It’s hard to not love summer. When your a kid, its all about long days outside, pool parties and NO SCHOOL! There were family trips to go get ice cream cones, and evenings of fireworks and cookouts.

Now, I do know a lot of people who really don’t care for the humidity that comes along with a southern summer, and I can agree with that. But, there’s so much more that offsets the days of sweat and frizzy hair!

1.Longer days

I absolutely LOVE when it is light out until 9:00 or later. The winter time bums me out when it gets dark at 5:00. I literally count down the days until spring, knowing that the longer sunkissed days and brighter evenings are on their way!

2. Cicadas and Tree Frongs

Yup, those sounds that can only be found in the warm evenings are music to my ears! It’s June right now, and there are some tree frogs, but the Cicadas and the Katydids haven’t emerged yet. When they do, that means its full on SUMMER! I will even play a nature app in the winter time, just to hear those sweet sounds and make me dream of the warmer months ahead.

3. Cook outs

I mean, you have to love a cook out, right? The smell of charcoal, or the red meat on the grill is shear heaven. Cold beverages served in red solo cups, or ice cold beer in your favorite coozie is the stuff that really makes you relaxed. Our family always had epic Fourth of July parties. They went late into the night and involved tons of food, barrels filled with assorted sodas, (and I’m sure adult beverages), ice cream, watermelon, swimming in the pool and a ton of other games!

4. Fireworks

Yes sir! I love them. There is utter magic in those little cardboard tubes. I mean really, how do the get things like hearts or stars to show up out of the middle of a cascade of color? Amazing! I always am partial to the ones that start off one color, and then shimmer and crackle at the end as the fade out. I can hear that sound now…..

And then there’s the loud BOOM!!!! I think those are just to keep you awake. Hahaha! I like them too because you can feel it in your body.

5. Tomatoes

ok, well this one is a bit of a lie. I don’t actually like eating tomatoes. But I really do love growing them! Going to check the garden and tend to the plants is so satisfying. And when you have a harvest that’s bountiful enough that you can share it, well that’s special too. I am so tickled that I have my first baby tomatoes of the season, that I went out and bought some tomatoes on the vine, just so I could make tomato pie. Its a southern staple, and even though I don’t really care for tomatoes, I am craving this summertime treat! I’ll make sure to take some pics of the finished pie!

6. Butterflies and Bees

I try and keep y yard chemical free to help protect my little fluttery friends. Seeing butterflies is just so joyous. The just happily flit and fly around, almost bouncing through the air on their delicate wings. I always say that butterflies are visitors from heaven. We had one come sit on us one day for about 15 minutes. He just went from person to person and even hung out on our beverages. It was special!

The bees are special too. I have a couple bee houses in the yard so they can lay their eggs, and I try and give them enough flowers so they can do their jobs.

7. Ice Cream and the ice cream man

or woman, I suppose! I will admit that I’m not a very big sweets eater. But when someone says, “lets go out for ice cream!” I’m in! Growing up, we had a local place that served the BIGGEST scoops of ice cream. They were something to be reckoned with. It was often a challenge to eat that cone before you were a drippy mess. I would hate when my father wanted to clean up my cone for me! Then again, he probably didn’t want me in the car with sticky ice cream fingers.

One of the best jobs I ever had was at one of those old school walk up to the window ice cream places. It’s still there, and boy do I miss it! All the sprinkles you could eat! BEST. JOB. EVER!

And then there’s that sound of the ice cream truck! I always felt like I was going to miss it! We would hear the song, and then start screaming for mom to give up money! I usually got a frozen bomb pop. I loved the way it would make my tongue blue…

8. Pool Days

We were very lucky and had an in ground pool in our back yard. Most days when we got up in the morning, we just put a bathing suit on and that’s what we wore all day. We had dark tans and didn’t care. We played games in the pool and made forts out of the lounge chairs. When my father would get home from work, we’d go swimming after dinner. He’d always pick us up and throw us around. Whether we liked it or not. He taught us to dive, and my special dive was a back dive.

It was always fun to be invited to someone else’s pool, but there’s nothing like having your own!

9. Corn on the cob

Summer essential! I think we make corn on the cob every single time we cook out! There’s nothing better than sweet, fresh corn. Well, maybe if you add some blue cheese butter, that does step it up a tad. I know it sounds odd, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. My family has always boiled their corn. And usually it was served after the main part of dinner. I cook entirely outside on the grill during the summer, so I just grill mine. i like the little charred kernels. I know you can get corn on the cob year round, but the local summer corn is always the best!

