Mr. Toad Visits My Cottage

He's trying his best to blend in with the new wood chips, but I spotted him anyway.

My Newly Weeded Gardening Spot

I took this photo this morning. My grass is in dire need of reseeding, but that's a task for another day. I'm anxious to plant something in this bed that was nothing but giant Canadian Thistle a few days ago. We are supposed to have rain coming up from the south for 4 straight days and we really need it. See you later - I'm off to an office meeting and then must deal with some real estate paperwork.

Greenhouse Envy

With my Sunday helper we pulled a whole flower bed full of Canadian thistle, the worst weed you'll ever have. I decided to kill them for good by smothering the seeds. I had a big leftover piece of carpeting in the garage that was almost the perfect size. I had to use tar paper for the small space that wasn't covered. Then my helper brought me loads and loads of woodchips that were from a pile that was at least 3 years old. It's almost like soil and I love the look. Will take a picture soon, maybe tomorrow morning. Getting a new bed makes me want to garden again. Wouldn't it be nice to have a small greenhouse? Good night. xo

British Colonialism: Indian Summers on PBS tonight

Sorry I've been away from the computer for several days. I've been having fun and working hard. I hired someone to help me outside and today we worked together from 9am until late afternoon. I am pooped. I hope I can stay awake for Indian Summers. It looks like my kind of program, set in India, Season I begins in 1932. Here's a review from the Los Angeles Times. The premier is tonight from 9:00PM - 10:30PM in the New York metropolitan area. Enjoy.

Watch the trailer here if you can't see the video above. Enjoy!

Old Dogs

Thank you BarbV for sending me this link.

http://offtheleashdogcartoons.com/scoops/old-dogs-gene-weingarten/

My Webster. He's 13-1/2 and he's still going strong. 

He should be in the book Old Dogs: Are The Best Dogs

New Dog at My Cottage

He doesn't eat much, is very quiet, and he's house broken. Don't you love my new lamp? Found after having lunch with a friend yesterday when we stopped in a shop before I took her back to her marketing director duties at the Westmont Montessori School in Mendham. We stopped at The Grand Bazaar and we both found tons of treasures awaiting us. Next time we are going to pack a lunch and eat it on Sue's porch so we will have more money to spend on Christmas gifts and wonderful things to decorate our cottage homes. My lamp needed a little doctoring because it had just arrived and needed a little help. I was capable of doing the repairs myself and got a good price for adopting him. I love dog rescues of all kinds. Webster would have been happier if this little guy were alive to keep him company when I'm out having fun. Maybe some day. 

Cottage Kitchen Continued

I could tell you wanted to see more of this fabulous cottage kitchen. via

Wonderful Cottage Kitchen

I saw this in person on Sunday. Very nice! via

A Delightful Office in the Attic

Thisis fabulous, isn't it? A place to daydream and pay bills. via

Bird Feeding Made Easy

What a great idea.

Let them do the work.

Wish I had a big sunflower head full of seeds.

via

I did some quality mowing today!

Happy Saturday Morning

This looks like a very civilized way to start the weekend, doesn't it? Nothing starts for me until I have my morning coffee! I love this bistro set with arms on the chairs. via

Lovely Country Road

The house and barn in the mountain mist look very inviting. via

Road Trip in China

This photo takes my breath away. I would be so afraid to look out the window, disliking heights the way I do.

Hairpin bends on Tianmen Mountain, China via

What the Dog Saw

I would have stopped walking to look at this beautiful scene too. via

A Great Home in Atlanta

I like this peek into the pantry of this wonderful kitchen.

The butler's pantry is wonderful leading into the dining room below.

See more photos of this Garden Hills residence in Atlanta here.
Rabaut Design Associates, Inc.
Architects and Building designers

Bathtub Storage for Towels

I have never seen this tub-surround treatment before, have you? via

Lamps on Hunt Board at My Cottage

I put the tall brass lamps that were in my living room in this nook in my kitchen. You can see one small corner of my farm table and a little of a chair in the lower foreground. The shiny thing to the right is my built-in refrigerator. I'm still working around the cottage and have decided I will never finish. That's the idea, isn't it? If you ever finish, you just have to start all over again so why even try. I'm just going to do a little every day. I polished silver trophies today and the living room mantel looks very nice. Fall is in the air and it feels so good to be outside. xo

A Quote About Me

I totally identify with this quote.  

Life is not a competition. 

via

The Living Room at My Cottage

Good morning from Webster, The Wonder Dog.

Do we ever stop tweeking our rooms? I put my favorite lamps back in the living room and I love them. I took this photo first and it could have been the only one if Webster had been looking up. Have a great Sunday. xo

Lamp with light on.

Lamp in natural light.

I blogged about them in 2009 here.

Pup Wearing Hand Knit Sweater

It's almost time to start wearing sweaters. I think this precious puppy has almost outgrown this one because his back legs no longer fit in the slits. via

Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee

So lovely. I am looking forward to fall in New Jersey. We are already getting some color in the maple trees. photo source

Cutest Vacation Cottages

Tiny cottages in Lincoln, New Hampshire

Teleport me there, NOW.

