A Gift of Miniature Daffodils

I went to a Broker Open House near my cottage yesterday and the listing agent was handing out pots of miniature daffodils to all the realtors who came to the preview. I was so excited and came directly home to plant these bulbs where I can see them when working at my laptop in my pantry office. I told her this gift was so much better than a catered lunch and she smiled. I was able to divide the root-bound pot into three plantings which will multiply over the years. Now I want more! As you can see I have yet to begin any spring cleanup.

Table as Island in Kitchen

I love this long antique table used as an island in this gorgeous kitchen. The tabletop is painted with a diamond design as is the floor. I love everything I see in this photo I found while surfing Instagram.

Wren Building Nest on my Balcony

This is an awful photo but I got one of the busy wrens that are building a nest in a decorative tin birdhouse left on my balcony all winter. I don't have the heart to tell them it's going to be too hot in there this summer. I will put an old painted shutter resting overhead on the railing if they are determined to live there all summer long. Both the male and the female are sharing in the hard work of gathering twigs and debris for their family home. Wrens are my favorite little birds because I love their cheerful chattering all day long. This abode is near my rear bedroom window and I look forward to waking up to their birdsong once I can go to sleep with my windows open. xo

Barn Owl in Flight

Photographed  at The International Centre for Birds of Prey Newent, Gloucestershire, England by ©Tony Llewellyn - Flickr -- I posted this image back in 2010

See all of my former owl posts here. In case you haven't guessed, I am very fond of owls.

Beautiful Barn Owl

via

Is she on the inside looking out or on the outside looking in? My guess is the former. Have a great first weekend of spring.

Chicken Wire Wallpaper

I photographed this wall in an eat-in kitchen  last week when I toured a cozy farmhouse cottage on an estate. Don't you just love this chicken wire wallpaper and the star sconces? Click photo to enlarge photo for the best viewing experience. Happy Friday!

Antiquarian Print: Rabbit circa 1809

Perfect 19th century Easter Bunny

Full size Natural History plate. Napoleon I, 1809-17, Description de l'Egypte: Histoires Naturelles Planches. Volume 1. Mammifères. Plate 6. Egyptian Mongoose and Lepus aegyptiacus from the rare book collection at Linda Hall Library in Kansas City, Missouri.

First Day of Spring

Happy First Day of Spring.

It's not until 5:00 this afternoon, but it's here. It will be quite a while before real tulips bloom so here's one of my John Derian tulip plates to help you celebrate. The decoupage paperweight below is from his shop.

I have given up on growing tulips because the deer and rabbits love them. Daffodil bulbs are poisonous and pest free so I'll stick with them. 

Greenhouse and Raised Garden Beds

Yes, please! I love the all the raised beds. This is truly a gardener's paradise though too large for me. I would love a miniature version. via

Fantasy Powder Room

This is too beautiful for words. via

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I made this Irish Blessing long ago.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

TODAY, EVERYONE IS IRISH!

I created this one too with a dog image photographed from my Royal Book of Crests.

See all of my previous posts celebrating St. Patrick's Day here.

Cachepot with Gardening Tools

This pot sparked joy when I saw it and couldn't resist buying it at a thrift shop. I trimmed my overgrown thyme and put it in some soup I made recently. It is planted in a clay pot that is sitting inside this cachepot decorated all around with gardening tools. I will plant the herb outside soon. xo

My first SNOWDROPS to Bloom this year.

I just went outside to jump rope on my balcony and I couldn't believe how warm it was. I checked my phone and it's 73° and most of the snow is gone. As soon as I finished jumping, I ran to the front yard to check my biggest clump of snowdrops and they are in full bloom. They have been buried under deep snow for over a week. Hooray! These spring flowering bulbs are true harbingers of spring.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend. xo

Lazy Nook by Carl Larsson

Just perfect, but I don't need the pipe for my own arrangement. via I searched Google Images for photos of Carl Larsson's home it's all wonderful. Enjoy. xo

Collecting Twigs for the Fire: Beatrix Potter + Peter Rabbit

Beatrix Potter ‘Collecting Winter Fuel’ December illustration for Peter Rabbit’s Almanac for 1929. This illustration could also be used for the March 2019 weather almanac for New Jersey USA.

Spring Forward: Daylight Savings Time

Did you remember to set your watches ahead today? I still have to set my stove, my radios, and my tall case clock.

The moving chart above is a Volvelle or an early paper rotating analog computer.

Peter Apian, 1495-1552. Astronomicum Caesareum, 1540.

