When we first saw our home, we fell in love with the charm of the tree-lined street, the cozy front porch and simple bones of the 1940’s Cape Cod. While we waited to move in, we would drive by and revel in the quaintness of the narrow street, the feeling of family and lifelong memories in the air.

Surrounded by so many adorable cottages and bungalows with their shade covered lawns and winding sidewalks, there was sure to be a secret lake nestled just behind our new home. To our disappointment, there was not. We decided that this would not stop us. Build it and they will come, we told ourselves. The lake, that is.

So, inspired by our travels and a movie about spectral baseball legends, my husband and I decided we would bring the lake to us. We painted the house a warm Sherwin Williams Roycroft Bronze Green (for strength and foundation), trimmed with a Jonquil yellow (to celebrate the daffodil in spring), accented by a St. Bart’s blue (as a cool reminder of the calm waters) and a splash of Bolero red (for contrast, and to honor the color palettes found in shipyards and lakefronts across the world). We started bringing in loads and loads of lake rock, heirloom perennials and added treasures we found throughout our travels that reminded us of the shore. There is rarely a day that goes by that someone doesn’t stop to share how much they enjoy passing by our home. They share memories of summer camp or family vacations, and how our home brings back those memories. We chat about long-forgotten flowers while watching a whirlwind of bumblebees and butterflies bounce from bloom to bloom.

We never got our lake, but there is such great joy in knowing we have given passers by a reason to smile and God’s creatures a place to flourish. Strangers become friends and neighbors become family in our tiny little ecosystem that we call Serendipity.