Visit The Decorating Voice for Spring Fling posts, throughout blogland.
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Welcome to the back porch, Spring and Summer 2008. We finished the porch today. We will add a few flowering plants, as the weather warms. We're planning our first meal on the back porch, for this season, this evening.
The butterfly, on the shutters, is from our trip to North Carolina, in December 2007. I purchased the lantern candle holder, at Evergreen, Osage Beach, last week. J made the screen from salvaged shutters. The table is from a resale shop in Osage Beach, Missouri. The chairs were found, many years ago, in the back room of an antique shop, in Eolia, Missouri. We covered the chair seats with the red Laura Ashley print, yesterday. I hunted around in the cabinets for the plates, glasses and place mats. The little statue was sitting on the tub in the master bathroom. I decided setting the table for photographs would be fun. I imagine we'll use some of these plates, etc. for dinner, this evening.
The "bone" utensils are normally used in J's "lodge" room, in the basement.They came from Horchow, about 2 years ago. The bee plates and ice cream dishes are from Nell Hill's, as are the bee tea towels, being used as napkins. The gold plates are from Wal-mart and the gold and black plates are from Marshall's. I've forgotten where I found the glasses.
Looking through the hearth room window.
Looking across the back porch, to the door leading into the master bedroom.
I've thought about using a gate on the fireplace for awhile. I mentioned to J, I'd like to have a look around for one. This was when we were driving home from the lake, last week. We stopped at an antique shop, not far from home. There, next to the entrance, sat the very gate I had in mind! I hope to be be able to use a container with living flowers, where the basket of silks is now hanging. That's another "treasure hunt", I look forward to.
The birdhouse, on the hearth, was purchased in Belleville Illinois, at a craft fair, during the 1990's. The other birdhouse is from a craft fair, here in Missouri.
This cabinet is made of salvaged wood.
I found 3 of these bird hooks at Evergreen.
I've begun reading Mrs Whaley and Her Charleston Garden, at the recommendation of Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound. It's a wonderful true story, told in the words of a fine southern lady, Emily Whaley. The book tells the story of Mrs. Whaley's gardening in Charleton, South Carolina. We fell in love with Charleston, when we visited there a few years ago. I hear the sound of lovely South Carolinian voices, while reading this book and remember the gardens we saw, when we were there, during April 2005. It's a delightful book. Thank you for writing about it, Beverly!***********************************************
I photographed the house, at right, when we were taking a drive along The Great River Road, in February. It's in Clarksville, Missouri, where we stopped to watch the Eagles, that day. I was pleasantly surprised to find a very nice comment and a gracious invitation, in my Missouri Homes Old & New post, from the owner of the home, R. Cottrell, who has spent 2 years restoring his beautiful home, the oldest in Clarksville. I want to thank Mr Cottrell for the lovely comment and invitation to visit the home, for a view of the interiors. The home has been recently photographed for Romantic Homes and Old House Interiors magazines. We eagerly await a tour of this wonderful home.
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I photographed the house, at right, when we were taking a drive along The Great River Road, in February. It's in Clarksville, Missouri, where we stopped to watch the Eagles, that day. I was pleasantly surprised to find a very nice comment and a gracious invitation, in my Missouri Homes Old & New post, from the owner of the home, R. Cottrell, who has spent 2 years restoring his beautiful home, the oldest in Clarksville. I want to thank Mr Cottrell for the lovely comment and invitation to visit the home, for a view of the interiors. The home has been recently photographed for Romantic Homes and Old House Interiors magazines. We eagerly await a tour of this wonderful home.***********************************************
We have a busy week of medical appointments, ahead of us. I want to try to visit each of you in the next few days. We appreciate your continued prayers and support, during this time. Thank you all so very much.