Houghton Library, Harvard University

Blue and White on a Kitchen Wall

Just my style! I love this kitchen wall and the artful arrangement of the owner's collection of blue and white Staffordshire serving pieces. The artwork is perfect and the Staffordshire figures add a bit of color and interest. The decorative shelf supports are lovely but don't compete with the wall arrangement thanks to the white paint. You have to look very carefully to see the subway tile backsplash. There is so much to absorb in this single photo found in Victoria Magazine. Enjoy looking and have a great weekend. xo

Cast Iron Chicken in Snow

A view from my pantry window this 20° Friday morning showing the long shadows of my cast iron chicken. It has been too cold for the melting of snow but some of it has evaporated and is leaning where the sun hits. I have finally learned, after owning my cottage since 2001, how to deal with the snow. Now I just take care of the accumulation in the wide entrance opposite my front door and let the other side of my semi-circular driveway melt on its own. 

"We are too soon old, and too late smart."

Today is International Women's Day. This link could keep me busy all day.

Battenberg Cake YUM

I have never heard of a Battenberg Cake, have you?

I think the green icing is marzipan. Double YUM.

I have seen photos of this cake with each square being a different color or two colors arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Plain white cake is fine with me.

Deer Sighting

Nothing exciting, just a deer walking by in my woods. She looks fat and healthy, doesn't she? This doe was walking with a group but they were too far apart from each other to get them all together.

Gardener's Hand Soap

I love this French handmade gardener's hand soap and the natural bristle nail brush in the background.  The soap dish looks like a hard rubber waterproof flower pot too. Gardening is currently on my mind even though any possibility of doing any digging in the dirt is buried under piles of snow at my cottage. 

I was just looking at my calendar trying to decide when to pay certain bills and I was shocked to see Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend on March 10th. WHY? I love the way the sun is behaving right now!!! See you later. xo

Big Snow Last Night

I took this photo around 10:30 this morning before starting my 3-hour shoveling marathon. The snow was much lovelier earlier with every tree branch covered. No more snow is in the forecast for at least another week, thankfully. Cold all week but 50° on Sunday. 

I still jumped rope 100 times, did my 25 sit ups and some stretching after I took a break and watched the climbing movie. See you tomorrow. xo

Oscar Winning Documentary on NatGeo Tonight

I watched the Oscars this year all the way to the finish and saw this film win Best Documentary Feature. The preview intrigued me as I am fearful of heights. I can't even climb a ladder to clean my first floor gutters much less scale a vertical rock with no rope. That's what Free Soloing is -- rock climbing without a rope. I don't expect many of you will be interested in this film but maybe you can share with someone who might enjoy a free showing. This documentary appeared in theaters in 2018. The photo above is a screen shot from my phone via my Verizon FiOS app. Your channel number for the National Geographic channel will probably be different. 

{ click photo to enlarge }

IMPORTANT: Set your DVR tonight for this -- the final episode of VICTORIA, Season 3 on PBS. I'm looking forward to seeing Albert's project: The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park for the Grand International Exhibition of 1851. I will be so sad to see this series go. This is the last season Albert was in every episode. Sniff. Sniff.

Saturday Morning Snowfall: My Cottage

I have yet to open my front door since the snow stopped a short while after I got up. This photo is the view from my bedroom window looking toward the well-plowed road. I am so happy I live on a County road that is plowed frequently!!! The melting has already begun but I'm going to wait until after lunch to start shoveling when it's even warmer. I think I got 4 or 5 inches. Not too bad. See you later. xo

March First: Lion or Lamb?

I really wasn't expecting to wake up to snow this morning, on the first day of March. I am calling this arrival a Lamb because all I have to do is shovel my front walk and clean off my car. No plowing is required on my circular driveway since I have 4-wheel drive. I might have to change this to Lion weather depending on the snow that's predicted for both days of the next two consecutive weekends. Fingers crossed. I usually depend on the sun to melt my balcony and my car but it will be hiding until Monday. Be safe wherever you are. xo

Vintage Laundry Sinks on Stands

I spotted these old porcelain beauties on cast iron stands at a Broker Open House earlier this week. I have a double porcelain sink in my own kitchen (click link to view) and would love to have these two for my finished basement. One for the laundry room and the other for the summer kitchen. I, personally, like having a laundry room in my basement. I have drying racks in the furnace room for the items I don't like to put in the dryer. Not pretty, but practical. I think one of the sinks above is being used as a drain for a dehumidifier. At one time the washer and dryer were down here but now they are upstairs in this antique house. I am probably the only real estate agent who toured this home and found beauty in the basement. Smile. xo

Wild Snowdrops

I saved this Instagram photo of naturalized snowdrops on the grounds of an English Manor House. Mine are just sending up their green shoots but it will be a while before they are mature enough to bloom. I brought them with me from my old house when I moved in my cottage. Snowdrops are my favorite harbingers of spring.

