Life is What Happens...

...When you're busy making plans!  

After the big dig many things started happening.  I have always enjoyed discovering new information about the house--historic and otherwise.  Each little treasure we uncover is special to me--old bottles, nails, horseshoes, whatever.  I have recently discovered that I am not the only one who enjoys this kind of "junk". Through my posts on Instagram I have met many others who collect all kinds of things including old rusty and forgotten cast-offs from another time.  Not only have I enjoyed the camaraderie, it has re-opened a creative part of me that I have not indulged in a long time.  In my quest to document and share these old items I have started doing "collage" photography using my finds and other ephemera in vignettes to showcase them.  These are some of the images I have been working on.

We believe the cast-iron horseshoe and W plate was from an old Warrior horse-drawn mower.  We dug up other parts of the mower including the best part--an easy to identify seat! The Royal Hoof Grower metal lid was used to cover one of the many holes in the walls of the barn.

The metal seagull was one of the many items found in the barn in an array of old tools and various "doodads"!

This old cast-iron water pump was most likely used by the Hurd family shown in this 1880 photograph.

Waiting for Spring

Six more weeks of winter does not stop me from dreaming of spring and thinking about all the things I would like to do in the yard.  So many changes have already taken place over the last four years.  The fence was the first thing we did and it immediately changed the look of the yard.  It makes a perfect backdrop for all kinds of plants and flowers so we add more layers each year.

We have done a lot but there is still so much more we would like to do!  If I had my wish I would spend all my time in the yard......So many trees to prune, flowers to plant, and birds to watch.  Hurry up spring--I want to play!

With light colored walls and tile in the kitchen, I have collected a variety of old rusty metal items--some less rusty than others--that I enjoy displaying to add dimension and texture to the room and make the overall feel less contemporary.  The dark colors play nicely with the soapstone counter tops too!

I was pretty happy when I found two of these great old fish molds--one would not have been nearly as interesting.  The trick was how to mount them without putting any holes in the fish.  Let's just say I am pretty handy with 16-gauge wire!

I am also quite fond of pinecones--anything organic with texture frankly--these are perfect for fall decor and the bit of sparkle lets me know Christmas is not far away without going full holiday just yet...soon though, very soon!