mountain sunrises

Hi everyone!

Our favorite wake up activity is checking out the sunrise on sunny days, which there are many of here in the western North Carolina Mountains. There are almost as many sunny days a year in the High Country of North Carolina as there are on the Low County of South Carolina and Georgia. Hard to believe but true. The sun combined with a large amount of rainfall that comes down in buckets (it rarely sprinkles) creates a temperate rainforest that allows all the rhododendron and laurels to flourish.

this morning's sunrise

We are loving sunny winter days as there were so few of them in Northeast Ohio where me moved from. Lake effect weather from Lake Erie makes winters dreary there, of course the temperate summers and warm colorful autumns are wonderful, but the winter is very longggggggggg.  

The mirror on the porch, seen though the French doors of our bedroom, reflects the mountain view and the sunrise as it appears over Whiteside Mountain. 

Here are a few (iPhone quality) recent sunrises....

A few days ago we were greeted with this beautiful sky!

Every sunrise is beautiful and it is interesting to see the sun's position as it moves through the seasons.

Hope you are enjoying sunrises or sunsets in your neighborhood this winter!

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy

Cashiers Designer Showhouse 2014

Can you imagine sitting on your porch with your morning cup of coffee or tea and enjoying this view?  The setting of the Cashiers Historical Society Showhouse 2014 is just spectacular!

The porches and outside living areas were my favorite parts of the house. I loved the delicate window box plantings on the front porch.

The front porch faces the wooded front yard and a perennial bed with a rock sculpture wearing a hat. 

A side entry on the porch led to a flower arranging space/mudroom. Love the moss covered planter with ferns placed on an antique bench. 

Cashiers blogger Lissy Parker featured this shot of the area on her blog....

Brown and chartreuse fabrics and lots of ferns looked great.

The long bench on the right is a South Carolina joggling board. I was surprised to see it used here as they are more common in the coastal Low Country of South Carolina.

The backyard views are just gorgeous and stunning!

 The first floor master bedroom has a beautiful view and private porch with a rustic twig fence that is so commonly used here. Sorry the light was not better.

The main porch was decorated to be pretty and feminine. Designer Lynn Monday used blue & white chinoiserie  as her inspiration. She has recently authored a beautiful book on southern mountain style, you can purchase it here.

The faux bois tableware looks perfect in the mountains. I think it is by Ross Sveback, I have seen it in local  stores.

And finally on the way out, the pond with wooden canoe and great stone dining table. These  two photos also by Lissy Parker.

To get tickets, visit the Cashiers Historical Society site here.

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy

around town

Hi everyone! 

Daisies at the Bank of America, Highlands

We are finally feeling somewhat settled in our mountain cottage. 

I  have unpacked most of the second load the movers brought last week. There are still plenty of boxes for me in the basement that I will go through this summer but we are now able to live normally. 

Ferns, lilies, rhododendron, coreopsis and spiderwort in our wooded backyard, no grass cutting!

Gooseneck loosestrife in our front yard.

I am finally getting out and exploring the beautiful towns of Highlands and Cashiers. 

It is fun to do errands on curvy scenic roads and visit all the boutiques and quant shops. No big box stores here! 

Flowers and ferns are everywhere. Crisp mountain air makes colors bright and foliage vibrant. 

Scaveola and ferns outside Vivace in Highlands

There are several garden stores and a few florists I will blog more about later but here are some random sighting from the last few days. I am kicking myself for not getting more shots of a favorite fern, the Australian Tree Fern. Many shops have at least one potted at their entrance. Some big, some small. 

This one

is placed outside of Rusticks, a wonderful shop I discovered a few days ago. I found a set of faux bamboo side tables for our guest room there. It sits on pretty Cashiers Lake in a great rustic lake house.

view from Rusticks porch

view of Rusticks in the distance across Cashiers Lake

Also in Cashiers is Fiddlehead Designs, a lovely florist and event planning co. I forgot to photograph the beautiful begonias and ferns on their front porch. I want to go back and purchase a few for our porch.

An orchid planter at Fiddlehead waiting to be delivered.

Summer Place Antiques has beautiful red hanging begonias  and late blooming hydrangea adorning their entrance...

They also have a pretty log railing with phlox next to the parking area. I will have to post about railings later because there are so many beautiful natural railings made by local craftsmen.

That's all for now. Oh one more thing, this is a view on the way home from Cashiers. 

We live almost halfway between Cashiers and Highlands, about 5 miles from each. This is the view from the road that most likely causes accidents every so often! It is fun to see it change with the weather. Our new favorite activity is mountain watching. Still have not seen a black bear but everyone else around here has!

Thanks for visiting !

Cindy

a postcard mountain view

View of Hampton Lake while having a drink on the lawn before dinner at High Hampton last night.

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy