There's No Place Like Home

For a long time now I've been wanting to simplify my life, but I wasn't sure exactly what that meant.  Did it mean that I needed to quit working, quit writing, quit shopping, quit doing anything I didn't want to do?  The answer seemed kind of elusive in a way, because quitting anything for me usually means filling that void with something else.

As time has worn on, and as I have simplified a number of things in my life...mainly that I'm no longer writing for the most part, I hardly shop, and I don't do things I really dislike doing, I have realized that simplicity means different things to different people.

I've decided that maybe simplicity really isn't the word I was looking for, even though I love that it can mean lack of pretense or guile and uncomplicated.   Maybe the words I needed to add to my vocabulary were calm, wellness, authenticity, and peace...these somehow seem more descriptive and more direct than the generality of simplicity.

I have never been one to pretend to be something I am not, and I have not tried to keep up with the Joneses...because let me tell you folks, I know some pretty amazing Joneses!  But I have grown weary of looking at beautiful homes online, and feeling somewhat let down by aspects of my own home.  Which is silly really because I too live in a beautiful home, filled with beautiful things, and that's not bragging, that's just realizing how truly lucky you are!

I realized recently that as I was waiting for my new sunroom, my new backsplash, my new master bathroom, my new amazing gardens, I was doing just that...I was "waiting" to live!  Of course I have been living, but I haven't been living fully, nope, I've been in a sort of holding pattern.

Now, please don't think that I don't appreciate amazing homes, I've been privileged to visit and write about many over the last 15 years, but the fact is that I'm tired of waiting.  During all those years I never once thought, "hey I wish I lived here," when I left those homes, I appreciated them, but never envied them...if that makes sense.  I was content and happy to drive home to my little piece of paradise, no matter where I was living at the time.  But then came blogs, and pinterest, and tumblr, and every other online entity that can make you wish for things you don't need, or sometimes even want.

 

So, I have pledged that from now on...

...I will no longer wait to have friends over until my house is perfect...I, nor my house will ever be perfect, but having friends over is always perfect!

...I will no longer put anything in my house that isn't truly me, no matter what the trends, or who says I should, and though I have rarely put things in my house I don't love, I have on occasion been taken over by the trend demons!  Henceforth,  I will promise to be true to me, because this is MY house.  (though I promise to defer to Mr. Tide because technically this is his house too...just don't tell him please!)

...I will share my home with others (see pledge #1), because what is the point in having a wonderful home if you don't share it?!...then it is just a prison, or maybe a lovely museum.

...I will no longer feel the need to apologize for or focus on the negatives of this home.  We all have negatives in our homes, but that should always take a backseat to the fact that we HAVE a home!

...I will use my home as a safe haven, a place where I get to cook, read, sleep, and wander around in my pjs however the heck I want...this is my castle and by golly I'm gonna call the shots.

Each day I stop and tell myself how grateful I am for so many things, and yet somehow over the past few years I have slowly let myself get swept up into a world where nothing is real, and everything is done for people who are peering in from the outside.  I am thankful that I have only stepped a few feet into this world, but there are days when I've felt as though something was wrong with me if I didn't like a certain type of decor, or wanted to DIY the hell out of everything in my house...it resulted in a little bit of design multiple personality disorder, something I've never known and never want to take hold.

So, in closing, because I'm not even sure what to say from here, because let's face it, I AM part of the machine that makes us all so crazy and want to rip out perfectly good kitchens to replace them with perfectly "better" kitchens.. I am throwing back the curtain and revealing that wizards aren't all they claim to be.  I'm offering you a hand to get off the Merry Mixer, to get your wits about you, and to stop beating yourselves up because you and your home aren't everything "they" say it should be.

Wanna know how to get back to YOUR home?  Just click your heels 3 times and say "there's no place like home, there's no place like MY home."  You see, you've known it all along and if you ever doubt it, just remember what Dorothy learned about home...

“If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.”

I've Been Framed

After a long day of working yesterday, Mr. Tide and I decided we would head out for a walk on the beach.  It isn't a beach right by our house, but one a little ways from where we live that we like to visit.

The skies were blue and there was a nice crisp chill in the air.  Mr. Tide thought I was crazy for wearing a light jacket, but I thought it felt refreshing.

Each morning when I wake up, I look out the window in our bedroom and on days like this, when the air has a nip in it and there isn't a cloud in the sky, I can see the houses on the opposite shoreline of the river.

Those houses are 5 miles away, so being able to see them is something that goes away when the hot hazy days of summer roll around.

These images were all taken from a beach on another river at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and it was so clear yesterday that I could see the land all the way across the Bay.  That is even more impressive than seeing just 5 miles across the river where we live because it's a whopping 12+ miles across the bay at that particular point!