Geraniums 1888

GERANIUMS

Childe Hassam

1888

via

Broker Open House Today

I have this circa 1835 renovation bookmarked for a broker open house tour today. Isn't it fabulous? Can't wait! All photos from GSMLS. All the other rooms are fabulous too. See you later. xo

Laundry Room in a Vintage House

A laundry room and mud room in an old house that was recently sold in my area. I loved it when I toured at a broker open house and I'm happy someone shared my taste and purchased it. Photo from GSMLS.

Spectacular Bathroom

Everything I see in this bathroom is wonderful. It ticks all the boxes, for sure! Simple, elegant, and luxurious. via

Kitchen with a Red AGA Range

This bright red AGA range is beautiful next to the gray custom cabinetry. I so wish I could see the rest of this kitchen! via

Jumping Rope is My New Exercise

I picked up this jump rope a week ago yesterday at a rummage sale. It's far from perfect but it has gotten me into jumping in my kitchen with the high ceiling. I have ordered a better one that is on the way and should arrive on Monday. I have been looking for a way to exercise without buying a machine or going to a gym. 

I did a lot of research before ordering my new rope and this is the best article I found. Here's the link: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/building-up-bones-with-a-little-bashing/
Be sure to read the comments too. They have as much information as the article.

Jumping rope is NOT bad for your knees. It's actually good for them. From everything I've read, it's the best exercise for your bones you can do. A really long time ago there was a program on PBS called "Bones for Life by Ruthy Alon". It was so interesting and informative. I wish I had recorded it because the DVD set sells for a whopping $300.00 and it is currently out of stock. She has her own channel on YouTube and you can watch her sessions free of charge. The one thing I remember from the PBS program was something you are supposed to do when you first get up in the morning to stimulate new bone growth. In bare feet, you are supposed to go up on your toes and go down hard on your heels. Do this at least five (5) times.

I started doing my situps again too. I don't do crunches. I just lie flat on the floor with my hands to my sides and go up to a sitting position and then down to touch my toes. I use nothing but my abdominal muscles and this made-up method works best for me. I am doing 25 repeats before retiring at night. I am not good at all with the rope I got last week but I am doing 100 jumps. So far, 22 consecutive jumps is the best I've done. I just keep counting (even my misses) until I reach 100. I am feeling so good and so much stronger, especially in my lower back. Will keep you posted on my progress. Time to jump now!!!! xo

UPDATE: Here's another great article written by a 91 year old woman who jumps rope.

Snow Melt Day

As you can see from the icicles on my balcony railing and the sheen on the tabletops, the sun is trying to burn through the clouds and the melting has already begun. By eleven o'clock this morning, the thermometer will be reading numbers in the 40° section. I always like for the sun to do the hard part before I go outside and deal with the small amount of snow on my front walk and front windshield. I did the hard part yesterday. Once again, I am happy to report another not-too-bad snowfall. I am so thankful too! I put this photo on my Instagram feed today. Enjoy your Thursday. xo

Cute Wallpaper in a Laundry Room

This post will be short and sweet. I'm pooped from shoveling. Not much snow and easy to get rid of but I did most of the driveway too. I photographed this wallpaper in a laundry room at a broker open house some time back. xo

Full Moon on my Tall Case Clock

I am so happy I looked at my calendar this morning and learned tonight was the full moon. I'm not that surprised because when I went to bed last night the moon was very bright. Luckily, I was able to move the moon dial on my tall case clock this morning. There is some sort of gear that locks it into position at certain times of the day but it was unlocked at 9:20 this morning. My kitchen has a low cathedral ceiling. My roofline is in sections and this was the lowest part of my attic and there was no way to stand up in any part of it. It just made good sense to incorporate it into my country kitchen at the time I was renovating 2002-2003. I had no idea the other ceilings in my cottage on the main floor with the one-room-wide living room, hallway to my two bedrooms, and full bath were 7'8" and my clock needs a full 8' to stand up with the center finial. This was the ONLY place to put it when I moved in and it turned out to be absolutely perfect. Isn't it funny how unplanned things sometimes turn out so well? See you later. xo

My Home Office in Pantry: Rearranged

Click on either photo to enlarge. When I sit at my drafting table under the window to work on my laptop and pay bills, I needed more room to spread out my papers, make entries in my check book and file the papers until they can go to the attic filing cabinet.

I added a side table for a more efficient work space. It's an old cutting board attached to an antique adjustable wrought iron base on wheels found at a rummage sale years ago. It had been in use in my basement kitchen that is no longer in use since my mother passed. I got the brilliant idea to put it in the pantry for more horizontal space for my favorite things. I do best when everything is in plain sight rather than in drawers. There is a small separate bookcase that fits perfectly underneath to hold wire baskets for unpaid bills, etc. I am thrilled with the way it all worked out. I have played around in there for a couple of weeks and yesterday I finally declared it perfect.