faulker042

Once again, we have a dog in the family. Brie, our miniature poodle, loves to lunch with us so we're getting to know all the dog-friendly dining spots in the area. Fearrington is one of her favorite hangouts. We love it, too. Puppy Brie sits patiently under our table at The Granary Restaurant. Brie will be one year old on October 19, 2013. Jenny's White Garden behind the Fearrington House Inn. May 2013 Fearrington Village , with the charm of an English hamlet, is located in the rolling countryside only ten minutes from Chapel Hill and thirty minutes from the Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina. Fearrington House Inn, with its renowned restaurant, is a member of Relais & Chateaux, a family of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in the world. Whether overnighting at the Inn, dining outdoors or browsing in the shops, dogs on a leash are welcome to join their owners. They may even sniff out a rock covered with dog biscuits while strolling along a garden path. B...

1.  Jenny's White Garden at Fearrington Village. Pittsboro, North Carolina. March 2012 2.  Duke Gardens, Duke University. Durham, North Carolina. July 2011 3.  Duke Gardens. July 2011 4.  Central Park, New York City. June 2011 5.  Musée des Impressionismes, Giverny, France. May 2009. 6.  In a Paris, France park. April 2011 Sprinkles, masses or entire gardens—the use of white flowers can be a huge success or a total fail. These six inspirations were gathered on visits to gardens at home and abroad. Jenny's White Garden at Fearrington Village changes with the seasons. Since this is located only five minutes from my home, I've seen the changes. In early spring, the white blooms are primarily daffodils and other spring bulbs. I've seen the Page-Rollins White Garden at Duke Gardens  only in the heat of July where it was splendid in the 90+°F heat of the summer sun. There are succulents, perennials and annuals as well as foliage plants. I've not locate...

Yes, the Hunger Games movie was filmed right here in North Carolina! Take a look at the link to the official tourism website, VisitNC.com, if you're interested in visiting the locations. Scenes were filmed in the beautiful western part of our state, including DuPont State Recreational Forest for the "arena" and below the Craggy Pinnacle Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway. 12 Places To Experience 'The Hunger Games' In North Carolina - What's New In NC – North Carolina Travel & Tourism There is even a suggestion for a 4 day itinerary on VisitNC . An article on Huffington Post® provides a good overview of the travel options here in North Carolina. Are you going to see the movie? Did you read the books? Words and photos by Freda Cameron , Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel . All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Lilac 'Miss Kim' in full bloom in my home garden. Chapel Hill, North Carolina; April 2011. Fragrant and beautiful, lilacs are perhaps among the most romantic of the spring-blooming shrubs. There are modern offerings of this old-fashioned shrub that make it possible for me to grow lilacs here in my warm, zone 7b garden in North Carolina. Lilacs perform much better in the cooler northern zones. This shrub has been reliably deer and rabbit resistant in my garden. No munching, even though the deer walk right past the shrub year-round as they sneak through my shrubbery to drink from our water feature! It has taken four years for my 'Miss Kim' to bloom abundantly. I first planted her in full sun and she toasted in summer. I transplanted her to a space between two tea olives ( osmanthus fragrans ) to give her some shade. Between the fragrance of the lilac and the fragrance from the tea olives, the combined perfume is very heavy and can be enjoyed from all area of my garden. No...

Travelers, gardeners and bloggers have one thing in common—they take lots of photos. For a few years, I've been in pursuit of a camera that handles the majority of my issues. When I travel, I don't check bags anymore, but that's another story. I pack all of my clothes and belongings in one bag, but that's also another story. So, I require a small and lightweight camera to meet my limited baggage space. Given my past experience with a SLR camera and the flexibility of multiple lenses, I prefer having wide angle and zoom capabilities. For the last two years, I've been using a Canon SX10 IS camera with a 20x zoom lens. The body resembles a DSLR, but the zoom and wide angle lens are built-in to the camera, so there are no extra pieces to carry on a trip. The camera weighs 1.5 lbs, uses four AA batteries and does not fit in a pocket. To use the full capability of the zoom, it is best to use a tripod for stability. I don't want to haul a tripod to Europe. After carryi...

Please enjoy this original music from The Boys from Carolina . Dobro and vocals: Chuck Schutte Mandolin and vocals: Wright Young Standup Bass: Richard Roach (my husband) Guitar and vocals: Larry Nunnery Banjo: Bob Wilkerson Happy Holidays! Freda, Richard, Garrett and Chris Video by Freda Cameron , Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel .