The Old White Cottage

Girl, Interrupted

2010-07-29T14:41:00.000-04:00

Thunderstorms have interrupted my outdoor painting projects today but I did manage to finally hang my patio curtains before the thunder started only to discover this ...

Shrinkage! I suppose its always a good idea to read the washing instructions before you actually wash items. Oops! They didn't all shrink, but luckily, they also weren't expensive and they give me a reason to go back to Ikea.

Check out my white floor though ... I love how its turning out. I have quite a bit to do out there but good weather is coming so I'll be back in business tomorrow.

More Blue and Green

2010-07-28T15:58:00.002-04:00

I mentioned in my previous post that I was going to search for a valance with blue and green that would tie the kitchen chairs in with the rest of the blue and green on the first floor. How hard a task that has been! My usual nemesis, brown, was everywhere, and I even found a few blue valances, but blue and green was elusive. As luck would have it, I went to Sears to have portraits of my 4-year-old taken and decided to take a stroll through the curtains. Jackpot!

Mr. T's reaction was that it looks like we've finally moved in. (Please ignore the extra blue cushion on the chair. That provides an extra boost for the tiny 2-year-old in residence.)

I was having such a hard time finding valances that I considered making some of the same fabric I used for my dining room chairs, but then I remembered that that fabric wasn't inexpensive ... and that the last thing I need is another project. The fabric of the valances is nearly identical to what is on my dining room chairs.

The valances have some buttons that were nearly destined for removal, but they've gotten a reprieve for now. I'm back to working on the list of projects earlier listed. I don't think its possible for me to work on one thing at a time!

Bistro Table and a Preview

2010-07-25T06:15:00.057-04:00

So, I painted my bistro table Heirloom White. When I took pictures of my completed shed, I realized that you can hardly see it. Plus, the black paint was faded and chalky so it really needed a fresh coat anyway.

I think it looks better than before ...

I got a few recommendations to make it red and that would have looked great but I just wanted to keep it neutral so that it would work no matter where I moved it to and I wanted to accent the white in the plants particularly because this is a very shady spots and it can use the brightness.

I've been getting a lot accomplished lately and I'm taking advantage of the momentum.

Projects I'm working on include:

~ Painting the second floor hallway a pale blue/grey.

The yellow in my living room currently goes through our entry and up through the upstairs hall. While I love it in my living room, its never seemed right in the hall.

~ Finishing up my younger daughter's room.

My strategy to crib transition with my girls has always been to wait as long as possible to make the transition easier and everything at home was fine but when we were in Maine, my poor little girl didn't have much room in her portable crib. So, it was time. Luckily, she is in love with her new bed. I have one piece to paint and I'll be sharing her completed ... and ridiculously girly ... room.

~ Rearranging the Patio.

The patio project includes making a bench from the sides of my daughter's crib. Besides that, I have quite a bit to do here including a lot of painting.

It really seems like summer is flying by and I feel like I'm being pulled into autumn. I've been searching for patio items and despite the fact that its July, summer items are gone and back-to-school is already here. Fall is my favorite season, but this year I'm actually enjoying the hot days and wish I could tell mother nature to slow down so I can spend a few more days in the sun.

So that's what's to come. Have a great week!

Delicious Doilies

2010-07-24T13:40:00.001-04:00

Last week, I received the most generous gift from a reader ~ Judy from Texas. Upon receiving them, I immediately put them on my dining room table. I love them!

She said that years ago she was given 3 embroidered doilies as a gift from a neighbor. She was told that the neighbor's grandmother in India made them.

They're really perfect with the yellow of my living room, blue of the dining room and bits of green in the kitchen and dining room. I also realized how great purple accents might look in my dining room thanks to these doilies.

Before sending these, she told me not to get too excited because they were nothing special. Well, Judy, they're special to me and I love them. Thank you so much for the beautiful gift!

