Foxcroft Farm Before and Afters- The Sunroom

I have had a lovely summer at Foxcroft, wonderful visits from friends, some travel and a lot of riding my big horse, Daisy. I gave Foxcroft reno a long break. But, towards the end of summer, I woke up one morning, and it was time to get started again!

Most of the main floor of Foxcroft has been refreshed, and we are enjoying entertaining and spending time in this lovely home. But, the sunroom had yet to be reclaimed, so that is where I decided to get restarted!

When we moved to Foxcroft Farm in 2020, this little room was a low priority. With its windows, French doors and tidy brick floor, it had character enough to be put on the back burner. 

The room has lovely views of the pool, gardens and barns beyond, so I chose it for an office and put my desk and bookcases in the room. It was okay. I had taken down all the window treatments- I do like my sunshine and light! But the room is an addition to the main house, and was too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer for being used as a proper office. 

So, as I stripped the room of things in preparation for the refresh, I thought about how it would be best used. 

Without the window treatments, it has such a nice aspect, and on the west side of the house, it is bright in the morning, without being too sunny. With the red brick floor, orange toned woodwork, flat ecru wall paint and ceiling covered in light sucking texture it still felt kind of dark, or dull?

It is the main thoroughfare from the kitchen and keeping room to the back porch and pool, so I knew I wanted it to be a pleasant passageway. But, I wanted it to function as more. 

It has wonderful big French doors, stained brown on the inside and painted hunter green on the outside. 

You know, when we moved here, there was so much dark green, on the house, the carpeted porches and decks,  I couldn't wait to get rid of it all. But, now that it is mostly gone, I am warming to it again. 

I knew I wanted to get rid of the ceiling fan. I am not a ceiling fan fan.  And although they have their uses and I have retained the concept in many of the rooms here, in a room this small, if it is so hot you need the fan, leave. 

There are also 4 eyeball style can lights in the ceiling. I'm unlikely to ever use them, but I kept them anyway, as I can aim them at art, and they have a dimmer. 

I love a brick floor. 

As with any room, I like to strip it down, and sit with if for a while. Ask it what it wants to be when it grows up? I like to look at it from other rooms, what will you see? How will the traffic pattern flow? what will make it comfortable, and useful. And, what personality does it need? 

For this room, it told me it wanted to be cheerful, crisp, a bit preppy and not stuffy. It should look as if it was an open porch in a past incarnation and was enclosed to become a sunroom. And, it wanted to hold on to some of the green. 

I know I say this every time, but this is my new favorite hang-out at Foxcroft Farm!

 

Walk through the keeping room, and come find me in the sweet sunroom.

The French doors got painted white on the keeping room side. The hardware got a good long time in simmering water to remove all the grime and polished up nicely. 

I covered the ceiling in beaded pine boards that I painted with SW Upward- a grey/blue with a hint of periwinkle.  I previously used Upward on the ceiling in the sleeping porch and the floors of the back porches. 

The green doors were repainted with a more cheerful, fresher green, SW Shamrock.  Comfortable slipcovered furniture and a rattan bar cart is just right for the cozy far side of the room, with the windows open, the perfume from the garden phlox is divine! 

The gold pagoda and faux bamboo chandelier was my splurge piece for this room. It is from Horchow.  I wanted green candle shades, and purchased them on Amazon, and then modified them into the green stripe with the Shamrock paint. 

I wanted this room to feel like an extension of the outside gardens and pool- bring the outside in. So, I thought a good bit about how to use green. I did not want the room to be green, I did want it to celebrate green. 

So, after painting the walls in SW Bravo Blue, I hit upon using the green to make a preppy, trompe l'oeil imitation of formally paneled walls. But I didn't want it to be formal. I liked what was done at the Kate Spade New York store in black and white, so made my own version. 

I've started to fill the "panels" with art and mirrors I love. Above is a painting I call "The Big Green" I did 20 years ago. And it fit right in here. 

I painted the "Find Your Passion" sign above the French doors for the first Pickaway County, Ohio 4-H Booth I helped create in 2005.  I pulled it out because of the green, and was chuffed to realize it was the ideal size. 

The heavy iron café table came from local favorite shop, Circa, as did the green lamp with the faux bamboo detailing on the bar cart.  The green shade was already here, waiting for the right partner.  This little table is a delightful spot for breakfast. 

The observant reader will note in the background, the guest cottage, Maresfield, is coming along nicely! 

I am, writing this piece as the sun sets, reclined on the porch swing. I can see a slice of the mountains over the roof of the barn. Pearl and Jules are lying flat at my feet and at the mention of their names quietly thump their tails. Living here is a divine pleasure, and I enjoy such satisfaction as Foxcroft reveals its cheerful nature. 

There is still much to be done! This autumn I am working on the riding trails, as we purchased some woods behind Foxcroft. The weather is currently much too nice for it, but I have begun stripping wallpaper and ceiling in an upstairs bedroom. Maresfield is just too beautiful, and should be done in about a month! That will be quite the blog. 

