Tea Time for the Colonial...

I love Old Town Alexandria with all the pre-revolutionary buildings and cobble stone streets. I never visit my son with-out going to Old Town. This past May while visiting my son and his wife I toured the Carlyle House built in August 1753. 

Carlyle House parallels the early history of Alexandria, colonial Virginia, and America.
It was left to decay after the Civil War when it served as a hospital, but thankfully during the Bicentennial, the Carlyle House was restored by the Northern Virginia National Parks Authority. Now it serves to educate tourists about the
 lifestyle of an 18th-century Virginia family and their servants and slaves.


During the tour of the house I happened upon the gift shop which of course I could not resist. It is a lovely gift shop with so many colonial inspired goodies. I also love tea sets. I saw this particular one on display and had to have it. The price was very reasonable and I was just drawn to the sunny yellow. The gift shop host explained this was a replica of what the common colonial would have used for tea time.  Very practical and durable, yet not dull.  I love it!
I had them wrap it up good and had a heck of time getting it on the plane in the overhead bin :-).  


It's perfect for summer my summer display in my living room sitting on my coffee table.

The Brown Betty style teapot shows the practicality of the colonials.

The Beehive motif was popular because of the bee's industrious nature.

Mustard Yellow was also a popular colonial color.

If they would have had this set in red I would have brought that home too!

Look what I have at my house... You'll be jealous!!!

8 beautiful golden babies, born yesterday morning!!! 7 little girls and 1 little boy. I haven't had a golden litter at my house in years! It was time. One of these precious children will be going to Pawsitive Teams Service Dog organization. I have placed 3 dogs with them before and they have all done super well. Now they want another one. These little kids are out of my Bella and Jack! We are just so excited. Look for weekly pictures.
Nothing cuter than a golden puppy, except maybe a westie puppy, but then they are both so cute.

Mama loves her babies!

24 hours old

Daddy Jack!

Mama Bella

New Toddler in the House!!!

Busy summer and not much time to post lately, but had to share this little chick. My daughter made this little beauty and I bought her. It set me back a pretty penny I can tell you but she is so worth it! 

My daughter and I both reborn dolls and sell them on Ebay. It's a wonderful hobby. I saw this little girl and her twin coming to life as my daughter diligently worked on her. When finished I had to have her. For those of you who are familiar with Lee Middleton dolls may recognize a resemblance. The sculpt is a Reva Schick Arianna kit. She is 28" and wears 18 month old clothing. She is just like a real toddler. Her name is Pippa. You can see her twin Kate on ebay: I am so excited, I have been shopping I can tell you.

Priceless!!

I have to share Miss Marion on her 2nd birthday (last Saturday)with her mom (my daughter) and dad.
Sometimes you just get the perfect picture!!! This says it all about this little chick's personality.

Taken on my iphone no less!

Make Your Own Water Feature in 45 Minutes!

I have been on a quest to enhance my front porch. I have wanted a water feature for a very long time, but did not want to spend a lot of money, or have one that everyone else had. I wanted something unique and true to me. The best solution to this was to make my own. Yesterday I had the day off and I decided to go ahead and make my very own unique water feature. It was so much fun.  I took photos along the way so I could share it with all of you.


I created a small water feature because that is all I have room for. I want to be able to go out on my front porch in the evening and relax over looking my lovely planter and hear the water.

I went to the local feed store and bought a 30 gallon galvanized (won't rust) water trough for animals.

Then onto Lowe's for a 70 gallon fountain pump with extender, water lily plantand organic pond solution.

Found the place to put it in my garden and dug out and around to make it level.

Placed the pump inside with the extender on it along with the spray head.

Dropped the water lily plant wrapped in mesh bag next to the pump.

Took some stones from the garden we have collected over the yearsfrom beach camping trips and placed them in the bottom. This is just for looks and 

something extra for the fish.

Filled it up and dropped the fake lily that came with plant in.

Couldn't wait to plug it in and see what happened!!

Added the little fish (see the little bit of orange on bottom) and Viola I have my water feature!!!

According the Walmart assistant the fish will grow. I bought them for 10 cents a piece. Got 10 of them so hopefully I will still have 3 left by the end of the summer.

The water lily will grow pretty fast and it's leaves will give the fish something to swim 

under for shade.

