Have you ever met someone you just found so much in common with? Booke Fedigan of Farmhouse 1820 is that friend for me. Our mutual friend and blogger KariAnne Woods of Thistlewoods Farm has the gift of sharing wonderful things, and I would say, Brooke is one of those experiences. She’s a native Georgian married to a New Yorker and charming the Hudson Valley region with her beautiful DIY projects, hospitality and creativity.
This past year travel has been limited so the trip up to New York was one of my first since the pandemic happened. The airports were more chllenging as masks were required the entire time, restaurants and resource stations were for the most part closed for purchases (not an issue on short flights, but think 7 hours without the ability to purchase water) Yikes.
Arrival in Allentown-Bethlehem airport, which is about two hours from Farmhouse 1820 was a breeze. When Brooke arrived there was no awkwardness as we met, after all we’d been doing calls and devotionals together for several months. Back in the autumn when we first met, I had been dealing with.diurnal depression, a really not fun to way to experience life. Brooke was brand new in my life and she was faithful to call and check in even on the worst of days. Depression caused by leaky gut and the plain ole warfare that happens when God starts moving you into places that you haven’t been. Have you been through such a season? It’s exhausting yet you know that feelings are just that…feelings….and you learn to pray through them and keep on keeping on.
Farmhouse 1820 is a magical place. We arrived by twilight and the first thing we visited was Brooke’s Garden House. It is a most wonderful DIY project.
Brooke had dreamed of having one since she saw a picture. She dreamed, imagined, and planned what it would be one day. Then Sean, Brooke’s oh so talented husband’s uncle had large industrial windows taken out of their family business. Not one to let something go to waste, Brooke brought the windows home and the project began to come to life. You can read about it here.
The Garden House is a fine place, beautifully adorned and lovely as the stars outside and moonlight illuminate the garden with soft lights illuminating the table and several conversation areas in its spaces, you’re immediately on “relax and stay a while”. I walked in and squealed “you must let me write in here” it just draws you in, the textures, the beautiful adornments, the comfort of being outside in a glass house. I could only imagine what a rainy day would be like inside its magical walls.
Brooke has many talents, and I experienced her mastery of hospitality as soon as we arrived. After seeing the Garden house and the chickens, more on those ladies later, we stopped to love on the baby ducklings in the house. Ducklings! Brooke and Sean want to have ducks so they are busy preparing a duck house for the babies, meanwhile the babes live in the house to protect them from the still chilly mornings. Ducklings! So soft and swaddly, and they just make the cutest sounds. What more could a girl from Redbird Cottage Farm want than a visit with a Garden house, beautiful chickens and duckliings?
Well the answer is skirt steak and brilled vegetables in marinade. Oh.my.word. and that was just on the first evening of the visit. Can you stand it? We went to bed, both of us are early birds (of course) . Brooke is the Duchess of DIY, her designs are intentional, thoughtful, focused on bringing beautify and comfort to the visitor and it certainly hits its mark. Brooke’s and Sean’s home exudes welcome in everything from the flow of the rooms to the fine. details that all say “welcome home” and encourage you to relax and say a while. Brooke’s Georgia upbringing shows in her stylish tablescapes and lovely vignettes.
We even have dogs named the same y’all. No trip to Farmhouse 1820 would be complete without you knowing about Gracie and Hudson. Two of the cutest family members you’ll ever meet, they just own me!
Mr Hudson is an eleven year old almost totally deaf gentleman who. took on the role of sitting with Sweetie each day as I did my writing. Whether it was daily writing practice or work on the current ghost writing project, Hudson was faithful to come to my feet and keep me company as I worked, quietly attentive and encouraging.
I can’t wait to tell you about our trip to the next village where we shopped for local finds and antiques together. Brooke is the kind of girl that everyone knows by name, her joy and her friendliness shows. Remember when we sent notes as girls in school? I think you’d of found Brooke and I writing #KindredSpirits on ours..for as we learned more about each other and I oooooohed and aaaahhhhed over each room of her intentional decor, we shared so many of the exact same things we love. Miss Brooke is a lady of many many talents, and I am delighted she is sharing with all of us at her Farmhouse 1820 blog.
more to come…we’re going antiquing together!
Sweetie!
