The one I go to is also Cherished Possessions! I got my antique pine Irish corner cupboard there (it came from Mulberry House) and also my beloved Chinoiserie ladies desk in the LR. I think they USED to be a lot better than they are now, so I seldom go there. Yes, the one on Riverside holds nothing for me, either, as it seems to have lots of BIG (ugly, IMO) things for houses larger that ours. eBay and Craigslist are my faithful companions. I check both each day. I can't wait to finish re-doing the old CL $30 pine cottage bureau I got last year above Farmington and get it in here to hold my TV! Come April, when she re-opens, check out the Mustard House in Buxton on Rt 22. (1420 Long Plains Rd, # 929-8558). She has some antiques and beautiful vintage looking accessories. I got my faux berries etc for fall and winter mantles from her. Would you believe that since I so seldom even walk through my dining room that I forgot I had this antique Ogee clock with pheasants on it?? An eBay treasure. Needless to say, I'll be hanging it above my sewing machine as soon as I finish work today. My sister is lusting after the print that I have there now from a Sturbridge Yankee Workshop sale years ago. Here is the bureau. I have touched up one drawer and will do the rest when I can get it outside so I can see the graining well. Pic is from the ad on CL. Before After

Welcome to the club and like everyone has said, don't lose heart. I'm in the same boat and there are days where I wonder why I bought this old house with decades of problems. Then I go outside and look at it from my meadow and something just clicks, and I smile. I have a colonial 1911 house with a 1930's addition. The original house was built very, very well. The addition, not so well. It is where my little galley kitchen is, my laundry room, and a small mud room is located - all used everyday. I just had it gutted and I can't tell you what an amazing adverture it has been. I've resigned myself to doing laundry at my brother's house for the next month, cooking off a hotplate in the dining room, and using the main entrance instead of the mudroom entrance. Luckily for me, the workers who are gutting it are taking the time to show me the progression of work and re-work through the years that was done to that addition...old paneling ripped out to reveal beautiful old wallpaper, and older wall paper behind that; a time capsule of old newspapers from the 1930's that are in mint condition that someone stuffed in the walls; a pile of coal near the fireplace that indicated at some point, there was a chute to the basement and coal was burned for fuel, etc. They are just as giddy with excitement of finding the next "clue" to how the room was used over the last 80 years as I am. Not everyone can do this. It takes alot of patience, and I wouldn't advise having people over that don't get it while you are doing big projects such as what I'm doing, unless you can deal with being met by sour faces that say "You must be crazy, this is a mess!". And there are days (since I'm taking this slow and as money allows), that I look into my ripped up, gutted addition and cringe at how much work it will take to do it right, to bring it back to a functional, but period-correct room again. Lots of money. But, luckily I'm working with craftsmen that do this on the side and agree to work slow as money allows. Then I see all the wires that were buried in the wall (as well as a cast iron (working) radiator and think "thank God I have unvielded these potential catastrophes." So, we all go through the range of emotions from shock to fear to "how am I going to pay for this?!" to "wow, this is mine and it is great." It is an emotional rollercoaster. But, when it all comes together, you will treasure - beyond your wildest dreams - how you preserved a piece of history and it is yours to add to its legendary testament of time. Best wishes for you! We are always here to listen! :)