I can't tell you how fun this was. It took all of maybe 45 minutes to put together. The leveling

was the most difficult. It's not until this picture that I actually got it level.

I love it. It's exactly what I was looking for.

Total Cost:

Water Trough:  $41

Pump with extender: $19.97

Water Lily: $7.98

Pond Cleaner: $8.50

Fish: $1.00

Fish Food: $4.98

Total:  $ 83.43

Trendy Tree House

I Love Red Doors...

I love red doors on a home or business. For years I have wanted to take the plunge and paint my door red, but have always been too chicken. When I was in Georgetown and Alexandria, Virginia I couldn't help but notice how many homes had red doors and they all looked so warm and welcoming. Red with the brass knockers are my favorites. There were variations of the color as well. I have now decided to actually do it, I'm going to paint my front door red, a regal red I think, maybe slightly brickish. I believe red doors mush have been popular in the colonial era since most of these homes I'm showing are historical homes. I have been  looking for a brass knocker that I can have our name engraved on. I also want a brass door knob. I can't wait for the transformation. I will keep everyone updated.

1768 Plantation Home~Chatham House in Fredericksburg Virginia

Chatham House

While visiting in Virginia these past couple of weeks we had the opportunity to visit Fredericksburg and take the Civil War Battlefield tour. When ever we go back to visit my son and his wife we always like to visit one battlefield per trip. Fredericksburg is only 30 minutes south of where my son lives. The weather was perfect!!! The town of Fredericksburg is a lovely small cozy little town nestled in the beautiful Virginia country side. This piece of country side is to date the bloodiest ground in America. Within 5-10 miles 3 of the bloodiest battles were fought along the Rappahanock River, Battle of Fredericksburg Dec. 1862, Battle of Chancellorsville May 1863 and Battle of the Wilderness May 1864. Between the three battles 73,444 men were killed.
It's just mind boggling to think that many young men from both North and South were lost. After the battle the Union Army moved into the Chatham House and made it a hospital. The family had fled to another estate. The house was a hospital for the remainder of the war. We were able to go into what they called the operation room, which was harrowing, thinking of all the amputations.

The poet Walt Whitman visited Chatham House in Dec. 1862 in search of his brother who was listed on the wounded list. Fortunately he found his brother with only a minor face wound, but from this experience he wrote his book Wound Dresser:


Excerpts from Whitman's book The Wound Dresser

     "Began my visits (December 21, 1862) among the camp hospitals in the Army of the Potomac, under General Burnside. Spent a good part of the day in a large brick mansion [Chatham] on the banks of the Rappahannock, immediately opposite Fredericksburg. It is used as a hospital since the battle, and seems to have received only the worst cases. Outdoors, at the foot of a tree, within ten yards of the front of the house [probably the still standing Catalpa tree], I noticed a heap of amputated feet, legs, arms, hands, etc. -- about a load for a one-horse cart. Several dead bodies lie near, each covered with its brown woolen blanket. In the dooryard, toward the river, are fresh graves, mostly of officers, their names on pieces of barrel staves or broken board, stuck in the dirt.

     The house is quite crowded, everything impromptu, no system, all bad enough, but I have no doubt the best that can be done; all the wounds pretty bad, some frightful, the men in their old clothes, unclean and bloody. Some of the wounded are rebel officers, prisoners. One, a Mississippian--a captain-- hit badly in the leg, I talked with him some time; he asked for papers, which I gave him. (I saw him three months afterward in Washington, with leg amputated, doing well.)

     I went through the rooms, down stairs and up. Some of the men were dying. I had nothing to give at that night, but wrote a few letters to folks home, mothers, etc. Also talked to three or four who seemed most susceptible to it, and needing it."

Walt Whitman 1862

I came away from our visit with the keen sense that I was walking on hollowed ground.

It would be on the far left end of the lower building that the amputated limbs laid

in a pile that Walt Whitman would have seen.

Cannon facing the town from Chatham Hill. Can you imagine bombarding the city with that thing?

Hubby scouting the horizon

Fredericksburg Church Steeple viewed from Chatham Hill.

This Church and many others became army field hospitals during the war.

Looking back on the house from the lower grounds.

Gardens in the back.