Once again I've stumbled upon a great little neighborhood in the making. This subdivision offers attractive craftsman-style homes for homebuyers.

I was in-between errands and had about 45 minutes to kill so I let the steering wheel take me in whichever direction it hadn't been before.
I don't need no stinking GPS!

This new neighborhood is named Summerlyn and it's located in thriving Paulding County, Georgia. Summerlyn is just getting started but there are a couple of homes already finished. All 40 homes will be craftsman-style home plans, designed by the award-winning* home design firm of Frank Betz Associates, on some really choice lots.

Bed and Breakfast Inns (B&B's) are a great way to leap off of the beaten path of the all-too-easy-to-reserve hotels and resorts while staying at your vacation destination. Not that bed & breakfasts are difficult to locate and reserve but if you're looking for a fun way to shake things up a bit and have something extra-ordinary for you and your family to talk about after it's all over with, search out a B&B.

Who knows...it just may be THE talk of your trip! In fact, staying at an historical B&B is the way to go. Staying at a b&b is a centuries old practice and an excellent way of getting into the culture of the surrounding area.

Most B&B's are part of a network to facilitate reservations, where they are located within a given destination, rates and availability. See my links to them below...

I had the opportunity to see travertine tile inlay being used in a custom-crafted fireplace recently that had been installed in a fantastic new Charleston Row House-style home under construction in the heart of downtown Aiken, South Carolina. Various shades of tan to brown with specks of slate blue were interlaced within some of the tiles giving interior designer, Tara, the inspiration to give a coat of a complimentary blue paint in the master suite. This particular travertine tile was mined in Turkey and lends a touch of class to an already beautiful Charleston Row House-style home design plan.

Aiken homebuilder (and old schoolmate) H.L. "Buddy" Stevens, along with Tara, have undertaken quite a homebuilding project in this historic section of Aiken on Park Avenue. He has taken a rather obscure piece of real estate and made it a focal point for what's in store for that section of downtown Aiken. I lived in Aiken for several years and continue to visit family in Aiken on a regular basis and I can't (for the life of me) remember what used to sit on the property that Buddy has built this beautiful new home on. Quite a transformation!

Multifamily Home Plan, Duplex Design, Townhome Plan, Townhouse Design, Paired Villas. Pick a name from the preceding list for what you see in the above photo I took recently at Hiram Park subdivision. No matter which you choose you must agree that they are craftsman-style designs. If you're having a tough time making a choice of what to call them then join the club.

Here's why I had a tough time of it:

Looking for a haunted inn to stay at? Have you seen your share of T.A.P.S. - Ghost Hunters on the Sci-Fi channel and want to get a taste of the real deal? The Buxton Inn, located in Granville, Ohio, is one of the most notorious in the great state of Ohio. Originally built in 1812 by Orin Granger, The Buxton Inn is the oldest continuously operated Inn in Ohio. The building itself originally served as a post office and stagecoach stop between Columbus and Newark.

The Inn's namesake, Major Horton Buxton, operated the Inn from 1865-1905 and his picture hangs in the lobby to this day. Major Buxton's image has been claimed to have been seen in various parts of the Inn. Then there's Ethel Bounell. She was the innkeeper from 1934-1960 and she died in room #9. Guess what?! Yes...she's been seen, too...ahem...after her demise. There are more ghosts in the basement where the help used to dine and sleep. I had a couple of beers in the basement tavern and didn't see a darn soul (Ha!) except the friendly barkeep. OK...I'm not a believer of ghosts and paranormal activity...normally. That's just me. Other folks would argue their case, until they turned blue in the face, claiming that this place is haunted.

It is said that you'll have a better chance of "seeing or hearing" something if you stay in room #7 and/or room #9. Go for it!

What the...!!!
It's a GIANT picnic basket! The world's largest picnic basket...as a matter of fact. Located in Newark, OH, this behemoth of a basket is a dream come true for Dave Longaberger, founder of The Longaberger Company.

It happens to be the Longaberger Home Office in Newark, OH. Yes, it's the world's largest picnic basket and it doubles as a way cool office building.

A recently renovated 3 BR/1 BA brick ranch style home, circa 1966, in Aiken, SC is my subject for this post. This is no ordinary renovated brick ranch home. This is one of my childhood homes and it is still owned/maintained by my parents, but not for much longer. They had been debating selling the old place after renting it to tenants for years. They've recently renovated it on their own with the goal of selling it. They are both recently retired and just wanted out of the landlord biz so they could enjoy their golden years together (on the beach) without having to worry about their rental property (tenants can be quite frustrating at times).

Who could blame them!