Kitchen Color

2010-07-23T12:15:00.003-04:00

Back in March, I painted my kitchen changing it from tan to cream. If you followed my project you might remember how I desperately wanted green but I simply could not find paint that worked with the wood tone of the cabinets and the tan backsplash. Here is the result ...

I love blue, but blue has taken over my life from what I choose for my home to what I wear. I seriously need therapy for blue OCD so I'm really trying to make an effort to choose other colors. I've always intended for the main accent colors in my house to be blue and green. When the green paint failed, I thought of changing the kitchen chairs to green and several of you agreed. So, here they are ...

I'm considering aging these a bit with stain, but I think I'm going to leave them for now. Its supposed to be at or near 100 degrees here today and tomorrow and stain will be impossible to work with and will never dry.

I'm also considering a valance for over the kitchen sink and over the sliding door that has blue, white and green in it. I think that would finally tie the entire first floor together.

Pretty Pies

2010-07-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

When I was in Maine, everything was blueberries and lobsters. I'm not a fan of lobster but I love blueberries. My husband had to have some blueberry pie so he ordered it one day and I took a bite. What a delicous miracle! I'd never had it before ... I know, I'm clearly sheltered ... but what a delicious surprise it was especially with Maine wild blueberries. So, I found frozen Maine wild blueberries and made a pie today. The recipe I followed said to make a lattice crust for the top.

(source)

Next thing I knew, I was looking at all these really pretty pies ...

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This is great ... but, seriously, I really don't have time for that.

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I absolutely love this one!

(source)

Patriotic pie!

(source)

Mine isn't nearly as beautiful ...

... but I really made this pie for my wonderful husband who has been so supportive and understanding lately and I'm quite sure he couldn't care less what it looks like. I haven't tried it yet, but remembering the bite I had in Maine, I think I may have some trouble resisting eating the entire thing!

Souvenirs

2010-07-20T14:43:00.004-04:00

When I travel, I don't buy souvenirs like t-shirts or plastic key chains readily available in most tourist traps. I try to find something a little different.

This switch plate, for example, was from our honeymoon in Puerto Rico ...

Its a little imperfect and doesn't hang straight but its in our kitchen and every so often, I'll look at it and remember walking on the blue cobblestone streets of Old San Juan and finding this in a little shop the same day we had a fantastic meal in a restaurant with an open air courtyard. What a beautiful place.

The botanical prints on my living room wall ...

Souvenir note cards from my trip to Monticello a few years ago when pre-kids we traveled in a roundabout way to West Virginia to whitewater raft a treacherous river.

My most recent acquisition is this little teapot set.

We stopped at a little store on our trip to Vermont and while the typical tourist kitsch was in abundance, there were several of these little tea pots there. I have always wanted one of these so I decided to buy one. There was a beautiful one that I loved which had delicate flowers on it, but I ended up choosing this one instead. Why?

Even though we were in Vermont, the state bird of Virginia (where we live) is the Cardinal. The more I looked at it, the more it grew on me. I thought of Virginia and how I've had such a life here. Virginia has given me a great career, the love of my life, a house I've grown to appreciate (even if it isn't my dream home) and both of my girls were born here. When people ask where I'm from, my first reaction is to answer New York which is where I grew up and will always be where my roots are but Virginia has a special place in my heart no matter where I end up. Such deep thoughts for someone on vacation ... but I thought of all this as I perused the tea pots in front of me and of how often I see those Cardinals in my yard.

Sold.

Interestingly enough when I got it home and unpacked it I realized that, like the switch plate, it's slightly imperfect and the teapot does not nest perfectly on the cup. Just like so many others out there, I try to find value in items that people would consider flawed. It adds character, right? It seems the little teapot was destined to be mine.

On to a smaller project ...

2010-07-19T07:32:00.002-04:00

Yesterday when I was looking down at my shed and taking pictures to post here, I realized that the little bistro table there is barely visible. Its shady here and between the lack of light and the faded black color of the pieces, they're hardly noticible. The tabletop is granite and has also weathered.

