Christmas Decor at My Cottage

The wire carrier that is usually loaded with fruit makes a cute Christmas tree on my coffee table filled with shiny vintage balls and bells. The sun is just rising so the light is dim. I have been on a mad metal polishing marathon and all of my silver trophies and brass candlesticks are shining bright.

I had completely forgotton about this mercury glass tree stored in my attic. It looks perfect with the tall thin Santa that was a gift from friends years back. Little gift box ornaments complete my desk decor. The "tree" looks gold in the early morning light but it's actually silver. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.🎄 xo

Amazing Pen and Ink Masterpiece

Franklin Booth

Illustration for a 1909 poem "Wind of Dreams"

by Rosamund Marriott Watson

American artist of detailed pen-and-ink illustrations with the appearance of wood engravings. He created this style when he was young, self-teaching from illustrated magazine art, not realizing they were engravings. Such talent! I love this.♡

Jane Carkill -- Wreath

This artwork is lovely, isn't it?

Read an interview with the Irish artist HERE.

Earliest Known Picture Letter from Beatrix Potter 1892

via

These picture letters were written from her seaside vacation to Beatrix Potter's 4 year old nephew with pictures and words he could easily understand. Click on the link called "via" below each picture to see it full size and read further in The Morgan Library & Museum's description. It's so interesting to see the actual penmanship written with a dip pen and see the places where the ink was running low.

via

via

Enjoy this delightful glimpse into the life of our favorite author and illustrator.

Isn't this green book Christmas Tree the best?

Found on Tumblr.

A Very Elegant Bathroom

No Words!

Simply Spectacular.

Enlarge image here.

Are the walls hand-painted or nautical wallpaper?

The master bedroom looks nice too, doesn't it?

Swoon.

❤️Coziest of Cozy Kitchens❤️

I love the mismatched seating. The penny tile floor is pretty great too. So are the cafe curtains...with wreaths. via

Greenhouse Interior

Someone's getting ready for a gathering in the greenouse. via

Christmas Again by Carl Larsson 1907

Click photo to Enlarge

 Carl Larsson 'Now is it Christmas Again' 1907 

 “Nu är det jul igen” 

(Now it is Christmas time again) 

This is an old Scandinavian Christmas song. 

It is often sung while dancing around the Christmas tree. 

 The painting shows the interior of Carl Larsson's home in Sweden at Christmas time. 

 The huge oil painted triptych is held at the Helsingborgs Museum.

Among family members in colorful costumes he has placed 

the virgin Mary and baby Jesus in front of the cupboard in the center.

Free Christmas Images to Print

I found a site with 147 pages of free Christmas images 

to copy and send electronically or print. 

Elegantly Simple Christmas Decor

I'm not exactly sure what this is; a changing room for a pool or a gatehouse? The double wreaths are perfect, aren't they? via

Thank you, auntp for your comment identifying James Farmer as the owner of this delightful structure. It's on the cover of his new book.

http://www.jamesfarmer.com/shop

Carl Larsson "Christmas Eve"

Carl Larsson watercolor 1904-1906 in the Nationalmuseum, Sweden. I adore seeing his family gatherings. Isn't this Christmas Eve buffet spectacular?

All I Want For Christmas is:

♡I love this, don't you? Truer words were never written. My wants and needs have all been met and I get more joy from giving things away than for getting anything.♡

 

Amazing Snowscape

Isn't that yellow sky the perfect backdrop for this snowscape?

via

Greenhouse Envy🌿

♡LOVE THIS♡

It's too big for a Christmas stocking but otherwise perfect. 

via

Four More Unknown Drawings by Beatrix Potter Discovered While Cleaning

I never discover anything while cleaning but dust and more dust! This bedroom is at Medford Hall, the home of her cousins the Hyde Parkers. All the relatives' homes I've seen are stately mansions and they all should have a sign out front saying "Beatrix Potter Slept Here"

I love here interior renderings and you can see all four here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-36716973

 
One picture was discovered by Lady Hyde Parker, who lives at Melford Hall with her husband, Sir Richard, where Potter took regular holidays between 1899 and 1916. The article contains a beautiful photo of Medford Hall.

Genius Idea for A Pot Filler

I love this idea for a pot filler over an expresso machine tucked away in a cupboard. I never could understand them over a range because you still have to pick up the pot to empty it. This is a terrific idea, isn't it? Photo found in a wonderful before and after kitchen remodel.

Enjoy all the wonderful photos and have a good week. xo

https://erinkestenbaum.com/2019/11/06/one-room-challenge-fall-2019-the-kitchen-reveal/

♡VERY COZY LIVING ROOM♡

I wouldn't change a thing! 

Have a great Sunday.

xo

 

Santa's Problem With Old Houses

I honestly never thought about how hard is for Santa to land on the roof and get to the chimney of an old house like this one. Click to enlarge this delightful image is by illustrator Jan Brett in the 1998 edition of "The Night Before Christmas"

♡Old Christmas Illustration♡

♡How much do I love this?♡

Virgil Finlay (American illustrator 1914-1971) Winter Stars

found on Flickr

Unknown Albrecht Dürer Drawing Discovered at House Sale for $30

The Virgin and Child with a Flower on a Grassy Bank 

(around 1503) Agnews, London

This is an absolutely fascinating story. This signed Old Master drawing, in an antique frame, was sold by the daughters of a deceased architect/antique collector/dealer. They thought it was a 20th century reproduction but it has been authenticated as a circa 1503 original and the auction estimate is in excess of $50 million. The whole story can be read in the link I will leave below this post. If you want to see the Dürer in person, this drawing will be on exhibit in NYC in January 2022. Keep going to estate sales and maybe you can make a discovery too. Let me know and I will post it. xo

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11/19/unknown-durer-drawingbought-for-just-dollar30-at-a-house-clearancecould-sell-for-dollar50m

Too Many Platters?

