Catskills Fishing Cabin Becomes Sophisticated Retreat

Turning a Fishing Cabin Into a Sophisticated Retreat A publicist makes over a cabin with a mix of global influences and an indoor-melting-into-outdoor style. View New York Times Slide Show to see the transformation from a dark, paneled Catskills fishing cottage to a bright and open weekend retreat.




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Cherry Blossom Cottage

Oh My Goodness! Isn't this Cherry Blossom Cottage the sweetest thing you've ever seen? I had a very nice day yesterday. Hope you did too. My open house wasn't swamped with lookers but I had a very good book so I didn't even care. I haven't seen the movie yet.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief, her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor and begin the difficult process of healing. In the hands of a brilliant novelist, this story of seemingly unbearable tragedy is transformed into a suspenseful and touching story about family, memory, love, heaven, and living.




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Life Is Good

Don't you love this hand-drawn font by Camila Drozd? Great message too. Have a wonderful Sunday. Wish me luck at my Open House.




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The Skeleton Armchairs of Vincent Price

The Skeleton Armchairs of Vincent Price:
Here's the auction house description: Hand-carved of hardwood; these chairs were apparently modeled after a rare 18th-century chair which sold for over $100,000 at a New York auction. By oral tradition, they were part of a set custom-ordered by actor Vincent Price. However, Price died before they were delivered. In any case, they make a wonderful conversation piece! Excellent condition. Each measures 54' x 24' x 24'.

I think I'll pass on these chairs offered by Heritage Auctions. I don't think they "go" with the decor of my cottage.




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Interior Design in Children's Illustrations

Baby Eats At The Table

I picked up a great little book with wonderful illustrations at a garage sale this morning. I'm always impressed to see the great care that goes into getting the design of the room into children's illustrations. Reproduced from Le Journal de Bébé first published in Paris in 1914. Don't you love the wallpaper, chandelier shade, potted plants, and table cloth? Simply a wonderful composition I think. Great dining room too.




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Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II | Page 12

Southerners have always done this.

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Belton House - Lincolnshire, UK

Belton House is a country house near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. The mansion is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues leading to follies within a greater wooded park. Belton has been described as a compilation of all that is finest of Carolean architecture, the only truly vernacular style of architecture that England had produced since the time of the Tudors. The house has also been described as the most complete example of a typical English country house; the claim has even been made that Belton's principal facade was the inspiration for the modern British motorway signs which give directions to stately homes.

Have a wonderful weekend. A lady gave me 3 beautiful peony plants if I would dig them up yesterday at an estate sale nearby. Of course I said yes and they are already in the ground. They are exactly like the one I photographed recently at a friend's house. I also got a snowball bush, at least that's what I think it is. It's covered in buds that should pop open any day now. It might be a hydrangea; I must identify the leaves when I get more coffee into my system. I was outside until after 9pm last night planting everything. They don't even know they've been moved. So happy!!!




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A View in Ireland.

I've never been to Ireland, have you?




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Chives in Bloom | Make Some Flavored Vinegar

My chives are in full bloom as you can see from a photo I took earlier this week. I think I should make some flavored herb vinegar.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

2 cups white vinegar
2 cups freshly packed chive blossoms

Bring vinegar just to boil, but do not boil. Pour over chive blossoms. Let stand in a crock or large glass bowl or bottle in cool, dark place for one week.

Strain vinegar, discard blossoms.

Transfer to bottles and add sprig of fresh chive blossom to each bottle.

Great gifts from the garden.

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Sliding Barn Doors Used Inside

This is probably about the 4th time I've featured sliding barn doors used as an interior feature. I always stop to look at photos of them when I'm browsing blogs. I forgot to make a note of the source of this photo for these new doors that maintained the look of their barn/carriage house origins. It's a lovely Friday morning so far. I'd better get my outside work done early because I think it's going to be quite warm. Have a great weekend, Rosemary

Sarah Jessica Parker: Audio Guide at The Met

Sarah Jessica Parker becomes audio guide at The Met:
Those who visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art during its exhibition titled "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity" will be greeted by a familiar voice. Sex and the City star and self-confessed fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker has taken on the role of audio guide for the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibition at the museum. The exhibition runs through Aug. 15, 2010.

Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Web site to hear a sample of SJP’s audio narrative--go to the bottom of the page.




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A Cheerful Kitchen

I like this happy kitchen a lot, don't you? Those upper windows are especially pleasing. We have bright sun at the cottage today after a week of dreary weather. Enjoy your day, Rosemary.





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Taking The Cat To The Vet

You can't back out now. It's going to be all right.
Don't worry. I'll be there when she wakes up.




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Polar Bear Pickets in Washington

No more off-shore drilling.




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Tiny Bath Under The Stairs

I love everything about this tiny bath tucked under the stairs. I'd love to have a window over my sink instead of a mirror. I usually walk over to the window to look outside while I'm brushing my teeth. It much more interesting than my reflection and oftentimes I see bluebirds.




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Goodnight, Time To Count Sheep

Pretty soon it will be time to jump under the covers and try to get warm. It was a wet bone-chilling day but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I'll turn out the light and start counting sheep around 11:00 pm. I like the big fat ones like this. Goodnight, see you in the morning.




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Wildflowers: Common Fleabane and Multiflora Rose

Common Fleabane

Multiflora Rose

I thought the first flowers on my property were some sort of wild aster but found out they are common fleabane. Who knew? The multiflora roses are so fragrant this time of year. Walking among them yesterday was like being in a perfume factory. I honestly never knew they had such sweet tiny pink rosebuds.

I found a great site where you can search wildflowers by color with results shown in great photo galleries @ The Connecticut Botanical Society. I showed the photo gallery photos they provided as links under each of my photos. Hope this site helps you identify your wildflowers.

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