Thursday, June 30, 2011

Amazing Library Staircase and Balcony Surrounds

Round and round I go. Where I'll stop, nobody knows. Those pierced metal stairs look pretty tricky so I'll hold tight to the handrail. I have no idea where this library is located, but it's pretty amazing, isn't it? UPDATE: A reader identified this as the Law Library at the State Library of Iowa at the Des Moines, Iowa Capitol Building. Thank you!

Will You Summer in New England?

Vintage Travel Poster promoting The New Haven Railroad from the collection of the Boston Public Library. Great graphics.

Blue Door to A Secret Garden

I wish the arched blue door opening to a secret garden were open a little wider so I could see beyond the delphiniums. 

Pet Hammock | Webster Wants One

Have you ever seen a more comfortable looking animal? I think not. Are you going to order a Pet Lounge for your favorite animal? Webster would love this but I have no more floor space. Let me know if you place an order for your lucky dog.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Tea Towel Farmers Market Bags | DIY

Use tea towels and twine to make produce bags to take to the farmers market. Dirty vegetables? No problem. Just turn inside out, give them a shake or two and throw the bags in with the laundry. Such a great eco-friendly idea. via Green Wellies

Dancing With The Stars | Audrey Hepburn

Dancing Lesson. Date unknown. Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993). We still miss her.*

Cottage Love


I like them both for obvious reasons. The first one is probably more 'me' because of the style and location. All it needs is a flag flying from the pole on the balcony. I am a little discouraged today because of my jungle thanks to all the recent rain and would welcome a no-upkeep lawn. I am already way behind just looking at the second cottage.

American Flag on Weathered Gray Siding

I love patriotic holidays requiring lots of flags on houses. Doesn't old glory look grand hanging on the gable end of this charming old house? Nantucket? Martha's Vineyard? Cape Cod? Where?

I can't believe the year is almost half over and July 4th is right around the corner. It's nice that it falls on a Monday so everyone will have a long weekend. It is supposed to be the most popular vacation week of the whole year. Will you decorate your house? via

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Very Cute Puppy

I think this is an English Bulldog pup but I can't be sure. Whatever the breed, this little one looks adorable with the black bow tie around his neck. via

Mark Twain Forever

The United States Postal Service has released their new Mark Twain stamp. It lasts 'forever' so you needn't worry about a price increase for this first class stamp. I love it and think I'll buy a sheet even though I don't use many stamps these days thanks to online bill pay.

You will enjoy seeing the other authors that have been honored around the world with their images on commemorative stamps in this article: Mark Twain and Beyond: Literary Stamp Collecting

It's Not Easy Being Green

...unless you are a painted kitchen floor. I like it, don't you?
More painted floors here.

Only in Paris

...can you find gardens this amazing.

Beautiful Country Morning

Wishing you a beautiful country morning. A bowl of raspberries on the windowsill would just be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it? Especially if you picked them yourself. I can never manage to bring any home since I eat them on the spot at the edge of the woods. I can't wait until they begin to ripen.*

Monday, June 27, 2011

Interior Sliding Barn Door with 6 Lights

 
Here is yet another wonderful interior sliding barn door only this one has 6 glazed lights. I like that feature, especially for a dining room. I like the dark charcoal paint that matches the chairs and contrasts so nicely with the white walls.

William and Kate at Wimbledon


They look as if they enjoy each other's company, don't they? Everyone is happy for them too, especially me. They wanted to watch British player Andy Murray's match. Katherine is a big tennis fan.

She believes in wearing tennis whites too. Back view of her lovely dress here.

How to Build A Simple Garden Fence | DIY Video


I think this looks pretty simple, don't you? I got an email from Dave Huttons this morning asking me to add his blog to my blogroll. I was happy to do it. Check out Fence Fanatics when you have time.

Enchanted Cottage

Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to wake up here? I think it's an abandoned cottage because of the condition of the roof and the trees growing through it. I'll race you to claim it. Now if we can just figure out where it is. Ready, set, GO.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Man in the Moon | Goodnight

I've always been fascinated by the man in the moon, haven't you? This one is wonderful for my last post of the day. It's not dark yet and it was a great Sunday spent puttering around doing fun things that made me happy. xo

Nymans House and Garden West Sussex, UK

If you’re looking for a garden that is as grand as it is wild, as fascinating historically as it is forward-looking, and as well-designed as it is packed with rare plants, then you couldn’t do much better than visit Nymans in West Sussex.

Looking through branches towards the yew topiary and house at Nymans. The yew hedge separates the house and the Knot Garden from the Lawn. The house is a pastiche of a 14th century manor.

Looking over the small fountain to the decorated archway, in the Wall Garden. Colourful borders and topiary flank the path down the middle. Read more...

This Dog Gets Around [SoHo]

This dog named Sienna has posed for her owner at all the hot spots in SoHo. I'm assuming this crocheted bicycle cover is some sort of art installation, right?

View the slideshow on Flickr for more photos of this lucky New York City dog's travels.

Doorway to The Sea

Amazingly beautiful photograph 
By Erhard the hobbit©

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Beautiful Bedroom for Tonight's Last Post

 
This would be a nice place to call your very own. Such a soothing-looking bedroom. Simple and so very tasteful. I love the horizontal wood siding/panels. The bird's egg blue-green paint is very nice with the bird eggs and nests antiquarian prints on the wall. Wish me sweet dreams as I say goodnight. via

Smaller Than A Mansion, Bigger Than A Cottage

If I weren't a cottage person and wanted a real house, this might be the one I would pick. It looks just right.

