US!!

On August 22, 2016August 8, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, Photograph, THOUGHTS8 Comments

24 years ago today, I married the man of my dreams.

The happiest day of my life!

How did we meet?

I was dog sitting at a friend’s house. I saw Fred drive by, so I leashed up the puppy (didn’t know it had never been walked) and walked to Fred’s house a few doors down, the puppy went right up to him and sat down. That is how we met. Fred invited me in and showed me his house, it was just beautiful! A few days later was Easter, I walked out to get the newspaper and there on the door was a big gift bag with a gorgeous Easter bunny. I thought, how lucky my friend is to wake to such treasures! I set it on the table for her to see when she arrived home. Then I thought… WHAT if this bunny is for me? I peeked inside and there was a card that said BARBARA! 😍❤️💃

I almost fell over!

This is our story.

So… Don’t ever give up on love – it’s out there. We both had relationships in our past that weren’t the right ones… Not meant to be. After a period of time we had both stopped trying to find someone, and guess what? Yep, that’s when it happens!

I love this man – he is a treasure, there is no better person, he’s honest, strikingly handsome, and he has the biggest heart and is my best friend.

Forever.

Note, this isn’t a recent photo, but it’s a favorite, taken by my sister when we were in San Francisco in 2007. Let’s just pretend the wrinkles that have formed since aren’t really there. For those of you who can see them, they were earned from the many smiles that came from this man!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Botany Bay | Edisto, SC

On August 21, 2016July 29, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, Photograph2 Comments

Botany Bay located in Edisto, SC is an amazing place. The scenery is like going back in time. The grand oak trees with the draping moss, the way the light filters through the trees – the fascinating birds and so much more – all good reasons to visit! Don’t miss the beach, you won’t believe your eyes!

Happy Sunday – Catch you back here tomorrow…

Dancing Tulips…

On August 20, 2016July 29, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, PhotographLeave a comment

Tulips are such happy flowers. They change from day until night which is really something. I love when they get kind of wild, it’s almost as if they’re dancing as they reach for the light. At night they stand tall. Tulips are phototropic, which means they follow the light, so be sure to turn the vase to keep them even.

When you get them home, make a diagonal cut about 1/4″ or more under running water. Place in a clean vase with lukewarm water (they don’t like cold water). Be sure to check the water each day, dump the old and give them fresh, I also give a fresh cut every so often.

Did you know tulips keep growing after they are cut? Cool fact, huh?

Happy Saturday! Catch you back here tomorrow…

Another year older and another year wiser…

On August 19, 2016August 8, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, Photograph, THOUGHTS10 Comments

My favorite Happy Birthday photo!

Another year older (sigh), another year wiser (yippee) – thank you for joining in on this ride we call life!

A photo from the archives, way, way, way back when… Sun in my eyes and a “hurry up and take the photo” look on my face. Nice kid, huh? I was a Precisionette in high school. It was big fun. We marched behind the Band and the Majorettes. Those jackets were insulated for the cold weather football games (Michigan), so the warm months could be a challenge!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: 55 Shenandoah Court by Our Town Plans!

On August 18, 2016August 3, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, House Plans4 Comments

55 Shenandoah Court by Our Town Plans

55 Shenandoah Court by Our Town Plans – Striking, isn’t it? I love the exterior just as they have it, white, with a metal roof and black trim on the windows. Beautiful! Click HERE to see other elevations, details, etc!

This plan is 3,222 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Add to the conditioned space the wonderful porches and you have the perfect home for entertaining!

55 Shenandoah Court by Our Town Plans

Porches are so important to me. I grew up with a wonderful porch, and a lot of time was spent on it. It adds to your square footage in the best of ways. The front porch on this plan is plentiful, but the back porch would be my favorite! The back porch is screened and has entry via French doors and also has a fireplace. You would have to pry me off of that porch during nice weather!

The configuration of this plan is wonderful, with an open Kitchen, Dining, Living space. Notice the Office Nook off of the Kitchen. Nice addition… and if I didn’t use it as an Office, I think I would make it a Pantry! Woohoo, how I love a pantry! Look at that wonderful closet space in the Master! Whew! It’s so smart!

55 Shenandoah Court by Our Town Plans

The upstairs is fabulous as well, with 2 Bedrooms, a Bunk Room, a Loft area and two Bathrooms there is a lot you can fit in this upstairs and still have privacy and a place to hang out.

Check out images of a home built using this plan, it’s beautiful!

All images via OurTownPlans.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Kelly Carmody!

On August 17, 2016August 8, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist2 Comments

Snapper with Lemon by Kelly Carmody 12×16″ Oil

Kelly Carmody – this woman can paint! Portraits that are stunning, Interiors that are magical and Still Life paintings – Wow! Snapper with Lemon is a wonderful painting, the color harmony is perfection – the lemon looks as if it were just sliced, the background is a nice compliment without distracting. Beautiful! Be sure to check out the rest of Kelly’s paintings!

Would you be interested in taking a class with Kelly? She’s got a few to chose from, what an inspiration her class would be!

