enigma - take out one of the "h" in your url so your link will come up :-)

I missed this post last year. My deceased mother-in-law had a small mountain retreat in Banner Elk, NC and she called her place "Loafers Glory".

I refer to my current residence as my Divorce Shack. More of a description than a name but the reference fits and will endure.

Scott

I love your house - I will have to steal your idea for cabinets around the refrigerator - great idea. I like your breakfast nook right in the corner of the kitchen surrounded by windows. Theres a lot of work that goes into these smaller homes to make the most of space, its a fun challenge. I like the idea of naming your home, my sister-in-law named their little lake cottage "sugar shack"

I cannot find your URL for the blog, Enigma. It just says it won't come up with "hhttp..." and does not give the rest of the address. Can you type it out for me?

And I have a lavender gray color you might want to sample. It is Behr's SMOKED OYSTER. I think in a satin enamel, it would be wonderful. I have used it on one wall inside my walkin closet, and it changes with the light...sometimes more gray, sommetimes more lavender. I think Benjamin Moore also has a paint with that name too, but the one I have is by Behr. See ya.

Katrina, the kitchen has a lot of great ideas, and it makes marvelous use of limited space. I too love Enigma's kitchen.

And Scott, I can empathize with you about Divorce Shack. However, in the past, when I divorced husband #1, I decided that "ex-husband" is a negative that I could and should eliminate from my vocabulary. So I began referring to him as "my son's father" which was a more positive note. So maybe you can start to think of your cottage as "Freedom Cottage" or "New Beginnings Cottage"......a more accurate term for where you are now in your life.

How did that extra "h" get there?!

here's the blog:
http://greystablescottage.blogspot.com/

I have to say that a mere 30 hours after settling on a name I have already started to second-guess myself! I've been calling it the "stonegate cottage" in my mind for such a long time that now it's hard to think of it different. Of course I'd have to rename the blog but that's no biggie. My husband has given up on me I think, I was up at 3 o'clock this morning agonizing over it...any opinions?

Moccasin I am REALLY interested in that smoked oyster color...I love greys that change in the light, it's SUCH a beautiful dynamic color!

Here is a link that might be useful: my blog...

Sorry, since an hour ago when that link worked it's doesn't anymore... below is the one that will work...hopefully this is the last change!

Here is a link that might be useful: Grey stables

Lovely Blog. I joined as a Follower. not really sure how all the blog follower things works but I will try. LOL

You and DH are darling. Hurry Hurry want to see more inside of your darling house.

Chris

Chris! I am GLOWING...you read my blog! You have no idea how happy that makes me :) I am grinning ear to ear right now. I've worked so hard on that thing for the last three days and I'm determined to make a go of it! I have SO many ideas and pictures and projects I want to put on there that it's hard to "pace myself"...Unfortunately I don't seem to understand the technicalities of being "found" so there has been very few people visit me so far. Get's discouraging but I'm just so happy that you liked it! Thank you :)

I think it's a great blog, too! I love reading folks blogs, since I plan to start one once our build gets underway. I'm gonna have to learn a new computer skill, NOT my strong point, despite using one all day, every day. I look forward to seeing what you add to yours!

Jay

Not sure how you get blog exposure. What I have noticed on other blogs is there is a list on the side front page with links to other blogs and next thing you know your day is gone from reading blogs. LOL Be sure to add your blog link to your signature on your emails so it happens automatically. Then your email friends get to go see it. If you have any other blogger friends ask them to blog about your blog.

That is all I really know about it. Sorry.

Chris

Enigma, I read it too. I am linking to it, until I can manage to figure out how to become a follower w/o revealing my entire name. I've backed out of Facebook but apparently an information trail remains.

Your style is delightful, and by that I mean your writing touch. In the entries so far, I've come to feel more acquainted with you than in all the GW postings. Keep up the good work.

I was reading 6/2009 issue of Architectural Digest, when I ran across the article BACK TO BASICS about an historic farm being brought into the present day. The sign for the farm has a reproduction of the painting PEACEABLE KINGDOM on it, and the name PEACEABLE FARM across the bottom. The farm is in Solebury, Pennsylvania.

Thinking about Gray Stables at Stonegate Cottage, I thought it another inspiration source.

Jay, Chris and Moccasin, thank you! I'm having SO much fun doing this, I understand you have to wait a little while but I hope eventually to have a little following :) Unfortunately I don't have any friends who are currently blogging houses... I'm hoping if the content is good that people will magically find me and spread the word. I might be too optimistic though!

