(In writing this post I realized two crazy & amazing things: one - I have been writing this blog for EIGHT YEARS now, and two-  this is my FOUR-HUNDRED-AND-ONE post!  Thank you to each and every one of you who have followed our journey for years, to the new people who arrive each day and to that group of crazy ,wonderful readers (you know who you are!) who have told me they've gone back and reread the WHOLE blog from the beginning.  A couple have even done it twice!!! I swear some of you know more about the house and the renovation than I do!!   You are all so dear to me (and Dan,) and you are probably tired of hearing this, but I am just so grateful and thankful that you are here and are part of our journey.  I so appreciate that you are interested in our house, our life and our rescue pups and that you allow me to share it all with you by reading, following and commenting.  

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. xxo 

Since I showed you fall "outside" the farmhouse in my last post HERE, I thought you might like to come inside and have a look around.

Welcome, come on in...

The entry chest has a collection of antique and vintage Italian alabaster fruit.  The large apples and pears are a rare find.  I found one of the large pairs at an estate sale in Dallas many years ago.  They were some ridiculous price and I carried them through the whole sale knowing if I put them in a "save-pile" at the checkout someone would grab them- they are super heavy and I remember my arms ached for days from carrying them all around the sale!  The things we do for love!!
Antique alabaster pendant fixture found at the Paris flea market.

I love this shot with the sun shining on the antique French Napeleon III bergere.  We found the pair at the Paris Flea Market.  The leopard pillow is made from a pair of antique hand warmers that I sewed together.

And, this wider view which shows the fireplace lit.

I had lots of "assistants" helping when I was taking photos as you will see:)  This is Louise.

This is a great shot to show how beautiful Benjamin Moore's Pearl finish is on ceilings.  To read more about this favorite detail of mine HERE.

Photo assistants Louise and Ella taking a break:)

Sweet Louise

Sweet Ella

Sweet, and oh-so-funny & silly,  Magnolia

The dining room.




I changed out the fishing floats for the season for my beloved piece of Colorado forest wood- story HERE.




The reading room is such a cozy fall room.  The feathers in the plant in the antique urn were all found over the years on the property.




Slightly different angle showing the antique Italian case piece.




A favorite painting, so perfect for fall, by the late Jerry Wilkerson, famed pointillism artist (though this work is not painted in pointillism.)  




Closeup of the bookcase.  Story of the antique door HERE
 


















Several pieces from our collection of antique tortoiseshell.








"Mavis" donning antique leopard for the cold fall and winter months!




As I was taking photos for you the sun started going down.  This is how the reading room looks in late afternoon on a sunny day.





Love the shadows in this photo taken a bit later.  The light draws you in and you just want to sit here at this time of day.




A closeup of the antique and vintage Italian alabaster fruit on the entry chest of drawers.




Miniature white pumpkins on the kitchen fireplace mantel.




I kept the island cleared off for the summer, but once fall arrived and I started cooking more I felt the need to have "my things" back on top!  Usually there is a puppy in the dog bed (and no, I am sorry I do not have a source for it, as I've had it for probably 20 years now.  It belonged to our first rescue, Kelsey.)




I've replaced the natural linen sink skirt with a pea-green ticking stripe which I love!




Vintage green-glazed yellowware bowls, antique English ironstone, hotel silver flatware and tray and the last of the hydrangeas from yard top the marble island for fall.




View from the kitchen through the courtyard to the front meadow.












"And that has made all the difference"




Iron bird in the original stall window in the barn mud room.




Thank you for visiting; I hope you come back again soon;)

Spring has arrived in New England!  The grass is getting green (Dan mowed the back meadow for the first time yesterday)  and the leaves are "just" starting to come out on the antique maples that line our drive.  The light is amazing.  We have wonderful light all year long, but there is just something extra special about the spring light, not to mention the gorgeous sunsets. The weather is still cool-ish, though we did turn on the air conditioning last week due to the humidity.  But, today the heater is running and there is definitely a chill in the air.  When we lived in Dallas I would laugh at the thought of a "spring jacket,"  but now I understand the term:)

I've added antique Chinese blue and white to the room.  Always a classic in my book, and feels very spring to me right now.

A slightly different angle... I liked that the antique painting across the room is reflected in the antique French mirror on the mantel.

I've removed some of the extra brown accessories in the room.  I always have lots of brown though, it's my black.  What you can't see in this photo of the vintage brass topped table is the teeny, tiny paper price tag with purple silk string from decades ago:)  I left it (call me Minnie Pearl:) because it was just so charming and unless you're looking for it you don't see it.  Oops.... I see one of the legs needs to be moved/straightened.  Ignore!  The 23-year-old topiary!  Many of you have asked, but I don't have any tips or secrets....  I water regularly, fertilize occasionally, that's it.  

  

Photo of the room with the lights off.  The fur throw is still on the sofa for the chilly spring days and nights we are having.  There is usually a puppy, or two, on the throw;)  I changed the end sofa pillows from brown velvet to gray/blue velvet ones.

And, speaking of puppies!  Louise and Magnolia are my photog assistants:)

A puppy-bum photo bomb;)

Notice in this photo I paint just the plug outlet for the table lamp.  Makes it go away.  The brown fabric cord blends in with the floor.

I like this photo as it shows you our gravel drive that comes up to the front porch. 

I replaced one of the vintage leopard fur pillows (made from muffs) for a made-to-fit small lumbar pillow for this antique French chair in the same grey/blue velvet on the sofa pillows.

 

This is Louise's "I want to go get in Mama's bed" look.   Ella does the exact same thing.  She's torn because I'm downstairs, but she loooves the mama's bed.  I tell her "it's okay!"  and she marches up the stairs!  Silly girls:)

The entry chest of drawers (circa 19th c.) is topped with 18th c. velum books and antique Chinese blue and white porcelains, vintage brass French Bouillotte-style lamp with a 70's brass and capiz shell lampshade (I'm obsessed with these lately:) and antique oil painting we found in Provence- "Aunt Minerva" -we name everything:) usually resides in the reading room.

The 23-year old ivy topiary shares the brass tray table with a little ceramic brown and off-white garlic-shaped holder that was a love gift (when my family gives gifts for no reason we call them love gifts!) from my sister Patti she found at Red Onion in Baton Rouge.  (If you live in the area it is a wonderful shop!)  I had just filled the room with browns when it arrived in a package a couple of months ago- perfect timing!  I love the color, texture and how it looks next to the leopard pillow.  It's the little details, yes?!   Thank you Patti...

I usually have two soft-blue velvet pillows on each back corner of the sofa, but I changed those out to brown velvet this year for the winter months.  I added another faux fur throw to this sofa, which the girls love :)

 I adore this brown silk lampshade on the antique Chinese green-glazed terracotta baluster made into a lamp.  When the light is off the shade is the color of the dark trim that you see in this photo- a dark chocolate brown.  You can see the brown velvet pillow in this photo. 

Antique:

  demi-john lamp, chinoiserie table, Santos, French gilt finial and Russian brass jardiniere.

 Leopard pillow on the left was made from a vintage muff.  The pillow on the right was originally two individual vintage hand-warmers that I found at an antique shop.  I sewed them back together and added a down-filled insert.

Old silver-plated doves/pigeons...columbidae!

Although "Mavis" is technically in the reading room, I thought she should be included in this post since she is donning the vintage leopard collar/headband (that was purchased with the muff pillow,) wearing it as a winter wrap:)

hope you're having a wonderful weekend!