Christmas Camping

 We took the Little Mermaid Christmas Camping at our favorite campsite in Eufaula AL.

 I was tickled when I found the Mermaid Santa Hat .

 This little trailer makes me happy.  It  seems to have the same effect on others. Campers love to stop and see it.  

 Not all our meals are from fast food but we love to grab some chicken dinners from town so that we can actually enjoy the sunsets.

 Our stockings were hung hoping that Camping Santa would show up.

And there twinkling under the starry night was our Little Mermaid all ready for Christmas morning.  
You can see the inside in this previous post.
http://oneshabbyoldhouse.blogspot.com/2016/08/ready-to-go-glamping.html

Springtime Glorious Springtime!

I get so excited with the first signs of spring around the old house.   Two weeks ago the azaleas were just starting to bloom and the Bradford pear trees were in full bloom.  I thought then that that was the prettiest thing I had ever seen.   I flew off for a couple of weeks to go visit my son in Colorado  I came back to this explosion of color all around Eufaula.    

Bye bye,  Winter!  Should I knock on wood?  I know many of you are experiencing a good amount of snow right now.  So I will send your way some springtime snow melting wishes.  Just hold on my friends.  Spring's beauty is coming!

I am tickled at the growth these shrubs have made.  They are so soft looking.  

And even though we have a ways to go with landscaping I am happy for every single blooming plant around this Shabby Old House! 

Eufaula's 53 Annual Pilgrimage

Eufaula's 53rd Annual Pilgrimage will be

April 6-8 this year with daylight and candlelight tours of these 9 beautiful homes.   I hope that if you are in the area  you will make plans to attend and see these wonderful architectural masterpieces and experience southern hospitality at its finest.

I am delighted to be a volunteer at Highland View Candlelight Tour.  So please stop by and say hello.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a Blogger Ball?   I am going to have to give that some thought!  I think it would be fabulous!

Won't you come in..

Welcome!  I am so glad that you came back for a peek inside this pretty Victorian Cottage in Eufaula AL.   Let me tell you a little about her.  She was built in 1872 and after looking inside I am almost certain she was built by the same builder as the Shabby Old House. She is 135 years old.  She may have a few wrinkles here and there as can be expected  but I am here to tell you that if she were really a lady, people would be saying she has aged very well.  With a little make up here, some blush there and lipstick and mascara  of course, she will stand out like all beautiful southern ladies.

When you enter the etched double doors you will see a very long hall.  They were used as reception halls for greeting guests.  Look at the amazing heart pine floors.  They are in perfect shape.

 Look up to the gingerbread fretwork and once again lets focus on those floors.  Aren't they just beautiful.  All electric and plumbing have been updated.  

To the left of the hall you will find the living room, dining and study all with 14' ceilings and to the right 3 bedrooms and 3 updated bathrooms. I was surprised at all the closets and storage this home had.  This is a rare feature in many old homes.   Notice the grand pocket doors in the living room.  

Each room had a beautiful mantle.  They are so much fun to decorate at Christmastime.

Dining room.  Again notice how beautiful the wood floors are.

The Family room.

Updated bath and shower. 

I think this bath is adorable.  Notice the ledge as well as the built in shelf above the claw foot tub.  Perfect for towels.

 3 full baths.

A great laundry room/ mud room.

Large eat in kitchen.   Oh the things I would do with this!   It really is a nice kitchen but I can see a large kitchen island/bar.   I think that I would paint the cabinets a pretty white and maybe take out a few and add open shelves just like we have seen Joanna Gaines do on so many of her kitchens renovations.  The great thing about this kitchen is that you could leave it alone if you like it or give it  just a few simple updates that I feel wouldn't cost much at all.  Kitchens can be really so expensive but this one wouldn't be an expensive one to update if you so choose.    It's really all about paint in this house and who can't paint?  It's the ladies makeup that will make her shine.

As if her wonderful wrap around porch on the front of the house isn't enough this house has another wonderful large back porch.   Imagine coffee in the morning looking over your rose bushes. 

 Have you spotted the She shed?  I could have so much fun decorating that space as well as every room in this house. 

I would love to tell you all the decorating ideas I would have for this house and what I  would do if this home were mine.   If you are a HGTV Fixer Upper/ HomeTown lover like me, you are well aware of all the wonderful possibilities updates here and there can do for any home and if I have shown you enough maybe you can already see that it would take very little to make this your dream home.  I know I couldn't stop dreaming after I walked though.   There are just so many things to love!  I hope that when you close your eyes tonight you will once again walk the long hall peeking in each room of this house.  Have sweet dreams my friend.  It shouldn't be hard and maybe soon we will be good neighbors!

