Nooks and Crannies

Hi Knitters,

Well, we are back from a spur-of-the-moment trip up north to the always breathtaking Door County, Wisconsin. At the last minute my boys got off of their work duties at our pool and my husband found one of our favorite vacation homes open for the week. We scrambled our belongings together, shoved everything in our trusty van and headed north.

TC likes to write in the guest books left in the places we stay. We read her note from a couple of years ago and above is what she wrote this time. I love the innocence of her writing.
So the road led us once again to the fantastic Eco House, the same house I wrote about here awhile back. There were a few changes but not many. One of the main changes is that the prairie grass had been pulled from the front of the lot and has been replaced by a butterfly garden. The plants are all there to attract various species of butterflies and we saw a lot of them. TC loved the milkweed which of course was covered with the stripey caterpillars that will eventually become Monarch butterflies. We have two of them at home with us now and one is already turning into a chrysalis. She is very excited about it. TC will release the butterflies as soon as they hatch.

The best part of this house is that it is completely modern and designed to be sleek but it includes more nooks and crannies and comfy spots than you can use. Everywhere you turn there is some splash of color or texture or a pillow and a soft bench. It thrills me for whatever reason. I love the colors on the walls, the architecture, the beams, the kitchen, the red, the subtle green, the neutrals, the earthy counter tops, the lamps, the artwork, the lighting, the minimalistic modern lines paired with the chunky furniture... it keeps you looking and discovering the entire time.

I know I wrote about this house before but there is enough material in this setting to write a lot more. I tried to take photos from different angles (but they do overlap quite a bit). Here are my thoughts for this trip in a nutshell.
The long expanse of the main room is broken up so keenly with furniture placement that creates a separateness of space out of one huge room.
Private spots are thrown into the openness in the most clever and inviting ways. You can't help but to sit and be quiet.
This telescope had everyone looking especially when some of us were at the beach or when a boat drifted by.
I adore these closet doors in the master bedroom with their slick gliding tracks. I have closet envy here for sure. You wouldn't believe how smooth these doors are.
Secret balconies and front porches were popular reading spots.
This nook is off the front entry way and it is the most inviting way to enter a house.
The loft bedroom windows proved to be entertaining once again, very Laugh-In style even though my kids don't even know what Laugh-In is. There is a wood burning stove with the longest exposed chimney I have seen.
Each rug is perfect in texture, size, color and print.
We were greeted with bundles of wood we used to make bonfires on the empty beach in front of our house. The nightly fires were magical.
In the early morning hours I knitted and watched the Cranford series (recommended by Paula of The Knitting Pipeline). I loved it so much that I was sad when it was over. There was no internet, three TV channels and no cell phone reception. Perfection. Everyone read and read and read books. Books were finished and started. I read The Help (on my Kindle) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (hardback book).

By the way, the ladies in Cranford wore the cutest little knit shawls and fingerless mitts. I recommend this BBC series to the fullest.
I completed some socks that I'll share later and I am now on the sixth section of my Citron Shawl that I started way last summer, of 2010 that is. I am adding a couple of sections to make it a little bigger than the pattern calls for. I am making it out of Malabrigo Lace in the Sealing Wax colorway. This is my first project in lace weight and I am not really won over by it so far. I have a feeling though that once I block it and wear it I will be completely won over by lace weight. The jury is still out.
The kitchen counter top in this chunky dark finished cement is really one of my favorite things. I love cement for some reason and these counter tops drive me crazy with their coolness. The zucchini is from our garden at home. We are quite proud of our meager garden harvest so far.
The back splash is another feature that I can't get enough of. In fact, we were remodeling our kitchen when we came to the Eco House last time and I almost put this stone black splash in my own kitchen. In the end I didn't because I wasn't sure it fit in with our house but at the Eco House it is the best. I even like the green salt and pepper grinders.
This cranny looks out into the woods that surrounds the house in the back.
The handcrafted bird mirror is in the powder room off of the kitchen. I would have liked to take this mirror home with me. I keep looking for an identifying something or other on it so I can get one, too, but I can't find anything.

I love the wall color, such a deep rich red.
Of course, the most enviable room for me is the gigantic laundry room with more concrete counter tops, new front loaders, room to fold and hang things up.... room to breathe. One day I will have a decent laundry room. I probably won't get one until all of my kids are grown and gone and then I will wonder why I ever wanted such an extravagance. For now I just dream.
Darts were thrown and cheers were cheered on a daily basis.
I love this huge chunky coffee table, the oversized couches where many a nap was had, the two swiveling red chairs, and the striped rug against the cool tile floor.
The upstairs melts into the downstairs because the open windows keep everything as one space.
The dining table was filled with games, books, people, good homemade food (we cooked some fabulously yummy meals together) and storytelling. The geometric rug trimmed with the green border is thoughtful and excellent. It's all just so good together.
The master bedroom is spacious and clean. The chaise lounge is one of my favorite spots. The view is so inviting and I love the candle filled fireplace (never used but pretty to look at).
Yahtzee was the game of the trip. So many rounds of Yahtzee were played with different groups and even individually. It became such a contest between everyone. Occasionally poor sportsmanship was displayed and quitting occurred which evoked much deserved harassment and laughing. Who knew Yahtzee could be so much fun?

I am dividing my vacation journey into three sections. Today is the inside, the next will be the out-of-doors and then will come the knitting! I discovered the cutest knit shop in Sturgeon Bay that I can't wait to share with you. TC and I hung out there quite a bit.

I missed you all. What did you do last week?

Until next time....

best, susie