Hi! My name is Judy and I have lived on the eastern shore of Maryland my whole life. I have been married to my husband Alan for 30 years. We have 3 grown children. I have taught first grade for over 30 years. In my spare time, I love to go to yard sales, thrift shops, antique stores and primitive shops. I would love to have a shop of my own someday when I retire. I love a bargain! I LOVE to decorate!! I spend countless hours on the internet looking for new ideas and inspiration.
Many of the ladies right here on the forum have inspired me so much.
Our last home of almost 20 years burned down in January of 2010. It was a total loss and we had to start from scratch. We chose not to rebuild since our neighborhood was older. Instead, we bought a new 3 bedroom house that was on the market. We downsized and then our kids came back home. Think about all the collections you have acquired over the years, one piece at a time. All of a sudden you have to start over with nothing. It was so difficult to decorate a new house all at one time, especially one that was so different from the one we had. When you have nothing, you yearn for "stuff". I did not have the patience to wait for that "just right" piece. We had many antiques in our old home. Unfortunately, many of the antique shops in our town have gone out of business over the last several years. In our current home, we have more reproductions than I would like. We moved into our new home in May of 2010. We were able to get back on our feet in just a few months. We are very blessed to have survived the experience. It was my opportunity to simplify. As you will see in the home tour, I did not accomplish this at all. I tried but failed miserably. About the time we moved into our home, I was getting out of school for the summer. After all that stress, it was time for the fun to begin! I took inspiration from all the photos on the internet and was able to tweak my taste a bit. I was definitely making a wish list as I looked at all the eye candy on the forum. Our home may be too cluttered for some but to our family, it is warm and inviting.
Whether it is your taste or not, I hope you enjoy the tour. I am honored to have our home featured in a place where so many talented decorators come to visit. Christmas is my favorite time of year to decorate. I love the ambiance that twinkling lights provide. I wish for all of you a wonderful holiday season filled with many happy memories! Enjoy your families...you never know what tomorrow may bring. Merry Christmas!