Goats are the Kitchen Window View Over the Sink

I have a new listing down the street from my house and the people have 4 goats in their back yard. Who needs a TV in the kitchen when you have goats to amuse you? I took this photo at yesterday's Broker Open House.

Hand Decorated Chest of Drawers

Dibs. I saw it first! I photographed this lovely paint decorated chest at a broker open house recently. I would love to have this in my cottage. Swoon.

Elevator in My New Listing

My new listing went "live" yesterday and today is my Broker Open House. As luck would have it, the weather is awful. It's raining buckets but is supposed to stop by my 11:00 opening. When was the last time you saw a house with an elevator? For me, it's never! This one is a beauty and it serves all three floors. MLS: 3566006 Wish me luck today. Fingers crossed. 

Pair of Built-in Bedroom Cupboards

What to do when you can't find the perfect pair of cupboards for your master bedroom when building your house? Find a woodworker who can build them flush with the wall! On the other side there is a fireplace and a pair of bookcases in the sitting room/library. The deep wall in between the two room provides extra sound proofing for sleeping. This is a sneak preview of my new listing that goes live on Monday. 

Photos from House Tour Today

Dining Room: Lovely cupboards on either side of recessed nook with sideboard.

The Library. Wall of bookshelves doesn't show.

Outdoor Fireplace opposite Fireplace in kitchen.

It was a lovely day to be out and about with the hottest part of the day being only 71° but the heat will be on tomorrow and the rest of the week in the 80s.

Magnificent House Tour Today

Broker Open House today. Mansion. Circa 1929

Gardens from an upstairs window. Through the screen. Pool in distance.

A distant view through a window with no screen. Diving board on left. The property had a total of 62 acres.

Greenhouse, photographed from my car.

Horse barn. Yes, it's true. This entire structure is just for horses. Also photographed from my car. It was a wonderful day. MLS 3557788

Barn Style Kitchen and Dining Room

I recently toured a fabulous early 19th century house with a very small dining room. Instead of putting an addition on the house, the homeowners built a barn structure with an upstairs sleeping loft instead. Here's the country kitchen view. The middle of the room is the family room for TV viewing as you will see in the next photo.

The farm table with benches makes this the perfect space for entertaining large gatherings or for housing visiting guests. It is a great no-frills space that probably wasn't that expensive to construct. I think it's an Amish-built structure. There was no agonizing about paint colors either. Pine paneling and natural wood prevailed.

Life Cycle of a Maple Tree

I photographed this maple leaf yesterday between showers and there just happened to be a seedpod nearby. My upstairs balcony floor is absolutely covered with these little helicopters and I am surprised that I don't have a maple forest because of them. Today promises to be the first nice day in ages and I am thankful because I have to meet home inspectors at ten o'clock this morning for a pre-listing inspection. Wish me luck! Fingers crossed. See you later. xo

Potting Shed in a Walled Garden

via my Instagram.

I took this photo yesterday at a Broker Open House tour. I have worked really hard for the past month on my three large 30-year-old English Boxwood trimming away the winter kill and yellow leaves and they look wonderful. I dug them up and brought them with me from my previous home. Every year, the deep snow breaks a few branches but I manage to rearrange the inner branches to conceal the gaps. I have noticed lots of new growth in the center and that makes me happy. Happy May Day!

Coldwell Banker, Established 1906 (My Real Estate Office)

My real estate office moved to a downtown location on Main Street in Madison NJ in late June of 2018 and today we had a Grand Opening and a Ribbon Cutting by the Mayor. It was well attended and a lot of fun. The catered lunch was amazing as well. I snapped the new storefront decor on my way home. Coldwell Banker was founded in 1906 and when you are standing at the window the cutout dates feature vintage photos of the original founders from that time period. Click photo to enlarge.

A Gift of Miniature Daffodils

I went to a Broker Open House near my cottage yesterday and the listing agent was handing out pots of miniature daffodils to all the realtors who came to the preview. I was so excited and came directly home to plant these bulbs where I can see them when working at my laptop in my pantry office. I told her this gift was so much better than a catered lunch and she smiled. I was able to divide the root-bound pot into three plantings which will multiply over the years. Now I want more! As you can see I have yet to begin any spring cleanup.

