My "Amish Wall"

At the end of a long and difficult day, nearing the end of a long and difficult week, it was a GREAT joy to open the package that UPS left on my doorstep this afternoon.

This is a corner of our dining room, which will now be called my "Amish Wall".

I first discovered the artist Nancy Noel last January when I saw a print on the wall at a hotel in Lancaster. Lancaster County, for those unfamiliar, is the home of most of the Pennsylvania Amish. I was mesmerized! The print, Happiness is Like a Butterfly, is breathtaking in person. I WILL own a copy, and hopefully soon, but I am holding out until I can afford to get the large print, appropriately framed.

I have been stalking eBay, hoping to get lucky with "Butterfly" but with no luck. However, a few months ago I did win an auction for the beautiful EMMA, seen here at the left as she hangs in my dining room, and even better seen (due to, I am sure, a better photographer) HERE at the Noel website. This print is also exquisitely beautiful and it makes me smile just to see it.

Meanwhile, the eBay stalking has continued.

This lovely child is SARAH, whom I found just a few days ago. She was listed with a corresponding quilt square which was framed to match. I fell in love AGAIN!

The quilt square is a Dresden Plate, one of my favorite quilt patterns, although not a true Amish quilt design.

But I saw these, and the design of the frames and even the colors of the matting looked like someone had peeked into my dining room and made them just for me.

You can see the Noel website picture of Sarah HERE, which is where I learned, after I had purchased the print, that SARAH was Nancy Noel's first Amish portrait. That just made this set even more special!

My taste is very ecletic when it comes to what I like hanging on my walls. DH and I bought several prints last year and they are very different from what I showed here. I also have family pictures, scenery pictures, pen-and-ink drawings, all kinds of stuff. One of my most treasured wall occupants is a GORGEOUS whitework sampler stitched by my friend Etha. One of these days I will post some more pictures and show off that prized possession!