This red-brick house holds a lot of sentimental value for me. We moved into it 15 years ago as new parents, and our children did a lot of their growing up there. I still get a little homesick for it sometimes, but at least I have photos to remember it by.
And now I have a portrait of it, too, by Stephen Walker. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me! Want to see it? He posted it on his website, Walker Studio. Stephen, one of my blog’s sponsors, is a talented artist who uses pen and ink to draw houses and then finishes them with colored pencil and pastels.
One lucky reader is going to win their own 8 x 10 house portrait, worth $250. It could be a picture of the house you live in now, the house you grew up in, or whatever place holds special meaning to you. (Psst! Father’s Day is coming soon, and this could be the perfect gift! Details here.)
To enter, leave a comment on this post by May 26, telling us which house you’d choose to have drawn. You can see the portrait he created of mine here.
I’m joining the Cottage Charm Giveaway at Twice Remembered. Head over there to see what other bloggers are giving away!
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I would like to have a portrait of our house done. The house we live in is a 1950′s ranch style that my husband has remodeled himself, it has undertaken a total transformation (inside and out) and now has a old english look to it. Beyond the incredible look of our house (we’ve had people ring the doorbell and offer to buy it) this house has been our home for our family. This is my first true home, I’ve never felt as if a house was a home before this one. This was the first home my husband purchased when he moved here from New Zealand, where he is originally from. We will live in this house until we are old and gray and would love to have a portrait to keep through the years.
what a great giveaway!!!! please enter me, thanks!
How fun!? We actually have a portrait of our first home which was given to us as a going away present from my Bible study group when we moved from Greenville, SC to Houston. Now we’re settled in Columbia, SC and plan to live in our current home forever. I would love a portrait of this home. Thanks!
.-= Nikki´s last blog ..Final Soccer Game =-.
I would love to have a portrait of the little house we live in now. I bought as a young, single woman and have never left!
.-= Lesley @ The Design File´s last blog ..Country Living: A bedroom makeover & more =-.
I’d have a picture of our current house made. It’s a new home and it’s not everything that we wanted but we will get it there someday. What an awesome idea for a father’s day present!
.-= Brandy´s last blog ..Some Where Over The Rainbow =-.
How I would love to have a portrait of my house. As my husband and I are getting older, we often talk about how much longer we want to live in this house due to the huge yard and upkeep, but we love the house so much, we hope we’re here a long time.
Wow!!! I live in the house my grandfather built for his family. My mother grew up here as did I and then my girls. I would LOVE to have a portrait of the house!!!
.-= Donna´s last blog ..Genealogy Resources =-.
When we moved in our house you could not see it from the street because there were so many trees in a natural area. I found out quickly it was harder to keep a natural area than a grass lawn. After much hard work we still have plenty of beautiful oak trees with a grassy lawn and can see our pretty home. It would be very nice to own a professional portrait of our home. Please enter me in your giveaway.
I’d love a portrait of our current house–it is our first home, and it is so perfect for us right now.
I certainly would love to have a portrait of our house! What a treat!
Thanks,
Kathy
hope you check out my Cottage Charm Giveaway!
.-= kathy´s last blog ..A Jewell Along Georgia Interstate 16 =-.
I would love a portait of the house we finally landed in after years of looking!
Thanks,
Katherine
I love your blog because I, too, am “hooked on houses.” We’ve moved 5 times in the past 4 years. Long story short, we sold our house to build, moved to a rental, material costs skyrocketed unexpectedly due to hurricanes so we changed course and bought an old house, learned it was not kid (or BUDGET) friendly either, built a new “dream” house that became a nightmare due to a shady builder (and was even LESS budget friendly), then were living with regret in that mess when my dear sweet hubby agreed to take a leap of faith with me once more and agreed to build our new home–while our other house was on the market, no less. Thankfully, we moved into the new home 7 mos ago and sold the other house 2 mos later. Though the new home is not nearly as large as our former “dream” home, our new home is just what we needed in so many ways. Family friendly. Budget friendly. Great yard. Great location. Terrific builder! After 4 years and 6 residences, I am so happy to say that we are finally settled. I knew this was our “forever” home when, shortly after moving in, my 2 year old suddenly said to me, “This is our house. This is where we growed up. This is where we eat chocolate.” I thought to myself, “Oh my gosh, out of the mouth of babes!” As much as I’d really like to think he was waxing poetic, I know he was partially trying to parrot what he’s heard (plus recognizing that we DO eat a lot of chocolate!) However, at that moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks the emotional toll all this moving has taken on my family, my marriage and myself, and I vowed never to take the stability and meaning of “home” for granted again. A house really IS so much more than just a bunch of building materials. I told DH what our son said and we agreed, how could we ever leave the house where we “eat chocolate?!” I would really LOVE to have a drawing of our home to memorialize that we are finally “home”…and the end of my house “wanderlust.” Thanks for this wonderful opportunity, and for your blog to allow me to get my “house fix!”
