We invite you to step back to a special place in time...to visit the quaint and beautiful village of Ivy and its rugged seaside neighbor, Ivy Cove. Based on the art of Susan Reader, these magical villages abound with whimsical Victorian shops and houses, all adorned with ivy vines and colorful flowers.

The IVY & INNOCENCE collection includes whimsical storefronts, gentle characters, and fanciful accessories...each figure sculpted in delicate detail with ivy vines and roses, then lovingly hand painted.
 

IVY & INNOCENCE
CHAPTER I
Parker's Bed & Breakfast
 

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Violet & Ed Peters
 

CHAPTER I
Parker's Bed & Breakfast

There hadn't always been an Inn in Ivy. And, the Inn that is, wasn't one -- although it took in guests. Once you know the story, that's not as confusing as it first sounds. The Parkers, John and Sandy, had a large family. Their house grew with it by necessity, not with any intent of having the largest home in Ivy. It was just that eight children took up a lot more room than two or three. The Parkers were what we would call a fairly "laid-back" couple. They had a knack of maintaining discipline without ever having to shout. Well, hardly ever, according to Sandy's diary. The Parker house became a second home to their children's friends and there was always enough to set another plate for dinner. As children are wont to do, they grew up and, one by one, began leaving home -- for college or the altar, generally. With space to spare, the Parkers were delighted to put up a neighbor's occasional out-of-town guest. So, you see, the Parkers really did take in guests before they had a Guest House. Finally, when the last of their children were on their own, Sandy wrote in her diary, "The silence is deafening!" Separately, she and John reached a simultaneous conclusion:  they should either sell their now-too-big house...or open it to guests. The problem with selling was that there were too many fond memories to leave - and, they rationalized, a smaller home wouldn't accommodate their visiting children and future grandchildren. The decision was made and Ivy had its first inn...complete with a Honeymoon "Suite overlooking the Wishing Well and a bicycle-built-for-two as a romantic means of transportation for their guests. The Peters, newlyweds Violet and Ed, enjoyed both amenities. She had never mastered a two-wheeler by herself and thoroughly enjoyed pedaling around town with her husband. During their most recent visit, Ed became something of a local hero by saving Lucifer, the pet cat of the quilt shop owner, from a fall to the depths of the Wishing Well. Lucinda and Brian Miller had shared the same suite a year before on their honeymoon. Now they're back to show off the blessing of their union, their month-old daughter, Joy, as in "bundle of." Lucinda proudly pushes the pram, introducing folks she'd met before to her newborn. The Wishing Well deserves more than passing comment. It hadn't always been just for wishing, just as the Inn itself hadn't been an inn. Originally, the deep, hand-dug, rock-lined well was the water source for the Parker's home. It had to be hauled up, bucket by bucket and carried into the house. Then, a deeper well was drilled and provided with a hand pump which made things eminently easier and, finally, that miracle of miracles, indoor plumbing! With its primary function no longer required, the Parkers decided to provide it with a purely romantic purpose: making wishes come true. Little girls wished for new dolls and boys for bikes; marriageable maidens wished for beaus and brides wished for babies...and they all seemed to come true. That's just the way it was...and, happily, still is.