Tag: #crabtreecottagegarden

The Magic of Autumn

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” ~ Oscar Wild

It has been an amazing transition into the Autumn Season here in The Berkshires. Although “they” are saying our fall foliage splendor is delayed and muted, we find some of the colors absolutely awe-inspiring. Perhaps it may be peak by the weekend!

Here are some scenes from around The Cottage: As you can see most of our gardens are put to bed for the season, but our annuals are still thriving because of the lack of a real heavy frost, and my obsession of moving plants around for cover when there is a threat! I think the red annuals look great with orange so until they get frosted they are part of the theme too.

I may not have fall window boxes this year, if we don’t get a hard frost!

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald.

We have still been in our summer routine because of this weather. Hiking in the morning on weekends, and more often than not, hiking in the late afternoon during the week. It is our favorite form of exercise, and because we love the woods so much it is the ultimate fall activity too.

Here are some scenes from our favorite hiking destination – Kennedy Park. Dog friendly and just as tremendous in the fall. Everyday seems like a new adventure with the seasonal changes.

These two cuties are considered geriatric according to their dog ages. Max is 15 and Margot is 14. No one would believe how they trot, dash, and gallop through the woods. Jeff likes to take the most difficult trails and not only climb at a fast pace, but challanges us all as we run to catch up with him. These two stay right by our sides!

“There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood – touch of manner, hint of mood; And my heart is like a rhyme, with the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.” ~ Bliss Carman

Autumn is especially delightful for a picnic too! We had a really sweet, and very simple little picnic with my parents at Beartown State Forest a couple of weeks ago, then we went pumpkin shopping on the way home at Taft Farms in Great Barrington.

Advice from a PUMPKIN ~ Be well-rounded ~ Get plenty of sunshine ~ Give thanks for life’s bounty ~ Have thick skin ~ Keep growing ~ Be outstanding in your field ~ Think big! ~ Ilan Shamir

I love to see how people decorate for fall. From simple to over the top, it really is interesting to see how people approach the Harvest Season ~ we have a very sweet street with older homes and great gardens. One day when I was working on my fall decor, I saw a garden fairy put pumpkins on my neighbors front stoop!

The Hayes House, right next to ours, has the best old fashioned porch. We love to hang out on it with them. Sandy loves the change of seasons too, and always decorates her porch so beautifully. She always gets it just right!

Another sweet and simple Franklin Street garden ~ simplicity at it’s best.

Another sweet one, a bit more of a traditional version on this front porch ~

And of course we love to eat! Even though today is the coolest of the fall days so far we have been eating a lot of soup! This is Roasted Tomato Soup with the last of our garden tomatoes. Here is a link for the recipe click here: Barefoot Contessa Roasted Tomato Soup

I had been listening to a local radio show about an upcoming Chowder Cook Off and was inspired to make this old favorite of ours from The Basics Cookbook, my first introduction to cooking when I got married. I still use it to this day! Click over to my facebook page for this recipe.

We are trying to eat seasonally around here now that fall has arrived. I was inspired by a sweet potato recipe in our local paper. It was so good! It really was tasty, nourishing and satisfying. Pop over to my facebook page for the recipe.

Tonight with the very last of my garden eggplants I am going to make Eggplant Carpaccio. I had made the zucchini version of this in the summer with the last of my zucchini and it is a new favorite. It is company worthy too! Here is a link for the recipe: Zucchini or Eggplant Carpaccio

Today is the coolest day so far, and perhaps it’s a good night for a fire ~ although you would never know this from these pictures that I just snapped this morning. We have been in a transition stage here with that kind of summer vibe, but I think that may be changing! Time to cozy up with a warm cup of tea, a good book and some indoor Hygge for late Autumn. I have been bringing the outside in a bit but that is a blog for another day! Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#crabtreecottagegarden #taftfarms #theberkshireeagle

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy!

Our version of Summer Living is to incorporate Hygge in the garden ~ twinkle lights, candles, scents of amazing flowers, a fire in the chiminea, and amazing atmosphere!

Hygee may be the term for secrets for happy living in Scandinavian countries, but here in the states we practice some of the same principles, and because the Berkshire Summers are so short, we are also determined to incorporate Hygee into our summers too. Outdoor living is the key to living a hyggee life in the summer. We consider it a perfect day to be OUTSIDE all day.