I think some Heirloom White on the base of the table and the chairs might brighten things up a little more. One project ends but there's always another one waiting to be completed. It really never ends, does it?

Shed Exterior Finished!

2010-07-18T14:17:00.006-04:00

I'm FINALLY done with my shed ... the exterior anyway. I thought we'd go back in time to revisit the history of the shed. Here is our yard in October 2003 when we were househunting. I suppose most people might run screaming from a yard like this, not to mention the house with all the updating it needed. Actually, despite the fact that the market was hot, everyone did pass up this house. It sat on the market for a year before we bought it. Everything else we saw was either more than we wanted to spend, small or worse than this. I remember one house that had a garden growing out of the gutters. See the yellow patio support? That was the color of our house. You might say the traffic stripe yellow is whimiscal but it looked ridiculous on a street of understated white houses.

Back to the shed.
In 2004, I used barn red stain on it. Below is what the shed looked like back in April before I began painting. Not only can you see the shed improvement but there are actually live plants here now, some grass and the years and years of unraked leaves are gone. The stain has worn over the past few years so a new paint job was in order.

Here's the inspiration picture I started with ...

And, the finished product ...

The windows don't open like in the inspiration picture, but that honestly isn't something that would have been useful for us. Mr. T did such a good job installing those windows. Even the old milk cans (that we use as a barrier to keep little ones out of there) got a paint job. The white never did anything for me.

Speaking of the windows, I forgot to take a "before" of them, but they were just beat-up, old wooden windows with white peeling paint on them. My parents acquired a bunch of them and shared a few with me. I had no idea what I was going to do with them when they gave them to me but here they are in their new life. Since the white didn't work, with my plans here, they got a coat of red paint.

The window boxes were black when I purchased them. They also got some red paint.

I decided not to plant the plants in the window boxes. I've done this in the past and the window boxes tend to wear a lot faster. I purchased a few plants and just placed them inside for now. I'm hoping to find shallow containers that I can plant in and use as liners.

These side windows actually aren't functioning at all. I used brown paint on the glass (black would have been better, but I had brown on hand and didn't want to buy more paint) and installed them directly on the shed. I would have loved to install more windows, but we would have lost much needed shelving space inside. Initially, I had purchased iron trellises. They were too big so I exchanged them, but I also realized that they just didn't "fit" with what I was going for here. We ended up getting some simple wooden ones (that were 1/3 of the price), cutting them to fit and spray painting them a shade close to the trim green.

The inside of the shed is on the "to-do" list, but that's probably going to be a job for next year.

I've linked up to Metamorphosis Monday on Between Naps on the Porch and Project Parade on the DIY Showoff and DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land .

Beautiful Visitor in the Garden

2010-07-15T13:08:00.001-04:00

This morning as I frantically searched everywhere for my shed paint samples (still needed to buy 1 color) I happened to walk past one of my plants in bloom on my way to search the shed and saw this beautiful butterfly having a snack.

I approached it very carefully so that I could take pictures and not scare it away, but it seemed pretty occupied with its meal. I have no idea what kind it is but it was so pretty ... black with a bit of blue and white.

I did finally find the paint samples and have all my paint. Two days and no rain in the forecast so I'm hoping to be done today or tomorrow. I'm currently blogging while I wait for my littlest one to fall asleep. I'm ready to wrap up this project!

New England Trip Recap

2010-07-12T22:35:00.002-04:00

I mentioned in my previous post that I'd just returned from a trip in New England so I thought I'd share where we've been. My parent own some land with a small rustic cabin in northern Vermont. We all just love it there because its so serene, tranquil, unspoiled and peaceful but since its a 10+ hour drive and we've got 2 small ones in tow we hadn't been there in 2 years. We decided to go for it a few weeks ago and stayed on the local ski mountain for the 4th of July weekend. We were rewarded with some spectacular fireworks. I forgot my camera as usual so I didn't take pictures for the first part of our trip until I just decided to buy one for traveling. Here's a shot of a small stream on the Vermont property. There's a lot more water here in the spring when the snow melts. I love all the moss and ferns here in the woods.

