The Ice Storm

Hello again friends, and welcome to February! 

We had one heck of an ice storm last night, and I woke to a winter wonderland indeed! It's certainly beautiful to look out at it, but extremely dangerous for travel, and once more I am ever so grateful that I now work from home full time.  We had a layer of thick ice covered with sleet and there's more heading our way all day today. It's the perfect day to cozy up by the fire indeed. 

Autumn In The Mountains

It's been kind of a weird Autumn up here on the mountain top. One day it's chilly, the next day warm and humid. 

But it appears that's about to change. 

Embracing Winter On The MountainTop

All over blogland and on Instagram I'm seeing lovely photos of spring flowers and posts about spring dreams. 

Up here on the Mountain Top, I know we've got a good two months or more left of winter, so there's really no point in getting too excited about spring just yet!

The best thing to do is to settle in and embrace what's left of winter. 

I mean, really - what else can you do?

My Cozy Home

We had our first snowfall yesterday, which was pretty awesome to see. 

Not much stuck, just a dusting. 

Just enough to make it the perfect evening to crank up the woodstove for the first time this season. 

The Last Hurrah

Well, that's it - gardening season is officially over.

That's not to say there's not plenty of work that remains to be done, in and around the garden. Not a chance.

It's just that our short growing season has officially come to an end.

Winter Is Back With a Vengeance!

Well, it happened! It's winter again here in the mountains of Upstate NY. 

We got about 5 inches of snow last night and the wind is fierce today. 

Simple Spring Updates

I'm sure you've all figured out by now that I'm all about color. My home will never be a simple, neutral palette - as much as I admire it in others' homes. I just wouldn't be able to live with it on a daily basis....I crave color. 

Despite my color craving, I do tend to dial it back a notch as the winter wanes on. In fall and winter I want to surround myself with deep, warm colors, plush textures, anything that screams cuddle up and get cozy. 

But at this time of year when the days start getting longer and the light is changing and the birds are singing their sweet songs I crave a change. I need to lose some of the rich colors and embrace the light and bright. 

It was another crazy busy weekend on the mountain top....I worked Saturday, again. Don't even talk to me. 

We had a charity auction to attend on Sunday. Mimosas, anyone?

And in between there arrived a large pile of firewood on my driveway that needed to be stacked. Welcome to my weekend workout!

So I found myself on Sunday night after a couple of mimosas I enjoyed at the auction catching up on the chores I never got to do around the house all weekend.

Snow, at Last...and a Nightmare

Well, it's a little too late for a White Christmas but we finally got a couple of inches of snow last night - just enough to make it finally feel like Winter around here!

It's not the nice white fluffy stuff but rather a wet, heavy snow with an icy crust on top. 

The kind that's just killer to shovel. 

And not so much fun to drive in. 

Remind me again why I was so anxious for snow?

Oh yeah, because it's WINTER and I live in the mountains in upstate NY! By choice, I might add - I like my four seasons!

I woke early this morning to the awful sound of my alarm - beep beep beep beep beep - isn't that just the worst noise? I was grateful for the wake-up, however, as I was in the throes of a terrible nightmare. 

In my dream I was back in NYC in a skyscraper, up on the 46th floor, and we were in the midst of a tornado. The building was swaying in the storm and for some reason we thought we'd be safe up there, in this strong brick building that had stood for a hundred years.  

We were watching the storm rage outside the windows and while it was terrifying, we were all together and safe indoors. 

Suddenly the bricks started popping off the walls and I could see the wall imploding. I screamed and threw myself to the floor, over my little dog, Daisy, in an attempt to protect her from the bricks. And the wall collapsed inward, showering us in debris, right before the building started to collapse. 

I was scrambling around frantically, trying to locate all the members of my family and gather everyone to safety....and then I woke up. 

It was a terrifying dream and it has stayed with me all day. 

I know that awful dream came about for two reasons - the first being that we were watching news footage last night before dinner of the terrible tornadoes and severe weather in Texas and the Midwest. 

My heart goes out to all those families - I can't imagine the terror they felt as the tornadoes approached their neighborhood and they tried their best to outrun the storm. 

