'Flirtatious' 18thc garters....An anniversary gift~

For our anniversary we got each other a small modest gift---of course having to do with reenacting. I got Adam some formal white gloves for the 18thc. events/jobs we do, such as the upcoming 18thc. Concert Gala in Wolfeboro, and the Colonial Ball, etc.

I received something I have long wanted---a pair of embroidered cream satin 18thc reproduction garters. I had previously only had the 'industrial and serviceable' black leather buckled ones. My sinfully-delicious-looking new ones, (a la "The Duchess"), are for special events when I also wear my 'fancy' cream leather 18thc shoes with the 'Louis' heels.
The garters just arrived, and are pictured here. In future I will have my husband photograph my legs in them, with my elegant 18thc court shoes on. They are copies of existing period ones that belonged to  Marie Antoinette at one time. They were brought to England, sometime in the early 19thc.  The have a poem in french on them that translates:

"I form a genuine beauty I form a perfect pair. And when describing this portrait, you are my air".

It is delicious to wear them under my petticoats.

Anniversary

Yesterday, May 27th was our anniversary. We were married in an authentic 18thc. wedding 3 years ago.

I love to cook. It was a gorgeous sunny day in New Hampshire. All the windows in my little 1700's cape were open. I was barefoot, and had a favorite CD---'A TRIP TO KILLBURN', playing in the background, mixing with the sounds of birds in my yard. I happily immersed myself in making a nice dinner for our anniversary. The table in front of the back windows was set. You could hear the stream that runs down our property, through the open casement windows. I picked flowers from our yard and had them in a hand-blown glass on the table. I thought I would share what I made with you. Here is the table, and the room pictured here.

We had a pasta dish for the main course. I used Mama Rosie's low fat whole grain ravioli and cooked it according to directions. In a pan, melt 1/2 stick of butter ( I use Smart Balance 50/50), and add the juice of one whole fresh lemon. I cut and chopped lots of fresh mint from our herb garden, and finely grated fresh parmesan. Toss the butter-lemon with the pasta, and stir in the mint. Plate and top with the parmesan, and kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Eat immediately. I made a salad of fresh spinich, red onion, sliced fresh strawberries, and raw cashews that I sauteed in a bit of butter and added a tsp. of raw honey to. I always make my own dressing. For this I combined olive oil, a bit of raspberry vinegar, the juice of 1/2 of a lime, a bit of honey, and some chopped pickled ginger.
For dessert, by Adam's special request, I made a decadent and yummy peanut butter chocolate pie. This recipe is on the OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER OF THE LARGE SIZE SORRENTO PART SKIM RICOTTA CHEESE.
I make a few changes of my own; I make my own crust from scratch using graham crumbs and Bob's Red Mill Almond meal flour. I also use bittersweet, dark chocolate chips melted over the crust instead of semi-sweet. We had homemade ice tea with mint in it to drink.

So there you have it, our special anniversary dinner. It was really much better than anything we could have gotten from a restaurant, and excepting the dessert, far healthier. The ambiance here at home was so peaceful and romantic as well~

The stream in our yard, outside our windows.

Please visit me....

We have a wonderful website that is a slice of our lives here in rural New Hampshire. We often have 8000 visits a month to our site.
We have an OFFERINGS page selling quality antiques.  We also feature our special, different and historic 'photo galleries' that change periodically, and seem to be a big hit with everyone who visits. We have been featured in several national magazines, and we receive lovely emails from all over.

Take a tour of our home to period musick, by clicking the TOUR option. If you love antiques, history, the 17th and 18th centuries, and old houses I hope you will visit~

Welcome to our home~

This is my first attempt at a 'blog'. I have always written, and people have told me for years to write a book, and that I have great talent. I thought I would share a little about my life here in my beloved New England in my diary-blog. I hope you enjoy 'visiting' and seeing my life here through my eyes~

A new petticoat...

I am not a seamstress and am definitely needlework-challenged. I was therefore quite proud of myself when I made my first 18thc. petticoat from scratch. I had long wanted a quilted petticoat.

I serendipitously found a lovely woman who had hand quilted some beautiful ice-blue satin for just such a petticoat. Sadly, her cat had chewed and clawed the gown it was to have been worn with, beyond repair. She sent the fabric she had laboriously hand quilted to me, and I made it into the petticoat of my dreams.

I had, some time ago found a step by step guide to making one, with photos on the internet, and followed them carefully. The petticoat surpassed my expectations and I proudly wear it with my blue and yellow toile 'open robe'. The dear lady who quilted it knows it is now being worn and greatly appreciated. You can see my petticoat and gown pictured here.

UPDATE 2013~ This gown and petticoat are now FOR SALE on the SUTLERY PAGE of our website~

Waiting for the roses...

It is a gorgeous sunny day and the yard and gardens around my tiny 18thc cape are lovely. Bees are buzzing around the flowers, and I see buds on the dooryard roses. I am anxiously awaiting their blooming. Last year for the first time I distilled my own rosewater using these roses. I am planning on doing that again in a couple weeks. I then use the rosewater to make pink lemonade for a special occasion or treat. Delicious!


We will be at the season opening of the c. 1760's Tate House in Maine on June 5th, wearing period clothing and greeting and talking with all who come. Last year, I made assorted tea sandwiches for us and brought them, with china cups and plates, and linen cloth, and we had our elegant 'English Tea'  lunch on the lawn while tourists photographed us. This year I am going to do the same, trying a few new recipes. I am going to use some of my rose petals for ROSE PETAL TEA SANDWICHES. Mmmmm, so good.

Hello to all kindred spirits~

I live in a 1700's house in New Hampshire that I  spent years restoring before I met my husband. My husband and I are living history reenactors and public speakers, among other things, presenting a variety of historical programs. We are both passionate about each other, our old house, antiques, and history. We were married in an authentic 18thc. wedding in May of 2007. The way we met is a story fit for a romance novel or a film, and one I will share in the future. I also want to share some of my thoughts, feelings and what I am doing here in my little 18thc. cape in the country...

UPDATE, 2012~ Our 18thc. center-chimney cape~

You can take a tour of our home HERE~