Where flowers bloom so does hope. ~ Lady Bird Johnson

Notice the carin sculpture that Jeff made ~ at dinner that night he realized, it is a “Max Angel” .

This sculpture below is another Jeff creation, it was just to showcase the beautiful stone ~ during dinner that night my Dad realized, it was a “Margot sculpture!”

~ early summer above ~ late summer below ~

“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden. ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Our wild and wonderful herb garden is a buzz about bees! Sometimes hummingbirds too!

Apparently window boxes date back to ancient Rome. This year I went with the European geranium in red. Traditional and perfect for our gray shingled, cottage style, summer house. I could do a whole blog about window boxes!

Of course eating alfresco is a daily event. Even when it sprinkles we move the umbrella over the table!

Our whole yard is a garden, but we especially love to eat in our little vegetable garden!

“Taste is an important element of hyggee because it often involves eating something. And that something can not be too fresh, alternative or challenging in any way.” ~ “And if you want to be more hyggelig, you add more wine.”

~ Meik Wiking

This is a new summer favorite, Soba Noodle Salad – pop over to my facebook page for this simple recipe.

Another Asian inspired Cabbage Salad from The Earth Diet.

Does anything beat lettuce just picked from the garden?

The other night we ate at my sister’s house, and her friend Sally made a Chow Chow salad ~ I was in love! I made it the very next night! #simple#summer#delicious#nutritious#gardenfood

Here is the chow-chow recipe:

4 cups any vegetables ( I like to add scallions and olives too)

1 Tab. Olive oil

2 Tab. White vinegar

Juice + zest of 1 lime

1/2 – 1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp. Chile powder

1/4 tsp. Cumin

Cilantro

Oregano (if you like )

Mix, cover, refrigerate, marinate a few hrs…. enjoy !! ( I couldn’t wait a couple of hours so we ate it right away!)

Another look and the feeling of hygge on a rainy day.

The smell…

Our summer living area is our patio! We truly live out there! If we had a bed out there, that is where we would sleep! Jeff starts every morning out there with his coffee and his paper. He is an early riser, and after he feeds the birds he sets up his own little version of relaxation before work. Did you know that by watching the birds you are actually meditating – it has the same effect on your brain! Well, summer bird feeding is Jeff’s hobby! When he has the day off, he still feels like he has to get up and get the bird feeders out! Our yard is bustling with all kinds of birds, squirrels, chipmunks and bees. Meditation in motion!!

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” ~ Maya Angelou

Our life is quite simple these days. On our weekends we usually start the day with a hike to our favorite spot, Kennedy Park. We love to see the dogs run free and we love to be in the woods! We feel like it is not only a great physical activity, but a spiritual one as well.

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” ~ Edward Abbey (And puppies spirits too!)

As soon as I enter the woods my heart sings! I feel so peaceful and happy. I truly enjoy every moment ~ being in the moment is critical for a happy life, but especially in the summer months.

“The morning has dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer.” ~ George R.R. Martin ~ oh dear, today this was a sign… be where you are, NOW!

Now back to the patio – and patio living. After our hike in the woods, perhaps, but not always, a chore or two, we have a big decisions to make about our day! Lately, I have a new theme about summer living at Crabtree Cottage, ” Do you feel like vacationing at our summer home today?” Invariably the answer is yes! Out comes the latest reading materials, bathing suits , and the cover comes off the pool! We hangout, and take in all of the pleasures of the of this hyggelig atmosphere we have worked so hard to create.

One day after a hike we stopped at an estate sale ~ I walked up and immediately saw this blue and white group of chinese garden stools and two tables. I knew immediately that I had to have them. We came home and had no clue where they were going, but within minutes they were placed – where else but the patio?

“We didn’t realize we were making memories we just knew we were having fun.”

Since our summer home is in the Berkshires, we have had an exceptional time at the various cultural venues. Tanglewood, Jacobs Pillow, museums, jazz at gilded age mansions & gardens. Next on our list before summer’s end is The Clark Museum for the Picasso exhibit, and outdoor theatre . Notice all of this incorporates the outdoors! Cheers to summer with a grateful heart.

