Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Charming Cottage

Heidi Claire  I'm off to my weekly office meeting this morning with open house tours afterwards. I hope there is something amazing to view. The spring market is well under way even though all the snow has not yet melted and it's really cold. I'll see you later.

Content in a Cottage

Monday, March 28, 2011

Great Bedroom for Summer


Wouldn't this be the perfect summer bedroom? I'd sleep with the doors open and go outside to look at the stars if I woke up in the night. I'd go outside to stretch when I first got up in the morning. I'd drink my coffee there too. I love it. via


Content in a Cottage

650 Red and White Quilts at Park Ave Armory NYC

Free to the public. On display March 25-30, 2011
Park Avenue Armory, New York City

This special exhibit has a very short run which is such a shame. Five days is not long enough!!! When will you ever get another chance to see so many red and white quilts in one place so beautifully displayed? It's free too. Are you going? Read a great article about these quilts in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal.

You can download the FREE App for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod showing all the quilts in the exhibit in case you can't attend in person. How cool is that?

Content in a Cottage

Gray and White Farmhouse Kitchen to Love

I think these under-counter cabinets are great. I like them flush to the floor without the toe plate which is completely unnecessary. I know because mine are like this too and I find that my toes never get in the way. via

Content in a Cottage

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Deer at Dusk at My Cottage


I really feel sorry for the white-tailed deer this time of year. The green shoots are just starting to appear in the woods and the skunk cabbage is starting to come up in the wet areas. They must be so hungry for there is still a lot of unmelted snow on the ground. It won't be long now before they have lots to nibble on after a long hard winter. I snapped this photo from my bedroom window just a short while ago.

Content in a Cottage

Pink Ranunculus Flowers

Pure pink and green elegance. These delicate pink ranunculus are also called Persian buttercups. Wouldn't this be the perfect bouquet to send to parents of a new baby girl?

Content in a Cottage

Loch Lomond, Scotland

"Oh! ye'll take the high road and
I'll take the low road and
I'll be in Scotland afore ye." 

(Hear here -- music, lyrics and bagpipes)
View from the high road 'Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond' Scotland via National Geographic.

Content in a Cottage

17th Century Chesterton Windmill UK

The windmill on legs is one of Warwickshire's most famous landmarks, standing on a hilltop overlooking the village of Chesterton for nearly 350 years. It was built in 1632-1633, probably by Sir Edward Peyto, who was Lord of the Chesterton Manor House. At this time John Stone, a pupil of Inigo Jones, was in Chesterton, designing the new Manor House, and he probably helped with the Windmill as well. Sir Edward was a mathematician and astrologer and probably his own architect to the windmill, but although claims have been made that the tower was originally built as an observatory, the estate accounts now at Warwick Record Office show that it has always been a windmill making it the earliest tower mill in England to retain any of its working parts.

Content in a Cottage

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Nutella Mug Cake for Microwave




This looks like a good recipe to have on hand for unexpected company or a must-have-chocolate attack. If you don't have any self-rising flour on hand you can make your own: 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder.
found here You should definitely click on this link and read the comments below the post. This one is my favorite: "Will you people stop with the calorie thing??? Its CAKE, people! No one says you HAVE to eat it, and no one said it was a “diet cake”…….."
Content in a Cottage

Poor Kitten with A Broken Arm

This adorable photo of a sleeping kitten with a pink cast on her broken arm was first published on Cute Overload in 2008 but it's new to me. It really is one on the cutest pictures ever, agreed? 

Content in a Cottage

Watercolor of a Room with Books + Antiques

This painting is signed lower left but I can't read the name. I'd love to know more about the artist and the owner of this lovely antique filled reading room. It's wonderful, isn't it?

More information just provided by a reader...thanks so much.

Painted by Norwegian artist Harriet Backer (1845-1932). The room is The Library of Thorval Boeck. via Gatochy on Flickr

Content in a Cottage

Friday, March 25, 2011

Cat Sleeping on the Porch Swing

I hope you can do some quality relaxing on the porch swing this weekend. I found this wonderful cat doing just that on The Animal Blog.

