A Magical Mountain Morning

Despite the frigid temps outside, the sun was absolutely glorious this morning. 

After giving up on sleep and stumbling out of my bedroom, the sight of all that sunshine put a spring in my step immediately. 

Sunshine, Glorious Sunshine!

After last week's winter storm and frigid temps, we were so incredibly happy to have some sunshine and warmer temps the past few days!

Sunshine, Pups, and Amaryllis Tips

After a couple of brutally cold days the temps today have finally warmed up to 20 degrees, which feels like a tropical heat wave!

The sun shining through the windows was absolutely glorious, the kind that immediately puts a spring in your step!

What A Glorious Morning!

We've had a lot of snow up on the mountain top for this early in the season. 

When it's not snowing, it seems to be cloudy and threatening snow. 

Yesterday it was a mixed bag of tricks - rain, sleet, snow, ice. You name it, we got it. 

Let The Sun Shine In!

Despite the fact that it is still very much winter in our neck of the woods, the sun this past weekend was beyond glorious!

Combined with the change to the clocks for daylight savings time and this is one happy blogger!

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. 

Sunny Mountain Mornings

I never lived in a house with such great sunshine. 

I have to say, it never gets old. 

Here Comes The Sun

After a very rainy, cool spring, we woke this morning to gorgeous blue skies and abundant sunshine. 

Yayyyy!

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.

Sunday Funday

I need a clone. No doubt about it. I spend my days off puttering around doing this and that....but the more I do, the more I see that needs to be done. 

Either a clone or I need to hit Lotto. This way I can retire right now and have all the time in the world to stay on top of everything that needs my attention. 

For now, it's a bit of this and a bit of that. I'm so very grateful to have time off this weekend to get a few little things done. Next weekend will be an entirely different story and I'll be one cranky lady!

After the breakfast dishes were cleared away this morning I got to business. The stove was taken apart and given a good scrub, the dishwasher was humming along happily, and it was time to get to a few things that had been on my to-do list for a while now. 

The first was to nourish and polish my dining room table. 

I bought the table and chairs with the house because I fell in love with them during my tour. I didn't know at the time all the damage that was hiding underneath the tablecloth and chair cushions, but the scale of the table was just perfect for the space. 

I had to get most of the chairs re-caned when I moved in, and the table has most definitely seen better days. It doesn't matter - I love it regardless.

It's an antique set and I have no idea how old it is. The tabletop is dried out and scarred and burned in spots...it needs regular TLC to keep it looking it's best. 

Since there's so much sun in the dining room I make sure I use a product that not only polishes the wood but also soaks in and nourishes it. 

Doesn't that look great? I'll let it soak in for most of the day and then buff it with a soft cloth to remove any excess beeswax. 

There's nothing quite like the beauty of old wood when it's gleaming in the sun!

Another little project I've been putting off is treating my butcher block counter. 

I adore this counter, I think it adds a lot of character to the kitchen, but it's been abused through the years. 

I use cutting boards on top of the counter and never cut directly on it but that has most definitely not always been the case. The counter is scratched and cut and stained. It's pretty sad looking.  

I had been treating it with orange oil when I first moved in but then I did some more research and read about Tung Oil. 

I wanted something that was natural and food safe since I prepare meals on this counter. 

After a good cleaning I let the counter dry and then applied a fairly heavy coat of Tung Oil with some paper towels. 

Again, I'll let it soak in for most of the day and then buff off the excess this evening.

I have to do this on a day when I know I won't be cooking because I use this counter constantly when preparing meals. It's my primary food prep area. 

Doesn't it look wonderful? I wish I could get it to stay shiny. I might have to bite the bullet and try a different treatment on it in the future because the look I love really is a bit more polished than the raw butcher block. Any ideas? I'm open to all suggestions!

For now, the Tung Oil will at least make it look a little better. And it helps protect the wood from stains. 

Moving on to other little projects around the house....I have some extra knobs from when I ordered the new kitchen cabinet knobs way back when. 