Succulents are one of my newest passions ~ a true trend everywhere these days. Mine is inspired by my visits to see Julia in California. I take my walks, and take in all of those succulent gardens, and I imagine…

Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#berkshirebotanicalgarden #crabtreecottagegarden #gardenrooms #kennedypark #summerfoodfortanglewood hyggeintheberkshires

Crabtree Cottage is now closed

We have very big news here at Crabtree Cottage. We are closing after nineteen years as a B&B. Although we do not know what the next adventure will be, we are excited about it. We have loved this little business with all of our heart and souls, and that is because we had such amazing customers. You have brought such joy and friendship to our B&B, and we truly are going to miss that beyond belief. We hesitated, we thought of creative ways to keep it going, but in the end we think the time to close has come. We are really looking forward to the freedom of zipping off to California to visit our daughter, summer weekends, and this new chapter at this time in our lives. Reinventing ourselves and perhaps a new career is really an adventure. Who knows someday we may return with a twist to this hospitality business that has brought us such great rewards.

Opening our doors to complete strangers and becoming friends has been really inspiring to us. We have looked forward to your repeat stays as we would our dearest friends. We can’t thank you enough for putting your trust in us year after year. Sharing and letting us share our lives with you has been such a great gift to us.

Visit my blog, http://crabtreecottage.com/a-new-adventure-at-crabtree-cottage/ ( which may also be reinvented at some point) to read more about closing our dearest, little treasure Crabtree Cottage!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Blessings to you all for a happy and healthy holiday season.

All of our love,

Janis & Jeff (Max and Margot too, of course!)

janis monachina

innkeeper@crabtreecottage.com

www.crabtreecottage.com

413-243-1780

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g41636-d226661-Reviews-Crabtree_Cottage-Lee_Massachusetts.html

#crabtreecottageb&B #crabtreecottagegarden berkshire activiites downtown lee ma

Reflections of Summer at the Cottage

“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.” – Henry David Thoreau

Our window boxes are my favorite garden feature of summer! Here is one at the beginning of summer and then at the end!

Scenes from around the Crabtree Cottage Garden

A new gardening project this summer! This garden is still evolving and we are hopeful next summer it will be full and lush!

Which led me to more Garden Centers! We even went to Project Native to dig up full grown plants. We came home with a van full of full grown plants, about 20 or so…. I could not have done this without my assistant on this very hot hot day!

Because these were full grown plants from a field we had to cut them back before we planted most of them ~ so we just can’t wait until next year when they pop up!

Of course, food is another huge theme here at Crabtree Cottage!

Stuffed French Toast ~ a guest favorite!

Caprese omlettes with our garden tomatoes and basil!

We had some guests dieting, and they wanted to maintain their healthy regime on vacation ~ A diet plate! Berkshire Mountain Bakery Sourdough Bread, poached eggs, crisp asparagus topped with shaved parmesan, with a spinach salad with tomatoes and avocado on the side.

Beautiful and simple fruit cup.

We love to eat fresh garden food all summer too! Zucchini from our garden made into zoodle pasta! Along with corn from the farmers market! Our favorite summer meal!

Simplicity on a hot day included some Cucumber – Avocado Sandwiches – of course this is Berkshire Mountain Bakery Bread!

The garden harvest provided us with great dinners! We supplemented our little garden with Farmers Markets around the Berkshires.

When we just can’t cook another meal, and we are too tired to go out, we have a back up plan we put into action… POPCORN! Pop over to my facebook page for this Crabtree Cottage Popcorn recipe.

Another passion here is setting the breakfast table. In the summer it is so delightful when we have an abundance of fresh flowers!

But, easing into fall floral arranging is fun too!

Autumn is the second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~ Albert Camus

This weekend we will be closing the pool. Jeff’s little pool assistant can now relax, and not worry about leaves falling in the pool.

Outdoor living is getting a new look as we transition into cooler weather!

Outdoor living is not completely over yet!

We also have beautiful memories of our end of summer vacation. Here we are visiting our daughter Julia in California! This photo was taken at the Madison Gallery where she works. Seeing her at the beginning of summer and then at the end was the highlight of our summer!

