A Home Office in the Sky!!

Hi Everyone!

         Today's post is about our children's house. Paul and Lauren moved into the house about 9 years ago. It is a beautiful farmhouse colonial in a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. I remember the first time I saw the house. I fell in love with the front porch. I know the porch was what made Lauren fall in love with the house. The porch runs  the length of the house. At one end of the porch sits a large porch  swing. I believe everyone should have a porch swing. There is nothing more relaxing! As your swing it seems to transport you back to your childhood... the days when you didn't have a care in the world... Oh how I love that porch!!!
          Recently Paul and Lauren decided to add on a sunroom to the house. The sunroom would become Paul's home office so the girls can each have their own room. Emily wanted a room of her own. She had shared a room with her little sister, Sarah since she was born. She took such good care of Sarah all those years, now it was Emily's turn. It was time!! So Paul and Lauren looked at all ways to make this happen and decided a sunroom was the best option.
           The construction of the sunroom began in the midst of a  freezing, snowy winter. Paul and Lauren seem to take things in stride. They remain focused on the end result. To cut costs

they decided they would do some of the work themselves, They decided to install a wood floor and sheetrock and paint the interior of the room. No DIY project seems to be out of their reach. They both take on the challenge to completion. I have learned never to doubt their capabilities. I have watched them do things that I know I would never have had the courage to do on my own.
The floor came out beautiful!!!! This time  Ryan helped his Dad install  the wood floor. So the DIY gene is now passed down to the next generation.
         The sunroom is absolutely beautiful!!! The room has windows on all three sides. Because the room is on the second floor it has a view of trees and sky. What an awesome view of nature!!

         It's like being in a treehouse!!! I think everyone should have their home office in the sky!
It makes going to work a pleasure!  Enjoy your new room Emily!

                     Sue     

Irish Soda Bread

Friday is St. Patrick's Day. I just love Irish soda bread. This is a great recipe. It is easy to make and absolutely  delicious!!!! Give it a try and enjoy it for breakfast on St. Patrick's Day.
 Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's day!!!!!


   Ina Garten's Irish Soda Bread

             Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour plus
  extra for currents

4 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tsps. kosher salt

4 tablespoon (1/2 stick). cold unsalted  butter cut into 1/2 dice

1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken

I extra large egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 1/2 cps dried fruit (dried currants and raisins)


             Directions
Preheat the oven 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in bowl of electric mixer,fitted with the pedal attachment.

2. Add cold butter mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into flour

3. With fork, lightly beat buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in measuring cup.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into dough. It will be wet.

4. Dump the dough onto well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an x into the top of the bread with serrated knife. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
         
                                               Happy St. Patrick's Day! 
                                            
                                                              Sue

                                      
                                                        


                                                                 
 
    

Victorian Beauty

     Hello Everyone!
               My post is going to be a little different today. We went to visit our children and grandchildren on Saturday. I am always looking for new ideas for blog posts. So today I decided to share with you a little about one of my favorite houses, our children's home.
              Chris & Lisa purchased this beautiful home about nineteen years ago. The house is a 1901 Victorian located in beautiful Westchester County, N.Y. I can still remember the evening Chris & Lisa asked us to come and see a home they were thinking of buying. As we drove up to the house I couldn't believe it's beauty. It took my breath away! There sat this magnificent Victorian. It was so beautiful! It sat in all it's glory on a hill with a giant 100 year old Sycamore tree shading the house. The house had such stately Victorian lines. The stone retaining wall, the 17 stone steps to the front door...and oh! that beautiful front porch. For me it was love at first sight!!! and I'm sure it was love at first sight for Lisa!
               As we walked through the interior it was clear that it had been renovated in the 1980s.. Through the many years of different owners the house lost its original beauty But nothing could take away from the 12 foot ceilings, the wide moldings, the original  doors and hardware, the stained glass and those magnificent pine wood floors. The beauty wasn't lost, just hidden under poor taste, ugly wallpaper and  wall to wall carpeting. I could see Lisa had a vision. She saw the beauty of the home. She knew she could restore it to what it once was. I don't think she saw it as too much work.  It would be a labor of love.The house was screaming," Make me pretty again!" and if anyone could, I knew Lisa could!!
             Through the years we watched them restore the house. Room by room Lisa painstakingly restored this home to the beauty it was 116 years ago. She brought back the beauty....all the details that say Victorian. As with all homes we are never finished. I'm sure Chris and Lisa will continue to work on their beautiful home. It will never be finished but that's ok because when we love our home we enjoy every minute we spend making it pretty.

