1. Create  conversation areas: Arrange furniture in an "L" shape, but  be careful not to block the natural flow pattern of the room. 

2. Organization:  Open shelves can still be organized and neat. Use decorative  baskets, tins, wooden boxes, or hatboxes to store your smaller items  in the open.

3. Colors: Although light and airy color schemes are often used to decorate smaller rooms, these spaces can be beautiful when painted with  darker colors and accompanied with lighter accessories. Don’t be  afraid to paint your second bedroom or bathroom a deeper hue. 

4. Patterns:  Furniture pieces with streamlined and clean lines are well suited  for creating cozy spaces while large floral prints can easily become  overwhelming when used in close proximity to one another. To mix  patterns, choose one focus fabric of a smaller pattern and then choose other fabrics in solid colors with interesting textures or in large stripes or plaids that complement the colors in the focus fabric.

5. Lighting: Opt for light, breezy window coverings so natural light can enter the room uninhibited. One way to use lighting to help make a room appear larger is to place the lighting around the perimeter of the room so the eye will be drawn to the furniture rather than the light fixtures. 

Take a tour through our seven (and soon to be eight!) designer model cottages for some new ideas to freshen your cottage this season.

The residents of Summer Village know that the advantage of owning a cottage close to home and close to work means more time to enjoy it.  We have families from as far away as California, Arizona, and Sweden, but the majority of our residents live less than 20 miles away. We have 20 families from Westford, 9 from Chelmsford, 6 from Tewksbury, 5 from Groton, 4 from Burlington, and 3 families from the towns of Arlington, Boxborough, Stoneham, and Melrose. Come see why your neighbors have made Summer Village their vacation destination!

1. Use  bone-chilling descriptions. When it comes to describing ghostly  features, the more detail the better.

2. Use  a calm, smooth voice for the narrative  portions of your story, pausing every now and then for effect.

3. Embrace  your characters and don’t be afraid to look silly: use your  creepiest whisper and your most potent shrieks.

4. Give  the ghost a reason to come back and haunt people or places – i.e., revenge, to deliver a message, etc.

5. Be  careful: Don’t make it scarier than your listeners can handle.  Keep the ages of your listeners in mind so you don’t give little  kids nightmares for the rest of the summer!

Snowshoes are also a great source of winter recreation, primarily used by hikers and runners who like to continue their hobby in wintertime.  Snowshoeing is easy to learn, and if proper precautions are taken, it’s a relatively safe and inexpensive recreational activity.  Try one of Westford’s many trails for a snowshoe adventure!

Equipment: A stationary metal pole, from which the ball is hung

                 Volleyball

                 A rope, or tether

Rules: The two players stand on opposite sides of the pole.

Each player tries to hit the ball one way; one clockwise, and one counter clockwise.

        The game ends when one player manages to wind the ball all the way around the pole so

        that it is stopped by the rope.

        It must not bounce.

Now that you know the history and rules, find a friend, and challenge her/him to a match at our tetherball setup at Summer Village at the Pond. If last summer was any indication, tetherball will be in hot demand again this summer!

1. Visit our cottage community for a tour of our seven furnished cottages and our amenity-filled community.
2. Select your cottage lot and cottage design.
3. Choose from a variety of finish selections and upgrade options to personalize your vacation cottage.
4. Sit back as we bring your dream vacation cottage to life!  The sailboats and kayaks will be waiting for you on the pond, the activities and events will already be coordinated for you, the pools will be cleaned, and the resort landscaping and maintenance will be taken care of for you.

 Contact a Cottage Advisor at 800-750-8611 to see how easy it is for you to own a vacation cottage in our wooded, pondfront community.

Although summer might seem like a time in the distant future, it’s now time to start thinking summer. Now is the time to choose your cottage lot location, select your preferred floorplan design, and choose your finishes and upgrades. When you make your vacation cottage a priority right now, you will benefit by having your dream cottage completed by the season opening and you’ll be spending the entire 2012 season floating in your pool, fishing and kayaking in your pond, and enjoying an array of games and activities throughout your amenity-filled community. 

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to be consumed by deadlines and forget to take time out for ourselves. Relaxation and reenergizing is important for the mind, body, and soul.  Several ways to relax include exercising, meditation or prayer, reading/writing, and laughing with family and friends. At Summer Village at the Pond you can do all of these.  In fact, it’s hard NOT to do these things here.

For exercise, head down to our Hildreth Gym for your own power workout or to join an exercise class, walk or jog our nature trails, partake in a game of tennis, or get the blood flowing by jumping into Long-Sought-For-Pond or one of our pools. For meditation or prayer, take one of our sailboats or kayaks out on the pond for some tranquility and reflection. For a place to escape and read/write, wander off to read a book, sketch in a notebook, or take a nap under a tree in our acres of woodlands. Lastly, for laughter, join in on one of the live music, entertainment, dances, or movie nights with other Summer Village at the Pond residents.  Regardless of your preferred route to relaxation, Summer Village at the Pond offers them all. It’s up to you to choose your own perfect adventure.

This year why not resolve to make this upcoming summer your best one yet?  Resolve to spend your weekends and vacation time lounging by the pool with friends, kayaking and fishing on Long-Sought-for-Pond, playing volleyball on the 2600-foot sandy waterfront, enjoying quiet reading in a pocket park, or dancing to live music with friends and neighbors at The Lodge. What better place to enjoy an endless summer than at Summer Village at the Pond?

Auld Lang Syne literally translates to “Old Long Since” or, more simply,  “long, long ago.” The song begins with a rhetorical question as to whether it is right those old times are forgotten, and it is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships.  Here’s a toast to new beginnings and lasting friendships!