Saturday, June 4, 2011

Home Sweet Home



After floofing my porch last week,
I received a few requests to see the front of the house.

You know....you're right! 
I've shown you the back of the house and the gardens surrounding it,
but never the front.

So, after spending the morning mowing the lawn on a beautiful
summer-like day
with the birds chirping,
the breeze blowing,
and the sun warm on my shoulders,
I made like a professional photographer
(cough...cough)
and wandered around the house snapping shots.

I'm quite sure that one of our two neighbors was probably thinking,
"What in the world is she doing now....?"
while the other neighbor was nodding her cute little head thinking,
"Crazy Laurie's taking more pictures for her blog!"

Now, mind you.....we have not done a single thing to the outside of the house
except to have her re-roofed and re-shingled
(and some major landscaping, of course).

She wore sad, dilapidated shingles when we moved in
that would leave bits and pieces of black sprinkled across the yard
and driveway every time it rained.

Beneath the old shingles was the actual cedar shake roofing 
original to the house.
 We hated to have them ripped off
because they looked so cool as the attic ceiling,
but it wasn't logical nor energy efficient to keep them.
New roof boards were in the plan that would certainly help with our heating/cooling bills.




So, a few years ago we hired a company to tenaciously and courageously 
climb the steep roof to cover Heaven's Walk with a mantle of new, dark green shingles.
It was quite amazing to watch those guys clamber up that 12/12 pitch
and it made me quite nauseous to see them walking around up there 
without a care in the world.




They ran up and down that ladder like it only had three rungs.

While they were doing that,
a guy we had hired from South Carolina was repainting our barn roof.

No rope.  No support.  No suction cups on his shoes.
No Spiderman costume.
Nuthin'...

 Even the roofing guys were amazed.

You can see where he tested his sprayer with the new paint.

No way, Jose......

You couldn't pay me enough to do something like that.
I have a hard enough time climbing a six foot ladder.

I couldn't watch.



Hubby yelled up to Charles and asked if he had ever fallen off a roof.
"Only once!" he chuckled.
Once???

I think I spent that entire day feeling nauseous.


New roof is complete.


There are many ideas bouncing around in this noggin of mine 
that Hubby has yet to hear about....
poor guy.

One of them being a brand new front door.
A pretty one.
A vintage one.
One with a big window in it.
Complete with a vintage style screen door
that slams when it shuts.

Mmmmm.....yeah....a favorite sound of summer. 



Another thing on my wish list is a walkway leading from the front porch to the driveway
paved with old bricks
(like the one in the back of the house that Hubby and I made together a few years ago)
and a light post to brighten the yard at night.

It really gets dark out here in the boonies!

Waiting for the Limelight hydrangeas and hostas to fill in across the front.

I'd also love to replace the lights on the garage and house with farmhouse-style ones
and dump the Victorian looking ones.

And that 'widow's walk' railing over the porch?
It desperately needs to be replaced.
Hubby wants me to paint it.
Ummmm.....Hon, do ya NOT remember that I'm the one that can't climb a six foot ladder.....?


Recently dug out all of the Rose of Sharon bushes that were in front of the garage (too big!) and replaced them with Walker's Low catmint.



I'm still yearning for a pergola over the back deck
to help keep us cooler.

It gets really hot out there mid-day in the summer!

Or.....better yet......a screened-in porch.

Yeah, I like that idea even better.


Back of the house from the newly planted vegetable garden.



If we won the lotto, we'd replace all of the windows.
They're all a little wonky.
We'd also re-side the entire house in new white siding
and replace the black shutters with new ones.

The garage would get a new carriage-house style door on it, too.

But......until our money tree starts producing
or our train comes in
or some gracious, giving soul out there 
doesn't know what to do with some extra cash and
decides to send it our way -

I'll try to keep my ideas from crashing around too much 
and concentrate on just loving and appreciating where we are,
what we have,
and the peace and quiet that we've discovered out here 
in the country
inside this scrappy, old farmhouse
we call Heaven's Walk.



