A Tree House Dream

 

Yes, it does look like it would come straight from my dreams. But this tree house beautifully nestled in a huge oak tree looking over the San Francisco Bay was REAL.

 Complete with a 3/4 wrap-around porch,

  

Soft, colorful, handcrafted quilts, 

 

 Lovely lighting throughout the day,

 

And of course my one and only...

You can see how the outside-lovin', quilter, photographer, and Chad-admirer in me would love the living guts out of this place.

Doug and Linda built this house a decade ago, after dreaming of it for years.

There are no screws in the tree at all, and it is beautifully crafted to complement and accommodate the shape of the tree. As Linda is an interior designer, she did an outstanding job of decorating the house to make it perfectly comfortable and natural/outdoorsy.

 We spent our afternoon/evening going back and forth from the porch to inside, enjoying every detail and every moment in our serene and happy dreamworld.

I loved the built-in bookshelf complete with children's classics and books about tree houses. We surely will be bringing our children back here someday if Doug and Linda will have us back.

 The view from the tree house window was spectacular... my photo hardly does it justice. We could see the bay and planes landing one after another at SFO.

We were surrounded by towering Redwoods. They are beautiful and majestic (and strong-smelling.)

 I'm posting this photo because it really shows what life often looks like with us.... Me with the camera covering my face and Chad waiting patiently for me to put it down and live the moment.

 The evening was perfectly pleasant as well. We drank wine and talked about our dreams, read under the calm light of the lamps, and ate the Greek food we had picked up before we got there.

This handmade stained glass window is one of my favorite parts of the tree house. It opens in a swivel motion, with the hinge in the middle... sweet.

 Then we watched a movie. The tree house has a small, flat-screen tv with a dvd player and a well-rounded movie selection.

The next morning was so fun waking up in a tree. Of course we woke at the crack of dawn because we were still on our Boston clock and up in a tree. And roosters were happy. But I was glad of it! More time to enjoy the house!

Chad in his favorite spot with pjs and bed hair

 I loved the fresh flowers they had on the table.

I managed to get one photo of both of us inside. 

We slept in a double bed up-top, but read, snuggled, and hung out on the comfy bottom twin. The layout of this house was well thought-out, making use of all the space without it feeling cramped.

 What a dream

It still feels like it was a dream

 This is the path leading from the tree house to the cabin area with a kitchenette and bathroom.

 Here is the view of the tree house from the kitchen window.

Linda is also a photographer, and she used to have a professional business with a black-and-white specialization. I loved the work she had displayed in the cabin area, along with the vintage art incorporated throughout.

It was so perfect to get a fresh breakfast with boiled eggs from their chickens, homemade raisin-nut bread, fruit, and coffee. YUM! And just waiting for us!

 The surrounding garden was glorious as well. I'm only posting one flower photo because I know I can go crazy with that sometimes.

We were sad to say goodbye, but loved our memory/dream while we were there. We will for sure return some day!!


**If you would like information or are interested in visiting the tree house, contact Linda and Doug here. If you think it seems a little pricy, think again. It is every dollar worth it and very comparable to hotels in the area. :)

Cape Cod

 We just got back from our camping trip on Cape Cod, and we couldn't have had a better time! It was rainy/misty when we got there on Friday night, but that did not stop us from enjoying our mini-vacation to the fullest. Saturday started with us cooking breakfast and desperately trying to heat water over the fire so we could have coffee. Then we hopped in the car and went on our adventure! We stopped at multiple beaches on our way up the cape, enjoying the solitude of the off-season. I can imagine how nice it would be to come in the summer, but with that comes crowds of tourists, and Chad and I prefer to get away to less crowds if possible!

 Chad was impressed with the water drops on leaves and requested that I get some photos (if you're wondering why I have so many rainy plant pics.)

 We had an amazing view on our campsite of Flax Pond. We were at Nickerson State Park. It was peaceful and relaxing and everything we wanted.

 We loved our little secret spot by the water. I enjoyed sitting on this rock in the early morning.

Dr. Handsome on one of the beaches.

 Then we made it to the tip of the cape... Provincetown!! (Otherwise known as P-town) It was an ecclectic, colorful, beachy, harbor town filled with tons of fun things to see and shops to explore.

Yes, indeed the water was cold!

Me and my lovebird. Please excuse my hair.. the wind was crazy!!

 

more love birds

Heritage Museum and Garden. I loved this sculpture fountain. It jutted out over a little cliff and was fascinating and unlike anything I've ever seen!

Overall, Cape Cod was beautiful and interesting and a great weekend get-away. We're loving life and our little adventures! Day-to-day may get stressful, but we are finding ways to unwind, spend good time together, and see new things.