Thank you for your kind words, there are no post comments on there so I was beginning to think maybe I don't have the right "way about me" but again, I'm sure I'm just being unrealistic :)

Enigma, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and posted a comment there yesterday. I've been a GW lurker for a long time and your thread on house naming moved me to register here and post too. I'm thrilled to find out that so many of the GW family name their houses! Willoughby is the name I bestowed on my 1805 post and beam Cape close to the Connecticut shoreline when I downsized in 2004. I'm a very longtime fan of Gladys Taber's Stillmeadow in Southbury CT, and wanted to follow in her footsteps by naming this home of my heart. I have an acre lot and back in 2004 it had 2 willow trees (both felled by the Nature gods since) which one DD thought could work into a name. Then it dawned on me that one of my favorite episodes of the original Twilight Zone series was A Stop At Willoughby, and I decided how perfect, since this is my Willoughby, my forever home. (My other DD thinks this is spooky but if you've ever felt suffocated by the corporate treadmill you will understand). Your home and setting are lovely and I love the concept of Grey Stables and the weathervane.

Sharon

Hi. I promise to go an read your blog enigma...
In the mean time, just wanted to quickly add to the house naming post. Our little 1913 bungalow is "Timely Manor". I know "manor" is too grand a name for a little house, but it is a tounge in cheek reference to the fact that we've been working on it (on and off) for almost 19 years (since we moved in)! DH works for a furniture store/interior design company and one of his co-workers was re-writing a contract and kept putting in the phrase "work will be completed in a timely manor". DH was incensed that he didn't have better grammar, but thought the pun was too funny... so we adopted it for our home's name. We have a little plaque. I'll have to take a pic and post it. BTW, as you can probably tell, since we've been working on it for 19 years and aren't finished yet, nothing ever gets finished in a timely manner around here!

Willoughby, I love your story of naming your home, the steps required for it to reveal itself to you.

And KimKitchy that sort of grammar mistake is something that I note regularly in signs and in print advertising of other sorts. I think sometimes the dictation and transfer of language is revealed by such mistakes. Like bear and bare. And one of my favorites was the sign at a fish bait shop, saying SHINNERS and not SHINERS (bait fish). Sign makers are especially bad at spelling, or maybe they are just like everyone else, but their lack of editing skills are up there for everyone to see!!!

I like your TIMELY MANOR though. That is much preferable to the other choice of ROUND TUIT, for doing things when you get "around to it." Timely manor says you are taking you time but getting it done, while "round tuit" says you are prevaricating and have not started yet.

Timely Manor--KimK, I love it and your tale! ML-Along the lines of misspelled signs, a friend emailed me a photo of himself in front of a little urban house, in whose front window was the following sign:
NO
PARKING
ALOUD!
He was posing with his forefinger to his lips shushing passing cars. He and his buddies were enroute to a happy hour at the local bar and thought the sign was hilarious.
Hehehe!
Sharon

I hadn't been keeping up with this thread and just noticed it at the top earlier today. I love Willoughby. I always wanted to name my house Green Gables, but that was when I was very young and loved the Anne stories. I don't think I really want to name my house Yellow Gables. Just doesn't have the right ring to it, iykwim.

When I was a kid, some friends named their ranch Confusion Acres. I like Timely Manor too, especially the humor behind the name.

I'll have to keep thinking on a real name. I call our house a farm house, so maybe something will come to me eventually.

Enigma, I visited your blog too and it is really good. I am one of your followers now. Took me several years to even have one follower, so you're doing great.

Sharon,
I saw your comment, it really made my day, I tend to doubt myself and it's so nice to have a kind word every now and then, thank you for that! Your house sounds INCREDIBLE...I love to hear when someone finds their forever home, there is not enough permanence in today's society. I think it's important to find that quiet place that you can always come home too...mmmm, makes my heart happy. I love your name as well, beautiful, you'll have to post pictures!

"Timely Manor"...hilarious...and FABULOUS. That is just so realistic and clever, I love it. I actually really like when tiny houses are named big names, why not?

Marti8a, I remember reading your blog, then I lost the link, would you mind reposting it? (I think this is the second time I've asked...I'll bookmark this time!)

A couple of nights I watched THE HOLIDAY again. And again. Yes, two times this week it was showing. I absolutely love that movie.

And I remember that the cottage in Surrey was named "Rose Cottage" and the name was on the front gate. Even in winter that sort of name gives me a warm feeling.