The other reason I believe had to do with the strong winds that were whipping the trees around outside my bedroom this morning. Nothing like the tornadoes in Texas but pretty intense none the less. There was sleet hitting the windows as well, making for quite the little winter storm raging away outside. 

The wind was blowing some of the lighter snow around so at times it looked like a blizzard out the kitchen window. The thermometer was reading about 20 degrees. 

First thing I do in the mornings is start up the Keurig and brew a cup of coffee. Then I go out to the garage and get the feeders out for the little birds. 

This morning that involved a long down coat I put on over my fuzzy bathrobe and my winter snow shoes with the heavy duty treads. My sweetie bought those shoes for me a couple of years back so I wouldn't fall while feeding the birds - he calls them "snow tires for my feet." What a honey he is, always looking out for me. He's right, they helped tremendously. 

I must say, I looked a bit like a homeless ragamuffin in that hodge-podge of an ensemble this morning, though! Glad my sweetie wasn't around to see that!

I wonder if it's safe to leave the feeders out now? Can I risk it? Do we think Mr Bear may be sleeping for the winter now? I'm a little worried since winter has only been around for a day or two now....he may be still up and about, looking for poor innocent bird feeders to rip to shreds. 

Meanwhile, I had my coffee in my leather chair next to the toasty warm fire this morning and I said a little prayer for all those folks who weren't so lucky. 

Look around you and count your blessings today. 

I will be doing the same. 

And counting you among my blessings, sweet readers. 

Stay safe and warm, wherever you are. 

Decorating for Christmas - The Living Room

I must have 8 or 9 big plastic tubs of Christmas decor....plus some cardboard boxes, bags, and even more items that haven't made it to any of the bags or boxes! I'm a Christmas nut....always have been. My younger daughter is just like I was back in the day....she gets so excited about the sights and sounds of the season.....it's nice to watch her enthusiasm and reminds me of how I used to be. 

When I was younger. Before my ex husbands both did things that nearly destroyed Christmas forever for me. 

But those are stories for another time. 

We have a tradition in my house that we decorate the Friday right after Thanksgiving. It started when my older daughter went away to college....she would be home for Thanksgiving and then not again until Christmas so it was the only time we could all be together to decorate. 

That meant going to an artificial tree from a real tree. I fought it kicking and screaming but it made the most sense with this new decorating schedule. Leaving a live tree up for over a month just doesn't work for me - I worry about the fire hazard and also holy smokes all the needles!!

And after the divorce it made even more sense to use an artificial tree since I'm not too keen on lugging a live tree into the house....cutting off the bottom....cleaning up a bazillion needles....etc. 

So this past weekend out came the boxes and bags and bins and we got to work...although it was tough to get in the spirit with temps in the 60's - what the heck? Where's my mountain top snow? This is just weird!!

But we put on some nice Christmas music and soldiered on. 

And here's a peek into our new home all decorated for it's very first Christmas with us!! 

These photos are of the living room only.....I'll share more in another post. 

I don't feel the mantel is quite finished just yet...I'd like to add some greenery up there. I'm still mulling it over. I posted some options here and looking back they all have greenery  that finishes them off nicely. We'll see. 

My tree is a hodge-podge of ornaments I've been collecting since childhood - and I love it. 

My stocking hangs next to the furbabies' stocking. They get so excited on Christmas morning to open their treats and new toys! Santa's always good to the babies!!

Of course the girls have their stockings together on the other side of the fireplace....Santa's pretty darned good to them, also!

At what age does Santa move on??? I'm curious....

I love this wooden wreath - I got this years ago from Gardener's Supply and this past year I added the matching two red trees on the mantel. The green trees I've had for about 15 years now. The mirror was from Joss & Main. 

My living room is long and narrow with a pathway behind the two swivel chairs....I knew I needed a skinny tree for this house. I picked one up a few months ago from JC Penney through one of Brad's Daily Deals. 

Love Brad's!!

My previous tree went down to the lower level for the girls to enjoy in the family room. 

Another change of pillow covers for the holiday season - I just love that I can swap them out any time I feel like it!! I'm telling you, Pottery Barn pillows are awesome!! Feather/Down inserts with a multitude of different covers....it just makes sense!

