F.... Fireplace!

So, last week much of Masschusetts lost electricity becuase of a rare October snowstorm!  We only lost it for 15 hours... so we were amongst the lucky bunch.  But, many lost it for days and days.  I have to say we appreciated our fireplace in our living room.  It made me want a gas fireplace in our family room (for another time perhaps).

My friend "B" is on a house search and has made her "wants" list and a fireplace is close to the top.  It was for us as well.  We went without a garage for said fireplace.   They are one of those things that you cannot add later.  (Well unless you can do a pretty significant addition).  The are so "homey" and can be practical. I am obsessed with both inside and outside fireplaces.  Here are a few of my favorites (from Pinterst)!

How incredible are these photos?  It really makes me with I had a fireplace in everyroom!  Until next time...xoxo

D....Dreaming of a better backyard!

With winter approaching in Boston....I am already dreaming of spring so we can begin working on our backyard. I sometimes drive around my town and envy others yards. When we moved into our home as newlyweds 2 years ago...we fenced in our yard for our dog. And then.... we did not really do much of anything. It has only gone downhill from there. We have a small back yard (thankfully) but it is a perfect long rectangle which is perfect for us. It has great potential. I am a designer at heart but my backyard has left me stumped. In search of some inspiration that I can totally plagarize... I hit the intranet. I now have a library of images that has me motivated and full of ideas (backyard and beyond). Come March.... I have to get the hubby to take out his wallet (without complaining) and to put in some real manpower!

In the meantime I will finalize my plan. So many options.... fountain or fireplace/firepit? Deck or pavers? Tree, flowers, shrubs... oh my!

One of our big challenges is that we don't have a garage (our garage is now an amazing Great Room)! We have an old shed in our backyard which we need and cannot afford to replace right now... so I have to find a way to deal. I have made VERY clear to hubby that the 5th wedding anniversary is "wood".... but can I wait that long? Whoever built our current shed was "on crack". Not only is it an ugly box totally lacking any design, but they put the shed right in the middle of the yard! I dream of building a pretty "corner" shed that is pretty and more properly placed!!!

Thought I would share some of my favorite pictures.
I can safely say that aspects of all of these will find their way into our yard. Curvy mulch beds, pretty plants, container gardens, fireplaces and ... I think I need a fountain too. Throw in some cute furniture and perfect pavers and all my dreams will be fullfilled. :)

Until Next Time....xoxo