DECORATING AT THE LAKEHOUSE

I've been downloading photos and writing this post in my head for days.  I keep thinking, "I'll have the time tonight", or, "I'll have the time tomorrow."  Well, it never happens unless I sit down and make it a priority.  So...here I am at 11:30 at night trying to put my words together in a sane way.  

Hello and goodbye to the the pretty tulips.  With the mild winter we had they really don't last long.  I was happy to have the beds cleaned out and now I'm ready for warmer temps, a few additional plants and bulbs, and a ton of shredded bark which has disintegrated over the past few years.  The Husband and son Kevin brought my patio furniture out of the shed Saturday and I just don't have the enthusiasm to get things spiffed up when the weather is hovering in the 40's and 50's along with non stop rain.  Go figure.  

I'm loving my Monday walks with Madelyn.  It's just more fun with a baby in a stroller (even if she snoozes most of the time).  People tend to smile warmly at me much more, as opposed to when I'm running/walking, sweating and panting.

The university campus is 3 blocks away on a whole 2 mile city block.  On the grounds is the all-girl Catholic high school my girls attended.  The all-boy Catholic high school is there as well, and my boys went there.  The grounds are beautiful; a large pond with a fountain, plenty of benches all around, beautiful trees and all sorts of flowers and plants.

Occasionally you meet the random goose, duck, turtle or chipmunk.  The kids going to and from class or the dorms look so much younger than I remember being at that age.  I love their care free ways, laughter and dedication to education.  I feel a little melancholy as well...what would I do, be, if I could do it all again?  Then I look down at this precious 5 month old baby and know I wouldn't change a thing.   

Lake time this past weekend.  It was rainy and cold but it wasn't that bad because I still have much to keep me busy indoors.  The Husband worked hard on the garage which isn't so horrible as it's heated.  We packed up a ton of stuff...mostly mine to bring up.  We hardly had room for Milo and Layla.  And speaking of the 2 monster-dogs, I've been walking them on leashes lately.  Milo is always off leash as he knows to stay close to me and can find his way home if he wanders, but Layla is as quick as a bunny and has to be caught and wrestled to the ground.  So we walk together and it's much like walking with Madelyn, a purpose instead of exercise.   

Now look at that water.  Hard to believe in a month there will be boats pulling water skiers, jet ski's, pontoons and sailboats.  

The color is a bit off here, it was night and I did my best to edit the photo.  I was up reading after The Husband had gone to bed and I could feel how vast the Great room is.  The ceiling is 19 feet high.  You can see the balcony off our bedroom on the far upper right.    I just enjoy the heck out of this house and often marvel that it's ours.  

I hope I'm not creating a mishmash in doing each room a bit differently after our flood.  I wanted a beach feel and I think I created that on the lower level.  Upstairs, the two guest room are a work in progress.  But as far as the master bedroom, I had a plan.  I wanted it very simple and laid back.  No frills.  Been there, done that.  I hope I don't bore you with these photos  

On this wall I really wanted to showcase an antique trestle table The Husband found.  He had wanted to use it as a desk but that never happened.  I decided it would be more spare than a dresser, so I keep a basket of my makeup and 'products' here as well as a wood framed mirror from HomeGoods.  The  lamp is from The Beekman collection at Target.  

Our home is a double A-frame so the ceilings are a little wonky.  We've had our bed on every single wall but I think we nailed it by placing it on an angle and leaving a lot of free space in the room.  The Husband found the headboard at the original Marshall Field's in downtown Chicago right before we moved in.  I was thinking of getting something upholstered and then sentimentality won out.  All of the Bedding is from Target.  The rug is from Wayfair.  I posted a picture of this on Instagram and the rug got the most compliments.  It's 80% wool so I would never use it in any space other than this...I know it would be impossible to clean.  In fact, that's a balcony you can see in the background.  I'm currently in the midst of teaching the dogs to wipe their paws before they come in.  ;-D

And the last bedroom pic I'll bore you with.  I stole these chairs from a little bistro set I had on the balcony.  Spur of the moment and I think I'm going to get a simple bench with a cushion at some point in time.  The Husband was really surprised with the details of the room when I let him come and look.  If you enlarge the picture you can see the canvas print of Lady Anne.  I found this at Joss and Main (gotta love that website!).  He really likes it as he had a horse when he was young.  

I think I'm done with this room and I feel so comfy and relaxed when I crawl in bed at night.  

There always seems to be so sort of adventure or happening during our time away that would never occur at home.  Here we have Layla nearly being drowned in the kitchen sink after rolling on a dead bird.  What is it about dogs that they seem to find the stinkiest ever and have to roll and saturate themselves in it?  And then they want to snuggle in your bed with you.  I scrubbed her, threw her collar in the washing machine and she proceeded to run around the house like a maniac.  Now, why do they do that?

Milo is super healthy for being 14 years old.  He's pretty deaf and sleeps a lot but so do I.  The other day I saw him go after a rabbit on our backyard and he was as fast and agile as a Greyhound.  I'm treasuring moments with him more and more and I find myself taking a lot of pictures of him doing everyday things like this.  It may sound crazy but when we lost our first dog, Shadow, I really regretted not brushing his beautiful black coat more.  As useless it is to blame myself for something like that, I want to relish every minute with my dogs; hug them more, bury my head in their fur, shower them with love and attention.  I think all of you animal lovers understand this.  

Okay...I need to wrap this up.  I want to end with the latest randomlings in Blondieville.

~Latest Good Movies I Rented/Bought On Demand Out Of Sheer Boredom:

When Harry Met Sally (I know, I'm terribly late for the party and I totally loved it).

Cousins (I've seen this about 5 times but how can you resist Isabella Rossellini?)

My Brooklyn Bakery (Fun, bittersweet and lovable characters)

Mothers and Daughters (Lots of great actors and makes you examine your own relationships with your mother/daughter)

Finally, I couldn't help but bring this up as it's been nagging at me.  You know I love to watch the Chicago themes shows;  Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, etc.  I love that it is true to my city but sometimes it's a bit off.  I recently saw an episode that really got me.  Two of the characters were sitting in a restaurant and I happened to look at the water glasses on the table.  I was aghast.  No ice.  No ice!!!  That is not how we do it.  First of all, we don't have to ask for ice water.  It is the first thing brought to your table.  And with ice (did I mention that?).  I remember that at many of our meals in restaurants as we travelled in the South, we were given water with no ice.  In fact, when we were at a restaurant in Tennessee, we saw on the menu under the listing of beverages, room temperature water.  I found that odd.  So I ask that you guys weigh in on that.  Ice?  No ice?  Room temp water?

That's it for now.

Jane