Tresor Trouve

Vintage Lace and Jeanne d'Arc giveaway

Washed the waterside room windows and curtains, then took a seat on the deck to watch them dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dancing in the gentle breeze

The latest issue of Jeanne d'Arc Magazine in enroute, so leave me a comment for a chance to win it!  Winner will be picked on the day FedEx delivers.

beach flowers and shells

Beach Morning Glories?  Brought my camera on a stroll along the shore this fine morning and came across these beauties.  Perhaps they are 'Beach Petunias'.  I've seen plenty of Beach Roses, but never these growing among the wild grasses.

 

Mother Nature knows a thing or two about colors, along with Maria from Colour Me Happy.  She's super interesting, and working with colors makes her happy!  I've spent hours perusing her blog and picking up some pointers lately.  Pay her a visit, you'll know what I mean.

 I wanted to sneak in some extra time with Bethany who is visiting from England, so we went to a local street faire this weekend.  As we wandered and passed booth after booth of jewelry, we finally came across one that stopped me in my flip flops!  Shells!  I 'found' this gorgeous giant clam shell.  A real treasure, and to find one with both sides!  I would have begged and borrowed to acquire this one, but it was my birthday weekend and I was with Mom and my daughter, so no need for all that drama! 

 

Now I've been a beachcomber since way back and never thought I would actually ever 'purchase' a shell, but every now and again a fabulous one comes along that I cannot pass on.  I love the shape, colors and textures of the large clam shell and really cool smooth river balls.  Vintage, from the Cape Fear River.  In the 1800's these marble balls were used for filtration to keep the mud and silt back.  They are worn to the perfect patina to blend with the decor at the beach cottage.  I saw them at an antique store months ago in the Carolinas and finally called to see if they still had them. 

Another Tridacna Gigas Clam shell that I acquired years ago, this time for a song at a Florida flea market, is the bigger one. Wasn't about to chance this one in baggage claim so I lugged it on the plane with me!

I hear the big shell convention will be in Boston next year.  You'll be sure to see me there!

Beachy Cottage Blues

 

Got the summertime beach cottage blues?  I certainly do since the entire month of June has been rainy here in the northeast.   It doesn't even feel like summer yet!

 Check out Jane Coslick's refurbished beachy 'shacks' on Tybee Island, Georgia for some inspiration.

 

 

 

 

 Love the sink, lighting and pantry door! How can you go wrong with this color pallette and vintage touches everywhere?  She has my ideal dream job of refurbishing beach cottages.

 

  

While you're at it, surf over to Coastal Living to see your seaside style.  I think this pic from Coastal Living has just the right mix of fun and nautical.  Wouldn't it make a great teenager's bedroom or guest room?  

 

And, for more inspiration.... drum roll please....

'Waterside Cottages' is due any day now, and you can find me in there!  'Harbor View Haven   Fairhaven, Massachusetts'

Pick up a copy and a piece of mushroom coral as a cure for your 'summertime beach cottage blues'.  Happy Summering!

Garden of Eden

Dewy Eden rose... 

 the first bloom...

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

isn't she lovely?

            

I just had to show her off...

                                                                                 

on my new set of old ironstone plates...

                                                                                

that I found for two dollars!                             

'Swan Shanty'

Any cottage with a water view is a fine cottage for me.  However, now and then you'll find one that lacks purpose and forlornly awaits... a makeover!   I dubbed this one 'Swan Shanty' since there were five swans leisurely swimming in the marshy cove the day of the makeover.  We used the homeowners furnishings and brought in a few lighting fixtures since there wasn't much lighting at all.

Waterside room, before.

 

  Front and dining area. Before the transformation, there were lots of chairs and tables but nowhere comfy to sit.

 

 Julie is a 'fabricoholic' and makes slipcovers so she left a pile of fabric for us to place here and there to give her some ideas.  She also left us with the key and her blessing!

 

Since we were on a tight budget and Julie really wanted to enjoy her second home by the water for the summer, we decided to hold off refinishing the hardwood floor in the one remaining room and paint trim till the fall. 

