Winter Beauty in Saluda

If you are looking for a "change of seasons" here in North Carolina,
Saluda is the place to be. Just a little of this and a little of that creates
a pleasant mix that seems to be the perfect climate for a happy
existence.
Spring comes early to the mountains...

Followed by a sunny days and cool mountain evenings...
















Just when you thought summer was here to stay the
leaves start to change into bright vivid colors of rusts, crimson & ochres...
















Poooooof! A dusting of snow and winter appears.

Beautiful fall days in Saluda

Need I say more?

A bed full of Basil

So, what do I do with all this Basil in my garden?
There are several options for perserving basil; drying, freezing,and making a paste.
I do the freezing and the pesto. I make garlic butter and freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer it to freezer bags. I use it throughout the year in pasta, soups, stews, rices, etc.
Same thing with the pesto. . . ice cube trays then into plastic bags for use throughout the year.
Freezing basil right out of the garden and into freezer bags works great because after it freezes it breaks off into little pieces that are just right for cooking.

You too can have a garden full of basil right here in Saluda. Our property has plenty of sunshine and plenty of trees.

Update on our house for sale!

YES, our house is still for sale and. . . . . we are willing to negotiate with anyone who may be interested. It's hard to believe after coming back from Chicago that I would still feel like I wanted to continue to try and sell this wonderful house in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Today I went outside and picked a huge bucket of blueberries

from our bushes on the property and yesterday my zucchini

was asking to be picked as well. It is always such a joy this time of year to reap the benefits of the springtime plantings.
All of that nurturing has transformed this 3 acre piece of property into a flowerful & colorful
well taken care of home.
At the time that we purchased our house it was not in a "love affair" with the owner and it didn't have the loving touches that we so eagerly had jumped in to do. It needed some new energy to bring it back to life, so after 14 + years, we are ready to
"pass the torch" so to speak, to some other loving couple. Maybe they can re-purpose that vintage barn and turn it into a studio. . .

just as I have had dreams of doing...
until every day life gets in the way,
or add that greenhouse onto the garden shed or add a guest house in the drying shed. You see? The dreams are still there but our energy has been waning. Plans, you ask? Not yet firmed up but it's likely that we will stay
here in Saluda and continue to grow "Random Arts "instead of 3 acres of manicured gardens.

Yes, my house is for sale...

My house looks so great this time of year... I just love being outside here, looking at all the colors of the azaleas along my driveway and up into the yard. There is color everywhere and everyday it is different. This year I have already created a sun garden near my back door so I can easily get to my sunny veggies and herbs this winter.

Even though I am still here in this house it doesn't stop me from creating new spaces outdoors whether it be a new shade area for my ferns or a sunny spot for a new plant that Jen gave to me; a guara. I have never had this plant before and I am closely watching it's development into a full grown perennial.

In the meantime, we are completing the guest bathroom with new tile, new fixtures and literally a new space... although this bathroom had been here (created when the outhouse was "out") and indoor plumbing became a must!

I just felt that this upgrade would appeal to a wider choice of buyers and it would show how much we really love this place here in the mountains of north carolina.

I am selling the house by owner but if any realtors have a buyer I am willing consider offers
and a realtor commission.

Beauty in the mountains...

The vanity in our master bath was custom made by our cabinet guy, Ken Wheeler and we tiled that and the tub area with a beautiful aspen green 2 x 2 matte tile. We especially love the heated tiles in the floor. It really doesnt get better than this. I dreamed about this bathroom and taking long soaks in the tub for years until it became a reality. We did most of the work ourselves but had some help with the floor tile and the drywall. Obviously we couldn't hang the drywall on the 16 foot high ceilings.
Make this your dream home, in the mountains of North Carolina.

Looking inside. . .

Taking a look inside means something different to everyone but as we look to sell our house inside definitely means.... inside... our house. This room is completion of a visualization that I had for years both in my mind and on paper. The window seats that line the window wall was something that both of us decided would be the perfect setting with the wall of nature on the "outside". The window seat wall and book shelves were custom made by a local cabinet maker, Ken Wheeler. Ken actually did almost all the work on our cabinetry including the built in drawers in the bedroom and the vanity in the master bath and all
of custom cabinets in the kitchen and utility room. We designed
the fireplace surround and
Ken built that for us as well. Now that I think of it we have a huge amount of custom cabinetry in this house. He also built custom
closet doors in the master to match the style of the window seats.
I love those drawers in that room. They are so big that you don't
need a dresser or a linen closet. It holds everything including
some of "extra" fabrics.The French doors lead from the bedroom
into the master bath and another wall of windows to the
outdoors adjacent to the Porcher Whirlpool tub. Skylights
light the room during the day and the ceiling fan brings in
cool breezes at night. Isn't it wonderful? That heated tile
floor is awesome in the winter. With all that said, why am I moving?
Yes, everything in the house is done really really well with the best
craftsmanship. That goes for the outside as well, but sometimes one
just needs a change. Not sure what that means but for me it means
a change of place, a change of scenes and possibly a studio. Although our
upstairs is huge with 3 bedrooms, I can't quite bring myself to make that
area "my space". Paul has done a good job of claiming most of it
and that's just fine for me. His space is filled with what he loves to do,
it works well for him.
For now I am here, but looking to make some changes although it does not mean leaving or abandoning Random Arts. A little insurance for all you might help alleviate that concern, and that is the inside information that we are creating & designing our new T-Shirts and aprons. It looks like the mid August should be the release. Check back with us for a little look at what we have done.