Next, we went to Maine. We wanted to see Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Below is a picture of one of the beaches in Acadia. The beauty of the landscape there just doesn't come through in pictures.

And after many failed attempts, one good family photo on that beautiful beach ...

This hike up rocky steps was so much fun but we didn't make it to the top. I got a little nervous going so high with my girls as the trail got steeper and narrower so we eventually turned back.

The following morning we took a cruise on a 4-masted scooner. It was 100 degrees at home in Virginia but we were all freezing on the ship. With the water being 50-something degrees, it was cold out there. Up go the sails!

Sails up! Knowing nothing whatsoever about sailing, I was surprised that they did this all by hand.

Now, a smart person would have taken a picture of the ship but I was too busy worrying about my girls drowning in the 50 degree water.

It was beautful out there though. I wouldn't mind having a house like this ...

Speaking of homes, back on land I took a few pictures of homes in Bar Harbor. Love this classic New England house.

Here's an ivy covered house. We also drove through the area where Martha Stewart has a home. Beautiful houses there too!

Huge house ... and a simple white picket fence.

My husband took a ride in a bi-plane and got to fly it!

With my incredible fear of heights and flying in particular, I kept my feet firmly on the ground. Just looking at pictures like this gives me vertigo.

On our last day, we spent a little more time in Acadia. I loved this beach where there was no sand but tons and tons of stones ranging in size.

Yet another beautiful view ...

Our hotel was on the edge of the ocean and when the tide was low, there were thousands and thousands of blue mussel shells on the beach. I took the photo below when the sun was bright so it washed out the color some but the shells were a gorgeous bright blue blanketing the ground. I collected a few of these and hope I have some success making another shell wreath out of them. A sort of DIY souvenier.

Our last stop was Salem, MA. Maine to Virginia was way too long of a drive so we chose this as a pit stop. Driving from ME to MA there were TONS of antique stores, but I think every time my husband saw one, he'd drive faster lest he have to stop and let me out to look!

Upon arriving in Salem, I found it to be a bit of a creepy place with some interesting people and places. Some of the shops were kitchy and fun but some that I went into, I just turned around and walked out of. Occult is not my thing. Walking around, we stopped at this old cemetary. Some notable Salem residents were buried here but none of the condemned "witches". Sadly, they were all buried in unmarked graves and not given proper burials.

The headstones from the 1600s had skulls on them ...

Now as creepy as this is, what I didn't realize was that a lot of the tours are even creepier. I thought that a trip to the Pirate Museum would be innocent enough but didn't know it would be pretty dark. I, myself, got a pretty good scare from someone posing as a mannequin in the dark. After that experience with my terrified little ones, I set out on my own while they napped on a fast forward tour of the town.

The Witch Dungeon - a reconstruction of the prison where the accused were held was even darker - so dark that my pictures aren't worth sharing. I did, however, manage to take a photo of a witch trial reenactment. The accuser is on the right and the accused is on the left.

I found my modern mind wondering how it was possible that anyone believed the accusers. Then, I saw this reenactment. The accuser was pretty convincing given the dramatic display. Combine that with their devout beliefs and fear of witches at the time and you understand how mass hysteria can occur. I will say that its very sad to see what happened here to innocent people.

Next, I went to the Witch House ... Not really a Witch House but everything in Salem seems to have "witch" attached to it. It's the 17th century home of one of the trial judges.

Next, I ran past the first church in Salem on my way to ...

The House of Seven Gables ...

I couldn't take photos inside but this was such a beautiful property and I couldn't help but fall in love with the seaside gardens ...

Regarding the interior, it was interesting how the oldest, original section of the house was very simple and unadorned and had low ceilings. Most people (myself included) usually think its because people were smaller then. The truth is that ceilings were low to preserve heat. The expanded sections of the house were much more elaborate with more expensive decor and higher ceilings. As the owner became more prosperous, they were less concerned with conserving heat.

