Awesome Blossoms at the farm

Happy Sunday Farmers!

Like so many of you I'm sure, I'm absolutely in my element in Spring. The burst of new life, the scent of roses opening, and winter's incubated life waiting to pop out in nests and dens gets me so excited. Here at the farm, with nature and wildlife all around, it seems even more apparent that we're on the brink of mid Spring's surge of growth.

I'm so ready for it and the excitement is helping me shed the post traumatic renovation disorder, is that a thing? (If you read my "about" tab here on the blog you understand.) Was it all worth it? If you'd asked me months ago I may have struggled to answer, however, now it's a very resounding "YES"! I feel like I'm holding the baby after a very bad pregnancy and delivery. She's not perfect, but she has all her wooden fingers and toes. The project stress is all just a memory, well pretty much.

Some people are like flowers, they just naturally make you feel good! Several months ago when I was at the lowest of renovation lows, we finally sold our previous home. We were on full pandemic lock down, so going to the title company wasn't a possibility at the time. An agent came to us. When she walked in Mrs. Colonial she exclaimed, "WOW, this is the most beautiful home I've ever seen. I feel like I just walked into a magazine." I almost cried right then and there. We sat down in the great room to get started with the paperwork, and she paused, looked around, and said, "I didn't know why you wanted to sell your beautiful home, but now I understand. I would rather live here than ANYWHERE!" She had no idea how much her words meant to me that day. It was then that I realized I was probably the only one seeing the mistakes and flaws, and that what really mattered was that Mrs. Colonial's new spirit was born. I was a proud mama.

Some flowers look like they could almost be wings from an angel. I'm just going to believe it's true. Many unbelievable things happened during our renovation project, and if you read the "dedication" tab above, you know one experience in particular was quite devastating. I haven't forgotten you my "dream maker".

If you were with me in the beginning of this journey, you may remember the very small, very dirty, very pink kitchen. Ok, for those of you who are new here, and at the risk of ruining the good vibes generated by these photos of beautiful flowers, below is a picture of the kitchen before.

And below is a photo the crew took of the same wall when it was still a job site.

I love to design a kitchen, and I'm looking forward to sharing what was in my mind behind the design when I created this one.

Here's another little peek of the adjacent wall.

Traditional with a twist. I'll explain more when I do a full kitchen design reveal.

Our new interiors are white and black with a sprinkling of green . . .

and just a touch of pink. This guest room is one of my favorites.

I love a yellow rose.

Or a tulip. And I especially love them in our sunroom, the room we use the most. Whether it's cloudy or sunny, this room is so inviting.

Did you see my Instagram story this past week about the wild onions we just found on the farm?

And the recipe I used them in?

My son, who is away at college, once asked me to write down all of my recipes he enjoys so he could make his favorites while he is away. Avocado toast is not one of them, but Mrs. Colonial's Kitchen is now part of my new website, and very shortly I'll begin adding simple, wealthfully healthy recipes anyone can make. I'll send them out in posts, so if you're interested in receiving them, subscribe to my blog.

My goodness, it’s been so long since I sat down to type a blog post, and so much has happened. Before I go, I feel like I owe you an explanation of why I stopped blogging and sharing my story. The last time I wrote to you was in March 2019. For those of you who were here in the beginning, you know the moment I stepped foot on this amazing property and saw a dilapidated old Colonial, I felt called to save the property and the house.

What started out as a magical dream home renovation project in 2017, quickly became a nightmare. As the problems started to unfold, I tried to retain a positive, cheerful attitude and continue to write. However, when we started experiencing 1 step forward, 17 steps back, it was impossible to find consistent content to continue. I felt like I desperately wanted to tell you all how bad it really was, however, I also felt that exposing the construction company nightmare wasn’t going to help the situation as we moved forward through the renovation. There were also some very nice people working hard, and I didn't want to make them feel bad. So in large part, I kept the reality of what it was and how bad it was from public view. I may share more with you down the road in hopes of helping you avoid the same mistakes.

We moved into the main house at the end of December 2019. The front door seemed like a revolving door at times as trades people sporting masks came and went to finish things up. Construction of the Taj Ma Garage was delayed and work continued there through October 2020. Our fireplace here in the great room was ripped out a few weeks ago and then replaced last week. We're almost good . . .

For now, my desire is to turn the page, leave the crushing stress behind, start a new chapter, and share the beautiful transformation of Mrs. Colonial. In essence, DIVORCE myself from the agony of everything that took place, and start fresh and with a clean slate. With that in mind, I have created all new social media accounts, and I designed a new website.

Have my husband and I divorced? How many of you thought we did based on my email? The answer is “no”. Was it rough? Yes! It’s taken many, many months to cast aside the post renovation stress disorder, however, we’re now basking in the intrinsic magic that first drew us to this home. Every day here is a pleasure. I'd love to share the design process, how the rooms look now, and take you with me as I complete them. Are you in? Do you want me to take you back and show you the whole process, or just the post renovation reveals? Let me know in the comments below.

I hope you've enjoyed my flowers and that they served to bring a little bit of Spring your way. Wait, I can't help it, just one more.

As I sit here ready to push the “send” button I’m hoping this post finds you all healthy and happy. Honestly, I’ve missed you, and I have often wondered over the last many months how you’re all doing. If you can, let me know, let’s reconnect.

Sandy Sheldon