Broadstone Tour: Part One Again

Broadstone Tour: Part One

As many of you know I live in a historic house.  My house was built in 1894 by the mayor of our small town, John Dixon.    My husband and I had always wanted an old house to fix up, so when I saw this house for sale at an estate sale back in 1997, we made the leap, and have never looked back.

I have actually borrowed this post from a series I did a couple of years ago.  There have been very few changes since I did this series of posts, so I thought I would repost them.  There are three more in the series, and they will be coming to you in the future.

As you can see we are starting with the entry way, and the find old decorative staircase that greets you in the entry way.

I am sharing my parlor and dining room with you today. One of my favorite stories about the house is that someone from Disney came by one day, while the previous owner was in residence, and asked to see the house. As she was showing him around he offered her $30,000 for the fireplace mantel and tile surround.

   Whoa,  I wish he would come back, I would definitely sell it, as an antique fireplace of this quality can be had for as little as $5,000.  But alas, I have to admit, I am glad she didn't sell it, it is one of my favorite features of the house.

Though, actually, this stick and ball spandral is my favorite detail in the house.  It was seeing this spandral when I came to the house for an estate sale 15 years ago, that made me first consider making the house my own.

When we bought the house, the older couple who had owned it for 30 some years, were just living in three rooms, and had the rest of the house sealed off to save on power bills.  The dining room was their sitting room and they had a wood burning stove in the middle of the room.  It was one of the first things to go when we took the house in hand.

This sweet portrait of a young woman from the fifties, gets a lot of attention. I love the painting, mostly because its a beauty, but partly because I bought it out of the back room of an antique store for $20.  It had been found on its side in an attic.  The roof had leaked and the paint had run causing her red lips to smear across the right side of the painting.  A little linseed oil to remove the streaks and voila'!!

Thanks for coming along on the first of four wanderings around Broadstone Manor. (Yep, I have named my houses ever since I first saw and read Ann of Green Gables.)

Steam Punked Peter Pan at Hale!

Saturday night I had the fun of seeing Peter Pan at a local theater.  I am a fan of Pan, so I knew I would love it. 

Then when we walked across the central stage and I saw clocks and gears and  I knew I was about to see a Steam Punked version of an old favorite.  Happy me!! 

Loved these clustered mason jar lights!

Here's part of the stage AND my friend Barb, one of the 10 friends who join us in enjoying season tickets to the Orem Hale Center Theater each year!

You may recall that Penny, HCTs scenery painter, and their two costume designers, who happen to be Penny's daughters ... Have been dealers at fleaology a few times. Such a talented family! And their combined craft adds so much to these shows!!  

Here I am after the show with the lost boys!! 

... And then with the Darlings, who also play Tiger Lilly and Captain Hook .

What a wonderful production!! I am just sad I went on closing night.  Had I seen it sooner, I'd have gone again, and maybe again!!  

Edenbrooke Book Club Tea Party

Tea Parties and book clubs (I belong to three) ... are two of my favorite things, and clearly I can not get enough of either ... Tea parties I have held ...

Jane Austen Birthday Tea for the Jane Austen Society of Utah

Witches Tea Party

Mad Hatter's out of doors Tea Party

Downton Abbey Tea Party and Geneva Heights Eighth Ward Reunion

Private Tea to celebrate Price William's Wedding with my friend Stacy (No Prince William did not actually marry Stacy, but I'm not sure she would have minded if he had.

Grandchildren's Tea Party

... and a few misc assorted, non themed tea parties ...

 So for this tea party, our first to arrive is our own glamorous Shanna, our book club leader.  

She was later joined by Ginny and Lori ... yes our book club is very intimate in size, and two other regular attendees, sadly had conflicts. Missed you Lindsey and Alison!

 Above is our tea table, and to the right is out toast station, including marmalade, clotted cream and lemon curd ... yum.

Eating cold toast, Brit style is just different ... but delicious with the accouterments.

Of course cucumbers sandwiches are a must for any tea menu.  I have always made them with just butter and cucumber, with maybe a tiny slice of red onion, like the ones I was served at a tea house in Brighton, UK ...

This time, however, I found a recipe on line for Lemon Dill Cucumber Sandwiches, that I am in love with.  You can find the recipe here.

We read Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, and we all loved it, except for Lori, who had to read it a second time to fall in love with it ... so really how much could she have disliked it, if she read it again?  Yes, this book is very Austenish ... which I love, her next book, which three of us have already read, Blackmoore is definitely written by Donaldson as a Bronte soul sister ...

 .. and during the discussion of the book, if a question arises ... the total wealth of human knowledge is just one pink ipad away!!

You all come back now, hear?