Congratulations to Susanna! The winner of my PVE Summer Giveaway.
The super talented Patricia van Essche is so kind to be giving a custom piece of summer-inspired artwork to one of my readers. What best describes summer in your eyes? If It could be your front porch, the ocean, something from your childhood, your garden or anything that evokes summer to you.
Remember when she created this beautiful one for me last year?
PVE writes one of my favorite blogs and has a fantastic website with all her beautiful work.
Leave a comment and let me know what inspires summer for you! I’ll reveal the winner soon.
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Laura, Tell me, what are some ways you inspire a room for Summer?
Thanks for sharing my work and I am honored to be here for this giveaway.
Happy Summer!
pve
Summers are a lot busier than when I was a kid but it feels like summer when the garden is ready to bear fruit and when my husband readies the estate;-);-) for the 4th. Happy day!
aaahhh….summer…….the big bridge you cross over to get to Long Beach(oak island)…..the smell of the ocean and the feel of the sand on your feet and the warm wind on your face……the smell of sunscreen on your babies as you put them to bed at night (even after a shower, it’s still there!)…….tastes of corn on the cob, shrimp and tomatoes……..sitting on the porch in a rocking chair looking at the waves crash on the shore…….seeing dolphins jump in the ocean……getting in bed at night and feeling sand in your bed………sleeping soundly, for tomorrow you get to experience the beach all over again……….that is summer to me! Happy Day!
I know it’s summer when it’s time to start vacation preparations to go to the beach. I know it’s summer when I don’t feel guilty about spending a whole Sunday afternoon reading a book! Thanks for the chance to win.
Thanks for such a wonderful giveaway. Summer to me is barbecuing and eating outside in the cool evenings with family and friends. Homemade Sangria with lots of fresh citrus is a must.
I get excited about summer when driving at night and notice the brown grass on the roadside is changing over with a hint of green. Next comes the first smell of fresh cut grass that always smells like watermelon, that comes through my car vents or via a cracked window of the car even before the leaf buds on the trees open! We’re getting close! Next the bright green evidence of leaves opening on the trees, the jonquils bloom, and then comes the flowering trees and their pollen haze. Not quite there yet, but almost! After the rains have washed the last spec of green pollen away, and I can go outside without any discernable difference in temperature between the inside of the house and the air outside, my heart sings! Almost there! When I can once again walk upon my clean wood floors barefoot and feel their warmth, I know it is getting closer! And lastly, when I can hear the children’s laughter as the get off the school buses and jumping for joy, no longer laden with heavy backpacks and their hands empty or with just a single piece of artwork given to occupy time on that last day of school, then I can rejoice, because for them and for me, summer, my favorite season, is finally here!
Summer is my all time favorite season.
Being by the water inspires me. In the summer that could mean the beach , the lake or the many clear creeks we have in Austin. My most fave image would be a boat on the lake…..
love PVE’s work and style……..
thanks for hosting the giveaway!!!
Have a great day…..
I love her work! Eating fresh fruits and veggies inspires me. I love the pretty colors you find in peaches, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and berries.
The last “green and white” summer home is my very favorite!
May you find much joy, peace, and relaxation within these walls.
God bless you for all you do and accomplish,
Maryruth
I love summer, though I hate it that the days don’t seem as carefree as they once did. I love beautiful flowers and working in my garden. Cooking with fresh vegetablea and lots of ripe tomatoes and peaches. And the very best part is spending time at our lakehouse almost every weekend with family and friends.
Summer is escaping the heat in the swimming pool and at our cabin in the woods.
Love the artwork! Summer is allowing yourself to share in your child’s excitement about the change in routine!
Hi Laura
Summer to me is being able to take an outdoor shower after jumping into the pool when coming home from a day at the beach. Happy summer to all!
ever since i can remember my summer has meant THE BEACH – and in particular – the gulf coast. we thankfully still live right on the coast and my family has a house where we are able to enjoy the beach any time of the year we like. the oil may be affecting the visitors coming to this area, but its not deterring the “locals”! i still love our little slice of beachy heaven
Being barefoot! In the grass, in the sand, it doesn’t matter! Summer is all about being barefoot
I love summer watching the sprinklers water the lawn in the morning before it gets too hot. I remember running through the sprinklers as a child and that always makes me think of Summerfun. I remember the swooshing sound as they swept across the grass and running and jumping in its path. Then there is the fresh fruit from the farmers fruitstand. Juicy water melon, peaches, nectarine, plums. You know the kind that makes juice run down onto your chin when you bite into them, ooooh they are sooo sweet. I love summer!! Kathysue
Summer for us now is being at our cabin with the boys. Watching the joy on their face when they jump out of bed and head to the dock for an early morning fishing attempt, BBQ’s with family and friends, and watching the sun set over the calm water…it is bliss!
