IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS !!!

After much anticipation the tree is up. (not mine of
course, as I am the world's biggest procrastinator), but Colleen's & David's) and it's a keeper!!!
Choosing a tree is definitely one of the best parts of Christmas. The smells of fresh evergreens amid the cool air can bring back some pretty powerful memories of  Christmas' past.
Funny how that works, one moment you are 30something hunting for that perfect tree, and in an
instant you are magically transported back to being 6 years old again, and feeling the wonder and anticipation  that Christmas brings to a child. This is truly the magic of Christmas!!
But I digress, back to the tree :)
Colleen & David did a great job picking "that perfect tree". 
I am told David has a knack for zeroing in on that "perfect tree". Well if his talents lie in picking just
the right tree (and they certainly seem to), then Colleen's definitely lie in decorating the tree, and
creating a warm and welcoming environment. It certainly makes my job easy as I sit on a recliner typing this,in a warm, festive room with a GORGEOUS Christmas tree looming over me. What a hard life!!!!
xox
Dana

Beautiful job guys :)
 
 
 

Even their pets are festive, except Puddin' she is camera shy, but not to worry, we'll get her ;)

A Peek inside our booth at the Marmora Craft Show ; Nov. 13th 2010

The love of my life

This photo was taken on our 15th wedding anniversary this year. It has taken me awhile to get this posted but here we are.
I have never been so loved in all my life until I met David. I am so proud to be his wife and everyday spent with him my life
has been that much richer. I am truly blessed.

Like Nailing Jell-O to a tree !

Teenagers
When did it happen?
Where did my sweet little girl go, who's whole world revolved around "Mommy"?
My world still revolves around her.
I remember the changes well.   These changes started out very gradual at first. She traded her baby dolls in for the more grown up "Bratz" dolls and eventually traded these in for boy/girl parties and dances.
Then came the "Schizo-barbie from hell" stage.  These mood-swings could be frightening at times, down right bizarre and sometimes even mildly amusing.
Now at the age of 15 there are no longer mood swings per se, just one main mood, and it's not pretty, nor is it for the faint of heart.
Raising a teenager is equivalent to nailing jell-o to a tree. Or as I heard from someone else, "like playing russian roulette with a bunch of drunken monkeys". Yup, I'd have to agree with that one :)
Somedays it seems as though any morals or values we tried to instill have been tossed out the window. And believe me, parents do not know the proper definition of "worry" until they have teenagers.
Anyone knows how to kiss a skinned knee better and magically mend any "boo boo" , but just try and mend a broken heart (these are much harder to heal) without wanting to do unspeakable things to the one who broke it.
The hardest part of raising a teen is not taking the way they speak to you to heart and sitting back and watching them make mistakes that you know are going to hurt them AND letting them make them because it's a lesson they must learn on their own.
While adolesence can  be confusing to say the least (constantly trying to rebel and conform at the same time takes its toll on anyone) it is indeed the cruelest place on earth, but it can also be a wonderous time of learning and self exploration if you let it.
As a child I would see glimpses of the young lady she will one day become, but now I see glimpses of the young woman she is becoming. I think she'll be alright :)

xo
Dana :)

FREE Vintage Thanksgiving Graphics

Enjoy our FREE Vintage Thanksgiving graphics  :)

 

 

                        

                  

    

Free Vintage Christmas graphics 2010

 Enjoy our FREE Vintage Christmas Graphics, a nostalgic touch to help get you into the warm,festive mood of the season.

Free Shipping Extended No Minimum Orders

Well hello everyone, we have decided  to extend our free shipping offer to Dec.12th 2010 with NO MINIMUM ORDER for both our Retail Customers and our Wholesale customers.
We thought this is the best way we can assist our customers during the holiday season.
 See you online, Colleen Walker of Harvest House Primitives!

New items listed on our Website

Hello everyone we just wanted to let you know that Dana has been busy today and yesterday listing items on our website so when you get a chance, take a peek at http://www.harvesthouseprimitives.com/.
Also don't forget our Free Shipping offer for October & November!
Take care and talk to you soon.
Colleen

Summer is officially OVER!!!!!!

For most "normal" folks, summer has been over for weeks now, but as for me, I officially bid the season a tearful adieu last Sunday when we closed the pool for another year :( .  It doesn't matter that it sat cold, lonely and swimmerless for about a month filled with leaves and water green enough to house the creature from the black lagoon.  In my mind, as long as the pool is "open", summer is still upon us. 
Gone are the late night swims and drinks by the pool. Time to batten down the hatches and brace ourselves for what lies ahead .......................
That being said, there is a real beauty in the melancholy of autumn.  The sights and smells are very comforting and inspiring. However you can only ride the coat tails of comfort and inspiration so far and before you know it you are smack dab in the middle of winter..... and since not all of us can fly first class to a tropical location (not mentioning any names but you know who you are), I have compiled a list of boredom busters to get us out of our "winter funk"

1.  Make prank phone calls......
but remember vulgarities do not make a call funny, getting the other person to believe a ridiculous story will.... try to see if you can get them to make noises to test their line, or make up a survey, be creative.

