~ A breath of fresh air ~

( photo courtesy of Boz and Deborah Jean, from Deborah Jeans Dandelion House )

Hello friends! Come on in for a little escape......


Its pouring here today and is supposed to pour all week long. So I figure there's no better time for a little Summer dreaming than now. I was looking through Google images today trying to hunt down a picture of beach roses that I remember seeing last summer on a walk down at our local beach, and unfortunately the ones my memories stored did not come with a picture. I should remember to bring a camera with me everywhere I go. But that being said, I am happy now I needed to search today. The search resulted in finding a new blog , and not just any blog, but a blog that caused the pairing of myself and a cup of coffee for longer than an hour. That's when you know you hit it big :) I love finding new blogs that make me excited to read older posts and go on a journey without leaving my warm corner of the world. Plus finding one that speaks to your very old soul is even better :)

When I designed my Miniature home Summer Rose, I was busy creating walls and rooms and trying to evoke feelings of a Summer place, a place away from it all. But I realize now it was coming from somewhere even deeper inside me. It was coming from memories of the summer homes we stayed in, the carefree summers of my childhood, and the joys that were felt from having a simple sweet place to relax in. ...And after seeing my Fathers Summer house pictures today in a box where my picture hunt took me first, I saw I had designed all the colors and feelings from that very picture. The one he'd drive us by every weekend of the summer on the way to beach , it's since sold :( but hopefully inhabited by someone who loves it as much as I would today. It was all white and had a sweet little porch, long rows of fresh vegetables on the side yard, and lots of grass before the street that led you to the beach....I'd give anything to take that drive with him again. Listen to his stories about his boyhood summer days. Have him cook us dinner down at the beach again. Have him teach me how to crack open and eat an entire lobster, again. But those are memories now, beautiful memories. But that cozy feeling and carefree summer feeling has an outlet always in my own life now, that was his gift. I try and live that a little each day. I use that feeling of Summer , sweetness, cozy cottage , and lots of love, in every creative thing I do and how I like to live. and Even though his ashes were spread last Summer at that very beach, he is with me forever.

Reading the new found blog reminded me so much of that place. The goodness and luckiness of living by small little towns that hug the waters edge. Deb , who is the author of Deborah Jeans Dandelion House, captures it all. So I wanted to share her blog and let you all grab a coffee when you can and sit and read if you don't already know her place. The photography is done by her husband Boz and he captures so much feeling into each and every photograph. That was my Fathers favorite hobby, so I've always appreciated art and photography so much. I adore this blog and hope you visit soon. That being said, I've done some Summer decorating at Summer Rose and hope you have hung in there through my long intro to see them :)


Lets go for a nice walk.....


Past all the pretty Summer homes...


Until we get to one very tiny little one :) .... Where we are busy getting everything ready for Summer...Both in my Mini home, and my real one too, but for now I'll stick to the Mini :)


A new bench for the porch.... and some home-made little pillows and cushions too :)

Care to join me for a cold coco-cola on the other side of the porch? :)

My little Summer Rose isn't the only tiny house around lol, look at this real life tiny house below. It's actually a library in South Chatham, Cape Cod ... how sweet is that?! I wanna go in a take out a book for my Summer read :)

Then bring the book back home and go back on the porch , Or , go lay on the bed in the attic size bedroom with the hum of the fan and sound of the waves hitting the shore from down the block...Both sound great about now!



There's a few more Summer updates to the Cottage , tiny , but precious.... Like these new little porcelain mugs, I fell in love with them at the Miniature store. And the asparagus Tea pot was precious too :)

A new kitchen stool :) Simple and pretty...

This is another picture from Deb's blog (below ) , but one I love. It's her post on a "Real Cottage kitchen" that really spoke to me. Keeping it simple. Functional. I think this is so vintage and inviting! And like I said before... It reminds me of Summer cottages, and Summer days that mean so much. When I bought the stool for my Mini home, I remembered sitting on one and chopping veggys for my Mom.... At the time, I probably just wanted to go out and play. But it was good for me , as she would say , to do a little work too :) Deb, your post was so perfect on your kitchen, I loved it!


I don't just love small kitchens and Mini homes, I also love small towns by the water. This photo below was also taken by Debora's husband , and it makes me long for the rain to stop and the Breath of Fresh air to come by I've been waiting for! Plus the Thursday nights my Mom and I go down to Northport Village to enjoy an ice cream cone and people watch by the water :) Debora's little town reminds me of that and after seeing it, I'm excited for the upcoming Summer.


Our small towns on the waters edge are many on the North-shore of Long Island, but Northport is probably my favorite. It's pretty much the same way as it was in 1940's and 50's. I get a lot of my Miniature ideas from that Ice Cream parlor look and bakery look from there too. I've done a few Miniatures this week that really speak to my longing for Summer, and my love of vintage bakeries and vintage anything :) here are a few....








Well I've officially swooned over Summer and a new blog, so now it's time to get back to work on more Minis and pray for Sun too. I hope this week is finding you healthy, happy and full of JOY! This is my Summer read below so I thought I'd share! If you've read it , let me know what happens lol, I'll probably bring it to the beach, but never be able to take my eyes off the water :)

( Other photo credits from the Cape Cod images are from Google searches and credit Micheal J. B. Kelly )

Lots of Summer lovin to you all! It might be a few weeks away, but it's in my heart always!

With friendship,

Cynthia