Here she is with the Madison Gallery owner, and the team ~ the glam squad! We are just filled with joy that she is doing so well, and has such amazing people to work with and learn from.

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Thank you for coming by my blog today. Stay tuned, we have some big changes here at Crabtree Cottage which we will announce soon!

#crabtreecottagegarden #curbappeal #gardenrooms

Crabtree Cottage & Living in the Berkshires!

How beautiful is it to do nothing, and then to rest afterward.

After a very busy spring, I think this quote sums up what the rest of our plan is for summer! With most gardening and house projects behind us for the season, it is time to enjoy all of the Berkshire splendor and beauty.

We kicked off summer with a bang! Our Julia was home from California for a week over the 4^th of July!

Julia is working at The Madison Gallery, in La Jolla, California. She is really loving it, and learning all of the inner workings of a top 500 Gallery. We are so happy for her, and even though we miss her, watching her thrive and navigate adulthood is wonderful. She is the joy of our lives! She made sure to be home on the 4th of July because it is a tradition!! Go James Taylor! Your #1 fan is 24 years old and traveled from California to see you at Tanglwood!

Our favorite Berkshire activity is picnicking on the Tanglewood lawn. We have been to Dolly Parton and James Taylor so far. Sometimes we splurge for a shed ticket, but making a picnic, relaxing on the lawn, and people watching under the stars tops the list! On Sunday afternoons we usually bring a bottle of wine and get a concession lunch after a busy weekend with guests. I must say the concession food is really pretty good. This picnic was simple and healthy. Just for Jeff & I having a romantic picnic listening to Dolly Parton!

Another place we love to picnic is Jacob’s Pillow. If we go to the Inside – Out series we bring a bottle of wine and a little picnic and relax before of after the show. They also have very nice concession sandwiches. It is a lovely campus with amazing beauty everywhere you look.

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For the past few years The Mount has been offering music on Friday and Saturday nights – early evening. We love to support this free venue by buying our wine and food there. This year Naumkeag is hosting music every Thursday evening offering food, wine, and beer too. It is a great way to visit the gardens, be outside and listen to local musicians. Those are relaxing outdoor activities that are unique, and a great way to experience the Berkshires Gardens.

Of course food is a top priority in this house for picnics, and of course breakfast. For our picnics sometimes we make this pasta dish. It is a staple in our house, and I usually have everything on hand to whip this together. I fill up mason jars with the pasta, for easy travel and serving. A fresh baguette and viola ~ a simple tasty picnic! Recipe: Chop of lots of fresh garlic, 1 lemon juice and rind, pine nuts, basil, basil and more basil, olives or capers, olive oil, and cherry tomatoes. Let this marinate as long as it takes to boil and cook the pasta, or if you really have your act together first thing in the morning. It always comes out good!

I served this Mexican Egg dish a couple of weeks ago for breakfast. Whenever I share this recipe with guests, it is with the confession that it is the easiest crust-less quiche dish ever. This makes a great breakfast, lunch or dinner too! Pop over to my facebook page for the recipe.

Everyone is talking about avocado toasts these days. It’s a food craze. Because of our vegetarian diets we have been living on avocado toasts and sandwiches for at least 20 years. We call them avocado delights. Sometimes in the summer we add tomatoes from the garden. Our daughter grew up on these, and introduced them to all of her friends. She makes a mean avocado delight ~ Julia style ~ in the summer with lettuce, arugula or basil from our garden. Sometimes they have made it to our Tanglewood picnics too. If you haven’t become hooked on these – you must try one.

We also love sweet potato toasts, tomato toasts, almond butter – banana – slivered almond toasts. The list is endless. We use Berkshire Mountain Bakery Bread. We like the San Francisco Bread the most for sandwiches. We also like the bagels from The Great Barrington Bagel Company. Julia REALLY misses their bagels! When she came home she ate them as much as she could!

When I saw this waffle idea online ~ I knew it would be a Crabtree hit! Maybe you will be the first to try our version of this!

We also have guests on special diets here at Crabtree. Here is a poached egg dish with sauteed vegetables I served to my paleo diet guests. This was topped with hollandaise sauce but it didn’t show up in the photo. I need a pro for this job, haha.