Summer for me is….all that reminds me of childhood: the fabulous smell of cut grass, the swimming pool, hiking, cold watermelon and lemonade and hanging on the porch.
Summer is farmers’ markets, walks along the boardwalk and beach (up here in NE).
Although the roads are more crowded I enjoy driving to visit family and friends when you don’t have to worry about snow and ice. Visiting museums are indeed packed with
tourists but that didn’t stop me from a wonderful time spent in the galleries of the Met.
Thanks for the beautiful giveaway. I read PVEDesign daily.
Best wishes,
BarbaraG
(first time commenter)
Summer????? Grilling more, ice cold salads, and throwing white all over the house!
Patricia is very talented……Maryanne
Summer for me begins with the smells of fresh cut grass, vine ripened tomatoes straight from the garden and the soft scents of the lilac bushes. I love having all my windows open, sitting in my backyard next to the pool, listening to Pink Martini and having a cool refreshing beverage in my hand! Summer is the best!
Summer to me is baseball. Watching my boy’s play on the field. Hearing the umpire yell out when my oldest makes the throw to first from third, seeing my little dude cross home plate to help his t-ball team win their first game, and watching my husband stand in a sea of little boys calling him coach. That is my summer.
i’m going to say my daughter because she forces me to slow down and notice everything that is going on around me when we’re outside…….from the helicopter flying overhead, the buzzing of the bees, to the aroma of the flowers that are blooming everywhere……..she helps me appreciate everything summer!
If winter is the time of absence for me, then summer is the time for abundance and tomato sandwiches! Summer is when I feel the sweltering heat, I sweat through my cutest tissue-T, and I absolutely don’t care one bit… because I just want to be outside and absorb it all!
I LOVE the beautiful home paintings. WOW! Summer reminds me of fun and chaos and water and children laughing…but after ALL of that, coming home at the end of a long day or week or weekend to the place you love!
I feel a little selfish entering the give away, since I am blessed with Patricia’s artwork – but wanted to leave a little blog love for both of you! Summer to me is palette in the sky at dusk, watching the sun set over the water….then, enjoying the blips of light as the fireflies tell me goodnight. xoxo Elizabeth
Oh how fun! I am already a lucky owner of one of Patricia’s artwork, so I am just here today to say that I adore both of you – creative girls!
Happy week!
ox, Mon
Summer to me is several weeks spent on the Chesapeake Bay, sitting on the porch on a rocking chair, going sailing…now if only I lived closer to it!
I love her work! Summer to me is time at the beach, watermelon and fireflies.
I have such fun memories of summer as a child. I spent the whole summer in my bathing suit at our community pool, playing kick the can in my neighborhood, and eating corn on the cob. I long for those carefree days again! I love the beautiful artwork that Patricia creates.
My favorite summer nights are a sitting outside with a cocktail, having a great burger on the grill and watching the kids painting the flagstone patio with water!
Just dreaming about Summer here in Wintery Australia.
X
V
I love those flags on the white house. The fourth of July is always hot, but cheerful.
Summertime in norther Michigan, where we spend time with family each year, is the first thing that crosses my mind when I am nostalgic about this season. Ripe cherries, burning sunsets, beachside bon fires and lots of laughs by the lake. This is such a wonderful giveaway, thank you!
In late May and early June when taking a walk or driving with the car window rolled down, the fragrance overwhelms the senses. The combination of Magnolia blossoms, honeysuckle, privet — it takes your breath away and it is then you know that summer has arrived.
Summer is about enjoying all those delicious blueberries, peaches, watermelons and tomatoes!
My favorite summer is when all of my grandchildren are here; seeing them playing and laughing together makes my day. Going outside to enjoy a nice cup of tea and reading a good book on my hammock. Seeing my grandchildren on my hammock with one of our dogs, Maddie, just relaxing. These are my favorite summer activities.
Knowing that my oldest grand daughter knows me so well that she wrote the above on my computer for me to send to you.
Growing up in Florida, summer is the water; beach, lake, river or pool. It is too hot to be anywhere else.
