Simple Kitchen

It's really all you need, isn't it. I'd much rather have the window wall and door to the outside instead of all the overhead cabinets in my own kitchen. Do you have too much stuff too? I am a minimalist with hoarding tendencies :(

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Our Favorite Royals

Isn't this the best photo of our favorite royal couple? Is that a glint of steely resolve in her eye? Love the gold and red and blue of his uniform in the corner too. via Pinterest

French Bulldog Puppy on French Toile

This could possibly be the cutest dog on the planet.

Cat Lookout

I usually post dog pictures but this fat cat really caught my eye. Cats can find the most precarious places to relax, can't they? Can this slingshot branch possibly be comfortable or is he out on a limb?

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Little Library Ladder for Books Stored Everywhere

This would be a very handy library for many uses around the house, wouldn't it? I love this passageway library with a brick floor too. I could spend many happy hours before the fire reading on that sofa.

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Don't Forget to Close the Gate

This image made me smile. Don't you love the natural archway formed by the trees? Would you go through the gate or around it? The beaten path suggests the former.

Where Did August Go, Quack Quack?

Can you believe it's September already? I am always sad to see August go because once we celebrate Labor Day the rest of the year seems to fly by faster than I can keep up. 

Have a ducky day.

Charming Country Kitchen

Sweet, isn't it?
via Small Place Style

Library Cupboard with Ladder | Wonderful

I absolutely love this custom library cupboard with a rail and library ladder. Aren't the drawers, secretarial slices and closed cupboards below nice too? Sigh. Every home needs one.

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Are Your Roses Still Blooming?

Pink roses are my favorite. How does your garden grow on the last day of August?

Come to The Side Door

 

I've always been attracted to gable end details on houses. Don't you like this sweet little side entrance? I like that awning transom window on the front too. I slept very soundly last night. See you later.

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Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II, page 44

More wonderful advice from H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I love this little plaid book that tells us what he told his son.

Restful Bedroom

My mind is still racing too fast to get a really good night's sleep. Plus I've been waking up way too early. Wish I could sneak off and at least get a decent nap in this lovely bedroom. Things are almost back to normal but not quite.

My thoughts and prayers are in Vermont right now. I can't believe what my eyes are seeing on the newscasts. 

I hope everyone will see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.

Wrath of Irene near My Cottage

I haven't done too much today due to my busy day yesterday. This is a photo I took yesterday 11 properties away from me when I tried to check on my listing on the other side of this stream over the road. I couldn't get there from the other side either because there was a telephone pole over the road. Those poor people lost power in the wee small hours Sunday morning and it has not been restored yet and the road is still impassable. I can see the driveway on the other side of the river and it's high and dry which is encouraging to me. Here are a few more photos in a Web Album I uploaded. Now do you see why I feel so fortunate? Thanks for all of your comments and well wishes. I shall answer them in time.

I'm Back from The Basement

Illumination on paper faux parchment. The letter B is gilded with fine gold leaf and is painted in egg tempera, pigments and egg yolk. via studioartemesia

I woke up early Sunday morning (hurricane Irene day) to some water in the basement, the Amazon River flowing past my house into the wetlands, and a day of hard work ahead of me. 

Luckily we had power so I set up my pumps, got the big wet vac out of the garage, put on a pot of coffee and did not stop for one minute until almost 7pm.

This letter seemed perfect for my post today since it is my initial, and also signifies that I'm back from the basement. 

The sun is shining brightly and all of my sticks have been picked up. I have fans and dehumidifiers set up downstairs so all in all everything seems to be back to normal. The water coming into the house was more of a seepage problem than anything. Just enough to be a royal pain in the *#@! if you know what I mean.

I hope all is well with all of you. xo

Big Little House

I think this house is lovely, don't you? The proportions are perfect. I love that it still looks big and grand but it's actually a small house in disguise. via

So far, so good today. The banding effect of the storm has been an on again/off again rain. The worst is supposed to be at my cottage tomorrow morning around 7:30. Sometimes I think being ultra prepared keeps things at bay. Be safe and I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.

Lovely Office for Two

I really love this fabulous desk for two, especially all of the delicious cubbies. I've been organizing my upstairs (third floor) studio getting ready for our town's once yearly trash pickup and auction at the firehouse. Anyone who stops by is given something to take away. Good stuff too. How many laptop bags does one person need? I have at least 3 of every item that was ever produced. What I can't give away or donate goes to the curb at the end of September. via

Yellow Bird at My Cottage | Goldfinch

 

A beautiful goldfinch paid me a visit this morning at the cottage. I woke up at 6:45 to a power outage for no reason. When I called it in on my cell they said a substation was out and 3,000 other customers were having the same problem. Luckily I have a gas stove, matches, and a stovetop coffee maker. Mornings without coffee are not an option. It came back on at 8:45. I would have made a lousy pioneer woman.

I have some giant black flexible piping in the garage that I am going to cut and attach to all of my downspouts to keep Irene's rain away from the house. I have a million other things to do too.

Stay safe.

Mexican Lasagna | Vegan Recipe Gluten Free

Marly’s Mexican Lasagna, Oh My!
via One Green Planet

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package fajita seasoning
1 package soy crumbles
½ cup water
½ cup corn meal
1 package tofu, firm or extra firm
1 medium avocado, chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt to taste
2 – 3 cups salsa
18 corn tortillas (6″)
1 package vegan “cheese”, shredded
Preparation:

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. In cook-speak that means, heat your oven to 350 F.

1. ”Meat(less) Sauce”

Sauté onion and garlic in a skillet with the oil until tender. Add soy crumbles* and fajita seasoning. Next, add 1/2 water and corn meal to the mixture, stir to combine and cook on low for 3 – 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

* You can use vegan soy crumbles from a package or sometimes I will use 2 – 3 Boca burger patties that I break apart using a spatula. If you’d like a non-soy (or gluten-free) ingredient 2 cups of cooked lentils can be used to replace the soy crumbles and will work perfectly!

2. ”Guac Sauce”

Add tofu, avocado, chickpeas, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to your food processor and mix until well-combined. You may need to add a little bit of water to the food processor to get the Guac Sauce to a desired consistency.

Assembly:

Layer One: Spoon some of the salsa into the bottom of a 9 X 12 baking pan. Place 6 corn tortillas over the enchilada sauce. Spoon half of the “Meat Sauce” over the tortillas, followed by half of the “Guac Sauce.”

Layer Two: Add another layer of corn tortillas followed by half of the grated vegan cheese and a layer of salsa. Follow that by spreading the remaining “Meat Sauce” followed by the remaining “Guac Sauce.”

Topping: Finally, top with one more layer of corn tortillas. Cover with remaining salsa and add remaining shredded vegan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese melts.

This looks perfect for a hurricane weekend. Yum.

Dogs on Chairs and Birds on the Wall

I scanned this image from a magazine years ago because I have these first edition 1878 Studer bird prints I used to sell on eBay and I love the way they look on a wall. I uploaded all of the antique prints to a Picase web album HERE. You can also view the link as a slideshow. Let me know if you have any interest and maybe we can make a deal.

First Edition Antique Lithographs from
STUDER'S POPULAR ORNITHOLOGY;
THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA
published by JACOB H. STUDER and CO.,COLUMBUS, OHIO 1878

Stay safe.