Summer is amazing in the Berkshires ~ we look forward to welcoming you to our cozy cottage. Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#crabtreecottagegarden #juliakeenandesigns #naumkeag #summerintheberkshires #themount tanglewoodpicnics#

For the Love of Birch & Holiday Decor.

“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.”

~ Helena Bonham Carter

Welcome to our holiday home! This year we went with a simple and natural look, with touches of red, and mercury glass for accents. Fresh greens, birch, and pinecones helped bring the outdoors in. As always, our favorite decor includes lots of candles, festive music and comfort food ~ all with a twist.

Notice Max & Margot ~ always part of the Crabtree scene!

Every time Jeff and I go walking in the woods I seem to collect another birch log. I love using the birch in my arrangements, but especially Christmas decor.

We go walking and hiking in the woods, and before you know it I have spotted a piece or two of birch! On our last walk we noticed these cairn rock formations here and there.

“I believe in the cosmos. All of us are linked to the cosmos. So nature is my god. To me, nature is sacred. Trees are my temples and forests are my cathedrals. Being at one with nature.”

~ Mikhail Gorbachev

There is the prize! Birch Loot! Then the protest …. “this one is much too big.” Bringing a chainsaw into the woods is also a no no according to the birch carrier!
Then I notice this! We load up the car, and go home to play!

The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest. ~ Thomas Moore

Now that the outside is complete, we move inside.

This year I put my carolers on the tree.

This lovely galvanized cake stand is a gift from my neighbor Sandy. We went out shopping one day, and I got to pick out my Christmas gift. Sandy is my dearest, neighbor/friend/decorator – cohort! She also loves all things birch, and galvanized! After we shopped, we embellished it with birch, pinecones, greens and mercury glass. I will do a blog on her house soon ~ she is such an inspiration to me.

Now, it is time to invite my parents over to lounge in front of the fire. We served this Tomato Bread Soup, PAPPA AL POMODORO, from our favorite cookbook author, Chloe Coscarelli. It was a major hit ~ very hearty and flavorful. I have posted the recipe on my face book page if you would like it.

I follow some very inspiring home decor blogs. One of my favorites is Susan Branch. I saw this on her previous post, and thought it was a lovely blessing for all of us. Susan is an artist, author and lover of the Home Arts! I think you will love her page too.

Thank you for coming by my blog today. May everything that makes for a happy holiday come to you.

#crabtreecottagegarden #decoratingwithbirch #winterdécor janismonachinadesigns

Cheers to Summer

“To see the Summer Sky
Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie –
True Poems flee.”
Emily Dickinson

It sure is hard to say good bye to summer. Business wise, it was one of our best. We truly enjoy our guests, and even though it is our busiest time of the year, we do manage to pack in lots of Berkshire Activities. Our favorite hobby is patio life. A special way to end the day! Candles lit, table set, wine poured, perhaps an evening chiminea to set the tone, Ahhh…. connecting with my favororite people!

I think in order to be an innkeeping couple you have to share a love of of all things home. Tending to our guests, home and garden gives us immense feelings of joy.

One of my morning rituals is to go out and count my morning glories. Hot tea in hand, I walk about the garden and explore what the morning garden offers. Morning glories like cool nights, and the September gardens benefit the most!

The Morning Glories are climbing the roof!

The Morning glory which blooms for an hour differs not at heart from the giant pine, which lives for a thousand years. ~ Allen W. Watts

“Summer should get a speeding ticket.”

Unknown

Herbs and vegetables straight from the garden. Flavorful omlettes and frittata’s ~ what a great way to start the day!

I love prepping for breakfast. Jeff and I have the routine pretty much perfected after 18 years!!

Suddenly, we realize that the summer clock is ticking! It’s time for someone else to tend to the garden, and do the dishes!

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”

~Maya Angelou

The one thing the Berkshires are missing is the beach!

I don’t mind being a tourist at all, and a gawker. I just walk around.

~ Ann Robinson

I love to check out other peoples gardens and houses!

“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” winnie the pooh

Thank you for comming by my blog today. Come back soon!