Maybe I have a bit of ancient mariner in my blood, because for as long as I can remember I have always been thrilled to be able to see that far across the bay.  It's as if a part of me once knew that spotting land after a long journey meant you were almost home.

Also yesterday I took some pictures of a few of my latest projects.  I've had some of my images professionally framed and I'm really pleased with how they've turned out.

I found out yesterday while trying to photograph these that because we have added so many windows to this house that it is nearly impossible to find a dark, reflection free place to take pictures of my pictures.

These were all shot in a tiny hallway by my laundry room, and even there you can see that there are reflections of the windows, my camera, the tripod, whatever, in nearly every image.  And the colors are a little off, but that's to be expected when you don't have a nice set up for photographing framed artwork.

But hopefully you can get the gist of how they look.  I especially love the faux bamboo frame that surrounds the orchid picture, it just gives it a little added oomph I think.  Sorry it has the little corner protectors on it, I couldn't remove them from all of the pictures without a lot of trouble so I just left them on.

And I also love the barnwood frames used for the horse photo above and the boats image as well.  The horse pictured actually belongs to friends of ours.  This picture is a gift to them, let's hope she doesn't read this particular blog post before I give it to her in a few weeks!

So, there you have it, what I've been working on.  If you would like to have one of my framed giclee prints to hang on your wall be sure to check out my latest Giveway by clicking HERE.  You don't have to choose one of these images, or even one of these frames, but these will at least give you an idea of what yours might look like, so hurry on over and join my Giveaway, you have until Friday!  

Thank you!

Looking Ahead

Just like that the holidays are behind us.  In the blink of an eye the day, the weeks and months leading up to it, the whole year really is almost gone, never to be retrieved again except through our memories.

Crumbs and dirty dishes are all that's left to represent the time and fun we spent with friends and family.  And for me, this year will be a happy memory, a year filled with highs and lows, but thankfully mostly highs.  Even Christmas, which included our daughter throwing her back out and being bedridden for the most part, will still bring a smile to my face when I think back on it.

To hear my children laughing and chatting while she laid in bed and her brother hung out with her warms my heart and makes me long for those holidays when I knew she wouldn't be leaving to go back home to her own place.

Some years are more memorable than others, and I have to say that 2011 was one of the more memorable ones.  It included selling my parent's house, the home I grew up in, the place where my dreams were first formed.  Just before we went to settlement last week, after months of waiting, I wandered from room to room and said goodbye.  Tears fell, as I remembered the joy and happiness I had found there, and the dreams I had dared to dream in each and every one of those rooms.  But tears gave way to relief and the knowledge that instead of empty rooms, those rooms would once again be filled with laughter and hopefully be the place where someone else could learn to dream big.

It was also a year when friends were challenged by illness and accidents.  One where they found a strength I can only imagine, and one where they are winning their individual battles.  For that I am grateful, humbled, and mostly just in awe.

It was a year when I got to visit Europe again, and was reminded why I love it so much.  The people, the cities, the architecture, and of course the food.  And being there made me formulate new dreams that include getting back there and not waiting so long between visits.

This year was also a year when my family stood behind me and gave me the courage to try new things, step outside of my box, and start on a new journey of exploration.  They did this all while making me proud every single day by living their own dreams, while still supporting mine.

I don't have a handbook for what 2012 will be, what it will have in store for me or for the ones I love, but I do have a clear vision of what I hope it will be.  I hope that I will slow down more, enjoy more, listen to that little voice more, and do the things that make me happy while making others happy too.

I took the photo above last October.  It is of the river just across the street from me, and was taken with my long lens.  When you look closely you can see the houses on the other side of the river, which is 5 miles wide at this particular point.  Some people will only see the dark foreground, while others will focus on the water, but the lucky ones will see the tiny houses nestled on the distant shore.

Be one of the lucky ones in 2012, look beyond your own shore to the one you can barely make out in the distance.  This year, use your own long lens and dare to look ahead and picture where you want to be and what you hope to accomplish.  Remind yourself each day of how important you are, even if you are the only one who knows it, and create your vision instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you!

Do you have a dream for 2012...I'm all ears!

The Golden Hour

A few days ago my neighbor called me to say that it really wasn't fair to the other trees in the neighborhood the way my maple was showing off this year.

I hadn't given it much thought, but she is right, it is a bit of a show off, and one both she and I greatly appreciate for being so boastful.

The leaves have not been as colorful or vibrant as they have in years past, but that's ok, everyone needs a little break every now and then, right?

Photographers often refer to the hour just after sunrise or just before sunset as the "golden" hour, but this time of year that golden glow seems to extend just a bit longer and I find it to be one of the prettiest times of year in terms of light.