Take Me To Your Leader


We come in peace.
image #1 -- image #2

Linda McCartney Celebrity Photography

Paul McCartney with Stella and James ~ Scotland 1982. Photographed by Linda McCartney. View more of Linda's candid insider photography here.

Have A Sweet Weekend

The sun is finally out at the cottage. Have a great last weekend in June. Try to smell the flowers too. *

Friday, June 24, 2011

Tender is The Night

First Edition Cover 1934 In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Tender Is the Night 28th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. image

Oh, Yes Please

All I would need is an ottoman. Isn't this simply delightful? *

Oh.My.Goodness | Wonderful Overhead Door

Wow. Wow. Triple Wow. What a view.


Wishing you beautiful weekend views. I'm currently posting from the New Jersey Rain Forest.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Flower Power Car

 
You couldn't help but be anything but happy toddling around in this adorable flowered car.

Hedgehog in A Wooden Bucket

I think Beatrix Potter is responsible for my love of hedgehogs so how could I possibly resist posting this adorable photo?

Morning Sun Rays in The Netherlands

Shower of Light
by Lars Van Goor - A cyclist in the Netherlands


This lovely photo looks nothing like the pea soup foggy mist this morning at the cottage. You can cut the atmosphere with a knife it's so heavy. Looks as if it's an indoor day today.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Window Seat in The Kitchen

Don't you love the look of this window seat near the refrigerator? Every kitchen needs one. I might need a more comfortable pillow arrangement so I could enjoy a cup of coffee and read cookbooks or use my laptop here. Maybe a full cushion on the seat with the pillows for my back while I lean against the side of the cupboard occasionally looking out the window. Nice, isn't it?

The Lone Hydrangea Here At My Cottage

I took this photo of my hydrangea from the balcony looking down to the lower level. A lady let me dig this up from her yard last year because she was moving. It really likes the spot where it's planted because it is so beautiful this year. I don't know the name of this variety but the flowers only bloom on the outer edges. The fluffy centers remain that way. Last year I kept waiting for all the buds to open to no avail. How does your garden grow?

Vegan Baked Guacamole Bean Dip Recipe | Yum

SERVES 8
 ~ From The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

INGREDIENTS
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
 (Read the label to make sure there is no lard, an animal fat. Look for the 'fat free' canned refried beans.)
3 large avocados

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 (8-ounce) containers nondairy sour cream
1 packet taco seasoning (Such as Bearitos, but if you are avoiding all white sugar, make your own mix with chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, hot paprika or cayenne, and salt)

1/2 cup diced mild green chiles, drained

1/2 cup sliced black olives, or more if you like
5 tomatoes, chopped

2 cups shredded vegan Cheddar cheese



STEPS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Spread a layer of refried beans in the bottom of an 8 inch by 8 inch quart glass baking dish. 

Pit and peel the avocados, and place in a bowl. 

Mash the avocados together with the lime juice, and spread on top of the refried beans.
Stir together the sour cream and taco seasoning, and spread over the avocado.

Sprinkle the chiles over the sour cream, and top with a layer of black olives.

Add the tomatoes, and sprinkle with the cheese.

Heat the dip for 15-30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is a bit melted.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Heavenly Kitchen with Dog on Sofa

Webster would be in dog heaven if he had his very own sofa in the kitchen so he could watch me cook. Every kitchen should have both a sofa and a dog, don't you think? image

The Ultimate Sliding Barn Door

Let's find this place and have our July 4th picnic in front of the Flag Door.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Yellow Stepback Kitchen Love

I love the look and feel of this farmhouse kitchen with the sink area resembling an antique stepback cupboard. via Architectural Digest.

Babington House | Somerset UK

Today is the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. The light here at the cottage around 8pm looks about like it does in this photo of Babington House.

Set in 18 acres in the heart of Somerset, Babington House opened in 1998 for those who wanted to enjoy the countryside but weren’t prepared to compromise on urban luxuries. Be sure to click on the link for more photos of this delightful place.

Happy First Day of Summer.

Magic Shelves

How.Are.These.Shelves.Suspended?
I've dealt with a number of tile men in the past and I know these shelves were added after the tile was in place. But how? Invisible brackets drilled into the tile? What do they look like? I really want to know because I love this look and the old chalkware chickens too.*

Berry Blue Breakfast

You might want to spend some time today looking at lovely photographs by Victoria Pearson. I'm up with the birds this morning wishing I had a transferware bowl of berries to eat but alas there are none in the house. The wild berries here at the cottage haven't ripened yet either. I think I'll make some French toast and eat it outside. See you later after my office meeting and broker open house tours.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Sliding Barn Door for Bathroom

Here is yet another lovely interior sliding barn door to delight and inspire you. 
My other blog posts on interior sliding barn doors.

Farm Family Portraits

“I take the conventions from the fashion world and apply them to the underclass barnyard animal,” Photographer Rob MacInnis told the New York Times.





There are many more photos to see in the NYTimes article. You will definitely want to go the website of photographer Rob Macinnis too. Click on the drawing of the "farm animals" to see more large photos. Then go back and click on the TV screen to watch the fascinating video description of how he worked on this project. It's very long and so interesting...I still haven't finished watching. He said the goats were the easiest subjects and sheep were the hardest. I discovered all of the above via My Modern Met. I'm so glad because I completely missed this writeup back in 2009.