#cottageliving #crabtreecottagegarden #enchantedcottage #morningglories #outdoorliving #theberkshires #windowboxes janismonachinadesigns

Crabtree Snapshots

“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”
― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets

Max enjoying a cigar on a beautiul summer night!

Simplicity at its best!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake ~ pop over to my facebook for the recipe.

Today for breakfast I offered a special cheese omlet topper ~ fresh basil, farmers market tomatoes sauted in olive oil, avacado, olives, and a twist of Himalayan salt. A big hit!

The Crabtree Dishwashing Team ~ Jeff! I really love this man!

“Do small things with great love.” Mother Theresa

“Basil ~ Basil ~ Basil. You can never have too much Basil!” Janis Monachina, lol

Years ago we went to Garden in the Woods. I bought these blue pholx (that look purple) and they are just starting to bloom! They last about a month ~ I adore them! I will post again in full bloom!

A passion flower! It closes up on cold rainy days

A smoothie bowl ~ we haven’t served these to guests, but perhaps one day someone will request a bowl of health! This was created by Julia. She loves to eat and cook healthy. Always delicious and nutritious! That’s our Jules!

One night she made us this wonder! A beet and bean falafel with a cilantro/basil sauce. An invention any true Greek restaurant would love to have on their menu! We had her make it the next night too! A new summer favorite!

i have lots of garden areas on my tiny 1/2 acre lot…… my herb garden may not be the show stopper, but it is my very favorite! Subtle and very useful! Wild and Wonderful. We have noticed a decline in the bee population. We have about 10 bees at a time on a good day, compared to a guestimate of 100 at a time.

These ferns are as tall as I am. No ~ don’t you dare! 5’3 is a tall fern!

Thank you for coming by my blog today ~ come back soon.

#cottagegarden #cottageliving #crabtreecottagegarden #curbappeal #outdoorooms #windowboxes janismonachinadesigns keenanconstruction

Creative & Fun Spring Projects at Crabtree

Cozy

: small, comfortable, and warm

: friendly and pleasant

: suggesting or showing a closeness between two people, groups, businesses, etc. : very close

I remember when I first started my B&B, eighteen years ago, searching for a word to describe my B&B. The word cozy kept coming up. I learned in the advertising world that cozy was not a good B&B description. It was overused and too cutesy for some people. Well, there really isn’t a better word, in my humble opinion, to describe my B&B. Yes, this is a gray shingled home, with a picket fence and a cottage garden, some might say cottage-y and even cutesy, but I think the feeling that people feel here is cozy! Come along, I’ll show you how we have been cozying up around here.

THE MASTER’S CHAMBER REVEAL!

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. Arthur Ashe

It all started with Jeff replacing the tiled ceiling, adding new crown molding and painting the rooom. Then came the new carpet. A shopping trip to Pine Cone Hill, Pottery Barn, Lamps Plus, Country Curtains, Home Goods and our even our own home and…. Tada!

At first I had some white chairs in this space. When my father saw the new room he said it just wasn’t cozy. Imagine that! So in moved the chairs destined for somewhere else in the house! Viola ~ cozy, cozy, cozy. This newer, slightly modern look I was seeking, needed more color. He was spot on!

For the moment these are the only pictures I have of the new Master’s Chamber. It is very difficult to take pictures of rooms without a professional for lighting and wide angles. I have that next project on my list.

Next, came another project for Jeff, the deck. The deck had been such a dissapointment from the get go. The ceder that year had many issues with rotting. Our deck was very close to the ground, held too much moisture and I had chosen a solid stain. Every year it took major sanding, board replacing and painting. Well…. Jeff solved that problem!

Tada!!

The very best part of this low maintenance, gray stained cement patio with its composit railing system is…………

This garden gate!! The railing system didn’t come with an acceptable gate. Pure ugly. Well, that wasn’t going to work.

Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein

I remembered going to the Norman Rockwell Museum a few years ago and seeing a hand crafted and artsy gate display on the lawn. It was a vague memory for both of us, but it was very inspiring and whimsical. I wanted Jeff to make one for me at the time, but no gates were needed. The idea was in storage, somewhere deep down it was waiting to be created. We of course needed a fun theme ~ a garden theme! This is what Jeff created!

Are you catching onto one of the themes of this blog yet? Pop over to my facebook page and see who won the Crabtree Employee of the Year!!!

