out & about...spring on cape cod

it is an absolutely perfect spring morning here on cape cod.
i thought i'd share some of the beauty of spring...

enjoy!

 

orleans park

sandwich gristmill

sandwich boardwalk beach

nauset beach (before the crowds)

nauset inlet

brewster herring run

marston mills herring run

sunset over the bourne bridge

if your in the area,  the Brewster in Bloom Festival is this weekend.. they'd love to have you visit

happy spring weekend

sue

the journey...and a find

(excerpt from my personal journal )

in this "life change journey" we've chosen to take, there has already been many ups and downs.
some days are so busy and exciting it's hard to think of what will happen next...

and other days, like today, i'm feeling, well... like this...

One of Those Days

Thinking  Thinking

It's All Right

i fell in love with these illustrations the minute i saw them.  the emotion they conveyed in a simple look perfectly matched my mood.

they are the creations of artist Ashley Goldberg.  Ashley states "the characters I create, whether monsters or little girls, are simple, humorous, empathetic, and a little bit pathetic,"  and that, friends, sounds a lot like me some days.

i also found out Ashley lives in Portland  Oregon... well, now,  just maybe I'll get to meet her.
read more about her and see more of Ashley's work here

xo

sue

one of our best egg hunts .. ever

we always have an annual easter egg hunt. it's planned by whoever is hosting easter dinner that particular year.

this year was no exception..and it was exceptional...

take one former teacher/football coach

and you will always have 1. rules  and  2. a clipboard

there will be huddles

a few muddled plays

an occasional time out for more coach instructions

with the players' reactions

and always, in the end....fun for all

oh and of course,  the instant replay...

Thanks so much Jack and Donna, it was a wonderful day

sue

happy spring ... happy sunday ... happy easter

we were up very early in this household today...the easter bunny was here...

and now the fog is lifting, the sun is shining ... it's promising to be a lovely spring day.

however you celebrate the day...

i wish you a very happy, hopping good one!

sue

happy saturday ....

my grandson is visiting for a few days ....

 

vintage sixties wood carved fairy pixie

 

i will be doing more playing than working.... and that's a really good feeling!

do you have plans for the weekend? i hope it's fun filled and enjoyable!

the adorable pixie above is by runawayvintage on etsy (i remember my mom having one just like it)

have a lovely day

sue

it is ... and ... we do!

it's time and we do have a winner!!

but first i want to thank all of you who commented, tweeted, and friended me on facebook.  i really do love my blog friends.

and the winner of a gift certificate to solsticehome... is

AlexKeller

Alex,  is an artist living and creating in Tucson, Arizona. She states in her profile that "her passion is beauty and It encompasses fashion, art and design." That is so very evident in the two shops she runs on etsy. 

vintagebyalexkeller is a curation of vintage housewares and décor that Alex would want for herself. 

&  

alexkeller, where she creates and recycles antique, vintage and resale jewelery into fresh, new pieces.

Alex also writes a blog alexkeller, which i know you'll enjoy.

Congratulations Alex! 

i'll be in touch

Sue

the journey

should i start to share my moving journal...i think the time has come

today has started out quite foggy here on Cape Cod.
i do love the fog, but it always puts me in a pensive mood

and while i'm starting to sort and clear out things from the house, i wonder what do i do with all the photos.

there's many that i know i will never part with.  the photos of special moments so close to my heart, will always stay with me.

but people, i have so many...we're talking boxes, large moving boxes of photo's i've inherited from my parents, cousins, etc....

yes, i'm asking for help!!!  what do you do with all the photos from the past?  i'd love you to share some ideas here.

 thank you

sue

ps...the giveaway ends today...don't miss it...info here

favorite finds this week

as i was rearranging my home, it became apparent how much i use benches all around the house.

