Antique Wooden Bowl in Bathtub

What a great find. You could look forever and not find an oblong bowl that would fit within your bathtub but this old house owner did. Found on this Instagram account that is a delightful mix of authentic antique decor. Enjoy. xo

Egg Gathering Basket, Repurposed

I adore this presentation of bath items in a wire egg gathering basket. This would be so perfect to leave in a guest's room or guest bath. I am mad for baskets and would love to have this one. via

BEST DOG BOOKENDS

Do want! I adore these two good boys 🐾🐾 holding up the old books. via

Washboard Laundry Morning

I used this vintage washboard in the bathtub this morning to wash a few pieces of fleece clothing and it worked perfectly. You aren't supposed to wash fleece too frequently in the washing machine because it breaks down the material made from plastic bottles. Who knew? I don't really have a problem polluting the ocean because I have a septic. Anyway, I had too few clothes for a washer load and this was quick and easy and my things are dripping nicely on my balcony railing. Fleece always dried quickly. The original price $1.89 is written on top of this vintage laundry aid. I am glad I have it. Everything old is new again. xo

Teddy Bear Portrait

This is an old jointed teddy bear that usually sits in an antique child's chair in my cottage. I didn't notice that his left ear was turned back until I got back in the house after his photo session. I was just playing around with Portrait Mode on my iPhone 7+ and it is so easy and so much fun. It's an overcast gray day here at the cottage and pretty warm (55°) for February with rain coming this afternoon and continuing for a couple of days. Maybe I will get caught up on the three episodes of PBS programs I missed on Sunday night: Howards End, Sanditon, and Vienna Blood. I am enjoying all three. 

Great Laundry Room with Old Sink

I especially love the vintage porcelain sink with built-in drainboard. It looks perfect in this wonderful laundry room. The wall drying rack is nice too. via

Hello, September

Hello, September and hello all. Sorry I haven't been around for a while. My washing machine broke and cannot be fixed and I have had a really hard time finding a replacement. The part is no longer available (of course) and the repair man found one on eBay but it was $600. YIKES. I looked and looked and looked and absolutely could not find a front loader that would fit in the tight space in my laundry room. I settled on a Maytag front loader that will fit but it might not exactly line up with my dryer because I completely forgot about the shallow cabinets above. I might have to pull it out farther than the dryer in order to get the top open. I think it will be fine, fingers crossed. It is being delivered on Thursday. I am not at all excited about getting a new one and having to learn how to use it. Nothing is simple these days, right? Things don't last the way they used to and the manufacturers have planned obsolescence built in. I have gotten numerous tips by watching demonstrations on YouTube. Some of the comments are hilarious. My old one was a high efficiency front loader and I could see that it used very little water. My new one is HE too and all the comments were about the lack of water in the drum. It doesn't have the old-fashioned agitator that sticks way up either. My clothes are never very dirty except when I am down on my hands and knees in the garden. I have old work clothes so I don't care if they don't look brand new when they come out of the washer. Sorry to sound out of sorts. I am really fine and just wanted you let you in on what's going on in my life.

Enjoy the long Labor Day weekend. I am loving the cooler weather after a long hot spell. I am not ready to kiss summer goodbye, are you? I love fall except for the leaves which I never get raked until spring rolls around. I have learned the birds like it this way because they can find winter food underneath the leaf cover. I don't feed them so this is the least I can do for my feathered friends. xo

Vintage Chambers Range + Red Maple Sapling

I toured a smaller country colonial home yesterday that was a few streets over from me and loved the vintage Chambers range in the kitchen. It featured a well used griddle and two ovens. The last one I saw in a local home was ripped out when the house was demolished and probably ended up in the landfill. Boo hoo, but I have to confess it was not nearly as pristine as this one.

There was a nice size Japanese red maple seedling growing in the front pachysandra bed at this house and the listing realtor said I could have it. I couldn't pull it up but went back later with my gardening tools and dug it up. It is already thriving in my back yard near one of my bird baths. I am such a scavenger and I am always looking for something to transplant. The pachysandra roots had a stronghold on this little tree and it was much too close to the house to be allowed to grow in place. Lucky me. Now a little red tree has found true love and a new home.

I had a request to post a photo of the sapling so its growth can be recorded over the years. I have to be careful where I plant things with deep roots because my septic system is in my backyard. I need to scrub the birdbath and remove the algae buildup so the birds will be happy. We had rain overnight but I think it will stop around noon and just be an overcast day. 

Isn't this little tree a beauty? My grandmother, the master gardener, always said to put a fifty cent plant in a ten dollar hole and I followed her advice when planting this free tree. I can tell it's happy the way it sways in a gentle breeze.

Wonderful Bathroom with Two Sinks

via

There are so many things I love about this bathroom. Number one is the painted floor. Number two is the opening to a balcony. Number three is the two vintage pedestal sinks. Number four is the built-in cupboards. Number five is the black french doors with rollup bamboo shades. Now if I could only see the rest of the room.

UPDATE: I have the best followers. Lynette found the tub view for us. Thank you!!!

