A Snowy Morning

I was so looking forward to seeing the "S" monogram boxwoods in my front yard get their spring trim soom, but this morning we woke  up to winter weather storm advisories.  Looks like it may be awhile now before yard maintainence commences.

Leader Dogs For The Blind

We just got word that the puppy we are going to raise for Leader Dogs For The Blind is ready for us to pick up.

We had a choice of a Black Lab and a Golden Retriever/Lab mix.  John chose the later.  We don't have any idea what color it will be but I'm sure we will love it regardless of what color it is.

Next Sunday we pick her up.  You can bet I will post pictures....We are very excited to be able to help Leader Dogs For The Blind by raising a puppy up until the age of 1 when it will then go into obedience training and become avaliable for a client in need of assistance if the dog qualifies.  There are strict guidelines that need to be adhered to.  John has been studying them and will be the dog whisperer.....I will be the dog petter.

Inspiration From Tina

Oh I love this photograph enlargement feature on blogger......Are there any other neat features that I missed out on while I was away from blogging that you can think of?  Do share if you get a minute...

Well, do you all know Tina at The Enchanted Home?  She has a dream house that she has been building and she has shared the journey with her blog readers.  She is more than generous with sources for all kinds of construction items including right down to cabinet hardware.  She has broadened my base of reference in decor.  For example, before Tina I would have been more than happy to have a cute bathroom with maybe a little wallpaper.  Post Tina, all I can think of while doing the bathroom up north is floor to ceiling marble...You should see the beautiful marble variations Tina shares on her blog that she is using in her house.....Well, my little place up north is getting a very scaled down version of http://theenchantedhome.blogspot.com/2012/02/random-musings-on-saturday-afternoon.htmlbut I am loving the wallpaper that she is thinking about using in her kitchen powder room and may use that as inspiration for our guest bathroom.  

So, this morning I go to The Enchanted Home blog for my morning dose of gorgeous and was inspired to change thing up a little bit here at our house.  Tina put some big blue and white urns on her island that I thought looked great so I went around the house and found a pair of urns to put on our island too.  What do you thing?

Hum,,,not sure what is going on with the link feature here but I hope you can find your way to Tina's from this long underlined link that inserted itself into this post.????  

Estate of Grace

 Tory Burch's new Southampton House.  Have you seen it yet?  I believe these photographs of it are from Vogue Magazine.  Come on in and look around.

 The house with an avenue of sugar maples leading to the main entrance.  Isn't this just gorgeous????

 The solarium which I think was coordinated by Bunny Williams husband John Rosselli.  Gorg

 Hummmm, I think I just learned about a new blogger feature.  Something popped up under this picture and showed a number of sizing options.  I clicked on ex large and this is what I got.  Cool.  Anyway, it also deleted the picture of a table in the pool house, but moving forward.....The huge picture above is the formal approach to the wood paneled library.

 Here is Tory in her dining room with custom designed panels. 

 One end of the formal ball room enlivened by Tory for her modern lifestyle.

 A bedroom featuring two of my favorite things, Imari ironstone, and floral wallpaper and upholstery from Colefax & Fowler.

Finally a relaxing picture of the trellis pool house and the swimming pool.

I went back up in this post and found out that if you click on a picture that bar will appear for you to enlarge your blog pictures.  Very nice feature blogger!  Thank you.

50 classics for your closet

Via Matchbook ezine, page 38, matchbook's february issue.

This list has been pinned and repinned all over Pintrest.  The first time I saw it I glanced through it and thought to myself that I am pretty well covered in the classics department.  I thought I would post it on here to help with my spring cleaning and to record what I have and where I need to fill in. 

 Starting with footwear, I pulled out all the ballet flats I could find from around the house.  Seems like I have quite a few ballet flats....Above is the curated version.

