Monday Morning Sweetness

This little lamb is here to get your week started out with a smile🐑

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Welcoming Entrance Vestibule

I love it all. I'm not really sure where this hallway is in this home. Maybe it's upstairs. Maybe it's an entrance. Wherever it is, it's absolutely lovely. Hope you had a great weekend. xo via

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My Monogram RB

I made this version of my monogram long ago and just found it on someone's blog. I'm so happy to have it back. Happy Day! xo

Here it is on an old post.of mine.

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Bluebird Eggs Destroyed

I weeded the flower bed under the bluebird box 2 days ago and found 4 eggs like this in the weed patch that were destroyed by a House Wren. I have done a lot of research and this is not uncommon. The Carolina Wren doesn't try to evict bluebirds but the House Wren does. See this website with a photo just like mine. I was sitting outside yesterday late and a wren flew into the bluebird house and a male bluebird went in after him and chased him out. I was thrilled. Will keep you posted. xo

This video of a house wren removing newborn bluebirds from a nest is one of the most upsetting things I have ever seen. I have removed all of the nesting material from my bluebird box and I will keep monitoring it to see which bird starts building a nest. Nature can be very cruel😢

"I Wish You Bluebirds" Bluebirds are bedazzling creatures.
This website (http://www.sialis.org/index.html) was developed as a resource for people interested in helping bluebirds and other native cavity-nesters survive and thrive. 

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Corn that Looks like Candy

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I've never seen Jellybean Corn but I love it. It's fun and beautiful too. It's edible and you can pop the kernels too. Buy seeds here where it's called Glass Gem. Here is part of the story of this technicolor corn -- "Like many heirloom treasures, Glass Gem corn has a name, a place, and a story. Its origin traces back to Carl Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer living in Oklahoma. Barnes had an uncanny knack for corn breeding. More specifically, he excelled at selecting and saving seed from those cobs that exhibited vivid, translucent colors. Exactly how long Barnes worked on Glass Gem—how many successive seasons he carefully chose, saved, and replanted these special seeds—is unknown. But after many years, his painstaking efforts created a wondrous corn cultivar that has now captivated thousands of people around the world." Read the rest of the story here.

Outdoor Living: 'Tis the Season

Someone's been busy getting ready for outdoor living on this lovely patio. I love it! via

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Best Garden Gate Ever

 I love the whole landscape but especially this delightful garden gate with climbing roses. via

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Gorgeous Oxfordshire Gardens

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Too gorgeous for words.

I found the original source for both of these English Country House gardens. This is the text for the walled garden above: In the walled ‘secret garden’, Arne designed a cutting garden with a simple grid layout, which lends itself to tulips (such as purple ‘Backpacker’ and maroon ‘Havran’) and other spring bulbs. After flowering, they are lifted to create room for annuals. Read the full article with more photos: Arne Maynard reinvigorates the garden of an Oxfordshire manor house.

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TV Series Recommendation -- The Syndicate, All or Nothing

Acorn TV - THE SYNDICATE, ALL OR NOTHING

This is a "MUST WATCH" 6-episode series that is even better than Downton Abbey. Yes, it's true. I can't even convey how good it is. Read this review from HuffPost. 

The title is: IMAGINE DOWNTON ABBEY IF DOWNSTAIRS SUDDENLY GOT RICH.  ❤︎You're welcome❤︎ Let me know if you watch it. xo

Sign up for Acorn TV here. I am not being paid for this😂 I'm just trying to help you find the place to sign up. xo

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Great Garden - Planted from Seeds

Everything in this great garden was grown from seeds. I have worked outside for the past two days weeding and enlarging and planting. Now I am ready to open some seed packets! Have a great weekend! xo

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Greatest Porch

Isn't this porch "Just Wonderful"!? 

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Wonderful Painted Floors/Diamond Patterned

I always stop to admire any and all photos of a painted floor. I love this entrance with the giant diamonds. via

Here is another photo with even larger black diamonds on a painted floor in an entrance. Found on Google Images.

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Saltbox Love

I have always loved the Saltbox style of architecture. I adore the simplicity of this one with the wonderful windows with small panes of glass and no shutters. White on white is always right and so Early American. via

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Portraits of A Bluebird on My Railing

He looks like a boss, doesn't he?

I was thrilled to get two good poses today when he landed on my balcony railing. I still get a thrill every time I see one.

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H A P P Y M O T H E R ' S D A Y

Nobody loves you like your mother. I miss mine every day. 1920-2012

Home is where the ❤️is.

