The simple pleasures of home shine brighter
when the spirit of God intertwines our hearts
with His gentle Joy.

Monday, February 14, 2011

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:



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.




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


8 comments:

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Your hutch is wonderful, and I love the decor. You have created such a lovely vignette. I will keep you in prayer also. Hugs Marty

Donna@Conghaile Cottage said...

I LOVE your hutch and if you didn't tell anyone, they would NOT KNOW that they didn't belong together...I think they make a "Handsome Couple"...Oh My I remember the 70s when avocado and harvest gold RULED! Today the ladies are craving "White". I myself still LOVE WOOD to me WOOD. I think it's what makes LOVING old thing so great. They NEVER go out of style!
Your display is also wonderful and I LOVE every detail...
Happy Valentines Day to you!
If you get a moment Peek in on me and have a cup of tea... I have "LOTS" of chocolate too, hehe...
Hugs to you,
Donna

Unknown said...

Pat ~ Your vignettes are fabulous .. your home is beautiful.

Just happy your husband was safe while he protected people on the roads.

Happy Valentine's Day ~
TTFN ~
Marydon

Kelsie from Our Country Home and Studio Photography said...

I am so glad to see you enjoying your new found free time and I know Mr Ed is loving all the extra loving for him and the home....

I love your display, those 2 pears with the crackled glaze are GORGEOUS and I do like the Italian china as well...

How wonderful you are getting a break in the weather and Mr Ed can spend some nights at home..

Blessings and Prayers your way...Kelsie

we three dogs and me said...

Sorry to hear of your disappointment but sometimes something else wonderful will pop up.I too love your hutch and don't like to paint nice wood. Love your new pears. Makes for a nice addition.Keep up your blogging.

Pam said...

Beautiful vignettes. And your top matches your bottom so perfectly that I never would have known they weren't one piece if you hadn't mentioned it.

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hello sweet friend...

Well I am taking the time to do a little catching up over here at your sweet place, dear friend!

First of all, I am so sorry to hear about your job but I am confident that the Lord has something for you...when He closes one door...He will always open another! It's really unique how we, also, go through seasons in our lives. Maybe the Lord just wants you to enjoy keeping those "home fires" burning for awhile, dear friend...instead of having to venture out to work! Nevertheless, you are in my prayers, Pat! Sending you my best wishes and blessings for direction!

Now...onto that gorgeous dining room hutch of yours! Girl, I just giggled when I read about you having Mr. Ed paint it avocado...and then to strip it all down to the wood again! We women are a fickle bunch...aren't we? Hehe! But it is sooo fun to keep up with the trends of the time! I do love the sweet honey tone of the your beautiful hutch now! Mr. Ed did a fabulous job with it's redo! It is so sweet that you have a place for your dear mother's china and that you are able to enjoy it daily! That truly is a blessing! Also that the beautiful buffet belonged to your grandmother! I actually have to china cupboards in my home..one in the dining room that belonged to my dear grandmother...and the second china hutch is in my "special room"/office. It belonged to my late mother-in-law and holds all of her beautiful china! It's such a comfort to have these sweet memories around to enjoy daily!

Well my dear, I just adore your new decor! Of course, pears are one of my most favorite things to decorate with! Hmmm...you probably have seen a few pears at my place! Hehe! Love, love, LOVE your new crackle pears that you created that sweet hutch top vignette with! Sooo pretty! And...I also love the vignette that you created on the counter top of the buffet. It's just so warm, cozy, and beautiful...coudn't be more perfect for this season, sweet friend! Thank you sooo much for sharing your lovely buffet/hutch with us today! It was such a treat! Ohhh...and by the way...Mary of Mary's Meanderings is a very good friend of mine! She is just the dearest soul! I know exactly which lamp shade that you are talking about and I think that pretty effect would look lovely on your buffet! Can't wait to see what you do!

Ohhh my goodness, I certainly did not intend on writing a book here...eeeks!

Warmest wishes, sweet lady!
Chari @Happy To Design

bj said...

I love your hutch. I have one, too, that I put together two pieces to make. It is one of my favorite pieces. :))


Also, and you can tell him I said so...I think your Highway Man is a hunk. :))) NOW, I see why you love those romantic dinners. lol
xoxo bj