pinterest

it's a very versatile piece of furniture "the bench"
thought i'd share a few of my favorites with you today

love the combination of rustic and modern on this reclaimed wood bench 

by urbanwoodgoods Modern Industrial rustic wood bench with mid century styled steel hairpin legs 

this totally reclaimed bench made from old cabinet doors,  reclaimed doug fir and recycled bicycle tubes is eco friendly and smart looking

 

Retread Bench 18 - reclaimed wood and bicycle tube bench by Retread Design

a driftwood settee would be a perfect place to sit and enjoy the garden 

 

Driftwood Settee by Dovetail Designs Cont on etsy

how great is the clean simple style and comfortable look of this 

 floor cushion and platform from urban outfitters

 a bench with storage even better

 as seen on canadian house and home.com

now add in a view ....

i'm all set...i think i'll sit here on this bench for awhile.

happy saturday 

sue

on thoughts and such ...

Today I'm passing along these words and thoughts from a blog i adore,  a perfect gray .

who ...passed it on from...

"I'm passing along these words from my friend Brock Street, because when I read them on his blog, I couldn't forget them...

"why, oh why am i always on the prowl for inspiration. is it because i cannot find satisfaction in my own surroundings? is it because i am not grateful for all the blessing? these are the questions i ask myself often...as if my thirst is never quenched.

i must confess the above is far from the truth. i simply am addicted to dreaming and creating and living a bit outside of my reality. aspire...not for more or better or even beauty...just an enormous appreciation...."

 "My thanks to Brock Street for putting into words what I could not. " and my thanks to Donna for leading me to them.

it really does sum up quite a bit about me. 

 happy weekend friends
sue

 ps: don't forget the giveaway ends monday..go quick and sign up

knock your socks off design

i love it when a designer takes design to a new level...
and this one took it up to the roof.

 

all photos and story as found on inhabitat

everything here is on a roof ...including the waterfall...simply amazing!
called Midori no Tobira (The Green Door in English)

floral designer Kazuyuki Ishihara's  was inspired by the memories of hiding out on the roof of his childhood home.  the greenery-rich installation was created for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and was based on Ishihara's desire to create a rooftop garden.

Ishihara designed Midori no Tobira as part of Green Door, a sustainable landscaping consultancy.

ah ha, this is one that stopped me in my tracks when i saw it!  follow the links to learn more about it.

Enjoy!

sue

ps; don't forget about the giveaway here

 

a thank you giveaway

'it' has finally happened...we have finally finished getting our home ready for sale,
all those "little tasks" are done ...  it's listed!!!
 

Spacious one floor living near the Village ~

Light and bright with casual coastal ambience

as a little thank you for being so patient with my scattered posts and especially for all your kind words of encouragement during this process....

i'm hosting a giveaway in the shop....

of a $30.  gift certificate to use anyway you please at solsticehome

drawing Monday April 11th

and let's make this easy..

leave a comment ( so i can enter your name in the drawing)

**extra entries for tweeting and linking this post**

ps;  if you know anyone looking for a truly loved cape cod home...send them my way 

 thank you sweet friends

sue

Let's link up today with Beach Cottage's Good Life Wednesdays

a before & after

this is a photo of our living room taken before we bought our house.

 

one of the things i didn't like, was the wall of cabinets in the living room. i loved the idea of a bookcase wall but this one looked like a wall of  kitchen cabinets.

we couldn't wait...so before we even moved in, we removed all of the top cabinet doors. it helped the look and it certainly held most of our books, favorite pieces and some of my finds before they made their way into the shop.

but it just never looked quite right to me. well, now that we're getting ready to sell our home and fixing all those little things you just live with...but are really, not completely done...
a project we did finish, was to add more shelves and moulding... and now,  finally,  the bookcase wall looks just right to me.  sigh, why did i wait to finish this!

do you have a house project, you've just lived with for awhile and are finally starting to tackle it?
i'd love you to share it with me ... send me a note and a link and i'll try to post a few of them here for all of us to see.

happy project finishing

sue