Because......
Decorating is endless.
Cooking never ends.
Gardens are always changing.
And best of all shopping goes on and on!

Hence the name,
Open Ended!

Friday, July 23, 2010

An "Inspiration Leave"

Have you every heard of a Study Leave?
Well I don't need to study but I could use 
some inspiration.


So... to celebrate my 6 month blog anniversary
I am going to take an "Inspiration  Leave!"


The time has gone by so fast!
I have learned so much about blogging
and I have even gotten a little better at my picture taking.


I have met so many new and very creative blogger friends.
And I have met many others who leave me such sweet comments.


I need some time to play catch up at home, get creative,
finish up several unfinished projects and mostly some time to reflect
on were I am going with my blog and with my life.

 Sounds a little dramatic when I write it down
but it's really not.


Ever so often in our lives I think it's important to just listen.
 We are so busy constantly moving
that we don't take the time
to stop and listen.


At 48 years old, I find that I have become more aware
of these seasons in my life.


So.....
it's time for me to slow down, listen and get inspired!


I shall be back...
I am just not sure when....

I will try to keep following my favorite blogs.
Because they are a huge inspiration to me!


Thank you to all that checked me out over the past 6 months.
I will be back soon!

Until Next Time,

Wednesday, July 21, 2010




Hey There!
Have you missed me?

I've missed you!
I have no good excuse for why I haven't blogged much!
We have had quite a bit of company over to the house.
  Then I ran my brother to a Doctor's appointment.
After we left the office I realized I had left 
my computer in the waiting area!
Yikes!
By the time I realized it, I was home and it was to late to call!
But thankfully my sister picked it up the for me the next day!
(So... no computer for a couple days made it hard to blog!)

I also had a lovely lunch at Joy's (the Savvy City Farmer)
home yesterday. Oh my gosh was her home wonderful!
She is so creative and her home is so uniquely her!
    Jen Rizzo from Sanctuary Arts &
Tracey from French Larkspur also had
lunch with us and we did a lot of blog talking.
I got to pick their brains.
I was the newbie of the group so
they patiently answered all my questions!

Thank you Joy for a lovely lunch and the lovely company!

Ok....ok....enough words!

Now lets see some photo's....



 
 



It's the inside!
This is our Master Bedroom.
There are 2 things I love about our bedroom.

First, I love the barrel ceilings.
It was hard to show them but 
you can kind of see them in a few of the photos.

Second, I love the five windows that go 
across the wall opposite our bed. 
I hardly ever close the blinds so in the morning we
wake to all the beautiful trees and birds.
 And in the wintertime the snow 
on the trees is so beautiful!

Oh... and did I tell you that I
love love love
a really soft set of sheets!
Hmmm.....

Wow...now I feel like going back to bed!!

Missed you,

Thursday, July 15, 2010

lazy days of summer


after I did my porch post my mom and step dad
requested screened in porches

so here are some lovely screened in numbers!


you know...
if you double click on a photo
most times it will enlarge it.
then you can really see all the details!






Can you picture yourself on one of these,
relaxing & sipping a raspberry lemonade?

can you guess which one's my favorite?

have a lazy summer weekend
you deserve it
my friend!

Monday, July 12, 2010


I feel change a come'n!
I was in the mood for some change!
Can you tell?

Change #1
Blog Header!
I got really brave last night and
decided to change my blog header.



I did it all by myself.:-)
No help from my daughter-in-law.
Half way through I was sweating bullets....I almost called her!
First the header was WAY to BIG.
Then it disappeared for a while.
But in the end I finally got it!


Next....
I would like to introduce you to someone.
This someone comes and goes like the wind.
At times it sticks around for
6 months or a year and then it goes.
It's never gone for very long and like the wind it returns!
This has gone on for at least 25 years!


It's the same 20 lbs!
I have gained and lost the same 20 lbs for soooo long
that it feels like it has a personality of it's own!
Can I get an Amen!!
Anyone else have this problem?

