Southport, North Carolina

Would you care to take a little tour of one of my favorite towns in the world?  Let's go for a walk in Southport, North Carolina, and let me show you some of the charming houses there.  These pictures were taken this past weekend, and the weather was gorgeous.  Before we see the houses though, here's a little information about the town itself.

Southport was founded in 1792 as Smithville.  It was originally named after Benjamin Smith, who was a colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and later became a governor of North Carolina.  The name was changed to Southport in 1887 in an effort to promote the town as a major shipping port.  Southport sits on the bank of the Cape Fear River just a few miles inland of the Atlantic Ocean, so it is rich in maritime history.  Fort Johnston, also located within Southport, was built by the British in 1748 to protect the Cape Fear River Region from pirates and privateers. 

Beautiful October

Happy Saturday everyone on this most beautiful October day!!  I hope this post finds you well and enjoying the fall weather wherever you are.  A sincere "Thank You" to all of you who read my Pfaltzgraff Villa della Luna post and left a comment on the dishes.  You all are the best!  :)  I'm excited that my post is featured at the moment on Pfaltzgraff's Facebook page, if you'd like to check it out; they were such nice folks to work with.

Are you seeing lots of signs of fall in your corner of the world?  Don't you love this time of the year?  Except for linking my tablescape post to a few blog parties, I've been having a bit of a break from the blog for the last few days.  I'm just popping in to say "Hello" and wish you all a happy weekend.

  

An Italian Tablescape and a Giveaway

Pfaltzgraff is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its "Villa Della Luna" pattern of dishes this year.  I was contacted by Lifetime Brands and asked to do a tablescape for fall featuring these dishes, and I was happy to oblige.  :)

Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery

What a beautiful last day of September we're having!  I've just come in from walking Himself, Mr. Duncan, and he was feeling his oats.  :)  The sky is so blue and the sunlight is clear and warm...and thank goodness for retractable leashes.  ;)  Duncan was able to dash all about, and I could walk at a (mostly) sensible pace without having to run to keep up with him.

Back on the very first day of this month, we visited a local winery called Raffaldini.  It was a gorgeous day, just like today, and we had a great time walking around snapping pictures and enjoying the amazing views there.  It was crowded that day, so obviously, a lot of other people had the same idea we did.  :)

Hal and I first visited this winery back in 2003 or 2004, and I thought it was pretty then.  I was even more impressed on this visit.  The building and surrounding gardens and walkways are beautiful, and the views are spectacular.

Classic Blue and White

Hi folks!  Back in August, I wrote a post about summer touches around our house.  In that post, I showed some images of our den, our front porch, and the blue and white dishes on our kitchen shelves.  Most of the comments I received said that the blue and white collection was a favorite.

I love blue and white, too.  I wanted to show you a little more detail of the dishes on our display shelves in the kitchen.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones

Last week, I celebrated another birthday.  What a fast year this has been!  I went to dinner at a favorite restaurant with my husband and son and had a wonderful meal.  The next day, I had lunch with my parents in their sun room and afterwards made scones with my mom.

Summer Into Fall

Summer is transitioning into Fall.  According to my calendar, tonight is the Autumnal Equinox, and tomorrow is officially the first day of Fall.  I love the season changes, especially when summer changes to fall.  The roadsides are lined with yellow and golden wildflowers, and the leaves are just beginning their floating, dancing descent towards the ground.  The grass is extra green, the sky is a deep blue, and the air outside will soon be feeling crisp and slightly cool.  One of my favorite things about fall is the subtle way the quality of the sunlight changes; have you noticed that?

"Church of the Fresco"