The Wedding! Georgia and Jesse tie the knot! Part II

 

It has been a month now since Georgia and Jesse officially linked their stars together. 

At Foxcroft we have done some entertaining, gotten back to work, and mostly erased the signs of the wedding. I suppose we still have a stall with kegs that need to be returned, there are 8 leftover bottles of artisanal barbecue sauce in my laundry room and I've got some collapsable tables to wrangle back into a closet.

 I've had some time to think now about how each wedding is different, and special, 

but the wedding does not a marriage make. 

Although an equation, or a recipe for success would be convenient, there seems to be no exacting math for the proof to ensure marital success, but instead a constant blending of moments that equate to love and devotion as a daily decision and action. I think marriage success distilled to a math equation would look like one of the monster chalk boards on the set of A Beautiful Mind, overwhelming and impossible to comprehend. 

And still, the math would not work for every marriage. 

 During his wedding reception speech, Huz used some marriage-math wisdom of how it has worked for him to choose to give 100% to his partner, and expect only 50% in return- my implied deficits leading to laughter, my "oh boy, he's really stepping into it now" face ( photographer caught this one perfectly-I'll post below) and good natured ribbing from the crowd. 

Which, with debatably inaccurate math did delightfully deploy the integer of humor to the equation of marital success. 

I have been ever so fortunate in my choice of partner. We laugh a lot. 

Weddings are at their heart, a ceremony of a promise between two people. All the other stuff, the outfits and flowers and food and dancing, isn't integral to the promise of commitment, but a recognition of its significance to their family and friends. The celebration of the choice by Georgia and Jesse- to join forces for life- makes it appreciable for all who are present. I think the wedding day choices become a sort of proxy of importance to the bride and groom. Sharing the things with which they have particular ties make the wedding day itself an amalgamation of the relationship. It becomes valuable to serve their favorite drink, or dance to "their song", include a beloved pet, or a truculent one -as with Henri, the gander/star of the Hamilton family wedding game I shall detail below- as I mentioned these make weddings personal and unique. 

There may not be math for marriage, but weddings have a more comprehensible formula: 

(devotion)(ceremony + family and friends + church/state )+ party =  wedding day wonder

Seriously joyful celebration commence! 

After the ceremony, the newlyweds retired to the front porch for a few minutes alone, and then joined the bridal party to dig up a bottle of bourbon. This is a tradition I had never heard of, but the gist is you bury a bottle of bourbon at the ceremony site some months, or a year prior to the wedding, to ensure fine weather. It worked.

Then, you all have a little celebratory toast!

Wedding dress and a shovel-that's my girl!

Bourbon thus liberated, to the porch for some "refreshment!"

Cheers! 

I believe in this photo, you can tell from the smile; the bourbon drinkers, and the good sports. 

Differing levels of trepidation. A few have "are we really doing this?" expressions. 

This one makes me laugh every time.
"Shots for the bride!" 

The wedding party photo on Foxcroft's front porch. Timeless! 

Then, the bourbon took ahold. 

Another classic southern wedding photo; bride, groom, flowers, magnolia tree! 

The complicated affaire of "bustling the wedding gown". 


The bar was open and the tent was ready for guests! 

Just add the new Mr. And Mrs. Donmoyer! 

And let the eating and drinking begin! The couple had chosen local treasure, The Barbeque Exchange, run by acclaimed CIA trained chef/owner Craig Hartman to cater the party. Everyone filled up on Virginia barbeque in all its glory! 

While we ate, the excellent band Uncle Henry's Favorites played bluegrass and folk tunes. The band has been together since 1985, and you can see and hear them on Youtube if you want some wedding flavor while reading the blog! 

As the meal was winding down, Huz took the mic to welcome everyone to Foxcroft, and gave a lovely speech that delivered right in the feels!

The well intended mathcentric marriage advice that went awry caused this face captured here. 

Time for cake. 

The couple had a beautiful dessert bar with classic and lavender shortbread, cupcakes with raspberry filling ones of carrot cake, but The Cake was this delicious and gluten free beauty made by one of the bride's besties, also a bridesmaid. She is renowned for her cakes, and consented to make one for the reception. It was so good!!

Soon, thereafter, the bride and groom took to the dance floor- to the tune of "Poor Boy's Delight". I don't think it is "their song", but the tune is lovely, and the lyrics are about dancing in Virginia on a Saturday night in June. Change the lyric from "Molly" to "Georgia" and "June" to "April" and it's perfect.

Georgia's Daddy cuts in. Love. 

 

The groom and his lovely momma. 

The newlyweds and their parents take the floor; or the barnyard if you will!

My own. 

My delightful in-laws, one of the 4 sets of grandparents with 60+ years of marriage. 

Eldest with her wedding date. 

Center of photo, my parents cutting a rug for more than 60 years. 

Youngest and his wedding date. 

