Rite of Spring - Opening the Screen Porch.

 

Porch before-all shut up for winter.

Porch after- all open for spring.

 Years ago I asked a friend of mine if she would move to Maplewood for a Butlers pantry? And she said NO! And then she asked me if I would get married for a screen porch, we both said yes! Maplewood is a subdivision of St Louis. It is now a  much nicer neighborhood ,  than, when I asked that question, but at the time, it was not very desirable. I was renting and looking to move, when I saw a ad in the paper about a house in Maplewood with a butlers pantry.I have always dreamed of a house with a butlers pantry. I think I would like to live in one, just the pantry,no other rooms.   My friend had just divorced and was enjoying her new found freedom and I guess she was dating some old koote that had a house with a screen porch. Well moral of the story, I never found any one to marry me with a porch,with money enough to build one, or any other reason, I guess? So I had to build my own porch.
    When I bought, My Old Historic House, there was an awful concrete block garage added to the side. There had been a porch there at one time. Off went the garage- the very first day.It was two years after that before I could save enough to build the screen porch. The first year I did the floor and a roof..It had to set another year before I could finish it. Then in the spring of that 4th year, she  got done. I put in  a bead board ceiling and 1/4 bead board walls. Stained the floor with a dark gray deck stain. Painted everything white, including the back outside brick wall of the house. I had a ceiling fan installed and a French Iron chandelier.And then I could move in. I have always had a passion for wicker furniture, and some how can't say no to a piece, so I had a basement full.After painting the wicker with a fresh coat of white paint,I moved it in.

Mop and Bucket all ready.

Do you think the floor is really dirty?

This view makes me keep going,mop,mop,mop!!

Dining chairs with faded seats and white paint splashes.

This side done.

I found this in Atlanta from a picker who brings them over from France.

   Having a screen porch is wonderful, but also has it's trying side. When it rains things get wet, so I had to buy patio covers to cover everything, or else, move the cushions inside every time you used them.The same thing happened with the sun, it would soon fade things and then there is the problem with the dirt from the street outside. But the covers take care of all those problems, just makes it a little more work to keep covering and covering.The floor has to be moped every week and since the space is small, I have to carry everything into the kitchen,mop and carry it back. I think it is worth it, when I have my breakfast and dinner out there every  day and night.
    My dear sweet Sister made all the cushions and slip covers for me. It sure helps to have some one around that can and will do that.I used a blue and white toile fabric along with a French pillow ticking.There is just something about blue and white, it has a cooling effect and I thought it would cool off that porch. What do you think?

It's starting to come together!

Another wall done.

My favorite this serving cart.

French Wire Garden Plant Stand with shells.

You've seen these before.

Out this came from the kitchen.

   There is a great view of the Mississippi River and I place the dining table where you could set and eat and see the boats go by. My favorite time on the porch is in the evening. There is usually a cool breeze from the river, fire flies and it's just very peaceful. Oh yes, a great place to take a nap. The porch is a favorite place of Sissy Dogs. She can see out the window and  bark at the neighbors dogs and cats.She was the first out when I started cleaning it up.

Mary Alice Hadley Country Pottery, I just love, love,love it. It is too heavy to use so I decorate with it.

My slip covered dining chairs. I designed them and my Sister made them.

A better look at the slip covers that just tie on front and back.

Sissy Dog's favorite spot.The neighbor has 2 dogs and a cat. Bark, bark,bark!!!!

It's starting to come together.

Little dining area.

   Opening the porch each spring is a delight and a big chore. It has been closed since Nov. and there is 5 months of dirt. Last winter the porch had 3 feet of snow on it. So that left its mark as well. So I have to move everything off, mop the floor 2 or 3 times. Wipe down the screen and bead board. Clean the fan,chandelier and wicker. Move everything back out there and bring all the cushions down from the closet up stairs and then the accessories. When it is done I usually step back and just look. I had breakfast there this morning and then covered it all back up as it is going  to rain today.

Don't you just love the farm theme on this pottery?

The Mississippi River is on one end and my garden is on the other.

   I hope you enjoy my journey of opening the screen porch. Come by for a visit and a glass of sweet tea. I will leave the French Iron chandelier on and Sissy Dog will meet you with a jump and a kiss. Just give us some warning as I will have to un-cover just before you get there, Happy Spring!

My neighbors have a 2 car garage and they always leave the cars out. Would be nice to st on the porch and not see a car and a truck. I see a tall rose trellis coming on!

The ceiling fan has bead board blades.

From my garden.

Sissy Dog send you kisses from My Old Historic House, screen porch.

BIRDCAGES - Flights of Fancy

I bought this cage at a fancy antique show in St.Louis. I was kinda poor at the time and I didn't want my partner to know  I was spending the money, so I had the person I was buying it from cary it out one door, while I went out the other. It is a French Wire cage and I just love it. 

This cage has 3 sections and was used by some one who raised birds.  Males had to be seperated from the females after the fact. And when babies were born they had to be in a seperate  pin as well. So that is why there was three sections.

        Birdcages have inspired artisans and delighted bird keepers for centuries. There is something about the requisite form,the necessary aireness of bird cages,that gives them essential beauty. The history of the
 bird cage is tied to the adoption of birds as pets. Birds were caged for their beauty and mystery nearly four centuries ago in ancient Egypt. Doves and parrots were favorites of the Egyptians and are depicted often in hieroglyphics. Original cages were crude and made  perhaps of  wooden twigs,rope mesh,.reed or bamboo. Some say that Alexander the Great was given a parakeet by one of his generals and the Alexandrine Parakeet was named in his honor. Ancient Romans kept and held birds as well and it was considered the duty of a slave to care for domesticated animals. By the Middle Ages only the wealthy kept caged birds.
  