Peonies and sage




Peonies


Bumblebee in the sage


Wildflower by the old silo next to the barn


Lupine by the barn



{ Hugs }


(Oh, and my clay tags are now being sold at Doster Emporium AND Pine Lake Marina Gift Shoppe! I'm so excited! )


Linking with the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.
Click on the buttons and join in the fun!


40 comments:

  1. I am in love with your house. The front is as wonderful as I imagined. WOW. Spectacular. And the peonies...my very favorite flower. I wish they would grow where I live. Heaven's Walk is beautiful. XOXO

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  2. I don't have to wonder why you call your house Heavens Walk..its just so beautiful...I would love to live in an old farm house and have a barn...it would be heaven to me too. Frances

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  3. What a beautiful house you have !!! wonderful !!....it is like a walk in heaven....love your post !!!...nice sunday.....xxx...

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  4. Just beautiful!! Our windows need replaced too, but along with you...if we win the lotto! lol
    Blessings~

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  5. Hi there Laurie, your house is just like something from a movie!! its so adoreable; you dont get houses like that here in australia :( Just gorgeous!!! thankyou for sharing all your photos! especially the peonies! too warm for those here too unfortunatly. Hope you have a wonderful day!!!
    hugs, Laura x

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  6. I love your house. Wanna trade???

    I could SOOOO move there! :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

    YOUR HOUSE!

    xoRebecca

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  7. Laurie, I don't think I've ever seen the outside of your home before this post. It's gorgeous! And so enormous! I really love the style, it's so homey, so sort of down home southern. Beautiful. and I love a white house. I find so many little projects for my Hubby to do, he's getting sick and tired of it, so I have to sympathize with the Mr. But so far, it all looks amazing. xxx

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  8. Oh wow, I can see why you call it Heaven's Walk...the name is very fitting as you do have your very own piece of Heaven right there!

    I'm with you on the heights thing, I can't even watch people walk on rooftops. I get sweaty palms!

    Your home is so gorgeous, thank you for sharing:)

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  9. Laurie- It looks beautiful-absolutely gorgeous...and you can't tell looking at the pictures that the siding and windows and widow's walk needs painting. I love it-it is fresh and pretty looking- I KNEW your neighbors would think you were nuts- You need to ply them with more MadDog/BadCat joice! xo Diana

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  10. Laurie, you've been holding out on us! Just look at all those beautiful photos! What an amazing place to spend your life in!
    Loved every inch of it and am amazed at the 3 floors!
    The hostas are going to look so good across the front when they fill in, which won't take long.
    What are in your hanging baskets on the porch? They are lovely. I'm not sure why you even have a back deck- I would be spending all my time on the front porch!
    You know where my favorite place would be? The front steps...leaned back against one of the pillars...with a good book...and something cold to drink...ice filled and sweating down the sides of the glass...
    Yep- that's where I would be.
    It must be the most fun mowing that yard! So peaceful!
    Have a great night, girl!
    Hugs- Tete

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  11. Your home is beautiful my friend! I love the widows walk, what a great place to sit and enjoy. Your front porch is so wonderful as well, so many choices to sit and relax. Your flowers are so pretty too, I love the Lupine! *sigh* I am coming over with some drinks to park my tookus and soak in all the beauty at your home! :)
    XOXO

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  12. What a lovely home and garden you have!It looks like a very peaceful place to live.

    Take care,
    Carolyn

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  13. Hi Laurie I love your house so much!! I would love to live in a house just like yours!! It has so much country charm.It's so gorgeous.

    Kathy

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  14. Oh my, your house is heavenly...what a beautiful setting. I love all your pretty flowers too and your idea of getting a screen door that slams. I've always wanted one of those for my cabin. It gives me a cozy feeling and makes me think back to when I was a child :)

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  15. lovely and now the reality of your blog name sets in.......walking around has to be like a heaven walk

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  16. Hi Sis! every inch of your home is perfect! I like the front of the garage since you've pulled the Rose of Sharon...although they were very pretty.
    I can't believe how much the arbor has filled up just since last summer!!! gorgeous!!
    congrats on your tags being sold in the shops down there!
    I think I'll go back and visit Heaven's Walk again before signing off.
    Love ya.
    Debbie

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  17. What a beautiful home you have Laurie...Heaven's Walk fits it and you perfectly!!