How I would love to have a portrait of the farmhouse we live in now. The main part is over 100 years old but it has been added to and remodeled on the inside. This would be such a wonderful gift for my father-in-law who was born in one of the bedrooms and brought his bride here and lived together before they moved to town and allowed us to move in! Thank you for such a wonderful offering! Sure hope I win!
.-= Connie´s last blog ..After the mania — a winner . . . =-.
I would love to have a picture of my down town Orlando Cottage drawn. I live on a little brick street called Walnut street. What a wonderful giveaway if you get a chance take a look at my Cottage Charm giveaway at
thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.com
Carol
I would love to have a portrait of my favorite Victorian home done, so many happy memories. Such a fabulous giveaway.
What a great giveaway!
What amazing work! Simply beautiful and a perfect keepsake. I would choose the home we currently live it. {we plan to be here forever if possible} It’s a lovely colonial we consider to be our dream home nestled on a nice piece of property. It would make the perfect addition to our entry way to treasure for years to come. Thanks so much for hosting the giveaway. Hope you are enjoying your weekend! ~ Stephanie Lynn
.-= Stephanie Lynn´s last blog ..Reclaimed Wood Plant Hangers and Bird Feeders =-.
I just love these drawings, it really brings out the character of a home much better than a photograph does, really shows the details. I especially love the gingerbread style home at the bottom of the page. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
I would love to have a portrait done of our home in Maryland. My husband and I bought it shortly after becoming engaged. It’s a craftsman, built in 1903 and the home of my dreams. The first time we saw it, we knew it was home. My husband is in the air force, and we are currently stationed on the other side of the country from our dream home. Having it’s portrait to take from place to place with us, until we can return, would be amazing!
I would love to have a drawing of my reproduction New England farmouse that we built 21 years ago in our darling historic town.
I just love your blog… I am also hooked on houses
LOVE the drawing he did for you! If I won, I’d have him draw the house I live in now. I’ve lived in a lot of houses over the years, most of which I have loved, all of which I have fond memories of, and many of which were much grander than the the little tiny cottage I live in now, but this house is still my favorite.
I’d love a portrait of the home we are in now done. It’s the first one we have bought and will probably be the last too.
*hugs*deb
.-= deb newton´s last blog ..I Faced the Pile….. =-.
WOW! I wannnntttt to win this one, please!!! haha., If only I could beg random.org! XD. If I win, I would want a portrait of the Engineering building in my university! Very memorable place for both my sister and I.
I think I’d probably give it to her as a birthday gift 
Thanks!
bugs(dot)bittle23{AT}gmail(dot)com
I would love to win this as we are thinking of moving. It will be hard to leave this home as we created it and the memories are treasures. Thanks for the chance.
.-= Sharon Chapman´s last blog ..Rainy Day and a Sweet Surprize =-.
I would love to get a drawing of the house we live in now. It’s our cottage home and our first (and only, hopefully) house we bought about 8 years ago. We love it and it would make wonderful art. What a great giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity.
.-= Gina@3ringcottage´s last blog ..vintage ladder and the color red =-.
I would love to have our current home done. I calle it “The Little House on the Corner” on my blog. It is only the second home we have ever owned and we have lived here the longest. It is a work in progress as I like to say. It is a happy place filled with love!
And I LOVE your blog!
How very cute! I would love to win! Thanks for the fun prize! I think I would have the family farm drawn…
scrapmethis.blogspot.com
My family’s home in Olympia, Washington! My parents designed the entire house themselves, and it is where I grew up. I miss it!
.-= Kate (Little Beach Bum)´s last blog ..Happy Sunday! =-.
Oh wow! I would choose the house that my dad had built when we ere little! He would love it!
Thank you for the opprotunity!
.-= Chacoy´s last blog ..What a weekend! =-.
I was just linked to this wonderful post and I will be a fan from now on. If I could find a picture of the house I grew up in, I would love to have it done but I’m not sure we have one. So, I would love to have the house my children grew up in and my husband built. It holds many wonderful memories.
.-= Gail´s last blog ..Tablescrape Thursday – Welcome to my Pad =-.
