Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

To everyone who made the pilgramage to Ephraim this year: It was wonderful to see you! Thank you for your kind and supportive words, funny stories, and special memories. I wish I had gotten a group photo, but as it turns out, I was more focused on photographing the furniture!


Grandma Wanda reminiscing.


Starr and Judy.


Getting ideas for landscaping by looking at native plants with Judy in the Ephraim canyon foothills. The bush with the yellow blossoms is Ephedra, Mormon Tea.


This white flowering bush has a heavenly smell and we are trying to find out what it is.


Asher, Luke, and Emily feeding Ken's horses, the morning before the parade.


Asher shaking the Vikings' hand.


Luke on a leash.


Hail the Rodeo Queen.


Ethan prepares to devour The Viking Feast.


Wow!


Trent and Ethan, apres Viking Feast.

Putting Things in Place


Grain-painted bookshelf (original to the house), Jeannie's oval mirror (from her trousseau), victorian desk painted with blue milk-paint, marble-based lamp from the attic (re-wired, new shade), grained chair, assorted objects and books original to the house, Molly's dog on braided rug.


Family bible and "The New Cyclopedia of Family Medicine", donated by LaMar and Pearl. The medical book is the one Jeannie consulted over the years. It has extremely rare and interesting medical illustrations in it and it is a real treasure. Thank you LaMar!


New slip-covered couch, Ken Sorenson painting, original trunk with rope handles (brought from Denmark) with newly repaired top, stowed with pictures and genealogy, armchair from the attic with new fabric.


I wanted the china cupboard to be the first thing you saw when you walked in the front door. Max Blain watercolor (re-framed), antique pine church pew, the Lone Wolf picture above the door, and Ethan admiring his handy-work.


Newly revamped wing-back chairs and ottoman, antique standing lamp (re-wired).


The ancestors find a new place to hang above the antique wicker table.


Grandma Wanda makes herself at home.


New custom muslin curtains, restored antique German clock (compliments of Betina), original rocker and white kitchen chair, geraniums in the window.


Original pedestal table, crockery, spinning wheel, stove.


Side board brought down from the attic, Wanda's first oil painting, embroidered table linen from Trent's grandmother, Elaine Call.


Antique plate rack with blue and white dishes from Betina.


Antique clock shelf, vintage bear picture, striped pitcher, and egg beater, all from the house.




I've discovered so many pretty and interesting things from all the decades in the house. It's fun to decorate and play house!

Preparing for Memorial Day


It was really fun to find new pieces for Ephraim and combine them with the old antiques. I found these wing back chairs on the KSL classifieds and then painted them and had them reulpholstered in grey cotton/linen with down-filled cushions. The ottoman fabric was a great find. Inspiration for the wall color came from the bits of robin's eggs I always looked for-and hoped to find-under the pines in the cemetery. Also, the soft blue/grey palette is classic Scandinavian.


The old cupboard was behind the door in the blue room since before my time. When we moved it, we found part of the adobe wall disintegrating.


This chair was in the attic, and because it is comfortable and has great lines, I decided to clean and repair it for use in the front room. I chose this English looking fabric to reupholster the seat.


The old rocker/recliner before.


After! This chair is so comfy, that I wanted to keep it around. I love this pale blue and cream ticking fabric. It feels fresh and clean like a summer cottage should. We found a great ulpholsterer in Mt. Pleasant named Chad. He is eighty years old and does a nice job. He works out of a shop behind his house that smells like cats, and so does everything he reupholsters!

Refinishing the Floors


I was lucky enough to persuade Signature Floors-one of the premier floor companies in Utah-to come down and refinish the oak floor in the living room. Chris arrived at 8 AM and worked until 7:30 PM. He sanded off the old finish, and then sanded the wood multiple times with finer sandpapers. He repaired the threshold into the kitchen, sunk nails, filled cracks, and applied a tung-oil type finish. I had him leave the other thresholds as is, because I love their worn character.


He was impressed with the quality of the floor Dale laid by hand in the late forties or fifties. It looks amazing! I will need to apply two more coats of oil finish later this Summer.