Vacationland.

 What a whirlwind summer! Here we are treading into August, and Autumn is just around the corner. While we still have a firm grasp on the Summer, I wanted to share some photos of our last weekend adventure to Vacationland, though some of you probably recognize it better as Maine. ;)

Maine, especially coastal Maine, is a wonderful place filled with wonderful people. Though summertime is definitely the peak season to run into outtah statahs, you will still find the coastal Mainers present, and as rough and friendly as ever. The Sunday we found ourselves in midcoast Maine, it was a cool, balmy day (we had to wear jackets in July!), but the low-lying clouds, the occasional rain,  and fog could not keep us at bay. We didn't have time for a weekend excursion, so we loaded up the SUV early in the morning (including the dogs!), and headed East. Luckily for us, all other traffic was headed South to return home, which allowed for a smooth, leisurely drive. 

This guy hung out while we ate our picnic lunch, and since he was so kind and kept a safe distance, we shared some fresh farm tomatoes with him. 

Finnegan loves Maine too, and wanted to pose for a photo. 

If you've never been to coastal Maine, or to New England, really, there truly is no place quite like it. The people are friendly, the food is wonderful, and the views, well, that goes without saying.

xoxo 

Tim

Happy Summer!

When you live in the country, surprise visitors are always an option, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy Summer, friends!

xoxo

Tim

Spring has sprung!

As promised, a new post! I am so excited to share that our mud season was short lived, and Spring is in the air! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and the trees have more blossoms than you could imagine. Even as I type this, we are in the fifties on this chilly Spring morning, waiting patiently for our high of sixty-seven degrees. So lovely! 

And though Springtime severely affects my allergies, the beauty of Mother Nature coming back to life after a long winter makes it all worthwhile.

Some fresh lilacs. 

I wish you could smell them! 

We have a few different colors growing on the property, so I cut blooms from two different bushes. 

 Pink blossoms on a tree on our brick patio.

A shot of the blossoming apple tree through our antique windows with original wavy glass.

And while I have the camera out, why not share a few more shots? :)

Finnegan. 

 Amy.

A baby grand piano finally came to live with us!

Wishing you all a lovely Spring day!

xoxo

Tim

Happenings around here...

Well, I do say some time has passed since my last post! Rather than recap the last few months (those will come in upcoming posts!), I thought I'd show you what happened around here this past weekend. We didn't stay at home, working on Spring cleaning as we should have, but instead loaded the dogs and ourselves into the car, and took off for beautiful, Newport, Rhode Island.

 I know, Monsieur Rochambeau, we're heading into town!

We chose this past weekend because Summer is just around the corner, and as you can imagine, when Newport is at its busiest. But there is something to be said about enjoying a gorgeous, Spring day in such a wonderful place, filled to the brim with the most stunning 18th and 19th century architecture.

Trinity Church, built in 1726.

And what would a stop in Newport be without a peek at the ocean?

I hope you enjoyed your little getaway as much as I did! And don't worry, I'll be back soon! (Hey, I'm serious this time! ;)

xoxo

Tim

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, dear friends! Is anyone out there? Please forgive me for my continued absence here, and believe me when I say that I have tried to write, but this has been the worst case of writer's block that I have ever seen. So here I am to attempt to write again.

As I write, the winds are howling and we have "battened down the hatches" to prepare for this Blizzard sweeping the East Coast. But my goodness, does New England know how to do Winter? In case you didn't know, the answer is YES! I simply adore the Winters (well, all seasons, truly), and take great enjoyment of sitting by the fire, covered in a wool blanket, and listening and watching the storm unfold. My Winter days are filled with roaring fires, blankets, cozy sweaters, warm socks, cuddly animals, a book or two, and comfort food!

Allow me to catch you up a bit on what you've missed. I won't go back in time to my last post (we need to save some for later), so I'll go back to Christmastime, and work my way forward to today.

We decked the halls around our home...

Wreath details.

The front door dressed for the holidays.

Back door.

But let's stop by the town gazebo before going inside.

Isn't it lovely?

It's awfully cold...shall we warm up by the fire?

There's nothing like a cozy fire on a cold winter's day.

I know it's the New Year, but let's have one last glimpse of Christmas.

A small tree, perfectly cozy in the kitchen.

Our fresh cut tree from our neighbor's farm.

This tree displays some of my favorite red and white ornaments.

Details.

Gifts to spread some Christmas cheer.

There's always room for garland, right? But please ignore the angle, the garland looked much better than my photography skills.

It wouldn't be cozy without Finnegan and Amy.

Stopped by our town beach at the lake, just before it froze.

Chilly, but beautiful!

Took a day trip to Maine. Cold, but stunning!

Which brings us to today. Weathering the storm, staying cozy, and looking forward to settling in for a long winter's nap.

xoxo

Tim