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I’ve been summering well. I think.

After two years of fun, needed, work related, home related, dream related, unplanned YESES, I’m requiring myself to rest and say no. I’m having the rest of my life. Or at least trying. And I hope to continue it for the REST of the summer. What are you doing the rest of the summer? Maybe you need a REST of the summer too.

urn

broken

There have been late nights in hotel rooms with close friends, hosting a shower with dear friends, pool woes and pool side reading. We currently have a broken washer (again), a water softener waiting to be installed and only two living chickens–the ones who refused to coop and prefer to sleep in trees. Also, my car smells like a frat house.

at the cottage

This weekend is the highlight of our summer when we get to sit around at my favorite place, The Cottage, with Caroline & Greg. This is the cottage that is my muse, that I wrote about in The Nesting Place–it’s a vacation spot that feels like home, the most thoughtfully prepared place you’ll ever stay.

before

After almost a year of living here, I finally got around to painting the bay window in the kitchen the same way I painted the other windows in the dining room & family room months ago.

I even painted that orange door a nice shade of white. I considered black or a color for the door, but in this dark house with thin windows & a huge wrap around porch that shadows two sides, we need every ounce of white we can get. I went white again. For the door it’s just a coat of primer then two coats of paint. I think I used a satin finish.

DSC_6434

Now that the door is white, it acts more like a frame to view the trees outside.

white

It’s a much prettier background for photos and for life. Why did I wait so long to paint the window & door? It took only one afternoon (including dry time) and my home feels brand new and sparkly.

white door

windows

hutch

I also painted the hutch on a whim. It’s been years since it’s been painted and right now all of our work and money is going into the barn, so this hutch sits where phase two of the kitchen (a pantry, and lower cabinets & shelves) will one day reside. Since we’ve moved, that left door won’t close. Of course.

I’m not a furniture painting expert, I’m a furniture painting risk taker. I stay away from shiny paints and use left over wall paint and maybe some eggshell or satin paint. The hutch is leftover Simply White wall paint in an eggshell finish–same paint I use on our walls. I just painted right over the previous paint job.

jackie

lanny

feathers

I’ve lost track of the number of feathers I’ve found (or have they found me) in the past few months. Maybe they are sending me a special message, or maybe I finally have room to notice them.

under the power lines

Things are good here under the power lines. Not perfect. But that has nothing to do with good.

The trees and grass are green. The sky and pool are blue. I hope they stay that way for the REST of the summer.

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