here's her BAKE A THON post! Aunt Marlens Bake-a-thon: The Report This will be as long as the day was. At 8 a.m. the cleaning lady Marta arrived along with her sister Carmen and a friend she introduced as Rosa. Rosa is a stern-looking hefty woman who looked like she could take on The Rock (thatÂs another wrestler, Murphy!). She was perfect for the ordeal to come! I was going to give them each a cattle prod for disciplinary purposes but then realized I had not caller-blocked the number to the child abuse hotline. At 8:20 the doorbell rang and I opened the door, me a vision of holiday loveliness in my bright red outfit with my Santa Claus and U.S. flag pins and my red Christmas ball earrings. Immediately, a 5-year old with chicken pox was thrown at me! I tried to throw him back but his mother stuck her foot in the door while screaming that the red spots on his face were only an allergy reaction and that he was fine. He was holding on to my neck, smiling and asking for cookies, so maybe he was fine. Nevertheless, I asked his mother to raise her right hand and solemnly swear Bin Ladin was not using her child as a weapon of mass destruction. She laughed, kissed me and ran happily to her car. And weÂre off! By 9:30 the gang was all here. I had 17 offspring ranging from 3 to 17 years of age. Besides all the food I had in the house, I also had diapers, milk bottles, baby food and what look like a miniature turkey baster which I was told is used to stick it up a kidÂs nose to extract snots. I took a moment to threaten the 13-year old FSK. Those are not his initials; itÂs just how I think of him. It stands for Future Serial Killer. (Oh, you donÂt know him so pipe down!). He has not done anything really terrible yet, but give him time. He does play these horrible practical jokes which are anything but funny. Like the time he put lots of plastic puke in the bathroom during a family fiesta and one of the grandmothers wet her pants cause she could not bear to go in there. I told him with me he had to toe the line or lose both his feet. I divided the gang into 4 groups and named the 4 oldest kids "Baking Coordinators." There are glass double doors leading from the kitchen/family room into the covered terrace so tables were set up outside so the mixing could take place there in order to minimize a decrease in property value. There was noise and measuring and mixing. There was so much flour in the air I thought foghorns would be set off. The FSK found a brownie mix in the pantry and asked if he could make that. I agreed figuring while he is doing that he will not be stealing the keys to my car to go joy riding and maiming people. The chicken pox kid was trying to add blue food coloring to confectionerÂs sugar and had more on him than in the bowl. With the red splotches and blue food coloring on his face against his ivory white skin he looked as if he had some sort of patriotic fungus. I did not see any of the 4 dogs about and I was told they were cowering in a corner of the living room. MartaÂs resolution to "clean up as we go" was futile within the hour. As I was measuring chocolate chips the 5-year old next to me mumbled something about earrings and stuck a maraschino cherry in my ear, apparently thinking it matched my earrings. I smiled and patted her head lovingly. I then was going to remove the cherry so I could stick it up her nose but I realized it was helping to dim the off-key screeching of Christmas carols coming in from the terrace. It was a horrible sound, but on the bright side, it was deterring crime in the neighborhood. So I left the cherry where it was and went to stand on the other side of her hoping sheÂd find another ingredient for the other ear. Just then Carmen let out a scream and said, "Senora, one of your dogs is licking diarrhea off his rear end!" We all gasped and turned to look at Wolfgang doing just that, but I knew it wasnÂt diarrhea! The FSK had smeared brownie mix on his rump to freak us out! I TOLD YOU!! I knew I was going to kill him and was pondering how to dispose of the body among the cookie batches when Rosa got in his face and told him, in no uncertain terms, that if Wolfgang was not cleaned up within 5 minutes he would be the one licking the dogÂs butt. I am now officially in favor of human cloning as long as it is confined to Rosa. I loooooove that woman! The three of them went off towards the guest bathroom and the baking continued. They returned looking like the U.S. Swim Team and Rosa announced the guest bathroom was now an indoor pool. By about 5 p.m. we wrapped the cookies for the ride home and a few parents were already there. Then there was silence and it was time for Aunt Marlen to cry her eyes out and babble incoherently. You see, last year the kids had pooled their allowance money and with a little help from the parents gifted me with the most beautiful cut crystal cake plate with dome and matching server. I was hysterical at the time but this year I told them they were positively forbidden from spending their money on me. As they stood there in silence smiling at me I said there had better not be a gift for me. The 9-year old piped up that there was a gift, but that nobody had spent any money ON me but FOR me. And I was handed a letter which certified that a $100 contribution had been made in my honor to the local animal shelter. "ItÂs for the doggies, Aunt Marlen" I was told. And at that time all pain left me and I thanked God for every brat around me. And whose idea was it? THE FSKÂS!!!! And he sat there, grinning at me, all of his wet self! I know what you are thinking, that I pegged him wrong. Well, I didnÂt! He will still grow up to be a serial killer but at least now there is hope he will only murder other serial killers instead of innocent people. Hugs and lots of kisses on my wet cheeks followed and I was alone at last. I went to the master bedroom and looked at the reflection in the mirror. I looked like one those weird Trekkies. I had lots of food all over my person. I didnÂt even know some of the ingredients had gone into the cookies! I would have given myself up to end world hunger but I know even starving people could not bring themselves to lick me. I then heard DHÂs arrival from work. He walked into the bedroom, took one look at me and said in his supportive tender loving way, "Wow, you look like nuclear waste!" Caught in the spirit of the moment, I asked him in a sultry voice if he wanted "to get it on." He replied that he not only DID NOT want to get it on, he wanted to get out of the house. I told him as long as he was out, to pick up a pizza for dinner and headed for the shower. I ate my pizza in bed. Thus, concluded Aunt MarlenÂs Sixth Annual Christmas Cookie Bake-A-Thon. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! I have the one too where she made the giant muffins...just got to find it!

I like registries. Seems like the only weddings I go to are the children of friends, or friends of my son. I don't know what their personal style is anymore. And usually you know only one half of the happy couple. lol As a matter of fact, the last wedding we went to was in November. My best friend from high school, and her hubby who is my husband's employer, it was their son. I don't know Matt anymore, and the registry was great. I went to Target and bought a LOT of kitchen gadgets that they had listed. It was a ball! And I wrapped the gift in three boxes using tan contracter's paper, with brown, gold and green ribbons and bows. Each box was smaller than the next, and I built a tower. I LOVE gift wrapping. It's the ONLY time that a bride (and Matt, lol) THANKED ME at the wedding reception for the cool wrapping! I was introduced to the bride and she was so excited that I took the time to wrap the gift in their wedding colors! LOL (got the colors from the invitation) A honeymoon registry, well sounds odd, I've never heard of one. Very intersting. I would rather send money. I was thinking that this was done through a travel agency. But I checked the link and I guess I was wrong! I know that these companies need $$$ to keep going, but I don't want 10% or more of my gift going to someone else. I just as soon give cash to the couple. Jannie, I love ya', I do, but I think it is kind of sad that it took you 32 years to get over someone wearing a specific color to your wedding. I have no problem with anyone wearing any color they want to, to celebrate with me. I wore black and white to Matt's wedding, and his Mom was wearing a gorgeous black velvet formal dress.