A YEAR IN REVIEW: PART 1

Welcome 2018!  I've been lolling around all day thinking about what I'd like to accomplish this new year.  And when it's 5 degrees below, lolling is a good thing.  Resolutions, not so much.  In spite of stocking up at the grocery store Sunday, with good, healthy food, how could I say no to Abby when she walked in last night with Culver's burgers?  With a mouthful of fries, she said, "You've got nothing to worry about, Mom, tomorrow I have to fit in a bikini."  And yes, the lucky duck is heading off to Key Largo for a wedding.  Eight days in the sun having fun.  And we here in Chicago, are stuck with no higher than fifteen degrees for at least another week.  

I have been meaning (and promising on Instagram), to post a Year In Review.  If I get this done by Friday, I will have fulfilled something I was only halfheartedly planning to do.  See that book above in the photo?  That was in my first post of 2017, a year ago.  And guess what, I don't know where the heck it is.  Furthermore, you can bet I didn't write one word in it.  I also picked up two magazines in the grocery store, one called Real Simple, and it was chock full of organizational ideas, "More calm, less clutter."  I was feeling really good until I started to fall asleep reading it.  Another was a British magazine aimed at wellness, kindness, mindfulness..blah, blah, blah.  I'm the sort of girl who thinks if I just keep buying a new shade of lipstick, it will magically transform my life.  But sometimes when you read articles cheering you on to a new goal, dream, inspiration, or way of living--you fully believe its possible, and 5 minutes later forget it.  

As much as I try to journal, write in notebooks like the one in this pic; keep a food diary, even make a grocery list, it takes time and discipline.  I wonder if I'm just in love with the idea of documenting stuff that will spur me on?  I get a great feeling of fulfillment when I see these little helpers, looking like they are going to transform my life.  I don't plan to micromanage everything, but I'm not a spring chicken.  I want to accomplish a lot, and I want to live life to the fullest.  I need to have a record of the checks and balances.  So, as I free write after skimming through some photos from 2017 that I feel could tell a story, maybe by the end I'll be able to figure out what it is that I want to do this year.  

Let's begin!

January 2017

Most of you know how ecstatic we were to be back in the lakehouse the fall of 2016 after the flood.  It was all about gratitude (and unpacking 147 boxes of our belongings).  January and the first few months of 2017 were all about adding new furniture and pieces (and believe me, we purged a ton), and re purposing some items we had.  I had a vision of how I wanted each room to look.  When I chose paint colors the year before, that was that was the beginning, and at this particular time, I was to carry out my ideas; a sort of garden room in the girl's old bedroom, and a salty sailor sort of theme in the boys room, as well as the loft.  It wasn't an overnight thing, and still isn't.  I add and subtract.

The Great Room was fun.  After twenty-five years of with the same dark furniture, we finally got serious and bought a new couch and love seat.  Same old rustic coffee table, a great Pottery Barn find that we brought from the city house.  It's about twenty years old.  The little table between the sofa and love seat is an old nightstand I painted.  I'm just so happy to have beachy colors; it's happy and bright when the sun shines through, and the cushions are so soft and squishy to sink into when you want to relax in front of the fire or read.  

As I went through my pictures I realized I hadn't shared a lot of photos, such as the mudroom or bedrooms.  I'll get on that.  

Our First Grandson

February was such a blessed month in that we celebrated the birth of our third grandchild, Brooks Patrick, on February 10.  Is he not precious?  Son Jeff, and his wife Deirdre, are the proud parents.  There's a more recent picture of him on my sidebar.  He is really a lot of fun; never sits still--much like his father, and has the beautiful eyes and smile of his mother.  

We also welcomed Patsy, later in May; daughter of son Kevin and Mary Clare, little sister to Elsie.  I've said before, we need to get more snaps of her.  Patsy looks very much like Kevin, while I think Elsie has her mother's pretty features and fun disposition.  I'll keep you posted!

Beef Stew

In the colder months I tend to cook a lot.  Sadly, I didn't post much about my cooking endeavors.  One of my favorite and most loved one-pot-meals is beef stew.  We know it's winter around here when I make it.  Feel free to add or subtract ingredients, omit the meat if you want.  The basics are a solid start for a great meal.  Find the recipe in this post.

Living Room, Chicago

As we were rounding the corner into spring here at the city house, we decided we couldn't toss out our beloved sofa, so we had it reupholstered.  It was old and faded, but I had hung on to it because I loved the pretty floral pattern---it actually looked better faded.  Finally I admitted it needed a facelift.  Reupholstering is a wise investment considering the cost of the same sofa at present day cost.  I really, really love how it looks and feels.  In fact, I'm looking at this photo and scratching my head--I miss those curtains.  We have something different now and I've never been truly happy with them.  Do I feel a change coming?

