Pale Pink Geranium

I'm doing better with my indoor gardening than the outdoor kind.

I'm enjoying the no-weed factor of house plants in the summer. My geraniums that are outside aren't doing nearly as well as the ones I have inside. 

Fashion Quote

This made me laugh. via

Today's House Tour

This barn-style house was surrounded by wildflower meadows.

I wandered through the middle on a path.

The gardens were lovely too. There were numerous baskets full of home-grown vegetables near the garages but I didn't see the kitchen garden.

I love the broken stone patio on one side of the pool. I was inspired to come home and pull weeds and got one large garbage can full before I quit because I was hot. I'll repeat tomorrow. xo

Mourning Dove this Morning

I love these birds.

Summer Rolls with Sunflower Seed Pate

These rolls are part sushi, part taco, and part spring roll, but all in all they are 100% delish! It's a good idea to have a big batch of the sunflower pate on hand so that you can whip out a roll whenever the urge hits.

Dinner - Summer Rolls with Curried Pate

Recipe: (makes 8)

3/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds, soaked overnight and drained

1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Liquid Sweetener (I would omit this)
1 tsp. Curry Powder
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
A Pinch of Chili Powder

8 or so Chard Leaves (I will use Romaine Leaves)

1/2 Mango, cut into match sticks
1/2 Bell Pepper, cut into match sticks
1 Beet, grated
1 Carrot, cut into match sticks
1 Avocado, sliced
Handful of Sprouts (I used sunflower)

Procedure:

1. Begin the right before by soaking the sunflower seeds. The next day drain them and puree along with the spices, garlic, and sweetener until the mixture resembles pate.

2. Arrange a small log of pate on each chard leave and top with assorted veggies. Roll up like a burrito. 

Image Source and Recipe

Electrical outlets in baseboards.

I wish I had my outlets down low like this. I think they are an eyesore no matter where they are placed, especially if you have paneled walls. I honestly didn't think of putting them down low when my house was being rewired. I anxiously await the day when all lamps are wireless, just as they appear in interior design magazines where they have been photoshopped. Wouldn't that be nice? photo source

Beautiful Chickens

I love the colors and patterns of their feathers! via

An amazing courtyard.

The following text is translated from the original Spanish -- "In the trellis attached to the wall in this area dwarf orange trees were planted and, with them, a cypress. The lemon in the foreground inhabited the house before reconstruction. Simple iron furniture works well on the brick patio." via
I'm impressed with how nicely this wall grid system works instead of the customary stretched wires usually used for espalier fruit trees.

Manners and Paint by Numbers Art

I like this illustrated quote. via

This takes me back. I got a paint by numbers kit every Christmas for as long as I can remember when I was a kid. I like this one. People collect these now, you know. via

The vintage paint by numbers artwork looks perfect here, doesn't it? via

DIY Weed Spray

I got this in my email this morning from a friend who lives nearby. I think she's trying to tell me something in a nice way. I have seen all sorts of recipes for homemade weed spray but never this one. I sprayed RoundUp on my driveway twice last year and worried about what I might be doing to my health the whole time. I was covered head to toe and had a bandana over my nose and mouth. I honestly don't think it's worthwhile because the weeds came back. This recipe has nothing harmful in it so I shall make it and let you know if it works. I have all of the ingredients on hand too, though I might have to buy more vinegar. I am so excited!

Weed-Be-Gone

1 Gallon Vinegar

2 Cups Epson Salts

1/4 Cut Dawn Dish Soap (the Blue Original)

It will kill anything you spray it on. Just mix and spray in the morning after the dew has evaporated. Walk away. Go back after dinner and the weeds are all gone!

This sounds too good to be true but it's worth a try. Have a great weekend everybody. xo

The Wisdom of Shakespeare

I love the graphic that illustrates this quote by William Shakespeare. Everything went well at my Certificate of Occupancy inspection today and the carpenter bee treatment. We had some fierce blowing rain late this afternoon and I had quite a time cleaning up my wet floors and windowsills. I had open windows all over the house and couldn't close them quickly enough. It really cooled things off for my after supper walk with the Wonder Dog. 

