Wishing a very Merry Christmas to everyone!

From our home to yours -

Noel & Verge at Circa Home Living.

Happy December!

Hi everyone!  Happy December!  It’s hard to believe that November has come and gone and here we are in December already.  Where does the time go? 

I know we have been busy little elves over the past few months here at Circa Home Living.  We are doing our darndest to make sure that everyone will get the goodies they ordered in time for Christmas.  It’s not too late - there is still time to order for Christmas delivery.

 

Earlier this week we saw our first major storm of the season leaving a blanket of white covering the birdhouses and gardens.  Our wild turkeys have returned.  Our little bird friends flitter about from feeder to feeder.  Such a beautiful time of year!  Now if only we didn’t have to deal with the cold ~ but living in Maine we should be used to that by now, right? 

Well, it’s time to listen to one of our favorite Christmas CD’s  - “Songs of the Season” by Jane Olivor.  Perhaps we will follow that up with “December” by Kenny Loggins!  What are some of your favorites?  We would love to hear from you.

Happy Holidays to you & yours.

Noel & Verge

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The 2010 Catalog is coming!!

Dear Blogger Friends,

  We’re back!  Our apologies for not posting in such a long time.  We have been super busy over the past two months designing & photographing new products and creating the brand new "2010 Circa Home Living" catalog.  We are happy to announce that the catalog  has been mailed!  Pheeww!  This year we feature over 125 new items ~ many exclusive to Circa Home Living!  We hope you enjoy our new offerings and as always, we welcome your suggestions or comments. 

  If you already receive our catalog, check your mailbox over the course of the next week.
  If you have had a recent change of address please let us know so we can update our records & get a copy in the mail to you.
  If you have never received our catalog, but would like to, please email us at circa@circa1820.com with your mailing address.

We look forward to hearing from you. 
All our best -  Noel & Verge

As seen in Country Living magazine – August 2009

Just in!  This whimsical Tin Crow Tobacco Stick Rack includes 2 large crows, 3 small crows and 6 hooks. Hang your favorite drieds, hand towels or garden tools. 48" wide by 13" high.  To purchase click the link above or explore our website at www.circahomeliving.com

Potting Shed & Backyard

Many of you have emailed asking to see more of the outdoor spaces around our home.  Well . . . here ya go. 

Several years ago we built this multi-functional Potting Shed in the backyard.  We love the look of the cedar shakes!  We store bird seed behind the red doors.  Clay pots & soil are kept handy for transplanting on the handy top surface above the doors. Rakes & long handled tools are stored in the barrel inside the opening.  

We attach leather straps to our favorite tools and keep them handy by hanging them from an old Tobacco Stick drying rack.

Since our property is mostly ledge, raised beds are a necessity.  Here we have beds for Runner Beans, Cukes, Zucchini, Squash, Peppers & Tomatoes. 

 

We recently reworked Sasha’s Garden with old brick around the beds.  The backdrop is Quince, which produces gorgeous salmon colored flowers in the Spring.  Nestled in the beds are Peonies, Coral Bells, Wild Irises, Chocolate plants & Catmint.  Self seeding Forget-Me-Nots & thyme spread between the bricks. 

Two Cherry trees mark the entrance to the raised beds.  Inside ~ White Irises, Dianthus, Columbine, False Indigo, Bee Balm & Catmint are in bloom.  You will notice that at the base of the trees we made a ring of old bricks to make trimming & weeding easier.  Inside the ring we planted Forget-Me-Nots. 

In the center of the raised beds a cement birdbath entices birds on hot days for a drink or a dip in the “pool.”  The fan tailed pigeon statuary is one of our favorites and in winter, rather than stow it away we bring it inside to admire.   

Garden Delights

Clockwise from the upper left hand corner –

A curious cement mouse sits atop the weathered Adirondack chair that is nestled amongst the ferns. 

The Potting Shed is centrally located and stocked with pots & tools for planting.

This terra cotta Rooster pokes its head out from the flowering Catmint.

Tomatoes ripen on the vine in one of the many cedar barrels in the backyard.

Bittersweet winds it way up the post to find this antique birdhouse.

A metal wagon wheel rests in front of the lichen covered rocks surrounding the secret garden.

Dipper gourds are drilled and transformed into birdhouses.

A recycled white picket fence holds back the quince in Sasha’s garden.

The stone birdbath gives the birds a place to bathe & cool off on hot days.

