Most homes do not offer enough closet space, so we are always looking for storage solutions that are not too big or too small, compliments our home’s overall design and that blends in with my decorating style. This was never truer than when we purchased our co-op. It...
As we discussed in Finding Storage Solutions ~ Part 1, I never have enough storage, so I have trained myself to see potential storage where the is none. In our Eastern Shore home, we went all out to include as much storage as possible. There was none when we bought...
I am the type of person that designs a cottage garden with a 5-year plan and does it in 2 years because I have the patience of a 2-year-old. You know how you see pictures of people that take a small yard and create a hidden garden with paths and destinations? That is...
I used to think the perfect vacation was to spend a month in France or the winter in Costa Rica. But now I feel that the best vacations are ones that allow me a quick getaway by car. A place where I know the language and the currency. I am not stressed about...
A couple of years ago I was introduced to travel journals. I was fascinated by the creativity. Unfortunately, most of them were done by amazing artists that were exceptional and each page was a work of art. If you are not an artist, no problem. This type of journal...
Ahhhh, Autumn!The days are shorter, the weather is cooler, and the garden is taking on its Fall colors. The foliage is starting to change and soon we will see red, yellow, and orange leaves, apples on the trees and pumpkins turning orange in the fields. The lower...
Choosing the right path can be the most important part of a garden. They have many uses, such as getting you from your car to your house, being able to walk through your garden or even to create mystery. The path also defines spaces or ties the yard and the garden...
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly What are beneficial insects? There are over 100,000 species of insects in North America. The majority are beneficial or harmless. Less than 10% are considered pests. This is great news because beneficial insects are...
Recently our garden received the Bay-Wise Certification.This was accomplished by designing our garden with protecting the environment in mind. We instituted runoff measures, planted many native plants to attract pollinators and beneficial insects to contribute to the...
We are about mid-season for the garden, seeing how I started seeds in February, so I just wanted to give you an update on my Moon Phase Gardening experiment. Check out my original post here: Following the Ancient Practice of Moon Gardening. I tend to have a positive...
Last year it became obvious that not only could I not keep up with the watering in our hot, humid climate, but it was not healthy for the plants. I have 3 rain barrels and due to living in a small town with public water, at the time this seemed like a great solution....
When we first moved here, we had to restore the house. We endured 6 months of living in 2 rooms upstairs, with dumpsters and trucks parked in the backyard. Once the contractors left, the soil was so compacted that only wire grass would grow. Because we had moved from...
Repository of My Best Intentions A friend recently told me that her garden is her “repository area for best intentions”. I thought, what a beautiful way to approach gardening. You can have the best of intentions, as we all do upon starting our gardens every year, but...
When to plant your seeds and plants according to the moon’s cycles Also known as Moon Phase Planting, Lunar Gardening and Moon Cycle Planting Some of you may have read my recent newsletter where I spoke of learning about Moon Planting when I was very young. My...
Just when we thought that all the projects were completed in the home, we have been restoring for 4 years, the rooms that seemed acceptable when we moved in (and there were not many) now seem shabby. A prime example was our upstairs hall bath, a space marred with a...
Starting around Halloween, I begin to think about Christmas decorating. I spend hours getting ideas to see what I can do with what I have, and what I may need to purchase this year. I then take those ideas and design my decorations around the style of our home, the...
I wanted to find a peaceful getaway. If you are a gardener, you know that somewhere around July you are dreaming about a taking a break. This happened to me, so I started looking at places where we could go to relax in September or October. I dreamed of somewhere with...
When deciding on a honeymoon, we were overwhelmed with possibilities. We had been restoring a cooperative apartment in an historic building, for 7 months (see more here) and, planning a wedding (see more here) and knew one thing was certain. A quiet relaxing...
When Dudley asked me to marry him, I started thinking about what that would look like. In all honesty, I started long before that. My previous wedding was very traditional with the white frilly dress, chapel, huge reception…but at 63, what do we want, and how can we...
Having a small kitchen does not mean that you must give up on having ample counterspace with lots of storage. You just need to be creative with your design. We had been waiting for a year for an apartment to become available, in an historic cooperative building...
I am on a journey to live an abundant life filled with joy. I want to surround myself with the beauty of cottage gardens, to grow organic vegetables and fruits for the table, to prepare healthy, delicious meals for my family and to create a home that soothes us after a long day. I believe that anyone can find joy in their surroundings if given the right tools to envision their dreams. I hope that along our journey, you will find the skills to create the vision you want for your life.