Cozy Foyer.

In our last few houses, the front foyer

always seemed so small and crowded.

If we had company that numbered just

two, it was a tight fit as they arrived.

But if we had more than two, it was a

true complication ~ we had to do it better.

So when we designed our house, we

made sure there was room for at least six

to eight people to stand in the hall. And

we added in a good sized closet along with

a small vestibule for the old radio that

holds some small fabric roses, a sweet

and tiny topirary, a container of fabric

plants and our guest book for all to sign.

We found this tiny bunch of fabric

roses at the charity shop for $1 ....

.... and this sweet brocade covered

guest book as well, for another $1.

Sweet finds that make our cozy but

spacious front foyer a welcoming spot.

Welcome.

We picked up this sweet print at

our local charity shop for the hall.

I love the vintage frame and the

soft, muted colors ~ perfect for us!

I love this tiny girl reaching up to

the door knocker. Here are the words:

"Hospitality is the greatest cheer,

for a friend walks in when the

whole world walks out."

Anonymous

"Let your door be always open and

a warm welcome be in your heart;

For he who looks outside is dreaming

and he who looks inside awakes."

Anonymous

"The wise teacher points us to the open

door, but you must have the courage to

enter for yourself."

Old Chinese Proverb

Our Secret Garden

I love taking pictures of our little "Secret Garden"

after the rain has finally ended. A work in progress.

But progress is happening. We planted

these sweet perennials last Spring. A

combination of purple, blue, pink and

white. I love how they are flourishing.

Our teeter totter survived another cold

Winter and looks so playful in the trees.

Wind and Rain, Light and Dark.

Outside as the rain fell, we were safe

and dry, but the crack of thunder were

too loud for my comfort. At least it

wasn't a night time thunder storm.

Still we had to put on some lights as

the sky was so dark, it was hard to see.

Scary Skies.

Driving home the other day was a bit

scary as the skies became dark and windy.

Lightening started to appear and the thunder

soon followed, booming across the landscape.

We had to quickly pull in and make sure everything

was secure before retreating into our sweet cozy home.

My Gardner.

He's been such a big help this year as we

planned out then began to put our first ever

veggie patch in. You can see the fences are

not in just yet, but the boxes are full now.

We'll be putting the pickets up next weekend

and then the pea gravel to cover up the

landscape fabric and the netting to keep our

deer friends from munching on all the veggies.

I truly appreciate how helpful this guy has

been in making sure our veggies are all

planted, then watered and fertilized well.

I love how he is so excited to see growth!

Flowery Gifts.

It's been a crazy few weeks and we have

more events coming up. One of our final

celebrations is our year end family BBQ.

And this year, I was presented with a

basket of pretty flowers and chocolates.

A surprise but so very much appreciated!

Quiet Veranda.

Not a sunny evening but still my favorite

place to sit at night, when it's so quiet.