When the children were little, the henhouse was a living school.  Many of life’s lessons were experienced here~~the birth and death of chickens, the pecking order and bullying, healthy vs. sick chickens, the biology of the daily egg laying, hens vs. roosters, reproduction, bug infestation, responsibility and the care and keeping of something other than yourself.

The henhouse aka the poultry palace is located next to the garden.  Any unused greens or vegetables are readily consumed by our chickens. Attached to the back of the hen house is approximately 400 sq. feet of secured, shaded space to free range.

Henhouses need appropriate ventilation due to the ammonia released with chicken poop. We have 3 doors, 4 windows and the eaves have screened circular holes, allowing for plenty of fresh air.

It was important to me for this structure to be attractive.  The decorative chickens on the front door are made from a composite poly-resin stepping stones.  My husband cut the “chicken on a nest” out with a jigsaw and then mounted them on the entry door.

The  rooster decoration above the front door adds a bit of whimsy.

I designed this 6′ x 9′ structure to house both young, mature and ailing chickens.  The mirror layout, both in the henhouse and the outdoor space, allows me to separate the hens if necessary.  There is a pecking order and being hen-pecked is not fun.  Typically the older, bigger chickens will dominate the younger ones.  When we introduce new chickens to the flock, we separate them until they are the same size as the existing chickens.

Upon entering, the center section is allocated for feed, hay, and egg collection. There are 4 drop down panels to gather eggs from 8 collection boxes.

Miscellaneous items are stored in this cute box hanging on the wall.

I add dried herbs to the hay in the laying boxes  This Chicken Confetti is made by one of my favorite bloggers, Lisa from Fresh Eggs Daily.  Not only is it pretty but helps relax the chickens and repels bugs. Another chicken favorite is Grubblies~~think of it as treats for the hens.  This dried black fly larvae provides protein and the chickens LOVE it!

The other side of the nesting boxes (access from the side doors) looks like this.  At night the chickens roost on the bar located below the boxes. The small door near the floor allows the chickens to come in at night and roam freely in the outdoor area during the day.

Even though we live in the 5th largest city in the U.S., our neighborhood has foxes, coyotes, owls and other wildlife.  The small black box attached to the sign below, emits 2 red blinking lights at night.   These solar Nite Guard devices frighten predator animals away.  We have several of these placed around the henhouse.  They seem to work ~~so far, so good.

Having chickens (and one duck) provides us with many blessings.   For me, this is my chicken church.  When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, a trip to the henhouse is a bit of a therapy session.  The hens are always happy to see me.  A handful of Grubblies and I am their best friend.  Opening the door to the nesting box generally provides me a gift of a warm, freshly laid egg.  It is the simpleness of it all.  The smell of hay, the gentle clucking sounds….our henhouse and its residents are a gift that keeps on giving.

If you are considering your own flock, I strongly recommend it.  Small hen houses are readily available and a few chickens can provide your family with food, valuable lessons and a restorative place for you.

When my eldest daughter went off to college, it was a good opportunity to update her room with a more sophisticated look.  It was painted a pretty green and had all the makings of a young teenage girl’s room.

Here are a few Before pictures:

In addition to green, her favorite color is black.  Painting her room black was a bold move.  But we have light floors (Canadian beechwood) and lots of white trim (baseboards, windows, doors, crown molding)…..to help break up any large expanse of black.

When you first walk in, there are two arched windows overlooking the front yard.

These windows face east and get the beautiful morning light.

I still wanted to keep her green desk chair and furniture but finding fabric that combined THIS green, black and white was a bit of a challenge.

We’ve never had curtains on these windows. I couldn’t figure out how to add curtains without covering up their architectural beauty.

After much pondering, I finally decided to do one big panel. The large drapery pulls across both windows and tucks to one side when not in use. It has a black-out liner so my daughter is finally able to sleep in a dark room.

This panel was made by Smith & Noble, using their designer fabric line, Madcap Cottage.  The fabric sample they sent matched the green and black perfectly~~the pattern was a bit of unconventional and playful. Plus their turnaround time was less than 2 weeks.