Read a bit about Kelly, from her website:

“Kelly Carmody has exhibited at venues including the Portrait Society of America and the Art Students League. Most recently, she was selected for the 2015 BP Portrait Award Show at the National Portrait Gallery in London and the 2016 Outwin Boochever Award at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. In addition, the historic Guild of Boston Artists elected her to become a member in 2015, she won the Edmund C. Tarbell Award in her first juried members show. The winning portrait is on the cover of July/August edition of Fine Art Connoisseur. In June of 2015 she received the Blanche E. Colman Award.

She currently has work at the Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, the Guild of Boston Artists, and the Ann Long Gallery in Charleston, SC. Publications that have featured her work include American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur, International Artist Magazine, Fine Art Today, Studio Visit Magazine, Boston Magazine, and The Boston Globe. Carmody has won grants from the Ludwig Foundation, Turkey Land Cove Foundation, and Massachusetts Cultural Council, as well as receiving an Edward G. McDowell Travel Grant and the Walter Feldman Grant. In 2014 she won 3rd place in the Portrait Society’s International Portrait Competition.

Carmody attended Massachusetts College of Art and furthered her studies at the Art Students League and in the studio of Numael Pulido.

She paints and teaches in her Waltham, MA studio.” (Read more HERE)…

Images via KellyCarmody.com, used with permission from the artist…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

[Lighting] The Nelson Saucer Pendant Lamp from Design Within Reach!

On August 16, 2016July 25, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME2 Comments

[image: dwr.com]

This is the Nelson Saucer Pendant Lamp from Design Within Reach. We have this light and it is FABULOUS. We have moved it from the Dining Room to the Kitchen. It’s modern style updates the room and gives it the final touch! The Nelson Saucer Pendant gives off the warmest, most beautiful light. We have ours on a dimmer, which is especially nice!

[image: dwr.com]

Just look at the warm light! The Nelson Saucer Pendant comes in three sizes, we have the medium. This fixture has remained a favorite of both of ours. The dimensions are listed below. The height is the fixture itself (not the cord). Info below from Design Within Reach website, check out their website for more info (DWR.com):

Small: H 7.5″ Diameter 17.5″ Cord L 72″

Medium: H 9.5″ Diameter 25″ Cord L 72″

Large: H 14″ Diameter 35″ Cord L 72″

Architect George Nelson, who was Herman Miller’s design director from 1945 to 1972, once said, “Every truly original idea seems to find its most important expression in a chair.” And then he blew the doors off lighting design. While outfitting his office, Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp® (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed.” This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 150W max (60W for the small saucer). UL Listed. Made in U.S.A. Read more about it and see more images HERE…

All images via DWR.com; Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Tracy Wall!

On August 15, 2016August 8, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist3 Comments

Crane Conversation by Tracy Wall 36 x 24 x 1.5″ Oil

Tracy Wall. Wonderful artist who isn’t afraid to use color! This painting packs a punch, doesn’t it? I’m loving how the underpainting is showing through, it adds SO MUCH to this painting, then add the bright color of the crane and it’s wonderful shadows and WHOA! Nice painting! Be sure to check out Tracy’s website, she’s got great paintings! This painting is available at Abend Gallery! Also be sure to check out Tracy’s blog!

Read a bit about Tracy, from her website:

“Tracy grew up in the Midwest and has called Colorado home since 1981. She has studied at the Art Students League of Denver under the influences of Michelle Torrez, Ken Velastro, Kevin Weckbach, John Lencicki, and Rob Gratiot with additional workshops from David Shevlino, Carol Marine and Sally Strand.

After starting at the University of Denver studying Fine Art under the guiding hand of Maynard Tischler, Tracy answered the call to study science (BS in Zoology at Colorado State University), education (MA in Special Education at the University of Northern Colorado) and health (MT in Therapeutic Massage at MTIC). She has now come full circle and has returned to her first love: the visual arts.

Tracy’s work can be seen in private and corporate collections across the country.” Read more HERE…

All images via TracyWall.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

It’s Sunday, RELAX!

On August 14, 2016July 20, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, Photograph, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

We all have those dog-tired days. Days when we just need to kick back and relax. DO IT! It’s Sunday. Rest and rejuvenate yourself.

Charlie will try as well ;) (I think this is a hint for a bigger bed, ha).

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A Dark & Stormy Charleston Sky

On August 13, 2016July 20, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Charleston, Daily Blog, Photograph, SCLeave a comment

I snapped this photo (as a passenger) driving over the Ashley River Bridge in Charleston. July brought a lot of stormy weather and wild skies, this is one example. You can see the rain pouring from the clouds. Photo taken with iPhone while moving. I love this photo! I swear with these wonderful skies I cannot go anywhere without a camera, it’s simply impossible!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Guess the Artist Solved: Bjorn Runquist!

On August 12, 2016August 13, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Guess the Artist3 Comments

Ice Cream Before Lunch by Bjorn Runquist 12×16″ Oil

Post updated: This painting is by Bjorn Runquist – the ice cream shoppe in Port Clyde, ME – I love this building and I think he captured it perfectly! What a delight this painting is!

