Fairhope and Point Clear, Alabama

Hi everyone!

Life has changed over here. 

There is a cute little creature in our house that is keeping us quite busy! 

More on the little peanut later after I share some of the spring beauty we saw last week on our Gulf Coast trip to Fairhope, Alabama and New Orleans.

Fairhope is a flower filled village on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Many streets have planting beds installed on the sides of the road! It is a very beautiful place that we fell in love with.We were happy to catch the spring bulbs at peek.

Panini Pete's is perfect for coffee and beignets.

Pretty place for trash...

We stayed at the Marriott Grand Resort in Point Clear a few minutes from downtown Fairhope and enjoyed it. 

We loved the walk along the water from the hotel to see the charming homes with docks on the bay that were nestled in oaks....

How about the cute yellow striped awnings protecting this porch of this summer home from winter winds?

We will hopefully be back to visit Fairhope again next winter for a longer visit. Some Mobile and New Orleans beauty next post...

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy

Puppy!

Hi everyone!

This little thing is coming to live with us in two weeks!

We are so excited!!! A miniature golden doodle we are naming Bodhi.....

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy

things I like this week

1. perfect pale flats

2. cute gift wrap idea using cupcake wrappers

3. Martha's pink guest house in her Maine home

4. this tiny pink restaurant and bar in Tribeca is on our NYC restaurant bucket list

5. a pretty dahlia print on etsy

6. love these Brooklyn made bags

7. such a sweet window treatment for a little girls room

8. a rose and cardamom cocktail

9. pretty radish ribbon salad

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

inside our cottage this week

 Hi everyone!

We are making progress. Spring feels like it is on its way with the warm sunny days we have been having this week in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Of course nightly fires are still cozy and warm. Since we are always short of actual newspapers, trader joe's bags suffice as fire starters.

Good old reliable alstroemeria is bringing some pink into the house for Valentine's.

I placed a candleholder rather awkwardly behind the angled television to give us something to look at from the breakfast table. 

I may not have mentioned it before but the French walnut breakfast table was part of designer Charles Faudree's estate that was sold through Sally Johannesson's Dovetail Antiques in Cashiers when Charles passed away in 2013. I think she said it actually had been used in his sister Francie's home.  Charles had a home here in the mountains.

We had the legs extended. It has two wonderful big drawers. Charles was a close friend of Sally and her mother. Everyone raves about what a humble and lovely man he was!

I am growing my last group of narcissus for the season. They have been so wonderful this winter.

I added some magnolia pods I found under a magnificent magnolia tree in Athens, Georgia to the little acorns from our yard.

And some eucalyptus from Trader Joe's in Atlanta when we were visiting friends and family last week for the big jar on the top of the dresser.

A pretty sunrise a few days ago from the house.

We have had this pillow for years. It seems perfect in the mountains. It is hand knit, I found it at Christine Foley's shop in The Fairmont in San Francisco when she used to sell lots of hand knit pillows and throws. It suits the dining bench.

That's it for now. We are itching to get started gardening. I have ordered seeds pods and trays and will attempt to get some seeds started in a sunny guest room window. Will try herbs first and then annuals for a cutting garden that I will have to start in April which feels like a long wait.

Bye for now...

 We enjoyed a beautiful warm winter hike on Saturday at Glen Falls.

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy

Thomasville, Georgia

Hi everyone!

Heading home from our visit to Florida last month, we stopped for a night and visit in Thomasville, Georgia. 

Thirty miles west of Valdosta, it was a winter haven for Northerners in the late 1900's who would arrive by train. Thomasville is also known for the thousands of roses planted around town and celebrated during the annual Rose Show and Festival in April. We were there on a grey January day so no roses.

The town has a historic downtown that is being maintained beautifully with lots of nice restaurants and shops.

A cute little sidewalk library.

Love the message in the front window of The Bookshelf.

The All Saints Episcopal Church is small and charming.

Of course there are many historic homes in town as well. We never stopped the car to take any pics though. Next time.

We had a brief walking tour of Pebble Hill Plantation right before closing time. Next visit when the roses are in bloom, we will get the full tour. Pebble Hill was inherited in 1901 by the daughter of a Cleveland, Ohio industrial family. She added buildings and gardens and the result is a feminine and beautiful farm. I did not take enough photos as we were walking around. The skies were so grey that it was rather dreary. Here are a few better ones from the website of the plantation.

All photos of Pebble Hill belong to Pebble Hill Plantation.

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy