If You're Lucky Enough to be at the Beach, You're Lucky Enough

How true.

1986  Seaside

 

2011  Seaside

Patticc

Spanish Eclectic Houses in Atlanta

I just love taking walks in my neighborhood.

Thanks JingobyGee for the wonderful photo.
If I stay close to home I can see a zillion Tudors--all similar but no two alike.  If I go south, I can wander through Virginia Highland and ooh and aah over the great old Bungalows. And if I head kinda west there's a real different combination of styles.

One style I've started to appreciate and admire is sometimes called Spanish Revival or maybe Mediterranean or my personal favorite label: Spanish Eclectic.

Here's a really fine one from around 1930.
Please excuse my photo angles.  I was already worried about the neighbors calling the cops with me snapping pictures so I didn't dare make more of a spectacle of myself and try to get a better view.

About.com has a nice explanation of the style 

from a book, A Field Guide to American Houses, by Virginia and Lee McAlester.

I think I might need a copy of this book.

From the book some of the hallmarks of Spanish Eclectic:

•Low-pitched roof

•Red roof tiles

•Little or no overhanging eaves

•Stucco siding

•Arches, especially above doors, porch entries and main windows

This house has just about every one, don't you think?

Here's the beauty across the street.

 

They didn't mention palm trees as a hallmark, but I think it might be here in Atlanta.  I think palm trees keep the landscape in character.

The Field Guide  says some Spanish inspired homes have:

•Asymmetrical shape with cross-gables and side wings

•Flat roof and parapets

•Or, a hipped roof

•Carved doors

•Spiral columns and pilasters

•Courtyards

•Carved stonework or cast ornaments

•Patterned tile floors and wall surfaces

Next door we have this hidden gem. (gotta be from 1920)

This house is really really hard to photograph.  It was for sale a couple of years ago and the poor agent had dreadful photos of the exterior.  There are just a lot of trees in the yard.

The colums by the front door and at the porch are spiraled--cool. This house just drips with details. I think this one might be more "Moorish" or "Egyptian". 

These Pretty Old Houses have a lot going on.

 Any opinions?

Down the street we have:

and

Note palm tree. 

and this new one

needs a palm tree in the worst way.     

later,

Patti

http://www.pattihinkle.com/  

Tear Down that Wall!--or chain link fence.

This week I've heard several clips of President Reagan's famous "Tear Down that Wall" from the '90's and naturally that was the first thing that popped into my head as I was trying to come up with a witty title for this post.
This weekend Steve tore down part of that hideous chain link that was slammed up against our neighbor's very nice wooden privacy fence.

BEFORE:
This pict was taken last summer after the hydrangeas had faded and the weeds were in full force.
Note the chain link running along the privacy fence.  Yuck!

AFTER:

Here it is now--in February.  The chain link is gone!  It looks a thousand times better--to me anyway. You can see we took out some of the hydrangeas to make way for three wonderful Tea Olives that had been planted under the magnolias--what were they thinking?!  I do love a nice long bank of hydrangeas and plan to plant another one after we fill the HOLE.

Funny how small things make big impacts.

Here's a sign of spring that really perked me up.

Before we moved the first time back in 2009, I tried to pot as much of my garden as possible.  Sad to say not a lot survived three moves.  But it looks like this small bunch of daffodils is hanging in there. The fern in the back has done great. I bought it last spring as filler for the deck at Spence Ave. Maybe we need another or two?

The weather today is fantastic--highs in the 60s they say.  I'm off  to play in the yard and hunt for more signs of spring.

Later,

Patti

www.PattiHinkle.com 

Tree Removal and the Dramatic Garage Remodel

Thank Goodness that didn't happen!
What did happen was they came to take out this truly awful horrible pitiful tree.
This is my backyard BEFORE.
embarrassing isn't it

This is my backyard AFTER

Believe me--it's better--not great, but better.

They dropped this trunk and the earth shook.

My dog had a nervous breakdown--I wasn't much better off. 

Then I got a good look at the rot.  It's a miracle Nature didn't give us a Dramatic Garage Remodel.

Ahhh, the wonders of modern machinery...

Even with the walk-behind Bobcat it took all day to get this tree out.

This was one big tree!

now it's gone.

whew!!!!