Hollyhocks, in shades of white, cream & light pink make a wonderful backdrop in Sable’s herb garden.

Black-eyed Susans add a splash of color throughout the raised beds.

Garage Door Redo

  

This 1750’s center chimney cape was moved to our property from the center of town and converted into a 2 car garage. Unfortunately, it had those ugly modern overhead doors.  Although they can be very practical they are not very attractive to look at.  One day in a casual conversation with a friend we mentioned that we were not happy with the look of the doors as they did not fit with the period of our home.    It just so happened that he knew of an old barn that was being torn down where we could salvage 150 year old boards.  We jumped at the chance!  A few weeks later, out with the old and in with the . . . well “old.”  The doors now complement the weathered red shingles and a simple redo makes a world of difference.  We smile every time we drive up to it.

Strap Hinges & Hardware used for doors available from Williamsburg Blacksmith in Williamsburg, MA.  Visit their website at www.WilliamsburgBlacksmith.com 

Forget-Me-Nots

Sorry it has been so long since our last post. As you may have seen from our website we have been busy photographing and adding new items. We have more to come but thought we would take a few moments to add a new blog entry.

Spring is such a wonderful time of year and it’s hard not to think of Tasha Tudor at this time of year when the Forget-Me-Nots are in bloom. They were, after all, one of her favorite flowers. On a Secret Garden tour of the Tudor properties a few years ago with our best friend Mark, we were fortunate to be able to walk thru Tasha’s very own “Secret Garden” where Forget-Me-Nots grew aplenty. It was magical and we had the added thrill of Tasha waving to us from her kitchen window as we passed by. It’s hard to believe that it has been almost a year since her passing. We think of her often and miss her outlook on the world around us.

Here in Sasha’s Garden, named so for our wonderful cat of 8 years, the FMNs self seed each year and grow between the bricks. It makes for a spectacular display with our wicker furniture and white fence with Quince in the background. Once the flowers go to seed we collect a few to spread around the yard to bloom elsewhere next year. For a really great look we sprinkle the seeds under fruit trees or honeysuckle bushes. More pics to follow.

Mark is always amazed at how our variety of FMNs are in bloom so much earlier than his, even though we are 5 hours northeast of him. Our blooms are, unfortunately, very short lived while Mark’s bloom throughout the summer. We wish that ours would last just a tad longer. He has loads of FMNs that grow along the river in a very natural setting. Just beautiful! In addition to having a green thumb and a wonderful eye for landscape design Mark is a very talented author in his own right. Be sure to check out his website www.MarkKimballMoulton.com to read about his wonderful, heartwarming books and peek inside his home & gardens. He & his partner Lane have been featured in several well known magazines such as Country Living, Country Home & Early American Life.

In the words of Tasha Tudor - ‘Take Joy.”

Until next time . . . N & V

See What’s New . . . Canvas Oil Paintings

 

We look forward to finding new & exciting items each year for our mail order catalog and website.  Imagine our delight & surprise when a valued customer of ours from New England approached us with their beautiful works of art.

Lovers of the Colonial style, Jane & Barron Hansen, found it difficult to find the pieces that they wanted to adorn their home.  Since they were always good at design & decorating they decided to use their self-taught talents to produce these beautiful Theorem style oils on canvas.   Jane & Barron work on most of the oil paintings together. Jane preps the canvas, applies the crackle process followed by stenciling and shading in her own style. Then Barron details the finer line work and shading. This is then finished with several coats of aging medium.

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We hope that you enjoy these new works of art as much as we do.  We know they will look spectacular in any home.

Accent Pillows

A fresh selection has just arrived! Soften any room in your home with Accent Pillows featuring patterns from the 18th and 19th centuries. Add several to a couch to make it look more inviting. Accent an Antique Settee or bed (see below) or toss one in a Windsor Chair to make your house look warm & welcoming. Available in Brick or Blue in several sizes. Cotton/Acrylic. Each pillow has a solid linen colored backing.

Late Afternoon Light

There is something fascinating about late afternoon light finding its way thru a window to play fanciful tricks with ordinary items in your home. Passing thru the Summer Kitchen one afternoon we couldn't help but notice how the light played off of the Wax Pomegranates resting in these Wooden Bowls. We felt it was worth grabbing the camera to take a shot. Our wax fruit looks great resting in a bowl, lined up on a mantle or on display in Glass Jars. Each piece of fruit is realistically molded and lightly dusted with a fragrant mix of spices! The bowls rest upon a striking Black & Mustard Orange Peel Placemat.

