New, But Old

Scott and I got married in 1996.  I'm not exactly sure of the conversation but I remember my Grandma telling me she wanted to buy us a piece of furniture.  A coffee table for our new living room.

We ended up at a furniture store that happened to carry a brand made in Connecticut called Hitchcock.  I had no idea what Hitchcock furniture was but I loved that coffee table, my Grandma bought it and it's still (of course) in our house.  Now it's in our family room.

It's kinda neat to think that way back when I was 23 I had the same taste in furniture that I do now.

A few years ago Scott and I started talking about a new kitchen table.  And we knew right away that we wanted a Hitchcock one.  Hitchcock furniture was made in one of our favorite towns in Connecticut, Riverton.  (back here) (and here) (and here) In 1818 (in Riverton) the first store was opened and the factory too.  1818. I just love picturing this sweet town in 1818.



Way back here I talked a little about my love of Hitchcock furniture.

And here is where I took some photos of our new kitchen table back in 2015.

Well since that very day 2 years ago we've dreamed of replacing our dinning room table with a Hitchcock as well. We saved up and we did. It was a glorious day picking our each chair, the table and the cabinet.



I love the look of the chairs.



Can you see the shadows of the stars that hang in the window.  I love when the light is just right and they show up on the table.



Their 'back to school' stars hang here.





This is what Hitchcock is famous for, mostly.  The design on the chairs.  These original chairs are perfectly restored.  (and make my heart skip a beat)





Now, we originally decided to purchase just the buffet (the bottom piece) but as soon as they place the buffet in my house I KNEW that the top cabinet we missing and the room just cried out for it (well maybe it was just me, but I thought I could hear the room too)



Famous for details



And the stamp that all Hitchcock chairs have on them from all of those years ago.  Riverton was once (in 1818) called "Hitchcockville" And CONN was once the abbreviation for Connecticut before CT I adore all of those bits of history in my home.



The best part was after Thanksgiving, trying out all of my stemware and goblets in the cabinet.  It was the best kind of playing house there is.



Although I don't like 'sets' like I used to (I love individual antique dishes) I loved having less in my china cabinet as I added the crystal to the Hitchcock in the room.





Playing around with my wedding china



and silver... can this day last forever?



Right now I only have the glasses that I love 'moved in'. Now that it's Christmastime I can add some pieces that make me Christmas happy.

I know it's furniture but I know that it will be a treasure for years to come. To hold holidays on, to chat around, and just to enjoy. Now what's next Hitchcock in my home? ahhhhh

Someone Please Pinch Me

It was a glorious weekend and I went to bed on Saturday night saying to Scott, "that was my favorite Saturday in all my life."

Well, maybe not ALL my life, but pretty darn close!

Of course, I don't have many pictures to show you what I mean.  You'll just have to trust me.

1.  We had no where we HAD to be.  Best kind of day, just that part alone.  And we decided to do a few things that day with our little family that we WANTED to do.  Best kind of day, just that part alone.

2.  We finally found and brought home our new kitchen table.  (I'm doing cartwheels here!)  And for the sake of this blog I must tell you a bit of the story.  So here goes:

• I believe in caring for and loving on the things (yes, things, I'm talking about) that God has graciously given you.  So while at one point in our marriage we were driving the beat up, awful car that needed so many repairs back almost 20 years ago, we hoped and knew that one day we'd drive a nicer car that more suited out needs and the needs of our upcoming family, we took care of that old car like it was new.  We washed it, vacuumed it, and (tried) to enjoy it.  
• Same goes for our (now gone) old kitchen table.  It served it's time.  But while it was here, I cleaned it each night, set out pretty place mats, and table cloths for very special events.  Our 'old' kitchen table is actually quite the 'star' of many, many blog posts.  I took photos of our special occasions, North Pole Parties, my girls doing their homework, Abigail making hand turkeys as a preschooler.  It's held beautiful tea parties and many kinds of china.  I treated it with love and care and enjoyed it.  But.  But I always wanted a new one.  Back in my heart I talked to Scott about having a smaller table, one that fit that special space in our kitchen better.  And one that fit the decor of our kitchen better too.  
• I live in a colonial house.  In Connecticut.  I like it decorated in a traditional way and I knew that the kitchen table for me would be a classic.  A Hitchcock Furniture Company classic.
• Over the past 14 years we've lived in this house our old table got a lot of wear and tear.  There was a chair spoke that was broken and fixed and broken and fixed again too many times to count.  The table caught on fire on Christmas Eve way back when Abigail was a baby.  Burned the finish right off of it.  (that's a story for another day) My Dad lovingly refinished that old table and it lasted another 7 years.  But it was time.
• Scott and I looked and chatted occasionally about what kind of table we'd one day get.  And we both loved the classic look of Hitchcock.  A Connecticut furniture company that started in the early 1800's about 25 minutes from my house.  Everyone in CT knows Hitchcock.  They were popular throughout the 1800's and through around 1960 when the stores in CT started closing.  They sold through other furniture stores and left just one store open.  (in this sweet town)  
• Hitchcock tables and chairs are often found in antique stores and we casually started looking.  But they were banged up and in bad shape.  
• So we traveled to their one-and-only store. But the cost of one chair was more than our entire new set budget.  So we kind of just gave up. 
• Until Saturday when Scott suggested we take a look at a factory of refurbished Hitchcock furniture.  So we went. 
• And we found just what we were looking for.  
• She is well worth the wait and each time I walk in the kitchen I have one of those short breaths as if to say, "are you really ours?"  
• I promise, promise, I'll take a great photo of her soon.  But for now you'll just have to trust me.  She completes our kitchen and I told the girls that on their wedding days there will be cheese and crackers for their bridesmaids when they wait and have photos done (just like my Mom did on my wedding day) on that table.  She's a keeper, like forever