I picked up the red ones on my recent trip to Vermont and the jingle bell sleigh one I bought last year after Christmas in a super sale. 

The cheetah print fuzzy pillow covers go so nicely with the fur trim on the red pillows and can stay out all winter long.....or until I get sick of them and swap them out for a change of scenery. Chances are that will happen at some point!

This little metal tray and teapot were both gifts from my mom ages ago. The metal stand that holds the tray I got from Decor Steals a while back - it's awesome, totally adjustable for different paintings, chalkboards, artwork, etc - I just love it!

And of course a candle.....this one is a Kringle Candle - Snow Capped Fraser - smells just like a real Christmas tree! The shade is from Yankee Candle and I love the way the berry branches complement the cardinal tray. 

My bookcase holds another seasonal display - some favorite Christmas books with a variety of cute little holiday items I've had forever. 

And in the center is my new cake stand from World Market. I blame that purchase on Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick. She shared this cake stand when she gave all the sources for her kitchen reno and I fell in love....not only with the new kitchen but also with this wood and marble cake stand. I was looking for one for a while and this one was a fantastic price and exactly what I wanted!!  Thanks, Sarah!!

Anyway....that's our Christmas Living Room! It's nothing fancy or trendy but it's a collection of items that I have been decorating with for many years mixed with a few new pieces for my new home. 

Now picture it with the candles lit, Christmas music playing softly, and me holding a cocktail and laughing with family and friends. 

Perfect!

