Driftwood dreams…

From the beginning her twin passions were drawing and horses.

Her hero was Leonardo da Vinci.

She was a disruptive student…even kicked out of school

and told she would never be an artist.

Heather Jansch perservered…with pluck…courage , a dream

and oodles of beach detreitus.

…and a strong belief in her abilities.

“I dreamed of becoming an artist living in wooded foothills with clear flowing water at my doorstep and horses grazing all around”

Dream a great dream….

Then make it happen.

And for a little inspiration...Join Hooked on Fridays!

A beautiful place in the sun…

There is a community down the road…surrounded by world class Golf Courses…and the ocean…The river

equestrian trails…and tennis…

Windsor…developed by architects and planners Duany and Plater-Zyberk. It has some beautifully designed homes and spaces

Nancy, a local decorator, featured many of their homes on her yummy blog

My Decor Style.

Sooo I’m sharing a few with you…because I luv ya’s!

Just look at theses windows…that slide open…you could dip your

tootsies right into the pool…while sitting in your living room.

Imagine!

Tootsie dipping windows…

Come on now, admit it... wouldn't you love to sit on that ottoman

and just dip your toes...because you could?

or is it just me?

These pics are from some different homes…but check ‘em out here

all for sale!

I love this floor…and the inside outside feel.

It’s all about the sun here.

doncha know.

…And that table…

swoon worthy.

Indoor outdoor, man….The only way to live in these here parts.

Windsor….try it a little bit.

Serenbe - A Sustainable Community

All beauty is an outward expression of inward good, and so closely are the beautiful and the true allied, and we shall find, if we become sincere lovers of the grace, the harmony and loveliness with which rural homes and rural life are capable of being invested that we are silently opening our hearts to an experience. . . .


You may not know the name of this community but you have probably read about this community if you read publications like BHG, Martha Stewart Weddings, NYT, Southern Living or the now expired Cottage Living. Serenbe is a 900 acre community focused on sustainability. Many of the homes in the community have been featured in national publications. For readers in the Atlanta area, the founders of Serenbe, Steve & Marie Nygren have a long history with food—Steve as a restaurateur and founder of the successful Peasant Restaurant Group; Marie as the daughter of Margaret Lupo, owner and chef of Atlanta’s famed Mary Mac’s Tea Room.

When visiting you'll see animals, organic farming, wildflower meadows, restaurants, an inn and a beautiful living community just minutes from Atlanta. It is just minutes from my house so for me it is a nice place to go for coffee on Saturday morning.

Here are the stables where horses and riding lessons are waiting for you.

And isn't this a lovely rustic structure? At any given moment you will see ponies, goats, cows and horses.

Do you ever notice how noisy it can be on Saturday morning in the summer when everyone starts mowing grass? Not at Serenbe. There's no grass in the front yards - really! It's nice to just hear the birds and friendly neighbors saying "good morning" instead of roaring lawn mowers and trimmers.

Wildflowers pop up everywhere. These were curbside on main street disguising a fire extinguisher.

The garbage cans, stop signs and speed signs all have some lovely metal works framing them.
The garbage can has a two-part lid. One opening is for trash, the other is for recyclables.

On Saturday mornings at the market you can by plants, herbs, beef and other organic food products. You can also find art, soaps, plants and other handmade/homemade goods. I brought home a blueberry plant.

Don't you love the railings on this house?

This was the railing next door.

I loved this house. I think because it reminded me of Sea Cottage banner photo.

Aren't these interesting street lights? I've only seen them by day but I imagine these are gorgeous at night.

Isn't it interesting to see this jasmine starting to creep over the front porch. I wish you could enjoy the same scent as me as I stood in front of this house to take pictures.

If you have an afternoon and you live in the metro Atlanta area, you should make a trip to Serenbe. And if you have a weekend to spend in Atlanta, take some time to enjoy a stay at the inn. Either way, I hope you get to make a visit to this sustainable community.

Wilkerson Mill Gardens

If you live in Georgia, and you garden, chances are you 've heard of Wilkerson Mill Gardens. Elizabeth Dean is a well-known Georgia gardener who frequently speaks to gardening groups throughout the southeast. (Elizabeth is one of the names associated with hydrangeas). She and her husband Gene own Wilkerson Mill Garden located in Palmetto, Georgia and it's such a nice place to go to spend an afternoon. This past weekend I went to find a tree. The one in my front yard didn't survive last year's drought so I was looking to find a replacement.


Visiting Elizabeth's garden center isn't at all like visiting your local nursery. It's a little odd in that you are still in Fulton County, Georgia but you are in the deep woods when you get to Wilkerson Mill. Yes, there is an old mill on the grounds, and of course a stream, but there are also little seating areas where visitors can relax and just enjoy the bird symphony. While we were there 2 people came just to bird watch and I was so excited to spend an hour listening to my favorite bird song, sung by the wood thrush.

Gene is a terrific writer and one of the things I enjoy most when visiting, is taking my time reading all the plant descriptions. One will find puns, riddles and wit in many of the written descriptions. Elizabeth and Gene used to live in Atlanta and had a beautiful garden in Little Five Points. The scaled back and lived in a complex with a small urban garden. They used to keep photos of both of their breath-taking gardens on the website but they have changed some of their photos.
Oh yes, I got off track. We found our tree. It's a ginko. And I forgot to mention the fresh eggs that are also available down on the farm. If you love visiting unique gardens you might also enjoy the amazing experience in shopping for native plant at Towaliga Plants. Located near Macon, Georgia, this is another garden stop that is sure to please.