They were the very first thing I bought for my new house, the day  my offer was accepted. Pottery Barn had them on clearance and I took a guess at how many I'd need and placed an order. I have a few extra, after all, but that's no harm. 

Aren't they lovely? And on clearance they were so cheap - I think I paid $2.99 each for them - and they are real glass, not acrylic. Love, love, love these knobs!!

One was going on the drawer of my little wine cabinet. The knob that was there is just dull.....boring!

It's the little things, you know? They really do make a difference. 

You may not notice a huge change but when the sun hits these knobs they absolutely glow - and that makes my heart sing just a little bit!

The other two were slated for the dry sink that serves as my bar. I picked this piece up at a garage sale when the girls were little, for $40. It's been with me a long time, through 4 different homes. 

And I never liked those little dinky knobs. 

Well, they shall bother me no longer! Again, just a small change....but it makes me happy. 

I need to water my many houseplants today and I have a stack of books calling  my name....

...and there are a couple of episodes of Downton Abbey vying for my attention. 

But first and foremost I am going to find some time to spend outside on this glorious day. 

There's a cold spell heading our way this week....Spring's not here just yet. 

Although you'd never know it today. 

Enjoy your Sunday, friends!

Change is Good!

It's the very first Monday after the new year and when I woke this morning the sun was streaming through the windows in the most gorgeous way. 

The sunshine in this house drew me in the very first time I toured and I believe I fell in love immediately. 

The sun was shining on all the areas I "de-Christmasized" over the weekend. In between bouts of nausea. 

I was a busy girl despite the nasty bug that tried to get me down!

The dining room table is no longer stretched. As a matter of fact, I removed both leaves for now....just for a change. I love a little round table, it's my favorite kind. It feels very cozy having a meal at a small round table. 

And yes, those most certainly are my fall pumpkins and squash that were on my center island in Autumn. I will cook them this winter at some point. 

During Christmas they hid under the guest bed. The dust bunnies kept them company. 

The top of the bookcase once again holds plants and candles in lieu of Santas. 

The tree stays up, as is tradition in our family, until at least January 6th. Which not only is Little Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany but is also my dad's birthday. 

A holiday in and of itself. 

The mantel has been stripped of the twinkly stars and stockings and has been left with winter greens and my red wooden wreath and cones. They, of course, also look like Christmas trees.....when it's Christmas. 

When it's not Christmas they revert to cones. 

Because I said so. 

No more Christmas linens....but I did keep the red going for now. I will lighten up at a later date for a change of scenery but for now the red just feels warm and welcoming. 

Because, baby it's cold outside!

The bottles at the bar no longer sport scarves, hats, and sweaters. 

Except for one. Mr. Maker's Mark still has his sweater and earmuffs on. 

He's special. He's sweetie's favorite. 

The snowmen are gone and the colorful bottles have returned to the kitchen windowsill. They just make me smile. 

The little birdbath I hung outside the kitchen window is frozen solid now. Poor birdies. The creek at the end of the driveway is still running, though, so the critters are ok for water. At least for now. 

A few more days like this may change that. 

My farm animals have returned to the stove area, dangling their little legs over the edge. 

Anyone for a cup of tea?

I hung up this absolutely adorable winter dishtowel from World Market - they seriously have the cutest dishtowels ever! 

Did I mention I might have a slight obsession?

And this little guy, who was a gift from my younger daughter, keeps my glasses handy next to the stove...and brings a smile to my face every time I see him. 

Change is good. 

Today is a good day. 

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. 

One Room Tour - My Dining Room

Ok, so I  might be a little obsessed with my dining room.  The sun shines in at a certain time in the  mornings and the curtains glow and the crystal sparkles and the wood glows and it just makes me smile. I look into the room while I'm making my coffee in the morning and it just feels like I'm exactly where I am supposed to be. You know that feeling?  If you don't,  I truly hope someday you do....

My morning view from the coffee maker

The light is changing - the leaves are falling rapidly, many of the trees are already bare, and we're heading into that thinner winter light. 

