Queen Elizabeth II, Her Inner Majesty

I can't wait to read this article! Doesn't Queen Elizabeth II look beautiful surrounded by her favorite dogs? About those corgis: on the cover, the Queen poses with Holly (held) and, from left, Willow, Vulcan, and Candy. (The latter two are both dorgis—the crossbreed the Queen engineered when one of her corgis mated with a dachshund that belonged to her sister, Princess Margaret.) Photo for Vanity Fair by Annie Leibovitz. Full article here.

Dogs in Vintage Photographs

Happy Memorial Day! The Guardian has a delightful assortment of vintage dog photos for you to enjoy. Read the article and see the photos here.

My Kitchen Essentials, Within Reach

I love having these things on my kitchen counter in plain sight, within easy reach when I'm cooking or assembling my food. Left to right you will see: pepper grinder, balsamic vinegar, fine sea salt, himalayan pink salt, cinnamon in a salt shaker, seasoned salt next to that, red pepper flakes, and a sugar bowl filled with raw turbinado sugar. There's also a ginger grater and a milk glass container with my measuring spoons and a wooden honey dipper. Mixing bowls are underneath the splayed-leg stool in old red paint. I love my English china transferware sugar bowl covered with architectural engravings. I unearthed the massive pressed moulded glass shakers with pewter tops tucked in a corner of one of my kitchen cabinets recently. They are beyond fabulous with lots of trapped air bubbles. I had to soak the tops in a strong solution of Bragg's cider vinegar for days to get the corroded tops back to their original condition. I use the one for pepper for fine sea salt and the one with the larger holes for coarse pink salt. For me, things out of sight are also out of mind. I like to have my stuff where I can see it. So far this morning I have used the pink salt and ground pepper for my fried egg and a few shakes of ground cinnamon in my Greek yogurt. Enjoy your Sunday and the long Memorial Day weekend. See you later. xo

Atlanta Cottage: SOLD, Sight Unseen

This is a "leap of faith" story about q cottage in Atlanta, Georgia. The photo below is after the renovation!

When the author heard about a dilapidated cottage overtaken by weeds and kudzu in an Atlanta neighborhood, she knew it would become her her family’s home. So she bought it—sight unseen. Is your interest peaked yet? Read the complete story here. There are some interior photos too.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Winnie the Pooh and The Queen

The Queen isn't the only one having a 90th birthday this year. She's sharing it with Winnie the Pooh who was also born in 1926 and a brand new tale is being released to mark the occasion. Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be happy about that! via People Magazine.

Pallet Garden Tool Organizer

I love this idea. Pallets are free and this photo makes me happy. My garden tools are organized in the vestibule but I could use something like this at my back door or in the barn/garage. Step by step instructions for making it here.

Here's another link from Country Living Magazine for you: 12 DIY Backyard Storage Ideas You Need to Try

Cottage Views and Flowers

My front yard after a recent mowing, I use my walk behind mower here. The area is too tight for my riding mower and when I try to use it here it blows clippings up against the house.

The back of my property after a mowing just before sundown, Needless to say, I use my Snapper riding mower back here.

A pale pink peony at the home of a friend. Mine are still in the bud stage.

She has lovely ferns too in her shade garden.

Please look at my instagram from time to time. It is so much easier than uploading photos to my blog. I know I have been neglecting it lately but I've been helping my friend of 43 years move from New Jersey. And I was burned out after my closing last Friday. Starting to feel almost normal again, but not quite. See you later xo.

SOLD

My closing on Friday was one of the smoothest ever. This is a quick view of the back of the house taken at the walk-thru. The other side is a u-shape around a courtyard. The earliest part of the house is pre-revolutionary. My buyers are happy and so am I. I have been playing catchup at my own house. I worked outside yesterday the whole day long trying to beat the rain and I did. A tire came off the hub on my riding mower and luckily the repair shop got one overnight and put it on while I waited on Saturday morning. There was one section of my back property on a slope that had not been mowed even once this year. The grass was really high but my Snapper handled it very nicely. I am always afraid I will tip over if I mow it sideways so I only mow downhill which takes much longer. Now I am back on track except for vacuuming inside which is on my short list.

Have a great Sunday and I'll see you later. xo