I adore Patricia’s work and it is a secret dream that someday I can ask her to draw my house!
Summer to me is walks in the park, popsicles on the front porch, wading in the creek and picnics with family.
summer for me is nantucket with my whole family. entire days at the beach. pb&j sandwiches and popsicles. s’mores and playing ghost in the graveyard with the neighbors. cobblestone streets and our little piece of history. and i’ll be there this weekend… i can’t wait!
Ahhh, summer…. homeade ice cream, the smell of food on the grill, fruits and veggies out of the garden (especially my daddy’s famous sweet corn), margaritas by the pool, toes in the sand, a chilly glass of sauvingnon blanc on the porch. Most importantly, summer means spending precious time with family and friends, and enoying a slower, more relaxed pace of life.
Love the artwork & hope to talk to you soon! xo C
Summer starts with a big family reunion. And I always try to fit in a trip to the ocean. And I love all the grilled food too. Thanks for this great giveaway.
Summer starts with the birds singing their song, the sprouting of the grass, the budding of the trees and the wafting scents of the fragrant flowers. When these things are visible and audible then I know it’s time to go start the day at the beach to invigorate my soul. Feeling the sand between the toes, diving into that good book that waited too long to have its story revealed. Sipping homemade tea, enjoying the sandwich that ALWAYS tastes better in the beach chair as the seagulls fly above looking for crumbs, all while watching and enjoying as the kids splash and roll about in the waves nearby. The sweetness of the saltiness on your body being cleansed in the coolness of a refreshing outdoor shower.
On the way home stopping at the local farm stand choosing from the divine fresh vegetables to add to the BBQ with some delicious burgers & fresh fish complimented by a nice glass of Pinot Grigio . Sitting, relaxing, seeing, watching, hearing……..the cornstalks rustling in the breeze, watching catching lightening bugs (you are NEVER too old for that)
,stargazing, all while listening to the crickets chirping their tune.
Most of all summer’s sweetness is ALWAYS better when all of these life’s’ treasures are spent in the company of my special friends embracing it all right there beside me.
xo
I love the water colors! My favorite way to celebrate summer is a weekend trip to Charleston to soak up the sun and culture. The best is spending the day at Folly Beach to squander time in the sand, waves and maybe catch a few shark teeth to bring back for souveniers. We always enjoy a lunch at a nearby outdoor cafe to snack on some seafood appetizers and maybe a crabcake sandwich. It is also a must while you are there to take a stroll through downtown Charleston and admire the beautiful architecture and shop around the low country market. A great way to end the night is making a trip the fountain to dip your toes and reminisce about past summers you have spent…
Oh my goodness! Patricia is so talented and I’ve wanted a piece of her work for ages!!! We live on the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast and I would love for her to draw my home and yard in full summer bloom! Or, maybe an illustration of our first sailboat? I can think of nothing better to remind me of my favorite time of year.
What a great give-a-way and what a fabulous artist!
When I look down at my 5 year old Daughter’s feet and they are full of sand from the local beach, when she ends up spending the rest of the day in her polka dot bathing suit, when all we want is the fresh lemonade with the mint (she thinks I invented it!). When I breathe in the lavendar from my beautiful friend’s beautiful garden. Especially when the lavendar is in a clear vase and next to it is a bunch of basil from my ever-growing garden. When I hear one of our 7! ducks quacking to us- it’s time to get up, time to get up. Summer is so many things to us. The very light on the walls is different, each part of the day separate from Winter.
Summer to me is spending weeks with my family in Montreat, near Asheville. Rock hopping in the creeks in the afternoons, paddleboats and canoes in Lake Susan, Friday night square dances at “The Barn,” picking mountain laurel, eating watermelon on the porches and going for ice cream at The Huckleberry. I can’t wait to share those same experiences with our little boy in summers to come! Great giveaway!
Summer is sitting on our screened in porch. It feels like a vacation even if it is twenty minutes.
Summer is spending the whole day in your swimsuit, something I did in my childhood around my parents’ pool and something I do now swimming in our pond. Summer’s the late sunset and the long twilight, it’s smelling grass and hearing the cicadas in the evening. It’s road trips and getting ice cream and flip flops and casual, simple dinners. Love this giveaway!
Gorgeous artwork! We especially love the pale color scheme. (See our blog about the “pale” color trend: http://bit.ly/azjz8s) That would go great in any room!