We are inspired by:

Country Living 2003 -- When Country Living was full of warm, happy and inviting colors of the 1930s and 40s.  When primitives ruled and chalk paint didn't exist.  A time when "grey" meant "depressing rainy day cloud cover" not the latest "neutral" wall paint color.

Barns --  Barns full of old stuff that hasn't seen the light of day since the 1970s with smalls wrapped in newspapers from the 60s and the bigs covered in 50 years worth of dust.  We've been in two this month.

Estates -- Estates that we are invited into first -- before the estate sale -- where we get to "see" the totality of someone's life.  What they read, what they did, what inspired them, what they collected -- with all of the quirks and accumulated dust that makes each of our lives unique and interesting however simple and small they might seem to them. 

Patina that only time and pressure can create -- Primitives with layers of paint charmed with the wear and pressures of daily use.  Kitchen work tables with missing finish due to bread making and preserving one's harvest.

Unusual elements -- Those weird and wonderful parts and pieces that make you pause and ask, "What is it?" followed with "What can it be?"

Sentimental value -- Elements that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers treasured and used and made things with whose only real value is to us . . . Sentimentality helps us understand that we are really only a few generations removed from living in a sod house with a dirt floor.

Heavy horses -- A playful Shire horse. 

We are ready for 1970s pressboard furniture painted ala Pintrest style with chalk paint and zigzags to go out of style soon so we can introduce a new generation to Primitives, Mission, Victorian, Deco, art pottery, 1930s green . . . .

How about you?  What inspires you?