White Tile Love in a Bathroom

I love this selection of white on white tiles, don't you. The marble top on the sink with exposed plumbing is beautiful too. Have a great rest of the weekend. xo

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Bathroom Beauty

This is perfection. I wouldn't change a thing. The floor appears to be old wooden floors that were painted gray. I love the shiplap walls and everything else. Yes, every single thing. via

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A Prince Charles Caricature + A Movie Recommendation

This made me laugh. I found it in a humorous article. 

©The New Yorker.

I watched this 1982 movie last night on Acorn and absolutely loved it. It is available to watch other places too. Here is a Google Search to find your place to watch 'A VOYAGE ROUND MY FATHER'. It is based on a true story. Enjoy and let me know if you liked it too.

The movie is in many places on YouTube.

Mowed Yesterday, Just in Time!

Yesterday. Back yard with blooming Wisteria. The red showing through is my barn garage. It was a perfect day, not too hot, but the grass was still wet from a Monday night rain. I waited until mid afternoon to start so it wasn't that much of a problem for my walk-behind mulching mower. Early spring grass is always the easiest mowing of the year.

Today. This is a view from the sliding glass door where the new acquisition with 16 drawers lives in my mom's old sitting room. I bought a John Deere used riding mower from a neighbor this year to do the rest of my property all the way down to the way back. I have to wait for another lesson from my neighbor so I know exactly how to operate it because it isn't like my last one. I had a large John Deere at my two previous homes but this one is much smaller and I think it's going to be perfect.

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Most Amazing Kitchen EVER ! ! !

This interior photograph looks like a Dutch painting, doesn't it? To see all the detail and study it, click photo to enlarge. It is actually an advertisement for an English brand called NEPTUNE. Their spring collection is all about the neo-rustic style in English country houses. I might have to save each and every photo to study more closely and swoon over. Yes, I know. I find the best things to share with you. You're welcome. xo

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My DIY Compost Bin

I have had recycling kitchen scraps on my mind for a very long time and a week ago I ordered a countertop bin and I love it. I have tried other methods with an old copper cannister and coffee cans but they were harder to use when chopping veggies and wanting to dispose of the waste and stuff got slimy and stinky before it was time to empty. This little item I bought lives on top of my double bin step-on garbage on top of the side I seldom use. I can open it even if my hands are full and the lid opens and closes with a one-finger touch. There was no odor after 5 days of refuse I dumped in my compost bin yesterday. It is the perfect size for me and I hunted down every single kitchen scrap that passed me by. I filled it almost to the brim in 5 days while I scoured the internet for the perfect DIY to make from a plastic storage bin. I already have two large old bins that were empty and waiting and more filled with junk in the loft over my garage. The one I used is old enough to be marked Made in USA rather than China. I would have looked for a black one if I were purchasing new but this is a win win way to recycle the bin I already owned.

I drilled holes on all sides and on the bottom for air flow and drainage.

I searched so many DIY sites and decided on this size holes because I felt some of the other sites used holes much too large. I have brick-sized blocks on the bottom to keep slime from forming. As I mentioned before, there are random holes drilled all over the bottom too. I put a metal tray with sides to catch the overflow after a rain. I bought it years ago from a lady who used it for pizza but it was too big for my oven or under my sink. I am finding uses for all my junk this year. I put my bin outside my basement door in the shade. If I had put it in a sunny location, it would have dried out too quickly.

I followed this funny lady's suggestions except for the size of the holes. Her little dog made me laugh. There were many, many other DIY sites that used holes the size of mine. I have a plug-in drill and it worked perfectly. The tub was much harder to drill than I expected and I was glad I had the power of an electric drill. I honestly didn't even know I had it until I discovered it last week in my garage while I was organizing there.

Here is my original Google Search for DIY Compost Bins. The first one that caught my eye had big holes drilled in the lid and bottom only. I opted for the holes all over approach. I can't wait to open it to see what is happening inside but will wait until my little kitchen bin is full before I do. Then I will stir things up before adding my second batch of stuff that is appropriate. Here is a pictorial link for the things I can  and cannot use. I was surprised to see dryer lint and hair or fur are allowed. Now I can clean out my hairbrushes too and leave some of my DNA in my finished compost. 

Little bin atop my step-in garbage. It comes in white too which I would get white if I wanted it to live on my kitchen counter. The gray one is perfect here and within easy reach when I want it on the counter.

My first layer in my newly-drilled bin was dried leaves. My second layer was dirt. My third layer was my first load of kitchen scraps that I covered with fresh grass. I am new at this and will keep you posted. xo

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Apple Hand Pies

These look absolutely delicious and they are beautiful too. via

I had a busy day working outside making a compost bin for my kitchen scraps. More about that later. xo

NEW POST ABOUT MY DIY COMPOST BIN IS UP AND RUNNING.

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