 

Remember the bookcase that was in the dining area?   We moved it to the waterside room and rearranged and placed all of their whaling artifacts in one area making a nice display.  Lots of interesting books on the history of whaling, early 19th century, when New Bedford was the richest whaling port in the world!

 The main thing lacking at the shanty was lighting so we brought in a few fixtures, but the post lamp in the corner was not one of them.  It works in this cozy corner in an eclectic sort of way though, don't you think?  The sort of thing that makes an old fashioned beach house charming.

 

We took all window treatments down, discarded the mini-blinds and started from scratch.  Rummaging around, we lucked out by finding three matchstick blinds in a closet. The curtains were washed and rehung in the waterside room.  Look at this beautiful cane back sofa, and I love the old wicker chest.  Julie has a booth at a local antique mall so cool things are coming and going on a regular base.

 When we first met with Julie, she had the orange life ring on the wall so we gathered she must have liked it.  We had a 'bright' idea for it, but when we returned, it was gone!  We sleuth-ed around and found it.

 

See the two wicker hampers in the kitchen?  They are now used as recycling bins!  Perfect.

 

 

The chairs were wrapped with fabric for color and the big desk moved to the corner.  Lots of comfy lounging areas now.

 

 

Waterside room; after 

 

 

Looking into pantry/kitchen area, we hung an oar, wrapped it with shell garland and wired a paper lantern over an exposed lightbulb.  Much better!

 

While Julie is at her work station, guests can help themselves to a cocktail!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galley kitchen with a view!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adorable bathroom with a view!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and did I tell you that I just happended to have the chandelier in my car?  No, really!   It was just meant to be Julie.

 

 

tweaking for photo shoot

 

We went back to tweak for a photo shoot.  Created cozy seating by changing the pillows, adding a chair with throw, a vintage plant stand with hydrangeas & grasses and glass bowl with flowers and floating candles.  Alive and inviting.

 

Wrapped containers with burlap.  Love this 'seaside' plaque found at Homegoods.  The stripes are horizontal and the colors are perfect.

 

Love this coastal lamp.

 

Much better...

Remember what it looked like?

Coastal Styling

Just a few pics to show you the latest makeover/staging project. 

 This little beach house couldn't breathe in the delicious salt air or hear the ocean waves until we brought it back to life, one step at a time! 

One can actually see the sky and the glistening ocean clearly now!  Ralph Lauren's 'beach water' blue in the living room and waterside room has clearly become my new favorite blue for capturing the coastal feeling!

 

We repaired and replaced doors and doorknobs, caulked every crack, hole and groove that glared at us, replaced kitchen cabinets,  the bathroom floor, many light fixtures and painted & painted some more!  But it wasn't until the hardwood floors were refinished that we finally came up for a breath of fresh air...and began to think about staging this waterfront gem to sell.

   

 Have you ever painted knotty pine walls? (advice from the wise) DON'T!  Hire someone else to do it!  I've done it once and refused to do it again. 

 Lucky for us, we have a painter who is a general contractor as well and kept him busy for two solid weeks while we happily painted away and left the two knotty pine rooms for him.

Closet pics before/aft.

As for the bathroom, the door opened in to the tiny space and a brilliant suggestion led to the new door being switched to open out!  A friend recently had her bathroom door changed to swing in the opposite way and it now leads toward the beautifully built-in cabinets and fluffy white towels perched on a lovely chair.  In both situations the light switch was inconveniently placed behind the opened door!      

  It has been the most important change made in the tiny beach house!

 

 

Kitchen:  Tight space, tight budget but much improved!

     Found the cute soda fountain chairs for five dollars each, already painted!

No need to show you a 'before' of this knotty pine bedroom, now the perfect little beachy guest room!

 

Bright white trim, slipcovers and gauzy curtains are a sure thing when decorating coastal style!  And don't forget the fresh flowers!

