Today's Snowfall at My Cottage

All of the previous snow melted completely yesterday and I went to the grocery store for the first time in 2022. It rained overnight and turned to snow at dawn. It stopped around 11:00 and I cleaned everything in a jiffy. I walked around outside taking photos and this is the only one I really liked enough to share. So far, so good this winter as far as I am concerned. If I don't have to call anybody with a snowplow, it's a good day for me. I made a big pot of soup yesterday so I am all set for several days of not having to cook. Happy Thursday. xo

Book About Cats Trying To Be People

"Little purr-purr people, and how they tried to be folks"

Published in 1887

This charming children's book has been digitized. 

You can read it online. 

https://archive.org/details/littlepurrpurrpe00bozp/mode/2up

Enjoy it yourself or read it to someone! 

xo

Hand-Written Recipe for Meringues

These are the best meringues you will ever make.

V is for Vanilla

Always have paper and pen at the ready in case someone wants to share a recipe with you! Charlie McCormick is my favorite on Instagram. He grows and exhibits the most beautiful dahlias ever. And he bakes the most spectacular things for teatime! Here is his Instagram link. https://www.instagram.com/mccormickcharlie/

Here is the link for this particular recipe: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMZ3HvqhlRP/

Enjoy! xo

Free Sewing Pattern for A Lamb

Aren't these lambs adorable? The only thing you have to stuff is the body. All the other parts are one layer of black felt! You could get started now and have a pile made for valentine's day gifts. You could sew or embroider  a little red heart on the body. These are supposed to be ornaments to hang and the pattern includes two sizes. They would be great for Easter too. Download free pattern here.

My winter storm overnight was snow when I went to bed. Later it turned to rain and wind. Luckily it is MLK Day and there isn't much traffic so people can stay home. My front walk looks like a layer of ice covered with slush. There is no snow on my car so I don't have to clean it off and that makes me happy. I'm staying inside until the warmest part of the day and then I will give the front walk a quick shovel. Be safe. xo

Cecil Aldin Dog Etching🐾🐾

I have always loved Aldin's dog etchings.♡

This one, "Ready for Mischief", was sold by Christie's.

Still Life Saturday in My Kitchen

A grouping of some favorite things on my kitchen counter.

A French Faience lamp with a shade I made.

A Dutch bulb forcing pot.

A white lidded container found while thrifting.

A rosemary cutting rooted in water, just repotted.

Have a great weekend. xo

Now Watching: MONARCH OF THE GLEN

MONARCH OF THE GLEN on Tubi

https://tubitv.com/series/300006800/monarch-of-the-glen

 I stumbled on this BBC series with seven seasons that aired 2000-2005 and I absolutely love it. The characters are wonderful as is the Scottish castle and the countryside of the vast estate. It is on Amazon Prime if you are a member and on Tubi to watch free with ads. I put the link for TUBI if you are a cord cutter like me. I think it might be on BritBox too. January is the perfect month to start watching a long series with a total of 64 episodes. I'm so glad I found it. I'm sure many of you saw it years ago and might want to watch again. 

A list of all the episodes can be found here.

Enjoy! xo

UPDATE: At the time of the above posting I knew one of the main characters was familiar gut couldn't quite figure out who he was. Mystery solved! It was Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame. I thought he might have been influenced by this Scottish series and did some research. I found this link very informative. There are other links within the article that are interesting too.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/downton-abbey-loosely-based-creator-julian-fellowes-life.html/

Bird Prints on A Gallery Wall

This wall of bird prints is stunning. 

I love the wide wooden frames and the further framing of the entire wall in natural wood. 

The <<<<>>>> border might be handpainted on fabric, it's hard to tell. It is on the ceiling too around a wide figural border wallpaper. This could be a bedroom. Photo found here.

Only Group Portrait of the Brontë Sisters

Found on Instagram @National Portrait Gallery

This information about the brother/painter was found here.

Isn't all of the above fascinating? 

I thought so too!

xo

Frigid Outside Today

I love this image by Lee S. Hee so much. It reminds me of my grammar school days in Pennsylvania when my brother and I had to walk to school every day. Those were the days of deep snow and I honestly cannot remember ever having a "snow day". There was always a thawing out period when arriving home at the end of the school day and we had to change into play clothes if we wanted to go back out for sledding. This little girl's mother certainly has a system all worked out for her daughter's warming up period and it looks very cozy, doesn't it? Say warm and be careful if you have to go out. xo

Grey Heron Taking the Stairs

Sometimes it's easier to take the stairs than to fly😂

Photo found here.

A Squirrel Portrait in the Snow

This is such a great action shot of a squirrel, isn't it?

