A Kitchen to Adore

I absolutely adore this Los Angeles kitchen belonging to fashion designer Heidi Merrick. The vintage white porcelain stove is wonderful. The simple white cabinets with white marble countertops are perfect. And have you ever seen a better stack of wooden cutting boards? See more rooms here.

Barn Friends

They look pretty pleased to know one another, don't they? The log-cabin type structure is pretty amazing. I don't blame them for not wanting to get their hooves and feet in the snow.  via

New Stone Cottage

Castro Design Studio, Atlanta. It is much bigger than it looks too. Step inside and take the house tour here. Have a great weekend.

Sewing Mice by Beatrix Potter

"The mice stitching button holes." 

From The Tailor of Gloucester, Beatrix Potter, cira 1902. I never tire of looking at her delightful images. via

Love-ly View

Looking through a heart-shaped hole in the fence. So nice. via Have a great day!

Beautiful Half Moon

Goodnight dear friends. Webster, Tabitha and I are looking forward to our first night together with a normal routine and no Henry drama. Webster misses him but Tabitha does not. This is the phase the moon is in at my house....a nice half moon. It's an old moon growing smaller each day. It looks lovely in this setting, doesn't it? via

Sock Love.

I love wearing socks like this! via

Tabitha Has Her Old Life Back

 

Our little canine visitor went home late yesterday afternoon. Tabitha is rejoicing that she doesn't have to run to the attic any more as Henry's friendliness was not welcomed. He was just trying to get acquainted but that wasn't on Tabitha's list of things she wanted to do. She barely tolerates Webster after all these years. This attic lookout is in my kitchen over the opening to the living room. I took these photos yesterday morning when she was trying to determine if the coast was clear. As it turned out, it was not!

Adventurous Living

Here is an interesting slant on having an adventurous life and I like it. via

Decorating a Foyer?

I love what was done in this one. Need some other ideas? Click here.

Folly on a Bridge

via What a wonderful place to stand and enjoy the view from so many different directions. It's probably in England, agreed? Simply lovely.

Nanking Sauceboat c.1750 with Repairs

 

 

I have had the most fun recently viewing a wonderful blog devoted to repaired ceramics called Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair. Dealer/collector Andrew Baseman is especially fond of pieces with more than one form of early repair. This Chinese porcelain sauceboat has a metal replacement handle as its first repair. When it was dropped a second time, an 18th century china mender applied 9 metal staples. I have always been fascinated by these make-do repairs, the ultimate in early recycling.

Traditional Home

Whitestone Builders. Very nice for a new house. Not too big either.

Cute Puppy Warning

 

Can you smell my puppy breath? Wink.

via

Weeds, Woods and Snow

Walk and nap. That's what dogs do best, isn't it? I couldn't get a good shot of Webster and Henry playing in the snow so I took a few woodland photos. It has been a gray, overcast, lazy day. Very enjoyable too. My new year's resolution is to do one thing I hate daily, no matter how small. This translates into housework mostly. Maybe I'll strip the bed and put on fresh linens. Different linens too...not just washing and drying the ones that are on there now. That way I'll get the wonderful reward of sleeping between cool, crisp white sheets piled high with blankets.

My Books

Nothing earth shattering. Just playing around with my iPhone trying to master the Camera+ App. As you can see by the dots on the shelf, this was taken in a very low light situation. 

I woke up with this.

Dogs were barking and a cat was meowing but I really didn't want to leave my warm nest this morning. It was so cozy. I hope I'm not entering the New Year on the wrong foot. Everybody has been walked and fed and I have my coffee, so all's right with the world. Happy 2013! via

Best Fireplace Ever

Put me in that leather chair and let me toast myself in front of that wonderful fireplace! I would move the chess board so I could put my feet on the ottoman. I do love this room in a 15th century gatehouse in the Dordogne region of France. Tour here.

Welcoming 2013

Can't think of anything you want to change next year? Try the New Year's Resolution Generator.

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and may each New Year find you a better man." Benjamin Franklin

Melting Ice

I think this photo is stunning! via