Finally, We See the Sun

We still have some dark clouds for the sun to hide behind, but when it comes out it is a glorious sight to behold after two days of torrential rain. More is on the way and the weather people say this year's month of June is on its way to becoming the wettest one in history. April was the second driest in history. There is no such thing as predicting the weather nowadays, is there?

Tabitha is catching up on eating the special tough grass she loves. Have a great weekend. my iPhone photos

Thirsty Pigeon

Great photo of a pigeon drinking directly from a fountain by Johannes Rebling via

Fabulous New Hampshire Traditional Home

New Hampshire mountain home built and decorated with antiques by a transplanted Texas couple with fabulous taste.

Lovely hallway appointed with antiques, oriental rugs and books.

Tiger maple secretary bookcase filled with lusterware pitchers and other wonderful things. You will be thrilled with this wonderful article in Traditional Home Magazine with a 22-photo slideshow. I had to contain myself from putting all of them on my blog. Click here for my favorite house tour ever.

Small Kitchen Love

It's small but powerful, isn't it? I love this jewel of a kitchen that is simultaneously compact, efficient and open.  Mona Hajj Interiors, Baltimore via

Raindrops on my window

It is getting brighter outside and the rain has subsided somewhat. Maybe the two solid days of rain that have been predicted will blow over and the forecast will change. Or maybe it won't. We are all having a lazy day so far at the cottage. Tabitha is curled up in a tight ball on my unmade bed and Webster is stretched out at my feet. I haven't done anything productive yet except run around closing windows. I think I should try to do something meaningful soon. my iPhone photo

Laundry Day by Andrew Wyeth

This makes me want to hang out clothes even though I can't since I lost the tree that held up one end of my clothesline. I still plan on having a post set in the ground to take its place but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I might even get one of those upside-down umbrella contraptions, and I might not. We are having another rainy day so hanging out laundry wouldn't even be a possibility. I washed all the windows and doors and screen on the outside of my lower level yesterday and one was in the laundry room. I think I'll do the insides today. I don't like to wash windows on a sunny day because it seems like drudgery. For some reason, I am in a cleaning mood so I must keep up the momentum. See you later. Google Images

Courtyard Bedroom

Wouldn't you love to wake up in this bedroom behind the French doors? I would sleep with them wide open to enjoy the breeze and the fragrance of the plants. Tabitha wouldn't wake me up either because she could go in and out and in and out at will. I love the courtyard squares with the grass or moss or creeping something in between. via

Rainbow over My Cottage Yesterday

It was really a double rainbow as you can see from the upper right corner but I was on my balcony and couldn't get far enough away to get both on my iPhone. I think it was a good omen for my new listing yesterday. The owner got a great shot on her phone and until I saw hers I didn't even know it was a double one. That means good luck for both of us, right?

First Honeysuckle This Year

I spotted the first honeysuckle of the season on Webster's after dinner walk last night. I love it and the scent is heavenly. my iPhone photo

Delightful Children's Bedroom

Click photos to enlarge.

I have been very busy with real estate last week and this week with a new listing that went on the MLS yesterday. This is one of the bedrooms shared by two little girls. Isn't it fabulous? I had a broker open house today and everyone loved it. Cross your fingers for me and the sellers. my photos

Copper Measuring Cups

I have a set of these heavy copper measuring cups with brass handles and I love them. You can melt butter on the stove and they stand up to the high heat without warping. One thing puzzles me though. There is no 1/3 cup. The set of 4 includes 1 cup, 3/4 cup, 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup. Mine are hanging on the side wall of a cabinet and I use them all the time....except when I need 1/3 cup of something. via

Sleeping Bunny

Pretty soon I'll be on my side snoozing too. It has been a long rainy day and even though I was able to squeeze in a nap, I am still sleepy. See you in the morning. via

Landfill Harmonic: Uses Instruments made from garbage.