And now for another fantasy world, that created in the children's books of Tasha Tudor. I give you here a picture from one of her books, the bakery and tea house, Snaps Bakery. It is a more romantic version of my Irish cottage Teahouse. There is a museum in Brattleboro VT located at her homestead, which I would recommend you visit if in the area. I knew her children's books when I was a librarian years ago, and then I ran across an article about her house and garden later on in some Victoria magazine issue.

And she named her house "Corgi Cottage" because she loved the Corgi breed of dog so much. I'm giving a link below which is to the Amazon.com site where you can "look inside" the book TASHA TUDOR'S GARDEN and see the illustrations and read some of the text. Awesome lady, lived into her 90s.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tasha Tudor's Garden (book)

Here it is Enigma. If you ever need the link, I think it's still on my profile. I haven't checked lately to see if it's still there.

marti8a, thank you! I linked to your blog on my sidebar so hopefully it may send over a view or two :)

Marti and Enigma, I'm throwing in a link here to the thread Enigma began last July about member blogs.

Marti, you might want to add your blog to that thread, and thus bring it back to the top of the pack here. It may provide you some more blogs of GW members to check out and to link on your own blog, maybe, who knows, getting some followers in that fashion.

In this thread about naming your house, your announcement is sort of covered up. And, have you updated your member profile to include mention of your new blog? Google's web crawler goes through GW profiles and forums when it is indexing. Put in some key words to describe your interests, so it will turn up in searches.

Just a thought, to answer your question about how to get noticed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Member blogs

What announcement?

I just checked my profile and GW has deleted my blog url and won't let me add anything in the blank. I still have trouble logging in to post, so I guess GW is still having problems. Thanks for the thread link, I'll check it out.

LOL, I checked it and mine is the last post.

Ummm, what I meant by announcement was telling us about your blog. Nothing formal. Just saying you had created a blog.

To me that qualifies as an "announcement." :)
If I get any more ideas, I'll let you know.

Oh, lol.

moccasin, what a good idea! I have made the changes in my GW profile and also posted on the thread that you linked. Thank you for the thought :)

Just a question, has anyone tried to comment on my blog and not been able to? My friend has been trying to comment for days now and hasn't been able to get through, but a few have, so I'm wondering if it's a problem or if there's just something wrong with her computer...

Here is a link that might be useful: grey stables

I didn't have any problem posting, but your header took a long time to load. Is your friend on high speed internet?

I have read a good bit on your blog now, Enigma. I like the way you explain things, with clarity and a lively style, as well as good grammar and a good vocabulary. I hope you are enjoying yourself.

When I first began my website, I was there hours every day. Now I seldom go there at all. I'm way too busy with the house and garden here, or the one up north.

Finally made a Cottage sign for our small house. Canary cottage. Hard to photograph with all the mirror.

Close up.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50185661@N03/5515660573/in/photostream/

Here is a link that might be useful: Canary Cottage.

You are really talented, Shades. That is a beautiful sign.

I like that sign. Very pretty.

Thanks ML and Marti. It really was fun to do.

I am back to working on the back splash in our master bath. I am having a blast with this one.

I've been reading the Father Tim books lately, and a name in there has me thinking.

Meadowgate Farm, or in my case maybe Weedygate. lol

It's too common but I also like Bluebonnet Acre. That doesn't seem quite right though because I can't get bluebonnets to grow. But Indian Blanket Acre just doesn't have that ring to it.

How about Windy Meadow?

LOL @ Weedygate. Friend just moved to TX and she is complaining about the constant wind. I am not fond of wind.

Not familiar with the windy areas of Texas, but oh my, that was my impression of Key West FL, the wind blew all the time, day and night.

Also, about the name for our house here in Alabama. It was named Casa Del Sol when I moved in, by my friend who owned it and rented it to us. I like the name, but I think I could find a name which better reflects our use of the property.

As a boat owner, I was told it was bad luck to rename a boat, however, I did that with my sailboat. It was something like Bonny And Al, which was personal to the man I bought it from. I renamed it AMAZON, which meant something on several levels.....a colorful South American parrot, a female warrior, and strong woman. I sold this boat to a friend many years ago, and everyone still calls that boat the Amazon. It is a strong old gal.

Now I'm thinking of the direction our suburban cottage is taking, and the Irish Teahouse seems more appropriate an identifier for the old garage. So do I need to change the house name somehow? Maybe just make it English, Sun Cottage? Sunny Cottage? Sunshine Cottage? I like two syllables better than one, Sunshine better than Sunny.

What do you think?

LOL Even though Crumpets is two syllables it still does not have the nice ring as Sunshine. Just thinking Tea and Crumpets. LOL LOL LOL OK I am off to break some more glass. No one needs my kind of help.

