Fixit Upper or Tear it Downer?

 

 There are so many things I like about this home from the small window to the left of the door to the "bump outs" on either side of the door and the dormer (although it needs new windows).  Not to mention the location near the water!  Let's hope it's a fixit upper!

Hanging the Christmas greens.

Christmas comes every year.  But each year

With a love for the outdoors, he had a passion for fishing and a dream of opening a retail store. Support his small business this holiday season!

With a love for the outdoors, he had a passion for fishing and a dream of   

Why we love an old barn.

I love an old barn.  This isn't a newly acquired

A simple shortbread recipe.

Perhaps it's my Scottish

Fall flower boxes on Nantucket.

 

The late October weather on the island has

Fixer Upper or Tear It Downer?

 

I've watched this deteriorate over the years and I wonder....why?  Once upon a time, there were candles in each window; the glow emanating a warm and cozy feeling.  The decorative shingles always admired.  I can hear the carpenter's swing of the hammer on every one.  You know me...I'd like to save everything.  Fix the damage, mow the lawn, plant some geraniums in the whiskey barrel, right?  I used to think that perhaps the right side of the structure could be saved but now the corner is collapsing.  This just makes me sad.

Visiting a field of sunflowers.

Sunflowers make

The silhouette of a hummingbird.

It's not usually the 

Sad but lovely; an abandoned church at the shore.

Very old stained glass graces

The sparrow and the birdbath.

I often see birds

The uniqueness of each Little Free Library.

Perhaps you've spotted one of these but wasn't quite sure what it was.  You'll find them in

all kinds of locations.  Some are in the city.  Some are in the country.  Some are at the beach!

 I think this is one of my favorites.  A book sharing program for all!

Click here for more information.  Talk to your local library about the program and keep reading!

Baby wrens and a nest in the watering can.

I love this vintage watering can.  For the

A vintage dresser makes a lovely sink base.

When you visualize what you have in mind, it's 

A seashell sugar cookie.

We all love cookies and we also love the

Tiny flowers.

Every spring we are

It's Earth Day! Peruse your seed catalogs and plan your garden.

Earth Day began 

Fix It Upper or Tear It Downer?

I love the light over the front door, the stonewall and the pink blooming flora out front.  Perched high on a hill in the farmland of Connecticut, this house speaks to me.  "Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."  Oliver Wendell Holmes

Enjoying free time at home these days? Here's an easy bread recipe for you.

Home today with nothing to do?  Bake some bread!  It doesn't

The off-season amaryllis.

We typically see the amaryllis around the holidays.  This one has bloomed three months late, but perhaps it's fate!  At a time when we need some cheering up, the additional color makes me smile.

Charleston Part II - Wrought iron and hidden gardens.

I didn't know what to

Early growth in the cold February garden.

On one hand, I have enjoyed the mild winter temperatures we've experienced this year.  On the other hand, I would have loved some snow that would have forced me inside to sit by a roaring fire.  I'm not sure my garden feels the same way!  I typically "force" indoor bulbs this time of year, but now I don't have to as they're coming up themselves in the garden!  It can't be good.....with impending temps in the single digits for tonight and tomorrow, I worry about everything green above the ground.

The lilacs have luscious lime green buds exploding from the branches.  I just finished cleaning out the lily beds in time to see the new shoots bursting forth by the thousands!  The snowdrops are blooming and the daffodils are up about three inches already.  Will they all be freezer burned in the morning?  I surely hope not.

Those of you with snow on the ground are lucky, as snow acts as a thermal blanket for your garden.  Mid February is simply too early to be experiencing so much green where it should still be brown.

Charleston Part I - the flower boxes.

The flower boxes in Charleston are

A mid winter walk around Annapolis.

Annapolis is a special

Lovely antique home for sale on North Carolina's Outer Banks

Just steps from downtown

Raise the roof....wait.....raise the house!

While walking down by the shore, we were surprised and ecstatic to see this!  It's a lovely historic home that's painstakingly being cared for.  While some people may have chosen to demolish it, we are thankful that the owners chose this route; to raise it and renovate it.  You know how I feel about demolishing antique properties.  It's rather reckless in my opinion.

A couple of photos from a lovely fall day on Prince Edward Island.

 With a winter storm approaching, it's