When a Dream Comes True (at Steel Heart in Harvard, Illinois)

Some of the amazing metal work of Steel Heart LTD

We had a great weekend, a Mass and a Continental Breakfast at Church, a wonderful party for our granddaughter filled with fun, but what I want to tell you about is how my husband made a dream I've had for seven years, come true.  The photo above is of some of the amazing metal work of Steel Heart, an enchanting shop in Harvard, Illinois.  Harvard is about one hour from us, just up route 14.

Now here is the story.  When I started blogging about 7 years ago, I used a photo of an arbor I photographed in Lake Geneva Wisconsin.  If you look at my header (The very top of my blog) you'll see the arbor.  The way life works is... If you find something you love, you probably can't afford it.  If you can someday afford it, it's gone, as it was from the nursery in Lake Geneva.  Years passed, but I always looked for that arbor, whenever we would go to a nursery or garden shop.  When we were preparing for Jon's wedding, we worked with our local nursery.  As a part of our conversation, I pulled up my blog on my phone and asked if he knew where the arbor might have come from.  The gentleman mentioned Steel Heart.  In the preparations for the wedding,  that little tidbit got lost, until last week.  I was looking at photos on my Ipad, where sometime last fall I took a screen save of Steel Heart's webpage.  We had much to do for our party on Sunday, but we needed a ride.

Here we are at Steel Heart.  It's in a beautiful old factory district.  The ivy hides the brick walls on the outside.

It's a block long ivy covered treasure chest.

The view down the street.

Then inside... Gazebos...

 Garden art of all kinds...

 In an amazing old factory space.

Illuminated by beautiful skylights.

 Hanging baskets, planters, object d'art everywhere you look.

 and simple beauty interspersed.

 I walked around in awe, so much to see, and looking for... IT.

 Sensory overload.  We had to ask if they had the arbor...

 AND THERE SHE WAS!  We had walked right past it.

 It wasn't white, like the one in my photo, but it was The Arbor.

The lovely daughter of the owners helped us to purchase just the top part.  I want it to be just like I originally saw it on timbers. It was shown with more ornate legs made of the same material as the arbor.  I'm sure I heard angels singing at this point! ;-)

 

 In minutes we had it in the back of the car and on our way home.

 

This guy spoils me rotten.    I had to see it in place! (You might remember the bittersweet vine pulled down our previous arbor.  Last year after the wedding we had the vine cut to the ground and the broken arbor had to be removed.)

My dear friend Lynne once asked me what the significance of the photo of the arbor was...
I loved it the moment I saw it.  The photo had no season.  It could have been winter, spring, summer or autumn.  Now, after all these years it means so much more.  It's an icon in my life.  It represents me, and my life here in English Valley.  Now it will be a part of our life here, and thanks to my generous and sweet partner in love, a symbol of us too.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your friendship.

Enjoy this beautiful day.

Love, Penny