In autumn 2005, we held a barn dance in honor of Huz turning 40. It was in the big, beautiful bank barn at Cowfeathers Farm, our inimitable home in Ohio. We opened the huge doors to the barn, filled it with food, friends and a 6 piece square dance band with a caller, Pete Shew and the Back Porch Swing Band. For that and the 10 years following, we enjoyed this tradition every year at Cowfeathers, rain, shine, wind, and less wind. Young and old would square dance, laugh, eat and turn back time. City folk mingled with our farmer friends and learned how to properly "swing yo' pardner" and "allemande left". I had hoped to leave all that attended with wonderful memories of family, friendship and foolishness. It was always the favorite night of the year for me to feed the animals all stalled and bedded beneath the dance floor with the band music, laughter and conversation drifting through the floor boards and the party lights making shadows in the pastures. 

So, I was gratified to learn that Georgia wanted to repeat that beloved tradition and have a square dance band for the wedding celebration. Jesse, who had never had the pleasure of square dancing , generously agreed, and great fun began. "Fun" is from the late Middle English word "fon" meaning "to be a fool." Apt, because part of the fun of square dancing with mostly novices is that everyone is in on the joke, we are all fools having fun! 

To get the dance party started? The Virginia Reel, of course! 

Sometimes things go wrong! The bride knows. 
Also, how adorable is the little bar truck!!?
They had local ciders and beers on tap, as well as Dark-n-Stormy cocktails and water, fresh strawberry basil lemonade and iced tea, vital for dancers on a warm day!

Not all wedding gowns allow for a proper behind the back swing! 

Maybe we are all a bit directionally challenged.

Another personal favorite photo of the day. 

The shadows are growing long, so we took a dance break to play the "Gander Goose Poop Game". This is a game unique to my family, I should think. It was first devised 28 years ago at the wedding of my eldest sister. She and her husband were wed at our family farm in Connecticut. We have had geese since the 1970s, each one of the ganders a dinosaur (Velociraptor x T Rex). I tried to explain our goose affiliation in a Cowfeathers Farm blog post years ago, called "Every girl's dream; a Velociraptor of my own." It remains somewhat inexplicable. My sister's wedding had a big hand built wooden dance floor that we painted in a large blue and white checkerboard pattern. During the reception, a few of the bridesmaids sold the squares off for a modest sum, and the purchaser could pen a message and their name in the square. When they were sold off, we had a 50/50 (50% to the winner, 50% to the newlyweds), winner determined by the square on which the gander pooped. The attendees surrounded the dance floor, and my mother placed the gander in the center. The gift of using a goose is they poop about every 12 seconds. (Okay, they average every 12 minutes, but it goes faster, I swear.) Also, they can't decide on whom to attack when there are so many juicy choices. So they tend to walk around hooting, and then poop! 

Georgia was a youngster when she started begging for geese- obviously inherited my penchant for anserine punishment. Henri and Henrietta arrived as adorable, fuzzy yellow babies some dozen years ago. That leads many to the second question, as they draw away from the squawking, threatening creature (the first being "will he attack me?"; answer "yes.") which is "how long will it live?" About 20 years is expected, but George, a gander born in 1927 made it nearly to 50. Henrietta succumbed to a raccoon, but  sorry, Jesse, you may yet inherit Henri. Georgia's fondness continues, "cuddles" him every time she visits. So, it made sense to revive the Gander Goose Poop Game for her nuptials.  We made a few modifications. Without a painted dance floor, we chalked a basic grid on the horse trailer parking pad, and let guests put their name in squares. We skipped the 50/50 portion, as in 2022 no one has cash at hand. And, instead of the mother (me) collecting the gander, it was the father, Huz, who is incidentally, Henri's best friend and one of the only humans he has ever taken to. He occasionally tolerates Youngest, and instantly took to Jesse. He actually lets Jesse pet him, and removes no flesh in token. Every other human should be on notice. 

Since Henri is attached to Huz, when Huz placed him in the center of the grid, Huz had to parade around the outside of the grid, because Henri just wanted to walk to him. 

Choosing the favorite square.

The star of the show. 

And the "winner" of  poop in the square and bragging rights? 

Laura S.! She is both a farmer and a preschool teacher, so, destiny?

Post Poop Game shenanigans with the Hamilton cousins. Making trouble, and this "kissy face" pose together for 50 years. 

The cousins after a rusty rendition of "We Are The Cheerleadahs" a song and dance satire created 45+ years ago by 10 year olds, and somehow still in our repertoire today. 

The elusive photo of the photographer with her subjects! 

Time for some "golden hour" photos. 

Akin to the three generation photo in Part I of the ladies, here are our gents! 

Eldest and her date. 

Jesse and his mom. 

Georgia with her horse, Nellie, and goose, Henri. 

Also, talk about good sport, Nellie is brave. She and Henri have gone rounds! Photographer, KZ, also has extensive Henri experience, and I am proud of her for holding her ground long enough to take this photo. 

Just for laughs, the shot of getting Henri into the shot! 

A recognized method for goose handling, the "place and dash". 

And, with golden hour fading, the newlyweds made their moves to depart the celebration. 

The first day of marriage is magnificently fêted, but is only counted as 1. As is every day thereafter. 

Choose devotion, choose respect, choose to be kind, choose to laugh 

and choose to love, très fort.