The biggest claim to fame here is that Nathaniel Hawthorne (who wrote The Scarlet Letter) was a cousin of someone who inherited the home and he spent time here. He wrote a book called The House of Seven Gables that was influenced by this house. His birthplace (below) was moved to the property.

So, there you have it. 3 states in 10 days in a nutshell. I really needed to get away but after all this time away from home, I couldn't wait to come home. All the time by the sea also has me thinking about seaside decor. I think some stormy grey paint may be in my future.

New Apron from New England

2010-07-11T17:22:00.002-04:00

Greetings from the absent blogger! ;-)

We just returned from a trip to New England and I thought I'd share a little something I came across. When we were traveling around Vermont we passed through a town called St. Johnsbury and I was beyond excited to pass an apron store. I returned the next day (sans kids) and saw so many pretty ones. It was so hard to choose! Here's one I picked up ...

Its a magnolia print with a botanical print on the pockets and tie. I couldn't resist the matching tea cozy.

I've been wanting a tea cozy for a while but nothing jumped out at me. I really love things that match (who doesn't?) so not only did I get a cute apron, but I also got the tea cozy.

This actually was my second selection that I chose just as I was leaving. My first purchase was another that you'll have to tune back in for in the fall.

I'm off now to do more of this ...

(That's me at my incredibly fun show in June.)

Have a great week!

Edit - I forgot to add a link to where I purchased the aprons. Its called Vermont Apron Company and they have a store online but the brick and mortar store was so much more fun to visit and there was a lot more available there.

Bedroom Bargain!

2010-06-20T15:13:00.003-04:00

I went to visit my parents in Delaware and when I walked into the guest room, I was surprised by what I saw. First a few things about the room. I picked out the curtains (Ikea) and pale blue color on the walls. I loved the magnolia lamps at a local antique store so my mom went back and purchased them. The mirror over the bed was a thrift store find that I painted. The comforter is so old but its also so soft and warm for that reason. I like the blue and white pattern on it and it actually reminds me of coral.

So, what surprised me? The bed. The last time I was here a few weeks ago, there was a black platform bed in the room that I was never a fan of.

I loved the new bed but wondered what small fortune my mom spent on it. When mom got back from work, she gave me the shocking news ... $59! On a whim, my dad asked her if they could go to one of our favorite thrft stores in the area, and there it was. What a deal!

Life has been busy lately and its been ages since I've participated in a party, but I had to share this one so I'm participating in Today's Thrifty Treasure on Southern Hospitality.

Flower Tower

2010-06-09T16:15:00.002-04:00

In the spring, I posted an attempt at nesting pots to make a tower of annuals. This is what I started out with ...

... and here's how it looks now!

Its a little droopy because its raining here today. I'm pretty sure Mother Nature is conspiring against me in my quest to finish my shed.

London Calling

2010-05-27T13:36:00.001-04:00

At Christmas my brother and I decided to surprise our parents with a trip to London and Scotland since this October marks their 40th anniversary. They decided to take their trip in May and they just returned last week. They brought me some new threads for Grace!

The apron has the classic double-decker bus on the front ...

... Big Ben on one side ...

... and Parliament on the other side.

I was trying to think of something British that we celebrate here in the U.S. during which I could display this but can't think of anything so I'm just going to leave it on now.

My parents had such a great time and have so many photos of their travels. They very narrowly escaped London for a flight to Edinburgh after the infamous ash cloud grounded flights again. My favorite places they visited were the gardens in Kensington Palace and Loch Ness. My parents took a cruise of Loch Ness and their pictures really showed how beautiful it is there. My dad said that he never thought he'd see where Nessie lived in his lifetime. They had a great time and they deserved it. I'm pretty happy with my apron too!