Content in a Cottage

Dachshund Fun

I've been running around in circles all week so that I can relax and have fun tonight and all weekend. I thought this dachshund image would encourage you to chase your tail and get everything done too. 

Content in a Cottage

Purse Love

Love these purses patches and all. Do want! via

Content in a Cottage

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Library at Château de Groussay in France


{Click photo to enlarge}
The private library or bibliothéque of the Château de Groussay located in Montfort-l'Amaury, France. The Château was built in 1815 by the duchesse de Charest, a daughter of Louise Elisabeth de Croÿ-Havré, marquise de Tourzel, the governess of the royal enfants de France of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

The desk is especially wonderful, isn't it? I'd love to have a similar one with a much deeper horizontal working surface so I could pile up more books.

Content in a Cottage

Strange Footprints in New Snow at The Cottage

I just returned from a walk with Webster and saw some footprints that look like perfect arrows all over my property. Wild turkey? I can't say for sure but they look as if they were made with a rolling branding iron. I thought at first a hunter was sending secret messages to another hunter but there are no human footprints anywhere except mine. They are left in a single line by each animal with foot dragging lines inbetween each perfect arrow. 

A single bird (or alien) leaves a print like this.

Lots of them in one spot. Help me please if you know what bird leaves such a distinct impression in the snow. Whatever it was it came very close to the house. Should I be scared? :-) These are my photos taken today.

Never mind. I just found out they are Pheasant tracks. I'm so excited. I've never seen a pheasant on my land before. See more on Google Images.


image by ©wikesgerald

Content in a Cottage

Petunias Make the Best Hats


Mitza in the garden.
Just a quick post to make you smile. I'll never look at petunias again without thinking of animals wearing them as hats. [image by ©Dragan*]

Content in a Cottage

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Sewed All Day

I've been sewing off and on for the past two days and have used almost every sewing notion I own. Can you even remember the last time you used a sleeve board? I just finished altering some things to wear to an upcoming special event. Is there anything harder or more frustrating? I think not. It's so much easier to sew something from scratch than to take a finished garment apart and make it fit properly. I know, I know -- I could have taken the items to a tailor or dressmaker or even the cleaners and they would have done it for me. But I wanted to do it myself and I did. So happy.

Content in a Cottage

White Kitchen with Black Accents


No color allowed in this spectacular kitchen. Only white dish towels and aprons, white enamel and black cast iron cookware, white dishes and white food. via Crush Cul de Sac.
Content in a Cottage

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spectacular Library in Dublin

This is a wonderful sight, isn't it? I'm not sure whether it's a library or a bookstore and the location is a mystery. I could never climb that high on a ladder. Heights are just about the only thing I'm afraid of.

A reader just advised me this is the Library at Trinity College in Dublin. Thanks so much! 

Content in a Cottage

Must Change Attitude


©Mary Engelbreit
I sent this darling image to a friend with a young daughter who cut her own hair. The beauty parlor "fixed" it into an Audrey Hepburn short cut and now she's growing it out. I love this style, don't you? The pouty face is perfect for this particular little girl as well. I'm off to an office meeting this morning. See you later.
Content in a Cottage

Monday, March 21, 2011

Super Perigee Moon - Washington, DC

In this photo provided by NASA, the full moon is seen as it rises near the Lincoln Memorial, Saturday, March 19, 2011 in Washington. The full moon is called a "Super Perigee Moon" since it's at its closest to Earth in 2011. The last full moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993.
(AP Photo/NASA, Bill Ingalls)


Content in a Cottage

DIY Sliding Barn Door Made from Recycled Fencing

We just can't get enough of these interior sliding barn doors, can we? I know I can't. Dana and Handy Hubby from House*Tweaking made one themselves from old fence boards. They show you how step by step in two blog posts starting with the old wood being transported home in the back of the car. The second part has line drawings with measurements. The photo above shows the end result. Very nice. Let me know if you make one. Part I and Part II and With Door Handles

My other blog posts about these sliding doors inside and outside.

Content in a Cottage