MI-5 BBC TV Series My Current Obsession

This is the first time I have gotten involved in trying to watch 10 seasons of anything. Thank goodness for the library. I watched Season One from the shelf of my favorite library. It ended with the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers and I wanted more. BUT my library didn't have the rest of this series in 10 parts. Thankfully, they have been able to get subsequent seasons thru inter-library loan. I just finished Season 5 and Season 6 has been ordered. It's the most exciting thing I have EVER watched. I love British Spies, you know!

The acting is superb and the head of this counter intelligence agency is Peter Firth and he's wonderful. I enjoyed seeing him last night in the finale of Victoria on PBS. He played Duke Cumberland.

The actors come and go and are replaced by equally superb characters.

Have you seen this series? It was on PBS, I believe. It started in 2002. Anyway, it's on Hulu if you subscribe and it might be on Acorn. Thankfully, my library has been able to find them all for me, so far. Each season is very expensive to buy, selling for as much as $80 per season. 

It is/was called SPOOKS in the UK.

Look for it. You will NOT be disappointed.

Ancient Cotswold Cottage Renovation

Drink coffee or tea, wash clothes, and play with plants here.
Photo by Sims Hilditch

Sims Hilditch, The White Hart

Located in one of the most beautiful corners of the Cotswolds, we discovered a piece of English heritage once known as the White Hart. Dating from the late 16th century this Grade 2 listed building was one of many countryside pubs which had fallen into disrepair in recent years.

We successfully purchased the White Hart in 2013 and undertook a complete refurbishment with the aim to preserve the building’s history while re-purposing it as contemporary design studio. The White Hart embodies the Sims Hilditch design ethos and is the perfect location to get a feel for what we do.

Want the complete house tour? Click here.

Winter is Back, Sort Of

Well, it's not exactly like this but the bird bath water is frozen again. We had the warmest February in the history of weather keeping and I enjoyed it very much. I found so many rogue clumps of snowdrops growing in the woods where I dump my weeds. I dug them all up and transplanted them in my front garden where I can enjoy them when I look out my window and when I leave the house. It's time to get back to normal, without any deep snow. Please! I would love a frosty morning like this one! via

Tall Hedges Secret Garden

Tall clipped hedges with low hedges trimmed to resemble benches. Love the two shades of green and the topiaries in pots beside the stairs. Nice gravel path too. via

Amazing Hallway w/ Cupboards + Stenciled Floor

This architecture is amazing. I love the high ceilings and lighting fixtures. The closed built-in cupboards are wonderful as are the curved glazed door china cupboards. The floor is really stunning. i wish we could see more, don't you? via

Ferns Make This Room

An empty room doesn't seem quite so empty if there are great potted plants. I love these fern stands. via

An Apple A Day and A Book

I had a mild case of the flu this week and took care of myself so I am well now. Thank goodness it didn't linger. 

I have posted this bookplate before in a gardening book. This miniature volume is on quotations in foreign languages. The apple is for scale.

No wealthy monarch can possess

A greater store of happiness

Than can be found in happiness

Of birds and books and flowers.

C. A. Maude Eden

My Recent Instagram Posts

Some of my latest Instagram posts are shown below. Click here for a closer look.

Happy Presidents Day

"A president's hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right."

Lyndon Johnson, 1963-1969

This kitchen really speaks to me.

via

Have a great weekend. xo

Cozy Living Room

It looks very inviting, doesn't it?

I would like to be sitting by that fire right now.

via

Valentine's Day Tree

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

This is the final version of a photo taken from my car after cropping.

Before cropping

I didn't like this view with the sign.

Next month they will hang shamrocks and in April there will be Easter Eggs. So fun and I am glad it's around the corner from my cottage.

Sheep wearing Neck Scarf

It is very wet, cold, and raw outside my cottage and everything is covered with ice. I am sure the local sheep would welcome scarves if they were outside but hopefully they are all in their barns. via

Enjoy the Grammys tonight and don't forget to watch VICTORIA too. xo

Garrow's Law - BBC TV Series in 3 DVDs

I am on the last DVD disc of the final series and do NOT want to see this BBC Scotland series end. It is beyond fabulous and I am so glad I found it at my favorite public library in Madison NJ. The lighting is beautifully filmed in what appears to be total candle light, but you know it's not. I so enjoyed the Georgian London architecture, the period antiques in period paneled rooms, the costumes, and more. The stories are quite gripping too. I wasn't sure I was going to like it but was hooked right away in the first few minutes of the chapter of the first disc. You can probably stream it on Acorn and other streaming services. I prefer DVDs.

Read more about this series on Wikipedia here.

Set around trials at the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court) in Georgian London against a backdrop of corruption and social injustice, Garrow's Law is a legal drama inspired by the life of pioneering barrister William Garrow. He is credited with coining the English phrase “presumed innocent until proven guilty” used in common law.

All About FARMHOUSE SINKS

I found a great article about Farmhouse Sinks, also called Apron-Front Sinks. If this photo appeals to you, read more here.

Charming Attic Bedroom

You would have to mind your head when getting up in the morning but I dearly love what I see in this charming attic bedroom. The ticking duvet cover and pillow cases are perfect. via

Street Scene in Mystic, CT

I love the historic center chimney colonial.

Horse drawn carriage is the icing on the cake.

via

Needlework Landscape Design

Gardening with a needle.

I really love this garden design.

via

Beatrix Potter Rabbits Building a Snowman

I found another one for you ! ! !

This one was sold at Christie's in London in 2012 and brought over $35,000. 

Beatrix Potter Rabbits w/ Sled in Snow

Another Beatrix Potter watercolor that's new to me.

Potter, Beatrix
TWO RABBITS WITH A SLEDGE IN THE SNOW
via Sotheby's

DIY Kitchen Island

How One Couple Used IKEA Finnvard Trestle Legs to Make a Kitchen Island

I have this setup in my attic for my desktop computer desk. I used a very large storm shutter in blue paint from an old house as the top. Works perfectly and I love this idea for a kitchen island. It is an especially great idea if you are renting.

Beatrix Potter Mice 1893

Beatrix Potter’s illustration, 1893

'Three Mice seated at a table about to devour a Christmas pudding’

I don't recall ever seeing this before. via

Less is More

Looks like they just moved in and haven't unpacked yet. I love everything in this lovely early American setting. via

Stunning White Bathroom

WOW. So fabulous. 

Perfection!

via

Painted Hallway Floor

via

You know I love a good painted floor and this one is really great.

Eat Dessert First

Look at that sign on the wall.

Life is Uncertain

Eat Dessert First

Sounds good to me.

via

Vintage Photo of My Mother with Me

It seems like yesterday, but this photo was taken sometime between 1973 and 1975 when I lived in Mendham, NJ with a Far Hills mailing address. I still have this hat and it's my favorite. Miss you, Anna. 

A Delightful Bedroom

Yes. I can see myself waking up here. I love everything I see. via

Great Kitchen Sink

I love the double porcelain sink. Not sure about the stacked cement brick/blocks for the counter and backsplash. They are perfectly imperfect and that would probably bother me. I think I would like this setup better in a laundry room instead of a kitchen. Anyway, it's very interesting. via