Dream House In England

Teleport me there, now! via

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

via

The cottage of William Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway.

Winter Garden by Lucy Goldsmith

I love this charming "Winter Garden" illustration by Lucy Grossmith, a Suffolk UK based artist and illustrator. The outdoor activity comes alive when the lights go on inside our cottages. 

December by Walter Crane

The Procession of the Months, collection in the Houghton Library at Harvard. Illustration by Walter Crane. Verse by his daughter Beatrice Crane. See their November calendar page here. See his woodcut engraving called The Angels here. More information on Walter Crane's life and career here.

The Ultimate Cotswolds Guide UK

Castle Combe UK

The Ultimate Cotswolds Guide: 8 Picturesque Towns and Villages It's a gloomy day here at the cottage, perfect for armchair travel. xo

Suffragette on A Scooter 1916

c. 1916 Lady Norman on her scooter.

IMAGE: PAUL THOMPSON/FPG/ARCHIVE PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES click here for more photos of early scooters of all kinds.

Yes, she is a suffragette, and yes, that is her scooter. English socialite and activist Florence Priscilla, Lady Norman, CBE was given this Autoped as a birthday present by her husband, Sir Henry Norman. She used it to travel to her office in central London. Florence was following in her mother's footsteps in her active support for women's suffrage. Her CBE (Commander of the British Empire) came when she ran a hospital in France during World War I.

'The Angels' by Walter Crane

I am somewhat obsessed with the artwork of Walter Crane. He was friends with William Morris and I love the Pre-Raphaelites of the Arts and Crafts Movement. I found this image on Pinterest.

I voted today in the midterm election but it's way too early to get a feel for who won. The polls don't close in NJ until 8PM. I went this morning in the pouring rain.

The Creaky Shed: Fresh Produce Greenwich UK

I love the name of this shop and the hand-drawn font they used for the sign. The Creaky Shed is a green grocer in Greenwich UK. The gallery of photographs with seasonal displays outside the shop plus more can be seen here. Looks as if they are all set for Halloween decorating with all the pumpkins. See you later with news of my car. Fingers crossed. xo

TV: Penelope Keith's Hidden Villages (in England)

If you cannot see the video above, click here.

My Georgia friend Judy, aka JudyMac, told me several months ago to be on the lookout for this series on PBS. I checked but my three PBS stations in New Jersey had not yet signed up for it. I watched the previews and knew I would love it. It finally came my way several Friday nights ago at 8pm and luckily I discovered it just in time to watch Episode 1 of Season 2. My area did not get it in time to show Season 1 but that's okay. I absolutely love it and you will too. I found this complete episode on YouTube. I know it's on Acorn TV in addition to PBS and you can purchase the series on DVD. Check your listings. My programming is being shown on WLIW channel 21 or 521 on my FiOS. I understand Dame Penelope Keith was in "To The Manor Born" but I don't recall ever having watched that three-season series back in 1979-81. The entire series is available on YouTube here.

You are Welcome. Thank you all once again for all the comments you have been leaving. It's very heartwarming to know I have such a fan base.
PS: Thanks for all the clicks too! xo

Creating A Space for The Dogs

THE NORTH FRONT

This 18th Century house was 'turned around' in the 1870s, with the north front refaced as the main entrance.

Simon Upton Photo - THE HALLWAY

An eighteenth-century console from Jamb provides shelter for two dogs in this house.

THE ENTRANCE HALL

The spacious entrance hall was originally the drawing room in this 18th Century house. 

All photos by Simon Upton.
Traditional Interior Design Ideas. House and Garden UK

Dogs Around an AGA Range

What? You want us to move so you can cook on our AGA? Could you come back later? We aren't quite toasty enough yet! via

A Painting in My Collection

Lillian Cotton (1892–1962) was an American artist known for her portraits, especially of high-society figures and well-known actors, writers, and artists of her day.

