items.

A Field of a Thousand Robins

We came across a field of robins the other day. Thousands of them, all in one field, gathering insects from the grassy earth. I have never seen so many Robins at once. You couldn't help but smile as these red breasted birds fluttered about in anticipation for Spring.

As our last week of Winter slowly winds into Spring, I leave you with this poem:

If there comes a little thaw

Still the air is chill and raw.

Here and there a patch of snow,

Dirtier down a marshy flood;

Ankle-deep you stick in mud

In the meadows while you sing,

"This is Spring."

-Christohper Pearce Cranch

A Desk Chair

This is our office chair. I love this chair. It evokes the fondest memories of the day I happened across it. It was a crisp fall day and I was driving through the little town of Dixfield, Maine. As I was driving through, I came across an old abandoned church operating as an antique store.

I stopped to look around and found this chair. It reminded me of a musical instrument with its wooden curves and bow-like spindle back.

What it is: beautiful solid oak desk chair

Where I got it: a church turned antique store in a small town

What I paid: $125.