Here we are in the factory store. Refurbished chairs up to the ceiling. Dreams do come true!  

 And here we are beaming with her in the car ready to take her home.

 

3.  With the table packed in our car and grins on our faces we headed to my parents for lunch and to see the Peanuts Movie with them.  Delightful, adorable, and "refreshing" as my Mom put it perfectly.



4.  My Dad surprised us.  First he told us he had a surprise and turned on some music.  Abigail said, "is that a hint?"  And the music that was playing was Matilda the Musical.  He bought tickets for all of us to go see the Broadway cast in a city near us on opening night.  This is me.  In shock!  Pretty awesome!

Here we are 'just surprised'.



5.  We brought that new table in our kitchen and were more delighted that in the store.

6.  After a small dinner and the girls were tucked in bed, Scott and I had our weekly at-home (the only kind I like) date night.  We had amazing fresh bruschetta and tea.  I was lovely and wonderful and I I told him to pinch me because the day couldn't really have happened to me.

I think by looking at this 'after Mass' photo we were all pretty happy the next morning too.



And just because I know you'd want a close up on the turkey smocking.... this ones for you!

Fall Home Tour ~ Our Dining Room

It's time to start my fall home tour.  🍂 I'm going to show you just our dining room today and other rooms as I take pictures. This was the first room I decorated for this season mostly because I love all of the sweet, warm, natural wood in this room. It waits for autumn all year long. 

We bought this Hitchcock set years ago from someone that restores them. I've talked about Hitchcock so much on this blog. 

Here's a post of the town that housed the factory all those years ago when it first started. 

Here's a post from 2017 when we bought it. 

The Hitchcock furniture company opened in 1818 in Riverton, Connecticut - then called Hitchcockville, Conn. It was the fancy chair crazy in the 1800's. Now all antiques and quite sought after pieces. I love the history of these pieces. I love that they were made right her in Connecticut. I love that for this New Englander, they are perfect for our home. 

So when fall rolls around, it gives me a chance to just enjoy these beautiful pieces again. 

And because I love the furniture oh so much I don't want it all overwhelmed with too much in that room as far as decorations. So I've kept it simple and sweet. 

Another very special part of that room is our wedding china we picked out when we were 21 years old, registered for it and opened it all after our wedding. I knew way back then what I loved. Still do. It 'matches' this room, the table and everything perfectly. 

These calico pumpkins are perfect in our dining room. I love the colors and how the are a simple touch to the natural colors in this room. 

And oh! The moment I saw this china coffee pot, teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl I knew I couldn't wait to put it in our dining room for the fall. Just look at the golds, the fruit and nuts... I adore it so much! 

Sometimes for the season I like to have the table all set. It gives me something to look forward to -- perhaps a special dinner when Anna comes home for fall break... 

It can sure be a challenge to make this room work for Easter and springtime but my goodness, autumn it's in it's glory! 

Oh one more part! The built in china cabinet is painted blue with another set of dishes I love so much! And pumpkins and those little pies make it adorable!

 

Our Easter Table

We spent Easter just the four of us. I wanted to really put a lot of thought and time into our table. I find that when there isn't company and I "don't have to" I really dig in and do even extra because I wanted to make it a really special celebration for our family. I looked for ideas online but ended up getting inspired all on my own. I found one piece at a time and really loved how it all came together. 