             If walls could talk they would say thank you to Lisa for not giving up!! Thank you Lisa for loving the house back to life!!!!!!!    

        
              Below are just a few pictures of the house. We will return and do a proper photo shoot

The Porch

Porch looking from Parlor

Parlor

What is Your Decorating Style?

 Hi Everyone,
                
            We have had some Beautiful spring like weather this past week.
            My head knows it's still winter but my heart is in the garden!!!!!



                                            What is your Decorating Style?

                    Traditional, Modern, Mid-Century Modern, Victorian, Industrial, Farmhouse, Shabby Chic, Romantic Country, Country, French Country, English Country...
                                              No wonder we're all confused!!!!!!
          I think I've wrestled with this question for quite some time. I've been asking myself this question a lot these past few weeks. I want to redecorate our living room and dining room. One of those areas of our new townhouse that I just can't seem to get right. The townhouse has an open concept..... Living room, dining room, and kitchen all one room. Help!!! I want my walls back!

        So how do we discover our style?
There are so many things that influence us.....HGTV, magazines. books, friends and family. However for all those outside influences {some good-some bad}I have come to realize I always return to one style in particular. For me it's English Country. I have wavered many times through the years but I always seem to return to what I believe is truly my style. I am not a purist. I like to mix a piece or two of a different style. Something as simple as a French chair or a Victorian foot stool. It makes a room more interesting. Adding a few different pieces creates a room that looks like it evolved over time.
A look I just love.
         How do I know that English Country is truly my core style?
Because no matter what is going on in the world of decorating I always choose English country. It's those rooms that jump off the page at me when I'm searching a magazine or book... It's the comfortable feeling I get when I walk into the room....It's everything about the English style, the colors, the lines of the furniture, the plates hung on the wall, the botanicals.
It makes my heart sing! It makes me feel comfortable. It makes me feel happy.
                                         But most importantly it feels like home.
When you decorate with what you love it feels right because it makes your heart sing!!!!!
                                                  
                                                               -Sue-

A Touch of Spring

                                                       

Valentine's Day

Hi Everyone!


                    Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!

     I decided to do something special for Phil and bake his favorite chocolate cake. After all, celebrating Valentines Day means having the best chocolate dessert ever! It's a day when we say the heck with the diet, who cares how many points and so what if I gain back the two pounds I just lost. It's a time to indulge in one of life's little pleasures....Chocolate Cake!!
    
     This chocolate cake has been in our family for years. A girlfriend of Phil's boss brought the cake as a hostess gift around 1980 or so. It was frozen wrapped in aluminum foil. Her instructions were to defrost and to serve with whipped cream or iced cream. I served the cake for our family a few days later. We all were shocked at just how delicious it was. I requested the recipe and the rest is history as they say. That chocolate cake that looked quite ordinary became  the family birthday cake for years to come. To this day, I have only one request on our son's birthdays...To bake the Chocolate Cake...

     I have shared this recipe with countless friends and family. I think it must have gone around the world a few times by now.

                                                   
                                          
                                                        Chocolate Cake
                                                                10 servings

                                1   Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake mix
                                1    instant chocolate pudding mix
                                4    large eggs
                                1    pint sour cream  [16 oz.]        
                               1/2  cup vegetable oil
    Place all ingredients in large bowl of standing mixer. With mixer on low blend until just combined. Turn mixer to high speed and beat for 4 minutes.  Bake for 45-60 minutes.  Test after 45 min. Cool Cake for 15 minutes before turning onto serving plate. 
Dust with powered sugar.  Serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.
Enjoy!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day Phil!!! Love you!