Tropical feast for the eyes…for the soul

We have been lucky to have spent some time in Brazil the last few years…

As we plan a return trip, I found myself looking through some of last years pictures.

Join me…will ya?

We stayed in the beautiful Historic colonial city of Olinda,

and while my husband travelled each day to the bigger city of Recife for work…see all the large buildings in the background?

I roamed around Olinda meeting locals.

Tasting the culture, inhaling the colors…

falling in love with the place.

Our home for two weeks was the Pousada Amparo

Amazing and charming 200 year old Inn the one white with the yellow trim

Our room overlooked the cobbled street below

it was the second floor shuttered windows

Down the street was the bodega where the locals would play guitar

and drink beer

and discuss politics, art and life in general…

In the evening they would pour out onto the street…sometimes dancing.

Up the street…

the artists played.

The rooms are beautiful and filled with history

art

and antiques

The wood beams have been protecting this place for centuries

These are the big heavy wooden shudders that look onto the Rue Do Amparo (Amparo street)

This was inside the Pousada and the door to our room

The light was streaming in from big skylights giving the whole inside a courtyard like feel

Downstairs is an amazing little restaurant

The flor de coco

one of the best in the town it offers regional specialties…with European flair…as the wonderful owner is from Belgium…

breakfast is provided here each morning

What better way to start the day?…

The small dining room is indoor/outdoor all year

The cook preparing the morning feast

In the authentic plantation style kitchen

.

Below is the wine cellar/bistro…

This is a postcard looking at the pousada…the dining room is above the

small bistro…the garden surrounding the pool is full of banana and tropical flora…and exotic birds

The entrance to the Pousada is filled with local artists work

Pousada do Amparo in Olinda Pernambuco Brazil.

Go. Experience it.

When you do…say hello to Sergio Vilanova

It’ll make his day.

and yours!

~Find even more ways to make your Friday at Julias Hooked on Friday par-tay!~

Feel the love...

The fragrant Frangipani are blooming...

A scent somewhere between ripe pineapple,

honey and warm sunshine.

Really.

They are my favorite in the machete worthy garden...

And YOU are my favorites!

I was recently awarded some bloggy love by some sensational bloggers

I am verklempt. Yep.

Farmhouse musings gave me the cute lemonade award...

her blog is full of fun...

and her store Farmhouse Wares is marvellous...she has a great eye and

brings us only the best wares...From French dish towels to carved wooden Santos...check it out. You'll stay for a bit

and fill up your shopping cart.

I know it.

Farmgirl Paints gifted me with the Lovely Award...

Honestly, How much farm love does a girl deserve? WOW.

She has a beautiful blog full of love and art...and check out her recent bench makeover...

and garden projects. Swoon!

And dear Jen at Haute Whimsy...that would be a great blog full of

everything

Whimsical, fashionable, capriciously adventurous with prose and love!

also awarded Lime in the Coconut with the One Lovely Blog Award...

And still more thank you's and blog love goes to the Preppy Patio...a virtual patio where you just

want to kick off your sandals and enjoy the views...

fresh...summer....and relaxing.

check it out!

She also awarded Lime with the Lovely blog award seen above!

Life is good!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

...And while I simply cannot pick out my favorites to award these to

...because you ALLmake my day...

in different voices, different ways.

Come get your award...

Each of you reading now.

You deserve it.

I said so.

{smooch}

From Trash to Treasure - Not Yet

I really wasn't looking for anything special as my husband and I started out for work this morning. We were driving our usual route in an industrial area when suddenly I spotted coffee bags on the side of the road and yelled, "stop the car!" My husband looked at me like I was crazy, especially when I asked him to back up so that I could go ask the shop owner if I could have the bags. Before my husband had a chance to object I had already jumped out of the car.


You may be reading this and wondering if I have lost my mind. Well, it's all this blog reading!!! Sarah at A Beach Cottage is always posting stories about her amazing free or almost free finds. And last week you should have seen her burlap bag table runner! Sarah's blog is one that I try to read daily so that I can enjoy a trip to the beach every day. Last week I read about the burlap party on Southern Hospitality and happened to see some of the many interesting things people have made with burlap. If you missed the burlap party you might want to go back and look at some of the creative uses for burlap.

You can imagine my excitement when I spotted these bags with amazing color and character. There is no doubt this morning I was suffering with blogger-mania when I saw these bags. When I went in to ask if I could have the old bags, the owner of the shop surprised me with, "oh, you will want some of the lighter colored bags," as if he could read my mind. He had hundreds of these bags in his shop and he gave me my pick of the bunch. I knew I was suffering with the blogger disease when I got to the parking deck at work, took the bags out of the trunk and photographed them - in the parking deck. Just ask me what I plan to do with these bags. Simple answer - I don't know. Any ideas?


Is there a treatment for this disorder? I hope not as I have had so much fun meeting so many people at today's Porch Party!!!! Just in case you missed it, stop in at Rhondi's Rose Colored Glasses.