Her bed is tucked into an alcove that has a port hole window.  The headboard and wall lamp are from Joss & Main; the duvet cover from West Elm.  I made the bed skirt with leftover Waverly fabric I found in the basement. The matching decorative pillow was also made by Smith and Noble.

Her bathroom needed a facelift too.  We replaced the tile countertop with Carrera marble and repainted the base cabinet semi-gloss black.  The walls went from green to white.

Now when my daughter comes home from college, she has an updated room to use.  Though it was a big leap of faith to paint this room black, I am very happy with the crisp results.

Desk and chair: Ikea

Door, window, trim color:  Van de Cane DEW354 (a Dunn-Edwards paint but created by Sherwin-Williams)

Wall Color:  Sherwin-Williams Caviar 6990

Drapery Rod and C-hooks: Smith & Noble

Fabric: Hello Hidcote/Nightfall (17910) by Madcap Cottage

Artwork: Original drawings by my daughter

A few weeks ago, we hosted a charitable tea with New York Times Bestselling author, Rhys Bowen.  The monies raised from that afternoon go the Family to Family Foundation. This foundation provides scholarships to students in rural El Salvador who, due to lack of funds, would otherwise be unable to receive an education.

When my son was in high school, he was selected to go on a Family to Family trip out of the country and we were very impressed with the good work this organization does.

My friend, Susan Charlton and I created the centerpieces out of old books, fresh flowers, potted plants, and antique linens.

Some of the tables had small paintings that were available to purchase.  Note the fun stand my husband made from an old silver-plated fork. Paintings done by Susan Charlton and moi!

Rhys provided books for all the guests as a thank you for attending.

The food, tea and service was spectacular.  Julie Greder once again provided beautifully displayed tea sandwiches and scones with Devonshire cream.

And GORGEOUS desserts.

While the tea was flowing, we were entertained by Rhys and her delightful stories of England and how she develops the characters in her book.

What is an afternoon tea without a great hat? With a wide variety of fascinators to wide brim……

Even a vintage 1920s dress, hat and shoes!

And the winner of our hat contest is……

The weather was perfect and the cause was worthy.  Such a civilized way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Many thanks to Ashley Rekittke from Ashley Rose Media for graciously photographing and capturing the day!

This post shared with Tablescape Thursdays 618th by Between Naps on the Porch

I cannot believe Easter is this weekend.

Though I haven’t thought at all about Easter dinner, I did spend some time playing around with the centerpiece and decorating Easter eggs.

The plastic tub in the garage entitled EASTER, produced a few themed items to add to the dinner table.

Trader Joe’s has a good selection of spring-like plants in Easter-colored containers.

When something is tried and true, why not do it again?  The successful look of the Valentine centerpiece (see it here) encouraged me to again use various smaller containers for fresh-cut flowers.

In the center of the table will be the slightly raised plank my husband made for our Valentine party (click HERE for the DIY).  With the weather being so glorious, eating outside is a must!

Mixing and matching is half the fun.

Adding candlesticks (from West Elm) gives the centerpiece some height and dimension.  The bunnies, birds and eggs are scattered among the plants and containers.

Now I just have to figure out the place setting.  These dishes were given to me a very long time ago by a friend.  I have been searching for this pattern for decades as I only have 6 dinner plates.  It’s Fondeville Ambassador Ware 6762 from England.  I don’t know the name of the pattern but it’s one of my favorites for Spring. Though I have a search for this china on Replacements and eBay, I’ve never been able to find more.

Every year, we have been coloring eggs with hot water, vinegar and food coloring. This year I thought I’d try to paint them with my acrylic paints. After boiling a dozen white eggs, I experimented with some spring colors.

It’s a bit challenging to hold the egg while painting and not smear the paint!

I still have a few to go, but I like the results.

Wishing you and yours a blessed Easter.  If you don’t celebrate this holiday, then my wishes extend to you to have a glorious spring weekend!

The front door to our home is original to the 1910s.  At four feet, it is wider than most entry doors. With the side lights, the entire entrance is almost 8′ wide.

Getting a properly scaled wreath is a challenge.  Most wreaths are 24″ to 28″ inches as measured by the outside tips of leaves or flowers.  This size just look puny on my front door.

