Happy Mother's Day

It's a beautiful day here at the cottage and the coffee is good. I'm making Mother's Day French Toast in a little while. I've already given my mom her (chocolate) presents. I'm going to weed her garden and work outside today. Enjoy your mom if you have one and being one if you are.

Handmade cards ©Alisa Nordholt-Dean via Flickr

Mämä, I love you!

Happy Sheep-Mother's Day via The Animal Blog

Ten Ways to Garden on A Budget

1. Get Free Advice
2. Grow from seeds
3. Take cuttings
4. Swap seeds and seedlings
5. Plan for next year
6. Get equipment second-hand
7. Go to discount stores
8. Make your own compost
9. Make your own weedkiller and plant food*
10. Go from green to grey 

*You can make your own weedkiller and plant food mixture. To kill weeds, spray them with white distilled vinegar full strength, reapplying on any new growth until the weeds die. To make a plant nutrient liquid, mix vinegar and water in a ratio of 1:8, then combine with a separate solution of sugar and water in a mixture of 1:8.

Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty
Full Article The Guardian UK

History of Mother's Day

In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day to be an official holiday, and in commemoration of that declaration J. C. Leyendecker painted 'Pot of Hyacinths' to be used on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post's May 30, 1914 issue. Not only did 'Pot of Hyacinths' singlehandedly create the American tradition of giving flower arrangements to one's mother on Mother's Day, it also helped create the modern flower delivery industry as a whole. That's the story .. I didn't know any of this, did you? Source

House of Cards Sculpture

Auckland-based designer Fletcher Vaughan wanted to represent the precarious balancing act we are performing with our planet so he created this giant house of cards installation titled 'Collapse'. See additional photos and read more here. I love the symbolism.

I'm off to recycling with Webster. It's the highlight of his week. Enjoy your weekend.

Classic Understated Kitchen

Hold on to your hat and be prepared to be blown away when you see a gallery of Harvey Jones Bespoke Handmade Kitchens. Have a wonderful weekend.

First Wisteria Blooms

When it gets a little warmer these new wisteria blossoms will make the yard smell like a perfume factory. I pruned this bush rather severely last fall and it is filled with new growth and long hanging blooms. You can't keep an old wisteria down, can you?

Parham House and Garden UK

Welcome to Parham. It has always been a well-loved family home, and only three families have lived here since its foundation stone was laid in 1577 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Read more.

Kentucky Derby Hats

Slideshow Kentucky Derby Hats
136th Run ~ 2010 (in the rain)

My Symphony

Yes.

Country Cottage Kitchen | Like

I like the use of a real antique table instead of a built-in kitchen island. Love the sink and cabinet paint color.*

Modern Farmhouse built around ruins in Scotland

In Scotland, a Modern Farmhouse Rises From Ruins. A house on the tiny Isle of Coll was built on the remains of one abandoned 150 years earlier. The home is on one of a group of islands known as the Inner Hebrides that has a population of about 200. Constructed on sand, it was abandoned in the mid-1800s when large cracks began to appear in the structure. View the New York Times Slideshow. Read the related article "Warm Respect for a Scottish Ruin"

Dangerously Simple Cookies

Not only are these peanut butter cookies delicious, but they are impossibly easy to make. Simply combine 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of peanut butter, and one egg. Mix the three (yes three!) ingredients thoroughly and roll into small balls on a cookie sheet. Flatten the balls with the tines of a fork (old-school style) and sprinkle with Fleur de Sel (sea salt). Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes.

I'm off to the kitchen to mix up those three ingredients and have cookies for my afternoon snack. Yum.

Here are the ones I made. One rack is already gone and there is one more to go. They were quick, easy, and delicious. I used chunky peanut butter. Recommend!

Royal Wedding Gloves

Mother's Day Gift Idea ~ Available here.

Mariner's Compass Template

I've always wanted to do a painted floor with a mariner's compass design in the center. I've been saving this template to use as my guide. See the painted floor I did in my old kitchen.

Pre-Mother's Day Zebra Smooch

Only three shopping days left to find something special to give your mom for Mother's Day on Sunday. Mine is very easy to please as long as it's c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e. 

Spectacular Flower and Plant Patterns

Giant Lobelia, Photographed by George F. Mobley

The leaves of a giant lobelia plant, photographed on Mount Kilimanjaro's Shira Plateau in Tanzania, spiral around the center. See a wonderful slideshow from National Geographic with more Plant and Flower Patterns. Click on the thumbnails instead of using the arrow buttons.

Galvanized Planter Love

I have always loved galvanized tubs, watering cans, and buckets. A neighbor lady who was moving to Boston recently gave me a watering can with a long spout just like the one on the lower right. It had been left outside with water in it and had frozen so it doesn't sit flat. But the bottom hasn't blown out so it doesn't leak. I am going to pound the bottom gently and see if I can fix it. It's a style I don't have and I was so pleased to acquire it. I have no idea what those large items are. Garbage cans? Storage bins? Don't they all look great as planters?

Meet Me For Lunch Here - My Treat!

 

There's only one problem about our lunch date. I have no idea where this place is located. It would be fun though. You'll have to take a rain check until I find the address. *

I had a late breakfast and will skip lunch today since I have a dental appointment at 12:30. I like to wait a long time before eating solid food after I have my teeth cleaned. I might cave and have a milk shake later.

Webster Wants This

This is perfect for both of us. Webster likes a cozy place for his bed with a back and a great view from the front and I love cubbies. A genius design: love, love, love - want, want, want.