10. The smell of fresh cut grass

Now if that doesn’t make you happy, then nothing will! HAHAHA! It soothes my soul. Just taking a few deep breaths of that smell instantly puts me in a better mood. I don’t even mind mowing the grass, I like the smell so much. My yard isn’t really a lot of grass, however, its mostly green weeds, but I’m working on it. I would love to have a big lush lawn. Maybe next year

Gosh, I could go on and on. There’s also Fireflies, thunder storms, sun tans and so much more!

Take the time to enjoy the beauty of each season.

Happy Summer time!

When I bought my house 6 years ago, I had nothing except a cheap hammer and a couple screwdrivers. I remember asking people at work and friends if I could borrow a circular saw and a jigsaw so I could install my butcher block counters.

The very first project I tackled was ripping out the tub surround and putting up backer board and tiling. I remember that my friends came by to see the house, and I was outside on the steps with a handsaw and a mitre box trying to saw though a 2 x 4. He just laughed and said “that’s not the right tool for that!” At the time, I was so inexperienced that I just bought what was cheap, and thought would work.

Now I have a workshop filled with tools! However, I think that its important to know, that if your starting out with projects, whether your making framed signs, farm tables, or renovating a home, there are tools that you should have! You will see some repetition, in that there are a few different saws that I recommend, and I will tell you why you need more than just one saw.

Let me also tell you that safety is of the utmost importance! So for that reason alone, having the correct tool for the job is a must.

having the right tool for the job is a must.

1. Drill

Ok, I know this seems obvious, but you NEED to have a drill with screwdriver bits. I almost feel like this should be above and beyond the list as a gimme, but I’ll stick with the rules and keep this to 5 must haves. Now, there are drills and there are impact drivers, both of which serve the same purpose. However, impact drivers have much more power and require special bits. While most screwdriver bits can be used in an impact driver, standard drill bits can’t. So for this reason alone, as an entry level tool, get a regular drill. You may find out that you need more power for certain projects, but all in all, a basic drill will accomplish most things. Also as a side note, when your doing projects that require both drilling and screwing, it is handy to have more than one so you’re not constantly switching bits.

2. Circular Saw

This will be the first of several saws you’ll see on this list. This is an all around versatile tool. You’ll be surprised at what you can do with this tool. For example, aside from the obvious cutting a board straight across, you can also set angles and mitre cut. You can also raise and lower the guide so you can cut to certain depths. And a circular saw can be used with a track system, so you can use your saw in more of a table saw fashion. I recommend an electric saw versus its battery operated brother as a starting point. The batter operated ones tend to be not so powerful. They are great to have when you need to do a quick cut, but not my first choice.

3. Oscillating Tool

These little fellas are amazing! You can use these for cutting through metal nails, removing grout, notching wood or scraping paint. I’ve used mine for things like undercutting door molding when installing new flooring, and the slicing through these huge penny nails when I was removing a wall and taking out studs. Let me tell you that the number of huge nails that they used in the construction of my house is incredible. It was built in 1948 and those suckers are HUGE! But, the oscillating tool (or Multi Tool), went right through them. There are specialized blades and if you are cutting through a lot of metal, they do get dull pretty quickly. If you had to remove door trim and were concerned about it breaking if you were to pry it off, then this tool would be your go to.

4. Mitre Saw

I know I just said that you can mitre with a circular saw, but if your to do any precision work, like making frames or trim work, than you need a mitre saw. Its just all around useful as a chop saw, so if you have a place for it to sit, you’ll find you use it all the time.

5. Sander

This might be my most used tool on the list. There are several different types of sanders. I use a random orbit sander. Its easy to change out the sanding disks as they have hook and loop on the back so they just stick on. Sanding makes ugly wood beautiful. Everyone needs a sander, just sayin’. For larger jobs you don’t want to have to hand sand.

Have fun and Happy Building!

Here are some suggestions for your tool box!

See the thing of it is, that anyone can build a GREAT table to gather around. It doesn’t need to have fancy legs, or a dazzling finish. But what happens when you put your heart into a project like this is magical! Meals don’t need to be fancy, but they take on a special meaning when people you care about are gathered around.