Here they are lined up on the top two shelves of my shoe rack in our closet.  The next item on the footwear list is loafers....hummmm, a couple of shelves of loafers also made it back in the closet.  Most of my sandals are at the cottage and the few I have here are lined up around the perimiter of the closet on John's side.....He loves that of course.  The next two selves are sandals and black pumps...The tall boots are in another section of the closet but I have not gone through them yet.  Here in Michigan we generally wear boots only in the winter.  This winter has been the exception and my boots have gotten very little wear.  I need to keep that in mind when I begin to go through them to make sure I don't get rid of too many pair.

Spring Cleaning Inspiration

Isn't this cupboard with a window into the pantry adorable?  It belongs Ruth Ann who blogs over at Warm Pie Happy Home.  If you are in need of a little inspiration to get motivated, a visit to Aunt Ruthie might be what will do the trick.

Warm Pie Happy Home

She is not right out there with pictures of her fabulous farm house but if you poke around her posts that are listed on the right side of her blog and down a ways from the top you will come across some great inspiration for your house, your tummy, and your soul.  The posts are kind of arranged according to the season.  I just went back today, after seeing her pantry posted on Pintrest, and look for some of her spring posts and was richly rewarded by the wisdom, industriousness, and humor of Aunt Ruthie....that is what she calls herself....

So, if you are not familiar with Aunt Ruthie or have not been over there in a while, like me, then you might want to stop by and look around.  Tell her I sent you...then come back here and tell me what you think ;)  

Blue and White Lamps

Here is the close up of the blue and white lamps.  They are the gourd shape that you are seeing a lot of these days.  Also imbeded in the blue and white pattern are a pair of kissing fish making them subtly beachy.

Thank you Dana for the great find and for bringing them up north to me.

Party

I tried on Saturday to upload this picture with no luck.  My blogger skills are definitly rusty. Anyway, here is a picture of the table set without silverware yet but I wanted to at least get some kind of picture before the party got under way.

See the two lamps on the buffet.  Dana picked them up for me at the Mt. Pleasant TJ's.  Tomorrow I will have close ups of them and details.

Hope you had a good weekend.

Party Preps

 Starting to get ready for the birthday party Saturday night.

 Fluffing the petal, leaves, and buds on the poppy napkin rings is a step that takes faux flowers from frumpy to fab.

 I found these poppy napkin rings and dish towels at Sur La Table the other day when I stopped in after getting my hair highlighted and trimmed.

I am hoping they will form the base of a cute tablescape for Dana's party.  She loves poppies and navy blue so I think she will like it.

 I

I also ironed the Chicken apron that I will wear to keep my party clothes clean.  Dana loves Roosters too so the theme is set with a couple of things she likes.

It is raining up here right now ;(  Hopefully it will stop soon and cool back off so we don't loose all of our snow for the skiers on Saturday.  Thanks for stopping by.  It is good to hear from you.

  

Two Days In A Row

 Well, two day in a row of blogging.  Maybe I will get back into it....too soon to tell I suppose.  Anyway, we left home today for up north at around 9.  It was a nice sunny day to make the three hour drive up 1-75.  We stopped at Birch Run for a quick run through the Ralph Lauren store and a break at the 7-11.  I needed a couple of tops to fit my ever expanding body.  I quit smoking in November and am giving myself until March 1 to not worry about the weight I gain..... March 1th can not come soon enough!!!   

I always loving coming into the Condo.  It is so different from our house, very neutral and calm.   We have not done much decorating yet but have painted, upgraded a few appliances , and cleaned like crazy.  The condo is small but I will try to post progress here as we go along.  Three of the pictures above came from our local antique shop that I love call Dunnagain's here in Boyne City.  The two on the left are prints framed in old gold frames and the one on the right is an old oil painting.  They all are pictures with lakes in them.  The oil painting on the left under the little oval print is one the I got from an antique shop in New Orleans in the late 70's.  I wish I knew more about this nice little oil painting.

Well I'm off to check out Pintrest to see what I missed today.    