I love vacationing in a tiny individual cottage.

via

The exact location has been found.

Gilcrest Cottages and Motel in Thornton New Hampshire

Nautical Kitchen

Nice tile backsplash behind the cooktop.

My Bedroom Bookshelves, Decluttered

The lower three shelves on the left side have been pared down considerably. I'm getting a lot of pleasure looking at this new arrangement from my bed which is reflected in the TV screen. Little by little, I'm helping a good cause and they are helping me in return. The annual auction and sale in tents and outdoors at the firehouse is less than two weeks away and I'm getting nervous about missing my chance to donate. Books are first. Wish me luck. xo

Fun with Shelves

It's so much fun to play with your treasures and arrange them on shelves. I've been doing this all week. Hopefully tomorrow I will show you the shelves in MY bedroom. Good night. xo

Everything Starts in The Kitchen

A home doesn’t need to be large and modern to have an open plan, as illustrated by this charming cottage where one side of the kitchen flows into a cozy sitting area. 

Kitchens continue to be the hub of the home, and increasingly designers are opening them to other living areas. In renovations and new construction we’re seeing few walls between kitchens, dining areas, and family rooms, so family members may easily interact with each other and entertain at home.

See more "hub" kitchens here in a 29 photo slideshow. I'm still busier than ever, currently organizing my books and cleaning the shelves, a daunting job.

A Skateboard Video w/ 14 month old Boy

A man gives his 14-month-old son a skateboard and zero instruction.

SIX DAYS from Colin Kennedy on Vimeo.
Cutest thing ever! Everyone will love this.

An Old Photo of My Kitchen + Pantry

This photo is from an old blog post September 2008.

My Kitchen Pantry, Newly Organized

My Labor Day Cottage Project included real labor to clean and reorganized the shelves of my kitchen pantry.

I must confess that this is the first time I have ever cleaned the top shelf and I was amazed that it really wasn't that bad. I'm still not finished but this is a good start. I find that I do better when I do a major project in dribs and drabs rather than all at once. I started by cleaning and reorganizing the first shelf last week. Then when the spirit moved me, I did the middle shelf. I was putting off the top shelf because I thought it would be dreadful but it wasn't after not being touched since 2004. I thought 11 years of dust would be much worse than it was and I was pleasantly surprised. 

I need to reorganize my cookbooks by size so they will look neater. I did get rid of some for donating to the annual firehouse auction this month. I hardly ever use them anyway. I always grab my few favorites or use a recipe I've discovered online anyway.

Are there any labor plans in your Labor Day? Have a good one. xo

Cottage and Garden Details

I love the porthole hatch on the dutch door so you can see who's knocking before opening up. The owners of this cottage have green thumbs as you can see from the explosion of blooms everywhere. I like the hanging lantern too. Enjoy your long holiday weekend. via

A Fabulous Long Porch

This would be a great place for shuffleboard, wouldn't it? via

Keeping The Bird Bath Filled

I hope we get some much needed rain after the upcoming long Labor Day weekend. Tending the wilting plants and watering places for the birds gets harder each day. There was a heavy dew this morning and it's much cooler and breezy so I'm pretty happy right now. See you later. xo

Arthur and Geoge on PBS: Set your DVR for Sunday Night

JudyMac just commented about this series and I was delighted to find more information about Sunday's Premier in my email today from PBS.

Arthur and George 

Based on True Events

Premiers Sunday September 6 on PBS

Special Time: 8:00 PM in New York

Based on the acclaimed novel by Julian Barnes, Arthur and George tells the real-life story of the case that inspired the famed author of Sherlock Holmes to put down his pen and turn detective.

A Pug Situation

So adorable. This pug's owner turned a sad situation into a glad one. via

First Preview of DOWNTON ABBEY, The Final Season

Downton Abbey is starting in England on September 20th but we in the USA will have to wait a few more months for it. Anyway, it appears we are in for a long good bye. Click here if you can't see the video above.

18th Century Summerhouse in Salem MA

A summerhouse designed by Salem architect Samuel McIntire circa 1798 behind the Gardner-Pingree House in Salem. I'll take this as my She Shed! via

Size Doesn't Matter to These Owlets

“Altia” A 7-week old Siberian Eagle Owl ~ The Largest Species of Owl in The World ~ meets “Powys” a 5-week old Little Owlet! via

Lovely Understated British Kitchen

‘The Queens Park’ kitchen. deVOL Kitchens, Cotes Mill, Loughborough, UK. via I love the paint color of the island and cabinets and the herringbone wood floor.

She Shed for Recharging Your Battery

Isn't this delightful? I keep reading about She Sheds for all the women whose husbands have a Man Cave. This one looks fabulous. Sometimes you just need to get away without going very far for some peace and quiet. Nobody gets enough sleep these days and this little shed might help with that. via