Historic--Not Historic

So, I was browsing FB the other day when a link to a Ohio home tour came across my screen (don't judge me, yes--I'm a dork). At first I kind of just rolled my eyes at the hyped up title, 'This Is The Most Beautiful Home Ever'...OK. I mean it looked nice. I'd love it--but most beautiful? Definitely a stretch. Nevertheless, my curiosity got the better of me so I clicked on the link to start the tour. My God, I was taken off guard...

And this was my face! 

The Ohio home is gorgeous! And I absolutely love that they've added modern elements to the historic. As I stated before, I'm not a fan of old furnishings, but breathing new life into an old structure is where it's at (at least for me). You can check out the full house tour here: http://www.lonny.com/Home+Tour+An+Ohio+House+by+Leanne+Ford?utm_source=fcbk&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Fcbk-LN-US-Desktop-Specials-Home-Ohio-House

OR, if you despise click-through articles as much as I do, I've uploaded my favorite rooms below for your viewing pleasure ;-) *Aren't I a sweetheart???*

First, here's the outside of the house. Beautiful--yes, but can you see why I rolled my eyes at the description?

But then you step inside and WHAM! I love the mix-up here--this room is super inviting. 

Even the piano area is artsy...

Lots of attention to detail. I can imagine sitting here looking through my favorite magazines :-) 

And I just adore a white kitchen...super elegant!

Kudos to the designers, aye? Although not every aspect of the home is exactly my style, I truly appreciate it and it's easy to tell that a lot of personality was infused here. This is a classic example of why it never pays to judge a book by its cover, unless its this book--then you can totally judge a book by it's cover.

Yes, I LOVE a good historical romance! I guess I just can't escape my love for all things historic. These books truly transport you to another time and place. If you've never read Beverly Jenkins then you should totally check her out. Awesome talent. Awesome woman. Thank me later ;-)

 Fun fact: The author really didn't care for the cover of this book...I on the other hand...baebee!

Well that's that, I've spent enough time gawking over someone else's home while I could have been working on mine. But what a wonderful way to waste time! ;-) Until the next time my friends...

Romeo, oh Romeo!

Can I just be real for a moment? As much as I love family time, it's nice to sometimes be able to enjoy a meal without being worried that our little guy is just a French fry away from a full-out meltdown. So this past Friday, while everyone thought that we were at work, the hubby and I seized the opportunity to spend a little one on one time together. ;-) Being the historic freaks that we are, we decided to spend the day with none other than a historic tour in the village of Romeo. Romeo has always been one of my favorite spots as it totally embraces its historical roots. Its quaint little shops and storybook appeal makes it the perfect place to spend a lazy morning taking in the sights, and that's exactly what we did.

True to my husband's style, we began the morning by getting some good eats. After walking up and down Main Street scoping out our options, we finally settled on Younger's Irish Tavern--and we couldn't have made a better choice.

 

 

 Since it was a beautiful day we opted to sit outside and soak up the sun. There's nothing like morning air, good conversation, and nowhere to be.

 

By the way, I think they lied to me. There's no way this was a personal pizza. I wasn't mad about it though, it was delish!

 

After stuffing our faces, it was on to the antique shops to do a little browsing. If I recall correctly, it was my first time in an "antique" shop. I quickly learned that these shops are just grossly overpriced thrift stores--I'll pass, but it was fun looking though!

So many things to see...3 floors in all

 

 

Finally, it was on to the main event--the reason why we were there--house gawking! Normally, we'd simply ride through town and take it all in. However, this time we figured that a leisurely stroll would be the way to go. Unfortunately, we weren't out there fifteen minutes before my husband began to complain of the heat *please insert the most disgusted blank face here*. I guess the upper 80s/lower 90s is too hot for him, but those type of temperatures are right up my alley.

 

In the end, I was able to get a few shots on foot, and the rest were taken awkwardly in the car with obstructed views *rolls eyes*. Anywho, here's some eye-candy for you:

;-) I liked the siding on this one + the colors of the home against the hydrangeas looked good

Adored this home and their landscaping! Kudos to them :)

Love it, love it, love it...extremely refined.

