Red Tulips in White Ironstone Pitcher

The red tulips from Jill are lovely and they really stand up straight. I don't own many vases. I usually run for a pitcher or this ironstone coffee pot. Don't look too closely at the dust circles on the top of my bookcase. [my photo]

Hooked Rug with Not Quite White Owls

Not Quite White

21" x 27"

#8 and #6 cut wool on linen 

Designed and hooked by 

Karen Larsen

Crows’s Foot Farm Designs 

Elliottsburg, Pennsylvania 

2012

I recently reconnected with an old friend from this area who now lives in Pennsylvania. She has been hooking since 2006 and one of her original rug designs is on the November/December 2012 cover of Rug Hooking Magazine. 

Read about why these owls are "Not Quite White" in a portion of the article Creating White from Colors. I think she did a wonderful job, don't you? Her home was just photographed for an upcoming feature in Rug Beat. The owl rug looks beautiful on her dining room wall.

Image: IMPACT XPOZURES

Works of George Eliot

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. George Eliot." 

I couldn't agree more ~ Quote from  'Mr. Gilfil's Love Story,' Scenes of Clerical Life, 1857 

[my photo, my books]

Christmas Wreath on Cottage Door

I put the wreath on my front door a couple of days ago after I gave the outside a good cleaning. A red bow looked too garish for me so I left it unadorned. Yesterday I got some beautiful flowers with a big white bow and quickly put it between two pinecones. It looks amazingly perfect, doesn't it? To me it represents the purity of my mother's spirit. [my photo]

Tulips and Spatterware

White tiger tulips in a blue and white spatterware pitcher. My friend Jill brought them to me to remember my mother. They get more beautiful each day and she says they are very long lasting.

A Sweet Kitchen

Sometimes I wish I had done a cooktop and built-in oven below in my kitchen. It makes for a more seamless countertop. I like open shelves for other people but for me, I prefer closed cabinet doors in the working part of the kitchen. via

DIY Stamped Christmas Wrap w/ Tutorial

I've always been a fan of brown paper Christmas wrap and love the idea of carving a custom stamp to decorate it. Fabulous tutorial here. Once you make your stamp, it can be used for gift tags, Christmas Cards, Christmas ornaments, and you could probably even decorate cookies with it. 

Garden Arch, Regents Park, London, England. What a lovely place to sit and reflect. via

Beautiful Double Door in Italy

Wonderful old door in Rome. You can't fake patina like this! via

Sunless Days

This word describes the weather we've been having lately. Tomorrow is supposed to be very cold. I want to finish clipping my boxwood so they will all match. I sort of quit in the middle for some reason. I never put everything back in place after storing things before the hurricane either. I want to replace the tops on the birdbaths because they look nice filled with snow.

Thank you again for helping me with your wonderful words. We all have to deal with letting a loved one go at some point in our lives. My mother and I both knew her time was at hand and she told me she was not afraid. Even though her body was weak, she was strong of spirit up to the end. She was even able to climb into my big car with the running board to go to the nursing home. She walked inside with my help but we didn't get too far before she agreed to ride to her room in a wheel chair.

Because she was a nurse herself she was able to convey her appreciation of any kind care she was given and everyone admired her for that. There aren't many thank yous and hugs given to professional caregivers by the patients these days. My mother didn't forget. She made me proud and I always tried to make her proud too.

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