Hi there, I'm new here.  This is my new blog "Pear of Hearts Farm." I chose the name based on my hopes for our new home/property in Northern Chester County.  Currently, I live in a circa 1820 farmhouse with just under 1/2 acre.  In about 5 weeks, we will settle on our new home - only 5 miles away, but with 12 acres of possibilities just waiting for our imagination and hard work to make it ours. 

I'll be sad to leave my little farm house - it's quirky and cute and has served me well over the past 16 years - hosting so many happy and sad times that have shaped me into the person I am.  The small yard has provided us with lots of  fresh organic produce as well as eggs from our hens.  This year, I entered into the world of bee keeping with 2 hives buzzing away.  With the very real threat of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder), I remain hopeful my new girls will make it through the winter and provide me with lots of honey next summer.

Come with me on my journey into the life of a farm girl.  We'll start small - but explore all the possibilities our new property will allow us to attempt... I'm thinking a small orchard (pears & apples?), possibly a flower farm (sunflowers and dahlias are my favorite!), more bees, more chickens and who knows what else! I'll also be busy in my craft room (a very big perk of the larger home) creating all kinds of treasures.  

In the meantime, I'll share my latest project - a table (with a "free" sign) that I rescued from the side of the road about a month ago.  It was a lot of work, but didn't feel like it because it was so fun and rewarding.  Take a look:

This table has had a hard life - clearly being used as a work surface for painting and other jobs. It was VERY heavy and literally fit into the back of my SUV with mere inches to spare...

Using my trusty orbital sander and a little elbow grease, I sanded off the old finish to find a beautiful cherry wood table underneath.  The more I uncovered, the more excited I became at the beauty she would become once again.

After sanding off all of the old finish I could without taking away the beautiful patina, I used 3 layers of Danish Oil; the first 2 in cherry, and the last in natural - as I didn't want the top to be too red.  I wanted the legs to have a bit of contrast, so after the first layer of Danish Oil, I dry brushed a combination of black and tan paints.  After the final coat of Danish Oil, I waited 24 hours and finished the top with a clear paste wax.  Since I wanted a bit more color on the legs and bottom, I added raw umber artists oil paint to the wax.  I am so thrilled with the results. This process took about 4 to 5 days total. (Please ignore the junk on my dining room floor!)

This was my first project using Danish Oil and paste wax and the finish is GREAT! So far, any drips or spills bead up like drops of water on a freshly waxed car.  The cherry wood is hard and durable to begin with - but the Danish Oil makes it even more so.  I'm not afraid to let my (almost) 3 year old son eat here - but I do try to get him to use a place mat... "try" being the key word!