A friend just sent me this video about a town in Paraguay that recycles and sells garbage. The beautiful music you will hear is from instruments made for the children using oil drums and other parts pulled from the landfill. You won't believe your ears. Click here if you can't see the video below.

Poverty can't keep these musicians down.

Princess Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace 1945 by Cecil Beaton

Princess Elizabeth by Cecil Beaton, Gelatin silver print, Buckingham Palace, March 1945, Museum no. E.1361-2010 National Portrait Gallery. via She was born in April 21, 1926 so she was almost 19 in this loveliest of portraits. She's still beautiful at age 87 too. Long live the Queen.

My Missing Trees

As you can see the three trees I took down after Hurricane Sandy were at the end of their life spans. I was worried that I would miss them and that my balcony would get too hot in the summer. They were hollow in the middle and had some sort of fungus. I decided to have them cut down for peace of mind after one of the giant trees in the woods came down and hit my balcony railing and grazed the house. I still get very nervous when there are high winds.

It has turned out so much better than I ever imagined because my wonderful view has opened up the big sky. I love sitting outside at night enjoying the stars. The angle of the sun is never too intense and the house ends up shading the balcony as the sun moves to the west after lunch. I had the stumps ground but I never planted grass seed. I'll seed the three bare spots in the fall and next year it will be perfect. I might transplant some clover that is growing in my gravel driveway for some instant ground cover that should spread nicely. I took the bottom photo just a few minutes ago on this fabulous Sunday morning. Tabitha got me up a few minutes after 6:00 so I put her outside with her food dish. Poor Webster had to wait for me to get up again to be fed. I went back to bed and didn't get up until 9:00. It was wonderful to sleep without a cat poking me to wake up. Enjoy this beautiful day.

I never want anything this awful to happen to my cottage ever again.

I was lucky. It could have been so much worse if the tree had been even one inch taller.

English House with Wattle Fence and Handmade Gate

This looks so nice in the morning mist. I have always wanted a woven wattle fence. via

A Row of Chickens

They must be waiting for their mistress to feed them and they can't see her coming because of the tall flowers. Solution: sit on the back of the bench and wait and stare and cluck. via

Rain Beaten Peonies

The unrelenting rain of the past two days really did a number on my peonies. They will look better when I trim them and pick up the fallen petals. I'm so glad it finally stopped. It is still very overcast but the sun is supposed to shine brightly later. If it doesn't, that will be fine as long as it doesn't rain again. Enough is enough. Hark---I see the sun and it's beautiful. Have a great weekend.

White Kitchens

White Kitchens for Design Inspiration from the archives of Architectural Digest: Click on link for a 23-photo slideshow. See preview below showing three kitchens I liked. All photos from AD magazine.

Decorator Karin Blake brought New England style to a home in Malibu, California. The large cabinet doors, featuring strap hinges and rat-tail pulls, are copies of ones Blake salvaged from a barn owned by the late actor George Montgomery. A circa 1890 cast-iron windmill weight, one of many pieces of Americana in the house, sits on the counter. (January 2008)

Decorator Darryl Carter is celebrated for his adept use of white (he even has his own line of predominantly neutral paints for Benjamin Moore), so it’s no surprise that he created a handsome ivory kitchen in a Washington, D.C., home he designed with architect Donald Lococo. Traditional cabinetry is enhanced by Calacatta gold marble counters and alabaster pendant lights, while reclaimed-oak beams add a rustic accent. (September 2012)

“White sets such a beautiful tone,” says decorator Suzanne Kasler of the color scheme she used in her refined Atlanta home, which she renovated with residential designer William T. Baker. The tile is by Waterworks, and the barstools are from Kasler’s line for Hickory Chair. Glass-front cabinets display tableware, while an adjacent wall of storage keeps other items out of sight. (April 2012)

Before and After Home Office + Library

WOW. What an amazing transformation. I love looking at before and after photos, don't you? via