LAKE GUEST HOUSE

Wisteria, 2017

A big Hello to all of you and a belated Happy Memorial Day!  It was nice, I'm sure, for so many of us to have a three day weekend and above all, remember our brave Americans.  I was seeing the red, white and blue proudly waving from anything and everything around the lake.  

We were a little laid back at The Blondie Lake Cottage.  I've been here for a while and The Husband came up late Friday night.  Abigail and Squall joined us Sunday.  All of our neighbors were around with friends and family spilling over into each others yards, and it just felt so good to be back here.  

The new couple next door are teachers in Chicago and had friends up who were also teachers.  That was pretty cool for Abby to meet them.  Two of the couples live in the neighborhood she just moved into.  It was also really nice to catch up with our good friends, Tom and Diane, who are also from Illinois and part-timers here.  We had dinner together here last night, all of us contributing something to the wonderful meal of beef tenderloin fillets, spinach salad, and corn on the cob.  Lovely people.  Diane likes to stay up here in the summer so I know I have a great friend to bum around with.  

The wisteria finally opened it's pretty blossoms yesterday.  This is off the balcony of our master bedroom.  So it's now two stories up and I have to sweet talk it to go up on to the arbor above this balcony!  It needs pruning big time but I'll wait until after the blooms.  And these  blooms will fill out and become even more magical in the next few days.  Looking at my vines, the puffy clouds and the lake in the background...I'm smiling from ear to ear.

I ordered an outdoor area rug from Overstock.  It came in just 3 days, I had it shipped straight here to the Lakehouse.  It was fun to play with the patio table and a few cute accessories.  I really, really love the color; I'm simply not sure why I've been so infatuated with the blue lately.  This is the boldest I've gone but I think outdoors things need to be bight and happy.  This rug is nice and thick and has a nubby feel to it.  It seems to catch the sand and whatnot on your feet.  It's a breeze to sweep and I'll find out how it is to use a blower on it.  

A few days in to my stay I went into a town about 35 minutes away, quite close to South Bend, IN., home of Notre Dame.  Great area.  A big, beautiful mall and any other adjacent areas with some of my fave shops...Bed, Bath & Beyond, HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby, DSW Shoes, Target.  Oh, I was a happy girl.  I picked up some of these decorative tabletop pieces (the metal bucket I had, (and of course the sand), and I added these chunky candles.  A nice crowd of tapers would be kind of exciting as well.  I might even bury a pillar candle down deep with just and inch or so showing.  So many possibilities.  The runner is from HomeGoods, the little picket planter from HL, and the pretty plant from my local nursery.  I had a ball there the other day.  I'm mostly planting pots and adding to my perennial bed.  More pics on that next time.  

I often talk of the Summerhouse...sometimes I call it the guesthouse as it's visually easy to understand.  The Husband call it the Little House, but he also calls Layla The Little Dog.  A memory thing for sure.  

It's our version of a freestanding sun porch.  Set back a bit from the house but still on the patio slab, it has 7 screened windows, a small front porch and measures about 13 x 13, something like a small bedroom.  I have it furnished in such a way that I can be alone doing my writing or reading, cool under the ceiling fan, a breeze blowing in and privacy.  Behind the closet door that you can see above, there is a twin bed that folds down.  It's called a Murphy Bed and takes up zero space unless it's down.    There are two so it makes a nice little place for couples to stay if they want privacy or even some of the teens in our family who want to stay up late talking.  

We recently had the whole house fitted for blinds by Home Depot.  They did an incredible job and the guy that installed them was definitely a perfectionist.  I have Roman shades inside the house, and in the Summerhouse, slatted white faux blinds.  I was afraid they would take away from the charm but it's really looking okay, don't you think?

The 4 x 6 sisal rug is from Overstock.  I wanted it smaller so we could see the pretty porcelain tile that was also in our kitchen before all the damage.  The drop leaf table and unmatching chairs were antique/vintage shopping scores along with the wicker chair (with the red cushions).  

It took me about two hours to clean, sweep, wipe down and scrub the floors.  The screen door isn't as tight sit should be so I get debris blowing under.  We have Lowe's coming out to measure for a new door as well as a storm door on the front of the house.  The wind and hard winters really do a number on everything up here.  We have a cute front porch on the Summerhouse but it's chipping and in need of painting.  No matter, I'll get my rockers and plants going and have a pic next time.  Hope I didn't bore you.

Squall enjoyed his first lake experience and absolutely loved the water.  He apparently has gills because he kept sticking his head underwater.  He was fascinated by the minnows and blue gills.  Abby was trying to wear him out; still technically a puppy, he can be a handful.  He just never got tired in spite of playing along the beach and long walks.  They both had a good time.  And I'm having a good time washing sheets today as Abby slept in one bed and Squall in another.  I'm so hospitable.  

Oh, the toys are back in town.  The wave runners are a blast and I'm really not a adventurist.  Sort of like a motorcycle on the water, you can really cruise or as I do, go slowly along the shore and admire the gorgeous houses lakeside.  

This is a house about 4 down from mine.  I walk by it often and have always love the deep shade of blue on the shakes against the crisp white.  Most of the homes are built on narrow lots that provide more lakefront space so they are mostly custom made.  This is a side view of this home.  For the heck of it I was walking the dogs and pulled the For Sale flier out of the mailbox.  Hang on to your hats: $1.7 million.  Back down the street to reality and my house!

I couldn't resist a picture of Miss Mad.  Isn't she just so darn cute?  I miss her so much.  I've been here 12 days and other than The Husband and Abigail being here over the weekend, its been pretty quiet.  I love that, I've gotten a lot of writing done.  I've read a few beach reads, done some yard clean up and planted some, but not all of the flowers I bought at our nursery last week.  So much to do but I pace myself, this is a peaceful break and there is no deadline as there seems to be when I only have weekends.  

I'll be home in time for my grandson Brooks' christening on Sunday.   I'll have little Madelyn under my watch on Tuesday.  Then I'll be back just enjoying the country air; the sound of the water lapping on the shore, the birds flitting to and fro out of the oak tree in front of the window that I look out of while rocking and dreaming.  Oh...and Milo and Layla, who are sending a postcard-Wish You Were Here!

Jane x