It's been a crazy week, filled with ups and downs, frustration and jubilation, and a little bit of feeling yucky just for good measure.  But tonight, after having to cancel a lunch date with a friend who I've tried to hook up with since summer, and not making dinner for my friend "J" who is undergoing chemo (for fear I might give her something), I decided to just go outside with the dogs and enjoy that beautiful golden glow.

This time of year there really isn't a need for Photoshop or increased saturation, Mother Nature has taken care of all that for us.  So you can just point and shoot, knowing that whatever you capture will make you feel warm inside when you look at it later...though adding a cup of tea to the mix while you are resizing pictures never hurts either.


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Even the inside of my house was aglow this evening, and you have to love it when your crystal decanters, some of which are antiques, and your mercury glass leaf ornaments look like works of art.

I will be gone for a few days, the Midwest has requested I make a visit.  Ok, that's not really true, parts of the country can't actually request your presence, but if they could then I would have been sent a pretty embossed invitation asking me to come for the next few days, so off I'll go.

I hope each of you has a wonderful weekend, and that you find a way to bask in your own special glow.  Oh, and I will be back tomorrow to announce the winners of my latest giveaway, I wouldn't leave you hanging, even if the Midwest does request the pleasure of my company!

If You Were a Boat

If you were a boat, my darling

A boat, my darling

I'd be the wind at your back...

 As always, thank you for your wonderful comments, and although I don't always reply back, I do read and enjoy each and every one of them!!! xoxo

*** And go toot your own horn, I did (something we all need to learn to do more of, heck, we work hard on these blogs of ours!), and enter your blog in the Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Award Contest!  Click HERE for more info...hurry it ends on Monday!! ***

The Water is Wide

This lovely Mute Swan graced us with his or her presence on a walk this evening.

Morning Has Broken

 Morning has broken, like the first morning.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.

Moving at a Snail's Pace

Today I ventured down to our dock to get an up close and personal view of our swamp hibiscus or marsh mallows in full bloom.  They are really outdoing themselves this year.  And I also noticed that we had a few visitors on the marsh grasses...these little snails.

I have decided to name them Gary (in honor of Spongebob's pet snail), and Escar Go (it seems less morbid if I break it in to 2 names and misspell it!), who is visiting from France.

I love their bright green ribbed shells, but I didn't want to keep them in the hot sun for too long or they might become a little dry and crispy!

So after snapping a few shots with my uber cool new macro lens (a treat to myself bought with photo shoot and writing money), they were free to return to the cool shade and slightly cool waters of the creek.

I have to say that I love this new macro lens, but learning to use it has been harder than I thought.  If you move just a teeny, tiny bit, you loose your focus because the depth of field is so shallow.  I'm learning, but it's hard teaching an old dog new tricks!  But when you can get up close and personal with your subjects, it makes it all worth it!  Thanks Kate for encouraging me to buy a macro lens, now maybe I can take pictures as lovely as YOURS! :-)

And thank you for your sweet comments about my new venture into portrait photography.  After I posted yesterday I realized that I had used the low res versions of each picture, but I was just too darned lazy to replace them with the higher quality ones...so they will forever remain a little fuzzy looking on my post!

And one more thing before I go, thanks for your comments on my post about what this time of year means to you, I so enjoyed reading all of your comments!!

A Little Bit of This...

In honor of Father's Day, Mr. Tide will be doing a little bit of this...lounging in the hammock.

And if the weather improves, he'll be doing a little bit of that...spending time on the water.

It's our way of showing him how very much we love and appreciate the wonderful father that he is!

To all of the Fathers out there, I wish you a very relaxing Father's Day!   And to those no longer with us, you'll be in our thoughts and hearts today!

Smoke On the Water

Saturday evening, after weeks of 100 degree heat index nearly every day and no rain, we had a nice storm pass through.  After the thunder and lightning had cleared I wandered down to our dock and found mist rising from the water.  We were also treated to a double rainbow, but it didn't show up well in my photos darn it!

I love it right after a good hard rain when everything seems to turn the deepest shade of green and there is smoke on the water.  Plus it's kind of a catchy name for a song...don'tcha think? ;-)

Thanks for all of your lovely comments on my last post, you all brought back some wonderful memories for me as you spoke about your own special memories growing up.  I hope you all have a relaxing Sunday!

Let The River Run

It's Monday, and that means work of a different kind.  Things like grass mowing, picture taking, and plant shopping give way to "real" work, like writing stories.

Stuff that has to be done today, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

When I write, I like it to be quiet.  I can't have the TV on or people chit chatting in the background.  Mr. Tide can attest to this fact and has been shushed more than once over the years for talking on the phone while I'm busy working on a story.  You see, he works from home several days a week, and his desk is right next to mine.