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  18. Laurie,
    Your home is so beautiful. Peaceful, welcoming, full of love and joy.
    The thing about old houses is - they are always a work in progress!

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  19. Love your home...it is so beautiful!!

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  20. What a lovely home you have. Floofing is a new word for me.

    Mr. Dumpling (hubby) ran a roofing company while we were young and in college. I can identify with that nauseous feeling. I finally quit going to where he was working.

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  21. Your home really is beautiful! Such a country classic...I love it the way it is...in all of its original glory!
    Rene

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  22. What beautiful views around your house. I remember going up on our roof when I was a kid, but I certainly can't imagine it now, and ours aren't anything like the slope on yours. My neighbor is a roofer though, so he fixes anything we need :-)
    Have a wonderful week!
    Blessings,
    Marcia

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  23. What a lovely place. You are one lucky girl. We have a lottery pool where I work and I'm always saying "When I win the lotto..." My family has given up even hoping! A girl can dream though...very nice to meet you. I'm a new follower.

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  24. Your house is darling! Thanks for stopping by today.

    Danielle

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  25. Oh how I would love to live "out in the boonies" like that! We have a big old farmhouse but no land to speak of. Your house is just stunning! And that barn - whew, I wouldn't want that paint job either.

    Blessings... Polly
    French Cupboard &
    Counting Your Blessings

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  26. Laurie, what a great name for a blog. Your home sure is a heavens walk. Love the gardens and your country home. You visited my other blog (lavenderridge) drop by and say hello to this one.

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  27. Hi Laurie, Your home is gorgeous! Love it! I wouldn't change a thing :). And your gardens are lovely too!
    Have a great weekend!
    ~ Julie

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  28. Hi Laurie....wow, what a beautiful spot to call home......it just looks like such a laid back, relaxing place...i would love to take a peek inside your barn (i am a barn lover!).....just lovely everywhere, thank you for showing us your little slice of "Heaven"!!
    ~devon :)

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  29. Your house is gorgeous!!!! Wow it is so tall. Living on land looks like a lot of upkeep. I'm thankful my gardens are small enough for me to tend. So so excited for your clay tags being sold in two shops! Wonderful. But the reason I ran over here today was to tell you that I just got the news that my Brother got a job promotion and is moving from L.A to Florida....Ft. Meyers Florida...near your beloved Sanibel!!!!! We are California raised so we know nothing of Florida. I can't wait to show him some of your lovely photos of your trip to Sanibel so he knows where he is going. I am so excited for him!

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  30. Love your house Laurie! You sound like me with all the ideas rolling around in my head...but, where would we be without dreams right? we'd be bored silly!
    hugs,
    paula:)

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  31. Laurie, Your home is absolutely gorgeous and I am in love with the two big porches. There is no way you would catch me on the roofs! You have to be awlful brave or alot crazy to get up there without ropes. Have a great weekend.
    xo,
    Sherry

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  32. This indeed looks like Heaven on Earth. Your home and yard are just beautiful and what a wonderful veggie garden.

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  33. Laurie your home is just beautiful. I had not seen it from the outside before. I was born in a farmhouse with a similar look, seeing your house made me realize just how much I miss it and that simple life.

    Your flowers are sooo pretty. I think it all looks just perfect, without doing another thing. :)

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  34. Beautiful, just beautiful -- and a barn too! How fun is that? Glad you visited me, so that i could re-discover your delightful blog.

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  35. Thank you so much for the sweet comments about my pillow and because of it I found your blog! Love, love your farmhouse! XOXO

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  36. Your home is beautiful! Thanks for sharing it! I discovered your blog in a roundabout way and I think it's lovely

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  37. What a lovely house you have !!! I like old american houses. and what a lovely name you have on your blog ! Thanks for sharing all your beautiful photos;
    greetings from France

    Elisabeth

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  38. You certainly have a beautiful home, Laurie. I love your front porch. Love it all. What I would give to have a house with a yard. You are very blessed. XO

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Bless you and thank you for visiting! I read each of your comments and treasure them all. So, please make sure your settings will accept emails, or leave your email address so that I can reply! ♥ Laurie