Happy Valentines Day!  I'm celebrating by getting out a few Easter goodies for the house, down loading pictures to my lap top, and updating this blog.  I see a few of you over on Pintrest but often feel like I want to say more than I can say in the comment section so I'm going to try to jump back into blogging and see if I can even remember the basics.

Quite a bit going on around here since I last blogged.  I left you with a couple pictures of Dana's cottage.  It is coming along and they have hired The Cottage Company out of Harbor Springs to draw up some plans for them to give it a bit of a face lift and to maximixe the space to accomodate their family.  Should be a fun adventure to follow.  She has a lot of her ideas pinned on Pintrest in her cottage board that you can take a look at to get an idea of the direction she is going with the updating if you enjoy that kind of thing.  You might be able to get there by clicking HERE.

Since the kids seem to be setting up housekeeping of one sort or another in the northwest lower penninsula of Michigan we decided to take advantage of the buyers real estate market and we made an offer on a condo around the 4th of July and the sellers accepted our offer. 

There is our prize....far left, ground floor, and steps from the beach. 

There is soooo much inspiration on Pintrest that I think it is hard to narrow down your choices but it is an invaluable resource none-the-less and I am totally addicted.  Pintrest has my head spinning with ideas to update our new/old place. For now we have painted the whole inside with a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore White Dove.  I wanted the color of an LL Bean canvas tote, the White Dove seemed like the closest match and it turn out to be just what I was looking for.  You can have a look at my inspiration board on Pintrest by clicking HERE if you would like.  I have so much pinned there and probably won't use any of it but it sure is fun to dream....

Thanks for stopping by if you have found your way back here after such a long absence by me, the negligent author of this blog.  Are you on Pintrest?  Has it replaced blogging for you?  I hope not....If I can get a grove going here I hope to get back into.  

   

"The Bounce"

 Have you ever heard of Cherry Bounce?  It is a long held tradition among family and friends in Northern Michigan.  Cherry Bounce is a Cordial Liquor with roots dating back to colonial times.

 The main ingredient to make your own Cherry Bounce is fresh Tart Cherries.  Tart Cherries are very perishable so around the middle of July the Tart Cherries that are left over after all the major pie corporations scoop them up for their pies, the locals get there opportunity to acquire any that remain.

 The farmers markets are the purveyors of these precious jewels and the early birds are the lucky ones.  If you are one of the fortunate, your next task in the small communities that dot the Northeastern Coast of Northern Michigan is to acquire enough Vodka to make your "Bounce".  Our small town ran out of the big bottles of Vodka the first day the Cherries were available.....

I have heard that you can find frozen Tart Cherries on line if you are interested in making a batch of Cherry Bounce yourself.  It is a delicious drink to serve your friends or to give as gifts in small batches during the Holidays.  The taste is like nothing you have had before and if you do decide to try it I guarantee that before long the words "The Bounce" will become part of your vocabulary too.

Classic Cherry Bounce

6 cups Tart Cherries

3/4 cup sugar

1 fifth Vodka

Directions

What a fun way to ring in the holidays with cherries from the summer. When the liqueur is gone, enjoy a vodka infused cherry every now and then.

Place the cleaned cherries in a large, clean jug or jar with a tight fitting lid. Add the sugar and then pour in the vodka. Seal and place the jug in a cool place away from the light. Shake the contents on occasion.



At holiday time (six months later), the bounce should be ready to enjoy. Serve in cordial glasses as an after dinner liqueur and enjoy in moderation. The cherries that have been steeping in the liquor can also be enjoyed on their own or spooned over ice cream or pound cake.

Trunk Show

Trunk Show by preppysue featuring coach handbags

J Crew navy blazer
$188 - jcrew.com

J Crew long skirt
$135 - jcrew.com

Tory burch shoes
$289 - mytheresa.com

Coach handbag
$158 - freepeople.com

London Road pearl stud earrings
£85 - johnlewis.com

Jigsaw scarve
£15 - jigsaw-online.com

Pintrest

Good morning!  Long time no see....

