Walking on Slippery Ice

I have blue skies and bright sun this morning but it's still below the freezing mark. I MUST go out and hack up my icy patches with a pick axe so they will hopefully melt later today. More snow is on the way overnight turning to rain Monday morning with temps in the 40s and that will be good. Hopefully all will melt before nightfall since it's going down to 18° and there will be more ice. Take care if you aren't as sure-footed as these penguins.
I thoroughly enjoyed the three-episode mini series on Penguins called SPY IN THE HUDDLE. I can't remember whether it was on NatGeo or BBC America. It's on Netflix now, so if you are a penguin fan, look for it and watch it. It is a fascinating series with an up-close look as spy cam decoys are set up in the penguin colonies. BBC photo above.

Trees with Long Shadows

I love this wonderful linocut by Australian artist, Anita Laurence, entitled Winter II. I have always thought it would be fun to learn this craft but sadly I am not at all artistic in this way. Have a great weekend. xo

New England Gambrel Roof Cottage with Plans

See the house plans for this vintage New England cottage with a Gambrel Roof and more small homes with this barn-style roof here and larger homes here.

Quilted Valentines

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I love these quilted hearts made from an old red and white patchwork quilt. The blanket stitching around the edges is perfect. via
See all my previous posts about Valentine's Day here.

Leather Buttons

This is probably a tailor's sample but I love this idea. If you have buttons that are similar but the colors are different, why not use them on a garment you are sewing? Make the buttonholes in different colors too, to match the buttons. via
I have temps above freezing and the sun is shining brightly this morning but the sky will cloud over this afternoon. I must deal with my car's frozen front windshield and my front walk. Be careful if you have ice. xo

Egg Carton + Egg Shell Seed Starters

I must start saving my egg shells to use in the lid of the egg carton. I adore this idea for a DIY seed starting kit. Be sure to buy your eggs in paper cartons from now on. It is cold and wintery today with a mixture of rain and snow and slippery roads. A friend just called and she said she had to use her four-wheel drive to get home from an early morning appointment. I'm not going out at all except to walk to the mailbox once the mailman arrives late this afternoon. Be safe wherever you are. xo 

Beautiful Floral Wallpaper

Odessa Garden Damask wallpaper in white. A unique take on the classic damask, this contemporary wallpaper that features ornate flowers is a wonderful feature wall option. via

Available in black too. Details and ordering information here.

19th Century Handmade Southern Crafts: High Museum Atlanta Exhibit

Unknown African-American Maker: A North Carolina Quilted Bedcover, ca. 1875–1900, cotton top, linen back, and cotton stuffing. High Museum of Art, Atlanta; on view through August 4, 2019

HAND TO HAND: SOUTHERN CRAFT OF THE 19TH CENTURY 

Stoneware water cooler attributed to Thomas Chandler, Phoenix Factory, South Carolina, c. 1840. This photo is from an article in The Magazine Antiques about the High Museum exhibition. See more items and read the article here. 

I thought these wonderful images would be a good contribution to African-American History Month.

Pussy Willow Embroidery

Do you love pussy willows too? Isn't this embroidery lovely? There is a big tree near me and maybe the owners will let me cut some this spring. I would love to have a sweater embellished with this needlework. via

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage

A secure blog established in 2008.

Overwintering Nasturtiums in my Attic

These two small pots of nasturtiums were dug up in the fall and they have continued to thrive in my cool attic all winter long. I never tire of looking at their bright green round leaves on red stems  and am quite amazed at how hardy they are for annuals. They ask for nothing but to be watered when they begin to dry out. I also pick off the yellow leaves. They bloomed for a long time in the fall too. From now on, I'm calling them tender perennials and I'm happy I'll have a couple of plants to put out in the spring instead of having to wait for my seeds to sprout. 

xo, Rosemary @ Content in a Cottage

Blueberry Pancakes on the Wood Stove

Blueberry pancakes cooked on a blue wood stove. Yum. I am sure they taste extra delicious cooked this way. I have bright sun and a high today of 43° but it feels warmer because of the sunshine. I understand the deep south is having a heatwave. Mother Nature always likes to tease us in February! xo, Rosemary @ Content in a Cottage