2.  See if diamonds really do cut glass on everything in your neighbours house.

3.Watch T.V and repeat everything said in an Italian accent, include flamboyant shoulder shrugs for added impact.

4. Throw a tomato into a fan (best to do this at your neighbours house too)

5. Go tobogganing with a mickey of Fireball whiskey stashed in your pocket. (MUST BE LEGAL DRINKING AGE)

6. Find bad face lift pictures online

7.  Crank up the heat to at least 30 degrees, blast Bob Marley, randomly yell out "Yeah Mon" make Mojitos and enjoy tropical fruit with Margarita dip (recipes below) (again, MUST BE LEGAL DRINKING AGE)

8. Learn to peel a banana with your feet

9. Learn the "Thriller" dance

10.  Use your secret mind power.....
Pick a passerby and try to use your mind power to command them to do something, like drop their bag or knock into someone. Eventually one of these things will actually happen, so you can convince yourself that you really do have super human powers and waste even more time trying them out.

If these don't carry you through until spring, feel free to repeat at random as often as necessary.

Recipe for Margarita Fruit Dip (this can be made without alcohol)
2 cups of reduced fat sour cream
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp tequilla
1 Tbsp fresh grated lime peel
1 Tbsp fresh grated orange peel
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp ground roasted almonds
In medium bowl combine all ingredients and whisk well until blended.
Cover and chill several hours.
When ready to serve, garnish with small lime slices and serve with fresh fruit.

Recipe for Mojitos

2 oz White Rum

1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 tsp Sugar
6 whole Mint Leaves
2 oz Soda Water

Put juice and sugar into a highball glass and stir until dissolved.
Rub mint leaves on inside of the glass and discard.
Fill with crushed ice and rum, stir.
Top with soda water and garnish with a sprig of mint.

ENJOY :)
xo
Dana

Free Shipping on our Website for November & December

***** FOR THE MONTHS OF OCTOBER & NOVEMBER *****

***Free Shipping on RETAIL ORDERS of $75.00 or more.***
                                    &
***On WHOLESALE ORDERS of $150.00 or more.***
 ***    Canada & U.S. Only   ***
If we are showing product that you would like to see in another colour,style and or quantity please feel free to contact us by email at info@harvesthouseprimitives.com with your request.
                       www.harvesthouseprimitives.com

Greetings from Dana

Thanks for a wonderful intro Colleen :) Hi all, I'm Dana.

As Colleen mentioned I may be so inclined to share the odd treasure of a family recipe with you, but will likely feel more inclined to share a TRUE treasure, like a recipe for a good, stiff, drink!!

A little bit about me:

I am a 30 something with a love of reading,photography and a passion for animals.

My very quiet ( and total, polar opposite of me) husband, Paul & I have a 15 year old daughter whose idea of a day at the park is playing on her mood swings. Our 3 yr old German Shephard/Border Collie X , Sadie is an integral part of our family, as are our 4 cats.

As much as I sometimes think that a padded room would be my idea of a spiritual retreat, I love life, and my family truly is my life.

I look forward to regaling you all with my twisted outlook on my sometimes amusing, yet fairly uneventful life.

Introducing.....

Hello everyone!!!  I'm so excited to announce that we now have much needed and greatly appreciated help with our blog and website updates. Our dear friend Dana Wilson has graciously volunteered her computer and photography services to keep our online prescense up to date.

I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have this help in keeping our blog and website fresh and

interesting.

I must say that I am so grateful to God for all the blessing he has bestowed upon us. One of the most wonderful blessings God has given us is good friends.

We have wonderful friends that have been there for us and support us in all our endeavours.  

Benefiting from Dana's gifts is more than we could hope for, but just having here here a few hours a week is such fun! She has a wonderful quirky sense of humour like mine and we are laughing all the time.

You will be hearing from Dana on regular basis as she posts about our ongoing adventures or misadventures... and other topics like recipes,(apparently her grandmothers Mac & Cheese recipe is to die for) books she recommends, our dogs (lucky for us Dana brings her beautiful girl puppy Sadie to work, so we are doubly blessed, pictures to follow)
and of course her new found fascination with Prince Poppy Cock!

So check back often to see what we are up to, if you haven't signed up to follow our blog, please feel free to do so.