I chose to not do the normal spring time bunnies (yes, I still love that look) but wanted something 

R E A L L Y different for us this year. 

The photo below shows our dining room looking into the kitchen. 

We get a lot of morning sunshine in this room and I love the shadows it makes on the walls... dreamy... 

I chose to not cover the table with a table cloth. I love the look of the wood on our antique Hitchcock table. 

Hitchcock was the furniture craze of 1825. And the inventors and creators were from Connecticut. All of the furniture (best known for their chairs) was made in a factory in a small town on the river. We have visited it many times. Once for a Christmas Getaway and other times as well. (back here) (back here) (this post has my Christmas Hitchcock chair) I get a kick out of the fact that I don't follow any of the 2021 decorating crazes but I adore the decorating crazes from way back in 1825. 

When Anna first saw our Easter table when it was all done she said, "I love your Natural Classroom table". So true, ha! I've slowly transitioned my sweet fourth grade classroom into less color and more natural tones for a more peaceful environment. I suppose some of that is sweeping into our home as well. I love these natural woven large placemats. 

And I didn't use all of the flowery china that completes this set. I just wanted a Wedgewood white plate. 

I chose the pretty crystal water glasses and I used thin wooden crosses at each place setting. The ribbon I used represented the resurrection  - 

held by river stones to hold the cross to represent the stone that rolled away. 

How I love sunlight in this room and the shadows on the table and walls. The walls are a creamy white color with bright white trim - that, plus all of the wood makes me feel peaceful and happy. 

Usually Scott picks up flowers at Traders Joes for me when he goes on Thursday night after dropping Anna off at orchestra but I wanted a really specific look on the Easter table... and these from a local garden shop were just what I was looking for. 

Faux lambs ear greenery I tucked around the wooden candle base because He is the Lamb of God.

Wooden candle sticks because He was a carpenter. 

For God so loved the world ... John 3:16

Fall in the Dining Room

"The heart of Autumn must have broken here, 

And poured its treasure out upon the leaves." 

~ Charlotte Fiske Bates 

This is actually the room I started with in the middle of August. Yes, I start really early. Having my whole home decorated for fall means 

💛I have more time for things we love during the whole season  

💛More time to bake pies

💛More time to watch favorite fall movies

💛More time for fall traditions we love so much like apple picking, the pumpkin hayride, carving pumpkins, and now a new tradition we love so much: family weekend at Holy Cross!!

💛It also means I have more time to actually enjoy our fall home. I used to 'decorate throughout the season' but then I was always decorating. Now I get to come home from my day at school and walk into the cozy home I created. I love it so much! 

So yes, decorating early is a really good idea for my whole family! I will once in a while find a new piece here or there and then I just add it in. 

Here is our Dining room this fall. If you've like to see a quick little video of our fall dining room, click HERE. 

I have to start by proclaiming my love for this antique Hitchcock dining set. We saved and saved for YEARS! and the story of where it is from and bringing it home is back HERE. And back HERE I talk about the "perfect little New England town" where it was made back in 1825... swoon 💞

I completely changed the top of the hutch to have some baskets and his painted tin tray I found. I love the colors of the roses -- perfect for autumn in here. 

I also changed out the china. I took all of the milk glass out and put our wedding china in. It has a more creamy white and the gold along the rim is just perfect for this fall room. 

For the centerpiece I chose a wooden tray with black hardware to match the Hitchcock chairs. I filled it with fall things I adore: 

💛 Little white pumpkins - I think pumpkins are adorable!

💛 A glowing candle - I do like battery ones that flicker (more safe for our home) 

💛 Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder -- oh the colors on the cover

💛 The ironstone pitcher is one of my favorite pieces in the entire house. I found it in an antique store close to Anna's college last winter and snatched it up. I knew I'd love it for fall filled with berries. The handle is so detailed and the patina (crackling) on the sides and rim is just so beautiful. 

On the sideboard I decorated with 

💛 Little white pumpkins again -- love them so much

💛 Candles

💛This "Home Sweet Home" sign that I found in a thrift store for only $4 -- It is hand stitched and embordered with little fall leaves

💛 A vintage apple pie and lots of white books 

I love this scene so much! 

Here is a close up on that hand painted tin tray: 

I love the way this wedding china looks in her in the fall. 

Just look at that handle -- dreamy! 

She sang a song, a song of home, A song that reach'd my heart. Home, home, sweet, sweet home. She sang the song of "Home Sweet Home," The song that reach'd my heart. ~ Julian Jordan