it takes a Friendly Village

This is my second attempt, in as many days, to write a blog post.  I actually wrote one, but it turned so long and pathetic, I decided to  trash it and start over.

I have, instead, decided to share the best part.

On Saturday, in between all of the “have to” stuff, I decided to make a run to one of my favorite antique shops.  It was actually a “have to,” too, because I was looking for the some props for my window display.  I plan to hang the plate rack I painted at The Hayloft and I was trying to decide what would look best displayed on it.  Then I thought of my favorite dishes.  Sure, I could have used something I already had in inventory, but where’s the fun in that?!?

I’ve decided to transition my window from fall to Christmas the week of Thanksgiving.  I mean, it’s bad enough that I already have five fully decorated Christmas trees!  Anyhoo, the plans for the windows are coming together and they will involve:

Anyone who knows me, knows of my affinity for Johnson Brothers Friendly Village.  It is the pattern I use to set my tables for any event from November through February.

 

I bought 8 more dinner plates, cereal bowls and bread & butter plates.

Those square salad plates . . . my first!  Love them.

A box full of a variety of loot.  The Pilgrim’s Progress book is for my personal collection—it’ll be part of my Thanksgiving display at the house.

 

Love this turkey platter with gold trim.  The beauty of Friendly Village is the variety of color mixed with the fact that it doesn’t have a Christmas specific theme, but the snowy scenes imply the holidays.  The blue  trim on this platter will blend quite well.

 

The mugs are a first, too.  I’ve never had them before. 

Well, there you have it.  The beginnings of a winter window . . .

Thanks for your indulgence.

fall porch

No way!  Are you kidding me?!?  It’s already the weekend before the first weekend in November???

Well, that can mean only one thing . . . it’s time to pull-out the Christmas decorations at the shop.  argh!

Please don’t hold it against me.  We’ve got to play by some of the rules set-up by the big guys.  heck, if you gauge me by most of the “big boxers” you will find me lacking.  I’m sorry.  I am doing my best.

So, today it began and I am amazed at how much we were able to get done.

Around the house we are enjoying the warm glow of the fireplaces, but falling behind on the current holiday season, let alone the future ones. 

I finally got the front porch situated, sort of.  I hung a tobacco basket instead of my fall wreath.  I found several at the flea market a few months ago.  The really cool thing is that they were all marked with  Clarksville, TN.   I was already fascinated with the barns all over Tennessee.

I moved the wicker chairs we once used in the kitchen to the porch.  I tried wrapping the legs with sisal rope (the wicker wrapping has come undone); it probably would have worked if I started the process a little differently, but for now, they could stand a little more attention.

 

A few weeks ago, I participated in a wonderful barn sale hosted by Shirley and Knox Thomas.  When I went out to see the barn—prior to the event—I noticed stacks and stacks of tobacco sticks.  (These are the sticks the tobacco is hung from while curing in the smoking barns.)  Shortly after returning to my shop, I messaged Shirley to ask if I could buy a bundle of the sticks from them.  She happily obliged and even delivered them to me!  I’ve decided to display a bunch of them (7) in the rusty milk can on the porch.

 

Note the planter above.  This was an idea Patty found on Pinterest.  We used a vintage floor lamp and a wire hanging basket with a coco liner.  The Pinterest pic had the planter filled with succulents—it was lovely.  Mine is filled with ornamental cabbages and mums.

 

I need to find a better color for the wicker chairs.  I had painted them a greyish-taupe when they were destined for the kitchen.

 

 

Those tall flowers blocking the view of the porch were a mistake, but I cannot get rid of them.  I think if I took the time to cut them back before they develop those white blooms (which blow around like dandelion seed), I think we’d have far fewer, but . . .

 

The others, the peach colored asters at the front should be named Clarksville official flower.  There are actually more of them than the tall white-flowered things (can’t remember their names) in our yard—on Dog Hill—all over Clarksville, for that matter!  They are prolific.

My yard has more color in the fall than the spring.  Is yours like that?  I’d love to hear from you.  Thanks for sticking with me—especially while I’ve been a sporadic blogger.

Thanks for your indulgence,

barn sale EXCITEMENT!

Okay . . . yesterday I visited the location for The HayLoft at Port Royal—it’s a barn sale that will take place Oct 19 & 20th—and to say I was blown away would be an understatement! The host, Shirley Thomas, had a vision; with the help of her husband, Knox, and friends, Bubba (introduced as “like a son”) and Dave, she has brought that vision into reality.
Shirley has been a long time customer and, as I tend to do with my customers, we have becomes friends. Often she will stop by Hodgepodge just to kick-around an idea for decorating, but about six months ago she brought the idea of a barn sale with her. We talked about it for quite a while. I told her I had been hoping to have something like that take place here in Clarksville for years. I have been invited to participate in numerous barn sales in the past few years, but I am often stymied by the issue of distance. (I just can’t be away from the shop—with inventory—for very long.)
Anyhoo, long story, longer . . . Shirley and crew have been working like animals to get their former milking barn ready for the big event. So I went out to see it yesterday.
On my way to find it, I was happy to notice a few barns were being utilized for smoking tobacco. I am fascinated by this practice, which is rather ironic, as I really abhor the use of tobacco products, but we all have our vices, don’t we? (As I live in a glass house, I will leave it at that!)
Back to smoking (as in, “curing”) tobacco . . . the scent is a herald of the season for many folks living in the south. Imagine my thrill when I pulled-up to The HayLoft location and saw those wistful plumes of smoke billowing out of the eaves!
Shirley was gracious enough to stop her hard work and take me on a tour of the place.

We started here—Shirley refers to it as “downstairs;” she was originally going to to just offer spaces on the main floor and had spent most of her time preparing that space, but the interest in this event has grown to the degree that she needed more space!

 Those are tobacco sticks she has used to fashion a wall to delineate spaces for the vendors. Love it!

Here is the main floor. It is vast and wonderful. I love the chandeliers—a barn isn’t a barn without chandeliers! Be sure to take a look-see at those lights around the perimeter of the Hayloft—they’re fashioned from Mason Jars, ingenious!

Tobacco sticks—I’m obsessed.

Here is a view of the chandeliers Shirley has constructed. She plans to add burlap slipcovers to those shiny new chains—a woman after my own heart!

A view of The Hayloft—food services will be available there in the room with the windows (she has thought of and provided for everything).

The smoking barn . . . major l-o-v-e!

As I was leaving, I turned around for one last shot—this is going to be so much fun!!!

Our booth will be located on the upper level, right next to Elizabeth Vaughn, of Artistic Works by Lu. I will have a full stock of Chalk Paint™, a few creative items, as well as some painted furniture samples; I will also be doing some demonstrations with Chalk Paint™. My sister, Kendall Welsh, will share the space with me. She will bring along some of her signature window designs and picture frames, as well as other items.
At last check she had more than 30 creative vendors beating down her door to participate! There will be handmade items, one-of-a-kind creations and antiques for the home and for yourself. You will not be disappointed!
I provided a link to her blog at the beginning of this post, but here’s her facebook page, too. (it’s her personal page, where she seems to be doing most of the posting about the event.)
One more item to note, there will be a special preview event on Thursday, the 18th from 4 – 7 pm. The cost is $10, which will cover your entrance to the event, food and music! (I say come early!)
Hope to see you at The HayLoft!
Thanks for your indulgence,