Sometimes I hate taking photos because the true beauty of the subject can never be captured. This home was really too splendid for words...loved that detail

This house is grand, and it's even grander because it sits alone at the very top of a hill :)

Nice & Clean

So obviously we were back in the car by this point, but OMG, I almost died when I saw that we were riding pass this!

And this! This would make me a happy woman :-D

So charming

And peep the little room in the back. Swoon!

This home has been converted into a  store on the way out of the downtown area

 

After our house tour, it was still a bit early and we weren't quite ready to head home, so...we hit the wine trail. We hit up not one, but two wineries on the Michigan Southeastern trail--what a way to spend a "work day" aye?

 

For some reason I didn't have my camera at the first winery, maybe because I've been there a ton of times...not sure what I was thinking. Anyways, if you are ever in the Romeo area, Village Winery has the yummiest exotic wine (I always get a bottle...or two) and the owner is a dear!

 

The second winery that we went to was a first for us. We've been to the farm that it sits on plenty of times, but they just recently opened the winery...and it is GORG!

 

Love that little county vibe...

And the inside...AMAZING

I dug it. As an added bonus, all of their wines are made from fruits grown right on their farm. Michigan rocks!

Hubby getting ready for our tasting...it was gooood 

Welp, I made my selections!

And we're out!

 

The best part about visiting the winery (besides that it was a winery *wink*) was that we got the chance to sample wine that's not even available for purchase yet. Because Westview is indeed a new winery, the government is putting them through the ringer with every little addition to their line. I sure hate it, cause the cherry wine would have definitely been added to my collection, if for nothing else than on the strength of Nas ;-)



 

Not up on it? Here you go!



Yes, you can be old school and hip hop at the same time ;-)

 

So there you have it, our historical skip-day. :-) For more info on the Historic Village of Romeo, check them out here: http://villageofromeo.org/. And until the next time, be good!















Pontiac: The Land of Opportunity?

After writing about the great city of Detroit, I would be remised not to take a moment to speak about my very own hometown,  Pontiac, MI (also known as "The Yak" to the natives).

Little town, big potential...

Although Pontiac is quite a bit smaller than Detroit, our historic district is nothing to slouch at; yes indeedy, we can hang with the best of them. Similar to the Detroit areas I previously mentioned in my Motor City post, Pontiac's historic neighborhoods are akin to suburbs tucked away inside of a busier city. As soon as you turn off the main road  you transcend into an entirely different place--one where the elderly walk dogs and little kids set up lemonade stands on the corner ;-) Let's take a look at some of the splendor that the town has to offer, shall we? :-)

First up...

 

Now isn’t that a beaut? It now operates as Murphy House Bed & Breakfast...swoon times 2! This home was built over time between 1895 and 1902--a true piece of history.

And look at this gorgeous close-up shot I found on the net!

Even when Old Man Winter makes his arrival, this place is absolutely stunning. Although its within walking distance of my house I plan on staying at least one night here this winter.

 

And the inside?

Super refined!

 

Not what everyone is clamoring for now days (no granite countertops here) but this Kitchen stopped my heart a wee bit. So sweet and simple. I can almost taste the yummy goodness that can be created here.

I could sleep here...could you? If you could, head over to http://www.murphyhousebb.com/history.html and book a room!

 

Let's move on, albeit reluctantly...

 

 

 

This house looks modern, but it was actually built in 1931, talk about ahead of its time! It’s currently on the market for $187,900 (a steal for this) AND we can be neighbors! :-)

And just beyond the door...

I'm all about this life! I would NEVER move.

And here's Pine Grove, the former estate of Governor Moses Wisner. The home currently operates as a museum...take a tour if you're ever in the area! 

 

Looks straight out of a fairytale aye? Love the little window boxes. Charming!

 And this…this speaks to my soul…it needs some repairs but I would LOVE this with everything inside of my being...

*pic does not display the to-die-for split level sun-rooms

And what about this????

 

I would feel like I’ve “arrived” every time I pulled up here...I mean  just look at it...

