Scenes from the Side of the Road 4

I didn't have to travel far to show you these 'Scenes from the Side of the Road'. These photos are from our yard and give you a glimpse of a winter day here in New Hampshire.

This mighty oak hibernates for now, but Spring is not far away.

This Red Maple was planted by my husband some 26 years ago, when our children were just babies. Time goes by so quickly.

This last storm brought heavy wet snow that has weighed down the branches of this hemlock tree.

Our picnic table and clothesline rest for now. Their season will be upon us soon. 

Our home is hidden in a blanket of snow, tucked away in a winter wonderland.

The wood pile is visited daily during the winter season. There is nothing like a cozy fire on a cold winter day.

 Snow laden trees greet you as you drive along our road.

Some do not care for the winter months but I savor every moment. Their is nothing like the beauty and peace of a freshly fallen snow. Spring will be here soon, but I will enjoy the remaining days of winter for now.

Snow Covered Old Truck Love

My husband has a love for old trucks. The more 'rusty' and 'crusty' the better. 

 The '31 Model AA Dump Truck - a true workhorse that has stood the test of time.

Venturing a little further into the snow to see what else Mother Nature has painted.

This little '28 Model A Truck reminds me of the old show 'The Munsters' - cute but kind of creepy at the same time.

 There is nothing like the quiet that takes over with a freshly fallen blanket of snow.

The '49 Chevy has been tucked in for the winter and is savoring the first seasons snowfall. Winter has arrived and I am enjoying every moment.

Christmas Mantel for 2010

I have been admiring the many wonderful Christmas mantels that everyone has shared in blog land and thought I would add mine to the mix.

This sweet 'Snowy Owl' caught my eye on a recent visit to a local antique shop. He was the starting inspiration for my Christmas Mantel for 2010.

 Actually, my husband had built the metal doors on our fireplace many years ago including the 2 antique Owl andirons on them as a decorative detail. I suppose I will have to give him the credit for my inspiration. The vintage snow shoe was a Christmas gift from him many years ago, as well - gotta give him his props!

I must also give thanks to 'Donna' at 'Funky Junk Interiors'. She has a stone fireplace and comes up with some wonderful ways of dressing her mantel. I incorporated a couple of her ideas - the 'White Star' and the 'Branches with Ornaments' - from her lovely mantel from last Christmas.

On the dumbwaiter side of the mantel, I placed an old chippy white window. It seemed like the perfect place to hang my twig wreath using a torn piece of white muslin. Using an old board, I stenciled the 'Snowy Owl Inn c.1778' sign.



I stenciled in white first and then offset the stencil with black paint to create the raised effect. To give it some appropriate aging, I lightly sanded the letters, followed with a coat of dark stain and then wiped it down.

I love using old materials to create 'new treasures'.

I hope you have enjoyed my 'Christmas Mantel'. Maybe, it will inspire you too!

 I have linked up to the following parties:

Until next time ~ Suzanne.

Snowy Update

We have had snow for quite some time now, but this is the first chance I have had to update my blog. A fresh coat of snow came overnight and is giving our yard a nice clean coating.


I haven't been doing much sewing, but did start the quilting on my Mom's anniversary quilt. Ignore the mess - I need to tidy up my shelves.

I have been looking at pictures of inspirational craft/hobby/art studios on the internet and have been getting lots of great ideas that I would like to incorporate into my next studio. The room I have now is in the basement and it has served me well. My only complaint is the lack of windows - it has just the 1 window on the door and there is a set of stairs outside the door which block the sun.
My newest favorite gadget in the sewing room is in the photo below. It is a turning caddy with all sorts of cubbies and drawers. I found it at Home Goods, but I have seen it online through several different scrapbooking stores. I will be making labels for the drawers.


Another new favorite thing is this rag light string that my SIL made for me. It is simply homespun tied onto a string of lights. It looks much nicer than the picture shows. I laid it around some antique hammers that are in the cubby above our wood dumbwaiter for the fireplace.

Remember the vintage wooden boxes that I had my scrap fabrics stored in? I decided that the fabrics really needed to be kept out of the sun light, so I went on a search for something else to keep them in. I ended up with these lovely faux vintage suitcases that I keep stacked.

A peak inside one of the boxes finds my green scraps.

And I will end this post with a couple new pictures of 'Charlie Boy'. He has grown so much since the last photo's.
He is still a ball of fire and getting a picture of him sitting still is quite a challenge.

He is going through a 'wild hair' stage that matches his personality!

Until next time, Suzanne