 

 

 

Glossies

Hi Girls and Guys!   Just a quick post to let you know that 'Waterside Cottages' is now at the printers!  Check out Barbara's Book Blog for an update.  All the photos were taken the summer of 07' so we're all sitting on the edge of our seats in anticipation! The picture on the top of the proof pile is my back deck.  Now I'm really getting excited!  It will be out in August with plenty of signed copies available on my website.  Barbara said she'll come down for a book signing and I'm entertaining the idea of having it here at the beach cottage!  What do you think?

Also, I have a few copies left of the stunning Danish magazine Jeanned d' Arc Living!  It's actually more like a book in size and quality with 150 pages of simply beautiful pictures and only two pages of ads at the back!  Even the ads are fab!  The text is Danish, but heck who cares?  I promise, you will not be disappointed and I'll send it to you with no added shipping fees.

 

Fabulous Purple!

Could purple really be the new neutral?  I sure hope so!

The recent issues of House Beautiful magazine have had a wonderful section on paint colors and the website is fun and informative.  You can even design your own palette with paintbrush.    Here are a few pics from the website.

Are those matchstick blinds with the fab drapes?  very cool.

  

I love the long flowing drapes in all of these photos and the simply framed vintage photo hung low is very chic!  I've always been a big fan of pics hung at eye level and planning a soiree in this setting would surely inspire creativity.  

  

How about these colors for us Brunettes? 

 

 I could live with these gorgeous striped drapes!

oh, and please replace that mirror with this spectacular one!

 

I just did some spring cleaning in the bedroom and I'm ready for a wall color change.  It's a rather deep, dull salmon color presently, perfect for those early sunrise mornings. There are two windows, two doors and French doors opening out to the deck, so there really isn't too much wall space and a dreamy, dull French lavender could really work!  Drama with a capital D.  Besides, purple is such a sexy color and this is the one room that I envelope myself in color.                                                                                                                               

 Benjamin Moore has a lovely purple called 'bonne nuit'. 'Good Night'.  hmmm...  Perfect background for the white trim, furniture and dreamy romantic linens!  I can see it in candlelight already.  Have you ever picked out a color just because of the name?  I have. 

If you have a penchant for purple and a favorite shade to share, let's talk!

Is it eggplant, thistle, fainting violet, amethyst, bringal, aubergine, orchid, plum, wisteria or chambourde??

xo Roberta

dining room makeover

As promised, transitional pics of the dining room, pared down to essential whites and gray.  Subtle and soothing. 

Having the buffet has really been a godsend for storage and of course another surface to decorate is always nice.                                      

   

I keep telling myself it's okay to have some blank spaces...endless chatter...it's always a work in progress.

 

I'm able to focus now...

 

The finished product.

 

I love walking in to my new clean, crisp dining room.  The vintage linen tablecloth made the world of difference!  The only thing left to do is swag the chandelier over the center of the table.

 

Look at the color of these pretty petalware plates.   Looks like spring is just around the corner!

 

Click on 'before' dining room pics from magazine features from three/four years ago.

  

Hope you've enjoyed the show! 

xo Roberta

 

Stay tuned...living room pics to follow.

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  

 

now for something new...

It's pretty exciting to discover a new spin on a decorating style that causes a real mind shift.  A while back Carol Spinski from Raised In Cotton introduced us all to three talented Scandinavian girls, their blogs and stunning decor. I'm hooked!  I've always been a 'less is more' kinda gal so it feels like I'm heading down a familiar path and I like it. I already had the foundation. Just a little tweaking was in order for a fresh new look that doesn't clash with my beachy roots. 

It all began one dark and stormy night a few months ago as Carol and I headed home, happily exhausted from shopping all day when she spotted a dresser on the side of the road.  It had pretty legs, fab swirly handles and she painted it for lucky me. 

   

It provided much needed storage and served as a buffet in the dining room for a while until I found this beauty.                                                                          

  

   How could I pass it up with the shell appliques?  