We are looking forward to hearing from Dana on our blog and website and we hope you are too!

Talk to you soon

Colleen & David Walker

Here's Dana!!!!

Celebrating Our 15th Wedding Anniversary

Today we are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. We have been together 20 years but married for 15 of them.
What have we learned about a healthy relationship?
Well we both have been previously married so we have tried very hard not to repeat our past mistakes and we both understand what it means to be hurt by someone you love.

1- we respect each other, we might not agree with each other but we respect their decisions or choices.

2- no one is perfect so deal with it!

3- when we fight -we fight fair, no name calling or character assassination!!!! That kind of behaviour is just childish and it says more about you than it does about your partner.

4- We support each other in our personal interests and endeavours.

5- This is very important for a relationship, we are each our OWN PERSON. We are individuals, not an extension of each other. We can exist without each other. We enjoy our own company and pursue our own interests. We have our own friends and friends we enjoy together. We have a life outside of each other which makes our life together that much richer.

6- We try to have realistic expectations of each other, no one person can be all you need them to be, that is impossible.

7- We all have our own baggage, family history, past relationship whether it be friendships or intimate these experiences shape us and can change who we are. Be prepared to live with each others baggage.
Know going in you are taking on not only the person but that persons joy and pain from past experiences.
The past does rear it's ugly head at times and needs to be dealt with. Sometimes we have to clean up the mess so help each other do that in whatever way works for your relationship.

8- Only one of you can go crazy at a time. We decided this when we first got together. This is what we meant by that. Only one of us can be working on issues at a time, the other is available to support the other. Over the years this has seemed to work out for us. It seems that when one of us has personal issues to deal with the other is always free emotionally, mentally and physically to support the other. There is always one of us available to the other to pick up the slack and stand in support the other in difficult times.

9-God comes first in the relationship. In the end we allowed God to make the final decision. When we both found ourselves separated from our previous spouses we decided to allow God to make the choice for us if we were to remarry. When we surrendered to that, God was free to move in our lives and prepare our hearts for the spouse He chose for us. Gods choice is always perfect even if we are not!

This is what we have learned so far throughout all our years together. The time has been filled with challenges, joys, heartaches, and triumphs. This is what a marriage consists of. It is not easy. It is hard work and if you are not prepared to get your hands dirty don't enter in to such a relationship. Some people are just not suited to such relationships and that is okay. For those who are we cheer you on and wish you all the best. Our journey together is not over, there are both joys and challenges ahead, there are more personal issues to be dealt with and relationships to be healed and we stand firm together steadfast to embark on the next great adventure that God sets our course on!

Art Among The Ruins Art Show & Sale

A must see art show is taking place in Newburgh Ontario on Saturday June 19th 2010.
The art work of over 45 artisans will be showcased among the ruins of a 19th Century mill beside
 the rapids of the Napanee River.
 Artwork in various mediums of glass, fibre,jewellery, metal,paintings,paper,photography,sculpture,
tile,pottery,wood and more will be presented for your viewing pleasure and of course may also be
purchased for those of us that cannot resist taking home a beautifully handcrafted item or two,or three....

The date once again is
Saturday June 19th,2010
Between the hours of 10 am -5pm
Location is 27 Earl St. Newburgh Ontario
I have a google map gadget on my right hand side bar to get directions to the show.

The admission is free, a great price!!!!!
There will be BBQ and music also.
This event will be held Rain or Shine

For more information, visit the website http://www.artamongtheruins.com/

Yard Sale Find!!!

I was out scouting the yard sales in our local area of Tweed Ontario on the long weekend in May. I just love searching out treasures at each new location, oh the "THRILL OF THE HUNT". My husband says I don't get out much but I get out just fine. I just love looking through the boxes perusing the tables and the lawns filled with the possibility of purchasing an item I need (or not) ....

Well I had a very successful day that Saturday morning I went out searching for that special item.  I found a great mid century chair with a low, curved back in excellent condition, an old black frying pan with a detail engraved handle a little chair just primitively perfect and other wood items I will give a face lift to and give them a fresh new look . But he most awesome piece I found was a Vintage Santa Stand-up. He is the most adorable little guy I've seen in some time. I paid $2.00 for him and he is worth every penny, (tee hee). He does need a little work to make sure he doesn't continue to deteriorate. He stands about 3 feet tall and he will be perfect at the end of our driveway just pointing the way to our upcoming Christmas show in November 5th,6th & 7th and 12th,13t & 14th. So enough gushing about my adorable Christmas Elf, here are some pics, ENJOY

Custom Sewing Venture

 

Before

After

Hello again everyone. I just want you all to know that I am moving in a new direction in my life. It seems that my lower back issues are not healing the way that I had hoped, so I have had to make the difficult decision to end my residential cleaning services. The decision was a difficult one as I have been blessed with wonderful clients to serve, and I am truly going to miss them all but I need to look after myself so I was left with no other option but to end the cleaning service.