 This picture does it absolutely no justice, but this is my favorite house in my hood--especially when the vines come alive. God its gorgeous. This looks to be an early winter pic so it looks a little funky...don't be fooled.


Matter of fact, hold up...

 

 

Ok, so I couldn't just leave you with the little internet pic--I mean the house is right around the corner. So I got up off my lazy bum and got some much needed exercise. Unfortunately, this pic still doesn't do it any justice (and I couldn't keep trying to capture it perfectly...I didn't want to get caught being the creepy camera lady) so I can only hope you get a better idea of  just how stunning this home truly is. 

 

 

This one is a winner too. Built in 1900 and boasts 3756 sq. feet, I used to work right down the street from this house. Needless to say I'd stop in the stairwell and admire it every now and then--even if the view was obstructed.

Awesome sauce! This house was recently for sale and had it been an option when we were looking, let's just say that the hubby and I wouldn't be knee deep in a renovation project...

 

 

The entire inside was nice, but this bathroom may have been my favorite room. I'm a sucker for details...that chandelier over the clawfoot tub did it for me.

 Okay, come on...

 

So since I had already ventured out into the neighborhood (to get a better pic of my favorite house) I decided to make my little trip really worth the while and snap some more shots of other homes that I enjoying seeing. It was a great decision. Looking at historic homes never gets old in my book ;-) 

 

 Two for one...love both of these homes, but I especially like the ivy covered yard on the first one (no one else in the area has it)...

Classic...

This is one of the hubby's favs, and I have to admit, I kinda dig it too

 

LOVE the colonial style, LOVE the color combination, LOVE the old timey charm...what's not to love? If you ask my hubby he'll say all of the the free-flowing (aka messy) wild flowers, but even then he still has to agree that this is NICE

Spanish Style Perfection!

 I like this house because it's different. I remember seeing this even as a little girl and thinking to myself that it looked like it belonged somewhere else. Mexico perhaps? I don't know!

 Vines win me over every time...

Picture isn't that great, but both of these dwellings have that fairytale charm that I adore

 

I likes!

That porch!!! As the young folks say, its everything ;-)

And last, but certainly not least...it speaks for itself



The thing that I love the most about my neighborhood (and historic homes in general) is the variety of styles, no two homes are exactly alike, and being a creative spirit, I think that's awesome.  

As I mentioned earlier, Pontiac is quite a bit smaller so there isn't as much to do as it is in Detroit, however,  the possibilities are endless! It's truly a land of opportunity with enough space to house a plethora of entertainment options to a willing investor. If you have money and great business ideas, give Pontiac a shot!

Despite the lack of entertainment options, I still find time to get out in my city, even if it's nothing more than a walk around downtown (which by the way is starting to pop up with gems. Every time I go, there's something new).

Downtown Pontiac back in the day...

Downtown Pontiac on my wedding day. Held my wedding reception in the same spot as the pic above...cause history

 

 

And here's a few shots of me and my family enjoying the city...

 

 

But by far, my favorite place in the city is here:

 

My granny's house!

 

This is the view from my grandmother's back porch. Over time, what once was an actual neighborhood has returned to the land...but I love it. I can't say how many times I have sat here on the back steps and wrote poetry, prayed, contemplated, been silent...

I grew up here, this is home. I love the country vibe. I love the peace. And though I am absolutely crazy about historic homes and all their splendor, it ain't nothing like this place right here. 



When I took this picture, I was super excited to catch the raw beauty of it--in fact it's one of my favorite photographs that I've personally taken. I showed it to my grandmother and unfortunately she didn't share my same sentiments. She scrunched her face up and said, "Why you wanna go and take a picture of some old rags on the line?" LOL, gotta love the elders!

Regardless of what my granny thinks, somehow I think an enlarged version of this shot will find it's way onto my walls, bringing the historic and the "country" together for good.

 

So there you have it--that's my hood--where I live and where I'm from. :-) If you're interested in learning more about Pontiac, head over to http://www.pontiac.mi.us/about/history/photo_gallery.php to get more information. Enjoy!