sailboat_in_tree_frame

I think I found Heaven on Earth. Keswick (pronounced Kes-ick) and its picturesque Lake Derwentwater currently have a pull on my heart. This small town in Northern England is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. My mom, the boys and I only had one day here, but I have vowed that I must return with Handsome Guy for a romantic time without the boys. I figured you might like to join us for the hike, so I took some photos for you ;-).

ivy_covered_house

The town is a great location for families (they have an awesome playground), romantic couples, and anyone who enjoys beautiful vibrant colored vistas and small town shops. The English style gardens are stunning in their organized structure.

keswick_flower_garden

garden_archway

Of course, I also appreciate Mother Nature’s less defined edges and curving landscaping.

big_tree_in_Field

swan_in_lake

Lake Derwentwater sits south of the quaint town of Keswick. It has a walking trail along the banks and is perfect for the adventurer who wants to hike the full 8 miles around it’s edge. If you prefer smaller hikes you can walk to one of the docks that surround the lake and catch the ferry boat back to town.

navigator

The path that surrounds the lake detours up and into a field with grazing sheep.

sheep_grazing

My mom and I enjoyed walking near the edge of the lake while the boys threw rocks and waded in the water.

throwing_stones

skipping_stones

As we sat watching the boys entertain themselves, we suddenly saw a flurry of activity as two border collies began to round up the sheep in the field. It was amazing how quick and efficient those herding dogs were.

sheep_by_water

I hope you enjoy the rest of the sights from my camera lens. Read more

Ilkley_postcard

I’ve known Karen and her sister Anne since fourth grade. Karen was my best friend growing up and ultimately, my maid-of-honor. Anne is her older sister. During play dates, Karen and I were silly girls who avoided (the more mature) Anne, as we played top secret spy games under the stairs. After high school, Karen and I only saw each other every few years. I rarely saw Anne, especially after she met the love of her life in Japan and followed him to his childhood home in England. Anne and Chris settled into a beautiful old row house in Ilkley, UK, where they are raising their daughter and two twin boys. It has been years since I’ve seen Anne, but when we were contemplating our trip to the UK this summer, I thought it would be fun to look her up and visit with her and her family. We had such a wonderful visit with them and I fell head over heels in love with their home.

blue_doorway

I begged them to let me share their home on the blog, so be sure to thank them!

violets_doorstep

Come right this way, I have one of those antique keys to unlock the front door. Can you imagine how many generations of families have used this same key hole?

keyhole_brass_plate

The first thing you notice as you walk in the door is the amount of beautiful wood, molding and character in their home. Read more

portobello_market

Hey y’all! I’m baaaccckkkk! Did you miss me? Probably not, because I pre-scheduled a month’s worth of posts for you while we hopped across the pond for a European vacation! It was the chance of a lifetime, the boys and I toured London, Keswick and Scotland while P. Handsome Guy worked in his company’s London office. I’ll be sharing some of my journeys with you in the coming weeks. In the meantime you can check out some of my sneak peek photos on Instagram or Facebook.

But, now I want to take you with me to Portobello Market in Notting Hill, England. OH MY GOODNESS! When Pretty Handsome Guy said I’d love the Portobello Market, he knew my tastes to a “T” or should I say “Tea”. 😉 In fact, once we arrived, it was evident that I wanted to absorb and photograph as much as I possibly could!

portobello_road

We took the London Underground (the tube) to the Notting Hill station on a Saturday morning (the only day the street vendors are set up.) Upon our ascent above ground, it was evident that we had entered the ritzier suburb of London made famous by the movie, Notting Hill.

aqua_blue_doorway

Doors are painted cheerful colors, the front stoops were adorned with patterns of tile, and container gardens are abundant.

 

green_door_notting_hill

blue_house

green_doorway

The architecture of these grande estates is beautiful and dripping with detail.

curved_turret_row_house

rooftop_garden

church_notting_hill

notting_hill_colored_houses

Unfortunately we had two tired, jet-lagged boys tagging along. So, Handsome Guy did what he does best, he gave me the afternoon to peruse at my own speed and took the boys to Hyde Park to play some soccer (or should I say Football for the British crowd.) Each vendor had their specialty: Antique lamps, silverware, leather sporting goods, books, old printing blocks and much much more. Instead of jabbering away, I’ll just let you browse for yourself.

silver_goblets Read more

And now the moment y’all have been waiting for! The end of our journey and the culmination of all our efforts were revealed to Alexcia, Jaydon & Jurnei Moore on Sunday, August 5th 2012. Alexcia thought she was just getting the keys to her empty home. Little did she know, that GMC, OnStar, Habitat for Humanity and 6 bloggers had conspired to fill her home with furniture, beddings, and home decor.

(Alexcia thinking, “You did what to my house?”) Read more

After yesterday’s diversions, we were all feeling the pressure to purchase the final items on our wish lists. This would be our last day on the yard sale and the last day to prep any items we purchased before placing them into the Habitat house.

We decided to create a master wish list for everyone so we could all be on the lookout for each other. There was a lot of texting with photos attached as we shopped in the in the morning.

Read more