Today it’s the Summer Home Tour 2014 hosted by The Shabby Creek Cottage.

If you are stopping by from At the Picket Fence….nice to meet you!  

Let’s get this party started. 🙂

summer-home-tour-thistlewood

The other night I parked the car and walked up this sidewalk.

The stars were twinkling in the clear night sky to an entire chorus of crickets chirping in time….

….and with every step the smell of honeysuckle surrounded me.

And I closed my eyes just for a moment and smiled.

outside-summer-home-tour

outside-summer-decorating-with-peonies

And thought to myself…..hello summer…..

…..nice to meet you.

*sigh*

I’ve been waiting for you for like….ummm….ever.

summer-basket-filled-with-flowers

There’s nothing like summer in the country.

Nothing.

I mean winter is awesome with all the cold and ice and potato soup and mittens and sledding and books by a toasty fire.

And spring really brought it with fresh daffodils and forsythia and green grass and flowers in the house.

farmhouse-kitchen-summer-mantel

But summer?  

Summer is the real deal.

A time to celebrate.

And so….in no particular order….

….here’s my top 25 reasons summer is a rock star.

summer-kitchen-island

summer-kitchen-decorating-thistlewood

1.  Sweet tea with lime.

2.  The giant aisles of fresh fruit at the grocery store.

farmhouse-kitchen-summer-bench

3.  The perfect pair of black sunglasses with red lipstick.

4.  That summer glow that somehow makes you look five pounds thinner.

wood-stick-vase-dining-room

wood-stick-vase-how-to

6.  Longer days and extra hours of sunshine.

7.  Spitting watermelon seeds from the back porch.

library-summer-thistlewood-farm

8.  Summer outfits….shorts are so much cuter than scarves.

9.  The first yard sale of the season.

summer-mantel-library

damask-fabric

10.  The next yard sale around the corner.

11.  Yard sales that sell $5 furniture and fresh corn and green beans.

galvanized-metal-boxes-stackable

12.  Driving down the winding country road with the sun roof open and Randy Travis on the radio.

13.  The smell of a summer rain storm.

farmhouse-bathroom-decorating-ideas

14.  Fourth of July and sparklers.

15.  Fresh strawberries and whipped cream on the porch swing.

farmhouse-bedroom

summer-mantel-decorating-ideas

16.  A happily-ever-after book and a nap on the porch.

17.  Drive-in movie theaters and hot popped popcorn.

guest-bedroom-flowers

thistlewood-blue-and-white-room

18.  An attic guest bedroom filled with roses from the garden.

19.  Blue and white anything.

painted-table-runner

painted-table-runner-diy-project-dea

20.  Blue skies and sunshine with clouds that look like lions and tigers.

21.  The smell of just-cut hay in the back pasture.

summer-picnic

milkglass-and-iced-tea22.  The shade of an oak tree.

23.  Local honey on fresh biscuits.

24.  A milk glass picnic.

25.  Oh….and did I mention sweet tea with lime?

After all….summer always begins and ends with the sweet tea. 🙂

PS  How about you?  What’s your favorite part of summer?

And now….on to the next summer tour house over at The Inspired Room.

Happy beginning of summer to you!

Here’s the entire tour with all the links:

Monday, June 2nd

The Shabby Creek Cottage
The Nester
At The Picket Fence (Vanessa)
Thistlewood Farms
The Inspired Room

Tuesday, June 3rd

The Handmade Home
My Fabuless Life
Finding Home
In My Own Style
The Hunted Interior

Wednesday, June 4th

Inspired By Charm
Jennifer Rizzo
Madigan Made
Makely School for Girls
Funky Junk Interiors

Thursday, June 5th

Jones Design Company
Beneath My Heart
The Pennington Point
White Buffalo Styling Co.
Southern Hospitality

Friday, June 6th

At the Picket Fence (Heather)
Desert Domicile
Tatertots & Jello
Home Stories A to Z
Live Laugh Rowe

 summer-farmhouse-tour-of-house-and-gardens

THISTLETOWER-1

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Comments

  1. Image for Jill Jill

    Beautiful way to start my morning and the summer, Karianne. How about a tour of your red lipstick places next? You know, the wilder, bolder side of your personsality that shows in the guest house and art/craft house. I call those your red lipstick places. And how about a chandalier decorated with fabulous earrings instead of traditional crystals hanging in the center of the room? Wouldn't that just scream Karianne was here?