This weekend, I went to the French Bee, known for their arrangements and wreaths, but their prices were a bit shocking ($749 for a wreath…..whaaaaatttt???). Even with their 50% off sale, I couldn’t justify spending that amount of money (with 2 children in college and preparing for a third tuition).

I’ve been pondering what to do for Spring so I dug out an old (really old) wreath I found in the well tower.  It was dusty, covered in spider webs (I obviously failed to store it properly) and was a bit less than round.  The framework is made from grapevines and felt solid.  The artificial flowers and leaves on it were rather skanky and faded.

Some of the raspberries were missing or chewed up and it was clear to me that this wreath needed a facelift.

Because it was so dirty, I washed it with a garden hose and left it in the sun to dry.

As always, the dogs want to help with any DIY project I tackle.  So as I was standing back, enjoying the sun and looking at my clean wreath, my beagle, Sox, attempted to lift his leg on it.  After scolding him, he did move on to do his business.

I removed all the yellowed plastic magnolia flowers, the broken raspberries and faded leaves.

Some of the underlying vines were in good shape, so I left those in place.

Using new artificial hydrangeas and lilac blooms, I added these to the wreath base.

I did not use a glue gun, but managed to tuck the stems into the grapevine~~which seemed to hold.

I debated whether to add a ribbon, but decided against it.  With a red door, the contrast in color is simple and understated.

Recycling and repurposing materials you already have~~is so economical and efficient!

Will your front door have a wreath for Spring? If you are looking for a spring wreath, Balsam Hill has a beautiful selection  (unfortunately they are too small for my front door). Some of their new spring designs were created by Courtney, one of my favorite bloggers, at French Country Cottage.

Whether you repurpose an old wreath or buy something new, happy Spring decorating!

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. Mark Twain

As I watch the effects of snow storms, nor’easters and bomb cyclones in other parts of the country, I am grateful to live in an area with a more mild winter.  Though I do miss the stillness and peace a new fallen snow brings, I remember not liking the variations in weather between winter and spring.

Here at Bella Terra, we are just now noticing the changes that spring brings. Our morning temperatures are out of the 30s and into the 40s.  Duck dating has arrived at our pool.

Last week there were 6 gorgeous mallards vying for the lone female’s attention.  She appears to have settled on the last two.  Who will be the lucky guy?  Her suitor will stay by her side for the next few months.  Soon she will bring her little ones, teaching them how to swim here.

When I walked into our living room yesterday morning, I noticed how the eastern light has changed.  Bathed in softness, the subtle difference is a reminder that spring is on its way.

There is evidence of spring in the yard.  Stretching along the eastern side of our property, we planted Lady Banks Roses, R. Banksiae Lutea.  These roses can vigorously grow to a height of 25 feet and produces pale to deep yellow flowers.  It is not strongly perfumed and the wood is almost thornless. This makes the perfect privacy fence.

Just this week, we are seeing the very first of its blossoms. These roses only bloom once a year, but shortly will provide a stunning wall of yellow.

In the orchard, it is nearly time to glean all the citrus fruit from the tree.  We are prodded to do so when we start seeing the early blossoms for the next cycle of fruit.

The apple and apricot trees are budding and even though I am tempted to cut these gorgeous branches to display inside, I leave them alone and let nature takes its course.

Due to our extreme summer heat, I have only had success in growing Anna apples, which will be ready to pick in June.

The apricot tree is in its 3rd year of production, so I am hoping for a great yield this year. Look at how delicate these blooms are!

One of our peach trees is just starting to show spring growth, due to its “less sun” placement in the yard.

Even the chickens are sensing the change in season.  Our Araucanas have started laying their blue-green eggs again.  Chickens need 14 hours of daylight in order to have egg production.  Some chicken breeds lay more than eggs others.

In front of the guest cottage, the first jonquil has shown its beautiful trumpet.  A member of the daffodil family, the jonquil has six outer petals and slender, hollow foliage.

The flower beds in the front of the house are just starting to come to life. Here the lavender flowers are showing off.

March 20th is the official start of Spring, only 2 weeks away.  I am looking forward to a spring of hope and renewal, and more time to enjoy the great outdoors.