Grab a Cuppa...we're gonna Be Awhile....

Hope you all have a GREAT New Year!
We pray that ours is AS GOOD as this last one, or better!

I know many of you have wondered,"Where is She?" I am Here...busy, busy, busy, and more busy! We had a LOT to do this year, considering what 2007 was like for us. We had a rotten year, and it got steadily worse by the close of the year, and by New Year's Eve, we brought in 2008 with a toast between DH and myself, proclaiming we would NEVER, EVER have another year like that one, so this past year has been lived in the fullest ways possible, and we tried hard to pick up where it all went so wrong.

So....we carried out our Annual Trek to the Virginia towns of Hillsboro, Purcellville & Leesburg, to see the sights, take in the towns and to shop at our favorite places. We also did something different this year, and that was to take a Home Tour of local historical homes in the Hillsboro area. Just Look at these pics of what we got to see....some will have explanations. The rest are just for you to ooooh and ahhhh at! Don't forget...CLICK TO ENLARGE!!!!

First, we went to Hillsboro's Old Stone School, to a craft show that is held there anually, and this year we had a surprise in store...we had NO IDEA that the Old Stone School had caught on fire just this past May....what a SHOCK!!! You can go HERE to see all about it, and to read about the fine history of this school. My cousin, Karen, went to this school and the Round School that was built behind it...so this is one of the reasons we go here every year. Memories of old stomping grounds! But the incredible work that was done inside, well....you'll have to explore that site on your own!



From there, we went on the Homes Tour....for the next SEVERAL HOURS we were totally mesmerized, and you will be too!!! Go on....and REMEMBER to CLICK to ENLARGE!!!



OH! To have tea here!!! (dreaming)



What a sight to see!!!

Tea in the Garden, Anyone???



This fascinated me....a sage green painted silhouette!



Notice the lady on the far left....???

This is MY FOOT as I am walking thru that passageway, to the room you see below!


I could take Tea HERE, anytime....bring my tea!

Ahhhh...peaceful sleeping!


Here below, is a NEAT idea to make PINE SNOWFLAKES for your windows, and check out this painting of Civil War Era Ladies....little ladies!


Another Room I loved!

Lots of natural greens everywhere!

Chess Anyone? Talk about HUGE!!! But look at the Scenery to be distracted by! I would surely lose this game, either cuz I couldn't lift the pieces, or the scenery would have all my attention!





Here is Craig....in front of the tree....got the perspective, here??? Whew! And this pottery birdhouse was the last thing we saw, as we left....he was cute!


My GOODNESS, things were big in the 1700's....this was a wonderful home! What a setting!
Largest barn....yep, that's FIVE stories tall, and the lady walking up to it, well, she is still about 100 feet away from it...she barely stood as tall as the top panes in those foundation windows!


Now THIS was my favorite outbuilding....I could see my craft studio here, and it was right beside the built-in pool and pergola....Oh me, oh my, oh dang it....LOL







Notice the tire hanging in the tree? That was a HUGE truck tire...not your everyday car tire....just so you get an idea of HOW WIDE that tree really was!

Last house....darn....it used to be a tavern in it's earlier years....

The FP lintels in these rooms are all about 18" of solid granite! Very unusual...but there were OTHER unusual things about this place. Scroll down for the FIND of the NIGHT!

Not this....keep scrolling!


Yep...here ya go! My other Fantastic Find of the Evening! THIS LOCK.... my first pic I took with no flash, but there was ENOUGH GLARE for me to FURTHER inspect with a flash...and I was CORRECT!!! This ENTIRE lock, knob and mechanisms are ALL WOODEN! I asked the concierge about it, and she didn't even know about it, nor had she noticed. So,we looked at ALL the hardwares of the interior doors, and whallah! They were ALL made of wood, yet any doors leading OUTSIDE, were all handforged metals.....very NICE find, I would say! I have NOT seen anything like this at all!



Beautiful Resting Places....Ya Think?


AHHHHH....but the perfect END to the Perfect Day!!! The farthest room away and the sound of wonderful acapella harmonizing! I can not tell you enough about these guys....The Chorus of the Old Dominion. Go check them out!
If anyone knows me, they just KNOW I love Barbershop Music...and these guys actually brought a tear to my eye with their rendition of Silent Night! Oh my...and in THIS room, they sounded just Fantastic. All of their songs were perfect, and it was a wonderful cap on the evening, and I would love to go to see them, again, so I will be checking their website quite often to see if they do anything nearer to us. I'm getting in the car and going! We have seen a few shows in our Berkeley/Jefferson County areas, but it has been years ago. These wonderful men just gave me all the reason I needed to add Barbershop shows to my list this coming year!



So, another thing we did, two or three times, actually, was head off to Williamsport, MD...just "over the bridge" from us....and we rode thru their city park to admire their Christmas Lights they put out every year....pardon the pics, because we did this TWICE in one night, as it seemed we had, not only people in a big hurry, but people that didn't realize they were supposed to turn OFF their headlights in order to appreciate the show...LOL!













Remember HER?!?!?! Well, isn't she all cutesy in her Pink Pom-Pom Sweater...??? She's waiting for Daddy to bring us Hot Spice Chai and Coffee....LOL! Did ya KNOW that Pixie is NOW One Year Old?!?!?! Yuppers, the puppers turned 1 on December 17th! Woo Hoo!

Okay....now all this Christmas finery, and displays of wonder, made me realize how much I have to do to my own home...but for those that didn't know how bad my health was, just a short year ago, can now see the difference in how my home looked BEFORE....yuck. Clutter had taken over! So did the dust bunnies, and cobwebs! I've spent this entire year decluttering, and cleaning, and still going at it....But take a lookie and see where I've come from, first...



Now look below.....and notice my NEW Black Chairs for the Dining Room Table??? LOVE THEM!
And these plate ideas??? From the one and only Nester!!!!


These are Battery Candles that are so darned realistic looking that although I have had them for months now, I am "careful" not to burn myself on them! LOL! They last for weeks on just two AA batteries, and the effect at night is wonderful....check them out! Oh and the toy car??? That's about 30 years old! I bought that for Jason, when he was a baby, to teach him about the old ways of playing and making the car noises with your mouth, not to mention powered by hand and not motorized!

Neat looking, huh!

I want to recover this sofa....but how?

Do you get the idea of candlelight???

Table on right of sofa...


Table on Left of sofa is a STOLEN IDEA From Behind My Red Door....check out HER desk idea!





I've come a long, long, long way, down a long, hard road...made some major changes, and spiffed up many things.... Just wait! I'm not anywhere NEAR done, as of yet! Changes, and more changes to come!




Oh! How about some Hairy Lights!!! LOL! Don't ask!!!




In just a FEW WEEKS, THIS car will be parked in MY Driveway!!!


No! It's not MINE....dang it!!!! But it WILL contain TWO PEOPLES I adore.....guess WHO?!?!


YEP!!! THOSE NEWLYWEDS!!!

Okay....I think I have bored you all enough....I am PROMISING to NOT make it so long between blog posts....but I just HAD to bring you up to date!
Oh....and Here is a pic of myself and Craig....Christmas Day! Aren't we just cute?!?!?!
Yep....we are!

Till Another Time!