Wow! I’d love to win! The only problem is I’d have a hard time deciding which house to have painted. My house… my grandmother’s house… my husband’s family home… oh dear. I guess I have a few days to decide.
.-= Denise Casey´s last blog ..Tufted "Wallpaper" in My Attic =-.
IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO HAVE A PAINTING OF THE HOUSE THAT I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN. MY HUSBAND AND I BUILT OUR HOUSE IN 1972 AND DURING ALL THOSE YEARS HAVE MADE MANY CHANGES. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE HOUSE HAS KEPT PACE WITH OUR OWN LIFE
CHANGES. OUR HOUSE HAS BECOME A LIFE OF ITS OWN; IT SPEAKS TO US,
LAUGHS WITH US, AND CRIES WITH US.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR OFFERING A MAGNIFICENT GIVEAWAY.
I would have loved to have a picture of the farmhouse where we lived for several years as I was growing up, but they tore it down to put a road through. I have the next best thing though, when my husband (with help from his dad) built our house based on the farmhouse as I remembered it. We live near Cincy, so we’re a little farther south than the “original” farmhouse, but it’s a great place for my son to grow up. I would love to have a drawing of the house that my husband built. Thanks!
We live in a house built in 1940. It has the look of a cottage on the outside and we are continually working on the inside to continue the cottage feel. We have been here about 5 years now and starting to feel very settled and plan to stay. I would love to have a portrait of our home.
I would love a portrait of our 1938 very lovely Greek Revival! It is in the National Registry of Historic Places – we adore this house.
Ohhhh this is so amazing!
I am so excited to have found this give away!
I would love a hand painted portrait of our home….it holds so many wonderful memories and life changing events!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to win!
Hugz, Dolly
.-= Dollys Cherry Heart´s last blog .. =-.
I commissioned a water colorist to paint our first home and the home where our children spent their first few years over twenty years ago. It’s a great idea and money well spent!
I would love to win a portrait of the home I grew up in. It was the first home that my parents owned & holds lots of childhood memories for me! Thanks for such a great contest
Well my chances look a little slim here, but I’m gonna cross my fingers anyway. I’d love to win this absolutely generous giveaway. Thanks for the chance.
xoxo,
Kim
I’d love to have a portrait done of our current home in Phoenix, AZ. Lots of folks think all of the houses look the same in our neighborhood, but I have grown to see the subtle differences and appreciate the individual touches that homeowners bring to their landscaping and decor.
I’d love a portrait of the house we currently live in. It is our first house as a family, and we will probably be relocating in a few years and I’d love to have something to remember where our kids first lived after they were born.
.-= sherri/the claw´s last blog ..asheville wrap-up =-.
What a wonderful giveaway. I would love to have a portrait of our first house. We left it 25 years ago and I still miss it. It was the only house I every truly loved. We bought it after it had been empty for over ten years and it was a wreck. We spent 18 months making it livable. I bought items from houses that were being torn down in about a hundred mile radius and we had a stained glass door, chestnut ceiling, wainscoting, mantles and light fixtures from other old homes. We called it Hodgepodge Lodge but I loved it. Please enter my name.
.-= Judy´s last blog ..Nutter-Butter Banana Pudding =-.
How lovely – that would be a dream come true for us! Thank you for the chance to win!
I would love to have a portrait of our home made, this is our first home together and it would be wonderful to have something to remember it by. Thanks!
I’d love a portrait of the house my husband and I live in now on Saint Charles Lane. He proposed to me on the front stoop and it is our first home together. Still newlyweds, we’re on the path to making it our home…and this would be the perfect touch.
I would love to have a portrait made of the house that my brother, sister and I grew up in to give to my parents. They lived in the house for over thirty years.
Thanks!
What a super idea for a Cottage Charm giveaway! Please PLEASE enter me!! I’d love to have our current home drawn. It is the home where we have had sooo many happy years together and have helped raise our precious granddaughter here, so it would become an heirloom to pass down to her someday! AND, I have THE PERFECT empty spot right over our mantle to display it, too!
I would love for you to stop by my blog and enter MY Cottage Charm giveaway, too!
Big TX Hugs,
Stephanie
Angelic Accents
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..PINK SATURDAY + GIVEAWAY! 5-22-2010 =-.
My daughter (Angela from Peony Patch) turned me on to your blog! Love it!! Please enter me in your giveaway ~ I’d love a portrait of our current home that my husband has spent many years renovating!
Thanks!
Oh My My….I almost have tears in my eyes thinking about winning this prize. I am the third generation to own my glorious home built in 1900. First my grandparents, this home is where my mother grew up and I bought it from my grandparents estate. This home is not a house but a very sentimental HOME! Pick me! Pick me!
