Farmhouse China Hutch - Finished...

Hickory Hill Farm China Hutch

When Handsome arrived at the farm, he carried the last of our china with him. This is the set we purchased shortly after our marriage to be "our" wedding china. I didn't want it damaged in transit, so we kept possession of it ourselves to keep it safe.

We brought the (heavy) box into the farmhouse when he arrived, and I unpacked the contents yesterday. I carefully unwrapped every single piece, and we were happy and relieved to find that everything got here just as it left Florida.

I'd left "place keepers" in the hutch that I removed, and then I started placing the last of our china where I'd imagined it would go.

Farmhouse China Hutch Inside Left Side

The plates standing on the second shelf are our wedding plates. They're Spode "Gamebirds" plates, and they represented the best of both worlds for us. The gamebirds were the outdoor touch that Handsome and I both love, while the floral border was a more "traditional" touch. It speaks perfectly to who we are, and I'm so glad it arrived intact.

Farmhouse China Hutch Inside Right Side

Now, everything is here and it's all in the hutch. Please don't judge. I know I have at least three complete china sets, plus a Scottish tea set and two different Spode "sampler" sets. There are also a few odd, precious pieces, like the little lavender-colored, acorn and oak leaf honey pot in front. It was a gift from my dear friend, Denise.

I've also placed our gamebird glassware - which used to belong to Handsome's parents - in this cabinet. We have used it nearly every day since it came to us thirty four years ago. While it's in the china hutch now, once our kitchen is renovated, it will reside there to use with our everyday sets.

Tom Beardsley Carved Farmer Mouse

Handsome and I also emptied out the cargo trailer he pulled behind him this last trip. It was filled with all of his percussion equipment (which also arrived safely), along with things he needed to have with him for the last weeks he spent in Florida. It also held all our outdoor equipment from our little shed behind the house. Garden tools have arrived just in time!

 

Our little mouse was a present from a talented wood carver and dear friend, Tom Beardsley, here in Wisconsin. We have a number of pieces, all of which we cherish, created by his gifted hands. Sadly, Tom passed while we lived in Florida. It's hard to believe that there will never be a new piece in our collection, and that we'll never share an afternoon or evening with him again. We'll miss him.

By the time we were finished unpacking, we were both tired. I made dinner for the two of us, and then, like Tom's tiny, carved farmer mouse, we decided to put our feet up and relax. It was a fitting end to our first, lovely Mother's Day weekend at Hickory Hill Farm.