Weekend in Massachusetts Part II

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we went to an incredible museum in Deerfield, MA, the Flynt Center, and promised to share a few photos from our time there. For a small location the museum had an impressive collection of artifacts from the 1600s to the end of the 19th century.
The patron of the museum and co-founder of Historic Deerfield, Helen Geier Flynt, spent 60 years collecting artifacts, and her passion for early American is evident in this extensive collection.
The collection consists of lovely furniture, pottery, everyday articles and textiles. I was immediately drawn to the textile collection which presents examples of embroidery, woven silks, bed hangings, coverlets, quilts, costumes. It is amazing to think of the talents of our ancestors working with so many less materials, the value of those materials, and most importanly, light. I can't imagine working with a needle and thread with cold fingers by candle-light.

Obviously all pieces in the collection were behind glass and they were hard to photograph - I took so many pictures but unfortunately only a few turned out.
The shoes in the first photgraph were stunning however I can't imagine how impractical they were, not to mention uncomfortable! Aren't they just lovely though?


There were many articles of clothing, from beautifully and intricately detailed stitchings on muslin under clothes to heavy silks. I'm so disappointed that my least favorite piece of clothing, this green dress, was the only clear photograph. None the less, it is gorgeous, however I preferred the simpler clothing. It was so interesting to note the ever changing style of dress too. Much like our fashion is constantly changing, theirs was too.
The best, in my opinion, were the samplers and crewel work. The were incredible works of art. Just look at the detail in this piece and the one pictured with the shoes. It is amazing that the colors have remained as vibrant and intense as they have over the years, thanks to somone's careful preservation.

I hope I have an opportunity to go back and spend more time in the Flynt Center. If you are ever in western Massachusetts, I highly recommend a trip to Deerfield - you won't be disappointed.

Fun Friday!

Happy Easter!

Weekend in Massachusetts

We were in Massachusetts this weekend visiting our daughter, Katie. We have not seen her since January when she left after winter break to go back to school.

It was so great to see her and it was like a mini vacation.
That's Katie with George and her boyfriend, Corey, in front of the map at Historic Deerfield.
We spent a good part of Saturday in Deerfield, about 20 minutes north of Amherst, MA. It is one of many historic areas in the state which was lovely and educational. It was a nice way to spend the day, learning and exploring.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day, but very chilly - in the 30s and windy. What does one expect in New England in March though!

I love colonial and traditional and nothing says colonial New England like a saltbox house.
Beautiful in my opinion!

I love all all of the colonial architecture.
Look at these old bottle windows we saw on a number of the buildings. Amazing!
I could not believe the slope on the side of this house - can you see it?
We spent some time inside a really impressive museum, the Flynt Center. I managed to get a few pictures, which I'll share next time.
It was a wonderful weekend and I hated to see it end.

Lonesome Soldier

I noticed this one lonesome daffodil last night when I came home. It is all by itself....none of the other daffodils are anywhere near ready to bloom however this one was so anxious to pop, there it was all by its lonesome self!

We had a very windy spring day today. It was almost difficult to walk when I took my walk at lunchtime. When I got home tonight, there was this poor lonesome daffodil, like a casualty of war, just laying in the garden.
I hope the calm environment inside will make it happy for another day or two.
We'll be good companions!

Happy Spring!

Happy Spring!
We have finally entered spring and in my area we are experiencing an unusual taste of June weather today - Sunny and in the 70s!

We have endured a terrible winter and I'm so glad for spring to be here. As a tribute to spring and some talented Etsy sellers, I'd like to share with you some of my favorites that say "spring" to me.

The Wind in the Willows from DornickDesigns. Just the name screams spring to me and I love the colors and the tree ready to burst with green.


Talk about green - don't you love this contrast of green and blue?

Vintage Compote from GingersGirl, a great new shop on Etsy.



How about this wonderful bird house?

It is so peaceful to watch and listen to the birds in warm weather. I would love to have this awesome bird house (just look at the detail) in my yard! This Primitive Chicken Hen House, by Birdhouseaccents is one of my favorite bird houses on Etsy.

Look at this adorable fairy window -

This window with flower box is just one of the many neat little fairy or gnome architectural pieces from NothinButWood. You won't be disappointed with their creative pieces.
I just love this funky ring holder and purchased one similar to it last year from TwistedRiverClay. I love having it on my window sill in the kitchen to put my rings when I do the dishes.


What a colorful spring pendant this is, Bloom Where You Are Planted by Tekaandzoe.


And last but not least, Karen Fields always delights with her bright and cheery paintings. My latest favorite of hers is Tree of Life Birds. Such magic and whimsy with Karen's use of color.



I hope you have enjoyed some of my favorites. Are any of your favorites inspired by spring?
Happy Spring my friends!

Fun Friday

Eggs!







TGIF and be kind to your eggs!

My Own "Vintage" Eggs

I know I have mentioned that even as a child I found so much pleasure in being creative. I will always remember the day I made these eggs. I was proably 10 or 11 years old so they must be at least 40 years old by now!
I decided to cover eggs and really challenged myself at an early age with this task. I used real eggs and put pin-pricks at each end and actually blew the liquid out of the eggs.
I covered each egg (a total of 6) with little squares of calico I cut with pinking sheers. There is no finish to these eggs, simply fabric glued onto the shells, however they have lasted these many, many years.
I keep them carefully packed away in an egg carton and marvel at them each spring when I take them out of the carton and enjoy them. These simple eggs have given me so many years of pride and pleasure. I hope you like them too!