She was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father was Nathaniel Hugh Cotton, a West Indies shipping merchant born in Barbados, and her mother was Harriet Emma Clapp. Cotton developed an interest in art as a young child, drawing detailed portraits in sketchbooks as early as age ten, and attended the Boston Museum School. Between 1915 and 1917, Cotton studied at the Art Students League of New York under Robert Henri and George Bellows. In 1924, Cotton moved to Paris and studied at the André Lhote Academy. While in Paris, she met Arthur Elia Impey, a British army officer, and married him in 1926. The couple lived between Paris and New York.

Artist Information found here.

I have always wondered who this adorable child is, ever since I bought this painting with a left bid at an auction. It is signed lower left: L.Cotton 1913 when she was still at the Art Students League studying under the famous artists mentioned above.

I just discovered the magnifying glass on my iPhone and decided to use it on the horse embroidered on my baby painting's smocked outfit. You can see the texture of the canvas and the brush strokes of the oil paint.

I adore babies in smocked garments, a trend that is long out of style here where today's babies are dressed as miniature adults. Why rush it? They have their whole lives to wear khaki pants and button-down shirts! England's Royalty dress their children in age-appropriate styles from an age gone by. I love the way Prince William and Duchess Catherine are dressing Prince George, Princess Charlotte and I can't wait to see more of baby Prince Louis' attire. xo

Conservatory

This new conservatory isn't trying to look old. via 

Chintz Fabric is Back

I adore this entire room!

Lovely!

Gorgeous. All of it.

images House & Garden UK

Click on the link above for more photos using Chintz fabrics. I picked my three favorites to show you. Chintz never went out of style in England and it's coming back here, just like wallpaper. Now that all the people with wallpaper have removed theirs, at great expense, because the realtors told them to, it's making a big comeback! Go figure.

Winnie The Pooh Map Illustration

Winnie the Pooh Map Illustration Sets a Major New Auction Record

This original illustration sold for $570,000 and is the most expensive book illustration ever sold. Drawn in 1926 by illustrator E.H. Shepard, the map depicts the homes of beloved characters from the story, such as Christopher Robin, Pooh Bear, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, and Kanga and Roo, in addition to other local spots.

An illustration of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh walking through the Hundred Acre Wood, which sold at Sotheby's London. The illustration was offered alongside four other original Winnie the Pooh drawings, also created by Shepard, all of which have been out of the public eye for nearly 50 years. Combined, the five illustrations were sold for a total of $1.2 million, though they were estimated to only fetch between $412,000 and $584,000. 

Read the entire article here. Photos from Sotheby's

Terracing at its BEST

Lovely treatment of a hillside.

Greenhouse in a Walled Garden UK

An estate management firm publishes so many swoon-worthy photos of their work on Instagram. I love them all. Wouldn't you love to have a place like this to work and garden? It's like a giant adult sandbox. The greenhouse is the perfect size too. This is the kitchen garden on a large estate in Glouster.

No Mud Allowed in this UK Mud Room

Leave your muddy boots outside, please, and use the bootscraper. Isn't this entrance stunning? I love the brick and stonework exterior and the fine woodwork is beautiful inside. It appears to be new construction too in the old tradition. More photos below. I love the fabric in the window shade.

via: South Downs House, Bespoke UK cabinetry by deVol

Shaker Kitchen in UK Showroom

Here is a larger view of the kitchen I posted yesterday while wishing I had more photos of the room. Presto, my wish was granted! One of my readers and followers found a link! Thank you so much, Leslie. This kitchen is in a deVOL showroom in England and all the bespoke elements are swoon worthy. Click to see other views of The Loft Kitchen. 

Official Royal Wedding Photos

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released these three official photographs from their wedding day and the newly-weds are said to be "delighted" with them. 

Photographed were taken by Alexi Lubomirski 

@alexilubomirski

I couldn't resist this adorable photo of Prince George below. He looks so handsome in his pageboy uniform. I was thrilled with the wonderful behavior of all the children in this beautiful wedding.

Photos from Instagram @bbc