Picked A Perfect Dahlia

I am just now getting a few dahlias. The summer heat and drought did not agree with them at all. I got lots of greenery but no buds until now. I'll take what I can get though. This one is particularly lovely. I had a very lazy Sunday. xo

My Deer Weathervane Finally Mounted

I had this vane on a barn at my former house. It has been stored in the loft over my garage since 2004. I had a large Chestnut tree cut down but left the stump about shoulder high. The tree was diseased with a weevil and the chestnuts were not edible. Even the squirrels wouldn't eat them last year. It was a very messy tree on the edge of my driveway always dropping something all year long. Tassels in the spring all over the roof over my kitchen and my car. They stained my balcony floor too. Then the pricker balls in the fall were especially painful to pick up after raking. Missy learned early on not to walk down the driveway after she stepped on a few. My handyman came today and flattened the mount and screwed it into the tree stump. I am thrilled. I can see this leaping deer from my side kitchen window. I am going to sprinkle black oil sunflower seeds on the stump when the weather gets colder. In the spring and summer I will put big pots of geraniums on either side. So happy.

Enjoy your Saturday evening and Sunday.

xo

Flamingo Portrait

This flamingo portrait is too gorgeous for words.

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I got an early start this morning and was at the plumbing supply store when it opened. I had to get oil for my boiler pump. I have hot water heat and cast iron radiators. The pump has to be oiled regularly and one of the holes is rather large and the internet says it requires 2 tablespoons of oil. There is no easy way to measure it so I asked my pal who manages the store if I could just keep putting oil until it overflowed. He laughed and said that was what most people do. I was thrilled. Then I made several more stops and was home before lunch time. I have been working nonstop doing things in preparation for winter. I organized and folded all of my woolen blankets and put them back in the storage area on top of my closet. It looks SO nice. I have my eiderdown comforter on my bed even though it isn't quite cold enough for it. I put away all of my summer clothes and organized my closet. I worked in my utility room finally putting away all of my painting supplies. I put all the paint from my recent projects and house painting in one container. I still have quite a few old paint cans I need to get rid of so I can have the shelf space. I'm on a roll and feeling good about being organized once again. Have a great weekend.

xo

Before & After Renovation in Raleigh NC

I just cannot get over how wonderfully this renovation turned out. Found on @christiandawdesign on Instagram. There are 4 photos for you to see and you will truly be amazed. The owners must be thrilled beyond words.

It's beyond wonderful.

xo

Potted Bulbs on Dining Table with Marble Top

So pretty. The shaped marble top looks like it sits on aa piano.

But it doesn't. It's actually a top for a dining table.

See it on a House & Garden UK magazine cover here.

See Emma Grant, London Interior Designer's Instagram HERE.

Another view of her table HERE.

xo

Purple Ornamental Kale: Replacing my Geraniums Outside

I put three of these in planters in my front garden after digging up and replanting my red geraniums to overwinter in front of the sliding glass door downstairs. When the long curtains are closed, that area becomes a greenhouse and the geraniums love it. I have always preferred ornamental kale to mums outside in the fall because they are cold tolerant and are still going strong long after the first hard frost zaps the mums. 

xo

Wonderful Restored Estate in Wales

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House & Garden UK has a great article about Penny Morrison's country house in Wales and a house tour. 

The designer Penny Morrison's magical Welsh home 

She is a London-based interior designer and you will love all of the rooms featured in this article. I found the bathroom photo above elsewhere and love the draperies. The scalloped cornice and the beautiful draperies have tiny ball fringe trim if you look carefully. Love them.

Enjoy the house tour.

xo

Bunnies Peeping Over The Tall Grasses

Tour this East Hampton home on Further Lane

HERE. The landscaping is amazing with very

little mowed lawn but lots of native plantings 

looking quite wile. Love it all♡🐰🌿

Washing Windows

I washed the outside windows on the front of the house today. Yesterday I washed the living room front windows inside.

It went beautifully. I used hot water with several squirts of Dawn Ultra and several drops of the rinse aid that came with my new dishwasher. I used my long pole lambswool applicator and then used my long pole squeegee without rinsing. Then I got up on my new ladder and went over the glass with a lint free dishcloth and then I polished with a microfiber cloth. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed this task I usually dread. Having the right tools and the right ladder made all the difference. I did my front door window too. 

Yesterday I worked in the front garden and cut my peonies down to the ground. I pulled up all the weeds and planted some purple flowering kale. I want to spread some wood chips tomorrow and the garden will be officially put to bed for the winter. Having nice weather was a big plus.

xo

Nantucket Cranberry Tart Recipe

Click HERE for Recipe and more photos.

Click HERE to jump directly to the recipe.

Doesn't this look delicious? 

I love anything cranberry and will definitely bake this when bags of cranberries appear in the stores. 

xo