What time can you be here? 

~~~~~

Happily sharing at 

Christmas Open House Link Party

and 

Creating Christmas 

Art and Sand

Holiday Mantel Ideas

Ok I held out as long as I could.....I have been thinking about decorating for Christmas for WEEKS now!! I tried not to go there until after Thanksgiving but I lost the battle. 

Sorry. 

I've been thinking about how I'm going to decorate the mantel in my new house. The fireplace is so gorgeous and of course the centerpiece of the room - that's a lot of pressure right there to do it right!

So I've been browsing around for inspiration...as we do....and I thought I'd share some of my favorites. 

And what did I discover about myself while browsing around?

I am definitely of the "less is more" mentality. 

There will be greenery. 

And there will be red. 

Enjoy!

Via

Via

Via

VIa

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

The House Hunt

Today's my anniversary. 

Yes, another one. 

What? I can have more than one!!

Exactly one year ago today I walked in the front door, for the very first time, of what was to become my new house ....and I fell in love. 

Interestingly enough, I was ready to make an offer on another house. A completely different type of house. 

This house was no longer on the market. 

But during a site visit with a potential client, we started chatting about little things - what do you do for work, where do you live, etc....and I mentioned my house hunt and that I was ready to put an offer on a house. 

She told me I really had to see this one before I put in that offer. 

Yeah, sure. I've seen so many bombs....whatever. Ok, give me their contact info. 

And I reached out to make an appointment to view the house. 

That was no longer on the market. 

The rest was history. 

Kismet. 

Was this the style of house I was looking for? I'd say no....I set out looking for a small cottage yet when I walked into this Chalet style home I knew it was perfect for me. 

It checked off so many of the boxes on my Must Have list. 

1. Must be on a quiet road and not directly on the road but rather set back, safe for the dogs. Check!

I'd say this is a pretty quiet road, wouldn't you? My road is one of  the prettiest in the area....I loved this road long before I found a home here! Lucky me!

2. Must have a decent size deck for entertaining - check!

My deck wraps around and I actually have the fire pit area, a dining table with 4 chairs, a garden swing, and another smaller dining table all in separate areas on the deck. Works for me!

3. Must have a fireplace or wood stove to keep energy costs down. Check!

Granted, it did not look like this when I bought the house - there was an ancient wood burning insert that I had to take out and replace. It was most definitely not up to code and anything but energy efficient! But the stone hearth was there and I fell immediately in love with that. 

4. Must have room for a vegetable garden yet not be too much land for me to take care of. Check!

The fenced veggie garden was already in place, it just needed some TLC. And the house sits on 1.5 acres, but some of it is wooded so it's not overbearing for me to take care of. I use a push mower (cordless rechargeable one from Worx tools) and take care of the lawn myself for the most part. Once per month I have someone come in and cut the grass and weed-wack. I hate to weed-wack!! I just hate the way everything comes flying back at me, bouncing off every part of my head and body!! No, thank you! 

5. Must have a minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. A master suite with Jacuzzi tub and walk in closet would be a huge bonus!

Well, it didn't have a master suite. But it did have 4 bedrooms and 2 full baths. 3 bedrooms/1 bath upstairs and 1 bedroom/1 bath downstairs. Perfect for sharing a home with my adult daughter! I combined 2 bedrooms upstairs to create my master suite so the home now has 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths. Perfect. 

6. Must have decent bathrooms and kitchen - check!

I really didn't want to get into ripping out kitchens and bathrooms. I wanted to be able to move in right away and any improvements would be done while I was living in the house. 

I love my kitchen. It's nothing fancy but it suits me to a T. It's got a great work flow and it's open to the dining room. What more could I ask?

7. Must have room for me to host Christmas dinner for 15+ people. 

This house nearly lost me on that one. I fretted about the fact that the dining room won't be large enough to seat all my family for Christmas dinner. 

And then I just said, "Get Over Yourself, Lady!"

It's one day a year. 

And the rest of the year the dining room is absolutely perfect for us. 

8. Must have a nice view. Check!

The house sits on a hill and has views of the mountain ranges on 3 sides. That works for me!

9. Must have a garage and ample storage for garden tools, etc. Check!

I have a two car garage plus a garden shed...and of course my wonderful garden cottage. Nuf said. 

10. Must have a basement or a slab. NO CRAWL SPACE. They just totally creep me out. There's not one chance in H**L I'll ever go into a crawl space. Ever. For anything. Ever. All the pipes could burst at one time and I still won't go in there. So that was an absolute deal breaker for me. 

Nothing creepy about this lower level living space!! My daughter's room is behind the white door at the bottom of the stairs - en suite, with private bath and private entrance. Perfect situation for two adult women living together! There's also laundry, partial kitchen, and my other daughter's living space down here....as well as a tiny office and utility room. 

11. Must have nice neighbors. 

I think we're good. 

Welcome to my dream house. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can view the photos from my initial house tour on my Before & After post. 

Frosty Mountain Morning

It was a cold one last night with temps dropping down to 22 here on the mountain top! 

There was a heavy frost this morning making the simplest of items sparkle in the sunshine. 

And let me tell you, all this frostiness is not helping me NOT think about Christmas!

And Christmas decor. And Christmas trees. And wrapping gifts. And Christmas dinner. 

I've been trying to hold off....but it's bubbling up inside of me and I am going to break down one of these days soon!

I'm just so excited to decorate my new home for the holidays!!

But for now, let's just browse around at the beautiful frosty mountain morning. 

The front garden is a sea of ice crusted blades of grass this morning - it was a beautiful sight looking down from the upper deck. 

No coffee on the garden swing this morning!

I guess the chairs by the fire pit are a no-go also this morning - Brrrrr!!

Look how thick the frost was on the deck railings - it looked like snow. 

Like Christmas snow. Oops, sorry, there I go again!

My little garden cottage has a heavy frost on the roof. I guess it's time to dump all the pots and stack them in the shed for the winter. 

Summer grass gives way to fall leaves...which give way to winter frosts. 

The horses were up by their little barn - the lower paddock is all frozen over. Must be a bit warmer up on the hill. 

I could see the vapor coming from the horse's breath on this frosty morning. 

No warm glow coming from the solar path lights. 

The Lamb's Ear looks like it was dipped in sugar. 

And the Snow in Summer looks more like Snow in Autumn.

Back up on the deck Strawberry plants look so beautiful even in frost. 

The rubber stair treads I added yesterday are terrific - nothing slippery about my deck stairs now!

Back inside the warm steamy kitchen the bean soup I started in the crockpot yesterday is making the whole house smell like heaven. 

The sun is pouring in through the front windows and the dining room is glowing in the morning light. 

And there's a fire burning in the wood stove, keeping the house warm until I return. 

There's nothing like coming into a nice warm house on a frosty day. 

Welcome home.