  2. Image for Barbara Moore Barbara Moore

    I never tire of looking at your beautiful home. It's absolutely STUNNING. Now, what to copy first?? Let's start with the painted floor in your guest (shutter) room. Color? Paint type? Thanks for sharing. Barb

  3. Image for judy judy

    A summer welcome unlike any other!!! Wow! Love how you make every season, a work of art! Makes me want to sit with you and drink lemonade together, with our sunglasses and red lipstick:)

  4. Image for Kimm at Reinvented Kimm at Reinvented

    Beautiful! Love your favorites. Mine include smores, corn on the cob and watermelon. :) Hmm, all food. Maybe that explains why I need that "glow that makes you look like you lost 5 lbs." ;) I also love sand as long as it's outside and wet dogs, also outside. :) Have a fabulous Monday, friend!

  5. Image for Erin Erin

    Your home is so beautiful! I would love to sit with you on your patio and drink sweet tea with lime...which I have never tried by the way, but am looking forward to very soon :)

  6. Image for Jenna Jenna

    Please please tell me you don't have fresh flowers in every square foot of your house every day because if you do, I will die of envy...

  7. Image for Theresa Kane Theresa Kane

    I love your blog, home, YOU!!! You are so inspiring and I felt like I was walking up the sidewalk with you!! Thank you for bringing such loveliness to us each day. You are a blessing! A ray of summer sunlight!

  8. Image for Shari Southworth Shari Southworth

    Love your home! My maiden name is "Arbuckle" so I especially love the crates hanging on the wall in your dining room. I have one but wish I could find a couple more!

  9. Image for Donnamae Donnamae

    Everything is looking so fresh and lovely! I love all of summer's flowers...thunderstorms....soft summer breezes....walking barefoot, preferably in the sand....and, just sitting on our deck enjoying the warmth! ;)

  10. Image for Kathy Kathy

    You've touched on so many things I love! I was even willing to work in the garden hauling wheelbarrow loads of debris to an empty lot because it was filled with Honeysuckle...made the job heavenly - I wanted to put up a bed and sleep beneath the vines! Beautiful home tour - I hope you have a blessed week, Kathy

  11. Image for Martha at Authentica Classics Martha at Authentica Classics

    What a wonderful post! Love seeing these photos all in one lovely combination....like looking at a magazine while enjoying my coffee this morning.

  12. Image for Kelly - Talk of the House Kelly - Talk of the House

    Your #21 is one of my favorites (but I'll take the smell of just the grass in the yard having been cut as well as the hay.) My very very favorite is the taste of a REAL summer tomato with salt and pepper...mmm. I am loving all your fresh flowers. So beautiful! I am also loving all the rooms with color that you have been pinning on your inspirational room board at pinterest. Hallelujah to color!!

  13. Image for Vanessa Vanessa

    #26...being apart of a summer home tour with my amazing friend KariAnne whose home is gorgeous! And someday, somehow I WILL sit on that porch of yours and drink sweet tea with you! :-)

  14. Image for BrocanteuseRose BrocanteuseRose

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!! NO other words for the tour and summer and tea and... oh just everything!!! :)

  15. Image for Regina Regina

    I'm sitting at my desk imagining myself lounging in one of those Adirondack chairs, sipping that sweet tea - but hold the lime, please. Just add more sugar! ;)

  16. Image for Lisa Palmese Lisa Palmese

    Good Lord Your Home is Amazing and All that You said is True. Some Sweet Tea and a breeze that allows you to smell the flowers are amazing. Just Loved it!! Thank You Lisa

  17. Image for DEBORAH BURKE DEBORAH BURKE

    OMG......Sooooooo beautiful.KariAnne I hope you are very proud of everything you do...looks like pages in a book...you certainly were born to decorate.....absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!! :-)

  18. Image for Kris Kris

    Lovely thoughts. But do you make unsweetened tea for your northern friends???????? Oh, and BTW, you can fake that 5# weight loss tan with self tanner &/or Sally Hansen airbrush legs ...

  19. Image for Gee Gee

    Summer, summer, summer!!! It's like a merry go round. What a nice tour KariAnne. Luved it... but then you know I luv everything about your home. For me... summer is endless days, bright sunny mornings and birdsong, late evenings on the patio ( Florida... hot days) peach tea, Magnolias and Hydrangeas..... aaahhh summertime!