Thanks for the opportunity
Hugs N herbal Blessings, Mandy
.-= Mandy Baker´s last blog ..How to Prune Lavender and Lavender Recipes =-.
What amazing work. I’d pick my parents house because it is the house I grew up & lived in the longest!
.-= ginny´s last blog ..Tween Confidence Index ~ Unilever Deodorant/DOVE =-.
This would be awesome. We live in a City rowhouse which could be a great image to add to his portfolio too!
I would get my current home painted… it” a cute little grey shingled cottage where I will start my marriage and family. It’s going to be ‘home’ no matter where we end up!
.-= shawna´s last blog ..WHEW! =-.
we JUST bought a house in Oct ’09…our first…it looks actually VERY similar to your mentioned ‘first’ home above…red 4 side brick and pretty as can be! i am keeping my fingers, toes and EYES crossed because if i win it will be like dying and going to heaven! hahaha! cheers – CC
link to our house pic here: http://www.casacullen.com/2009/12/casacullen-welcome-to-our-austin-tx-work-in-progress.html
.-= CasaCullen´s last blog ..ReBlog: DIY & Chic – How to Make a Family Bulletin Board =-.
Would love to have a portrait done of the house we are in now. It is our first home and our daughter’s growing up home, and we are putting it up for sale soon! This would be fabulous! Thanks for the chance:)
Oh boy oh boy – it would have to be a picture of our house now: the one that owns almost ALL our blood sweat & tears from the last 5 years (and a few years forward that we’ve borrowed, too!)
.-= Kirsten´s last blog ..Mix Tapes & Passing Notes. I’m Old. =-.
This house – our LAST one! We just retired and NOT moving anymore
I am sitting in my wicker porch swing on the front porch as I write this……so lovely. Thanks, M.
Wow, I am so facinated by your work! I live in a brick house and that is what I would choose! Following on Twitter @2boysblue
Iwould love to have a portrait of my home…it’s a farmhouse that my husband’s family lived in for 47 years and now we’ve been in it for 5. I just love it and it’s big front porch
.-= Kim~HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs´s last blog ..~? My Screen Door ?~ =-.
We just bought a new house and close on Thursday! This would be a great housewarming gift!
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Curb Appeal =-.
I would definately get my current home painted. I has a huge grand tree in the yard, white and grey California cottage style. I love it. OOOO, I hope I win!
.-= Janet´s last blog ..My New Baby! =-.
We moved into our house about a year and a half ago. It never felt quite like home. We really loved out last house, but this one just made more sense, for many reasons. We’ve done some updating and continue to work on this place. It’s slowly starting to feel like ‘home’. I’d love a portrait of it and have the perfect spot to hang it.
We changed the look of our house and a portrait would truly be a treasure.
Oh my goodness – last day to register! I would love, love, love, to have a portrait of my current home. Both of my children were born here, but we’ll probably be moving in the next few years. It would be an incredible keepsake!
I wonder if I could get a portrait of what my house will look like in, oh who knows at this point. I think the portraits are really neat though!
.-= Shannon´s last blog ..I Have Something I Must Tell You =-.
We have lived in our home for 35 years this /dec..it has been filled with joy and laughter, friends and family, it has cradled us in times of sorrow,absorbed our laughter and listened to our tears.It’s the haven that our growing family gathers at and runs home too. Our boys were born and raised in this house and now we share it with our beautiful Grandchildren and Daughter in laws and so the memories gather.We are very fortunate to have stayed in one place all these years and hope that we will continue to make memories and laughter in this little house in our little town.
I’d love to win the portrait of the house, where I grew up. It’s located in North Seattle. I lived there for 33 years! I have lot of memories in that house. I also love to hang that portrait in the foyer of my current home.
.-= Dina Marie´s last blog ..I Just Won 11 Swag Bucks on http://www.swagbucks.com =-.
What a GREAT gift! I would probably want a portrait of our current house. It must be the porches and wonderful wisteria and roses that I love the most. It would be so awesome!
I would have my husband’s childhood country home drawn. It would be an amazing addition to our modern home.
.-= Natalie Jane´s last blog ..Don’t forget! =-.
I’ve never had a forever house, although I always wanted one. For one reason or another, we’ve always had to move away from houses, and a couple I considered my “dream” home. We won’t get to keep this house, either, because we won’t be able to pay it off before retirement comes unless we win the lottery!
I’d have my current home done. This is such an interesting giveaway! Our home is over a 100 yrs old with so much character. I’d love to see his interpretation of it.
thanks
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