Check out Bjorn Runquist’s website – and right now he has a show at Ocean View Grange, August 12-14, 2016! (The Grange is located on rt 131 just before you get to Port Clyde, Maine).

Thank you to those of you who guessed, or attempted!

Over the next few weeks (until I run out of paintings), I am posting one of our paintings and then seeing who can GUESS THE ARTIST. I have retouched this photo on the bottom left corner to remove the artist’s signature.

Do you know the name of this artist?

Comment on my Facebook page or on this blog…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan: May Isle Cottage by John Tee!

On August 11, 2016July 28, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, House PlansLeave a comment

May Isle Cottage by John Tee

This is the May Isle Cottage by John Tee – this plan is 2,100 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Isn’t this a sweet plan? I love the cuts in the roof – beautiful!

May Isle Cottage by John Tee

I like the layout of the first floor. It’s nice when you’re in the Living Room to have a bit of privacy from people who come knocking at the door (well, other than friends or neighbors!) – having the stairway in the front does help with that. This plan has a Master Bedroom downstairs and has a powder room near the Foyer. The Living, Kitchen and Dining are open which is fabulous – I see something else I love… a PANTRY, with a washer and dryer! Tuck it out of the way! Add to this an Outdoor room and you have one heck of a house!

May Isle Cottage by John Tee

Upstairs there are two Bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, as well as a Loft space. The Loft is a great space that can be used for so many things!

All images via Store.JohnTee.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the architectural firm.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Paul Bond!

On August 10, 2016August 8, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist1 Comment

Princess and the Dragon by Paul Bond 33×44″ Oil

Magic realism artist. Perfect description for Paul Bond, his work is amazing and transports you to happy times! Paul’s work is so creative, I can look at each piece and think of different stories, what a treasure!

McKena’s Bittersweet Departure from the Island of Happiness by Paul Bond 24×30″ Oil

Wildly inventive, with that magical quality that transports you back in time but with a modern twist. I love this painting! Be sure to check out Paul’s Blog as well as his Shop – wow, Wow, WOW! I love his coffee table book (you can see a bit of it – how wonderful)!

Read a bit about Paul, from his website:

“Paul Bond’s art lives in the spaces between dreaming and reality. Drawing from the Latin American genre of Magic Realism where symbolic, surreal and fantastic elements blend with realistic atmospheres, they remove the veil on a world where everything is possible. Bond shares the following about his work:

“When viewing a scene, object or line in a novel that moves me, my mind’s eye is continually imagining what elements I could introduce or alter to make a grander statement about what I am experiencing. The physical world to me is heartbreakingly beautiful and profound. And the best way I can know how to channel those deep emotions life inspires in me is by adding to it through a world of my own creation. A world intended to both deepen my own life experience and to stir the souls of my fellow travelers.”

Bond’s award-winning magic realism paintings have been featured in galleries, museums and cultural centers, including the Gateway Museum in Farmington, NM and the San Diego Art Institute. His paintings are now in private collections throughout the US, as well as Australia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Corporate collections include the Hotel Hershey and PB&J Restaurants, and his art is featured in many contemporary art publications.” Continue reading HERE…

All images via PaulBondArt.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A day filled with wishes!

On August 9, 2016August 4, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, HOME, Photograph, THOUGHTS2 Comments

This is a day filled with wishes – Happy Birthday to my sister Bridget, and Happy Anniversary (58 years!) to my parents – don’t know how you two do it since you don’t seem a day over 55!

So best wishes for healthy & happy life!

Can you imagine what Charlie’s wish is (above)… MmmmHmmmm… Tsk, tsk!

Here is a favorite memory – Bridget on our sailboat FIDDLE FADDLE reading her comic book… (Notice the state of the art life jacket – it was nice to replace the big thick bright orange ones)!

Life, the way it should be!

May all YOUR wishes come true – Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Barb Walker!

On August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Daily Blog, Featured Artist4 Comments

Cozy Up by Barb Walker 12×12 Oil

Barb Walker. I love her style. She doesn’t overdue her strokes. Her paintings are wonderful without being overdone. Those of you who paint realize how difficult that is to accomplish. I love interior paintings and this is a wonderful one. I love the character that this wingback holds. Wonderful!

Sconset Lane by Barb Walker 12×12 Oil

Sconset Lane. This is a famous Nantucket view that has been painted by many artists, I love this version. The road is wonderful, the houses, flowers, you really get a sense of it! Be sure to check out Barb’s website and check out her Daily Paintworks Gallery of Art – lots of red dots, I can see why!

Read a bit about Barb Walker, from her website (my favorite bios are personal and Barb’s is exactly that, you read it and get a sense of who the artist is – we share the love for a place called Maine, ahhh!):

“About me? Just have always loved nature, being outdoors, colors, life. Sketched for as long as I can remember. Have met so many good people who are great painters that I’m not sure which I enjoy more – the painting or those I have met.

We live in Ohio, and travel to Maine almost every year. The galleries are amazing – the coast is breathtaking!”

All images via BarbWalkerPaintings.com, used with permission…