Origins of The Grinning Cheshire Cat

I read all of the possibilities here. I'm going with this one. The carving at St. Wilfrid's Church:
In the Cheshire village of Grappenhall, there’s a church that has stood since the 12th century, where Lewis Carroll’s father, a vicar, used to preach and the young Carroll often visited. A carving of a grinning cat peeks out from above the church’s main entrance. One assumes the adornment would have left a deep impression on the little boy’s imagination.
Thanks Catster...that was an interesting article.

Drayton Hall Circa 1738 - Charleston SC

I didn't visit Drayton Hall the one and only time I was in Charleston. I must go and see this wonderful place. The 360° online tour is wonderful -- take it here. It really makes you feel as if you are there.

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Monarch Butterfly

I don't even remember taking this photo but it is on my camera roll and I didn't loan my iPhone to anyone. Maybe it was outside my office. Anyway---here it is.

The Big Three

1. Fabulous Architect 2. Talented Builder
3. Wonderful Interior Designer and Owner

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South Side Sportsmen's Club Long Island

Main House - Photo by Howie Guja
Read more about the history here.

A Truly Rich Man with Children

I know a family with a father like this. Do you? via

Porch Alcove with Roses

I would like this at my house. A little alcove on a porch so I could be inside and outside at the same time. I would especially love being out there with a book and a camera on a rainy day. via

Prairie Mallow

Sidalcea malviflora. Malvaceae Family. These 2- to 4-foot-tall perennials bear showy spikes of 2-inch-wide blooms in shades from pale pink to bright rosy purple. Also called miniature hollyhock.

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Beautiful Globes

I have a real love for antique globes. These look like balloons. via + via

Abandoned Cottage By The Sea

I see new boards so hopefully someone is trying to save this beauty by the sea. via

Best Infinity Pool Ever

This must have been quite a challenge to build but isn't it wonderful? I hope nobody floats over the edge.  via

Bathroom Vanity with Many Drawers

I love this clever use of a chest with 9 drawers as a double vanity. I found this photo on my PC up on the third floor and I don't know the source. It's something I've been saving for a long time and it's perfect for posting since we all are loving lots of drawers lately. 

The Blew Linnet - Mark Catesby

An antiquarian print from my flat files. I'm not sure if this is still in there or if I sold it and I'm too lazy to look. I just love the spelling of the word blue (blew), don't you? A hand-colored folio engraving from 'The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands' Published in London 1731-43
I digitally cropped the photo at the plate line so the huge margins wouldn't interfere with your being able to see the image of the bird and plant clearly. This is a very high quality hand-colored reproduction. my photo

Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II | Pages 54 and 55

 

 

More excellent fatherly advice that has stood the test of time.

Spotless Kitchen

I have marble countertops in my kitchen and they don't look like this. Did they ever? Maybe for the first day and thereafter they showed every water spot and more. Their real enemy is lemon juice. You don't want to know what that does to marble. The acid etches it!! Luckily over time the patina evens out if you use your kitchen a lot. I love the way this 'virgin' kitchen looks. I never sealed my countertops and my marble was honed. I've read lots of articles that say even the sealing doesn't help. I just tell myself mine is a 1920s kitchen. Would I use marble again? I'm not sure. Have you had a similar experience? photo

This is my kitchen counter snapped with my iPhone just a few minutes ago. The light from the window over the sink highlights many of my spots and the overhead spotlight is shining on the lemon juice spots that are etched in the marble on the edge over the dishwasher. See what I mean? Overhead reflections really show up the spots. That's why I almost never turn on my under the counter lights.

This has got to be the most beautiful brass door hardware I have ever seen. One can only imagine how lovely the padlock must be. I wonder if the lock on the inside is similar? via

A Balancing Act

I love this painting by ©Kevin Sloan and its title: 'The Tedium of Protocol'. View full-size image here -- you must then click on the thumbnail.

Life really is a balancing act, isn't it?

I'm off to an early appointment. I love this running rabbit pillow from Helkart Design. See you later. via

Slow Down August

Are you all decked out for the next to the last weekend of August? Really! I just looked at my calendar and was shocked. Slow down August. I'm not nearly ready for you to end.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, "I love real antiques in the kitchen." See more of this delightful Swedish summer house here.

Ferns Unfurling

I adore this photo of fiddleheads unfurling. Found here.