  20. Image for Kari Kari

    I loved your list, Kari! My mind always travels back to being a kid and then trying to re-create some of my favorite things for my own kids. Like the last day of school! Waking up to my curtains billowing and the hum of the attic fan. Going barefoot (until my mother found out and yelled from the screen door for me to "Get some shoes on your feet!". Exactly what I yelled from my back door to my own children years later (smiling to myself). Finding a box turtle! Catching lightning bugs at dusk and then letting them go. Bicycles!! Riding our bikes all day and as late as we could after supper. On Saturday or Sundays there was the smell of cut grass, family cook outs, and from certain garages the sound of a ball game was being listened to over a radio. Home made ice cream, the kind you had to hand crank. My grandpa was the one in charge of this, but I was his helper and I would turn the handle until it got too hard for me. We would sit out by the garage on little canvas stools or an upside down bucket since he was a paperhanger. I don't remember what we talked about, but just that we did. I can still see his big smile, his deep voice, his laughter. I adored him. I think the feeling was mutual. ;0) I could go on and on and I know you could too because, well, you savor life - mostly the little things that God gives us and that don't cost much either. Happy Summer, Kari Anne!

  21. Image for Peggy Zortman Peggy Zortman

    Gorgeous! You can feel the love you have put in to making the farm home. And the only thing I would add to your summer list would be mason jars for catching lightning bugs.

  22. Image for Kath Kath

    Snowcones/Sno-Cones, however you spell it. Our fave is a place called "Eskimo Sno", where they have created all sorts of flavors for boys and girls(such as GI Joe green and Princess Bubble Pink, just love the names) About 8 years ago, they began squeezing half a lime over the top of your flavor(add 50cents) This year: $1.00! Just learned that limes are precious this year...cartels? Drought? They are now calling them "green gold". Your first item and finishing is my fave, tea with lime. At gatherings now, i put out a cute small pitcher with simple syrup that I make, so that everyone can sweeten their own and it dissolves into cold tea, no flakes at the bottom of the glass:) It seems to be a hit. Also putting out lemonade, making Arnold Palmer's tea&lemonade combo is a biggie around here. Love that you've arranged the liv area with chair backs to fireplace, perfect for summer :) You inspire the whimsy we all have but sometimes lose and/or forget when our lives are just too too, and we don't think of red lipstick, just slappin' on some BurtsBees or vaseline or whatever is fastest - probably only me doing that... :)

  23. Image for Jane Jane

    Oh...your post made me smile!! Your pretty rooms always have a fresh appeal that adapts to any season. Add the flowers and sweet tea and Yay!! We are rockin summer the best way possible! :) XO, Jane

  24. Image for Abbey Abbey

    Absolutely lovely. No surprise here! :) My fav part is dining outside in the fresh air with friends and family. Look forward to many of those memories this summer!

  25. Image for Sally Sally

    Okay, that's it. I'm penciling you in: "Summer at Karianne's." Please and Thank you. The house looks GORgeous, and I am totally trying sweet tea with LIME! xo ~Sally

  26. Image for Diana Diana

    I love your list, it's so dreamy. It just shouts Summer and relaxation. How I just want to sit on our deck every day with my Nicholas Sparks book and a homemade strawberry smoothie! Lovely home, so many beautiful flowers! I love the flowers in the jars.

  27. Image for Suzanne Suzanne

    Each time I visit your site, I leave with a head full of inspiration and a smile on my face. Your summer decor is beautiful and your summer rock star list is so true! Thanks for sharing, Suzanne Pieced Pastimes

  28. Image for Diana W. Diana W.

    I always love the peeks that you share of y'alls home! How about I have the very same milk glass pitcher? Crazy!

  29. Image for Kelly Kelly

    Absolutely beautiful, Karianne! I must look like I live the life of a pauper next to you in my home tour.... {giggle} Your home and photos are always pristine. Thanks for such incredible inspiration. HUGS!

  30. Image for Marie@The Interior Frugalista Marie@The Interior Frugalista

    Hi Kerrianne, I'm finally taking the time to follow the Summer Home Tour. Gosh your house is beautiful! I must say I was surprised to see all the white, light blues and greys considering you LOVE color. Every room is styled so beautifully. I love the window shutter wall in your guest room - how creative! I pinned your sidewalk block patio because we're in the process of building one and we can't decide whether to have them all butted up to one another or leave a gap between them. After seeing yours, I'm voting for leaving the gap! Thanks for opening your home to us :)

  31. Image for Jayne Jayne

    Oh My! You just described the perfect summer! I love sitting on the front porch with the breeze on my face and watching the sun set and the lightning bugs come out. Lazy days at the lake soaking up the warmth of the sun then cooling off with a dive in the water. Love your house too! So pretty! Thanks for sharing!

  32. Image for Design Chic Design Chic

    I always feel instantly calmer when I click on your site. Your home looks spectacular and I LOVE seeing it from the sidewalk! And I'm adding one more Summer favorite - fresh flowers from the yard. Just love to be able to cut flowers and bring them indoors - for free!! Yours all look so beautiful. Happy Monday!

Comments are closed.