the vingettes of chateau gahan.

As soon as you enter her home, you feel like you are on vacation. I don't know why... maybe it's the mixture of pale pinks, mint greens and summer sea blues, or the freshly painted thrifted finds, unfussy fresh flowers or perhaps the fluffiest of dogs (who meets you at the doorstep, ball in mouth) that create the perfect combination to put you at ease. And you must just give in to it, take off your shoes, wrap yourself in a brightly patterned vintage throw and let out a contented sigh.

Chateau Gahan is the prettiest of places, an easy-going retreat that is just so lovingly considered. As promised, come on in!
















(Thank you for always keeping the door open.)

it's supposed to be 72 degrees on saturday

This just does not compute.

But me and the gnome home will welcome the change gladly!

snow day with ellie

At first she was curious.



Then she got angry... barking and snapping at the falling snow.



And then, with a few more cautious steps, she was off and running. Fast! Catching snowflakes with a quick bite at the air, searching for lost toys under the blanket of whiteness and romping about when the flakes hit her fur.





So glad it wasn't a school day and we could enjoy it together. Here's what we found...










When can we go out again?

Camera Attachment.

The lack of blog posts is directly related to the fact that I cannot seem to detach myself from my newly gifted camera. Which, in turn, makes it quite difficult to type.

Oh yes.

A bright, shiny, new camera. Witt is way too good to me. People are beginning to call me spoiled rotten, and I do not disagree.

It's like Christmas in February over here. And I'm worse than the kid who got the brand new bicycle. I can think of nothing else. Click, click, click. All I want to here is the satisfying sound of the shutter. Oh I wish you could hear it.. so solid. It reminds me of my very, very old metal Nikkormat, which was built to withstand war zones, I swear.

What many people find funny is that I still have the fascination with taking this brand new, perfect, sharply focusing and camera and stick it through the lenses of old camera to make imperfect shots.





But that's just me. It's not perfect until it's messy.

So is life.

Nest.

The end of this month marks the 4th anniversary of buying my first home, so I've been thinking a lot about nesting lately. Honestly, I can't believe that I've been in the "Gnome Home" for 4 years now... it's the longest I've ever lived at a place other than the home I grew up in.

Gosh, it was such a huge accomplishment for me. Turning 30. Being single. Buying my first place. Responsibility. Independence. Ownership.

I distinctly remember the moment the key was handed over to me. Turning the lock for the first time. The smell of the old house. The echo my voice made in the empty rooms.

It's funny, my home represents who I was at the time I bought it because I truly haven't changed it since then. The inside of it, that is. But I've changed quite a bit in just 4 years, so I'm thinking it's time for a mini-facelift. Perhaps new paint colors. Fresh artwork. Re-purposed furniture.

I dunno. I guess I just want to hand the key back over to myself and see what I'd do with it today.



Oh, and the shop needed a facelift too. So I'll be adding to the collection over the next week or so. Here's just a small sampling of what you'll find!

Sunny Outlook.

Thank goodness for the bit of sunshine and >30 degree temperature on Sunday! I think I finally thawed out. Miss Ellie got to romp a bit in the muddy backyard, and I got to work more on the TTV contraption I've been making to take photographs like the one above (of course, with the help of my Witt). I think we've finally got it down. I'll be adding some of these types of images to the shop when I get a little collection going.

I have also found out from the lot of you that having squirrels and/or rodents in your attic is not out of the ordinary, nor is it cheap to get them out. I finally have scheduled a "whole house exclusion" to be done on the place. Seriously, I'll do anything right now as the suckers have been keeping me up around the clock. If they paid rent that'd be one thing, but seriously, it's just plain nasty.

So in the wee sleepless hours of the night, I decided to come up with a more defined list of my resolutions. Plus I've read some of yours, and they have really me inspired. And of course, writing them down helps them to become real, and sometimes that's not a bad thing. So here goes...

- Blog more often, even when I'm not particulary inspired.
- Text back, even just to say I received said text.
- Look up, even when I'm not feeling it.
- Eat at the dining room table, even if it's just me and the puppers.
- Shop/dress for my age, and remember it's quality over quantity.
- Take my camera along for the ride, even if it seems too heavy.
- Keep my expectations in check, especially with people I love.
- Take Ellie on long walks, even when it's cold. She deserves it.
- Write snail mail, especially to my niece and nephews.
- Take vacations, small or large.
- Make health a priority, especially when there are many temptations.
- Be thankful for my home, especially when the repairs seem overwhelming.
- Donate my time, especially when I feel I don't have any.
- Listen intently and respond thoughtfully.
- Remember to enjoy the process, especially when I just want to get there already!
- Stand of my own two feet*, especially when it's easier to crawl.

*thoughfully written by Miss Ingrid Sullivan (my cousin's baby girl), 42 days old

Open Letter to Christmas: Why the Rush?

Christmas snuck up on me again this year. Every year I tell myself, "Self? Next year, you'll do better! You'll have purchased and created all your gifts come fall, so it will be a snap! There will be no rushing about, no worrying, no stressing, Oh no! Not at all! You will be oh so prepared."

Sigh.

Not the case, my friends. I haven't even gotten the list together... you know, the one that you mull over for days, perhaps weeks until you come up with just the perfect present for Mom (or Dad, or boyfriend or best friend)? Oops. I think this year may be the worst one yet.

But, the tree is up.



Shining with all off my favorite vintage ornaments that mean so much to me.




And the mantle has been rearranged, yet again, filled with angels and 100 year old sleigh bells.




And, don't you think, she's the prettiest tree?



I do.

And looking at her makes me slow down, take a deep breath and realize that the rushing and the doing and the organizing and the planning and the perfecting — is not what it's all about.

No.

I think it should be more about the pausing, don't you?

Fall to Winter.

Just a few shots of the last glimpses of Fall around the homestead. I guess it is time to move on to Christmas — we actually had snow flurries yesterday! I'll be unpacking the decorations this weekend and hopefully putting up a small tree. I don't have a ton of Christmas stuff, just a few things that hold sentimental value. But I have to have a fresh cut tree. It wouldn't be Christmas without one. I love that the whole house fills with the smell of pine.

So, I was wondering, what Christmas tradition/decoration could you just not live without?

Copper.

The leaves are falling, falling, falling in the backyard... all seem to be cast in a copper tone early this morning.

Deck the Hall(oween).

The house is all decked out for Fall and Halloween, thanks to bringing back some pumpkins from a quick weekend get away to my brother's cabin in Blue Ridge. I have lots of photos to share with you from that excursion (gourd hunting, apple tasting, waterfall hiking!)... but wanted to post the 'ol homestead snapshots first.

Mums and pansies have been planted, pumpkins thoughtfully arranged on the mantel and Indian corn hung on the door. Still waiting for the air to get crisp... then we'll be all set!