Decorating memories ...

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? I really enjoyed the time we spent with family and friends over the past few days. There is something special about visiting with beautifully familiar faces! Along with enjoying a delicious meal prepared by my fun-to-be-around in-laws (when the Blacker’s get together, there is always a lot of laughter) I also attended my High School reunion which certainly stirred up some memories! Of course the yearbooks all came out, along with the childhood photo albums (which are my personal favorites). How adorable is my outfit in this photo from Thanksgiving, circa 1972?? And how cute is my younger brother looking up at me? If you go back to my last post, you will notice that as an adult I have essentially copied my mother’s decorating style by purchasing a matching buffet and very similar colored table lamps. The flowers are even in the same place. Some parts of our visual past are forever
ingrained in us, I guess!

How has your childhood influenced
the way you decorate today?


Author’s note: “Not-so-big posts” are in the queue for this week. If you would like to read some in-depth posts on current design trends, please visit Alluminare where I am presenting a series of posts this week on the Slow Home movement. And if there is a current design trend that you would like to learn more about, just let me know!

Summer time ...

How was your 4th? We spent the day on Singletary lake in Sutton with my husband’s family. It was mostly relaxing (despite water, boats, and fishing rods which typically unnerve me while trying to keep an eye on four boys!) There was also a lot of great food, conversation and photo taking (this was a Blacker bash after all!) Here are some of my favorite shots. Above is Summer, the family dog of the South shore Blacker’s (we are the North shore Blacker’s, and the West Coast Blacker’s were also in attendance along with the rest of the original Blacker clan, plus over a couple dozen kids and many significant others!)

Lots of fish were caught (and released).


Boats were decorated in red, white and blue.


My favorite included an
all-American trumpet solo.

The sunset after the boat
parade was spectacular.



The fireworks were a sight to be seen,
but not easily captured on film.

Back home today, we continued the celebration!

More from York ... Seaside Cottage

A summer vignette ...
vintage photo of my grandparents at the beach,
small bouquet from mom’s cottage garden,
seashore treasures cover the windowsill,
basket overflowing with “things to do in York”

I have vacationed in York, Maine for as long as I can remember. My mom would take all five kids up to Long Sands Beach for two weeks each summer. Dad would join us on the weekends. Over the years, we stayed at a few different cottages on Beacon Street that were owned by my mom’s aunt Evelyn who we all called “Auntie.” Our favorite was aptly named “3 Buoys” after my second (or is it third?) cousins
... a set of triplet boys.


Auntie

A little over 10 years ago, my mom bought a cottage up York. We were all excited to create new family memories in our very own cottage by the sea. The fact that we could decorate as we wished was like a tidal pull ... bringing with it many “somethings for the cottage” that over time have been collected like so many shells from the beach.

Here are some of my favorites ...



My mom stands proudly behind her family of five(plus a handful of my cousins) at Nubble Light.
Bureau paint color: Ben Moore Kittery Point Green

I thought this would be the perfect container
to hold magazines for guests.

(years worth of Martha Stewart Living ... still enjoyable!)



The cottage has become home to a sea of mermaids.



This chair painted with Ben Moore Sag Harbor Gray
is from my Vintage Seaside Collection.

Every beach home deserves a handful of sea glass.



My friend Beth Hylan of Petals-to-Keep
created this piece of art that combines
dried flowers with a vintage map of York.



Pine-paneled walls and vintage art
set the tone in the boys room.



I couldn’t pass up this painted
metal pail. The cutie flying the kite
looks a lot like one of my sons.



Bedtime stories



The girls room ... bunnies, fairies, pinks and greens



This framed print looks like mom when she was a girl. The fairy plates remind me of her three granddaughters (the only girls – so far – out of twelve grandchildren!)






A container for the counter and
goodies from the beach ...

And every once in a while, a little design intervention:
a lamp inherited with the cottage ...

receives a mini make-over.

Like the patchwork quilts that grace each bed,
Mom’s summer cottage is warm, cozy,
and pieced together with love.

Until next time ... the sun sets on Short Sands beach