An old Window and Grapevine get a new life

When we lived in our old house (below), you know, the eclectic one in the ghetto—the view from my kitchen window was straight across to the next door neighbor’s house twenty feet away.

It was an older home like ours, but had been divided into three apartments. One morning, the woman who lived in the apartment nearest our house stood in her doorway wearing a red satin slip with spaghetti straps. She was holding her latest baby under one arm sitting on her hip.

She was an amply endowed woman. She had bosoms reaching places I didn’t even know they could reach. And it was a warm summer day. Her slip was hitched up under the baby and I had a view I’d never even imagined. Or wanted to have again.

My guy had two antique window frames with no glass. So, we had one of these window frames fitted with stained glass and hung it in the kitchen. That gal needed some privacy, whether she realized it or not. And we were more than willing to help out.

Tom used to have a Scuppernong arbor when I was a teenager. They’re North Carolina’s state fruit. If you drive through the south, you’ll see many older homes with grape arbors out in the side yard. These are most likely Scuppernong or Muscadine vines.  I’m not sure there’s any difference between the two other than color. Muscadines are dark purple-y navy and Scuppernongs are golden bronze. People down south put a couple of plastic chairs out under the arbor so you can pick a handful, then sit and enjoy them right on the spot.

In addition to their delicious summer juiciness, their vines make great wreaths and Tom made me one. Which I have kept and used in multiple places for over 30 years.

So, I’m going to combine the window and the wreath and hang it over the rattan sofa on our porch here at the lake house.

One of my pieces of glass broke during the move and needs to be replaced. I’ve re-secured all of them in their little frames.

I knocked off some of the left-over paint on the frame before I stained it with a dark walnut I happened to have on hand.

Taking a string of Christmas lights, I attached them to the back perimeter of the window and weaved them into the grapevine wreath itself. I secured them with wire.

I used craft wire like this: 

I attached the wreath to the window by hanging it on a nail I hammered in at the top center of the frame.

The window has two sturdy hooks already on the back from when we hung it up in our old kitchen window.

I ran another wire, a larger gauge that my guy had on hand, from these two hooks to hang it on the wall.

This is how it looks during the day when the lights are off.

And this is at dusk with them turned on.

And this is late at night. Cool. We also have candles we’ll light at night. There’s plenty of light to enjoy a glass of wine and catch up on our day.

One thing I’ll change are the Christmas lights. When they burn out I’ll replace them with LEDs. The Christmas lights in the pantry lasted about a year before burning out. LEDs last years.

Still need to replace that piece of broken glass.

Until next time. Be sweet.