After a long and very cold winter we couldn’t wait to get our pool going. Ugh. This year the lining was in very bad shape. Ought oh! We have realized we are already on borrowed time with this liner. Eighteen years old, and every year we wonder as the cover comes off… with this be that year? Not with Jeff around. Out came the hair drying and lots of muscle! Fixed! Notice his little assistant, Max offering his input.

Next came the new fence. Another story of wood that was eighteen years old!

As you can see lots of Spring projects are completed and we are looking quite fresh around here in our cozy cottage.

Here are some spring scenes from the garden.

These next garden photo’s are from my neighbors Sandy’s house. She has a very English style garden that always inspires me.

Respond to every call that excites your spirit. Rumi

Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#crabtreecottagegarden #homerenovation #outdoorliving janismonachinadesigns keenanconstruction

Summer Happenings at the Cottage

[text_box class=”green”] Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. Rumi [/text_box]

I am lucky that I really get to do what I love. I love keeping house! I also love setting the stage for my guests’ arrival, especially repeat guests. I anticipate catching up with them and sharing time together. Planning breakfast menus, tending to my garden and decorating my house fill me with enormous amounts of joy.

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Very special guests! Ken, Sue,David, Stephen, Joan & Alice

One recent group of guests have been coming for 10 years. They have been friends for years and travel together to the Berkshires every June. They are the nicest people you will ever meet. They arrive anticipating catching up with their friends and seeing performances at Jacob’s Pillow and local theatre. They also love to go to tag-sales and thrift/antique shops. By starting their Saturday morning on the tag-sale mission they get to know a lot of back roads and unique areas of the Berkshires. One is a jewelry designer and she crafts beautiful pieces out of reused mechanical parts, odds and ends and creates the most artful pieces I have ever seen. Another couple loves the idea of reusable objects also because of the environmental impact . The other couple goes along for the ride and the company. They love learning about our town and The Berkshires.

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We share our family news and stories. This group even visited our daughter Julia’s show at the Former Gallery in West Stockbridge the day it was ending. Their support of her budding career as an artist touches us deeply.

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This group is very inspiring to me. Authors, Doctors of Philosophy, Professors, Social Workers, a Hospital Administrator and an artist/author. All of these friends are leaders and members of the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island. I respect and admire each one of them and now I feel I am one of their friends! I feel very fortunate that year after year they choose my little cottage as their home base. Did I mention they all love my dogs? Yes, all of them are animal lovers too! What is not to love ~ fun-loving people who I look forward to as a group and then individually on other occasions.

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[text_box class=”green”] Sing like the birds sing not worryng about who hears or what they think. Rumi [/text_box]

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Alice, another favorite guest, having fun at SPARROW SINGING VINTAGE SHOP, in downtown Lee. — Alice, another favorite guest, having fun trying on hats! SPARROW SINGING VINTAGE SHOP, in downtown Lee. Notice the necklace she designed. This past spring her jewelry was featured in ELLE magazine!

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[text_box class=”green”] Set your life on fire ~ seek those who fan your flames. Rumi [/text_box]

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Sue, another favorite guest picking some flowers from the garden! — Joan and Stephen more of our favorites!

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Kenny another favorite guest of ours! — Kenny another favorite guest sharing a story.

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~ Here are some of the breakfast courses we have been serving lately ~

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orange-scented almond & olive oil muffins #giada de laurentiis

Jeff's famous home-fries — Jeff’s famous home-fries!

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~ Last but not least are some shots of The Crabtree Cottage Garden! (courtesy of Julia Keenan) ~

[text_box class=”green”] Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking a garden to know it . Rumi [/text_box]

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Alvin the chipmonk wants to be in the blog! — Alvin the chipmunk wants to be in the blog!

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[text_box class=”green”] Why should I be unhappy? Every parcel of my being is in full bloom. Rumi [/text_box]

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I have been enjoying Rumi this summer and wanted to share the wisdom of this 13th-century Persian master with as much relevance today as then. Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#crabtreecottagegarden #janismonachinagardens' #juliakeenandesigns #windowboxes@crabtreecottage crabtreecottagebreakfasts janismonachinadesigns