Friday, April 8, 2011

Two Daffodils Do Not A Spring Make

Daffodil Number One

Daffodil Number Two

Look closely and you'll see them both.

This is what spring is looking like so far this week at the cottage. Very un-spring like. A little sun would help but I guess that's asking too much and believe me, I've been asking.

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It's Pretty Amazing That . . .

Earth Day is in April 22, 2011

When I saw this poster I could't wait that long before sharing it with you. Isn't  it perfect for Earth Day? Prints available.

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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Two White Owls Say 'Goodnight'



Goodnight. See you tomorrow.
nature

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Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II, Page 37




More great and useful advice from our favorite father -- H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I found a recipe for the microwave peanut brittle and now I want some. I can't remember the last time I had tapioca pudding. We never had it at my house and I think of it as being rather institutional -- but I found a microwave recipe in case you like it.

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Red and White Checks Love


Those of you who know me know I love blue and white checks. My next favorite is red and white checks. Isn't this a great bedroom? ...

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How Many Plates Can You Put on A Wall?


I love these white and transferware plates on the gray wall. I don't see any evidence of the usual wire plate holders and wonder how they are staying up? Maybe it's magnetic paint? Now wouldn't that be fun? Glue magnets to the back of the plates and stick them all over until you get a pleasing arrangement. via Crush Cul de Sac

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Woodworking Classes for Kids - NYTimes.com

I made these bookends in 4th grade woodshop and my mother kept them. The colonial ladies were cut with a bandsaw and applied to the wooden backs. I cut the lid from a large can of tomatoes in half and nailed them on the bottom to hold the books in place. In another 100 years they will be folk art.

Rose O’Neal, 11, uses a crosscut saw in a miter box to cut rails for a step stool she is building in a class at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. Woodworking Classes for Kids - NYTimes Teaching children construction is gaining momentum across the country as a way to develop imagination and confidence in the very young. Watch a wonderful slideshow with 15 pictures and captions after you read the article. I am very excited about this new trend. Kids today don't learn enough practical skills to carry them through life and the trials and tribulations of homeownership and homemaking.

I think a carpenter is practically the best thing you can be in life. I took home economics starting in the 4th grade too. I know there were several other girls in my woodshop class but I don't remember any boys in home ec. These classes were in public school and I'm so glad they were offered.

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Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second in 1954

Beautiful then. Beautiful now.

Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. This painting is being auctioned in Australia. Don't fail to read the great story about William Dargie’s ‘wattle painting’ of Queen Elizabeth II. The painting, commissioned to commemorate the Queen’s first visit to Australia in 1954, became her official portrait for Australia.
Originally found via lottie tea

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Art Supplies As Art


Please do not touch or use or rearrange. We are art [supplies] -- brand new and perfectly arranged. ... - ...

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Keep Calm and Spring Will Come


I made this poster myself. Keep Calm-o-matic poster generation. You can make one too. Let me know what yours is about. Have fun.

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Cottage Castle


I hope I see something good today after the office meeting. I looked at the list last night and didn't see any cottage castles on the broker open house tour. One can always dream about them though.

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Monday, April 4, 2011

Thinking of My Bed Long Before Bedtime




It's not even 5:00 pm and I'm already thinking about how nice my bed is going to feel when I jump in it later tonight. I think a cup of tea is in order to perk me up. Dinner is already made and in the oven so I'm way ahead of myself in that department. The Animal Blog

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Are you following this chicken story?

"Inside her own private cup, Pigeon settles down to pecking and nibbling and talking to herself."

Lauren Scheuer is an illustrator, children's book author and chicken mom. She has been sharing the tales of her flock of five which includes one special needs chicken, one mean girl and one who gets tormented daily.  Read today's installment and then click on the link Lauren provides to catch up on what you have missed. Scratch and Peck: EVENING RITUAL

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Beautiful Peacock, Flowers, Sculpture and Architecture (Polish Palace)


Peacock showing off in front of the 17th century Łazienki Palace (The Palace on the Water) in Warsaw Poland. Beautiful Peacock, Flowers, Sculpture and Architecture

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Charming Thatched Cottage to Love


I know everyone would love to spend the day at this cottage in England with the fabulous thatched roof. I am quite sure I'd never want to leave. The yellow front door works with the garden in front, doesn't it? Enjoy your Sunday; I'm doing an open house today. See you this evening.

