French Door Paint Red on the Outside

I have always loved a red front door but my shutters are green so I have resisted. I hope to have my house painted this year and I'm thinking about changing my color combination...and maybe sawing my front door in half. :) via

Could I Please Sit In This Booth?

Who doesn't want to sit in a booth at the diner? Wouldn't it be great to have one of your own at home? This one is perfect and it has everything. I like the antique drop leaf table, the upholstered cushions, the cubbies above and the built-in [cook]book shelves. The storage drawers under the seats are nice too. Sigh. I told you it was perfect! via

Interesting Table Setting

I like these runners so much better than placemats or a tablecloth. The table protection is much better and the beauty of the wood still shows. Nice.

Canned Goods in The Cellar

I used to do this in my previous life :)

Another Painted Kitchen Floor to Admire

It rained all night and it's still coming down. I'm so happy I emptied my laundry basket yesterday and was able to hang everything on the clothesline to dry. My bed linens smelled wonderful, like sunshine and newly mown grass. I was careful not to discharge the grass clippings in the direction of the sheets. I'm thrilled that I accomplished these two tasks so I can enjoy doing whatever I please today. Enjoy your Sunday.

I love the gray and white diamonds on this painted floor, don't you?

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Missing Socks

This made me smile :)

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House Cleaning Gone Wild

I'm still at it. I wish I had this woman to help me but I've moved mountains today in the house-cleaning department and I'm feeling good about it. My mother always cleaned like this back when she could see. Even now, when I go down to help her I find she's still a much better housekeeper than I am even with her diminished vision. She always did it as recreation and I always thought of it as work. Today it was fun. Am I becoming my mother? That would be a very good thing.

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Cleaning Day

Today is the perfect day to do all the cleaning chores I've been putting off. All the windows are open and wonderful breezes are blowing inside. I slept like a log last night and feel energized for some serious housework. See you later. xo

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Sweet Cottage at Dusk

At the end of a busy day, isn't it great to be home? I can't think of any place I'd rather be.

Airing the Pillows and Comforter

I love to air my linens on a fine summer day. The down pillows puff up so nicely and smell like sunshine at night. There is no sun in my forecast until Sunday at the earliest. Maybe next Monday I can do this on my balcony railing and hang several loads of wash on the line. Stay dry and I'll see you later. *

DIY Lavender Linen-Freshening Spray

Homemade Linen-Freshening Spray

• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup distilled water
• 16 drops of lavender essential oil

Mix the ingredients and put into a spray bottle. Spray directly onto towels, sheets and pillows.

This sounds like a great recipe for Sweet Dreams.

Source: The Joy of Green Cleaning

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Monday is my usual laundry day but I don't think it's happening today or even this week as you can see by the weather for my area. I'll probably just do a load of small items that can dry on racks in the house. It's feeling very jungle-like here at the cottage after a wet weekend. I am so glad I got the grass cut beforehand. See you later.

Too Many Dishes -- I'll Wash, You Dry

I'm feeling so much better today after a day of industrial-strength cleaning, rearranging and organizing yesterday. I still have miles to go but my sense of order is feeling so much better. I like closed door cupboards, especially in my kitchen. Having all my possessions staring me in the face every time I stepped in there would make me feel uncomfortable. I'm craving the 'just moved in, haven't unpacked yet' look right now. What about you? -*-

Woodworking Classes for Kids - NYTimes.com

I made these bookends in 4th grade woodshop and my mother kept them. The colonial ladies were cut with a bandsaw and applied to the wooden backs. I cut the lid from a large can of tomatoes in half and nailed them on the bottom to hold the books in place. In another 100 years they will be folk art.

Rose O’Neal, 11, uses a crosscut saw in a miter box to cut rails for a step stool she is building in a class at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. Woodworking Classes for Kids - NYTimes Teaching children construction is gaining momentum across the country as a way to develop imagination and confidence in the very young. Watch a wonderful slideshow with 15 pictures and captions after you read the article. I am very excited about this new trend. Kids today don't learn enough practical skills to carry them through life and the trials and tribulations of homeownership and homemaking.

I think a carpenter is practically the best thing you can be in life. I took home economics starting in the 4th grade too. I know there were several other girls in my woodshop class but I don't remember any boys in home ec. These classes were in public school and I'm so glad they were offered.

Vintage Cast Iron Pan/Wok by Michael Lax

This is Mother Nature's April Fool joke---it's snowing.

Vintage Copco Cast Iron Wok w/ Side Handles. Use on top of the stove or in the oven. I can't put my old wok in the oven because it has a wooden handle.  I'm thrilled that the lid fits perfectly on this estate sale $7.00 pan.

I've used this pan every single day since I got it over 2 weeks ago. Fried eggs are the best and so is any kind of stir fry. I've baked in it too. You can really cook anything you'd cook in a cast iron frying pan only this is easier because of the sloped sides.

COPCO - Michael Lax Design - Denmark He was an Industrial Designer and his work is very sought after by collectors of mid-century modern. I simply can't understand why anyone would get rid of this wonderful piece of cookware. Now that it's mine I can see myself getting rid of the pans it is replacing.

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.

EAT MY WORDS ~ This Book Looks Good

"It’s a wonderful book which reaches far beyond recipes (or receipts as they were called long ago) and into the social lives of women, the struggle for equality in regards to learning how to read and write, and the struggle of women to become published authors." via

Embroidery of a Homemaker

It's the story of a happy home told in embroidery. via

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Rhododendron Floral Wallpaper

So beautiful: "Rhododendron Floral wallpaper" Via



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1915 Architectural Design for The American Foursquare

The American Foursquare: Click to enlarge any photo.
The American Foursquare was built between 1890 and about 1935. After 1900, it was one of the most popular house styles in both rural settings and on small city lots. They were sensible two- to two-and-a-half-story homes that were economical to build, comfortable to live in, and aesthetically pleasing in their simplicity. The Foursquare takes its name from its simple, cubic shape and floor plan which is divided into quarters on each floor.

I predict that this post will be as popular as the 1917 Architectural Design for A Colonial Home to Cost $12,500. with house plans. Which is your favorite?




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Young Kitchen Helper

I though I'd end the day with this fabulous image of a young helper in a fabulous open-ended kitchen. I had a great day today...hope you did too. Goodnight.




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