Equus Villa Farm

Kisses...

2012-02-12T20:23:00.005-06:00

The right kiss...

..at the right time..

..by the right person.....will leave your breathless!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I'm Still Here..

2012-02-10T13:53:00.002-06:00

.. it is just hard to blog this time of the year since it is dark when I leave for work.. dark when I get home and on top of that, I am a part of the whole Continental Airlines merging into United Airlines project... and WOW.. have I ever been busy at work.

Don is doing pretty good. He caught the flu and it took him FOREVER to get rid of it.. but he did. He still gets sick from his meds and then he has some days where he says he feels almost normal. I love those days!!

Anyway - just wanted to say hi!.... HI!

Bad News..

2012-02-01T22:36:00.003-06:00

..from the neighborhood association meeting.

A very long story short.. although we live on a farm (we have 26 acres) we do live on a developed subdivision of sorts where the smallest amount of property you can have is 15 acres. Anyway - one of the developers has not released the deed to the common areas. Common areas are the lake and the roads. The association will not have to retain a lawyer to move forward. One of those common areas runs down the boarder of our land. It should be at least graveled..if not paved. Without something down on the ground, building on the site where we plan to put our home would be difficult - if not impossible. The least amount of ground that needs to be worked on would be roughly 750 linear feet.

To sum it up, the association does not want to invest any money into any area that is considered a common area until the issue of title is resolved. While I understand that... it sure puts a huge damper on our house plans. We can assume the cost obviously... but to get something put it that is at least 'presentable' will cost THOUSANDS...

sigh...

I think this is one of those things that the Lord is going to have to work out for us.

One of My Friends..

2012-01-31T12:38:00.002-06:00

..is a hair dresser and she highlighted my hair. I love it!For some reason... and I am NOT comnplaining mind you... when my friends hair was turning grey, mine started to go from blonde to dark brown...??? Every year it gets darker and darker.. I missed my light hair - so thank you Erica for making it pretty again!

How Funny..

2012-01-24T23:10:00.002-06:00

Look what is up for sale at our local antique auction house.....not that I will be bidding on it. I laughed though when I saw it since I had recently done the post.

French Rugs

2012-01-19T08:48:00.003-06:00

Did you know that my Mother was an Interior Designer? I think the thing that impressed me the most is that she could please a client who had the total opposite taste. After all, anyone could help you decorate who has the same likes and dislikes as you. She inspired me.

With that I want to share what I learned about antique French rugs.

Old, even gently warn rugs, give a room instant Old World charm. In Europe, rugs are passed down from one generation to the next and just get better and better as they are used.

AUBUSSON RUG
Aubussons are flat-weave wool tapestry rugs with a central medallion and floral motifs in muted pastel colors, originally made in France in a town of the same name, from the 16th to the 19th century.

SAVONNERIE RUG
Savonnerie are woven rugs but have a thicker pile than Aubusson carpets do. They were made in Paris starting in 1628. Designs created by court artists included floral arrangements, military and beraldic references, and architectural motifs. This one takes my breath away!

Authentic Savonneries are much more rare than Aubussons because they were made exclusively for the French Court and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. At the time of production, Aubussons were considered the "poor man's rug," although today they can cost well into the high tens of thousands of dollars.

To Be Perfectly Honest....

2012-01-18T10:53:00.004-06:00

Want to know a secret about me? You may be shocked. It may cause you to look at me differently. Do you still want to know?

I HATE SLIP COVERS!!!

I always have ... and I can venture to say that I always will. I think they usually look sloppy and no matter how expensive, they just do not fit the same way new upholstery does! I am not going to post any pictures. My intention is not to hurt any ones feelings because I know that slip covers are the IN thing right now.. they are chic, trendy, cool looking...

Blech - I still don't like them.

There .. I said it..

Whew.. You know, I kind of feel relieved.

Opps - wait a minute...

I have one more thing to confess...

I hate all white rooms...

They look cold, hard, antiseptic, as if I am waiting for the smell of ammonia to hit me at any time.

Okay - so maybe this has something to do with the fact that I grew up in a family that was in the medical profession... and well - WAY BACK WHEN I was a child.. all procedure and operating rooms were stark solid cold WHITE..

So, as I plan our new home.. that is just 2 things I doubt you will see in any of my inspiration photos.

I'm just sayn'....
Please don't hate me.

A Wendy House

2012-01-16T21:29:00.003-06:00

A Wendy House is a small playhouse for children, often replicating the main house on the property.

The name derives from a small house built for the character Wendy in the play Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie.

Recamier..