Shameless Advertisement

2010-05-26T15:04:00.003-04:00

Where have I been lately? What have I been doing? Well, the absence of posts has been due in part to the amount of preparation I've been involved with for my upcoming belly dance performance. I know this is not the least bit cottage-related and I really like to stay on-topic, but I've worked hard on this so I'm making an exception and spreading the word.

Who: ME! And 80 other dancers.

What: More than 80 beautiful dancers presenting Classical, Modern, Fusion and American Tribal Style Belly Dance. Featuring Saffron Student Dance Companies and Faculty Solos

Where: Gonda Theatre – Georgetown University

             37th and O Steets, NW
             108 Davis Performing Arts Center
             Washington, DC 20057

When:   June 5, 2010 - Shows at 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM

Tickets: $25- In Advance, $35- At Door

Isn't the photo above beautiful? The theater is really beautiful and this is a PBS quality performance - not your granddaughter's 4 hour recital. Oh, how my parents hated those when I was a kid.

Tickets are available here.

Advertisement over ... Hopefully, after the show I can get back to my home projects.

A Gardener's Cottage

2010-05-20T17:47:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite stops when we were in Asheville was a litte shop called A Gardener's Cottage. Its located just outside the Biltmore entrance and when we arrived in Asheville, it was closed but I just had to make time to stop in. The inside was just so perfect I wished I could live there.

I picked up the little crown below and I fell in love with a birdfeeder that was there. It was a little bird on the edge of a shell-shaped bowl. I didn't get it because I think the squirrels would have a field day with it, but I wish I had because I'd love to have it even if it was empty.

The angel water gauge above came from A Gardener's Place which was a shop on the Biltmore grounds. I could have gone backrupt in that store. I loved this acorn birdhouse but I already have several birdhouses.

There were birdcages galore ...

I can't believe I didn't buy one of these crown jars. Temporary insanity I guess ...

I've never been a fan of gazing balls but there were so many beautiful ones here. I really love the green one on the lower left side.

There were quite a few of these miniature conservatories too.

That was pretty much it for shopping. Like the rest of my trip, I wish I had more time. I got one more thing but didn't get a chance to take a picture yet.

I've been pretty busy lately between settling back in from our trip, my daughter finishing up school and a belly dance show coming up that I've been preparing for for weeks. At some point I'm hoping to get back to my partially finished shed.

Biltmore Gardens

2010-05-17T06:30:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I shared my experience at the Biltmore house and here's what I saw of the gardens ...

I already posted this beautiful covered walkway and it looks like its in the walled garden, but I can't remember for sure. It was a nice shady escape from the hot sun.

I chose a path and as I walked along saw this hillside covered in flowers ...

... a bunch of hostas beneath a tree ...

... this flower (dianthus?) was everywhere and I loved the flowers that are behind it ...

... took these steps down ...

... and entered another garden. As you can see in the foreground, all the tulips were long gone. I'm sure they were impressive when they were blooming.

There were quite a few workers tending to the gardens here.

I loved this single iris with creeping jenny below it.

Lots more irises!

A view into the rose gardens.

I couldn't help but notice this lone little guy stuck in the rock wall of such a massive garden.

I liked the single strip of grass bordering here. I loved all the roses and took tons of pictures of my favorites to see how easy each one is to grow in my own garden. Sadly, the white roses below were not labeled.

Salvia, sage and an allium next to a bench in front of the Conservaory.

Speaking of the Conservatory ...

This was just inside ...

Wine anyone?

There were several places to sit like this ...

This was one of my favorite things in the gardens. I loved the blue and purple of the hydranges with the silver of the dusty miller. I have a lot of blues and purples on my front walk this year and I think I'm going to try dusty miller with it after seeing this.

Unfortunately, just like the house, my visit ended here. My kids had had enough and needed naps. Even though I hadn't seen the bass pond or azalea gardens, it was time for me to go. To be perfectly honest, as beautiful as the gardens were, I found them a little sparse. I wonder if they are fuller at other times of the year or if they fill them in as the season progresses. I have been to more local gardens that have more of a "wow" factor but it was still beautiful nonetheless. I mean, I can't resist a beautiful garden.

