Auction Goodes & Dressing the Farmhouse for Autumn

Good Wednesday Morning Friends & Folk ~

 here are a few snaps of what {who} 

I brought home from the auction on Monday…

this beautifully over-loved rocking horse!

{{ the moment I saw him I knew he'd come home with me }} 

this is his 'good' side, but before I cleaned him up a bit…

and this is his 'not-so-good' side:

{with Minew inspecting, of course…}

his excelsior {wood shavings} are there, nice & firmly held into place with old cordage…

but his once-silky mohair coat has been ravaged by time.

{ and I'm sure a few mousels & moths too}

one of his rocker stretchers was busted…

so I got out my trusty wire & fixed him up good.

{Peter uses duct tape for everything, I prefer rusty wire!}

after blowing him off good with my leaf blower, 

~ then taking a soft bristle-brush to his mohair…

I began the arduous task of pinning his fur back into place best-I-could.

{You'll see his 'after' further along in this post}

and here is the other goodie that came home with me..

yes, another quilt.

like kittens & potato chips,

ya just can't have 

only one.

this one incorporates wools, homespun & cotton fabrics.

looks more 'pink' in the photo, but it's not ~ it's very neutral with browns & blues…

we dug our potato patch yesterday ~ well only a small portion we dug…

but, it yielded us tender red & white potatoes that went right into the pot for supper!

we also harvested the last of our Indian corn…

here it is drying in the sun on a dryer rack that Peter made me last year…

I will tie some together and hang them,

... others I will save the kernels and plant again next spring.

so, would you like to come in for a cup of tea?

I've decorated this old farmhouse in her Autumnal finery…

I just couldn't wait any longer…

here is the front of the Keeping Room ~

the 'cheddar' quilt on the back of the couch was another auction win!

I love to decorate in folk art style & colors…

...some drab, some poison but all primitive!

it all works together if you love it :)

here is a close-up of my blue tulip cupboard:

it holds all kinds of crazy things that I collect…mummified toad, cat skull…

mohair & wool squirrel from Lori Ann Corelis ~ a painted box from Misi Axel, 

...another box from Susan & Dorrie with a Jack on top, a small witch's house made by friend Lois…

a small wool appliqué by my hands…and another box made by Stacy Bear…

the 'cauldron' is actually a coffee-cup that Hannah brought me home from Disney, along with a genuine authentic wand {in cauldron} which is an exact replica of Professor McGonagall's!!

{I have her hat too!}

oh, and a tiny salesman-sample of a painted Hitchcock chair from Riverton, CT.

and here is the back of the Keeping Room…

can you see him?

there,

high atop my cupboard is my most-handsome steed…

He is all spiffy & clean now, wearing a wreath of bittersweet 'round his neck ~

when I started working with his fur, I didn't know his mane & tail were tucked up under the mohair…

I gently coaxed it out and fluffed it up a bit.

I love him and I feel as though he's happy again :)

next to that cupboard is my 'W O W' {a.k.a. Wall Of Wool} hooked rugs, that is!

these have been collected over the years from various artisans…

Sherry Kristoff, Lori Rippey, Bonnie Stahl…to name a few.

and here are a few more hooked rugs below ~

along with some Netty LaCroix tombstone angels that I dearly love.

Below is a photo of that entire wall shown above…

our flat screen television is hung above the blue mantle ~ Peter is making another,

 but bigger swinging arm crane for us which will hold yet another old quilt to hide the TV!

{I'd better head back to that auction then soon! ha!}

I'm sure you've noticed my many {many} dolls throughout the farmhouse…

there are at least 6 in each room ~

I have gathered them for many moons…I especially love the pumpkin and witch dolls ;)

my dolls were created by many different artisans as well ~

Becky Carney made this pumpkin folk below…

but I have dolls made by Wendy Stys-Van Eimeren, Norma Schneeman, Netty Lacroix…

Tina Lewonski & Tammy Speicher.

I am always on the lookout for new ones!

a couple of cross stitched pillows rest in an old gathering basket below…

these were stitched by friend Susan Hoover ~ the one on the left is my designed by Tina Woltman,

... the one on the right is my own design.

here is our Dining Room ~ below

...a small, but charming little room that I love to decorate!

the Bonnet Hutch was purchased last year right here by me

 from a dealer at our Gathering of Primitive Friends Show… 

{ it's awesome to be able to shop in your own front yard!}

the silk & beaded lamp was Peter's anniversary gift to me for our 25th a couple of yrs ago…

it too was purchased from a dealer at our own show :)

our hand-carved H O M E sign, created by our brother-in-law Thomas Parziale,

hangs proudly in this room…it reminds us of the most important thing in life

…a happy home & family.

more witch dolls, an old oil painting of pansies {love purple}, a small warren of rabbits made by Wendy Stys-Van Eimeren & Sherry Kristoff…old feed sacks hide one very small portion of my magazine & book hoard  ….ummm, collection.

and lots of early children's shoes too!

on the shelf and in the Mason's Black Shoe Polish box…

I can't control myself if I see a pair or even an abandoned lone shoe ~ I must give it a home!

the basket on top of my Bonnet Hutch was found under a barn here in VA ~

it was flat as a pancake when I pulled it out from under that barn.

I was told to soak it, then work it back into shape and let it dry…

~ it worked beautifully and it's original Indigo Blue dye is so pretty.

it hold quilts that are stored away...

{ya think?}

ha!

the tin & wooden toleware was collected piece by piece, 

with the small fragile toleware tray underneath given to me 

by my dear friend Joan Spalding as a birthday gift.

I now blame her for my toleware obsession…

thanks a lot.

:)

more Witch Sisters below sitting on a deacons bench from…

the auction!

far left, made by me.  middle & far right, Deena Warner.

Below,

my feather-tree stays up all year…

it is housed in an old 40 cup grey graniteware coffeepot, 

with a grey graniteware funnel for a topper.

right now it holds glass owl ornaments from my sister Louisea Parziale, and other assorted ornies collected over time…tiny little rice-lights stay on perpetually for a soft glow to this corner.

in a basket on the Bonnet Hutch is a collection of pocket-watches…

I nestled them on some raw flax and an abandoned birds nest.

then I tucked in some old string on winders, some beeswax & a flicker candle

and an early {ca. 1902} copy of 'Witchcraft in Salem Village" by John Fiske, 

who was a direct descendent of John Fiske who was a pastor in Salem Village during the Witch Trials.

guess where I cot my copy?

{yup! the auction}

here is the view from Dining Room into Kitchen ~

more hooked wool mats by Lori Rippey & Bonnie Stahl…

a clutch of Hens on Nests on a shelf built by Peter, an old blue time-clock cabinet,

and our Old Goat weathervane ~ 

this was a gift to me from a very dear friend, Priscilla…

we'll meet again one day sweet Ladye.

you can find reproductions of this weathervane (or similar ones) on the market today.

This one was taken down from her home in Gulford, CT which was built in the 1700's ~

… it was original to the home.

well, there you go ~ 

a small tour of the humble place we call home…sorry it was so long-winded!

I know that when I see other folks' homes, I want to know details ;)

I hope you enjoyed your visit ~

come by again soon & Blessed be…

… we'll leave a light on for you!!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori