:: hop on over to tend today where i’ve written a post on seasonal interest in the garden.
:: i found this piece inspiring and empowering. i have always loved erin’s positive outlook on life.
:: i am super excited about this book. make sure to scroll down to watch the book trailer.
:: this documentary was wonderful. i can only hope that in my seventies and eighties i will still hold true to who i am and enjoy life to it’s fullest like these women.
::you can now find second and edgemont on facebook head on over and like us!
:: ok we are off and headed out for pizza and then the roller rink tonight. not sure who’s more excited. i love to rollerskate!
Hannah’s Room- part two
there’s still some painting to be done but i thought i would share a few more bits and pieces of the addition.
i knew i always wanted to incorporate an open staircase into the project and i love how it has transformed our second floor. our carpenter did a beautiful job at crafting the post and railing and blending in the fact that that post needed to run all the way from the third floor down to the basement(the reason why our dining room wall is all patched up with spackle at the moment). it is essentially holding up the new third floor. the other post is hidden under drywall. i was a bit grumpy when the engineer first showed up to inform us that we needed to run two posts right through the middle of the project. but we got creative and i am very pleased with the end result.
mid way through the project we came up with the idea of a light tube in the ceiling of the staircase and i have not regretted the decision one bit! i adore the natural light that streams through all day long down the stairs and into our second floor space. with the ship lap it feels like we live on a boat with a little port hole.
my mom and i are always trying to find more and more ways to utilize every inch of our home,hence all of the built-ins in my house. she came up with the brilliant idea of some shelving along the staircase which bumps into the attic storage space. for now it holds games, something we have a lot of and i can’t seem to find enough space for. and the little bump out shelf at the bottom of the staircase above holds some of my basket collection. i may over-winter some plants up there with all of that sunlight streaming through.
The Joys of Thrifting
oh thrifting.
i used to struggle with the guilt about how much i love it. but recently i have embraced the fact that for me it is an art. a creative process. it’s a big part of who i am and how i express myself and my style in both my wardrobe and in my home. but most importantly it brings me a lot of joy!
i like having things that no one else has. i like finding other creative uses for things. i like recycling and giving things another life. i like the hunt. i like old, well made things. i like the history and the story these things hold. i like mixing these finds in with our handmade crafts and what we find out in the natural world and tying it all together to tell our own story.
creating a home filled with things that i love is something i grew up with. my mother instilled in us an appreciation for beautiful useful things even down to your dustpan and broom.
above are a few things found on a thrifting adventure yesterday.
:: a cream colored cable sweater with toggle closure. a new color for me!
:: wool fringed checked scarf. a small square sized one perfect for one knot around the neck.
:: rust cabled gloves. to match the new fallen leaves.
:: wooden spindle chair to pair with hannah’s desk. plan to make a little cushion for it.
:: an old wooden scoop used as a shelf in my kitchen for now but also to be used to hold napkins and utensils when hosting dinner and parties.
A Good Day
Lemon Meringue Pie
the annual harvest fest at the farm took place today.
it was beautiful day and we had a great turnout.
one of the highlights of the event every year is the pie bake off.
hannah and norah both wanted to enter a pie this year.
they wanted to try something totally new and something that would knock the socks off of the judges.
they paged through our martha stewart pies and tarts cookbook and decided on a mile high lemon meringue pie.
after a long day of setting up for the event i admit i was in no mood to bake especially something i had never made before. but the girls kept persisting and so i gave in.
we turned on some music and began to squeeze some lemons.
hannah kept asking me “isn’t this fun mom?”
when we pulled the finished pie out of the broiler with it’s browned peaks of meringue it was a proud moment.
our pie did not win the contest but none of us seemed to mind.
making the pie was a prize in itself.
and it was pretty darn tasty too!
turns out it really was fun, hannah.
A Visit with Nan and Pop
yesterday morning i was in my grandparents neighborhood running errands and as busy as i was i just had to stop by.
nan made me a cup of tea and we sat and the three of us sat and chatted for a bit in the breakfast room.
i left with a few tomatoes from their garden and a pocketful of peppermint patties.
words cannot express how much i love these two and not a day goes by where i don’t appreciate having them around.
at 89 years old the both of them are still going strong.
the rest of my day felt a little brighter as i carried their energy along with me.
i love all of the memories i have spending time together and how so many things remind me of them….
nan
+ a cup of tea
+ peppermint patties
+ rosary beads
+ garage sales
+ st. jude oil
+ butterscotch candies
+ lavender
+ hankies
+ the trolley
+ worry stones
pop
+ sawdust
+ cough drops
+ baseball caps
+ yellow salve
+ hard pretzels
+ plaid buttondowns
+ the blessed mother
+ cherry pie
+ life savers
+ am radio
Dear Norah
dear norah,
thank you for…..
::being totally comfortable with who you are.
::pulling me out of my comfort zone.
::making me laugh on a daily basis.
::reminding me that you are you and i am me.
::giving the best hugs ever.
::reminding me how much i really do like pop music.
::still snuggling up on my lap.
::not caring what other people think.
::always being up for an adventure (especially going out to eat).\
::being such a goofball.
::thinking that each day is the best day ever.
you are such a gift.
A Weekend at the Shore-room
this past weekend was our annual september get away to cape may point.
my sister, nephew, my mom and the girls and i all squeezed in to our little shore room.
it was a bit cramped but cozy and most of our time was spent outdoors.
it was a lovely way to ring in autumn with absolutely gorgeous weather.
the air was cool and crisp but the salt water was warm, making for long beach days.
we sustained ourselves with picnics of hard boiled eggs, salmon, fruit and fresh cob oven bread baked just around the corner.
my mom treated us to dinner at the blue pig on friday night and lunch at the red store on saturday.
we made our way in to town for some organic homemade ice cream and a visit to the whales tale a shop that brings back many childhood memories.
the monarch butterflies have begun their migration to new mexico and cape may point is one of their major rest stops. we were able to see the beginnings of this journey.
we spent our last day on the beach romping in the ocean and playing in the sand. when the clock struck we hung our heads and trudged back to pack up camp.
we stopped by the red store for french madeleines and coffee and sang all the way home.
The Great Media Garage Sale
we had a fun time today selling at the great media garage sale.
our street was a wall to wall yard sale and it was great fun meeting new people and seeing old friends as they stopped by to peruse and chat.
we sold a bunch of things and gave lots of tours of our backyard too.
i wasn’t much in the mood this year to look around. but i did buy two sweet hand made appliqued pillows made by my neighbor’s daughter to give to the girls for christmas.
the highlight of my day was meeting a blog reader and her lovely family who stopped by to say hi (and even buy a few things).
it was so nice to meet you tracey. i am so glad your husband said something;)
Fall is in the Air
ahhhh september, my favorite month!
i,m wearing suede loafers and a jean jacket and there is white bean kale soup simmering on the stove.
there is so much i love about summer but fall truly makes me happy.
:: last weekend was full of parties and barbeques and a crab fest. I threw my 100 year old neighbor a birthday party on sunday and served iced tea, lemonade, tea sandwiches, deviled eggs and lots of sweets. can you believe i did not take one photograph!! i’m so mad at myself.
:: the media garage sale day is this coming weekend and we have lots to sell. i also have my eye out for a few things. it’s one of my favorite days of the year. hundreds of garage and yard sales in my town. i get giddy!
:: we are waiting for the floors to go in to hannah’s room and then she will be moving on up. i can’t wait to give you a tour!
:: the girls start up at Open Connections in a few weeks and our schedule will slowly begin to change with extra curricular stuff.
:: i have been invited back to habit for the month of september. come visit me.
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