Welcome to On Sutton Place

I’m Ann Drake, the creator of On Sutton Place. I want to welcome you to my life! I love to decorate, bake, and create…and I truly believe that simple is best. I share budget-friendly decor ideas, family recipes, my garden, free printables, and the occasional DIY project. I’m a Midwest girl from Ohio who loves to watch television, spend time in the kitchen, believes that fresh flowers can transform a room, and who would give anything to go back and have just one more day with my mom. 

About Me

My husband and I have two grown children who are, without a doubt, my greatest accomplishments. My daughter and her family live a few hours away, but my son and his family are on the east coast. I was a stay-at-home mom until my youngest entered the 3rd grade. At that time, I was blessed to be hired as a secretary at their Catholic elementary school, and remained there for 17 years.

In 2017, we welcomed our granddaughter. In April of 2019, our grandson was born, followed by another little boy in 2022. Even though they live far away, they are always close inside my heart. Spending time with my family is the greatest joy in my life.

I’ve also been asked if we considered relocating to be closer to our children. We never considered that for many reasons, but here are the most important. First, my husband is still working! He has no plans to retire soon, so he has no desire to move. Second, my dad is still doing great, and lives 10 minutes away. I would never leave him. Third, my husband and I were both born and raised in this town…it’s our home. I’m not saying we will never leave, but that was not even on the table when we sold the house on Sutton Place. I’m actually grateful that we can put off that decision for now.

I’m in that season of life where I want things to be simpler and easier. Which is exactly why we decided to move! I do, however, want our home to be fresh and welcoming. I share easy decor ideas, gardening, family recipes, and the occasional craft project. I’m very proud of a few room renovations we finished at the Sutton Place house.

• Our primary bathroom
• Our hallway bathroom
• Our dining room

Here on the blog, along with the Sutton Place house, I now feature the Sugar Maple House. When we moved, I felt I needed a way to distinguish between the two houses…so since our new street is Sugar Maple Court, it made sense to name the house after the street.

My blog has been my full-time job since the summer of 2013. It was a leap of faith I took with the blessing of my husband who has been supportive from the very beginning. Since then there have been ups and downs. The doubts have crept in many times but I always, somehow, push them away and keep going. I have been very challenged by the changes in social media, and the amount of technical knowledge needed to keep a blog going. I’ve also made the most amazing friends…readers and other bloggers who support and encourage me. 

Meet Millie

Like many of you, animals hold a special place in my heart…especially little miniature schnauzers. Our first dog, Kelly, was featured here on the blog many times. When Kelly passed away, we waited several months, and then welcomed a little puppy named Millie into our lives.

Millie quickly stole our hearts, and we love that she’s feisty and funny. She joined our family at a time when we sorely needed some laughter in our home!

When you click and open this blog, my hope is that you feel like you’ve stopped by to visit a friend. I want you to be comfortable, and leave with a smile on your face. I don’t share complicated projects or recipes, because life is just too short for that kind of aggravation! 

If this is your first time visiting, I would like to personally invite you to join the OSP Community by subscribing to receive my updates by email. You will receive access to the OSP Members Only Library which is a treasure trove of free printables. You will also receive new blog posts and special offers before anyone else. To learn more and to sign up, just fill out the form below.

Thank you very much for stopping by, and for your friendship. Until next time…