Hope you all had a good summer, ours was crazy busy with many fun, and exciting new adventures.

More about those later.  For now let's talk about

Pintrest.

What a fun site!  Have you joined?  I have joined and started to follow a few bloggers.  I have no idea what I am doing and am probably breaking some Pintrest etiquette rules so if any one has any tips please leave them here for me in the comments.

I have a link on my sidebar to follow me if you are so inclined and I hope you are.  Let me warn you though, this site is addictive.

xoxo

A Few Cottage Pictures

 Hello all.  Last weekend was rainy, cold, and windy but at sunset on Saturday night the sun came out and cast the most beautiful gold glow over everything at Dana's cottage.

 She is still fluffing the inside so here are a few pictures of the outside of the cottage.

 When we were up north over Memorial Weekend we scoured all the antique shops in Northwestern Michigan and we were able to fill the front porch with a lot of nice old wicker and ratan pieces.

Here is a sneak peak at what is to come of the interior of the cottage.  It is going to be adorable! 

Forget-Me-Not

Hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend!  We had a great time at the cottage, but we were so busy hunting, gathering, and rearranging that there was no time to photograph the results.

So, I greet you this morning with this picture taken in my laundry room of a Forget-Me-Not plate that hangs over the dryer, by the window, and with an appoligy for no cottage pictures.

Back To Boyne City

Wow, what crazy weather we are having here in the USA!   Our hearts and prayers go out to all those in harms way and those recovering from the devistation caused by the tornadoes and flooding.
 
Hopefully Memorial Day weekend will end up being nice and peaceful.

Tomorrow we are going to Boyne City on beautiful Lake Charlevoix in the north-west portion of the lower penninsula of Michigan for the Memorial Day weekend.  Our family spent summers there for many years before relocating to Harbor Springs.  After selling the cottage there we were renting most summers.  This year we are back in Boyne City and happy as can be about it.  Our daughter and son-in-law bought a cute little cottage there right across the street from where our son and his wife keep their boat.

I will be back next week with pictures.

Mother's Day

Wishing you all a very happy Mother's Day.

This will be the first year that my sister and I will be celebrating Mother's Day without our beautiful Mother but she will always be in our heart.

The Pear Trees About To Burst

The first signs of Spring are beginning to appear after weeks of cold temperatures and rain. This picture, out our front door, shows the Bradford Pear trees that line our streets about to burst into full bloom.

If you disregard the mess that my garden is in, because it has been too cold and wet to get out there, you can get a glimpse out our back door of the tree lined street ready to put on its finest show of the seasons.

Hope things are warming up in your part of the world if you are in the Northern Hemisphere.
I am sooo over this cold weather!

Home Made Lemoncello

A week ago we went to an Italian Cocktail & Dinner Party where the host and hostess set up a Make-Your-Own Lemoncello bar. They provided all the lemons, canning jars, decorative jars, the directions to complete our Lemonchello at home, and the little bags to carry it all home.

While at the party we each pealed the skin off of five lemons and put them in pint sized jars. After that we added a cup of any kind of vodka, that we chose and were instructed to bring to the party, into the jar.

The rest of the instructions were printed out on these cute cards that were attached to our take-out bags. If you click on the above picture you can see them close up.

Because we had a busy weekend I am a few days late in completing the process but I don't think that will cause any major problems with the mixture.

This morning I boiled the sugar syrup, let it cool to room temperature, added the marinated lemon mixture, then strained it into the decorative bottles. It was a little tricky straining the mixture and a bit of it went down the drain but all in all it was time consuming but easy.

If you are looking for a theme for a Dinner Party I would highly recommend incorporating making your own Lemoncello into the program. It was a big hit at the party and it takes care of your party favors in a big way too.

My whole house smells lemony delicious too!