I always wanted to put real Doves in this cage in my garden. I have never had the nerve as I have always been afraid they might get to hot or to cold or to wet.

I had this in a little weekend home, when I sold the weekend home to buy, My Old Historic House, I sold this to my friend. Latter I cried and she sold it back to me. I just have a problem getting rid of these cages. I might need professional help.

This one is Brass, but it looks like a French wood and wire one. I let a neighbor buy this one and after I begged he let me buy it back as well.

I just love this pink paint. I should re-paint it white, as it is on my screen porch, which is all blue and white, that is, except for this pink cage.

     When Western  traders brought back spices and textiles from the East, they also brought the exotic birds as pets.Birds were much beloved pets in the American Colonies. Bamboo and wooden cages were seen in many kitchens in the New World. Often hung by an open window.
    Through the Victorians were the first bird cage collectors,the hobby of bird keeping and the craft of cage making are probably as old as civilization itself.We know that the ancient Greeks keep sparrows,magpies and starlings as house pets and during the heyday of the Roman Senate,talking parrots were all the rage. The Chinese,whose birdcages remain among the most beautiful ever created, were making cages as early as the 3rd century.

I have another problem, that is sea shells, I just have to buy them when I see them for sale. Since I don't have birds in my cages I often fill them with my piles and piles of shells. Any one know a good doctor?

Love,love,love the flowers painted on this one.

I found this beauty in Atlanta  at the Scott Market Antique Show. I bought it for the shop. Of course I priced it very high. When I bought,My Old Historic House, I had to bring it home with me. I was kinda bad, as I had the legs made taller. I guess it was ment to be displayed on a table as a centerpiece. Didn't work for me, so I just  had ir fixed right up.

    The French too, were establishing themselves as cage-makers-indeed. France was the only nation to boast a Royal chartered cage-making guild.But it wasn't until the 18th century that the art of cage making saw its first inflorescence.Suddenly no great house could be constructed without an aviary and no man or woman of fashion could resist the temptation of an ornately carved cage. Both Louis XV and XVI, commissioned elaborate cages that were placed among the orange trees in the gardens of Versailles.
    For the first time in history,the cage itself began to take  precedence over the bird inside..  By the 19th century,the bird cage had become almost an essential furnishing in well-to-do homes,across Europe. Under Napoleon III,the French produced birdcages that were wonders of miniature architecture, and the rest of Europe fallowed suit. Behind turreted walls and balustered windows,it was sometimes nearly impossible to spot the birds inside. But the cages were glorious The English took the mania for birdcages to new heights. By  centurys end,no middle class English parlor was with out it's pet bird and in the houses of the wealthy an extravagant birdcage was likely to be the centerpiece of the drawing room.19th century Americans were equally enamored of birdcages,which replicated everything from Native American homes to sailing vessels.

These are on a wall  on my screen porch. I will be opening the porch soon and that will be another post. check back latter.

I just love the fancy work on this cage.

  There is something very  appealing about having a birdcage around the house. Perhaps it's the classic beauty of a richly embellished 19th century mahogany dome or fantasy of a wood and wire Swiss Chalet.or it might be the soft patina of weathered paint on a tin cage. Today most bird cage collectors are not lovers of caged birds. They just like the cage as a decorative element around the home.No space is off limit. Some bird cages are found in the most formal spaces while others decorate a sun room or a back porch. Magazines of  all types love to feature them . The Shabby Chic look has brought the art of bird cage collecting back in strong force. The addition to any room of a bird cage is sure to bring a smile.
   I have had a love affair with bird cages for as long as I can remember. I never knew why,but it has always been there. Years ago my house was on a house tour and I had several bird cages on the wall in a powder room. One of the people who took the tour made a remark that the cages in the powder room were  the high light of her tour. That person and I have since then become best friends. We both love bird cages and have then in our shops and homes for years. Both of us have shipped them home from New York and carried them around at flea markets. It is a problem, but a good problem. I sell her one, buy it back in a few months. She sells me one and I sell it back to her at another date. Whats that all about??? I bought a big very expensive bird cage in St.Louis when I first opened my shop there. I wanted to show off with it. I put it in the shop with a big price tag and it sold. I never got over it. Latter the person that bought it was moving and wanted to sell it, so I bought it back and put it in the shop with even a higher price. Well- it sold again. I still say to this day, why did I ever sell that cage?Sometimes we just have to pay the bills.And ,I did and that's that!

  I have a few bird cages at My Old Historic House that I would like to share with you all today. They range in style from a shabby tin to a fancy gold leaf French. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  Today pictures are not the best. I  am sorry, but it is one of those days where the camera wins and I loose. I promise to do better next time. Come by  anytime for a tour, I will leave the light on and Sissy Dog will meet you with a jump and a Kiss.
   I have cages for sale at  my ETSY shop.  Just click here. www.richadsgreatstuff.etsy.com    Also more in my store, if interested just email me and I will send pictures. cottrellprissy@aol.com Feel free to buy them and if you get tired of them I will always buy them back. Just can't help myself.
   Have a beautiful day.Richard and Sissy Dog