Mothers Day Sunday showhouse.......and you're invited!

Happy Mothers day! To anyone who is a mom, I salute you. Its a tough job. It doesn't end at 5:00,  its a 24-7 gig. Its challenging, daunting, makes you feel vulnerable and can leave you with self doubt, can be frustrating, exhausting, its expensive.......That said, the joys of motherhood are just too many to name, the laughter, the successes,the smiles, the tears (both happy and sad) the memories and true moments of sheer bliss that my boys have brought to me are truly priceless. Nothing in the world could or would replace them. I am forever grateful for the gift they have given me for just being who they are. Truly each of them is a gift from God. I am grateful. I also feel amazingly grateful for my own mother, the most unselfish, giving, generous, kindest, sweetest, most considerate, person I have ever known who gives with every ounce of her being (way more than I am capable of and I do consider myself a giver) she has raised the bar to an unattainable height and for that Mom I am grateful, you are a gem and a one and a million mom!
Today's post is for all you mothers out there. I chose homes that appeal to me as a mother, the kind of home I would want to escape to for a relaxing getaway, just a "aahhhh, I am out in the country, breathing fresh air, not hearing any noise but the crickets and birds" kind of vibe...that's what I am feeling today. After a very hectic week, I am longing for a little "sitting on the front porch, waiting for a pie to bake" kind of lifestyle right now. Anyone with me?  Sound good?  Yes, I thought so!! Today I pay homage to a simpler, more casual home, in the country, a quiet, genteel elegance and an existence where time really does stand still (yes such places DO exist).....its fun to imagine and dream so lets get started!
BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. I fell in love with this "charm galore" Bucks County, Pennsylvania farmhouse. Of course it has the most picturesque lake and small cozy rooms just as I imagine my imaginary lake getaway house to be! It is picture perfect, cozy, charming, elegant and so inviting. This would be a wonderful place to spend Mothers Day don't you think? Only problem is my "getaway" could easily become a full time home..it would be hard to peel myself away and go back to "real life"....just fabulous!  Interiors done by the very talented Penny Drue Baird. Definitely off the charts on the "coziness factor" alone.

Understated and so welcoming

The dining room welcomes you and invites you to stay a while

While 'that pie" is baking, this is where I hang out, with my book and cup of latte....not too bad

In the country...we go to bed early, so I get into bed with my book and keep the windows open for an early evening breeze....

The early evening light filters in.....

On golden pond come to life......I can see many family get togethers year round here, maybe even a wedding or two? 

COASTAL RHODE ISLAND. This fabulous restored 200 year old barn is a story right after my own heart. ( I am sure many of you too) A woman and her lawyer husband buy a 4 acre plot of land out by the coast in a rural town and have a vision of building their dream barn on the property., They want to replicate an old barn but want to be able to see one that they can mimic. They end up going to look at an old barn in the dead of winter in Canada, which is in amazingly meticulous condition....to cut to the chase, they end up having that barn piece by piece transported to Rhode Island and lovingly built back up again except this time the facade is done in gorgeous stone, a homage to the local area in Rhode Island. Just fabulous! Love the soaring spaces..the light that is brought in, but the integrity of the original structure is very much evident in this amazing building. Interiors by Ellen Denisvich-Grickis

The setting was kept nautral and realtively untouched...beautiful

Love all that wood.....glorious!

I can see late morning Mothers day breakfast/brunch turning into lunch turning into mid afternoon coffee here

What a wonderful kitchen for impromptu entertaining with family and friends....

With the windows slightly ajar to allow for that fresh mountain air...this room is meant for napping

This is a perfect dining al fresco spot!

Perfect from every angle if you ask me!

UPSTATE, NEW YORK. This updated saltbox was purposefully kept understated as not to upset "the apple cart" aka the neighborhood's integrity of equally charming homes and farms. The rural  landscape lends itself to quiet and understated New England charm but the new owners wanted to reinvigorate the interiors. Sills Huniford did an outstanding job keeping the old feeling but allowing it to feel fresh and new. Warm and neutral colors were used along with rich textures. You will see no overhead lighting, just lamps and chandeliers, nice aged timbers and reclaimed wood floors were used to keep the antiqued feel of the home. The Colonial feeling is still very much alive but with an updated airier feeling....what do you think?

I love the soft glow of this room and love those floors

Love this kitchen...its an entertainers dream!

This cozy little family room is the perfect place for putting your feet up,  grabbing a great book and a cup of coffee

Love the ambiance of this bedroom.....the fireplace adds to the coziness

A small prep kitchen to prep the days picks from the gardens, I could pull a "Martha" in here

fall

There you have three totally charming abodes...could you possibly pick a favorite? Wouldn't you love a place like that to get away to for those "Calgon take me away" moments, day, weeks or months? (maybe even years...lolsoooo describes both my mom to a fault..does it ring a bell for anyone else out there?

Happy Mothers Day!!

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  ~Tenneva Jordan