I live in a beautiful part of the country! The hills undulate in the Fall with the colors of fire; reds, oranges, yellows and hues of purple. The colors are accompanied by all the usual suspects of Fall…the scent of burning leaves, the geese honking above as they make their journey southward, the stacked pumpkins and corn husks adorning houses celebrating the season.

How can one not be invigorated on a clear crisp Fall day? I walked outside this morning to see the sun as is began to brighten the awakening sky. A clear crisp wind had blown away the mugginess of the rain from the past few days to replace it with the freshness of a beautiful Fall day. Walking up to the barn and taking in all the sensations of this promising day reminded me of why I had chosen to highlight the beauty of this spectacular part of Pennsylvania that I live in for the first Barn Sale for Life’s Patina…Chester County.

While driving through the countryside, hidden gems are tucked in along the way. It is often hard for me to keep my eyes on the road as I “rubber neck” to catch a passing barn, a hidden doorway, a stone wall or a bucolic farm.

 All of the sights are a remaining testament to the people that have been before us and carved this land into a productive way of life. Did they know know that their craftsmanship would be an enduring stamp of beauty upon the already natural beauty of the countryside?

Two artists will be highlighted at the Barn Show that have encapsulated this beauty of the surrounding area that Willowbrook Farm resides in. Both are friends and both are at different phases of their artistic journeys. All of the above pictures were taken by my good friend Julie Gerber. She has had a way with a camera since I first met her. She showed all of us up on our first “Girl’s weekend,” when her pictures of the beach caught scenes that we had never noticed; a sand dollar half buried on the beach with a rushing wave sweeping over it, sea grass swaying in the ocean air…you know what I am talking about. All of our pictures (some taken on those throw away cameras…this was before the digital days…and yes, I am that old) paled in comparison! The pictures of her children again contained that hidden mystique that is so hard to capture on a one dimensional piece of paper. Before long, she was being asked to be the group photographer for whatever group she was in at the time; partygoer, field trip chaperone, vacationer, etc. (I still think that it was because she made us all look good! She took the picture of me on my Blog while on vaction) All kidding aside…she is a true talent and will be showing and selling her work at the Barn Sale.

The second artist is Cheryl Decker Sauder. Cheryl is an accomplished watercolor artist whose following quote pretty much encapsulates what she paints and how she feels about it. “Hopefully through my work, you will be able to sense the passion that I have for the countryside that surrounds me, its whimsy, breathless beauty and incredible architecture.” She has shown her work at a multitude of Art Shows and she continues to display that passion for Chester County in the following “sneak peak”of her work.

She has a stunning painting that she finished not long ago that will be the centerpiece of a Christmas vignette…but you will have to come visit the show to see it!

Check back in to see how we have repurposed some Chester County artifacts into new items as well as to see what else we are highlighting from this beautiful area of the country!

Now go out and enjoy Fall in whatever part of the country that you live in…for it is fleeting!