Bama Planter

I must say goodbye to the portrait of Felix Taylor Taliaferro.  That last name here is pronounced as  "Tolliver."   Another branch of his family discovered him on the blog and asked to buy him back, which I think was a good thing. He had moved to Alabama from Virginia to be a cotton merchant. The Civil War ruined the cotton export industry in Mobile where he was, so he moved back to Virginia, then to New Jersey.  He has been very happy here in Alabama but it is only fitting that he be returned to become an heirloom in his rightful place with his own descendents. 

I come home sometimes with deer on all sides of the house. Some of them watch me get out of the car and go inside.  Now I have one of the fawns who likes to sit just outside the library window. I suspect they are also eating some of the leftovers I leave for the raccoons and possums. 

I am walking around the place to photograph a few small things I have done to dress the house for Christmas.  This Santa is in an old wicker sled.  I admit to spray-painting the iron part red.  On the step-back is some ironstone .  Homemade candles hang from hooks.  Santa and his sheep rest on the small step back.  My blog friend Janice likes whites and grays so I think she will like this. He is an original creation by local artist Deborah Graham. A snowy tree stays all year on the Selma pie safe.  The Santa with the glitter sits on a ca. 1840 cobbler's bench. The bench is elevated on a 1780 chest. I think Gitter Santa is a bit Victorian more than Prim.  Another cupboard sports a berry wreath with a primitive Santa. Some old artificial poinsettias from the 80's add some color near the doll house.  My Christmas tree:  as prim as possible for me.  A feather tree sits in a 22 ...

Every so often, on a good day, I hang three quilts out to air on the front porch. People on the road stop and take pictures sometimes. Today's weather in Alabama is sunny and pleasant. Temps in the 70's.  I couldn't figure out how to make the camera lens adjust, so the quilts all look faded out in the bright light.  The green box on the right is the end of a divided grain bin.  Star of Bethlehem or Texas Star?  Must be some difference that quilters can recognize. I believe this to be Grandmother's Flower Garden.  I never noticed the funky 1960's fabric on the back of the wicker chair I just bought until I saw this photo.  On the far right, the edge of the settle. I bought the wicker couch a month ago from the estate of a favorite college professor who taught me English history. It's an old one with coil springs. He had told his family that it was not junk and not to give it away or haul it away.  This is my "before" pic...

I had these leather chairs at the antique shop. They were manufactured in North Carolina by Hancock and Moore. I decided to bring them home.   In front of them is a dovetailed New England dough box topped with some large bowls.  The rug is one I bought in the Alabama Black Belt because of the mustard color.  Facing the chairs on the other side of the dough box is an early church pew in pine with square nails.  On the right you can see my primitive doll house on an 1830 chest. In front of the window is a wicker doll buggy with a little Christmas tree inside.  In front is a mule chest from New Jersey.  Next to it is a desk made of tiger maple.  The pine corner cupboard is also an Alabama original ca. 1840.  The little brown ca. 1850 step-back came from Chilton County, Alabama.   The blue pie safe was made in Selma. 

Today I bought at auction a doll table made by Tasha Tudor's son Seth.  It measures 6.75 x 8 x 4.75 inches.   Signed on the bottom.  No doubt Seth Tudor has an amazing amount of skill to build this beauty.