The first table I build was a pretty simple design. I found pictures online, and copied and modified the ideas to accommodate the size of the table I wanted. My table design started out at a standard 6 foot table, and evolved into a 9 footer with benches. I know that sounds huge, but it’s not! It’s Perfect! Even if there are only a few people eating, there’s plenty of room for lots of plates of food and nice cold beverages. The bigger the table, the better the meals are that are served at it.

Once I got the table done, and it was getting used all the time, it then became apparent that I needed more outdoor cooking space. So the outdoor island was built. It is a necessity! Having a sink where I can rinse my hands either after gardening or while cooking is a blessing. And the counter space is required when using one of my grills. (Yes, I have a lot of grills!)

So maybe you don’t have the space for all of this, but that’s not what’s important. What IS important is making a space where you can disconnect, relax, and enjoy those people around you. And whether you cook, order food in, or throw a burger on the grill, spend time with your friends and family, and your home will become a place where people will want to come. At my house, we do no cell phones. If someone is spending time looking at their phone, we make them put it down. Tables are meant for conversations, and sharing, not searching.

Also, Since I LOVE cooking, having a table where I can serve a bunch of food is requirement!

So, build it and they will come! Or at least, buy a table that makes you happy and makes you want to gather around it. The times spent together don’t need to be holidays, they can be the daily moments that become special memories.

Enjoy!

It rarely snows down here.  When it does, it is a major event. Like Armageddon, not like a celebratory event.  Grocery stores brace for impact as shoppers descend upon them to grab loaves of bread, gallons of milk, eggs, and of course beer and wine.  For what could amount to an inch of the fluffiest snow, that will likely melt within 24 hours, you would think people are preparing for a nuclear strike.  Us Northern-borns, snicker at the fact that the whole state shuts down if there is even snow in the forecast.  But the truth is, I don’t mind when it snows, down here.

When we have a snow day and get a spontaneous day off from work, that means I get to relax.  I can look out my window and see the beauty of that falling snow while enjoying a toasty fire and enjoying a glass of wine.  I can spent a day slow cooking a big pot of sauce or soup and not have to worry about errands or chores.  It’s a peaceful day.

I always boot up and go for a walk around the yard. I love to look at the heavy fluffy snow as it rests on branches and how it drifts down from the sky and has an utterly peaceful sound as it collects on the ground.

There is large pine forest next to my house and when the wind blows through the trees and sets the snow free it is absolutely beautiful. There’s a rustling of the tall pines and then a cascade of snow as it falls to the ground.

I remember as a child, we would go outside at night when it was snowing and play in the front yard. You could literally hear the snow falling.  It is the most peaceful thing I believe you could experience in life.  Even today as I walked in my yard, I could here those flakes falling.  They were only mildly interrupted by the rumbling of an old truck or two as they slowly made their way up the snow covered road.

Even as much as I hate Winter and long for warm days sitting out back listening to the birds, there is something truly magical and spiritual about a snow day.

Plus, it melts quickly.  And by the weekend, the temperature will be up in the 60’s.  Spring is eminent here and soon I’ll be planting my garden.

For now, I’ll just enjoy the rest of this day, and countdown the days until spring: 61 days and counting!

To suppress my Winter blues, I have this sweet smelling Hyacinth in my kitchen.  It was kind enough to wait until after Christmas to bloom.  So today, only two days into the New Year, all the Christmas décor is packed away and the house has had a Spring cleaning. The second the weather breaks, I’ll be outside, clearing out the garden beds, cleaning off the patio, and making sure the grills are gassed up and ready to go!

Here in the South, we’re experiencing something we NEVER do: freezing temperatures!  This morning’s 10 degree temperature made many people’s pipes freeze, while our heaters struggle to keep the house up to temperature.  Multiple layers of clothing, and crocks of steaming soup are the only remedy for days like this.  We just don’t know how to cope with temps that fall below freezing down here!  The hardware stores shelve’s are cleared out of space heaters, and the plumber’s phone is constantly ringing with claims of frozen pipes.

But soon…. Soon we’ll be back to days of flip flops and shorts.  In fact, here in North Carolina, we really don’t even have a Spring.  We go from Winter to a steamy Summer in the blink of an eye.

I’ll take the humidity over the cold, any day.  Especially if it means, I get to sit under the shade of my big Birch tree out back and enjoy the breeze with a cold beverage and a load of food spread out over my big farm table…..

Here’s to dreaming of warmer days!