Bigger, prettier and already primed, all it needed was a little distressing and glass knobs.  My plan was to replace the other with this one, but she convinced me (somehow) that I could use both!  "What?  In my tiny beach cottage?"  She had been whispering in my ear for months to do away with all the small tables and get a couple of substantial pieces.  I finally acquiesced.  So, the bigger one has settled in the dining room and the smaller happily holding the television which I'm learning to embrace. 

 These two dressers in addition to a coffee table and sisal rug from Ikea have changed the entire look of my cottage!

The last frontier was to paint this dark china cabinet that was used to store games and galoshes as a child.  I've thought long and hard about painting her and when the decision was made I couldn't get it done fast enough!  The entire house appears brighter and happier now.

  

 

 

Stay tuned for Part II where you'll find the finished rooms.

moving mirrors at midnight

   

I'm sure you've done it too.  It's late, not tired, and something just isn't right.  Is it the rug or the new mercury lamp?  It was the oak blanket chest next to the big comfy chair that needed to be lightened up... I've had a tough time painting this one because the X man had it made for me and the handiwork is so beautiful.  Besides, it will surely become a family heirloom. I think that a whitewash would do the trick.  I'll be happy and it's beauty will still shine through.

 

Four beautiful vintage white pieces layered made a perfectly inspiring foundation.  With twelve mirrors hanging in my little beach cottage, I borrowed one to reflect the simple vignette featuring a single white rose.  Fresh flowers invite creativity, don't you agree?

 

Went to bed, rested well and awoke very pleased with the outcome. 

(if you would like to leave a comment and it does not appear, click on 'main' at the top of the page.  It will appear at the bottom of the post.)

 

gleaned inspiration...

 

Are you a subscriber to Rachel Ashwell's tips and blog?  I've gleaned some inspiration from her last few posts and had fun using strips of pretty fabric for my ribbon this year.  I washed and dried some pink toile and simply tore strips at varying widths to make the ribbon.  It was therapy, like bursting bubbles on bubble wrap but with a pretty outcome!  Also used lacy kraft paper from a local dollar store to create simple, romantically wrapped presents.

 Of course not everyone on my Christmas list would appreciate such simple beauty so I had lots of ribbon left to create placemats.  I had plain linen placemats on hand so I washed and dried them on a high setting, ironed them and  set up the Bernina and sewed the frayed strips right on to the placemat, British style.  I love quick, easy projects with fab results! 

 

Did you catch a glimpse of the handmade reproduction French children's stocking from my friend Carol?  She incorporated vintage fabric, a postcard and bell on it and filled it with yummy holiday cookies!  A treasure!

 

As a present to myself this season, I found a lovely vintage set of 'R' monogrammed silverware at a very fair price of $18.00!

 

I was fickle with my decorating this year and changed everything many times over but this is where the buffet is now.  I've added new glass knobs to it and love them.  Look at the original shell applique. This piece has nine drawers which I sorely needed in the cottage dining area for linens, candles and decorating sundries.

 

Think I'll head over to the Macy's after Christmas sale and pick up Martha Stewart's beautiful whiteware dinner plates to compliment my fancy vintage silverware and change up the buffet once again!

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

 

Raphael:  The Madonna of the Pinks

Luke 2:11

"Today in the town of David

a Savior has been born to you:

he is Christ the Lord."

 

Luke 1:14

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth

 

John 3:16

For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him

should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

 

May you have joy and gladness celebrating the Birth of Jesus. 

 Merry Christmas!

xo Roberta

 

 

 

 

 

English Holiday

Wonderful family news!  Bethany and Mark popped in the other night with a bottle of bubbly and an announcement.  They'll be living in London for a year and a half and as soon as the words were out, visions of an English 'holiday' were swirling around in my mind.  If you haven't seen the heartwarming movie 'The Holiday' yet, plan to see it this weekend!  This is 'Iris' cottage' built for the movie!