I have decided to go back to my custom sewing service. I have designed window treatments, cushions, slipcovers, duvet covers and pillow shams, kitchen accessories and much more over the years.

I have also developed quite a following of clients, distressing furniture and wood accents pieces so I will also take on that again also as much as my lower back issues will allow.

Before

After

If you have any questions about my service please feel free to contact by email at

info@harvesthouseprimitives.com or ahddecor@gmail.com

Below are more images of my work, both custom sewing and distressed furniture

Distressed Bench & Dresser

A Special Gift

I got an email from one of my brothers ( he is #3 of 5, all older than me and yes I am the only girl)yesterday saying that he has sent me a little gift to be delivered that day, but I need to be at home to sign for it. So I stayed home waiting impatiently for my surprise. All day I kept wondering what it was. Well the purolator truck came rolling in about 4pm and I was out the door like a shot, back injury and all!!!
The box was fairly large which made my imagination soar, what ever could it be.
When I finally got the signing done for the parcel and into the house I immediately grabbed the box cutter and started tearing at it. The box when opened was full of styrofoam popcorn pellets and items wrapped in bubble wrap. When I opened the first item I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a silver sugar bowl, the next piece was the creamer, then the teapot, then the coffee pot and finally on the bottom was the tray.
I was ecstatic, I just couldn't believe it. The set is just beautiful, something I would never in a million years buy for myself.

When I got to speak to him to thank him he told me that this was in place of my grandmothers set that I was supposed to get. Apparently her set was in such terrible condition that it really could not be brought back to even somewhat close to the original condition. So here I am with a beautiful silver tea and coffee set . A wonderful surprise and a very special gift from one of my brothers... I think I'll keep him!

Learning to Rest

As my followers can see I've made a few changes to the blog. Just background colour and font colours.
I find the taupe background a little easier on the eyes. I hope all who visit will like it too.

I've been laid up again. My back has put me out of working condition again.
It seems I went back to work too soon so now I am dealing with the consequences.
Why is it so hard for people just to rest? I suppose we are all conditioned to believe that if you are not quote "working" you are not contributing on any level. It is such a shame when I think about it, our self worth is is primarily based on our productivity. We live in an era and society that bases our personal value on our work ethics and productivity. Even our creative spirit can be squelched by such a negative belief system.
I do understand that taking time off from work is a matter of economics also. I cannot afford to take this time off. I will lose income. I am self employed. I provide a residential cleaning service as well as design
home decor, so I truly rely on this income. But I have had to gain some perspective. If I don't rest to heal my lower back I will not be able to clean anymore or maybe other forms of employment will not be available to me as a result of these health issues. Cleaning houses provides me with so many perks, flexibility of my time, choosing my clients (a big plus) no stress- my biggest concern is whether or not my clients house is clean when I leave and the answer is always "YES". Immediate gratification, I do the job well, I am proud of my work and every day my clients are happy and thanking me for a job well done!
It is also great physical activity  provided I learn how to do it correctly of course. I even have clients that allow me to bring my dog Major. I never got any of these perks working as a Department manager for Walmart.
So here I am, learning to rest to heal my back so I can go back to an occupation that is satisfying, stress free and chock full of perks that I am so grateful for. I truly have been blessed. In the meantime I can spend time designing, updating my website and blog. Tasks that don't require physical labour or my back!
Gaining a new perspective can be liberating. I am thankful that God has revealed this new perspective to me. In so doing He has freed me from the chains of a belief system that could've been detramental to my health.
I hope everyone has a great week, and take care!

New Category and Listings on our Website

We have just listed a few new items in the past two days under a new category.
This category is called   Kitchen Accessory Co-ordinates.

With this new category we will provide our customer several  items of the same fabric and details

for a complete kitchen ensemble.

At this time we are making just a few of each design to test our market. Depending on the demand more will be produced. There might be slight changes in detailing fabrics ( fabric used for binding and applique) but the colour schemes will remain similar.

This group we are introducing are made with a black and taupe check 100% cotton homespun fabric.

We will be introducing other colour schemes of navy and taupe and burgundy and taupe

We are producing these items for both retail and wholesale purchase. If you are a retailer interested in these items please visit our website at http://www.harvesthouseprimitives.com/ and follow the link on the left hand side panel to our Wholesale Information for more details.

For more information please contact me by email at

info@harvesthouseprimitives.com

Talk to you again soon Colleen Walker