...because there is a little country living in all of us



Monday, August 5, 2013

Special Visitors!

Hello!  I hope you are all doing well!  Oh, how I have missed you!  I can't wait to tell you all about my EXCITING news!  On Wednesday and Thursday, July 24 and 25, I had special guests come into my home for a two-day photo shoot!  I most assuredly will fill you in on all the 'when and what' publishing details as soon as I know more.  I had the most wonderful time!  It was all very surreal, just like a dream! 




A huge thank you to regional editor, Andrea Caughey, for taking a chance on me after discovering my blog and contacting me about a possible photo shoot here.  Then possibility became reality when she later informed me that the shoot was a 100% go and sent me the scheduled July shoot dates!






I counted down the weeks into days until the big day was finally here!  I was terribly nervous beforehand, but everyone was wonderful and instantly put me at ease!  It was like chatting and catching up with old friends and the hours just flew by!  I was amazed by the talent of stylist, Sandra Mohlmann.  Her style was outstanding and she paid great attention to even the smallest of details in the composition of each and every photo.  I loved to watch her work!  Jay Wilde also had a great eye for composition and his photography was over the top!  I learned much watching them work their magic here!  A great thank you to Sandra Mohlmann, Patrice Bailey, Jay Wilde, and Laurel Scott for being so easy to have around here and making it all such a perfect memory! 




The month preceding the photo shoot had been a whirl wind!  I am very sorry that I was not able to keep up with my blog or online shop and have left you without a post for so long.  My home and gardens were on the photo order so I was very busy making sure they were in tip-top shape.  There was so much to be done!  Karl was a huge help!  He diligently worked through my many lists and crossed projects off one by one.  He was also on yard duty, keeping the lawn mowed and watered with the hose sprinklers even on those dry, hot July days.  Thank you very much, Karl!  I could not have done it all with out you!  






It was strange and a little lonely waking up the morning after the shoot without a house teeming full of cameras, cords and equipment!  Our home seemed much too empty and I missed the easy conversation I had with new friends!  But now that the photo shoot is behind me, I will direct my attention back to my blog and online store! 




  Sandra and Patrice selected such beautiful, hand-picked flowers for the shoot!  I would love to share them with you so I snapped a couple photos afterward.  Sandra had each room popping with color and she invoked such a warm, inviting aura within!  I am extremely excited and can't wait to see how Jay captured it all on camera for the publication.  If you too desire to see how it all turned out, please be sure to pick up a copy of the issue on newsstands when it is released.  The suspense is killing me too! :)  And don't worry, I will be sure to fill you in on all the details so you won't miss it! 








This fabulous shabby milk can came from Melinda of Alabaster Rose Lifestyle.  It makes the perfect summer vase for fresh cut flowers, don't you think?













Aren't these roses fabulous?  I think yellow roses are now my new favorite!









On a final note, I want to show you what I just did for a light and airy curtain in my bath window.  Per the inspiration of Vintage By Nina, one of my favorite books, I hung two mismatched antique French linen napkins on twine using vintage German curtain clips.  I love how light pronounces the old embroidery!








Thank you for coming back again after such a long period of silence!  I appreciate your patience!  Next time, I will show you some of my summer gardens.  And please stay tuned for updates on my new online shop website coming very soon!



I hope you have a wonderful week!




Maria ~Rusty Hinge





Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Shop the Maple Valley Farmhouse

Hello!  How are you all doing?  I hope all is well in your neck of the woods!  You may have noticed a major trend in my blog posts lately in that they all begin with an exclamation of  'Oh my, look at how much time has slipped by since my last post!' and this one is no exception! :)  I am terribly sorry for not keeping up with you!  With summer finally making it's long awaited arrival, life is extremely busy here.  I will try to fill you in on some of the details and get you up to date on what's been going on!



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}


But first, I must share a little secret!  I have a favorite place that I love to get away to!  It has a very relaxing environment, the most wonderful hosts and loads of vintage treasures begging me to take them all home!  Let me introduce you to the Maple Valley Farmhouse!  



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}


Located in Coral, Michigan, it is just shy of a two-hour drive for me, but well worth it.  Angela of Living Simply @ Maple Valley Farm along with Holly of Haviland Fields and Victoria of The Barn spend long hours antique picking all week to fill the main floor of the Maple Valley Farmhouse with their finds.  The Farmhouse has weekly summer sales and is open by appointment throughout the week.  Trust me in that there is no going home empty-handed with such unique finds at great prices!



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}



 {Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}


The next scheduled sale is coming up this weekend on June 14 and 15.  At each sale you can also expect farm danish, free coffee, and a light lunch menu!  Sounds like the perfect opportunity for another day trip!  Can't wait!  At the Maple Valley Farmhouse you are amongst friends!