Einstein Quote about PLAY

"Play is the highest form of research."
Albert Einstein via

Content in a Cottage -- Click here if you are reading this blog post in an email or on a reader. You are missing out on my beautiful blog with a sidebar. Click on any picture on the sidebar for more information. Thank you. xo

Beautiful Illustration of Chickens

Sophie’s Chickens by Jenny Crocker

© 2010–2019 Indigo Dreams

via
Content in a Cottage

Dancing Cat and Duck

I wish I could have been around to see this animated gif being made. What a pair! Enjoy what's left of your Sunday. It was rather balmy here at the cottage with a nice day to be outside. My front walk has finally melted completely and it's finally not dangerous to walk on. xo

Content in a Cottage

A Lamb Princess

I do believe this little lamb would look very regal even without her jeweled tiara. via

Content in a Cottage

Groundhog Day 2019

Well, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this morning, predicting an early spring. His success rate is only 40% so I don't believe a word of that forecast. We have gotten our coldest weather in the past few years in March, with blizzards, and that's a bitter pill to swallow when the snowdrops that are in bloom get buried and we are completely sick of winter. I am fine with the cold but not with deep snow. Fingers crossed that Phil is right this year. Read more about groundhogs here. Have a great weekend. xo

Hello February

Another month has come and gone, hasn't it? February will go even more quickly since it's the shortest month of the year. I hope the fair maiden in this drawing by Walter Crane sees the Polar Vortex on its way out. I am looking forward to seeing my snowdrops as they always emerge in February. xo

DIY Industrial faucet

COLD doesn't come close to describing the weather. I woke up to 0° this morning but my car is clean and my cottage feels like any other morning. I'm sure my gas bill will reflect that next month. My furnace rarely turns on in the night but my radiators were hot when I got out of my cozy bed. 

My kitchen faucet is leaking from the base and I dread calling a plumber. I shall wait until spring since I know I need two new outside spigots that were not used last summer due to dripping. I hope my third one doesn't need replacing as well, due to this deep freeze.

Anyway, I like the looks of this faucet made from plumbing parts. It would be nice in a laundry room or a sink in a potting shed or an outside kitchen near the grill. via

Watching PLUTO TV on my iPhone

This still photo above is actually a video I posted on Instagram. It shows my iPhone tuned in to a news channel on Pluto TV. It's a free app and I love it for watching live TV in rooms where I don't have a television set. This scene is in my home office in the pantry. You can also watch live movies or movies on demand. There are 24 Movie channels. 14 News channels, 13 Sports channels, and so much more. There are 100 channels in all. 

You can watch my video on Instagram here. You can download Pluto TV from the Apple App Store for iPhone or iPad or Google Play for an android device. Enjoy! You're welcome.

You don't need an app to watch it on your laptop or desktop computer. Here's the link. https://pluto.tv/ Click on the On Demand bar in the center to see the movies you can watch.

Hallway with Painted Floor

Love, love, love this decor by Lisa Tharp Design.

Antique Pendant with Blue Bird

I am not much of a jewelry person but I would happily wear this little beauty on a gold chain. I wonder if it's engraved on the back? via

Lennart Helje Art w/ Elf, Cat, Bird

Lennart Helje is a painter and illustrator who born in 1940 in Lima, Sweden. He paints gnomes wearing red hats and animals in snowy landscapes. He has also illustrated books, stamps, and postal Christmas seals, with Nordic, nature, and plant motifs. The photo above was found on Google Images. Isn't his artwork delightful? I also found an article about him on a blog with a slideshow of some of his wonderful paintings. Read more here. You're welcome. xo

Darling Doggie Door w/ Brick Exterior and Awning

It took a while and lots of searching on Google Images but I finally found a darling doggie door with a beautiful exterior. All it needs is a canine door man. This little dog must surely live on 5th Avenue.