A Chest with Many Drawers

Here is another great chest with lots of drawers. I'm beginning to think every home needs one based on the response I got from a multi-drawer chest I featured recently. Do you prefer drawers or cubbies?
Have a great weekend. We had rain all night but it stopped before I got up this morning. It is cooler too. See you later. 

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Have A Great Weekend

I love this oar converted to a wall-mounted coat rack. This looks like an easy DIY project. It's perfect for displaying the things of summer. via

Country Living Photo of a 24" Aga Range

Here is that photo I was looking for but couldn't find until a reader told me she was sure I saw it on page 79 of the July-August 2012 issue of Country Living magazine. She was right and it was on my coffee table. Doesn't this baby Aga look great?

my iPhone photo

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake: WANT!

If I had blueberries in the house, this would be in my oven right now. Recipe here.

French Lavender Fields

This photograph is almost too beautiful for words. I love the simplicity of the architecture and the beauty of the surroundings. via

Martha's Vineyard poster

I had one of the best vacations I've ever had when I took a two week photography workshop on Martha's Vineyard in the late 1970s. I rented a tiny cottage in Menemsha called The Paint Box and I drove there all by myself from New Jersey with 2 dogs and a cat. We almost missed the ferry too. It was so much fun. I like the Vineyard better than Nantucket because of the variety. The towns are so diverse! Which of those islands off Cape Cod do you prefer?

The Aga Range Had a Baby: GaGa Aga

I saw a photo of a baby Aga in a cream color in a lovely kitchen recently and could never locate it again. I did a google image search and found some wonderful information over at Apartment Therapy. This tiny baby range or cooker is made to supplement a larger Aga but the Aga Companion can also be used alone. This baby has already been weaned! At only 24" wide, the Companion is the perfect stove for a small apartment or cottage, yet it still has two ovens and four burners. They're made of cast iron and available in 15 different colors from dark chocolate brown to a bright and vivid turquoise.

I often blog about these Aga cookers to great response. I think this is the best thing I've read about in ages, don't you? It's dual fuel too. I want this baby!!!

Extremely Early Bookmobile

I wish I could read the name of the city. This has got to be one of the earliest bookmobiles ever, right? It's so nice to see the children are more interested in checking out books than sliding down the slide.
UPDATE: It's circa 1917 somewhere in Minnesota. Found here.

Great Wall of Antiquarian Books

Oh My. Teleport me there. Now.

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Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II | Page 52

 

I like all of these. Sage advice from our favorite father.

What would you put in 24 drawers?

I love this look but I'm afraid they would all end up as junk drawers. You could alphabetize them with the last one being XYZ. via

Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II | Page 52

 

It's been too long since I created a page from this wonderful book to inspire you. I like all of these suggestions from a father to his college-bound son.

I've Been Jumping Off Cliffs

and exercising my wings ever since Friday. So far I haven't crashed to the ground. Good things are happening and so far I have everything under control. image from here

Webster Peeking and Flirting

 

Who needs words? The eyes say it all. All of his looks translate as 'is it time to eat?' or 'can we go for a walk?'

Are you a fan of open shelving?

I love the look in this particular kitchen. The cutout shelf supports are very nice as are the dishes. I have open shelves in my pantry and there are two windows in the room. Thank goodness it isn't a place that is often viewed close up because the dust is pretty deep in there. via

I like these room-dividing bookcases by Candace Barnes. Those shelves look as though they will never sag no matter how heavy the books. Nice indeed. via

Checking on the Cygnets

What a wonderful way to be transported by Mother Swan. They don't look like ugly ducklings to me. via

Thistle Do

Webster and I are up way too early this morning because I have real estate appointments at my new listing. I took this thistle photo yesterday and it's looking pretty dayglo to my sleepy eyes this morning. I've always liked these giant weeds and the birds go wild over them when they go to seed. Enjoy this August weekend. I just looked at my calendar and saw that Labor day is very early this year...just three weekends away. Slow down August, I have so much to do before you are over. That's an order.

Webster Behind a Chair

The wonder dog's face is rather washed out because the sun was shining on it in the late afternoon. We were both enjoying the coolness after the rain. I washed the insides of my windowsills while it was pouring and they smell so nice and fresh with the windows open. Goodnight from the cottage. See you tomorrow.