The antique effect

Inspired by the new-to-me yard sale treasures that I found at my friend Elizabeth's home, I "antiqued" these photos, in iphoto. Right after bringing them home, I spent an hour or so de-cluttering corners, a table top and a window sill, in order to better display each piece. I was seeing my home with new eyes.

Gillen found this book. It was written at the turn of the century, just a few years before the building of our house. It's been fun to read the recipes, that call for low or high heat (all done over a fire) and imagine the people who lived here cooking this way. The best part is the large amount of information about etiquette . Gillen and I read about how one was to behave as a guest in a farmer's home, what to expect and not expect from the servants, why a bathing room is a necessary room, not just a luxury, especially for tired farmers.
Below is Elizabeth's grandmother's suitcase. It is very heavy (porters were everywhere back then, apparently), lined with linen, and covered with stickers showing her destinations. It has three wooden hangers from which I'm going to hang art supplies in the art room. When I propped up this suitcase in there as well, Nicolas tried to remind me that the art room is a sun room, for eating as well as art. So, it may move to some other corner, but it will be on display.
This coffee jar now holds our beans and the sweet green pitcher holds the hot coffee until it has cooled enough to be poured into glass.
The new kitchen windowsill:
Cookbooks will now lie open for me on what was intended to hold the family bible. This will inspire me to try new recipes.
Though, in the light of day (rather than under the antique effect) it is made apparent how little room I now have to cook. I did declutter another area as well so that I can temporarily move my large cookbook pulpit, if necessary.

We also got a bureau (for $25 and a watermelon), some duck decoys (for Gillen), and more. Thank you Elizabeth and family.