2012-01-15T17:50:00.004-06:00

..is a lounging sofa made popular in the Regency period (1811-1820) characterized by a visible wooden frame and curving arms usually decorated with brass inlay. One arm is always higher than the other, making it perfect for reclining.

The chaise was named after Madame Recamier, who would receive male visitors while stretched out on the chaise.

I am not interested in buying this type of chaise, but wanted to share it with you because the story is facinating!

Cremone Bolt

2012-01-14T21:22:00.004-06:00

I have been neglecting this blog and instead paying more attention to my Riding Aside Blog... well that is about to change. You see a lot is going on other than with my riding and I would love to share it with you.

First of all, let me say that Don has now completed the 12 week term of medication called Incevic. He has only been off of it for 1 day, so not much to report..other than he is glad to be done with it. He still has to continue taking the Riboviren and the Interferon injections for an additional 9 months.

I am sure you can tell we are taking our sweet time about building the house. We are in no hurry, which gives me a lot of time to research and ponder every single detail. I have been trying to educate myself (mostly through other blogs and books) about certain Interior Design styles and with my love of antiques, I have started to research and learn a lot. There are so many things I have seen in really old homes that I would love to incorporate into ours...So today I thought I would show you just one thing I have learned.

A Cremone Bolt is a device applied from top to bottom to the surface of a window or a door suround that locks the door or sash into the frame by a turn of a knob or lever.

Do you remember seeing these? My Grandparents had these types of locks on their French doors that led from their master bedroom onto the enclosed sun porch.

My Heart is Already Ready..

2012-01-11T16:23:00.002-06:00

...for Spring!

Auction Treasure!

2012-01-09T13:53:00.004-06:00

I TRY very hard not to buy stuff at the auction... unless I know specifically where I can use it in the house we are going to build. We already have a lot of lovely furniture that belonged to my parents and grand parents that I have inherited. With that said, this is the latest thing I purchased at an antique auction!

It is a huge 12 x 17' wool hand knotted oriental rug. It is used and needs to be lightly cleaned .. but it is really really beautiful!

It has just a touch of red... and I believe it will go nicely with my Mothers 2 wing backed chairs (currently in storage) .. and all to be used in the library / study.When I purchased this rug and measured it, I had to call our architect to tell him to increase the size of the study by a few feet... just to the rug will fit! The original purchase ticket was still on the back of the run and it said .... $10,000.00

Want to know what I paid for it?

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Hold on to your seat....

I paid $250.00 for it!

Belated Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T11:50:00.002-06:00

Thank you for your well wishes. I am feeling much better now!

Also wanted to give an update on Don. He is only 1 week away from completing a drug called Incevic. Incevic is one of three drug therapies he is on for the treatment of Hepatitis C. While he must continue to take the Interferon and Ribiviron for an additional 9 months, the omission of Incevic should help him to feel better. He now tells me that if he had known how severe the side effects were from the 3 drug combination, he does not know if he could have faced it... as the side effects have been HORRID...much to gruesome to describe! Please continue to lift him up in prayer! HUGS!!

Darts From The Devil..

2011-12-30T10:01:00.003-06:00

are constantly thrown...and one recently caught me in the behind. Don and I drove to our General Practitioner yesterday. Don has a bad head cold...

The doctor said that I had:
Influenza
Bronchitis
dual ear infections
rattling in my left lung...

I got 3 injections, an inhaler and 3 prescriptions before I left the office.

I feel a billion times better already...so POO ON YOU SATAN...CAUSE JESUS ROCKS!!!

Last Week At The Auction...

2011-12-27T16:11:00.003-06:00

Honestly.. I should just post about this subject on a weekly basis. I LOVE going to antique auctions! Don said that soon I will have enough 'stock' to open up my own store! The reality is that I am shopping, not just for small collectables, but for the house we want to build.

Sadly, I do not have a picture of a table I purchsed. It is a beautiful victorian table that you would put in the entry foyer!

I really wanted this set of benches... but someone else wanted them a bit more than I did!

If you look at our Christmas pictures, you can see a small part of a very large collection (Thanks to my Grandmother!!) of hand painted bone china. This serving dish will fit right in with that collection.

..and I had to have this antique metal frame. My great great grandparents wedding picture is in a frame just like this one.. but my brother has it displayed at his home. No hurt feelings though.. because now I can just get a copy of the picture and put it in this one!

Opening Gifts

2011-12-25T09:54:00.006-06:00

Joy bought a house a few years ago. It was in good shape and it a great neighborhood, but it needed a bit of updating. Most people would not think a modern kitchen faucet was a great Christmas gift...

..but Joy did!

Blake and Joy love to entertain, especially in the Summer. Recently Blake bought a wonderful bar-b-que pit, so we thought he would enjoy this outdoor game...