                                                         Sue

                     


                        

                    




                                  

Treasured Pieces

Happy Friday!
 
     I'm really looking forward to the weekend! We're traveling to New York tomorrow to visit the grandkids. My very favorite thing to do!!! This weekend is also Super Bowl Sunday. I'm sure Phil will watch the game while I read. The sound of the football game on T.V. actually puts me to sleep. Lol!!!

     Today I thought I'd talk about those special treasures that are passed down from one generation to another.

      Perhaps it's your Grandmother's or Mother's china or silver, or a piece of furniture, a painting or something as ordinary as a piece of cookware. Big or small, expensive or ordinary they are passed down because they are important. Whatever it is it was something that was loved and treasured and they trusted you to love it as they did. Many of these treasures are rich in history. But they are all rich in memories as they remind us of that special person that gave them to us.

     Yesterday I decided to change the centerpiece on the dining room table. I change the centerpiece often for the holidays and seasons. The townhouse is an open plan so the table is center stage.
I decided to use an ironstone soup tureen filled with greens. I thought it would be a nice winter touch for the room. This soup tureen was passed down to me from my Aunt Sara. She gave it to me when she moved into an apartment after my Uncle Jack passed away. I remember how this soup tureen sat on her dining room table for as long as I can remember. It was a gift from my Uncle Jack for a wedding anniversary. She treasured this beautiful antique.
     I was so touched that she would trust me with something that meant so much to her. I have taken good care of this gift through the past 10 years. It moved with us twice, but each time I hand carried it. I wouldn't trust the movers. It was way too important. 

    Yesterday I decided to take the tureen from the kitchen and give it a place of honor on the dining room table. I love the way it looks!! It makes me smile because I'm sure Aunt Sara would approve.

    Maybe you have some treasures passed down from a special person. Take them out of the closet, basement or attic and give them a place of honor in your home.
     Trust me they will make you smile!!
                                                                                                                     Sue

    

Antiques

Hi Everyone!
    
      I Hope you had a great weekend. Our weekend was cold and cloudy. I'm starting to get used to the fact that the  weather up here is very different from Long Island....The weather forecast for North Eastern PA is usually the same everyday... cold, cloudy with a chance of snow showers.....


        Today's post is about adding antiques and vintage pieces to your rooms.

    I have been visiting antique shops for many years. Something I just love to do. I don't know why I love to wander around antique shops. It's more than adding an antique or vintage piece to my home. I find the hunt fascinating and interesting. Looking at and admiring pieces that others used in their home long ago. Some of the items were used for everyday living and others were for beauty. I wonder how some of these items wind up in an antique shop.  Did the owners not  have any use for them? Did the family members that inherited them think they were old fashioned and outdated? Maybe there wasn't anyone left and the houses contents went to auction. For what ever reason they are left behind. I will give these treasures a new home.
   Most times I don't usual have anything in mind to buy. but I always leave with at least one new treasure.

     There are so many antique shops where we live.  Last week we went to Lewisburg, Pa. There were two giant antique shops..three floors high...over 100 vendors. I thought I died and went to heaven!!! 

    I believe adding antiques to a room adds another layer of design and beauty. They add a warmth and a sense of history. In my opinion there isn't any new item that has the patina of an antique. There are no right and wrongs when looking for antique or vintage items for your home. Buy what you love! Buy what speaks to you! When you love it you will find a place for it.

       Every antique we bring into our home preserves a little piece of history.


     Below are a few pictures of some of the antiques and vintage pieces I have in our home.

Some I found and others were gifts. My daughter-in-law Lisa and I share the love of antiques. She has given me some of the most beautiful pieces I own.

   

     
   
                                                                            sue