I found a photo of the bedroom in the house where my new love seats once lived. I'm still over the moon with joy over them. Webster is still being a perfect gentleman and is respecting them too. 

My tall brass lamps were once in the dining room of this lovely house.

Here are the furnishings in my cottage for those of you who missed my previous posts.

I think everything looks perfectly cozy at my house, don't you? Enjoy your Friday evening. I'll be stretching out on the love seat by the window pretty soon, watching my small television. I changed the artwork to the right of the window. See photo here. See you tomorrow. xo

Stately Fern

I took this photo of a lone fern standing against leaves of a darker green a couple of days ago. I loved the way it stood out with its lighter shade of green. Ferns are my among my favorite wild plants. I have a busy day this morning with another inspection and a carpenter bee treatment at the early blue house. See you later. xo

Country Kitchen in Summer

Nothing says summer better than watermelon and peaches, right? via

Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II | Page 80

This makes me want to finish my weeding. I never did finish the front. We are supposed to have rain for the weekend and I've been waiting for a rainy day to loosen them. xo

For Sale: Renée Zellweger’s Old House in Connecticut

Click here for slideshow from Architectural Digest.

The clapboard exterior of Renée Zellweger’s 18th century Connecticut retreat.

The primarily white kitchen has butcher-block countertops. I wouldn't want this half-wall looking into the formal dining room. I wouldn't want to look at the hanging pot rack in the kitchen from the dining room. 

The Quinebaug River runs through the property.

A Gerdener's Perfection

I would never be able to have anything this perfect without a full-time gardener. Real gardeners are hard to find that can work alone without supervision. via

Webster is still playing nice.

I still can't believe my good luck with Webster and Tabitha and the new furniture in my living room. I have stopped putting barricades in front of the sofas at night because Webster knows his place in the world of new furnishings. I'm not sure how Tabitha is going to behave this winter but we'll see. For now, when I bring her inside she's happy on a blanket on my bed. It was very chilly last night and she slept there all night and went out first thing this morning. We are having delightful weather and the high today is supposed to be only 79° and it feels like the beginning of fall instead of the end of July! Having all the windows wide open is my idea of heaven. See you later. xo

I finished my lawn trimming.

I had a very busy day on Saturday and finished trimming with my electric weed whacker in both the front and the back. Tabitha watched. I'm happy to say I'm all caught up on my mowing and trimming but still have to hand weed the wood-chipped area on the other side of the front walk. It rained last night so the crab grass will be easy to hack out. There's no end to yard work, is there? 

Love this Kitchen

I love the floor. It looks like cork tiles which I love because they are so easy on the feet, legs, and back when standing for long periods. This is a great layout and I wouldn't change much. I would want a sink the width of the window even though there's another in the island. I would probably skip that one for a deep double sink under the window. Wish I could see the rest of the room. via

Wonderful Period Interior

So understated and simple. Love the colors. via

About Time - A Delightful Movie

Click here if you can't see video below.

I woke up way too early this morning and treated myself to a movie on my iPad. I wasn't at all sure I was going to like it, but ended up loving it. It was a long one too, a little over two hours and that was a huge plus since I didn't want it to end. It takes place in Cornwall, England and London. Here's the review on Rotten Tomatoes. I loved the English family and their delightful house and property. Bill Nighy plays the father. Watch it if you can. Trust me, you'll love it. xo

Corn on the Cob for Two

Have you had any good corn this year? via

Have a Restful Weekend

This looks like an ideal place to wile away the weekend with a good book. I just finished Every Last One by Anna Quindlen and loved it. In a nutshell - it's a novel about facing every last one of the things we fear the most, about finding ways to navigate a road we never intended to travel. photo credit

Great Cabin Cottages

I can hear the porch swing creaking now. I'll bet it's wonderfully cool inside with all that shade. It's nice being able to sit in the front too. via

This cabin porch in Charlottesville is perfect, isn't it? It's like being inside and outside at the same time. via