..called (and I HATE this name) Corn Hole!

I love this picture because it proves that opening Christmas gifts is a lot of fun - even for adults!

Here is Don opening up a weather station. He had one a couple of years ago that we both really enjoyed, but hurricane Ike killed it!

My 'Big' gift was a riding corset that both our daughters bought for me. I have posted all about it on the Riding Aside blog. This gift however, was hinted for too. It is a hand painted flat swing. I can't wait to hang it in one of the beautiful old oak trees!
Each of us received several more gifts, but I did not get pictures of them all. This was a wonderful Christmas that could have only been improved if Emily, Daren, Madison and Trestin were here with us.

Christmas Eve Dinner

2011-12-25T09:35:00.005-06:00

This as our Christmas Eve dinner table.

Since there was just the 4 of us, Don and I, Joy and her boyfriend Blake, I decided to go vintage and just use antique table china. This is a linen roll cubby. I wish I knew where to buy another one.

I love these hand painted bowls and plates!

Christmas Touches!

2011-12-25T08:58:00.006-06:00

Here is our tree.

I love Rosemary topiary's!

This was one of my Father's favorite composers, Veridi. I love his Victorian look as well as his music.

I found these beautiful 'rose balls' at Target for about $10.00 each. The roses are made of wood shavings. So beautiful..and not just for Christmas, but for Valentine's Day as well.

This is one of the busts I inherited from my Father this last year.

Another score from an antique auction was the game table that these Christmas boxes are stacked on.

This is an antique twin bed we found at an auction a couple of years ago for a STEEL! We have it in our 3rd bedroom. A little handmade reindeer made the whole room Merry!

Favorite Wrapped Gifts..

2011-12-20T20:18:00.004-06:00

..so far this year!

This one is for our horse crazy Grand Daughter!

..and this one is for our son-in-law...who is a HUGE Texans fan!

Great News!

2011-12-20T16:07:00.001-06:00

Don's platelet count rose a whopping 17,000 up to 43,000!!! He is now back on the full dose of Interferon!!

Thank You Jesus!!!

The True Story of Rudolph

2011-12-20T08:27:00.002-06:00

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty
apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife,
Evelyn, was dying of cancer Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy
could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why
isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his
eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of
anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different
for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too
little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd
rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to
fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful
to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great
Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all
short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings
and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in
the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to
buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to
make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind
and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.
Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.
Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May
created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created
was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little
reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in
time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't
end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook
and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book.
Wards went on to print,_ Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ and distribute it
to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed
and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a
major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated
version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all
rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and
marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family,
became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.
But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph.
Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and
Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph,
the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal
success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the
exception of "White Christmas."

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on
returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson,
just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In
fact, being different can be a blessing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Fall or Winter?

2011-12-19T10:02:00.000-06:00

For the last several months we have been renovating our horse fencing...ALMOST ALL OF IT!

Some is wood ..

..and some is a new product called black line fencing. It is a modified and much improved PVC type product. While I was taking these pictures though, I noticed something.

I am sure you all heard or saw news coverage about the terrible fires and historic drought we suffered through here in Texas this last summer. Well, look at the lovely display the trees are giving us this year.

Normally in Texas the trees go from lush green to brown.. even Red Oaks, which is what these trees are.I have always wanted to go to Vermont in the Fall just to see the leaves... well, even though the timing is a bit late, this is every bit as beautiful as what Vermont has to offer. I sure am glad we chose to plant more Shumard Red Oak trees down the new fence line!!

Words Cannot Express..

2011-12-18T18:25:00.010-06:00

...just how proud we are of our daughter Emily!!! She graduated from Stephen F. Austin Collage Saturday.

Now both of our girls have college degrees!

Emily started college after High School.

She fell in love with her husband Daren. Daren was in the US Air Force, then stationed in Arizona. She left college to marry him.

This is Emily and her sister Joy.

This is my brother and Emily's Uncle Tom.

Together they have made a beautiful family together..

..and given us 2 beautiful Grand Children...

..even though it was more difficult with a family..

..she did it!!!We are so proud of you Emily!!!

My House Really Is Decorated...

2011-12-14T12:13:00.003-06:00

.. for Christmas, but for some reason.. I just have not had it in me to photograph it all when I get home from work. Why is it that when the days are shorter, I cannot seem to get as much done - even though there are the same amount of hours??

Don's Platelet Count..

2011-12-13T11:35:00.001-06:00

went up by 3,000 to 34,000. Thank You Jesus!!! While it is not the big jump I was praying for, we are going in the right direction! Tonight he will take a 3/4 dose of his injection and we will repeat the blood work next Monday.