1880s Dress

I finished another 1880s gown which I wore to a special event this evening.

For more pictures visit:

http://kimpoovey.blogspot.com/2013/10/emmas-new-dress.html

Blessings,

 

Kim

Living the Victorian Life

In a world so fast paced and hectic it's nice to slow down and enjoy the simpler things.

Start with a great blend of tea...

 roses from the garden...

 and there you have it.

A relaxing Sunday afternoon with the beauty of God's earth and a steaming cup of tea:).

Enjoy!

 

Blessings,

 

Kim

BTW, the delectable chocolate and coconut  tea, Soho Blend, from Harney and Sons teas can be purchased at:

 

http://www.harney.com/soho-tea-blend-chocolate-and-coconut.html

Autumn Decorating

With the early signs of autumn outside I decided to add a few fall touches inside.

Enjoy:).

 

Have a blessed week!!!

 

Kim



The Story of Faith Cottage

Just over three years ago we were blessed with Faith Cottage, so named because she was a leap of faith.

We discovered this little gem more than ten years ago when we stopped for a yard sale.

Historic homes in our town were EXTREMELY expensive so we were always on the look-out for a fixer-upper or the ever elusive 'deal.'

After ten years of searching we finally realized that a historic home was impossible.

Don't get me wrong, the house in which we lived was beautiful in a lovely neighborhood:).

And so the search stopped.

But God had other plans, after all, He never said it was impossible.

Faith Cottage finally went on the market at an astronomical price ending our hopes of ever living there. She stayed on the market for two years with several changes in real estate agents and price reductions. Still she was beyond our means.

Every time I drove past I was always relieved to see the sale sign still there, as if some miracle would happen and she would be ours.

One December night I had one of those dreams that was so real I was disoriented when I finally awoke. The dream was one that I truly wanted-we were living in the little Victorian house we had stalked (yes this would be an accurate description) for years. Heart broken I reminded myself that our house was truly a blessing and I had no right to be disappointed.

What I did not know at the time was it wasn't a dream, it was a vision. God was letting me know that it would be our home, just not yet.

A few months later I contacted the real estate agent, a very old friend of ours. I only called out of curiosity and before I knew it we were looking at the house.

Four weeks later she was ours.

And so the lesson was well learned,

nothing is impossible with God.

And so the name Faith Cottage was given because she was definitely a leap of faith!

A cozy chair for tea in the parlor of Faith Cottage, an 1890 Victorian home.

Crystal prisms and lace add beauty and sparkle.

Flowers are a must in Victorian homes,

even the silk kind:).

Victorians loved to display their collections.

Imari and Royal Derby patterns are a favorite in our house.

Faith Cottage's original fireplace was long gone so we added an antique mantel ($35 thrift shop find).

We painted the inside black and added fireplace accoutrements to make it look as if it had always been there.

 

Vignettes of porcelain add a delicate touch to a horse sculpture

Antique books are always a treasure.

Victorian décor can be masculine too.

Displaying a collection of antique combs and feathers in a silver vase.

A lacey view to the porch.

View just beyond the transom window.

Faith Cottage gardens in full bloom.

A welcoming door bedecked with fretwork.

Fretwork details on the porch.

Raindrops from the storm the night before.

The rain makes the garden grow.

Front porch at Faith Cottage.

Lace curtains allow the sunshine to filter in.

Even the dogs enjoy this sunny summer morning before the heat of day sets in.

SQUIRREL!!!

Flowers in front of the fireplace for summer.

 

Roses are a Victorian favorite.

A lovely thrift store find at $3.

Beauty doesn't have to cost a fortune:).

I love lace!

Guest bedroom view to the gardens beyond.

A nice way to create privacy in a bathroom window.

The man cave also doubles as the library.

 

Man cave vignettes...

OK, I had to put something of mine in the man cave!

Brown and white transferware seemed a good choice.

 

Thanks for sharing a morning at Faith Cottage.

May you all have a blessed day and remember to always keep the faith!!!

 



Springing Forth with a Fresh Look!

It's time for a little freshening up with the decor around the house.

Let's start with Kramer:).

Hmmm...he doesn't seem amused with that idea so let's move on to the actual decor.

The bowl on the table hosts a bouquet of dried hydrangeas from our garden last year.

The base of the bowl used to have a beautiful crystal dish attached that met it's fate one day when Kramer did a flying leap onto the edge of the table sending it tumbling to the floor in a pile of crystal ruins. 

 

When we changed one of our light fixtures recently I thought this stained glass globe from the fixture we removed would be lovely as a dish so I attached it to the surviving base from the table tumble and, voila, a new footed bowl!

Thank goodness the crystals survived the table tumble.

What is spring without birds?

is

And what is a Victorian house without a mantel of cherubs and rose covered porcelains?

Even the bathroom got a new look!

Whether it's a cozy spot in the bedroom,

 

a quiet spot for correspondence to friends and family,

or a place for a lady to prepare for the day,

the beauty is in the details.

 A silver vase with feathers and antique combs make for a lovely bouquet of days gone by.

 Details of curves and angles.

Hatpins of varying heights with silk roses add a bit of softness.

Each of the hatpins is a miniature piece of art. 

Whether it's a graceful spray of roses and flying cherubs,

an heirloom silver brush resting on a delicate vintage doilie,

soft lace panels cascading over a window,

hidden treasures within a silver box,

shadowy designs reflecting from the rosey glow of a lamp,

or the profile of a favorite furry blog star,

the beauty is in the details.

Now that we've decorated, how about a cup of tea?

None of the decorating in this post cost a penny.

Everything was found within the house so the new look cost

$0!

Now that's priceless!