The Lake Michigan Bed

Come into the showroom. I have something to show you!

I changed things up to showcase the new bedding. 

It's the middle of summer and all I want to do is sit on the beach and watch the seagulls catch some air!

Feeling the silky sand under foot and listening to the waves lap the shoreline. 

Pale blues, a little green and white caps on the water. 

The colors of Lake Michigan at the end of July.

I would like to thank Soft Furnishings for creating the roman shades, Taylor Linens addition of shorebird pillows, Annie Selke, couldn't do it without her, bedding, pillows and rugs. Thank you to the new line on the block, Sorella Glenn, custom lamp shades to top off my lamp line, that I have been selling since 2004! 

Do I brush the sand off my feet before I get into bed?
Sometimes!!

 

Morning Light

I drink ASEA, every morning, and have to wait 15 minutes before I can drink my coffee and eat my fruit and yogurt. So I spend the time looking for cucumbers in Steve's garden. Well, I walked outside, yesterday morning, and the light was so pretty. I ran up to my office and pulled my camera off the shelf and ran back down. This little guy watched me go back and forth. "What the heck, in that pink bathrobe, does she think she is doing?" "Hold still, I said, I will take your picture!"

Pulled my lens up and caught the Hummingbird in mid-flight! The toes of my slippers are all wet with the dew. 

Mother Nature planted the ferns. She had planted them on both sides of the field stone walk but I dug them up so the Hostas could have room to spread out. I planted the ferns, outback, between the house and the woods. 

Yarrow, Sunflowers, Lavender and Hosta blossoms.

So many shades of green. 

Steve planted the flag stone walk, this spring, it has nestled right in. 

Rustle rustle in the leaves, what/who is following me? 

He thinks if he sits very still I won't see him! 

The Dill is having a moment! Last year the cucumbers came in hot and heavy and Steve made jars of pickles all summer long! But we were short in the dill department.

This year the cucumbers are slow growing but we have plenty of Dill and it smells divine! 

My husband started Snapdragons from seed and planted them with his tomatoes. They are unlike any Snapdragon I have ever seen. The head doesn't snap!! Just ruffled petals! 

Did I tell you about my Dill?

This is what made me run and pick up my camera! The Dill plant is so light in weight and delicate. It sways in the smallest breath of wind. The head floating on a breeze. 

There is a lot going on in this garden! Everyone seems pretty happy.

The tomatoes are plump and full. Look how tall the plants are! May not have pickles this year but I will be freezing tomatoes into fall! 

Time for breakfast!

 

She Should Have Been A Buyer

The mist was still hovering over the property when we arrived. (Do you believe I put my camera case down on her silk cushion?)  

Thank goodness for a compass to show us our way. 

A peek to the north brought us into the reading room.

A gracious foyer.

Which way shall I look? Up, down and all around...

...to see the beautiful craftsmanship.

As the mist receded and the light started filtering into the rooms.

Such a gentle color of blue.

The woodworker obviously in love with his craft. 

The freshness of the blue and green. 

The chairs in this grouping are as comfortable as they are fun. 

Such a happy color combination. Never over the top, just cheerful and merry. 

A lively color palette.

Great light throughout. 

Even the corners have something pretty to see. 

A porch with a masterful view. 

If you wonder what the kitchen looked like...well the girls were sitting there and I forgot to get a picture. 

There is so much more to this home than I can squeeze into this blog post. To sum it up, the owner should be a buyer for a classy furniture store. Her take on Theodore Alexander would do him proud! These are just a few photos of the interior. This woman needs to take a bow. From the land she designed the house and all the architectural details from the outside in. She narrowed her sights and never lost control of the finished vision. It was a misty and rainy morning and I didn't take any photos of this Cape Cod on the cliff of Lake Michigan. Sorry to have missed the views. 

 

Happy Fourth Of July

Boy, did we have a fun family function!

My sons came in from Nashville and Penn State. Time to celebrate!

So, Steve ordered up two tables and we put them end to end to seat twelve of us!

I went up, over the garage, into the attic. It was pretty warm up there. But, I was able to find my vintage American flags and antique quilts to set the table. I also found, acrylic crystal glasses, a dozen red vinyl placemats, six stone ware plates and assorted silverware for fourteen!! Pretty good haul, bits and pieces left from the brick and mortar shop. 

 We wrestled eight chairs from here and there, around the holler, scrubbed them down and set them around the table along with four of my kitchen chairs. Put the flags in my stoneware pitcher, I had just bought at the Rock House, and placed candles in the hurricanes. The scene is set!



Everyone came and we laughed and talked, lite sparklers and ate cake! Great bunch of personalities!

The rest is history. 

Happy Fourth of July! What a fun celebration we all had.