Won't You Be My Neighbor

Would you like to be my neighbor?  Would you like to live in one of the friendliest towns anywhere?  Do you ever wish that you could step back in to time?  I can only imagine life in the late 1800's on a street such as mine.  The street that my shabby old  house as well as this one beautiful blue cottage is on is the same street that Reece Witherspoon drove back in to her home town in the movie Sweet Home Alabama.  Lined with beautiful mansions and the sweetest Victorian cottages anyone could ever dream about,  Eufaula is one of the prettiest towns in the south.  Or so I think.   There are some lovely homes for sale right now in Eufaula.  This sweet Victorian cottage, two doors down from mine happens to be one.  It was built in 1872 and has 3494 grand sq ft just waiting for a lover of old homes.  And get this, it is listed for $210,000.  It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

 Close your eyes and imagine the slow steady rhythm of creaking rocking chairs  and the cool  taste of sweet tea shared with friends and neighbors on this really large wrap around front porch?  Just look at all the gingerbread?   Can't you see geraniums in the pots and ferns hanging and springtime flowers all over this porch.  What speaks better of springtime than life on the porch! Now imagine the azaleas showing off their blooms against the blue.  And there are lots of beautiful azaleas and roses all around the house! Even a white picket fenced in the back yard.  And who doesn't dream about a house with a white picket fence?  This house is the making of every good southern girl's dream.  It Heavenly, I tell you!   I will be delighted to share with you all the details of this amazing house or if you just can't wait because you already know I have helped you find your dream home, give Conner Lawrence Real Estate's listing agent Camilla Shamblin a call.  She was a dear to show me the house today.  Oh and I forgot to tell you, there is a She Shed! And who wouldn't just love a She shed?  You would, right?!!  Come back to see!

Fashion over 50 at the Shabby Old House

 I know, I know,  I look adorable and yet I am making a fashion mistake.   Wearing white before Easter has always been frowned upon however painting a shabby old house before  Eufaula's Annual Pilgrimage will be smiled upon by all.

This was a picture my husband posted on his FB page.  It read, "  I hear the bass are biting on Lake Eufaula.  Do you think she will mind?  Maybe she won't even notice.

However he suited up and joined me.  He is a very wise man!

Happy Valentine's Day

If it weren't for the love of others I don't know where I would be!  This picture is one taken of my Grandparents.   I witnessed their love story and I believe it helped shape my own.  

Happy Valentine's Day

I'm a Happy little Shore bird

I'm sharing some pretty pictures of the past few days of enjoying the beach.  The weather here has been glorious and it is good to get back to the  sound of the wind and the waves and the feel of cool sand between my toes.

 The birds were happy to pose for me.

 I think she found the perfect spot, don't you?

There are just some days that you hate to see end.  This was one!

6 More Weeks of Winter

I found this picture in my Grandmother's scrapbook.  Her name was Blanche and the year 1913.  It was postmarked Anderson, IN.  I would love to know the story behind their friendship or relation.  I found it to be a perfect Victorian picture of Winter.  According to the groundhog we just might have 6 more weeks of enjoying our hats, and coats and boots.  Stay warm my friends. 

Steampunk Festival

 This past weekend the annual Steampunk Festival was held at Rennigars in Mt. Dora, FL.  I had always wanted to go and I was not disappointed by the creativity of all the characters in cosplay that day.  This sweet young mother had a beautiful booth set up selling clothing and hats.

 Sleeping peacefully was her tiny little baby doll.  

 You might not be familiar with Steampunk so I will give you my best attempt at trying to define it.  It's playful costumes and gadgets that reflect a futuristic technology on the 19th century.  Think the elegance of the Victorian Era in the time of the Industrial Revolution.  Think steam engines.  Think time travel.

 Now think role playing and character creations, each unique with their own individual stories.

 I kind of like to think of it as looking in your Great-Grandparent's album and bringing that time back.  All the good, all the beauty which is why I think I love it so much.  The history and elegance of the Victorian time was just like no other time and one that I would love to travel back and forth to.

 Add to that just enough funky to make it fun.

 So come play with me. What might you need for your character creation?  A top hat and corset for sure.

 Your boots might have gears reflecting your time travel.

 Search for all your gismos and gadgets and start your creation or let someone create it for you.

 The men seem to love this part of it.  Check out in detail these too gents.

 These time traveling inventors most certainly took many days in their creations.

 Re entry to the 2018 Steampunk Festival was pretty rough on this guy on the bike but he made it.  lol

And of course when you find the perfect pet you absolutely must time travel with them as well. 

 And what would time travel be if on the other side of it you didn't find your Jamie?

I watched carefully,  somebody had to do it, and he didn't find his Claire.  Perhaps at the next festival he will.  All I know is that I'm going and in costume!