Sitting Area With a View, Lakehouse

Here again I have an example of how upholstery can make a big difference, but lets you keep the style of your pieces.  The settee is quite unusual but elegant with the camel back.  It's a juxtaposition with the country style glider rockers.  Still, there is nothing like sitting on one of those in the early morning (my fave is the one on the left), with a cup of coffee in hand, watching the birds come to my feeder and birdbath.  I found the ottoman for a song at Pier 1, and daughter Emily, a designer, who worked at a high end furniture store, was amazed by the craftsmanship and detail.  She felt the same about the furniture, which was covered by a family owned business here in Michigan.  The only other new thing we added was the 'eyelash' rug from Target.  It's no longer available.  It is so soft and durable, I wanted to have it in our master.  Alas, never coming back.  

Madelyn Elise, 4 months old

Need I say more?  As we transitioned into summer, she became our lake baby.  :))  Oh, how she loves the water.  We have to keep an eye on this little fish!

Quiche

As spring arrives in the Midwest, we move away from heavier foods.  I particularly love preparing more seafood, interesting salads with artisan bread, and the quick, easy, and ever changing quiche.  There is no limit to the ingredients you can add to the egg mixture.  My recipe is light and fluffy, can be served hot or at room temperature (which makes it great for company), and goes well with a summery salad.  You can find my recipe here.  

May Tulips

Yay!  It's getting warmer finally and although its muddy and raining a lot, I get out into the garden to see my daffodils and tulips.  The green stems of my day lilies are poking up, and the forsythia is blooming.  Finally-- we can stop buying cut flowers!  Almost every fall I plant about 100 bulbs.  The old tulips die off and their babies mature, a little too slowly for me.  It sounds like a lot of bulbs but I plant them in groups of 10 to 12.  

I'm super excited that since we had the front of the house landscaped last summer, and had the porch totally redone, I can add some new flowers here and there.  And I'm going to add some no-fuss flowering shrubs to the backyard.  I'm just spread so thin with two homes.  Last summer the city house looked like the Addams family home.  Take a look at this post.

Master Bedroom at Lakehouse

I've read in design magazines and websites that couples tend to place their master bedroom last on the list to fix up.  It may sound like we care about every other spaces before ourselves, but I think it's all about the idea that our bedroom is private and off limits to company.  I hadn't done much at all with our bedroom, but in May I started spending weeks on end at the lake alone.  That gave me time to shop and really get the ball rolling on the house.  I really wanted our bedroom to be tranquil and cozy.  After all, I would be (and did) spending many nights there alone with just the hounds.  The bedding is from Target, the area rug from Overstock.  My lamps and a few other items were found at various stores and websites.  You can read more here.  The sliding doors lead to a balcony, and although I'm not going to give you a link just now, I fixed it up with an outdoor rug, sling chairs, tables, candles, and plants.  I loved reading out there before the sun set.  It has a spectacular view of that, as well as the lake.  

Bad, Bad Layla

Layla and Milo were great company over the summer when I was alone.  Milo is pretty much deaf, but has a mean bark.  Layla is fearless, but too small to do any harm to anything or anybody.  Let's just chalk them up to pals.  

They were happy as clams, but always getting into mischief.  Milo is off

leash, and chases any dog being walked past our house---a great icebreaker.   We also have renters next door, and he acquainted himself with every family, leaving a little 'gift' near their deck.  He tends to do this when he's excited.  I met a lot of new people this way, but also learned to keep plastic bags in my pocket.  

Layla has a tendency to roll in anything that has a funky smell, mostly dead birds or their droppings.  She sleeps in bed with me, so I really have to toss her into a bath ever now and then.  The kitchen sink works well.  Not sure if she likes it, but she sure smells better.  

Milo, Summer 2017

I love this picture of my boy.  Every evening about 8:00, we would head out to the patio for a glass of wine.  Milo would play sentry on the porch, surveying the bay for ducks, geese, swans, who knows.  I think I'm going to frame this one.  Good memories.  

Guest House, Lake

I didn't make any changes to the guest house other than a natural rug (the dogs had really snagged the previous wool rug), and faux wood blinds.  To the left you can somewhat see a closet door.  We have two of these and they hide Murphy beds.  Someday I'll get a picture of when they are down and made up for guests.  There's everything you need in here; a TV, heat, fan, and privacy.  We were thinking of calling it the Honeymoon Cottage.  The bad thing is there is no toilet, so you have to make a run for the main house in the middle of the night if need be.  

Getting the Beach Ready

It takes a lot of time and muscle to get the beach ready for summer.  Not only do we need a nice thick layer of sand upon which to sit and play, we spread the sand out as far as the end of the pier.  A lot of lily pads take over, and the bottom is mucky.  The Husband used to spend an entire weekend doing this himself.  Then a new company started up around our lake called The Beach Boys.  It was just what we needed.  It is a huge break for The Husband, and we've become great friends with the company owner.  He's getting more business that he can handle lately.  We are very happy for him.  

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This is going to wind up Part 1.  I hope I didn't bore you.  I'm fighting a cold and spending a lot of time in bed.  Not too bad though, I vowed to get more reading done and I'm already half way through a new book.  

We had a great Christmas and a quiet but fun New Year's Eve.  I'll include that in my next post.   I'd also like to reflect on last year, and add some thoughts about what I'm hoping for in 2018.  

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful and deeply felt friendship.  All of you are my rock.

Cheers to a new year!

Jane x