DIY Hanging Embroidery Hoop Basket Tutorial

I might make some without the hoops with drawstrings for the upcoming farm-market season. Wonderful tutorial here.

Interesting Figural Wrought Iron Gate

I love seeing the artistry of a talented ironworker. This folk-art gate is dated 1963. It has held up well but it's missing a bell. If it were mine I would move the bottom bell to the middle if I couldn't find a suitable replacement. via

The Groundhog Has Spoken

6 more weeks of winter

Groundhog hibernation gave rise to the popular American custom of Groundhog Day, held on the second of February every year. Tradition dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow that day, there will be six more weeks of winter, though such a prediction seems a sure bet over much of the groundhog's North American range.
National Geographic photo

Mansion Gone to The Dogs

Where are all the humans? I'm lonesome. via

Another Painted Bathroom Floor

Here is another painted bathroom floor I had the pleasure of seeing in an old house I toured yesterday.

Paperwhites and Robins and Groundhog Day

It will be interesting to see what the groundhog sees tomorrow. What should we wish for? Another six weeks of the winter that wasn't or spring around the corner? Is there any difference at all this year? My lawn is full of big fat robins hopping all over the place and my indoor paperwhites are still going strong as you can see from my photo taken in this morning's sun.

Delightful Painted Floor | Old House Decor

I saw this delightful old-fashioned oval rug that was hand painted on the floor of a bathroom in a restored antique house yesterday.

my iPhone photo 

DIY Topography Pillows with Tutorial

I love quotes by Audrey Hepburn via

Tutorial via my pin on Pinterest

Dog Cache Pot

Snapped this morning at a wonderful realtor open house tour.

Owl's Eye View from Inside a Hollow Tree

I stuck my iPhone in an old hollow apple tree to get a view of what the owls and other animals see when they are on the inside looking out. It looks pretty safe and cozy in there, doesn't it? 

Calm Stream This Afternoon

I walked past the stream today and it looked completely different with blue skies and white clouds instead of the gray skies and fog I showed you last week. I love the blue reflection on the dark water. 

While we are on the subject of SWANS

Will it fit? Don't you wish we knew why this swan needed to be driven somewhere? And on the passenger side too! via

Ex-libris with Swans Circa 1907

From A collection of book plate designs by Louis Rhead, Boston, 1907. via

Webster on The Timeout Porch

"I promise not to make the lady sick."

I had a really good turnout at an open house I hosted today. I was doing it alone in an empty house so I decided at the last minute to take Webster along. It turned out to be a genius idea. He was Mr. Meet and Greet and [almost] everybody loved him. One lady said she was allergic so I put Webster on the sunporch. He did everything imaginable to keep this from happening. He made himself small and put on his dog brakes. He was in there for 10 minutes at most out of a 3 hour stint. He licked babies, played with little boys, kissed men and women both young and old. He was a great ice breaker too. From now on, he's my new assistant. He is exhausted from all the excitement and has already gone to bed after his early dinner.

Almost February in NJ or The Winter That Wasn't

We had winter in New Jersey in the fall during Halloween and since then it has been unusually mild. Maybe this is our reward for all the damage we suffered when we had a blizzard while all the leaves were on still the trees. Our poor mature trees are still suffering and losing branches and even whole treetops because of their October injuries.  I took this iPhone photo at a friend's house yesterday. I know I sound like a broken record mentioning the camera source in my posts but I still can't believe the capabilities of my mobile phone that's always in my pocket. Enjoy this beautiful Sunday!

Following the Already Traveled Path

I think these sheep are very wise to travel in the path made by a big vehicle instead of wasting calories forging a new one. Maybe it will take them closer to the barn filled with hay. via

Snowdrops in January

Mine haven't come up yet but few leaf tips are just barely poking through the  earth. I usually don't get them until February because they don't get any direct sun where they are planted at my house. I photographed these this morning at my friend's house. Snowdrops are always the first sign of spring. 

Architectural Elements This Morning

Webster and I fed the dogs of a friend this morning and I had such fun taking pictures with my iPhone while the animals socialized. As you can see we are having a wonderful spring-like weekend. Hope you are too. More later.

Garden Passage

Hidcote Gardens -- Cotswolds, England. Absolutely wonderful! Actually it's almost too lovely if that's even possible. Maybe that's why the French doors are there...so you can block some of it out when you can't absorb the enormity of it all. Wouldn't you love to sit on one of those benches and soak in the beauty? via Have a great weekend.

The Imperial March- Barked and Classical?

The Bark Side -- It's not the only Super Bowl ad evoking past hit movies. Volkswagen, which had a hit last year with its little Darth Vader ad, will be tapping into the Force once again with dogs barking out the Imperial March.


Darth Vader's Theme -- I wasn't sure what I was listening to at first with the dogs until I heard it played by an orchestra. I think they did a good job after I listened to the barking version again. It is going to be a Super Bowl hit!