Some of you mentioned getting postcards, books or searching online ... I did find a few public images and I thought about purchasing a book but often what is illustrated are photos of the entire rooms where so much of the detail is lost. For example, how often have you seen pictures of the Biltmore at a distance? Now consider how many times you've seen pictures like those I posted of the lanterns, window details, the knight on the house. I would have loved to take photos of the flowers and figures on the fireplace surrounds, the antiques on the desks, etc. The big cavernous rooms are less impressive to me than the little things.

I did manage to do a little shopping which I'll share in my next post.

My Day at Biltmore ...

2010-05-16T09:15:00.002-04:00

After our long drive the previous day, we set out early for the Biltmore on Thursday morning. I need to preface this by saying that our visit was on fast-forward. I only saw a fraction of what was to be seen on the estate just due to the limited amount of time we had here and the fact that were traveling with a 2-year-old and 4-year-old that couldn't care less about history and beauty.

So, there is a big impressive gate as you enter the estate and beautiful shade gardens through the woods. After a pit stop to get tickets, there's a 3 mile drive up to the parking for the house. The estate is a lot bigger than I realized. The drives from location to location on the estate are miles apart ... and the estate is far smaller at 8,000 acres than it was at some 100-something acres it originally was. Amazing to consider.

We decided to walk through a wooded path rather than take the shuttle to the house. As we approached, there are some fountains just opposite the house.

Looking the opposite direction, you see ...

At this point, we decided to split up. My husband (who had already been inside the house before) took our girls so I could go into the house. I walked up to the house and took some pictures of the beautiful details ...

Now here's a disappointing little fact ... No pictures are allowed inside the house. It is also very dark in certain areas of the house with curtains drawn and many of the windows are quite small. I imagine there is no photography and its kept dark for preservation purposes but since I did a fast-forward self-guided tour, I can't say for sure. I have to admit that its disappointing to spend so much to be left with only memories.

There are audio headsets that are free with admission but with this, the tour was expected to last 2 hours. I knew that with our girls, I had to move a lot faster than that before they get really bored and decide to let everyone know it - loudly. I was in and out of the house in 45 minutes.

I headed around the side of the house ....

You can see the amazing view in the distance. From inside the house, the views of the mountains are spectacular.

One of the small windows I mentioned.

Next, I headed to the gardens.

I found a little friend on my way. I know snails are considered pests but we only have shell-less slugs where I live.

More photos to come ...

P.S. Thank you all for the anniversary wishes!

Happy Anniversary

2010-05-15T18:48:00.001-04:00

Most people spend their anniversary doing something romantic ... maybe a nice dinner or a special night out ... but I suppose we aren't most people. We spent the day on an 8 hour ride back home from our Biltmore trip.

Some wives might also be upset with their husbands for forgetting their anniversary ... but not this wife. I ended up getting a scribbled wish in crayon on a kids menu from my husband this morning and it actually made me laugh. I've learned that having a good husband all year is far more important than a gift on one day.

So, happy anniversary to us ... and while we had a great time, there's really no place like home. I'll share more about my trip this week.

My Mother's Day Tea

2010-05-10T07:35:00.006-04:00

On Saturday, my mom and I had tea together to celebrate Mother's Day at a place we love called The Victorian Lady.

This is the entrance just as you walk in ... Its a very old Victorian house and the upstars isn't open to the public, but I always wished I could go up there because I'm so curious about that light-filled room. It looks like its full of windows.

I snuck into the main dining room before they were serving to take pictures. The hardwood floors are covered with carpets (presumably to protect them) but from what little you can see of them, they have a really beautiful pattern bordering the room. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one that notices things like that. Anyway, we got to sit in front of the fireplace.

This is a sideboard on the far side of the room that has a collection of mismatched teapots and tea cups. Its much more impressive in person.

