Have you seen this cartoon that showed up on my FB feed a few weeks back?
Well, my kids have, and they were not amused, fearing that they will be stuck with so much stuff upon our ultimate demise. So, the time has come to start clearing out the barn, the shed, the porch, the basement and the house. As we have been slowly acquiring furnishings and necessities for our new cottage, and deciding what to bring up from our home, we are feeling a bit overrun and filled to the brim with WAY too much stuff that needs to be purged. The general rule of thumb now: if we can’t use it here, and we don’t want it in the Maine cottage, it goes. So, tomorrow, Saturday, June 15th is your lucky day!! Because all of the awesomeness that we (well, mainly Coach) have collected over the years is now yours for the purchasing. I have a few signs ready to go, and Coach has these great roll-down maps of the US and Alaska. And maps, loads of maps. And books…
No reasonable offers refused, I promise! Here is the yard sale listing that Coach has posted with lots of pics- but I assure you there is PLENTY more where that came from!! If you need it, we probably have one- or more.
https://www.yardsalesearch.com/yss-garage-sale.jsp?id=192013209
Except for the whale coffee table- he is one of a kind : )
Starts at 8 and goes until…if there’s a customer, Coach will stay! See you tomorrow, bring lots of $$$ : )
xoxo Susan
Way back when Coach and first made the decision to purchase our cottage, I started looking around our own home and our shop for inspiration…thinking that we could bring a lot of our present décor to Maine-save some $$$, decorate with the things we love. We tend towards the nautical, as you can see by the photos. But, what else did I see? WHALES. Pods of them scattered throughout the house.
On our porch, in the family room, in the bathroom, in the shop.
Some hand-crafted by me, some by local artisans, different styles, shapes and colors.
Whale, its a full-on WHALE invasion!
we recently purchased at the 
…and these little guys in our kitchen…
…and of course, we cannot forget about our patriotic whale coffee table on the porch!
OK, so maybe we whale-y have a problem…and this is only in a few rooms in our house! I recently read an article about the 30 worst decorating trends that hopefully will never return: Over-Done Coastal was listed as decorating no-no…too much of a good thing will drown out your style, apparently. So, how many whales can a little Maine cottage hold? Whale, we’ll have to wait and see : ) So, for now, I am scaling back on the whales and looking to simplify some of the spaces I have designed (all in my head and on 
not too far from home, but far enough to be “away” from our daily hectic lives. But first we had to narrow our geographical location-within driving distance-north or south? We started south-
But it would have been a logistical nightmare with the traffic and the ferry rides to take on a weekly basis, so we ruled it out. Moving north to Cape Cod, the same held true-between Boston and Cape traffic, the weekend traveling would have been prohibitive. Looking northbound, we finally landed on Maine-the Kennebunk area, to be exact, where our daughter was married in 2015.
At first we looked inland-our initial plan was to find a log cabin on a lake or river. A fixer-upper, something with character, age and charm…with a water view. So, we started the search last spring, hoping to discover that charming log cabin deep in the woods, right on the water. We viewed cabins and cottages and little old houses-primarily fixer-uppers-like this one in Kennebunk- that was over 200K!!
Some were on the water…rivers and ponds and lakes. But, as much as I enjoyed the looks of those bodies of water, they just didn’t have the feel of the ocean-is there anything else like the sound of pounding waves crashing the shoreline?
not on the water, but in a nature preserve overlooking towering pines and birch trees…this is the view from our back kitchen door : )
situated on close to a hundred acres of pristine Maine forest bordering 
and bathrooms and floors and the walls have been painted and I didn’t have to do any of it : ) And, most importantly, a matching SHED. What’s the big deal about a shed, you ask?
Well, that’s a story for another day…but for now, I’ve created 
there’s a lot required in outfitting a 3 bedroom cottage!! Thank goodness for 
BUT, what to do with all of the stuff we still have to sell?!? Well, some of it will be going to our new place in Maine (more on that later : ) but the rest of it came home bit by bit- thanks primarily to Coach- and literally filled our porch, shed, basement and living room. Until now. We are happy to announce that we have moved into our new digs at 
This rustic, turn-of-the century mill building has been converted into multiple co-ops and shops scattered throughout 4 floors of antique architecture-if you love exposed brick, huge windows, old planking and vintage charm- this is your place-well, this is OUR place- but we’d love for you to come visit : )
Luckily for us, we are on the first floor in the center! And, the shop will be open from 10-6 from Thursday through Monday weekly. We’re joining the Timely Treasures Co who specialize in home cleanouts and sales, 
So, if you happen to be on the north shore of Boston, come on by and take a peek at our new space. We’ve been working hard to make it pretty and you can’t miss the signs…have a hopefully not too wet Wednesday everyone!!! xoxo Susan
Finally, 
So, if skipping the mall is your thing and you’d like to find the perfect gift for under your Christmas tree (like a rustic, hand-painted sign, perhaps!?!?), take a ride and check out these lovely shops. And tell them that Sue from Country Design Home sent you!! Hope you have a shop-a-rific Saturday everyone!! Susan xoxo
Now, I have seen mason jar lanterns in the past, and I’ve 
The technology is pretty simple- LED solar panels on the top soak up the sun’s rays during the day,
allowing you ample lighting for the sunless hours…up to 12 hours of continuous use! (and with the daylight hours growing shorter, a welcome addition : ) You simply lift up the handle, engaging the magnetic button and it activates the lights. The jar top opens (as with any mason jar), so the possibilities are endless when it comes to decorating them in your own style.