Vintage Laundry Sinks on Stands

I spotted these old porcelain beauties on cast iron stands at a Broker Open House earlier this week. I have a double porcelain sink in my own kitchen (click link to view) and would love to have these two for my finished basement. One for the laundry room and the other for the summer kitchen. I, personally, like having a laundry room in my basement. I have drying racks in the furnace room for the items I don't like to put in the dryer. Not pretty, but practical. I think one of the sinks above is being used as a drain for a dehumidifier. At one time the washer and dryer were down here but now they are upstairs in this antique house. I am probably the only real estate agent who toured this home and found beauty in the basement. Smile. xo

New England Gambrel Roof Cottage with Plans

See the house plans for this vintage New England cottage with a Gambrel Roof and more small homes with this barn-style roof here and larger homes here.

Double Sinks: Bathroom Love

Swoon. I couldn't love this more. via

Be safe this weekend if you are in a snow zone.

Vintage Attic Storage Idea

I love this attic print storage and art room. I have something similar in the attic of my cottage and am always looking for new ideas. via

Nursery Tales by Katharine Pyle 1918

Frontispiece: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

I love this sweet illustration by Katharine Pyle

1918 Book Cover

Title Page

This entire 1918 book has been uploaded as an ebook that you can read on a computer or mobile device. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mother's Nursery Tales, by Katharine Pyle. Click HERE to get started reading this delightful book. I adore the illustrations. You're welcome. xo

Vintage Halloween Costume Photos

I love looking at vintage photos from days gone by when Halloween costumes were homemade. See more here and find your favorite. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Vintage Postcards for Halloween

We are supposed to have a Nor'easter tomorrow but it's as calm as can be outside right now. It's supposed to start raining at midnight and continue all night and all day Saturday. Yuck. There was supposed to be a Halloween Parade in the neighboring town that's always a lot of fun but it has been canceled so I will continue mending my sweaters. I have worn two that I mended this week and felt as if they were brand new. I am very pleased with this project. Right now, I am looking forward to watching Penelope Keith's Hidden Villages in just a few minutes. See you tomorrow. xo

Washing Dishes: Jessie Willcox Smith

Thank God for dirty dishes;

they have a tale to tell.

While other folks go hungry,

we're eating pretty well.

With home and health and happiness,

we shouldn't want to fuss;

For by this stack of evidence,

God's very good to us.

~ Anonymous

I found this image and poem while searching on Pinterest. I love the beautiful blue and white Canton that this little girl is washing. Just look at the wear on the bottom. Maybe it wasn't valuable back in 1925 but now it's prized. I have quite a few pieces in my corner cupboard.

JWS is one of my favorite illustrators from the first quarter of the 20th century and this image is new to me. This little girl doesn't even have a step stool but has to balance precariously on a little ladder in old blue paint. I've been doing a lot of this lately but on a larger ladder, both outside and inside, dealing with my windows.

I have been a little distracted lately, since Sunday afternoon. I opened my car door for an errand and the car alarm started going off and I could not start my car. It completely shut down because it thought I was trying to steal it. I am still trying to figure out what to do. I stopped using my clicker about 10 years ago and never replaced it when the battery died. I have been using my key ever since. I am depending on friends for rides and will decide today what I should do. Will keep you posted. xo

Vintage Kitchen Items to Love

Who remembers the endless kitchen towel? This is so much better than a roll of paper towels for wiping your hands. Is it coming back? Let's hope so. I love this table beside the stove instead of a kitchen counter with a marble or granite top. It matches the windowsill too. I love all the vintage things on it; cutting boards, wooden spoons, ball jars with zinc tops and an old porcelain bread box.

Above: To be filed under why didn’t we think of that: beechwood plate rack modeled after hymnal racks in churches. They can also be used for displaying books and other objects. They look amazing mounted in long rows. Both images and resources found here.

DIY Fabric Shoe Bag to Love

I found this photo in a box of magazine clippings I've been saving and I still love. Sorry, there were no instructions. I made a shoe storage bag without a pattern years and years ago. I made it the width and height of my closet door and it was wonderful. My mother ended up with it in her condo in Charlotte before she came to live with me, so it lived a long life. We gave it to one of her friends so it's still being used. If you have some fabric that makes your heart sing (yes, there are such things), this is a great project for you. This one was designed around the width of the clothes hanger. The one I made had metal eyelets across the top for nails and the fabric was folded over several times for reinforcement to hold the weight. The one above illustrates the creative uses you can come up with for your own needs, such as storing and saving seed envelopes. 

I found a youtube video with instructions https://youtu.be/30idKV4qZnk - there is a link within for illustrated step-by-step instructions.

Vintage Pull Toy Rescue Today

I rescued this darling vintage pull toy in the original paint from a chance garage sale today. It has an original paper label on the bottom too and it was made in Bayshore, New York by A MERRY MAKER. It could be a baby duck but I'm calling it a baby chick because of the pointed bill. A small child would probably have more fun pulling it and making Quack Quack sounds though. I put it on Instagram too -- See all 6 photos here. I am looking forward to the final episode of ENDEAVOUR tonight on PBS. See you tomorrow. xo