Japanese Penguin goes shopping . . .

You will enjoy this Animal Planet movie about a shopping penguin in Japan.

My favorite things . . .

I can't believe this photo turned out so well. My wellies were on top of a windsor stool in my vestibule. I had just returned from the grocery store with my favorite apples ~ Ginger Gold from upstate New York. They snap when you bite them and are so tart and juicy. The best! This one had especially nice color so I sat it down in front of my favorite boots and snapped away.

I am very pleased with the way the apple "pops" against the dark background. I hope these apples are available for a long time. They are unwaxed and don't have those awful stickers. Just the way I like them.

Pretty soon I will be wearing these wellies each time I go out for a walk. The fall season will soon be in full swing. I am putting all the gardens to bed and am looking forward to another blogging season. My first one (summer 2008) was fabulous. I hope you will join me for my next chapter!

I am very happy that all of my favorite TV shows are starting up again too.

My kitchen has gone to the dogs . . .

Webster could never look directly at the camera when there was food before him!

He is the greatest pot licker in the East. I fixed scrambled eggs with cheese this morning and he thoroughly enjoyed the job of cleaning the skillet.

He wanted me to post the recipe for his favorite all-natural snacks.

WEBSTER'S HOMEMADE DOG TREATS
2-1/4 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry powdered milk
3 Tablespoons molasses
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 eggs
--------
Mix everything together and knead into a ball.
Place on a floured surface and roll to desired thickness.
Cut dough with cookie cutters (bone-shapes are available).
Sometimes I just roll into a log and slice.
You can prick your dog's initial with a fork. A "W" is easy.
Bake on greased cookie sheets for 20 minutes at 375.
Enjoy all the licks and kisses you will receive from your pet.

Don't have a pet? Boo Hoo!
Make some for your canine friends. All dogs love presents!

Gwyneth + Mario in Spain on PBS ~ Premiers 9/20 . . .

SPAIN - On the Road Again premiers on PBS the week of September 20th. The 13-week series begins tonight in some areas. In New York and New Jersey it is on at 3pm tomorrow (Sunday 9/21). That seems like an odd time slot to me ~ I am so glad I checked the schedule so I could set my DVR. How did we ever live without those great machines?

You can view the listings for your area on this PBS site and see lots of photos and video clips. I don't think you have to be a foodie to enjoy this program. The scenery looks amazing. The stars are Gwyneth Paltro, Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, and a Spanish actress named Claudia something. So that's two actresses and two chefs.

I hope you read this in time to see the first episode. I should have posted about it earlier. Better late than never. Enjoy!

FREE DOWNLOAD Seed Saving Envelope for 2008 . . .

Seeds are maturing everywhere in my garden. The cilantro berries are nice and big. I will harvest and save them for my culinary garden next year.

Friday is usually an off day for blog viewing so I decided to give something away. I made a pdf document of the seed saving envelope shown above. It is fresh off the presses...I designed it this morning. You will see that it prints beautifully in a nice large size. Use it for big seeds or as a master envelope for the smaller ones I made for you earlier in the year. Search for them on my blog. They are filed under "seedpacket pattern".

FREE DOWNLOAD ~ SEED SAVING ENVELOPE FOR 2008

Save some seeds this weekend and remember me!

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Collector's Kitchen with Transferware Backsplash . . .

I've been tying up loose ends all day and need to hop on the tractor and finish up the mowing I started yesterday. It is nice and cool...a good day to work outside.

I though I would share this clipping from an old Renovation Style magazine with you. The antique blue and white Staffordshire plates have been permanently grouted in place on the backsplash behind a commercial range. I think they look stunning against the solid white tiles laid in a herringbone pattern. The moulded tile picture frame sets them off quite nicely. The remaining white tiles are laid subway style.

This collector looked everywhere for decorative tiles to set off the plain white ones and finally gave up. Her husband suggested using some of the plates she had collected over the years. The end result is highly personal and beautiful.

Budget for Royal Dogs . . .

And I am sure they were worth every penny.

Martha Stewart Show ~ All Bloggers Today . . .

The Martha Stewart Show today (9/17) is about blogging and all the audience members are blog authors. Some began blogging live on their laptops as soon as they entered the building at 8:30am. I am watching the show right now. It is on at 11am in New Jersey. Later in other places. Try to watch.

I don't get Fine Living Network but I am pretty sure this show will be rebroadcast there tonight. Check your local listings.

I was following the live posts from Geek in Heels and WeddingBee in case you want to read their comments from the audience.




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Brown and White Transferware Plate . . .