Seashells and sand
Perfect for camping (or 
Here’s hoping you find your one in a million treasure! And for all of you out there in peril’s way, please be safe…you are all in our thoughts and prayers. xoxo Susan
and were asking permission to use it in an article they were featuring on their website! Well, that’s pretty exciting, but what do you suppose 
Did you know that mattresses are completely recyclable-well, I had no idea!! According to the 
is a concept that originated in Europe, and has now spread to Canada and the US, offering luxury camp accommodations for folks who want all of the outdoor natural ambiance and fun but none of the dirty work (like me!). There are several styles of accommodations, from tent pitches to log cabins, but Coach and I chose the Trappeur Tent
with a lake view- and oh! What a view!
You literally bring your clothes and food and bug spray- that’s it! Everything else is on site to provide you with an effortless camping experience- from full-size beds with linens
to fully stocked kitchens
and…wait for it…a bathroom IN YOUR TENT!
With warm running water, a flushing toilet and a shower…IN YOUR TENT!! When I was a kid, we spent two weeks every summer in the White Mountains camping with our family and friends. It was an idyllic time with many fond memories, none of which involve “Old Stinky”, the gross communal bathhouse. Having tried camping once with our children, I do now appreciate so much more what my mom went through trying to feed and clean up after 4 kids with the most rudimentary of cooking and cleaning equipment with no running (never mind hot) water.
to tote our belongings to our site; they have left as much natural landscape as possible- no pavement, no sidewalks, so no cars are allowed into the camp site grounds. The Plus: there is no auto noise in the actual camping areas, which makes for a much quieter, peaceful stay. The Minus: you have to lug your stuff to your site, which was no big deal for myself and Coach, but could be a bit of a challenge with a large group and kids. But hey, you are there to rough it and get some exercise, right?!
This is a large, 3 room tent on a raised pine platform sitting directly on the water’s edge. These tents are log-like structures with canvas sides and tops with a solid beam frame construction. This is the view from our front door…sigh…
Upon entering, you are in a living/dining area, complete with table and chairs and the kitchen area, with a sink and mini-fridge, stocked with all sorts of cooking and dining equipment, down to the bottle openers. Straight ahead, the bathroom is flanked by two bedrooms, each with double beds (one is a bunk). The Plus: everything is in place and ready for your stay, just put your stuff away. The Minus: Now, I am not going to complain about the fact that THERE IS A FREAKING BATHROOM IN OUR TENT, but as a PSA, I will say that if you are taller than 5’7, it would be a challenge to sit on the toilet without hitting the wall with your knees : ) That being said, I AM NOT COMPLAINING, trust me!
a fire pit, wood picnic table and most importantly, a spectacular view of the lake and surroundings.
Once we put our belongings in place and our food in the mini fridge (and by food I mean the beer and spiked seltzer, brandy and marshmallows-the important elements of camping), we toured the grounds, which were previously the site of a former scout camp on the banks of Lake Iona. Surrounded by pine trees, the lake views were nothing short of spectacular,
as those of you who follow me on social media know by the obnoxious amount of pics I posted. Sunrise, sunset…
In the center of the campground is the reception tent, a tidy general store stocked with snacks, firewood and water, a beautiful pool,
children’s playground, basketball court and a vintage airstream trailer that provides nourishment from dusk to dawn. There is a small beach with Adirondack chairs for sitting and relaxing
and there are canoes and paddle boards for hire. And for all of you folks that cannot be unplugged no matter what, there’s WIFI. The Plus: They have literally thought of everything you could want or need for your glamping stay. The Minus: there was no minus. It’s simply amazing.
sip some brandy
and roast marshmallows by your campfire?
Well, you are just moments away from the North Conway outlets to shop to your heart’s content. You are also very close to the National Parks (where Coach and I purchased our $10 senior citizen lifetime passes- perhaps the ONLY benefit of finally being a senior citizen : (). We day-tripped up to the Mt. Washington Hotel
to take in the scenic vistas,
filling up our car with treasures from various yard sales and flea shops along the way and back. Next time we come I’m hanging one of these signs on our tent! Welcome to all!
We ended our day at 
and watching the Pats and Sox. The Plus: since we didn’t have to pack up our car with all of the typical camping gear like tents, stoves, sleeping bags, etc., we had plenty of room for shopping! The Minus: Nope. None. Nada.
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