I like the two syllable names too, which is why I haven't come up with anything good yet - and like you, I'd like it to be appropriate. Our spring is always windy, but it calms at night. By June, the winds will ease up, and by July, we welcome any wind to move the humidity.

I've always loved the charming names that houses in Europe have, especially Ireland and Scotland. I have also enjoyed reading about the names that have been discussed here.

About 1.5 years ago, we moved to the Coast where I paid cash for a real fixer upper. As soon as I had the deed in hand, I got busy gutting it completely, moving walls, raising ceilings, fixing dry rot and replacing nearly all of the plumbing and electrical. What I loved the most about it was it's proximity to the river, so I called it River's Edge. I was just finishing up the interior renovation when we were informed that the bank had made a serious error in eelling me the house (short sale) and they took it back. Of course they did not accept responsibility, but bottom line is I lost the $40k in renovations and had to find a new place to live.

There is a LOOOONG story to all this, but the bottom line is that my sister's family and my family are combining efforts and resources to build a place that will accommodate both families. As we contemplated our dilemna, we kept saying to ouselves how we needed to 'think outside the BOX.' Our goal is to live more self-sufficiently and do a LOT of raised bed gardening (BOXES)... and we decided to build a home that is a main building with individual cabins surrounding it (more 'BOXES'). We were blessed to find a property right on the bend of the river just down from the first house. We determined that we would just build what would work for us with the limited resources we had. Interestingly, the property we found already had a name and is very well known in our area as "Hog Heaven". With a sense of humor, we wanted to name it "Boxen Gardens" (a famous comedian states that if the plural of ox is oxen, then the plural of box is boxen!)

Based on it's location at the bend of the river, another name could be Riverbed Gardens/Farms/Lodge/Retreat etc. But we are sort of stuck because no one knows where we live until we ask them if they know where Hog Heaven is! It was bare land that the previous owners used as a recreation place for family and friends to gather and they had an annual pig roast (hence the name) They even put up a huge metal sign with the name HOG HEAVEN with a silhouette of a pig on a huge sign that goes over the entrance to the property! It would cost a lot of $$$ to change/remove the sign.

So... Riverbend at Hog Heaven? Boxen Gardens sign at the entrance to our fenced in garden? Ideas and suggestions are welcome!

Until we decide to do something different, this comes to you from...

Hog Heaven! LOL!

drebo

I'm glad this popped up again- I love this thread!

I've had another inspiration for a name for our new place. After reading the history of the area, coupled with evidence we've found on the property, we have reason to believe that there might have been an illegal still (moonshine) at one time. I thought that might be fun to work into the name. 'Moonshine' is too obvious, but I do like 'Bootleg Hill Farm'. If nothing else, it would be a conversation starter for people visiting!

I don't want a name that would be at all pretentious, as it is a rural area, with mostly local folks who don't need to be reminded that we are city slickers. The sign would be on the house, not visible from the road. I once thought of having a sign by the driveway, but I think that might lead people to think we were a real farm, plus again, it seems pretentious out in the sticks.

Hey, Jay, do you remember the old Robert Mitchum movie about the NC moonshiners? It was remade not many years ago, and I think Mitchum's son was in it the second go-round.

Anyway, Thunder Road is part of the Moonshiner mentality, the beginning of the stock car generation, the present NASCAR elite from NC. I think it has a double meaning for the racing and for the moonshine running activities.

I think you are on the right track with Bootleg. What are some other words they used for Moonshine? Shinney? White Lightning? So far though, I think Bootleg is the least pretentious. It also implies a do-it-yourself operation, so good in more ways than one.

And, I was reading a book about the building of pocket neighborhoods, where they all named their homes, and realized that I don't HAVE to add "cottage" or whatever other word to the name I choose. And in this book, folks were naming their homes things like ROSECROFT, CHILI PEPPER (the house was painted red outside), etc. They said anything goes as long as it has meaning to YOU.

So I thought, what is the most significant symbol of my life with my DH soon to be celebrating our FIFTH anniversary. And the album by Bette Midler called BETTE OF ROSES was important in my life since the day my son died. It was also the album that followed the trail of our reuniting after 50 years apart, and the song describes "When the White Bird flies, from your heart to mine,...."
and for this lovely song, we had a porcelain white dove and rose atop our wedding cake instead of the traditional bride and groom. And then I was browsing through the Little and Lewis (Bainbridge Island WA artists and gardeners) website and saw they had a lovely white dove in flight for sale, and it would go so nicely in our landscape, and I have about decided....

