... So we're winding down on giving the olde shed a little more room... and light.
I'm thankful for Myguy; who took a week of his vacation to create this labor of love.
If you've read here before; you might already know that:
Once upon a time there were two Starboys who wanted to build a fort.
Their Dad (Myguy) took them in a truck and trailer to a friend of his who
had torn down an olde house for lumber. Myguys loaded piles of oak boards and hauled them
to our back pasture; where together they built this little shed pictured above.
As the little boys grew taller and their voices grew lower,
their interests changed from climbing trees
and galloping their horse and mule across the pasture, ... playing Robin Hood,
and catching crawdads in the creek- to... building hotrods, burning tires and goin muddin.
The little fort just sat and sat ... until one day....
this Momma asked Myguy if he could somehow move the lonely little fort into
her garden. He obliged and
using the tractor skidded the fort on logs
to it's present spot. I can't tell you how happy I was.
I'd always dreamed of a garden shed of my very own.
Then; as time went on,...
the Shabby Olde Potting Shed
and this blog was born.
Over the years ivy and wisteria covered the back wall
and you can no longer see that there's even a window there.
The groundhogs and armadillos have dug so badly beneath it that parts
of it have fallen right in the dirt and .. the middle; well, it's buckled and you gotta climb uphill abit to walk across the floor to the potters bench. Mud dobbers, ivy,
and I'm sure angels ... hold the whole thing together. But I've so enjoyed my time in this tiny
olde shed. About a year ago; a neighbor of ours remodeled and gave us all the olde windows.
They're extra special to me because my Sister once lived in that house and she; our Angelmother and I used to sit in sun porch/ sewing room and have bible studies together looking through these very windows.
I have such good memories of those times that just writing about it here tonight... still brings tears to my eyes.
Greenhouse.
Two beautiful words rolled into one.
...This was another dream of mine.
--Everytime I'd see pictures of greenhouses or a shed, built using old windows,
I'd drool a little on the pages. As the time grew nearer;
Myguy asked to see my Pinterest greenhouse photos and the stacks of magazine
pictures I kept bookmarked on the side of our bed. A vision took root.
The olde potting shed is only 8x8 feet.
And here's the front of it with a 12x12 addition.
We still have a few things to finish. But it's caulked
and even in the horrible storms last night... nothing leaked.
All the exterior of it is treated wood and I'm not sure; but think I'll paint it white.
Myguy bought extra pavers and said he's gonna cement them in front of the door there.
This is the back side.
And this is the very front.
The floor is pavers with sand, and the roof
is clear panels. I think one pane of glass has a small crack, and in this photo
you can see two panes that are clouded. Myguy said he'd put new ones in if I wanted but
I like em just the way they are. I'm olde n vintage... not new and fancy.
One of the first things I carried inside was the olde writing desk my friend Cindi brought to me.
I'd thought about turning it into a potters bench but ... it was her Grandmother's writing desk
and I want to use it the same way. Except right here in the garden. The top had all been cut out of it for her daughters wheelchair to slide into so it needed something... -- Myguy cut some rough boards for me and it's gonna get
a little more shabbied uP. I'm leaning towards jadite green and distressed. Maybe a little backsplash type of thing nailed on with some rusty chicken wire. I was so happy to sit right here today and read my bible while watching it rain.
Did you notice Mr. Owl? He's seen better days but we found him perched on a shelf at a flea market in Fort Smith. I love him holes n all. His eyes are all weathered over but I don't care. I'm messed up too.
Once I got to start bringing plants in here I went a little crazy repotting everything.
I felt like a little girl with a dollhouse.
Add almost 50 years to that and you just have
a woman with a shabby olde shed.
Myguy worked so hard. Aside from building, he moved the electric and put a brand new
outlet in. There's a new light now and a place for a radio too!
Over the Winter the hydrant broke, so
even that got fixed. I'd get soppin wet
everytime I turned the thing on before!
This little ladder was actually broken and the bantys were using it
to roost, but I thought it'd make a useful plant stand. Myguy cut me one of the decrepit boards he'd torn off the potting shed
to make another little shelf to set plants on. He's actually getting used to me wanting to save the shabbiest lookin boards now. lol I gave it a quick brush of turquoise but still
need to sand the edges.
This olde door has been in our bedroom for two-three years now.
The story was; it's from the 1800's.
You can tell it's been well loved over the years and was sized up n down alot! It had
weird locks screwed on it, and the wood is very primitive.
It seemed just right to go between the potting shed and green house.
The flowers in the vase etched in glass
seem to whisper: "grow girl!"
Myguy had to cut it down even more but it seems a good fit. A shabby olde door for a shabby olde shed.
To the left of this door is another row of windows but I wanted something solid to the right
because behind it is a sink that I didn't want to be visible from this side. ...One day while perusing my favorite Antique shoppe I found the ceiling panels and someone had nailed a little frame around them to hang them as wall art. They worked well nailed vertically in this spot. Especially with this chalkboard. It all started to feel like things were coming together right there.
Here's a view with the door opened as it goes up into the potting shed side.
Oh and I almost forgot. This week we did go on a few car hauling runs. Everytime we dropped everything to go we'd say, "this will pay for the wood, or this will buy the french door. lol
On one of our out runnin times; we were driving through Scranton and I saw this little house with
all these wash tubs out back. I asked Myguy if he'd stop and we went up to the door to ask if any were for sale. The man said they were his wife's and she'd just went for a walk. He called her cell and she came back home. ... We had the most delightful visit. Her husband wanted us to look in his shed coz he too collected lots of antiques over the years. He had alot of cool stuff but his wife and I share many similar interests. She sold us this washtub and then of all things; Myguy bought a van off the man! I kid you not. Having a mechanic shop and farm we end up with alot of scrap metal and wire. He likes vans to use as a vessel to haul farm wire. So we had to go back a couple days later and it was another great visit. It was one of those times where I felt like ... there's more to all this than washtubs and a van ya know? A dot connected for bigger purpose maybe?
The evening the storms started rolling in I was out there listening to my ipod.
Over my music I heard "something."
A dragonfly visitor... had flown
inside! I caught it and held it for a moment. Grabbing my phone;
I snapped a couple photos while it sat on my hand.
As soon as I walked through the doorway to the outside... it
flew away.
dragonfly kisses xoxo
For He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.
This special scripture and thoughts of my dragonfly visitor stayed with me throughout the bumpy night ahead.
The clouds got ugly and it stormed pretty bad.
Thankfully we had no damage. The power went out in the night but came back
on in the morning.
It rained all day the following day.
It's now time to mow again and till as soon as the soil dries out.
This will be the last week of the peonies.
I wish you could have smelled their lovely fragrance while we worked all week.
Well, that's all for now.
Thank you for visiting the olde shed.
xoxo
