Friday Finds #60: Peaches and a Beach House
August has arrived and I cannot lie – I dread the end of summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love fall. It’s winter I’m not too fond of. If any of you are winter lovers, please tell me your secret for loving the frosty season! I need some help in transitioning to cooler weather.
Next week we’re all headed to Wisconsin for a farm vacation – and by “all” I mean my kids and their kids. Goats are located on the property and they’re always fun to watch. The house is also located on a 600-acre tree farm with trails so that should be fun. Not to mention the hot tub and fire pit. We’re staying in the town of Cambridge that has a beach area on Lake Ripley. The lake isn’t too far from the yurt vacation that hubby and I enjoyed last year.
My grandson is celebrating his 16th birthday while we’re in Wisconsin so we’ll probably head over to nearby Madison for dinner. Can you believe I have a 16-year old grandson??? I sure can’t. He already told his mother he’s driving to the farm house. I guess that’s one way to get a teenager to go on a family vacation without complaining.
I’m looking forward to enjoying the sunrise and sunset on the farm. This vacation will be more laid back than those in the past. We have two babies this year so going out is more of a challenge. It’s nice just to hang out with family, enjoying coffee outdoors in the morning, cooking together, and enjoying wine and s’mores in the evening. Sometimes simplicity is best.
Enough of next week’s plans. Let’s move onto this week’s inspirational Friday Finds.
While we’re still enjoying summer, you don’t want to miss Libby Cameron’s century-old beach house that’s filled with color and vintage treasures.
Do you struggle with arranging vignettes atop furniture? Check out three dresser decorating ideas over at Wildflower Home, which by the way, is a new-to-me blog that I’m totally crushing on.
As we transition into fall in a few weeks, many of you will be giving your porch a fresh look for the autumn season. My friend Suzy at Worthing Court shares tips for decorating a small front porch that I think you’ll enjoy.
Have I told you how much I love peaches? Well, they’re in season now and lucky for me and you, Midwest Living shared some of their favorite peach recipes. There are several I want to try. The only problem is, I end up eating the peaches before I can cook or bake with them! But I absolutely must try the Peach Pinwheel Dumplings. YUM!!
Feeling creative? See 10 things you can do with a can of paint. Speaking of which, I need to spot-paint some areas on the outside of my house. I’ll wait until the weather cools off a bit before tackling that project!
How many of you love traditional style? I know I do! You’ll be happy to know it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, according to My Domaine. But then, would you even care if it goes out of style? It’s traditional so I don’t think it could ever truly be considered outdated. That’s the beauty of it. It’s classic and timeless.
I hope I’ve given you some things that brighten your day or even motivate you to make a small change in your home. The creative process is always fun, in my humble opinion. Enjoy the upcoming first weekend in August!
Enjoy your Wisconsin farm vacation!
Thank you, Teddee!!
I love the vacation you’re taking! I’m sure you’ll tell us a bit about it. I used to live in Illinois and 13 years ago moved west. I didn’t know what I was missing for winter! Xc skiing! I’m sure there’s trails around in winter for you to go out and ski. Even gray days are better. The best xc skiing is full moon in the evening. 5pm ski, then a warm dinner waiting. Rent them, take a lesson then go out and have fun figuring it out! Your mental and emotional state will thank you. 😊
Hi Charlene,
Thanks for your input on winter activities! I tried cross-country skiing many years ago but didn’t feel like I was very good at it. Maybe I should try again though. I’ve thought about snowshoeing as an alternative. We do have plenty of trails around us so I think it’s worth a try!
Sounds like a fun and relaxing time spent together. I loved all the Friday finds, thank you.
Draga Jennifer,
Sunt adorabili bulgarii de soare… Foarte sugestiva poza pentru vara lunii august!
Iubesc iarna din totdeauna dar acum ca nu mai trebuie sa merg la munca… si mai mult o iubesc! Sarbatorile de iarna aduc un plus mare de iubire si observ ca pregatirile pentru asta incep destul de devreme. Nici nu simt cand toamna se incheie si colindele se aud deja! Este anotimpul cand ne intalnim cel mai mult cu prietenii, petrecem seri lungi impreuna. Apoi imi place albul purificator al iernii. Suport mai bine frigul decat caldura, stii cum se spune: iarna mai pui o haina si inca una si poate inca una dar vara stai nemiscat in pielea goala si transpiri continuu… disconfort total!
Iti doresc timp minunat petrecut cu cei dragi si multa veselie!
Imbratisari,
Mia
Hi Jennifer.
I hope you have a great vacation.
Something that makes Winter more enjoyable is having woodstove. Even if your house has smaller rooms, there are some quaint ones out there. It’s a great investment also for power outages, still being able to cook a little and have hot water. There’s nothing like a stack of wood on your porch (especially if you stacked it yourself) to make you feel ready for Winter and anticipate a snowy day when you get to enjoy the fire inside. It’s a wonderful treat also when you come in from shoveling. It’s the best. Your kitties will love it too.
I feel the same way about the winter Jennifer. Where did the summer go? Your trip with the family sounds like so much fun. We’ve not gone anywhere this summer, not even a road trip. We just had to send off our female Cockalier to rainbow heaven and it just seems this summer has been full of changes. Hubby and I need to get away. Your trips keep me thinking of ideas. We won’t leave our other pup just yet as he’s adjusting. The change up for fall decor will liven things up. I am with ya on the traditional decor. Add in some French country and a tiny bit of coastal from Nantucket and I’m in:0)
Enjoy your trip and your family. Look forward to reading about it.
Hi Jennifer, I enjoy your wonderful blog so much. When I lived in the Northeast and moved to a rural place where winters were much more rigorous, it was hard to adjust. Two things really helped. The first was silk long underwear. A silk cami t shirt under my shirts or sweaters and silk leggings under my skirts or jeans. Then I was truly warm all the time. The second thing was I taught myself to cross country ski. Getting outside in the fresh powder and the sparkling sunshine lifted my winter mood one hundred percent. I loved the rhythm and enjoyed skiing on the flat ground, I am not a down hill gal. It helped me look forward to winter. Now I live in CA and dread the last few months of summer. We get lovely weather year round, but July and August are hot and seem to go on forever because we get no summer rain. I took great inspiration from your pond and my husband and I built a pond and waterfall two summers ago which really helps. I also planted a wonderful cottage garden around my house and now I look forward to flowers instead of dreading the heat. I hope you find some pleasurable things to enjoy this winter! Leslie