Blue Stamps in A Frame

I thought Sweet Paul had a good idea when he picked out all of the blue stamps from a Brimfield score and framed them. Old stamps are miniature works of art themselves and almost everyone has a stash of them stuck in a drawer somewhere in the house. Let's get them out and display them.

Cold Again

Webster and I just got back from our last walk and I had to run back and grab my ski hat and mittens to go with my down jacket and scarf. The wind is howling and it's very cold. All the fruit growers are worried about the blossoms on their trees. It's supposed to get down into the 20s and it feels like winter again. This is a porcelain cold water faucet handle from my box of vintage hardware. How's the weather at your house?

Window Seat Flanked by Two Great Cupboards -- Creative DIY Project

 

You can create a custom built-in look by connecting two pre-fabricated hutches on two sides of the room, and then connecting them with a custom window seat and with the same trim. What a great idea! via

A Scene in An English Garden

I found this saved photo and don't know the source. My notes tell me it was a garden scene in Wiltshire, England. It's lovely, isn't it? Have a great week.

Barn Turned Greenhouse

I would say this is pretty wonderful, wouldn't you? I dearly love the awning windows. via

A Fallen Flicker

 

This Northern Flicker just fell dead from the sky yesterday and landed right in the middle of the place where I sit in my  Adirondack chairs in the way back. I don't usually do post-mortem photography but I decided to take photos of this beautiful bird before moving him to a more out of the way spot. I turned him over to reveal the yellow flight feathers on these birds here in the east. Out west they are red. Click on the link to learn more about this woodpecker and listen to his call. I'd still like to know what happened to this poor Flicker.

Wonderful Bird Bath

Someone is all set for spring and Easter. I love this old cast cement bird bath, don't you? It looks like one that will never spring a leak and can stay outside all year long. via

Taxes are Boring

We've been at this for 3 days straight.

When we could be outside doing fun stuff.

Wake me when the taxes are finished.

Guess what?!! I'm We are finished. Webster will be so happy tomorrow. He's sick of all the filing, calculating, shuffling through papers, pencil sharpening, highlighting, and especially the shredding. The only fun part for him will be the ride in the car to the post office on Monday. Whew. I'm glad that's over for another year.

Red Barn with Garden

I took this photo several years ago in Basking Ridge, NJ. It wasn't that far away from a great old farmhouse so the homeowner could run outside and tend the garden easily. Don't you just love barns that become garages, potting sheds, and great dry storage lofts?
I can see the light at the end of the tax tunnel.

Just before spring.

Some of the trees in my area have buds and some don't. My grass is greener than this barnyard and I already feel as if I'm behind in my yard work. My riding mower is being picked up on Tuesday for a spring tuneup. I'm in solitary confinement on the third floor this weekend until I finish my taxes. I was hoping for a rainy day but it's gorgeous. Webster has been offering moral support and keeping me company up there with his head on the windowsill looking longingly outside wanting me to finish too. I'm pretty organized [finally] and I'm on the homestretch.

North Fork winter scene, by Howie Guja

MAD MEN : How many ways can you say WHAT?

Click here if you can't see the video. The new season starts on Sunday at 9PM with a 2-hour premier after an absence of 17 months...way too long. Are you a fan of MAD MEN? More videos here on the AMC 'Mad Men' website.

Eleanor Roosevelt and her fabulous sense of humor:

“I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: ‘No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.’” -Eleanor Roosevelt

via

Life's Little Instruction Book, Volume II, Pages 50 and 51

 

 

It's been a long time since I posted any of these great pages from one of my favorite books. Aren't you glad I remembered?

More Daffodil Twins

The daffodils I photographed yesterday wanted you to see their profiles.

via

Papercutting to The Max -- Video -- Elaine Penwell

ElainePenwell
Don't fail to visit her website. She.is.amazing!

Great Sun Porch

I love the fireplace in this room. It's time to start thinking about moving outside again with the nice early spring weather we've been having. I think the lawn mowing season is just around the corner and way too early if you ask me! via

The Daffodil Twins

Every year the daffodils of spring delight me in the woods and naturalized areas around my cottage. I photographed these twins with my iPhone this afternoon under overcast skies with no shadows.

"When I bought my farm, I did not know what a bargain I had in the bluebirds, daffodils and thrushes; as little did I know what sublime mornings and sunsets I was buying." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Andy Warhol's Art

via

Albino Peacock Showing Off

The white peacock (or white peafowl) is a color variety of the Indian Blue Peacock. photo by Silvain de Munck

Beautiful Puffy Clouds Today

After a chilly beginning the day got prettier and prettier. The sun came out and big white puffy clouds rolled in after lunch. I snapped these with my iPad from the balcony. 

By the way, it's been a week since I got my weighted hula hoop and I can do over 100 twirls now before it goes out of control. I try to pick it up and keep going and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'm not sore anymore and my bruises are diminishing thanks to applications of Aspercreme. Did you know that stuff takes bruises away quickly? It really does. I'm having fun with the hoop and at night I put it on the 'good' sofa and it keeps Webster from sneaking on it for some quality sleeping during the night. So it's a dual purpose device [smile].
UPDATE: This morning I did 161 consecutive twirls on the balcony in my pajamas. It's just easier to go outside instead of moving furniture in my cottage.