I'm trying to decide if an intervention is needed here.😂

This ironstone collection is pretty impressive but has gotten to the dangerous stage and it's time to stop buying more. 

Enough is enough. 

On a more serious note, maybe this is a warehouse for a china replacement company rather than a private home. 

Let me know if you know the backstory.

Welcome DECEMBER. 

It's really here and maybe this year I will be more prepared. 

Maybe not. 

xo

UPDATE: Pam found the link for shops in Paris and there is a similar display in one of them: https://privatenewport.com/perfectly-paris-shops-to-love/

Antique Desk & Mirror Drawing: Beatrix Potter

From 1903 one of Potter's favourite haunts was Gwaynynog in Denbigh Wales, the old rambling home of her uncle and aunt, Fred and Harriet Burton. I am beginning to love her interior sketches as much as those of her animals. Especially because they depict rooms where she stayed when visiting homes of relatives. ©Victoria and Albert Museum

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1386982/sketch-of-a-writing-desk-drawing-beatrix-potter/

Great Movie to Watch (FREE)

I woke up early this morning and watched this movie on my laptop from ShoutFactoryTV and it was simply wonderful. It is a free service with ads but this movie only had one at the beginning. I cannot figure out how to stream to my TV on my Chromecast but luckily my laptop has a good screen for viewing movies. Use the link provided below to go directly to this movie.

A HANDFUL OF DUST

All of the actors we know and love from Britain were so young!

https://www.shoutfactorytv.com/a-handful-of-dust/5c05ad3def995e14a6012272

Enjoy. xo

Portrait of Young Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I, painted between 1558 and 1562 during the first four years of her reign, when the queen was in her mid to late twenties. This portrait just sold at auction for $158,661. Read more about the painting's history here. The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. I love it, don't you?

Albatross Love and Divorce + A Green Cat

Read more about these birds HERE.

Both photos above were found in a terrific article in

THE GUARDIAN: The Week in Wildlife -- In Pictures.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2021/nov/26/the-week-in-wildlife-in-pictures 

It features animals all over the world and is a good read. Enjoy and have a great weekend. xo

♡Things I Like This Morning♡

This tilework is simple and simply elegant.

I really adore this wallpaper.

I love old country roads and this is a great one.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday and are still enjoying the aftermath. I woke up to rain today but it's already clearing and promises to be a nice day with no Black Friday shopping for me. I heard on the news this week that this is going to be a mild winter and I hope it's true after what I went through last year. Enjoy the long weekend and safe trips back home for all who are traveling. All photos found on Tumblr. xo

H A P P Y 🦃 T H A N K S G I V I N G

This is my annual post for Thanksgiving

made from a scan from my favorite antiquarian book, 

"The Royal Book of Crests"

The font is Elizabethan Script 

I lost it when my 

Windows PC crashed ages ago. 

This font is called
Jacques  Francois Shadow

it's a free download from Google
Let me know if it's garbled and I will replace it with another universally recognized font.

🐾Missy's Last Evening Walk🐾

Missy and I walked to the way back yesterdat at 4:00 to beat the darkness of a 4:35 sundown. I had to turn on the lights in the front and the floodlights in the back for our bedtime walk. I am always to walk very far from the house because of all the bear🐻sightings I read about in local alerts. She's going home today and so this is her goodbye post.🐾🐾

I must have jiggled the camera while holding the leash and the camera at the same time. Her right rear leg looks very odd but I don't have another shot of her looking back. She lives close by so I get to see her often and she's always glad when I pop in. I have a lot to do today after she goes home, mostly housework. I don't miss the dog hair associated with dog ownership so a dogsitter I shall remain.

🐱STUFFED CATS: Free Sewing Pattern and Tutorial🐱

These cute Happy Cats look pretty easy and you have over a month until Christmas to whip up a few. Pattern is in several sizes and it's a free download from Ann Wood Handmade.

https://www.annwoodhandmade.com/happy-cats-a-free-sewing-pattern/

You should start with the large one because turning and stuffing will be easier. It could be a cat toy too for your favorite feline and you could fill it with catnip. Fill with sand and it could be a pincushion. You could just draw the features with a sharpie if you use an unprinted fabric.

She has many other free patterns to download below:

https://www.annwoodhandmade.com/free-patterns-and-resources/

Happy sewing.

You're welcome☺️

xo

Beautiful White Clapboard House in Fall

The carpet of fallen leaves enhances the beauty of this New England colonial home. I love the stark simplicity of the windows with no shutters. via

A Curious Dog in Mother Goose Rhymes

Missy hasn't been doing any of these strange things. I thought this dog looked like her breed though. So far, we are having a quiet Sunday morning after a chilly brisk walk. She's patiently awaiting her breakfast but isn't begging. 

Just waiting.

See more of these delightful woodcuts of this dog doing funny things when the owner goes out to get him something.

click here.

Have a great Sunday. xo

🏸Tennis Poster: EMMA by Jane Austen🏸

This put a big smile on my face this morning. Isn't it clever? I love the brilliant idea of using tennis star Emma Raducanu's image juxtaposed on the movie poster for EMMA. Image found here. 

It really is the perfect match, isn't it?

 Missy had another event free night and was eager to go outside when I got up at 7:30. It was a chilly 22° so cold weather is back. It didn't seem very cold later and I was able to mow the way back. It was actually quite pleasant!

Enjoy your weekend. xo