A beautiful New Hampshire morning, and more 18thc. hats and 'fripperies'~

I am up early as usual and I enjoy this brief 'quiet time' sitting here typing by the open windows, listening to a backyard woods full of birdsong of all kinds!
After a couple gloomy days of rain, it is again a fabulous, green and sunny New Hampshire day. Tea in hand I strolled outside for a bit, the morning sun's rays slanting across my gardens. I can't believe how tall my peas and other veggies have grown in only a couple days, and how many more of our perennial flowers are in bloom now. I see the Columbine and Jacob's Ladder are in full glorious color, as well as others I can't remember the names of. The old dooryard roses are about to pop, as are the Larkspur.

Yesterday I made a new 18thc. straw hat for the season. It is just a simple basic one with black grosgrain ribbon that will look perfect with my sunny yellow French print pet en l'air and petticoat, as well as almost any other gown. (I use only the authentic, soft, all-cotton Japanese-made grosgrain ribbon with the scalloped-looking edge, and never the cheap, polyester blend grosgrain ribbon for sale at every fabric shop.)

 

The hat is about a 17 inch brim---just the right size for me---and I 'cocked' the back up. I 'ruched' some ribbon for the band, and used a slightly narrower ribbon for the ties. I also added a flat bow at the upturned back. It looks very fetching on and is perfect for the reenacting we do.

The new 18thc. low crown straw hat I made~

I also found the most wonderful Edwardian (c. 1900) fan the other day for only a few dollars! It is hand painted and has subtle pink flowers and pale green leaves, and is just perfect for using with my new 18thc. gown. It has delicate old-ivory lace inserts here and there, and tiny, very old metallic sequins sewn here and there, that catch the light and sparkle as you fan yourself.

I really can't wait to model my new gown, with the top-secret hat, and all the accessories for you soon!

I'll take new photos soon of my latest 'bargain find'---a gorgeous, c. 1900 silk fan. In the light, the tiny sequins sparkle flirtatiously. I added the silk ribbon so that I can hang it from my wrist. This will be a perfect accessory with my new 18thc. gown~

Every day I am getting a bit better, but am still not able to do a lot. It can be frustrating in the extreme...Today I plan to sit in a chair out in the yard and work on a few small accessories to wear with the new gown---perhaps a simple, decorated silk ribbon  to tie around one wrist, and maybe one of my pin-on silk and wax floral nosegays. I have some saved floral decoration in exactly the proper shade of that peachy 'ballet' pink as my gown, and some old cream netting lace from a long-gone garment.
Tonight we are going to BBQ since it's such a great day. I have cedar planks soaking, and we'll make one of our favorites---grilled planked salmon. I'll have saffron rice and a salad to go with it.

We also talked about taking the dogs and a picnic, and going back to again hike through 'Forest City' soon. I think that may have to wait for a couple more weekends yet, but I am really looking forward to it. In the meantime, I am reconciling myself to healing, trying not to get too impatient, and just enjoying the warmth and lovely sunny days.
Adam has gotten our tandem bike out, and made sure it's all cleaned off and the tires 'aired up', and we are planning our first ride of the season. I am sure he did this to cheer me up. We really love our 'bicycle built for two' and love to take long rides for many, many miles all summer long. We get quite a workout here, as the roads are hilly and winding. I think I can at least manage 2 or 3 miles soon, and in a few more weeks I should be all back to normal, and ready to do our normal 6 to 12 mile rides.
*(Read my past posts on 'Forest City'; You can find them by checking the tag list at the bottom of my blog.)

An 18th century, 5th wedding anniversary High Tea in Limerick, and the 1803 ballroom frozen in time~

A'sneak peek'! Just a glimpse of part of my new 18thc. gown. I'll be wearing it for the first time for our wedding anniversary celebration in June~ (The bow is not attached here, and is only a 'mock up'---The actual bow to be attached to the sleeves will be more finely made.)

