My House in August #31: Blanket.

 We found this blanket at the Antique Mall

one day and couldn't believe how soft it is.

The hours of work that went in to it

and yet it was for sale, cast off and alone.

\

We were quite happy to make this vintage

and comfy blanket part of our living room.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #30: White.

It's hard to think about but it won't

be long at all before we look out our

windows and see a white landscape.

Not looking forward to the first storm.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #29: Kitchen.

Just one view of our sweet and

cosy kitchen. Our gathering spot.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #28: New.

I love when we get new dirt for the gardens.

It makes everything so fresh and new again.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #27: Leaves.

The leaves here are still green but if

 look close, you can see orange coming.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #26: Candle.

The candle at the end of our yoga

sessions. A warm blanket and light.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #25: Art.

Two decades of dreaming of having

our own Art Studio are coming to an

end. The dream is now real, minus

the flooring, window coverings and

two lights over the island. We are so

excited to have this precious space.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #24: Vase.

My little Holly Hobbie vase holding

pretty thistles from our garden.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #23: Stripes.

Stripes in the ceiling of the veranda.

And a sweet birds nest with babies.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #22: Chair.

We almost bought this chair a few

weeks ago for our Great Room.

But the color wasn't quite right and the

family that was selling it was super

"shady" and we couldn't wait to leave

the house. You can't always tell from

an email conversation if something is

legit but this just felt off. The guy was

a bit aggressive when we decided not

to take it so I'm glad we said no. Didn't

need any bad karma that might have

been attached to the chair in our home.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #21: Light It Up.

Can't wait to see our fireplace in

use this Winter. I love the glow

of the embers and the light that

fills and warms our bedroom. For

now, a shot of morning light from

the window, lighting up the box.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #20: Relax.

A favorite spot on our front veranda

to kick back and relax in the sunset.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #19: Cake.

On the 21st, we celebrated our tiny

daughter's birthday. She would have

turned 19 years old that day but on

her birthday, she arrived in our arms,

without opening her eyes or taking a

breath. We loved her before she was

born, we loved her the day she was

born and we continue to love her each

and every day, for now and forever.

Our little cake to honor sweet and tiny

Ciara~Rose Kennedi, our princess 

that we will cherish all our lives.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #18: Cosy.

I dread Winter but coming home to

this sweet house is heavenly for us.

A cosy home in the white landscape.

Just waiting for us to come through the door.

We still 2 years later marvel at our new

home. Our biggest home was that we'd

create a cosy home and I truly feel we've

succeeded in providing that in our setting.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #17: Paint.

 I'm an artist by trade but not a painter.

Now that I have an Art Studio, I'm learning.

I can't paint this good but hope one day to

have a steady enough hand to try a challenge.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #16: Bedroom.

Where we safely observed the total

eclipse the other day. We were so

exhausted and thankfully both had

the day off so this was our view point.

#myhomeinaugust

#PhotoAugustChallenge

My House in August #15: Green.

Our new green armchair for the

living room is my choice for the

prompt "Green" today. Love this

comfy chair and the look it provides.

#myhomeinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #14: Metallic.

We have been dreaming of a wooden

gazebo to add to our landscaping but

the price was a bit too high this year

with all the other things that are in 

our budget. So we took the gazebo

off the spreadsheet for now. Then we

found a bunch of great deals and our

budget bottom line went down. A

sale at our local greenhouses gave

us a new plan ~ a metal gazebo. We

went back and forth between this

one and another one big black one

at the other establishment. In the

end, we chose this more Victorian

styled version. And the price we

paid was at least 1/6th of the fee of

the wooden gazebo. For now, this is

our lovely compromise that we are

both excited about. And down the

road, once we have a few extra $'s,

we can sell this one, likely for more

than we paid for it and buy the

wooden one. Love this plan and

the style of this more vintage look.

#myhomeinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #13: Photography.

I'm still learning on a daily basis how

to take great photgraphy shots.

I've discovered that I like to take pictures

from different angles and not always show

all the pieces of a shot. This one was a

tiny bouquet I received from my work.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #12: Favorite.