That leads us to change #2 & #3


Change #2 is diet!
Or at least eat less and healthier!



Change #3 is yoga!
I've started to go a few times a week with my daughter!


Yoga is much harder than I remember!
Ouch...I am a little sore!


But..aren't the yoga mats and
matching bags to die for!


Seriously.... it's time to make some changes!

Anything in your life that needs a change?


Lastly, I would like to say a big thank you to all of you
that left me such sweet comments about my house!

As for the inside,
it is still a work in progress!
As I looked around
I realize I haven't really
finished one whole room!
So bare with me and I
will snap a few photo's!


Lots Of Love,

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Random photo's!
Over time I seem to save a bunch
of random photo's.
They are just photo's that catch my eye!


Love the duvet at the end of the bed
&
the cute antique bench!


I saved this one because
I would love to find a wardrobe
like the big blue one in the corner.
I wish I could see the whole thing!
I would like to paint it white

&
use it on my back porch!

Love the chippy fireplace mantel for a headboard.
And how about the bench next to the bed, to be
used as a night stand or a stool to help
jump into this comfy bed!

~~~~~~

I've had a busy last couple of weeks.
I've been helping my in-laws get there
house ready to go on the market!
They have been in the same home for 40 years!

So....there has been
a lot of lifting and cleaning and
for my mother in-law
a lot of emotional decisions as to
what to hang on to or what to let go!


I suppose that's why all
the photo's are of
lovely beds!

I am feeling like a nap today!


Have a relaxing weekend!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

My House!


I've been asked several times if I would show my house.
So.....
after reading Cathy's post from the Mille Fleur blog!
{She did a post on her wonderful family room.}

It inspired me to get busy and take some photo's.


Now here is a little history...

As I have said in previous posts,
we moved here a little over a year and a half ago.
We were actually having a custom condo built.
The kids had left the nest so we were down-sizing!
You know...
less yard, less to clean,
no more pool, less to take care of.
I saw my self with more time to do the things
I never had time for!

Then....
shortly after we had our previous home sold
we received the bad news that the builder
of our condo had gone bankrupt!
BIG FAT UGH!!
Sadly, it was a sign of the times. :-(

After the initial shock wore off....
we did what any homeless parents would do.
We moved in with our son!

And when we knew "the condo thing" was
completely hopeless
we started looking for another place to call home.

So the hunt was on!
We looked and looked and looked!
First, we looked at condos and none were as great
as the one we had our hearts set on.
Next we looked at home after home after home.
To no avail!
We even considered building! Yikes!?!...
{It was definitely the wrong time to build!}

Then.....
after putting my poor friend/Realtor through the
daunting task of finding the perfect home...
we came up with this.


Our kids and family were never crazy about the condo thing!
After all where would they all go for holiday's and pool parties!



Our families always say, that Mike and I have
the gift of entertaining!
I think they just say that so we will have them all over!

Now....
Mike liked this house right way, but me, not so much!
I was still thinking down-sizing!


Yet, here we are.....


with a bigger yard


a bigger house


another pool


and more parties!



It's taken me a little longer to to fall in love with this house!
But little by little I have started to really enjoy all the wonderful
details and character this home has.
I wish I could say I designed it..but I just get to enjoy and
"TAKE CARE"
of it!

I guess it wasn't time to stop entertaining!

Warmly,

Friday, July 2, 2010


Hydrangea's



I picked these
from my garden!


I have never had hydrangea's till I
moved to the house I live in now.
I think they're one of the most beautiful flowers.
They are gorgeous
at almost every stage of blooming!
Whether they are small & green or large & white
they are awesome!

These are
Annabelle Hydrangea's!


My daughter-in-law said I needed to cut
them so they would continue blooming!

So we cut a bunch!
They look so beautiful in a vase
and they last for a long time!

Next...
I am going to try and figure out how to dry them!

Thank you again
for all of your wonderful comments!
I enjoy each and every one!!

Have a
safe & fun
4th of July
!

Warmly,