I don't care, I'll take it. I think this house gets more sun than any of the other homes I've lived in. I'm absolutely crazy about the sunshine in my new home. And pretty much my new home in general. 

My dining room isn't trendy by any stretch of the imagination. I don't have a big farmhouse table with skirted chairs or a painted hutch or white china. That's a gorgeous look but I tend to go more for a country feel with color and warmth and plants galore. 

I bought the table with the house because I loved it so much and thought it really suits the space. There are 2 leaves in it right now but when they come out it's a perfect little round table for 4. The antique chairs came with the table and 3 of them had to go out for repairs - the cane on the seats was destroyed.  I can fit 8 around the table comfortably, which works very well for dinner parties. 

My china cabinet came from Craigslist last year, before I even moved into my new home. Back in those long months when I was waiting for the closing. Long, long months. I paid $125 for this piece, delivered to my house and carried inside. I love the old look of it and it's just the right size for this little corner. I keep my crystal and wine/cocktail glasses in this piece, with napkins and placemats in the drawer. There wasn't enough room for my tablecloths, so they are in the basket under the hutch. And some are in the linen closet. Yup, I might have a few too many tablecloths. Oops. 

The basket came from Pottery Barn and of course I bought it on sale with a coupon. I refuse to pay full price! Refuse, I tell you!!

I bought a set of casters and attached them to the bottom of the basket simply using zip ties. Then my sweetie cut a piece of wood to set into the bottom of the basket to make it a little stronger - those linens can be a little heavy! 

In the other corner is my bar. We like to entertain and it's nice to be able to offer people their choice of cocktail when they arrive. This little bar is actually a dry sink that I bought at a yard sale about 15 years ago for $40. I just gave it a good cleaning and have loved it in each of my homes since. Underneath I keep cocktail mixers, soft drinks, straws, ice bucket, shakers, etc. In the drawers are taper candles to the left and after-dinner chocolates to the right - except that I may or may not have eaten them all. I'm not saying. 

The picture above is a daily reminder of an item on my bucket list - for my next big birthday I want to travel to Paris with my two beautiful daughters. They need to start saving!

All my infused alcohols are set out on the bar ready for sampling. Who will be my first taste tester? Any volunteers?

In between the china hutch and the bar is this little bench that used to be right inside the entry of my rental house. I placed it here a few months ago for lack of a better spot for it and I found I really like it there! I can sit on it and look out the window, almost like a window seat. And it can also serve as extra seating at the table if we are really trying to cram more people in. 

Oh, and the little Monkey has decided it's hers. She likes to watch the world outside and then settle in for a snooze. 

You can see how the dining room relates to the kitchen - it's an open space, perfect for entertaining. When I'm cooking people can sit at the counter and be right there with me for a chat. I love it. 

I can be at the stove cooking and still part of the gathering. As you know, everyone always loves to gather in the kitchen! 

I bought small scale stools for this counter so that they took up less space in the dining room but also so the backs didn't protrude too far over the counter top for passing dishes from one space into the other. 

Smart, eh? I told you. I had tons of time to think and plan. It took 5 long months to close on this house. I thought I was going to lose my mind. 

Anyway. 

This is looking back towards the dining room. One big happy space. Well, not that big. but compared to NYC apartment kitchens? Ginormous!! Perfect size for me. 

In the other corner I have my little wine cabinet. Most of my wine is stored in the lower level now  but I keep a few bottles up here. This little corner is just perfect for the wine cabinet. And of course every wine cabinet has to have a red sequin sparkly high heeled pump to hold your current bottle, right?

Of course. Duh. 

From that corner looking into the dining room there's a view of the mountains out the window. And tomatoes everywhere....ripening slowly. Remember the giant harvest? Yeah. We're going to be eating lots of meals with tomatoes....and celery. Hey, nothing wrong with that!!

So now you got the whole tour. What do you think? 

Doesn't have to be "trendy" to be awesome. Go with your heart. If you love it, it will show. 

I'm in love.