{Photo courtesy of Maple Valley Farmhouse}


 Let me also quickly fill you in on what I have been up to!  I am working hard on putting together a separate website for my shop!  It is almost ready to go so the next round of treasures for sale will be displayed on 'shiny new shelves!'  I will keep you posted on exactly when the new shop will launch so please keep an eye on my Facebook and blog for updates.  In the meantime, you can check out what is still available for purchase here.


The garden has also been beckoning me and stealing the rest of my time!  My raised beds are finally in and stuffed with vegetables, my window boxes are filled and I made all my own annual hanging baskets this year.  I can't wait to show you all my hard work!  I promise to post more garden photos soon!




Well, better run for now!  Thank you again for being so patient with me!  I appreciate you all very much!



Have a wonderful week,




Maria ~Rusty Hinge





   


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Summer Homebound 2013 is Here!

Summer Homebound 2013 is here!  It is jam-packed with gorgeous eye candy from super talented contributors!  But don't take my word for it, please see for yourself!




Here are the articles you will find in this issue-


~Repurposing Vintage Linens

~Peonies and How to Grow

~French Farmhouse Decor and Finds

~Summery Tablescape

~Raising Chickens

~Chair Re-do on the Lake

~Summer Berries, Recipes and How to Grow

and MORE!




Summer Homebound is once again available in digital or print version!  To purchase your very own print version, please *Click Here.*



Just gorgeous, isn't it?  Head on over to Post Road Vintage for more details or to purchase the digital version from her shop!


Thank you very much again for inviting me back on-board, Heather!  You did a phenomenal job as usual!



Maria ~Rusty Hinge




PS. New farmhouse items restocked in the shop very soon, including those styled and photographed for Summer Homebound!





Saturday, May 18, 2013

Fifteen Percent Off and a Winner!

What a glorious day!  I am excited to offer 15% off on all remaining shop items purchased today through Tuesday, May 21!  If you have your eye on something, now is your chance to snap it up!  To take advantage of the discount, just add to cart and purchase as usual and I will refund the discount with Paypal back to your account.  Easy as pie!




Everything left in the shop is 15% off including this vintage European dough board...




...and these French bistro tip saucers!


Wondering what else is available and 15% off?  Please *Click Here* to head over to my shop!  Note:  The 15% discount is not reflective in the cart price, but will be refunded back to your Paypal account upon receipt of payment.  The Mountains Be Moved Cookbooks are not included in this sale.





And even more exciting to announce is that I have a winner for the Jennifer Rizzo Santos Doll E-Course giveaway!  Congratulations, Nadya!  I will let Jennifer know that you are my winner, but please pre-register for the class on Jeanne Oliver's website  *Here.*  The class starts on May 27!  Can't wait!



Thank you again for stopping by!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!



Maria ~Rusty Hinge



Thursday, May 9, 2013

It's Time for Another Giveaway!

Today, I am very pleased to offer you another giveaway!   Jennifer Rizzo is teaching a new online course on how to assemble, sculpt, and paint Santos dolls.  She has graciously offered a free spot in her course to one of you!  The course begins May 27, but the course videos can be watched anytime over and over up to a year later!  It looks like a ton of fun!  Can't wait!




If you would like to go ahead and register for your own spot in the class, head on over to Jennifer's blog *Here* for more information on how to do so.  I have included some details about the course below taken right from her blog.


It's about creating serene, rustic beauty from paper,clay and wood: The art of hand-sculpting and assembling Santos Cage dolls and other art dolls
Santos Cage dolls have gained popularity over the last few years.
They have a serene, rustic beauty and sometimes almost eerie quality that has transformed them from use as religious icons in the 17th and 18th centuries to beautiful works of art.
Each doll has it’s own personality and as you sculpt and create you will see your own style and beauty develop.
In this class, You will learn to make three different versions of Cage dolls.
You will learn techniques in assembling armature, sculpting and painting faces, and using unconventional materials to make beautiful figural dolls.
Supplies:
Some kits and supplies will be available in my shop (more information coming soon)
3 paper mache dress form bases 1 small/1 medium/1 large
5 packages of paper clay or air dry clay
Clay tools
black wire
acrylic paints
satin/matte varnish/sealer/mod podge
2 cereal boxes
10 paint sticks
6-6 inch rectangular dowels
6 -6 inch straight wood sticks from a bush or tree
Hot glue
White craft glue
I toilet paper roll
Newspaper and making tape
1 base of round wood
scrapbook paper of choice
1 base of either a cardboard hat box or a round wood box




To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave me a comment below!  If you help spread the word about the giveaway on your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or blog, each counts as an extra entry but please leave a separate comment for each.  The giveaway ends next Friday on May 17.  I will select one by random drawing and announce the winner on Saturday!




This looks like a fun one!  You aren't going to want to miss it!  Thank you for your generosity, Jennifer!




Maria ~Rusty Hinge