A brown and white Staffordshire transferware plate in a Willow Pattern (most often seen in blue). Another item that was sold some time ago. I wish I had saved all of my photos; but unfortunately I was not blogging and figured I would never need them again. So many lovely things were permanently erased from my hard drive. What a shame.

A miniature portrait on ivory from my collection is in the background.

A Wonderful Weathered Pot . . .

It is virtually impossible to get this look on a new cement pot. This one was old when I got it over 30 years ago. Unfortunately it is getting ready to "blow up" from the potbound roots of a boxwood planted inside. I am quite sure it will just crumble to pieces when I attempt to remove the shrub. That's why I keep putting off this chore.

Maybe I can put some sort of putty inside to hold it together. I will certainly try! Maybe I can get help from all the King's horses and all the King's men!

When a Chicken Finds a Typewriter . . .

Look what happens when a bored chicken finds a typewriter! I don't know about you but this just seems wrong to me.

There is a lady in Basking Ridge who sells fresh eggs from her porch. From now on, that's where I am going. I know her hens don't know how to type!

I took the last photo ~ I found the others on Flickr.

Alone in a Garden . . .

Orchid Pattern Transferware Wash Set . . .

It is time to get washed up and start my day. I am showing an early Staffordshire pitcher, bowl, and covered soap dish in brown and white transferware that I sold some time ago. I am very glad I saved the photo; I really like the composition with other items from my collection in the background. The name of the pattern is orchid.

I am thankful for indoor plumbing with running water when I look at personal grooming items from the past.

My Fan Club ~ A Slug and A Boy . . .

I was able to get a good shot a slug's face yesterday. No eyes; is that slit the mouth? More research is necessary on this end. You can enlarge the picture if you want a closer look.

Meet Evan from Charlottesville, Virginia. His mom and aunt are friends of fellow blogger Stacey of Stacey Snacks. She is blogging from Paris right now eating the things I photograph ~ escargot (snails).

Eight year old Evan reads my blog and wanted me to see this cool Walking Stick insect he found in his back yard. His name is Mr. Stick and he seems right at home on his master's cheek.

You can read more about Phasmatodea on Wikipedia. Believe it or not these insects make ideal pets!

Have a great weekend.

Time for the weekend . . .

The American tall case clock outside my kitchen pantry says it's TIME for the weekend. It has been raining most of the day and the evening fog is rolling in about now.

I slept in my car back in my younger days in order to be one of the first people in line at a house contents sale. I peeked in the window earlier in the day and saw this clock. Even though I arrived at 11pm the night before, I was #11.

Luckily I was the only one after a New Jersey clock so it all worked out fine. This is the one and only time I tried that tactic; I think it was over 25 years ago. Thanks to the Antiques Road Show you could never find anything this nice at a reasonable price today.

I am so excited that my blog won its first award for Best Blog of the Day on September 10th. My thanks to the judges!

Have a great weekend.

'Coco Chanel' TV movie on Lifetime 9/13 . . .

Shirley MacLaine as Coco Chanel in a tv movie this Saturday night on Lifetime.

I am not a shopper! I went to the Short Hills Mall yesterday with my friend Lynn to help her buy an iPhone from the Apple Store. Not that she needed me; she already knew what to buy because of advice from one of her daughters.

I guess it pays to get out once in a while because as we were leaving I saw a poster for a movie about the life of Coco Chanel. Lynn knew all about it. It is a 3-hour television special on LIFETIME this Saturday evening (9/13).

I have set my dvr and you should too. Should be interesting!

Delightful interiors . . .

I love this stairwell full of prints in black frames.

A nice wet bar or place to arrange your flowers.

I absolute love the design based on an antique stepback cupboard.

The best mudroom ever. It would be so nice to rinse your boots or dog's muddy feet here.

I had a really busy day today and decided to post some photos that I've saved on my computer over the years. Hopefully they will give you an idea or two.




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Secret Life of Bees ~ The Movie ~ Can't Wait . . .

One of my favorite books is now a movie! The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd premiers October 17th. I watched the trailer and it looks good. I think it is perfectly cast. I listened to the audio book and anxiously await the film.

Go to Kidd's website to watch the mover trailer and a video of the her first visit to the set.

Enjoy.

Sunflower hearts . . .

I posted about this phenomenon in July and it still amazes me! This wildflower was a volunteer ~ probably planted by a bird. When I processed the picture I was very surprised to see that the dark center is completely comprised of small hearts. The second photo is cropped to show them up close. No Photoshop tricks were applied; this is Mother Nature at her finest.