Ode to Dexter Dog

"He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea...

He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive...

When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man...

With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts...

His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog." - Gene Hill

Dexter, our Tibetan Terrier.

Sprucing up the Entry

Welcome to our home!

The entry is the first impression to your home, revealing much about who lives there and what lies beyond the front door. I have always believed it should be a little dramatic!

We never use the front door! We are a back door family, so sometimes this whole area gets neglected. I might forget to water the topiaries or plant flowers. So, I decided to pay attention to it and give it a little "facelift."

The front door was recently given a fresh coat of black paint.

A seagrass rug replaced the patterned black wool one.

The wreath is a new addition from Vintage Home Lifestyle in Healdsburg.

This vintage wicker settee was a recent find from the Alameda Antique Faire. I had it upholstered with an old European feed sack. The various pillows are still a work in progress.

The walls are an apple green, one of my favorite colors.

The stairs are carpeted with a wool leopard runner.

Vintage oil paintings of roses line the walls.

There is an old hall tree on the landing.

The pair of pine cone urns from Wisteria flanking either side of the front door are now planted with a fresh flowering plant. (We'll see how long that lasts!)

Outside, these old black urns are original to the house. I recently planted them for spring to spruce up the entry.

Inside the front door with a full view of the entry. The dining room is on the left, the living room on the right.

The entry has always been an open space, without furniture as there are too many doors. I once tried a big round table in the middle, but it seemed like it was always in the way. Keeping it staged with fresh floral arrangements wasn't practical either. The wicker settee actually is the first piece of furniture to fit and it really warms up the space.

Front view of our house (circa 1906) taken in the Fall.

I'm linking up to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. Be sure to visit her and see other projects by fellow bloggers.

I'm also joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday! Come have a look at all the creative mosaics.

Tent Living - A Unique Wine Country Retreat

Our neighbors, Gerry and Glen in the wine country have plans to build a home on their 160 acres of land. In the meantime though, they live in tents! This is their vacation retreat, where they have created a beautiful compound consisting of three tents and an outdoor kitchen.

We met Gerry and Glen at another neighbor's annual luncheon, and I was intrigued by their story. The guys drive the 8 hours nearly every weekend from their home in Los Angeles to this upper Sonoma County magical retreat! Metropolitan Home even featured this couple in their July 2009 issue.

This is their living room tent decorated with an old 70's stove and matching sofa upholstered in outdoor fabric. The stove is in front of a large window so they can sit and be warmed while watching nature outside.

The outdoor kitchen under the California Oaks. The refrigerator and stove are powered by propane, electricity is solar generated. A leaf blower works well for clean up! What began as a temporary housing, now is their passion. They even planted 1200 olive trees on the property! They plan to keep the compound for guests when their permanent home is constructed in 2011.

This is their view overlooking their pond stocked with Koi.

All four photos above from July 2009 issue of Metropolitan Home.

These tent cabins are made by Sweetwater Bungalows in Truckee, California. They have been around for over ten years. Their cabins are used as guest houses, art studios, resorts; Yosemite National Park even uses them for camping guests.

Here are a few more photos from Sweetwater Bungalows:

How much fun would it be to decorate one of these tent cabins?! I have plans to someday have three of these on our wine country property for guests. I can just see them lined up with a gravel path connecting them all. Each one would have a different theme. The "Out of Africa" theme, the "Fisherman" theme and the "Shabby Chic" theme!

The images above from El Capitan Canyon Resort, near Santa Barbara featuring Sweetwater Bungalow tent cabins. Read about it here.

Read more about Gerry and Glen's tent compound in Metropolitan Home here.

Sweetwater Bungalows has a beautiful website here.