Vintage Laundry Sinks on Stands

I spotted these old porcelain beauties on cast iron stands at a Broker Open House earlier this week. I have a double porcelain sink in my own kitchen (click link to view) and would love to have these two for my finished basement. One for the laundry room and the other for the summer kitchen. I, personally, like having a laundry room in my basement. I have drying racks in the furnace room for the items I don't like to put in the dryer. Not pretty, but practical. I think one of the sinks above is being used as a drain for a dehumidifier. At one time the washer and dryer were down here but now they are upstairs in this antique house. I am probably the only real estate agent who toured this home and found beauty in the basement. Smile. xo

Halloween Pot Luck Lunch at My Office

We had our office meeting today and most of the agents dressed up for Halloween. I went dressed for a Safari Hunt with a pith helmet, binoculars around my neck, khaki pants, hunting jacket and white turtle neck. I bought the white pith helmet at the fireman's rummage sale the end of September and I have worn it several times outside when I do yard work. Our manager made turkey chili and we all brought something for a pot luck lunch after the meeting. Pictured above is the best Halloween party food that one of our agents found on Pinterest and copied. Isn't it great? People dived right in and the guacamole was gone in a flash. Happy Halloween. Don't eat too much candy. xo

Art Gallery in A Master Bath

What an amazing space. This master bath is a real sanctuary full of wonderful nautical artwork and antiques. The architecture is wonderful too. I love the clerestory window in its own dormered nook instead of a skylight. The floors are wooden, all the walls are shiplap boards, and I don't see any tile at all. The owners must be sailors and want to be reminded of their boat while at home. I love what they've done to showcase their collections in such a clever, tasteful way.

Stay cool as we enjoy the last week of August going into the Labor Day Weekend. xo

Laundry Room, Home Office and Porch

Was once a porch so it required its own heat/ac unit.

Same house with a great home office.

The house with the best front porch. Swoon.

Photos found when searching the MLS today.

Chintz Fabric is Back

I adore this entire room!

Lovely!

Gorgeous. All of it.

images House & Garden UK

Click on the link above for more photos using Chintz fabrics. I picked my three favorites to show you. Chintz never went out of style in England and it's coming back here, just like wallpaper. Now that all the people with wallpaper have removed theirs, at great expense, because the realtors told them to, it's making a big comeback! Go figure.

Some of My iPhone Photos This Week

A beautiful sunset from my balcony two days ago. The full moon was shining brightly in my bedroom last night.

Storm clouds gathering five days ago.

I adore this phrenology head. I printed it last week and put it on a portfolio to cover the company name of the firm that gave it to me. I put a piece of heavy clear plastic on top and now I love it because it always makes me laugh. Click on the photo to enlarge for easier reading.

Those feet! They were the first thing I saw six days ago when I visited a Realtor Open House. The house was very contemporary and had a lot of modern art.

Here is back view of the feet sculptures from another wing of the house. I put these pics on Instagram and one lady was worried they would be left behind after the house was sold and how were the new owners going to get rid of them?😂

Fenced Garden

I photographed this enclosed garden yesterday at high noon after touring a broker open house. I was waiting for the person who blocked me in to finish her tour. The driveway was long and the parking was quite a challenge. This garden probably doesn't get enough direct sun but I like the design. I would put down salt hay around the raised beds instead of having grass that would be hard to mow.

Louisa Moore's Farm Property near Charleston SC

A hammock on a screened-in porch. How heavenly.

See more photos of Louisa Moore's farm property here. Read about this delightful woman and her historic home in South Carolina's low country.

At Home On The Farm

Raised to live off the land, Louisa Moore nets all manner of nature’s goods on her historic North Mount Pleasant property in Charleston County, South Carolina. She looks like a strong southern woman I would enjoy knowing. I like people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.