Noel's Delicious Marinated Salad

Many of you emailed or phoned asking about the recipe for Noel's Marinated Salad from our Country Living article last fall. We posted it on our website but it was in an obscure, hard to find area so we will repost it here for all to enjoy. This salad benefits from being made a day ahead so the veggies can marinate overnight.

Veggies

1 Head Cauliflower

1 Head Broccoli

1 Lg White Onion

4 Stalks Celery

1 Bell Pepper (Red or Green)

1 Unpeeled Red Apple

Cut all veggies into bite size pieces and place into a non-metallic bowl.

Dressing

In a separate bowl combine -

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup White Vinegar

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip)

Pour dressing over veggies, mix to coat all veggies and chill overnight.

Enjoy !

Noel and Verge

Happy Spring!

Spring has finally arrived here in Maine after a very long winter. The ground is thawing, the snow is melting, the crocuses are poking their heads up and the daffodils are sure to follow. Spring is one of our favorite seasons as we delight in checking daily to see what is waking up from its winter nap.

We just love the shot of these beautiful Tulips taken in our dining room. They are contained in an antique Pewter Pitcher resting on an old Penny Rug we found years ago at a local antiques show! A collection of Sgraffito & Yellowware pieces are housed in the corner cupboard in the background.

C'mon in and take a peek . . .

We have always loved the look of a Slate Sink so when it came time to update our Pantry Kitchen we decided upon a custom sink by Sheldon Slate, located right here in Maine. For the countertops we called on our good friend Cindy Hamilton from Americana Workshop in Kennebunk, ME. She was able to track down old wood which she planed down and refinished to complete the look. Please take a moment to visit Cindy's shop & website. She makes the most wonderful reproduction pieces, many of which you will see throughout our home.

In the Summer Kitchen we installed an Antique Copper Sink, from Americana Workshop. It has the most wonderful patina and looks just perfect with the old wood countertops. Rosemary, one of our most favorite herbs, sits upon the windowsill to soak up the sun. To give this room more of a herbally feel we hung dried flowers from a ladder above the sink and decorated with assorted garlands, like the Gourd Garland which hangs to the right of the sink.

The Deacon's Bench, shown here in our Dining Room, is one of the very first antique pieces we purchased for the house. We softened the look with a matching pair of coverlet pillows. An antique mirror hangs above the bench on the original mirror board. To the left of the bench we hung our Long Cellar Rod . It fits perfectly in small areas.

This Living Room Mantle surrounds one of three working fireplaces throughout the house. We have adorned the mantle with Green Glass bottles (as seen in our catalog,) antique books, old spectacles & silhouettes. A hand-stenciled Fireboard by Hope Angier covers the fireplace during warmer months. We offer several hand-stenciled Fireboards in our catalog.

The Cannonball Bed is the focal point of the Master Bedroom. It stands sturdy and handsome in Black over Red crackle finish. For a primitive look Noel made simple curtain panels from Linsey Woolsey and used jute to hang them on square head nails in the windows. Jute was also used as the tiebacks.

Welcome to Circa Home Living!

Hello and welcome to our new blog!

We're thrilled to be entering a brand new phase in the development of Circa Home Living! Blogging is growing in such popularity we couldn't help but try our hand at it.

Our catalog began as a grass roots effort to provide America with authentic reproductions of the period furniture and accessories we love and live with in our own historic home.

Since it's inception in 1996 we've grown tremendously in volume and size. While our concentration is still on hand-crafted, American Made products we have recently branched out to offer even more practical and whimsical offerings that are sure to please. We're very proud of our web presence and will continue to expand our product selection in the future.

The visit from Country Living magazine to our circa 1820 home in rural Maine (see the August 2008 issue of the magazine) was a wonderful experience. Since its publication, we've heard from many folks who'd like to see more images of our home. We're happy to post a few here for your enjoyment and plan on posting more periodically throughout the year.

We will also be posting photos and information under such categories as Decorating Tips, Collections, Favorite Photos, Field Trips, Recipes, Gardening, Great Reads, New Products and more relating to the lifestyle we enjoy.

We hope to make our blog as interesting and interactive as possible and openly welcome your comments & suggestions.

So, without further ado, we invite you to join us on our journey as we bring Circa Home Living into the world of today.

As Ever ~ Noel & Verge
Circa Home Living ~ It's not just a catalog ~ it's a lifestyle!