Western North Carolina- Our New Home

I have just returned from a month in Asheville, North Carolina.  We have finally broken ground on our new home in the Western North Carolina mountains. I have spent the last month working with the builder and architect fine tuning the house plans.  While there, I was able to visit some new parts of the area.

 I am in awe of the natural beauty of that part of our county. 

 

Saluda River on my friend Jill and Barry's golf course in the Cliffs, Mountain Park.

 

Apple harvest time in Hendersonville County, NC.

 

A beautiful purple berry shrub growing on the goat farm where we stayed in Flat Rock, NC

 

The sky at dusk.

 

Our buddies for the month.

 

Sky at dusk.

 

River in Chimney Rock, NC

 

Chimney Rock

 

Lake Lure

 

Lake Lure

 

Bridge entering Lake Lure

 

Gardens on the bridge in Lake Lure

 

Rose at the Biltmore

 

Bees galore- so much honey harvested in this area.  Almost every farm stand sells a different one.

 

Time for dinner.  Where are those apples?

 

Leaves just starting to change.

 

Biltmore rose garden.

 

 

Signs of fall were abundant-

 

 

Absolutely perfect cabbage- abundant this time of year. 

 

Pumpkin Head mechanic fixing the truck!

 

Tons of gourds and pumpkins at the farmers markets.

 

And finally- here is our little piece of heaven on the French Broad River.

 

 

Spectacular view of the river

 

Down by the river in the river park.

 

For better - constantly seeing wild turkeys in flight and bald eagles

 

Or for worse- snake in the river while we were wading!!!

 

Finally to our property, where our builder had left us a map showing us the

pins for the footprint of our new home!

 

All of the pink flags mark the outside corners of the house!

 

The land has been cleared to fit the footprint of the house on it, but more of the smaller trees will be removed after construction, so that a complete view of the river is seen.

 

The view from the decks in the back of the house.  Our very own built in water feature!

 

 

Our goal is to have this house complete by Christmas 2016.    I spent much of the last month, trying to get the cost of the house down to our budget.  My goal   was to reduce costs while adding better and improved design features.  My friend Jill and I are building our very similar  dream homes at the same time, which is a huge advantage. Being able to  compare our budgets has allowed us to maximize design and eliminate costs.   I have managed to reduce the cost of the home by 20%, and in the process  have improved the materials and design.  For example, both Jill and I want antique wide plank flooring for much of our living spaces.  Through searching and visiting many sources, we have managed to go from $18 a square foot antique "look" floor to actually using real antique oak floors at $8.25 a square foot.  All we had to do is follow a few leads and drive 20 miles out into the mountains of North Carolina!  I will share these design elements and sources with you as we go through the building process. 

 

The Punch Bowl- Saving It From Extinction

The punch bowl was a household stable in the mid century years.  However, when was the last time a new bride listed one on their bridal registry?Can you even buy one in a traditional department store?  In my opinion, there is nothing more beautiful than a punch bowl filled with a gorgeous ice ring and a delicious punch.  However, how many times a year do you need one for that purpose?   So spotting one at my friend Penny's estate sale, I easily  rationalized  reasons to purchase it.

I love the romance of serving from a punch bowl.  It is such a southern style of entertaining.

The one I purchased was an International Silver punch set with 24 beautiful cups and a 24 inch tray.

I took it home and polished it completely.



It was in great condition and had a gorgeous grape vine border on the bowl and base of the cups.

I can just imagine this large silver vessel filled with dozens of roses. 

I think the punch cups make pretty cupcake holders too!

Serving soup from this bowl would be lovely.  A chilled summer gazpacho ladled into the silver cups

would be a visual treat.  The punch cups are the perfect size for a cup of soup.

I began to look on Pinterest for punch bowl inspiration and was inspired by many pictures.

Here are some of my favorites.

Clever use as a cake stand.

Floral ice cubes to ice down champagne- how pretty in a large punch bowl.

Punch Cup Chandeliers

I am so happy that I purchased this old fashioned punch bowl.  I have many plans for it to become a

"must have" in every household!!

The Art of Settng a Gorgeous Table

My friends and I were treated to a wonderful time in the city last night. 

 My friend, Mariterese, who is a fabulous cook, is also an extremely talented tablescaper. 

I knew I was in for a treat and I was not disappointed!.

 

As we enter the kitchen, we see a beautiful table set for a buffet.

 



 

 

A wonderful nectarine , blackberry, candied walnut and spring green salad enhanced by Mariterese's own recipe for blueberry balsamic dressing.

 

 

The beautiful antique tray is holding the tarragon sauce, ready for the slow roasted beef tenderloin.

 

A slow roasting tray of sweet potatoes is also in the oven.

 

 

 

I walk into the dining room and my heart stops- I mean completely skips a couple of beats.

Cold chill bumps run down my arm and I grab my camera.

 

One of the most beautiful tablescapes that I have ever seen is sitting right in front of me.

 

Three arrangements of zinnias, roses and calla lilies march down the center of the table on a pastel plaid fabric.

Green and gold banded service plates sit upon gray and white square trays with

an antique graphics design.

 

Soft romantic roses bowls await the delicious salad.

 



 

Petite boxes of macarons sit at every place setting as a guest favor.

 

The vivid colors in the arrangements create a floral tapestry for the eyes to feast upon.

 

Miniature arrangements are fashioned into mercury glass goblets for every guest place setting. 

 

And as another thoughtful gesture, they are given to the guests to take home.

 

Silk crinkle napkins are tied on the side of each place setting.

And for dessert, a glorious coconut cake has been flown in from Charleston, South Carolina, in honor of the friend Jill's birthday!

 

Decadent, creamy, light morsels of cake are devoured by nine of us.

 

 

A wonderful evening-  close friends, fabulous food and an enchanting magical setting.

What could be better?   Absolutely nothing!