Last week, one of my summer students was

finished up all her hours. She is still going

to help us with our two big events this Fall

and help me continue to upgrade our tiny

website. I'm so grateful for her help and her

energy. And all her great ideas! She has truly

been such a great asset to us this year. On her

last day, she surprised me with my favorite

chocolates, along with two amazing gifts.

She was our true gift so I was humbled to be

thanked for her time with us. And she knew

that white chocolate from Purdy's is my favorite. 

#myhomeinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #11: Shelfie.

My "shelfie" in my office at hospice.

A collection of kids books and many

for teens and adults as well. Teddies,

candles, thank you cards and my

lunch dishes. On top, "writing hat"

that I sometimes wear if I work out

in the garden while writing and the

wind is breezy. I love having a spot

in my office to store and display things.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #10: Happy Place.

A tiny little sneak peek at our almost

finished Art Studio. This is where I'll

set up my sewing machine so I can

continue to learn how to quilt. My

new happy place to create and dream.

Spacious, airy and nice and big.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #9: Flowers.

Our Wedding Anniversary was on

Friday and my dh surprised met at

my office with this precious gift

on Thursday. We've been enjoying

this bouquet ever since. I do truly

wish it could last forever and ever.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #8: Living Room.

Our living room .... a favorite place

to read, reflect and chat. I'd love to

find a nice cozy area rug to soften

it up a bit more. Love this space.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #7: Table.

The prompt for "My House in August

#7" was table, so I chose to showcase

the tiny night table that sits beside the

bed in our guest bedroom. It holds a

sweet little lamp and a vintage metal

wall hanging that I've rested on the

edge with a small bouquet of fabric

hydrangeas in light green and soft

pinks. This room is done in a variety

of light shades of pinks and greens.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #6: Color Pop.

Beautiful flowers that were so pretty in

the garden when they were in full bloom.

Slowly fading now but I hope to see them

again in the Spring, after a short winter.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #5: Outside.

I had a hard time choosing a picture

for tonights' photo challenge. We have

so many outside shots. Living in the

country has given us an amazing back

drop for capturing nature right outside

our front door. But this picture I took

a few weeks ago shows a lovely and

quiet evening on the veranda. with

warm sun and a quiet landscape. I

hope you like it as much as I do too.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #4: Dining.

I love our dining room. It's not quite

a finished room yet but still a favorite.

I love the peaceful calm and quiet it

alludes too. Before dinners of course.

A place of great food and infectious

laughter, teasing and good fun.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #3: Rug.

We decided that as much as we love our

hardwood floors, we wanted a bit of a

cushy feeling under our feet at times.

Especially in the winter when it's cold.

We stumbled across as sale one day and

fell in love with this very soft and very

plush area rug. It's hard to tell from this

angle but it's very thick, even too thick

to run the vacuum over it. So we rake

it and give it a good shake. Love it.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

My House in August #2: Tiles.

One of the items that we had to choose

when we were building was tiles for

the kitchen. I found it excruciating as I

knew I wanted a vintage aged look.

Our builders' wife took me on a few

trips to their regular supplier and then

to another one they sometimes used.

It wasn't very successful at the time.

Then I went on my own one day and

ended up in the back of the warehouse

where they had a clearance section.

And that is where the perfect tile was.

Tile that had that tumbled look, with a

wide variance in color and tone but in

the same family. And tons and tons of

it so we could use it in many areas.

This is what we ended up with. Because

it was on clearance, we had a credit from

our builder that we used for upgrades with

other items. So happy with this choice and

how well it all came together in our new

home. No regrets at all with our tile choice.

#myhouseinaugust

#AugustPhotoChallenge

Garden Colors.

Our garden is a mix of natural foilage and some

planted perennials and annuals. It is truly an ever

changing and evolving landscape. We know it

will take us years before it's exactly what we

truly want it to look like. For now, it is what it

is and what it is is an eclectic mix of colors and

fragrance. We have greens, whites, purples and a

bit of blue. Pretty, fresh and so very, very alive.