As soon as I land on British soil, my car will be bounding in the direction of the 'Cotswolds'.  I shall be happy to roam the English countryside seeking out storybook thatched roof cottages with luscious gardens and to stay at a quaint B&B.  It is said that 'rambling' is England's second most popular hobby with over 100,000 miles of footpaths etc. (more to follow on the first!)

       

I suppose I'll see my fair share of these sweet faced creatures....the Cotswold breed.

 

And participate in a 'pub crawl' where it is customary to walk from pub to pub meeting new friends and enjoying a local brew or two.  I won't make it very far for sure!  This pub is in the breathtaking Cumbria Lake District where Mark's family reside.

 Funny thing is, last week I picked up the latest Cottages & Bungalows and there is a wonderfully extensive article (12 pages) 'taking readers on a tour of England's famed countryside'.  Delightful pictures and very informative feature.  What timing! 

AND, if that were not enough, Bethany suggested a short skip over to FRANCE!   I can hardly contain myself now and I don't think that has quite set in yet. 

One of my very favorite blogs is Shawn's Country French Antiques.  She takes us on a virtual journey to France with her fabulous pictures and prose and has inspired a yearning in me to visit this beautiful country. 

I have much to look forward to and am willing to sacrifice a few lattes here for some overseas!

 

 

 

 

Regal Holy Day Decor!

        The displays at the show were unbelievable and  I fell head over heals in the Eric Cortina showroom.  His crowns and hearts were the best!   

 

  Small, medium & large crowns dress up my favorite statues and make great candle holder and napkin rings as well. Find this Regal Holy Day Decor in the Holiday Sparkleboutique!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

European inspired metal Ex-Voto Heart with or without rhinestones. PGR translated means, 'For Grace Received' as these hearts were given in thanks for a vow completed, as in wedding or new baby.  8" tall 6" wide.

                                                                              WOW!

Dawning of a Brand New Day

 

 

The original weathered 'Sunrise Court' street sign presented by a neighbor when I coveted his! 

"I know where there's another..." he slyly reported.  I didn't question and had nearly given up hope of ever having my very own when he delivered on his promise.  

  

Each new dawn is spectacular but it is the'twilight' hour that leads up to the big show that  is mesmerizing.

Make a date to sneak out of the house early one morning and see for yourself. 

A thoughtful gift from Jane on my last day at the boutique.  The colors of Sunrise!

Thank you Jane~

 

 

Time to say Goodbye

 

It's time to say goodbye to a dear friend who has greatly enriched my life.  She is the essence of the physical brick'n'mortar 'Enchanted Treasures'.  The place I looked forward going to daily for eight years.  Even on days 'off' if there is such a thing to a shop owner.  So you ask, "What will you miss most about her?"  The special women who walked through her door and stopped in awe of her striking beauty.  The shimmering crystals of romantic chandeliers, the ornately framed mirrors, enchanting French Limoges china adorned with roses, roses and more roses and her beautiful foundations of dreamy linens; doilies, crocheted table coverings, lacy bedding, hankies and pretty pillows.  Let's not forget the many spectacular creamy white armoirs, buffets, bureaus, china cabinets, mantels and vanities that made their way into the lovely homes of these women who shared their joys and sorrows. The women who became friends and kindred spirits and whose lives have been woven into the tapestry of mine.  Forever.  To all of these women who have made my dream possible, I am grateful.  A heartfelt thank you.

  

 Now I move forward with her sister~~ www.EnchantedTreasures.com.  She will never fill her shoes nor should she.  She has a life of her own and to the special women who stop and visit whom I don't know personally, I appreciate you just the same.  Be sure to drop me a line! 

  

Autumn Window

Can you see it?  Do you get it? If you do, please let me know...Our Autumn Window.

I've been drinking a ton of tea while immersing myself in Robin Brown's new book.  A Bit of Velvet & A  Dash of Lace.  Bits and dashes?  This girl is wild with abandon and I love every single picture and her story!   

And joins the ranks among my favorite books!

 

So, if you do not yet have this inspirational gem, run out and get it. Check out the October Mantel.