This means that he sometimes has important teleconferences while he's working from home, but I make him go into the living room if I'm busy writing.  Now, let me tell you about the double standard in my house.  When Mr. Tide is busy working hard on something, I talk as much as I like.  I yak away on the phone, play music...sometimes loudly, and am generally obnoxious like that!


 

Now, just in case you are thinking, well that doesn't seem fair!...you should know that Mr. Tide is one of those people who doesn't need quiet to write, think, or do most anything, so he really doesn't mind...honest, cross my heart and hope to die!

I envy this ability of his, because my brain, which goes a million miles per hour most of the time, needs total peace and quiet to gather my thoughts and write a story.  I can do almost anything else with lots of distractions going on, but writing simply isn't one of them.

Now that the weather is nice I can retreat outside to our dock and I can type away with little or no distractions.

But today, while Mr. Tide is at his office in the city, and my son is at college, I will type away, drenched in solitude with nary a sound, except for the occasional barking of dogs or the screech of an osprey.  So I should be good to go right?!

Well I would be, except I have this *&*# song stuck in my head, and it has been all weekend!!!  I actually like this song, but I just can't get it shoved out of my head for some reason.  So my hope is that by putting it out there for all of you, it will finally leave my head and let me work in peace!

So I'm sending this out to y'all, and if it now becomes stuck in your head, well I apologize in advance!  Oh and if the video makes you feel old or reminds you of those HUGE shoulder pads we used to wear and the big hair, like it did me, well I apologize for that too!  My hair was never that big, but some of my friends, well you know who you are!  But back to the song, love ya Carly, but get out of my head! ;-)

Have a great week everyone!

Sunshine on My Shoulders

This morning I was up with the sun.  I'm not sure why, but there was no going back to sleep, even though I was dog tired!

So with the house dark and quiet, I nudged the dogs, grabbed my camera, and off we went down to the dock.  It wasn't a spectacular sunrise, no real bells or whistles.

But theoretically speaking isn't every day that we get to see the sun rise a special day?  My dogs think so!  Mr. Quinn gazed upon the flickering rays of light as they streamed through the trees.

And I marveled at the fact that no matter how young or old, how rich or poor, how sick or well, we almost all feel better when the sun touches our skin or when we get a glimpse of its powerful rays.

Now I know the sun can damage, it can be harsh and unyielding, even deadly, but there is just something about it that draws me in.

Maybe it's the way it illuminates people, places, animals (like Miss Kylee here), even things that makes it so special.  Everything takes on a different look when it is gently kissed by its light.

Or maybe it's the life giving properties it possesses to make things grow and blossom.

Whatever it is, the sun has me greatly enamored, beholden, and truly devoted to it.

No matter how many times I see the sunrise, walk outside at high noon, or watch the sun melt out of sight in a kaleidoscope of color, I am happy it continues to shine down upon me!

I hope each of you found your own little ray of sunshine today! :-)

In case you haven't noticed, I'm having WAY too much fun with new watermark fonts!  You can go here to find your own great fonts to use!

1001 Free Fonts

or here...

Moorstation

The Neverending Vacation

Wednesday was another day filled with scouting shots for magazines, with more to come this afternoon.  I love taking scouting shots, seeing beautiful homes is a definite perk of my job, but not being able to show you all those gorgeous homes until after they get picked up by someone and published is a complete bummer!!!

It's all I can do not to show you these homes that make me giddy when I walk around them!  Both of today's homes were breathtaking, one I had visited before, the other was brand new to me and was as delightful as my friend Susan had described it!

They are both in such amazing settings, right along the water, with views to die for.  And as I snapped away at both the interiors and exteriors of these two homes I had to wonder to myself...if you live in such a beautiful home with heavenly views...do you ever really feel the need to go on vacation?!  Isn't just waking up to those views like being on vacation every day of the year?!

I know that when you live in homes like the ones I photographed today that there are plenty of places besides the beach where you can vacation, but I'll let you judge for yourselves! 

What if your home was a charming, rambling cottage nestled in the woods with a beautiful patio and outdoor shower?

And you could sit on your patio and take in that view?  Or gaze upon the water while taking a bubble bath, or from any room in the house for that matter?

And when you tired of that view you could meander to your front yard and sit on this bench and watch the birds and the deer?

What if you lived in a 4 story house, nearly surrounded by water, and when you woke up each morning you were able to look out at this?

And you could come out here in your PJs and drink a cup of coffee or tea?

Or when you went up to your cupola you were able to stare out at this lovely view?

And when you wanted a change of scenery, you could go to yet another deck and look at this view?

As the sun was setting, maybe you would come out here and sit with a glass of wine and a good book or the latest issue of your favorite magazine?

And then end your day here, with a meal overlooking the water?

So, if those were your views each and every day of the year...would you ever go on vacation?!  I'm not sure I would!!!