Keeping the Home Fires Burning. . .

While faced with a recent lay~off, I have thrust myself into ridding my home of winter decor. Neatly packed away are the snowmen and winter garlands. So . . .  in keeping the home fires burning On Crooked Creek, I carried those same rich, vibrant hues of cranberries , oranges , khaki , and sage throughout the dining room.

My china hutch is a combination of two separate pieces. The base is actually the oak buffet belonging to my beloved Grandmother. The bottom portion consist of one larger drawer which houses my place mats, napkins and various table runners. Behind the three doors neatly stored are all my coffee and tea sets, seasonal dishes and over sized decor pieces.

The buffet was a post war purchase from latter 1940's ~ early 1950's and still hosts the original hardware. The original finish was a hazelnut cream stain. In the mid 70's, when I inherited the buffet, dining table and four chairs ~ "Mr. Ed" antiqued it avocado green to appease me. Then. . . in the later 1980's, he stripped, sanded and added a light honey oak stain to bring out the true beauty of the natural oak wood.

The upper cabinet was purchased in the 90's. It's sole purpose was to showcase the Classic Rose Narumi Fine China my mother had given to me. Previously the china had been stored away in a cabinet in our "dream home" kitchen and was never seen.

This piece made of knotty pine is a mail order catalog purchase from JC Penney Company. "Mr. Ed" assembled and stained the upper cabinet to match the base. Original hardware of wooden knobs were replaced with pear motif knobs to better co~ordinate with the wallpaper when arriving On Crooked Creek. The addition of glass cabinet fronts allows me to view my beloved mother's china and gives me great comfort. Each time I view the rose motif china, visions of Easter and Christmas past flood my memory with times spent around the table with loved ones close at hand.

Knotty pine ~ oak ; country ~ contemporary. . . whatever! It works!

After removing the snowmen and the pine bough greenery, I placed my newest pears on top of my white bound cookbooks used for risers!

The hues are similar in my Italian Pottery making a cohesive decor statement. Light, airy fern added the splash of color and a bit of softness to this grouping.



A perfect spot for including table top dressing. This is another area On Crooked Creek that changes with the seasons. The matching table runner folded makes for a great layering piece for the top of the buffet.

Ambient lighting illuminates and softens this area for our evening meals. A welcome warmth during our dreary nights on the prairie. I've switched out my heirloom silver coffee set for my white Avon fruit tea set. The lids on the tea pot, creamer and sugar bowl are either apple or pear motif. The floral arrangement mimics the rich vibrant hues of cranberries , oranges , khaki , and sage . The background is a white~washed wicker tray decoupaged with sunflowers similar to those grown On Crooked Creek.

The green glass pear was a bargain find during our Annual Trout Fishing Trip to Bennett Spring State Park this past Fall. The lamp was a bargain vintage find from Country Bumpkin, a local Wichita Antique shop. Although it houses an inexpensive plastic shade, Mary @ Mary's Meanderings shows a darling little lampshade tutorial that may make it's way On Crooked Creek soon! To view Mary's sweet lampshade, check out her tutorial here:

http://megardengal.blogspot.com/2010/01/sweet-solution-for-much-needed-lamp.html

A wooden set of over sized pears rest atop a Goodwill bargain find vintage book titled, Chateau of Flowers The Romantic Story of Lily of the Valley   by Margaret Rome. The final decor piece is the cranberry clock that keeps us on time. In each corner on the clock face is a sunflower surrounding the dial.

As the hands on the face of our clock read 5:50 pm., the dinner hour is quickly approaching On Crooked Creek.  "Mr. Ed" will soon be coming home, instead of preparing to leave this evening. A warm home, a freshly cooked meal, and a quiet time to relax are certainly in store as I strive to keep the home fires burning.

www.astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

On Crooked Creek is joining Marty@ A Stroll Thru Life for her one year anniversary to host Table Top Tuesday! What a joyous celebration is going on . . .be sure to visit today and see all the lovely table tops the ladies have prepared just for your viewing pleasure!

Until next time. . .

Dear Ones,

Your outpouring of prayers and well wishes for "Mr.Ed",  as he battled with the forces of Mother Nature to keep the highways safe for those who ventured out, has blessed both of us On Crooked Creek. I believe it is those prayers, combined with the ones of my Sisters~in~Christ that have brought about the warmer temperatures that we are currently experiencing the prairie. Both "The Highway Man" and I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you on our behalf.

I, also, want to thank all of you precious blog ladies. . .when I hadn't done a blog post in a timely fashion. . .you were kindly e~mailing and inquiring as to my well being. As the door of a gratifying and rewarding employment opportunity abruptly closed, I was filled with a deep sense of loss. But as my profile states in my side bar. . .Grounded by my faith in Christ which carries me through daily joyous living or tragedy. . .it is my faith in Christ combined with prayer that holds me together in these times of economic difficulty. I will miss all the wonderful opportunities that working daily @ Bittersweet afforded me. Even more so are the precious relationships with co~workers and customers! For now, I'm taking it one~day~at~a~time.

Fondly,

Pat