One of the tea-sandwich platters served at the Clipper Merchant~

Adam has planned the most spectacular and romantic 18th century anniversary celebration for us! Somehow we found The Clipper Merchant Tea House in Limerick Maine, only a very short drive from our home in New Hampshire. We can't believe we had not heard of it before, but it seems most fortuitous that we should now happen upon it as the perfect spot for our anniversary outing.
He has taken charge, contacting the owners and letting them know about our 18thc. wedding, and that we would like to come for High Tea in high-style period dress to celebrate our 5th anniversary! Reservations are now made for a day in June, and I couldn't be more excited. I am a long-time lover of the tradition of High Tea, and Adam and I have gone on many an 18thc. English Tea-inspired picnic ourselves, to parks near the ocean here in New Hampshire and in Maine. 
 I have made all manner of delicious 'tea treat' recipes that we have brought for our luncheons, along with the appropriate flowers, pewter plates, floral china cups, and a damask cloth.
I have dressed in a special 18thc. gown and a hat of my own design and making, and we've had such fun talking with 'the public' and having our photos taken, as well as enjoying wonderful food in beautiful settings.

How nice it will be to actually go to a lovely old house with different-themed rooms all set for a magnificent afternoon of High Tea! Adam has arranged seating in the room of his choice and I know this will be a most grand and happy occasion for us. This will also be the 'debut' wearing of my new 18thc. gown---a glorious confection of period-correct striped 100% silk in soft shades of ballet pink, spring green and cream, with a stunning matching hat and accessories. The hat will feature some of the gown silk, as well as blush color ostrich feathers and more. I am still keeping most of the details of this outfit a closely guarded secret until my first wearing of it---at our anniversary tea, but I have included one small 'sneak peek' photo above!
I have been on the rocky road of recovery from the surgery, and it's hard to keep spirits up at times. I am glad to have something to look forward to; it makes me feel that yes, I will get better---I will be myself again. Some days it seems as if I will feel terrible forever, and it's scary. I have to take one day at a time...

The fact that Adam has carefully planned this special day himself means the most to me---It certainly makes waiting for our anniversary celebration worth it! I am looking forward to sharing our day with everyone eventually, with photos here on my blog.

A buffet on the porch of the Tea House~

 

The 'Custom House Room'

The 'Hawthorne Room' ~ Graciously, the Tea House owner offered to reserve the best table in the house for our afternoon tea there when Adam spoke with her to make the reservation. It happens to be in this room, and overlooks a very old colonial house with lovely trees and stone walls. I can't wait!

Tea sandwiches come with some fantastic Maine blueberries on the platter!

'The Scottish Thistle Room', also known as The Library

The 'China Room'

The 'Tower of London for 2'

The 'Tower of London' is just one menu selection----a tower of goodies for two!

The owners of the Tea House were most accommodating when Adam contacted them, and have now seen photos of us and our website. They also own a building across the road from their tea house---an 1803 home with a period ballroom still looking as it was then, on the 3rd floor! They have emailed us and asked to take us over there and show it to us the day we come for our tea. They know that we are longtime contra (period) dancers, and asked if perhaps we might be interested in helping them to organize some English Country dances there! (Would we!) The ballroom is pictured below, and is quite spectacular, with fireplaces at each end, and original wall murals by the famed Rufus Porter/JD Poore.
Rufus Porter lived in that area of Maine in the early years of the 19th century, and since I have lived in New England it has been my privilege to have been invited personally into more than one private home (NOT a museum), that featured his work, and/or that of his nephew, Jonathan Poore, his sister's son. 
I was also in one case, the only person allowed to photograph the murals---(other than the Maine State Museum)---pictures that I still have and treasure, along with fond memories of the lovely couple who used to own the house a number of years ago...
It was very emotional to actually see the untouched and naively pastoral local landscapes of the 1820's and 30's staring back at me from the ancient plaster walls.
We can only imagine how wonderful it would be to go to this ballroom on a Saturday evening, candles glowing, punch bowls set up at each end near the twin fireplaces, for a bit of English Country dancing, or even a Jane Austen ball!
I'll be sure to include more photos and a report, after we see it 'in person' when we "are come for tea" soon...

