the little things

Random thought of the day:  I'm grateful we don't have a wifi password.  More because we don't need one.  Shh, listen.  Hear that?  Nope?  That's because we live in the middle of nowhere.  My heart is content.

It finally happened- we got a little snow to stick.  Honestly, it's kind of nice.  The first snow always gets me in the Holiday Spirit.  :) 

Who's ready for Thanksgiving?  I usually make cheesecake stuffed strawberries (yes, they're amazing).  But, I haven't been seeing fresh strawberries in the grocery store this week.  It may be time to find a new recipe.  I did make a lemon-raspberry cake this week.  It was delicious, although not much to look at (note to self: get 3 circle cake pans that are the same size, or at least trim the large cake before layering).  Just close your eyes as you eat it... you'll be fine.  :D

Yes, this is a snapchat screenshot.  Don't judge me (at least until you've tried the cake).

Have a great weekend, y'all.
<3 A

november 17

Can we just pause for a moment & say Hallelujah!  I've never met a November I loved more.  I'm off to play outside. 

For reference, here's today:

the view from our front porch, a little slice of heaven!

Do you remember what we were doing last year (about 2 months into our build)?  This was a brutally cold day!  We spent most of it outside putting in the underground service.  Thank goodness we had tons of help from R's parents.

 

 

I'm planning to soak up all this warm weather as long as I can!  In other news, we've gotten some things accomplished in the basement.  Stay tuned for an update.

more plants!

Starting to landscape this house from scratch has been fun, but overwhelming!  I'm realizing I definitely have taken plants for granted in the past.  They take a long time to grow and mature, and they're not always cheap.

This past week I planted a teeny tiny little lilac bush, a baby lavender, and a bitty clematis.  I'm not sure how long it will take these guys to grow up, but all we have ahead of us on this land is the rest of our lives.  :)  So, I'll keep you posted.

Here's the lilac.  One day she'll be 6 feet tall! 

And the propane tank, for reference.  I can't complain too much about this eye-sore, since it's our sole heat source (We don't have natural gas on our road, or even on the road a few miles south of us.  Plus it sure beats chopping wood or hauling pellets)... but I am looking forward to the day the lilac distracts you from this 500-gallon beast.  Anyone else have creative ways of disguising propane tanks, or AC units?

My eventual master plan includes a retaining wall with built-in planters and maybe a bench/seating area as well.  The backyard is a blank canvas- so we can do anything we can imagine.  I can't wait to get started on that in the future.

This is my favorite inspiration right now.

Source: NJ Estates

We already have wild raspberries and strawberries growing on the property, so I have plans for more of those, and we need to start thinking of where to put my veggie/salsa garden!