Just call it one of these two:
WHITE DOVE
OR
WHITE BIRD

No "Cottage" after it at all, just
WHITE DOVE.......or ......WHITE BIRD...

Which do you think is better? I have several plaques and figurines with white doves, this has always appealed to me for various reasons.

But for my life which is avian loving, it is more appropriate than SUN. The house is white stucco. I could very easily cut out from wood or cement board a dove in flight. Not a seagull, don't-cha-know, not a cockatoo, but not ruling out that I could have a great white heron or snowy egret somewhere in the garden too. Or a white owl?

Well, so much for that today. No gardening for this gal with the temp supposed to be 99 today, even if it did rain about half an inch yesterday. I saw the baby rabbit out in the garden eating seed heads from the withered tall grass, not cutting it again until there is enough rain. This poor baby must have lost his mama, he looks so skinny. My DH says he has a friend with a HOUSE BUNNY, who is quite house trained and impeccably clean, has a litter box inside. I wish my doxie girl Dixie would be peaceful so this little rabbit could be her friend and all live happily ever after.

great thread! I lovingly call my small home on a shoreline town in ct "thisle Dew" because it will do for now and hopefully forever. In the summer we have a lot of english guests so it could more aptly be named the "Stumble Inn" .

ML I LOVE "White Dove". We have a town not too far from us named Whitebird.

Jay Bootleg is GREAT!! I agree with ML it seems to give the feel of determination and DIY more then the booze part and yet knowing the double meaning is nice.

Like us with Canary cottage on Canary street. Pretty silly really but I am still sticking with it.

Roarah, that is a great name. It could be a really picturesque name board too. With a thistle covered by dew. And not obvious until it is pronounced. Really a fun name.

Of course, what is the reason thos English guests stumble in? too much tea and scones, I suppose? hehehehe great.

Shades, thanks for the input. I love the White Dove. I am a fan of Bette Midler, especially her album BETTE OF ROSES. Roses were always good to Bette, but for my money it is the song with the line, "When the white bird flies from your heart to mine,...." that supplied the theme for our wedding. And White Dove gives that picture in my head.

I like Canary Cottage as a name too. It has the proper rhythm and mental image. Get yourself a small domed bird cage, the kind that Tweety Pie (a canary) lived in, and have it on your porch. Then add a bird feeder like one I saw, Sylvester puddy tat, cut out of wood and painted and screwed to a post with a feeder tray in front, a real feather sticking out of his mouth.

Well I have the cage and stand for it. I also have SEVEN porch kitties. I do not think I can handle feeding the birds there. The kitties would love it though. LOL We actually quit feeding the wild birds because of the cats. We have lots in the yard but I do not want to draw them in for kitty pleasure. We have wonderful doves here too. They are not the white ones. A soft beige color. We just love them.

I love this thread, I'm glad so many great ideas have been on here!

Drebo, I am SHOCKED by your story, I hope that your new situation makes up for your experience in your other place. My hubby's a big Brian Regan fan as well, I love your name idea :)

Christyn, I made a copy of the plant stakes you made from the wooden shims, thinking I could find that typewriter font on my computer.

Wouldn't you know, I don't have it? And I've gone nuts doing a search on Google for anything remotely resembling that font.

Would you be a sweetheart and check what font it is exactly? I know that I used to have some sooftware from Canon that had onboard its own fonts, greatly expanding the artistic fonts available to me.

DH is picking up a pack of the shims so I can label the hostas I plan to dig up and take to Alabama, and I wanted to make them look pretty like yours. That is a great font.

Thanks a bunch. OH yeah, I'd have sent this via email, but it is not listed on your GW member page.

errrrr, well, I did find it online. It had been in one of my Adobe files which came with the Canon printer many years ago. Not on this computer, of course, but I did find it in the proper format to download for free to my Fonts folder.

It is
ITC AMERICAN TYPEWRITER. Where I downloaded it, it is TrueType format.
I got the Medium Condensed version. The letters are shaped the same, but the spaces are closer together. It is the font that Office Max uses for their corporate logo, also the "I (heart) NY" letters are that font. So you are in good company choosing that font, Enigma.

Now I hope I can find it listed as a choice for my photo captions and such.

moccasin, I'm glad you found it! It's a classic font, I'm a big fan myself! I'm sure your markers will turn out lovely, a sharpie is pretty forgiving after all!

I was wondering, could you send me an email? I have a question for you actually about your boat! I'm having trouble getting advice and I remembered you'd mentioned yours! greystables[at]gmail.com