The stunning c. 1803 ballroom in Limerick Maine, frozen in time~

May, Part 2~

Memorial Day weekend is a big deal here, and a big thrill for me. It is the official start of the summer season here in New England where winters are long and harsh. There is nothing so welcome each year as the birdsong and flowers, the rushing brook sounds and all that green.
Our yard is a small oasis of sun-dappled green, with pockets of shade and places where cold water trips over moss covered granite boulders. We have simple period gardens of natural materials where flowers and vegetables warm and grow in the summer sun.  Today I see numerous butterflies fluttering around our wattle fences and stone walls. The windows are open, and I hear the calls of many varieties of birds as well.
Adam is repairing our dog's front-pack carriers. We plan to put their 'daisy' dresses on them with the matching yellow daisy bows in their hair and take them on a short errand today. There is one family-owned grocery store down the road that always welcomes our yorkies in their pouches and never makes us leave them in the car. We are just going to pick up some of their own homemade hamburgers to grill this weekend, and some beer to use for making BBQ'd ribs tomorrow for our anniversary dinner. This is a special treat, and we'll have the decadent chocolate cake for dessert.
Later today we'll just be hanging out in our pretty yard, mowing, painting, and doing the general puttering necessary each spring.
I am still not back to normal from surgery. It is monumentally discouraging, and I am dealing with that right now. It will take some time...
Later this afternoon perhaps a car ride with the dogs---meandering along narrow lanes bordered by ancient stone walls, where trees meet in a green canopy overhead---I don't think there is anyplace so beautiful or so dear as spring in New Hampshire...

All of these photos were taken in our own yard~We built dozens and dozens of feet of wattle fencing by hand, around several gardens. We cut over 400 saplings, hauled them down the hill from the woods behind the house, and crafted the fences using no modern tools, and doing some of it dressed in 18thc. clothing. We built the wattle gates, and the stone wall in front as well. Adam carved wooden hinges and pins for the gates. 

***You cannot just go out and buy wattle fencing like ours. We have tramped through woods cutting down all the fresh saplings needed, and then stripped off every branch and leaf from each one, by hand. By the time we finished, we had cut down, stripped and used over 400 hardwood saplings in our almost-3 foot tall fencing around 2 gardens and for wattle gates that we have designed ourselves.  Wattle fence-making is not a job for anyone with a lazy bone in their body!

These 4 leaded windows are the kitchen. They look out over all the gardens~ The raised beds are just outside the back door...

The brook in our yard~This was taken in early spring

This wattle fence is surrounding a smaller garden with the grape arbor and the strawberry patch~It is on one side of the house.
Above, our babbling brook falls down the hill...

The arbor we built from trees in our woods last year~ We put in a stone floor. We plan to have tea under the arbor in 18thc. clothing when we have our period lawn parties!
Wisteria covers this entire arbor.

We have now designed and  built several different twig arbors in our yard. You can read more about this one HERE

The wisteria on the front arbor is now leafing out~

We built our authentic cedar raised bed kitchen gardens a couple years ago. This spring I constructed pea tripods---("pea-pods"!)---for the heirloom blue-podded peas I planted from seed.
Adam made all the garden markers by hand as a gift for me, writing them in 17thc. script~

Firewood on the porch. The leaded window here is in the buttery~

The herb garden in the back by the kitchen door is completely enclosed by wattle fencing the two of us built by hand earlier this spring. The photos are deceiving---the rectangular garden is over 12 feet deep  by over 25 feet long. We cut down over 350 saplings for all the wattle fencing and gates we built, hauled them, and cut and wove each one~

  

You can see the old granite bench that was here when I bought the house, and the stone English bee bole we just constructed in the herb garden...

 

We built every arbor using materials from our own property~

Our house and yard are ever changing~ Visit our website TOUR page to see up-to-date photos of our yard and the inside of our 18th century home, all to period musick~