HAPPY AUTUMN!   

NEW

 

A sixteen hour ride brought me to this and to the baby grande.

Good thing it was c-l-o-s-e-d. Otherwise I would have spent the entire day in this chippy pink palace wandering about.

Instead, I was with my favorite little person.  Each new discovery was a miracle to witness as his eyes opened wide and he squealed with delight, or became very quiet absorbing all of nature into his little being.  Mesmerized by the movement of the ocean, birds and swaying leaves and observing this fascination with every new thing is what a grandmother has the time to appreciate I suppose while mother is busy attending their every need.

Happy Baby!

Wise guy Baby!

Beautiful Baby.  My favorite was when he imitated our kisses with a wet one planted on the cheek! Now I know what the fuss was all about Grandmothers everywhere...He wore me out and when I plopped in to the car for the ride home I was plum exhausted.  Can't wait till next time Silas.

new camera

Time for serious play with the new Nikon D40.  I'm not one to sit with a manual but looks like I'll have no choice now.

I am smitten with this paper rose found at ABC in NYC a while back, but have not been able to find any since.  If you know where I can get my hands on any of these beauties, please let me know!

These dreamy pillow cases were made from vintage linen sheets last year for Bethany's Bridal Trousseau and of course the mother of the bride had to have some too!  They're extra roomy for big fluffy down pillows and we each have two monogrammed sets.  One set is classic and simple and the other set has a 10 inch lightly gathered drop!  Oh my!  Heirloom quality.

If you would like a set of these pretties made from new quality linen, please contact me.   

just reward

A little beach house on a double lot overlooking the bay just left vacant to wither away and crumble into disrepair... There has to be good reason. I'm biding my time until the old gent decides to sell it to me to use as a guest house for my family when in town. I've been asking for eight years and every time the answer is NO.  What a DollHouse this will be!  Meanwhile, as the weeds and vines grow with wild abandon, I could not let them strangle the holly bush that is so generous to me me in winter.

So, as I tugged and chopped away I found a tresor, this time hidden IN the bush.

And as one thing led to another..

I remembered this treasured entry in a childhood autograph book from my maternal grandmother.  She must be cheering me on from the great beyond!  Thanks Grany.  (I never called her Granny though many of my cousins did...)

And one last bird nest favorite.. As you go about your day, be on the lookout for little gifts and miracles everywhere!

Rhinestone Pins!

Funny how a teeny tiny thing can spark up the creative juices eh?  These rhinestone pins and the encouraging words of my dear friend Jo-Anne at Vintage Rose Collection brought me out of a funk that had been going on for weeks!

  I've been sticking these little gems everywhere and I'm happier now!

We've recently acquired a beautiful picture of my maternal grandmother and knew I had to do something special for Mom with it.  She doesn't like a lot of fuss so it has to be pretty simple. I'm searching for a monogram pin or locket, and a ribbonned tag that will finish it off nicely.  No one knows if she really played violin but look at her dress made out of draperies since they were dirt poor! So glad my great grandmother saved her pennies for professional photographs.

                                                                     And just a couple of summer vignettes that bring joy!  The sewing basket with the broken shell, rhinestone pins and clear bobeches can be found in the web boutique. 

www.EnchantedTreasures.com

 

              

Attention All Romantic FarmGirls!

Discovered MaryJanesFarm magazine this week and I'm hooked!  This is the newest issue and it's a keeper!

   

Packed with Romantic Farmstyle features, there is a lovely article about reworking vintage textiles  into dreamy pillows, purses, aprons, duvets AND the photos are sensational!  How about charming cafe curtains or a sink skirt fashioned from aprons? 

It's all about good old fashioned common sense, yummy recipes, organic gardening, healthy eating and girl talk!  The paper quality and layout remind me of a publication I enjoyed 'back in the day' in Berkley, California.  I think all of my 'romantic' friends will enjoy this issue.

I am a beachcomber by nature but I've planted some sugar snaps (?) this year and always seek out fresh eggs whenever available.  I'd love to have some chickens down on the beach too.