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Saturday, April 2, 2011

Sleeping in Front of the Aga Stove


This looks like a real kitchen in a real home, doesn't it? There's nothing like curling up in your little dog bed in front of the Aga Stove, is there? I've always been told pets love them.  I'm getting ready to curl up in my own bed pretty soon and try to recover from a massive yard cleanup today. It looks so nice and it felt great to get a good workout. via

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A Mark Twain Weekend


I got rid of that big tree that fell on my private road in the back. So happy. When you work hard you can follow Mark Twain's advice and eat what you like. That's my reward today. I love his humor, don't you? I scanned his face from the cover of an old Time Magazine.


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Baby Elephant Love

Have a playful weekend doing something fun like this young pachyderm playing in the grass under the watchful eye of his mother. The sun is shining brightly at the cottage at long last. Webster and I will be dealing with some outside cleanup and it's nice enough to hang a load of wash outside on the line. Oh happy day!

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Friday, April 1, 2011

Happy Birthday - Webster is Nine Today

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR WEBSTER
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU 
Today Webster is 9 years old; that's 63 in people years. He looks a little sad because he got a rainy day. Actually we had snow earlier but it turned to rain. We got in one long walk this morning and I'm sure there will be another one after we get back from the post office and grocery store. He got 2 boxes of all natural dog biscuits -- one from Trader Joe's and one was a gift from California. Thanks Jill.

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'Life Would Be Perfect if I Lived in That House' by Meghan Daum | Book Review

From the acclaimed author and columnist: a laugh-out-loud journey into the world of real estate—the true story of one woman’s “imperfect life lived among imperfect houses” and her quest for the four perfect walls to call home.

After an itinerant suburban childhood and countless moves as a grown-up—from New York City to Lincoln, Nebraska; from the Midwest to the West Coast and back—Meghan Daum was living in Los Angeles, single and in her mid-thirties, and devoting obscene amounts of her time not to her writing career or her dating life but to the pursuit of property: scouring Craigslist, visiting open houses, fantasizing about finding the right place for the right price. Finally, near the height of the real estate bubble, she succumbed, depleting her life savings to buy a 900-square-foot bungalow, with a garage that “bore a close resemblance to the ruins of Pompeii” and plumbing that “dated back to the Coolidge administration.”

From her mother’s decorating manias to her own “hidden room” dreams, Daum explores the perils and pleasures of believing that only a house can make you whole. With delicious wit and a keen eye for the absurd, she has given us a pitch-perfect, irresistible tale of playing a lifelong game of house. via LA Times

This looks like a "must read" book for me and anyone who loves houses and real estate. 

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Vintage Cast Iron Pan/Wok by Michael Lax

This is Mother Nature's April Fool joke---it's snowing.

Vintage Copco Cast Iron Wok w/ Side Handles. Use on top of the stove or in the oven. I can't put my old wok in the oven because it has a wooden handle.  I'm thrilled that the lid fits perfectly on this estate sale $7.00 pan.

I've used this pan every single day since I got it over 2 weeks ago. Fried eggs are the best and so is any kind of stir fry. I've baked in it too. You can really cook anything you'd cook in a cast iron frying pan only this is easier because of the sloped sides.

COPCO - Michael Lax Design - Denmark He was an Industrial Designer and his work is very sought after by collectors of mid-century modern. I simply can't understand why anyone would get rid of this wonderful piece of cookware. Now that it's mine I can see myself getting rid of the pans it is replacing.

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Handmade iPad - A Wonderful Claymation Video



I loved this wonderful stop-motion video by a student from the British Higher School of Art and Design.

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