We've Been Shopping...

We've purchased a 2nd hand butcher block table and four chairs through our local craigslist from a family moving from here to Nashville. It's perfect in the sun room and will seat 7 comfortably. Now that we have family in the same town, our tiny round kitchen table didn't quite suffice - especially since our son-in-law is 6'4" tall. And with our eldest granddaughter living with us this summer, we needed something bigger.


We've also purchased two living room chairs - a swivel rocker that just my size (finding a small comfy chair is no small task!) and a Lazyboy swivel rocker recliner for Frank that's just HIS size. They won't arrive for 8 weeks or so, and that's OK. I'll be so happy to be able to sit, rock and swivel while having my feet touching the floor (!!!) and without having to find a pillow to put behind my back for extra support.

And the longer I'm in PA, the more I want to draw and paint in watercolors again! It's not that I'm giving up my mixed media/fiber art, it's more that I want to go back to the basics and remind myself of the simple principles underlying great art.

These magazines have been my reading material - aka my reward in between unpacking boxes and finding places for a myriad of items. The watercolor portrait on the front cover caught my eye. I love that loose style of painting although my experience with watercolor has been the exact opposite of loose. When I was last doing watercolors, my style was highly realistic and my subject matter rather nostalgic, as appropriate for rural PA where we lived for 16 years prior to moving to NJ. It was not very suitable for the NJ buyers who seemed more inclined to stream-lined, abstract, modern art. So I switched completely from watercolor to fiber art. And now we're back in rural PA and I want to paint again - but NOT detailed realistic pieces. I want to create art with depth, emotion, and mystery as well as beauty. I wonder what will actually happen...

When our granddaughter started Philadelphia U, I gave her my old drawing table. It had steel legs that folded in and a real wood top that also folded, thus could be easily stored away when not in use. So I sent internet shopping for a new table and look what a bargain I just found at suppliesnet.com!

The size is right, the price was fantastic, and all four pieces come at one great sale price! It's called the Berkeley Classic Combo drafting table combo unit and there are NO shipping charges! It's perfect for my white office and also for our sunporch. It will be interesting to see where it ends up spending most of it's time... It's due to arrive on May 30th, so perhaps it's time to organize the studio...

Check out my Slide Show!

Here's a quickie tour, mostly of the outside, of our new home in Pennsylvania. I'll be adding more as we get settled in, but for now, enjoy the beautiful yard and gardens. We surely are!

We're HOME!!!

Our beautiful back yard:





Our walk in the woods:

Today's Visitors + More

Count Down to Moving Day

We're in our final week in New Jersey. The appliance people are coming on Monday to prepare our new HE Washing Machine for moving and to turn off the gas line to the dryer and cap it. Tuesday the packers arrive to pack whatever I have chosen not to pack: all china & glassware; large framed paintings and mirrors; crystal; floor and table lamps; and other special items. I've already packed about 100 boxes and will pack another dozen or so by Monday. Every bit I can do will save us money in the long run. Packing charges are outrageous! That's why I already packed 3 mirror boxes of frame art and photographs. They'll have another 2-3 more they can pack. I'm glad I've had three full months to prepare for this move - it's been a great time to prioritize, sort, toss and give away stuff! The actual packing part isn't too bad, but finding places to put all these full/heavy boxes in our townhouse is a challenge.

The new house is twice as large as our town house, so we'll be able to spread out at last. And we'll have a garage big enough for both of our cars AND lots of storage space. Take a look at the inside of this garage:


Of course, when we arrive, the garage will be empty - but not for long!!! And there is actual WORK space out there as well as tons of built-in storage space!

And take a look at the garage door on the left - there is a person door inset into the car door! Imagine that, being able to go outside without opening the garage door...

Below is a view of the front windows which have a sort of windowbox planter built beneath them. The windows face north so I'm thinking bright shade-loving impatients will work well there. I'd like several different kinds of hostas in front of them. Right now there are huge evergreen bushes that must be removed.


I'm looking forward to having a garden again - heaven knows I can no longer kneel and do the weeding or planting. But our daughter and her DH will be a huge help with the plantings, I'm sure. And they know the best places to shop for plants. If there's no lilac bush on the property, I'll be getting one or more. We know there is a large collection of varied day lilies in the back. Oh, you'll see photos once we actually move in.

Moving-In Day is next Saturday, May 10th. I'll be a tad busy for the next little while!