 

Here's a pic of our farmgirl window, complete with sun, clouds and a crow perched on the clothesline.   Only thing missing are the cowboy boots!  How cute would they look with the crinoline?  Fix yourself a tall cold drink and have some fun perusing Junk Gypsy for some fashion inspiration! 

 

By the way, have you seen what Lisa from White Cottage has done?  She's gone Urban Farmhouse! I love the new look.

 

Mission Accomplished

A couple of weeks ago when Bethany and I went beach combing, I was so disturbed by the trash on the shoreline that I made a promise to Mother Nature to return with a couple of trash bags and do my small part.

Low tide and glorious skies this morning so time to make good on that promise. I gathered two big bags, a rubber glove and jumped in the car to find a good spot where I could park and enter the beach without having to walk for miles with the bags in tow when I was done.   BINGO!  A trash barrel at the end of the road! 

I filled the bags with plastic mostly, but the thing that bothered me the most were the Mylar balloons with tons of ribbon attached.  Hopefully this is residue of ignorance past. I've recently heard about the 'dump' in the middle of the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and don't even want to research it.  I'll keep my head buried in the sand on that one!

  I reaped some benefits by climbing rocks and bending over to get my exercise and was all around happy just being on the shore.  And, I always find a treasure! 

Independence Day

                  Happy Independence Day!

                  From sea to shining sea...God Bless America!

Rose Boat

  Enter her front gate ....

 

and see Carol's 'Rose Boat' in her front yard! It's overflowing with Fairy Roses!  What's not to love about this?  Her secret was to have a local garden center fill the boat with 'black gold' compost and she then planted three rose bushes in it.  It is blooming so profusely now that one cannot even see the little rowboat anymore!

          I was surprised by Carol as she approached my front steps with this stunning Rose Cake on my birthday.  She topped it with various roses from her garden. I've never had one so beautiful or delicious!  Orange cake with buttercreme frosting.  Divine!

Thanks Carol!

 

Family

A fun and busy two weeks with everybody home for Jake's first Father's Day and my Annual Summer Birthday Bash.

We had a good old fashioned lobster fest (indoors because of rain),

Walked on a craggy shore, (sadly enough, should have brought a big trash bag)

where the very well traveled Sckooch found a shipwreck, (lucky dog spent three months sailing in the Carribean last year)

   

spent a LOT of time loving up this little one, (mom, pap you're squishing me!)

had lots of cookouts, worked on Bethany and Mark's summer home and took family portraits on the beach.

We celebrated this very special time for our family to the fullest!

Sad to see them go, but one by one they've flown back to their homes and lives on different shorelines that they have so wonderfully carved out for themselves. 

Just another day in Paradise!

On my early morning walk over to the wild side, I found that it was almost perfectly still. Just a slight breeze to an otherwise windy side of Sconticut Neck which is a peninsula jutting out into Buzzard's Bay. A calm marshy paradise on one side (where my cottage hides at Little Bay) and the rough open ocean with sandy beaches where the sun sets and the fishing vessels rumble by day and night on the other.  If you stand at the main road and look to the left and right you can see the ocean on both sides.

The pink and white rosa rugosas stopped me in my tracks with their sweet scent. This area has changed a lot over the past eight summers.  Many of the quaint beach cottages have been razed and 'coastal cottages' on stilts have taken their place as Mother Nature rules here. And speaking of girls who rule, look who I spotted with her seaweed hair perfectly coiffed with seashells.  She can be found just outside of this white picket fence at certain times of the day at her little secret hidaway if you know just where to look.....    

                                                                                

I can see clearly now!

Washed the windows and curtains in the office this morning and one thing led to another!

Rediscovered Blue Eyed Grass with little purple flowers and yellow centers recently. They are part of the Iris family and I love them since they are hardy and grow in marshy areas!  There is a rocky area in front of the stone wall where these will do nicely and the mermaid seems to be happier now.