Florence

A couple weeks ago my mom and I went to Florence, AL. Florence is home to the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Alabama. The house was built for the Rosenbaum family in 1939.






We also went to Pope Tavern, which was once a stagecoach stop, tavern and inn, and Civil War hospital.



Our last stop in Florence was the ruins of the Forks of Cypress. The Greek Revival plantation was built in 1820. When Union troops invaded the area, the plantation was used as a camp base. In 1966 the plantation was struck by lightning, and the only thing that remains are the columns.

Cemetery Stroll

There are many Huntsvillians buried in Maple Hill Cemetery. A couple weeks ago the Huntsville Pilgrimage Association hosted a cemetery stroll. People dressed up in period clothing and told stories of the people buried in the cemetery.

Tallulah Bankhead was an actress during the 1930's and 1940's. Her mother is buried in Maple Hill.

Mollie Teal was a popular "Madam" who donated her establishment to be used as a hospital.

Lily Flagg was a Jersey milk cow that won the blue ribbon at the 1892 World Fair in Chicago. Her owner was so proud that he honored his cow with a party in 1892.

LeRoy Pope (left) was the "Father of Huntsville." John Williams Walker (right) was Pope's lawyer and President of the convention that framed the Alabama Constitution in 1819.

Halloween

For Halloween my mom and I went to the Viduta Festival. When the community of Monte Sano Mountain was founded, it was called Viduta. The festival included a history of the community, tour of the area, silent auction, and hay ride.

Part of the tour was the chimney of the Hotel Monte Sano. Hotel Monte Sano opened in 1887 and was a popular resort for wealthy families. It closed in 1900 due to a reclining economy. All that's left is the chimney.

Along the tour route is the Bark House, which is currently under construction. The exterior of the house is bark. The interior is very impressive and includes a reclaimed mantel as a kitchen island and a tree trunk which is being used as a pedestal sink.

Monte Sano Mountain is very pretty this time of year, and I took a few photos.

Fall Fabulous

(I wrote this post two weeks ago and forgot to publish)

Fall has finally reached Alabama, and I liked to share some lovely photos that I've found recently.

I made Pumpkin Pasta several weeks ago, and I'd like to try more fall recipes, like these:
Ginger-Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

I love these fall floral displays and bridal bouquets (all found at Martha Stewart):






This fall I'd like to visit:
The MAiZE


Tate's Farm



Botanical Garden's Scarecrow Trail


I especially love fall because that means Christmas is coming. Go to Ashley's blog to listen to some lovely Christmas music!

Happy New Year

Some of you celebrate the new year in January, I celebrate in October.




September 30th was the last day of fiscal year 2009. The beginning of the new year means no more overtime or working on Saturdays. I finally get my Saturdays back! I'm so excited!

This year is especially excited because....drum roll please....

I WAS OFFERED A JOB!!!! I'll be working at the same place where I am now, except I will now be a permanent employee!

I'm incredibly excited, and I can't wait to see what's in store for this year.

Inspiration

Every week I get ASID's Eye on Design delivered to my email. This week's newsletter was full of inspirational photos!

Green Roofed High School
Students in Revin, France will be attending this new high school soon. The high school is built into a hill and the roof is covered in gorgeous vegetation. Check out these renderings:




Church Turned Bookstore

This Dominican Church is located in Maastricht, the capital of the Dutch province of Limburg. The church was constructed in 1294, but hasn't been used as a church since 1794, when Napoleon invaded Maastricht. The building has been used as a warehouse, bicycle storage and now a bookstore.




New Sustainable Countertop

ECO by Cosentino is made of 75% recycled content. Materials used includes porcelain, mirrors, glass, and corn. The countertops are non-porous and doesn't require sealers (don't even get me started on how much I dislike granite), and it is resistant to staining and scratching.

Chattanooga Day Trip

On Labor Day, my mom and I took a quick trip to Chattanooga, TN.

Our first stop was the Chattanooga Choo Choo. From their website: "In 1905 Southern Railway purchased the property (which used to be a hotel). The depot grew to serve nearly 50 passenger trains a day. Passenger train traffic slowed to a near halt in the 1960's with the dominance of auto and air travel. Railway activity was replaced by these faster modes of transportation. Almost 61 years after the opening, the grand old building was closed to the public when the last train stopped on August 11, 1970. Doors and windows were boarded up, and Southern Railway vacated the entire building.



Terminal Station was saved from the wrecking ball by a group of local businessmen who were inspired by the theme of the "Chattanooga Choo Choo." They invested $4 million before its new grand opening on April 11, 1973, and the beautiful Terminal Station once again opened its doors to welcome visitors to Chattanooga - this time as a unique vacation complex. With its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the Chattanooga Choo Choo is considered one of the city's first historic preservation projects."






Next, we headed to the Bluff View Art District. "Bluff View Art District is a historic neighborhood filled with restaurants, a coffee house, art gallery, historic Bed & Breakfast, and plenty of gardens, plazas and courtyards where you can relax and rejuvenate. The neighborhood, which stretches over 1.5 city blocks, sets high atop stone cliffs that plunge into the river below. From this bluff-top location, you will have breathtaking views of the Tennessee River, as well as downtown Chattanooga and the Walnut Street Bridge, a position which earned early residents of the area the nickname 'cliff dwellers.'"



The Hunter Museum of Art is within walking distance of the Bluff View District.



The Mansion

Following the death of George Thomas Hunter, the nephew of the man who founded the world’s first Coca-Cola bottling company, his mansion was donated to form an Art Museum.



The Waterfront

Across from the museum is a walking bridge that goes across the Tennessee River.