All the place settings are different. This was mine ...

... and this one was my Mom's.

A row of teapots on the mantle ...

My mom admires this set every time we are here and if you saw her dining room, you'd understand why.

There are little tea lights in those holders beneath the teapot that keep the tea hot. We had strawberry tea and chocolate tea.

No sugar packets here. Little sugar cubes, of course.

We weren't too sure about cold strawberry soup, but it was delicious! First course is always a soup.

Second course is always a scone. This one was white chocolate and apricot (my favorite!) and a slice of orange.

Next is the tower of finger sandwiches and desserts.

I loved the little petit four hat and the white chocolate teacup. There was a green hat and a tea pot as well.

We went to a few of my favorite shops as well but I didn't have any luck so I don't have anything to share. I was a little disappointed but the season is just starting so I'm optimistic that I'll have better luck this summer. I had a great day with my girls on Sunday. I hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day!

There is a Victorian Tea Party at The House in the Roses today. I posted my favorite tea cup there. There is a whole collection there on display today. I spent a good amount of time this morning "oohing" and "ahhing" instead of working. I'm also participating at the Tea Cup Party on Martha's Favorites. Take a look!

EDIT: I've gotten a few requests for the location of this tea room. I linked to it in the first line of the post but you can also click here if you'd like more information.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T08:09:00.002-04:00

Life began with waking up and loving my mother's face.

- George Eliot

To everyone out there blessed with a miracle ...

Happy Mother's Day

Tea in the Garden

2010-05-05T14:23:00.003-04:00

I wasn't sure I'd have the time to do this but my little ones are sick and napping today so I had a few minutes to have some tea in my garden. No hot tea here since its so beautiful and so warm. This tea is iced. Who says a beautiful teacup has to be for hot tea?

It only took a few minutes and it was so nice to be in the dappled shade. This teacup is my favorite and was a thrifty aquisition as were the vase, pitcher and even the tray before its reincarnation. The larger roses that are more apricot are Abraham Darby and the smaller pink roses are Geoff Hamilton. Both are David Austin English Roses from my garden.

I really did sit here and look around at my garden thinking and planning on what to do next. I can't help myself.

Just to show you where some of the roses came from, my Abraham Darby is in the background and a peony in the foreground ...

Oh, and speaking of tea, I'm going to see my mother in Delaware this weekend for Mother's Day and we're going to a Victorian tea for the third time together. The past 2 times I've forgotten my camera and I am determined to remember this time so I hope to have some pictures of that to share.

Cielo at The House in the Roses is having a Tea Party!

I've also linked to Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps on the Porch.

Road Trip!

2010-05-04T08:04:00.003-04:00

Next week, we're packing up and going to visit the Biltmore Estate and I cannot wait!

I've been dying to go to the spring Festival of Flowers for a couple of years now but its never materialized. We started talking about it again a few months ago and kept deciding against it after considering how disasterous past trips with our two little monsters have been. The idea of a 8+ hour car ride with them didn't exactly seem appealing but we finally just decided to go for it. We're hoping to also take a drive through the Great Smoky Mountains for a day at Dollywood in Tennessee. We've booked another trip tentatively for Vermont, Maine and Salem, Mass for July so this trip is going to be a trial run. I'm sure I'll have photos to share when I get back. Look out fellow touists, here we come!

Roses in Mind

2010-05-03T09:21:00.003-04:00

I need another plant like I need a hole in my head but my roses are just starting to put out a bloom or two and are covered in buds. I get so excited with anticipation this time of year and I have this plant addiction. It doesn't help when I see images like this ...

Or this ...

(Images: David Austin Roses)

The images are of the David Austin gardens in the UK that I would give a limb to go visit.

A couple of roses I have in mind ... Double Delight

Pope John Paul II ...

(Images: Flickr)

I made lots of progress on my shed over the weekend. Its pouring rain here today but when the sun comes out again, I hope to continue. I can't wait to share it when its done.
Happy Monday!