It's raining today...sweet, nourishing, beautiful rain. I love the rain. I have loved it since I was a child. Most of my friends would be upset when it rained, but I would simply grab my raincoat and go outside. I'd hit every mud puddle. If it was warm enough, off came the rain boots and I would wade. Who needed an umbrella? Not me! Rain brought endless possibilities of play and turned our neighborhood playground into one big puddle. I absolutely LOVED it.Maybe that's why one of my favorite movie scenes is Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain. I adore it so much! A couple of years ago, my dad bought me a little white bunny with a pink raincoat and umbrella...and when you squeeze his hand, he dances with the umbrella and sings Singing in the Rain. You see, my dad understands. He knows a good mud puddle when he sees one.
I'm singing in the rainJust singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain
At last, my love has come along
Thank you so much, Ladybug!!! I adore the candle and the sweet little handmade card! Best of all is that I have had the opportunity to meet a new friend. Thank you, friend.
Before any significant landscaping was added to the front of the house. We still have a lot of work to do on the yard and gardens!
Here, you can see our B&B sign. Sorry about the wires. I need to learn how to use Photoshop!
Another view of the front of the house. At one time, the porch wrapped around the left corner of the house but was later enclosed and made into bathrooms, both upstairs and down.
A view of the back of our house. The back section was originally a cottage built in the 1820's. It now houses our kitchen. Check out that beautiful, huge, old Oak Tree to the left of the photograph. He has to be hundreds of years old.
The original back porch railing. Isn't it lovely?
A tiny view of our side screened-in porch. The house has a total of four porches.
Looking out into our backyard. 
Another view of our yard.
In the garden.
The door to our 100 year old garage and home to so many spiders I that I try to avoid going in there whenever possible.
Standing among the flowers, keeping guard over the birds, squirrels, racoons, chipmunks and other visitors and residents of our property.
A view of our side yard. The house is located in a historic district.
Ready for a view inside? This is the living room, and here you can view a sampling of the hideous wallpaper I mentioned. Now, the art on the wall is completely different, and we have different chairs and things on the tables. This room is an upcoming project. We will be changing the colors in here and reupholstering furniture, painting, adding crown moulding, and pulling up the carpet and refinishing the hardwood floors that are underneath. See the small painting on the right wall? My husband's great-grandfather painted that piece in 1904. You can also get a little peak at our antique, 13 pane secretary in the right corner of the picture. 
Here's another view of the room and the fireplace. This fireplace is one reason we'll be changing the colors of the room. The yellow tile is original to the house, so we'll be incorporating that color into the room in other areas. I'll also add bronze colors (the fireplace cover is bronze), brown and a small touch of blue. We'll see how it comes out. Any suggestions would be so welcome!
And another view of the room and our antique piano (for which we are currently looking for a new home) and one of my favorite pieces in the house, the antique Duncan Phyfe sofa, which will soon be given a makeover to match the new color scheme in the room. We now have new lamp shades, you'll be relieved to know. I know I was relieved! :-)
And here is one reason I love this room so much...look at the beautiful original tile on the fireplace! By the way, we have seven fireplaces in the house...isn't that remarkable?! At some point, someone replaced one of the tiles and didn't do such a great job grouting, but I have plans to blend that in and will show you the results of that project soon. Can you see the detail in the tile?
Another view of the room...and my favorite reading chair.
This is our formal dining room where we serve our guests breakfast. 
A view of the sideboard. It now is home to a teapot collection.
The portrait of the woman came with the house. She was a relative of the original owner. Many of our guests have said that they believe she is our resident ghost. Yes, the house is rumored to be the home of a ghost who has become known over the last century as "The Gray Lady." Many guests and former owners of the house have claimed to have seen her, especially in the upstairs hallway. DH and I have never seen her, so we can't say for certain if the rumors are true!
The entryway from one of the house's four porches. 
Our registration table in the main stairwell of the house.
And now we go upstairs. This is a photo of the hallway upstairs. This beautiful antique sofa is now in one of our guest rooms and an antique library couch is now in its former place. Bad Wallpaper Alert! This stripy paper is the most hideous of all the wallpaper in the entire house! We HATE it! And soon it will be gone, gone, gone.
Another view of the Man Room.
This is one of our guest rooms, circa 2005. More of that wallpaper we can't seem to get rid of fast enough! But the shape of this room is gorgeous with a bay window area. We have added new bedding since this photo was taken and removed the canopy railings - it's now just a four post bed. One of my favorite beds ever.
Since this photo was taken, we have since said goodbye to these old chairs. I love the old mantle scarf on this fireplace.
The bedside table in the master bedroom.
The doll once belonged to my great grandmother.
I love this old lamp that sits bedside in one of the guest rooms. It is lovely when all lit!