American Robin in the Snow

I saw some winter Bluebirds flying around on a bitter cold and windy day last week. Guess this robin is doing some winter house hunting. via

Blue and White Bathroom to Love

I especially love the charming ticking slipcover on the chair holding the towels. I love the short pleated skirt. Everything else is pretty nice too, especially the beautiful tub. via

I post each of my daily posts on Pinterest.

My most popular pins from my blog are re-pinned by others here.

Tour John Derian's Manhattan Home

An antique hatbox sits atop an 18th-century Italian armoire in the bedroom. The slipper chair is covered in an antique rug. On floor, 19th-century French runner.

The bedroom features a 19th-century canopy bed with a linen cover by Charvet Editions. On walls, Farrow & Ball's mouse's back; lamps by Robert Ogden; c. 1930 Caucasian rug.

There are many more photos and an accompanying article in Architectural Digest: Explore the Layered Wonderland of John Derian's Home.

Floor to Ceiling Double Hung Window

This could be a window at Monticello in Virginia, but I'm not sure. There was a time when doors were taxed and windows were not. This type of window was a work around. Love the long shadows!

Einstein Quote with Bicycle

I added the text to this bicycle graphic and posted it on my blog in 2009. Albert Einstein was quite famous for riding his bicycle around Princeton.

via

MLK Day 2019 The Dream of Reconciliation

I posted this New Yorker cover in 2015. MLK leading a peaceful march for racial equality. If only.

Books with Marbled Endpapers

I adore leather bound books with marbled endpapers. This is a very nice stack. via

Virtual Woodburning Fire to Warm You

My own fireplace is all set for a fire but it's terribly windy outside right now so I'd better not light it. This virtual fire will have to do. It is supposed to get down to 7° tonight but will feel colder because of the wind. I thank my lucky stars every night for my eider down comforter that keeps me so warm and toasty. 

My overnight snow had turned to rain when I got up this morning. I dealt with it and cleared everything before noon after two hours of working outside. I had some homemade soup when I came inside at noon. Be safe and warm as we ride out the winter. Thankfully, tomorrow is a holiday and many people won't have to go to work.

xo

Double Sinks: Bathroom Love

Swoon. I couldn't love this more. via

Be safe this weekend if you are in a snow zone.

Snowy Friday: A Dusting at My Cottage

I woke up to a dusting of snow and it has already stopped. So happy. A dusting is my favorite. No shovel required. I can just sweep my front walk. xo

Acorns and Oak Leaves

“The boughs of the oak are roaring inside the acorn shell.” ~Charles Tomlinson via

I love this photo and the quote too! xo

Hallway Bookshelves, Nice!

via

I designed this quote long ago. I think Anna Quindlen would be most pleased if her children had bookshelves like the photo above.

Snow Art

Snow Angel in Empty Swimming Pool

Punk Snowman with Mohawk Haircut via

Beautiful Snow Scene

This unspoiled snow scene lis lovely but I am happy that it isn't my cottage. Once again, my area was spared the snow that is blanketing Virginia and points south. Is the weather shifting? I think it is. I got just a dusting on Sunday morning that melted when the clouds parted and the sun came up. More snow is predicted for this weekend. Fingers crossed. via

VICTORIA, Season 3 Premier TONIGHT

Set your DVR or prepare to watch Season 3, Episode 1 tonight on PBS. I am thrilled my favorite series is back, finally! 

Mark your calendars: Season 3 will begin on Sunday, January 13.

Stars Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes will reprise their roles as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Season 3 will begin in 1848 as the royal couple faces the challenges of their growing family and worries that the riots and revolutions breaking out across Europe will make their way to England’s shores.

“It’s a time when the whole of Europe is falling apart,” creator Daisy Goodwin said during PBS's session at the biannual Television Critics Association Press Tour. “French kings were getting thrown off the throne, there were riots in Berlin. It’s all going pear-shaped.”

How much of Victoria’s multi-decade reign will Season 3 cover? We’re not sure. But what we do know is that it won’t get to 1861. Goodwin has promised that Albert will be part of the full season, meaning we won’t have to face his death just yet. Article found here.

Vintage Attic Storage Idea

I love this attic print storage and art room. I have something similar in the attic of my cottage and am always looking for new ideas. via