I know they are pests if you have a bird feeder

but this one just seems to be enjoying a 

romp in the snow. photo source

I just checked my phone for a weather report and it's very confusing. We are either going to have snow all day or snow turning to rain depending on the temperature. Should be interesting. Either way, it's going to be messy. I vote for neither. Don't forget tonight is the beginning of Season 2 of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS. Plus Episode 2 of Around the World in 80 Days. I will be watching both! xo

A Shell on A Christmas Present

I got a boxed letter writing set filled with marbleized paper and envelopes for Christmas. This design seemed perfect for a photo background with one of my small shells. I am going to have fun with this gift. Did you receive any presents that stimulate your inner creative self? Enjoy the weekend. xo

SNOW DAY TODAY: Random Photos

I woke up to snow this morning and it was/is so beautiful but not too much to deal with. There was a webinar I had to sit through for a couple of hours for continuing education credits on my real estate license. I jumped up from time to time to snap some photos and the best ones are shown above. I still haven't put one toe outside and it's already noon. I must now go out and shovel my front walk and clean off my car and the sun can do the rest. Yesterday I filled up my gas tank and stopped at Whole Foods for some sweet potatoes, celery, almond flour, apples, carrots and a few other things to tide me over until the complete melt. I don't have to drive anywhere in the next few days so I am all set to shovel a little or a lot. Hope your snow was manageable too. xo

Elegant Wallpapered Powder Room

♡I wouldn't change a thing.♡

How was this photo taken?

The room looks small and it would have been quite a challenge for the photographer or the camera on a tripod to keep from getting in the photo. Good job!

via

details here

Vintage Ice Skates and Some History

I wish they still made ice skates like this that attached to some sturdy shoes or boots. I was never very good but enjoyed my early days of venturing out on the ice. Don't you love this illustration?

I enjoyed the article where I found it and learned a lot I never knew about The History of Ice and Figure Skating.

https://www.liveabout.com/history-of-ice-skates-1991654

Thomas Heeremans, 1641–1694.

A winter landscape with figures skating and sledging on a frozen moat by a fortified town.

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5722299/?intObjectID=5722299

Enjoy. xo

Fine Woodworking: Wonderful Hall Closet

This hall closet is stunning. I would love to open the doors and see how the interiors are fitted. The far left door probably has shelves and the double doors have the hanging space and storage above which would probably require a ladder because of the high ceiling. It's interesting that the crown moulding was not extended around the rest of the hallway. I love fine woodworking and it's hard to find a carpenter with these skills. xo

Goldilocks Chairs: Papa Bear, Mama Bear & Baby Bear Sizes

This is the Papa Bear Chair

The Bear Chair Family in all three sizes.🐻

https://theinvisiblecollection.com/news/pierre-yovanovitch-papa-bear-celebration/

These handmade chairs must be expensive;

 prices upon request.

https://theinvisiblecollection.com/product/pierre-yovanovitch-papa-bear-armchair/

I can safely say I've seen everything now.😂

Mark Edwards: Waiting for The Key

The contemporary paintings of British artist Mark Edwards are so mysterious and I find them quite fascinating and surreal. 

This one is called Waiting for the key.

I found one website that has many articles about this artist.

https://markedwardsart.squarespace.com/news 

Another website shows current art for sale and sold works too.

https://www.redraggallery.co.uk/artist-mark-edwards.asp 

Enjoy the first Sunday of 2022. xo

A Hare for New Year's Day

His artwork is amazing.

Be sure to visit his website.

https://www.james-lynch.co.uk/

H A P P Y ♡ N E W ♡ Y E A R

I found DIY instructions for making your own egg tempra paints in the link below.

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/how-to-make-egg-tempera-paint

My New Year's Eve

A friend sent this to me and I love it. xo

Flourless Muffins and A 1945 Movie

I used my last banana this morning in a smoothie but when I go to the market again I will definitely make these muffins. I need carrots too.

Recipe HERE. It has a place to click to double and triple the recipe if desired. 

It has been overcast with gray skies for days here. 

Yesterday I decided to look for 

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN 

movie to watch and found it on YouTube. I have always thought of this as a Christmas Movie but that must be a well-kept secret because you never see it offered anywhere. I streamed it from my laptop to my TV using Chromecast but I would have been just as happy watching it on my computer. 

It was free had had no commercials. 

Here's the link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FMYoKfgAKk

Bookmark it if you want to watch later.

ENJOY!

Scandinavian Christmas DIY Ideas for Next Year

I love the simplicity of these architectural  gingerbread cookies in a skyline arrangement.

Who wouldn't love a gingerbread house hanging on the rim of a cup filled with hot cocoa?

You wouldn't even need a pattern for this A-Frame gingerbread house! Start looking for a large heart-shaped cookie cutter. You could do the triangles from a paper pattern in the scale of the hearts ending with rounded ones at the entrance. More ideas here.

If you leave your Christmas decorations up until 

12th night, you might still want to keep 

baking and making! xo