All This and A Grass Tennis Court Too

This is almost too much to absorb. A fabulous old stone English country house with a walled garden, lovely sculpted plantings and a grass tennis court too. I'll take it without the tennis court please. Or maybe I'll convert it to croquet; that's more my speed.*

A Geranium + A Set of Antiquarian Books

My day has been very hectic so far with real estate showings and phone calls. I'm just now turning on my computer. I published many comments from my laptop this morning but haven't replied to any yet. Hope you're having a nice weekend. I only have one geranium in bloom right now. Doesn't it look nice against a background of antiquarian books with fine decorative bindings? See you later.

Snow in the French Alps + A Puzzle

When I see a photo like this cabin in the French Alps, I can't complain about my overnight snowfall. It was about 5" of light powder. Nothing I couldn't manage. We've had 4 snowstorms so far in 2011.

INTERESTING PUZZLE: This year we will experience 4 unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, and 11/11/11. Now take the last 2 digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be this year (in 2011). The total will be 111 ~ how is this possible?

And The Winner Is . . . Sharyn Sowell | Ramsign Giveaway

The winning comment for my Classic Enamel House Sign Free Giveaway from Ramsign is Sharyn Sowell from Mount Vernon WA, USA. Congratulations Sharyn (comment #4). Please contact me so I can forward your information to the company.

PS...I just went back and read her comment. Aren't you glad she won the sign? I know I am.
"Oh, how amazing! And how I'd love one of those signs. I am on the opposite side of the country but can't resist telling you my story about a cottage and a sign. We are bidding tomorrow on a cottage by the lake... it has been a secret dream of mine for more than 20 years. The 1915 cottage is completely derelict and absolutely forlorn which is how we can afford it. I won't bore you with the details but whether I win or not I think that sad little place needs one of these beautiful pieces as a sign of hope. There is restoration on the way for this ruin of a cottage that has been unloved for so long and is filled with garbage. A lot of elbow grease and sweat are ahead but someday I hope that I, too, will be content in a cottage! Thank you for this post. It's lovely."

UPDATE FROM SHARYN: I am back to tell you, Rosemary, and your sweet readers, that you are part of my dream come true. This afternoon (oh, could it really happen?!?) we learned that the offer was accepted, the little home in the woods will soon be ours. The sign will read "Hope Cottage." Rosemary,you wrote me this morning "Here is your sign of hope." Thank you, thank you, thank you. You were right. Literally.

www.ramsign.com

A Very Nice Mud Room

I love it all, inside and out. The door, the sidelight, the tall case clock, the wellies, the umbrella stand full of sporting equipment, the doorstop, the stone floor. Did I miss anything? *

Topiary Pyramids

English Gardening Lust. There are no other words. *

Piglet in A Pile of Puppies

Hey, where'd the guy with the pink nose come from? Nobody seems to mind so I guess this little piglet belongs in this pile of puppies. Everybody looks pretty cozy and warm, I'd say. So cute.

Decorated Stair Risers

I like both of these staircases. Which one do you like better, the yellow and white patterns or the library theme? The yellow stairs appear to be in a residential setting and the library stairs are probably in a book store or a publishing firm. via

There is still plenty of time to post a comment and enter the free giveaway for a beautiful enamel house sign from Ramsign.

Classic Enamel House Sign | Free Giveaway

I am very excited to announce that I am hosting a free giveaway of your choice of custom classic enamel signs from RAMSIGN. They are a small Danish company that specializes in manufacturing and selling the best house signs and house numbers money can buy based upon original designs and techniques.

They ship worldwide so this giveaway is not limited to any one country. Your name and email address will be sent to the company and they will contact you directly to see what style and color combination you would like.

These signs are beautiful, don't you agree?

They are perfect for both residential and business applications.

This free giveaway begins on Tuesday January 18th. I will close the comments in 48 hours on Thursday evening January 20th at 7:30pm EST and announce the winner on Friday January 21st. The winner will be emailed and should then reply with contact information so I can sent it to the company.

If you don't win, you can still place an order with RAMSIGN here. I'm honored they chose me to make this presentation. These signs make great personalized gifts too. The possibilities are endless.

Make a comment to be included in the free giveaway. Good luck one and all. Winner will be announced on Friday. One comment per person please.

Open to bloggers and non-bloggers alike. Figure out a way to register with a name and email address so I can contact you. I don't permit anonymous comments. Thanks for your interest in this amazingly generous give away!!!

Rain on A Snowy Day

This morning's icy mix has turned to rain and the cold drizzle is much worse than snow in my opinion. It makes the shoveling much harder because the stuff is now very heavy. One can only imagine what will happen overnight as the temperature drops. Winter has really been something so far, hasn't it? Stay warm.