The PERFECT Living Room

I wouldn't change a thing. Teleport me there now. 

Hunworth, Norfolk, UK © charlesplantex

Hello, April

Happy April Fool's Day. This calendar page by Walter Crane has the perfect illustration for welcoming in the first month of Spring that we've all been so anxiously awaiting. It's bright and sunny with a blue cloudless sky here at my cottage but still chilly. I can't believe we are already into this year's second quarter. My, how time flies.

DIY Stuffed Cats + Pattern Made from Old Sweaters

These cashmere cats looks simple to make and you could even add long floppy ears to turn them into rabbits for Easter presents. Directions here.

Dog Rules for My Friend Missy

I photographed this sign in the home of a friend who has a dog named Missy. She is shown below in a field of long grass on an exercise run. She's really well behaved in the house and isn't allowed on the furniture but she actually prefers the dog bed I gave her that belonged to Webster. 

She's a rescue dog too. I'm still not ready to get one of my own but can visit Missy anytime.

Coldwell Banker, Established 1906 (My Real Estate Office)

My real estate office moved to a downtown location on Main Street in Madison NJ in late June of 2018 and today we had a Grand Opening and a Ribbon Cutting by the Mayor. It was well attended and a lot of fun. The catered lunch was amazing as well. I snapped the new storefront decor on my way home. Coldwell Banker was founded in 1906 and when you are standing at the window the cutout dates feature vintage photos of the original founders from that time period. Click photo to enlarge.

Unboxing My Surprise Gift from A Blog Follower

An antique English Ironstone soap dish and two mystery boxes tied with bunny ribbon.

A natural bristle nail brush and a bar of Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Soap. It is infused with rosemary, sage and time and has fine pumice to gently clean my gardening hands.

The verse on my card is sweet. "It is often difficult to tell if a hedgehog is ticklish. If you try, you're more likely to find him pricklish."

I rearranged the cleaning supplies I leave in plain view on the counter behind my double farm sink and now I am ready for spring garden cleanup too. I always wear gloves when I work outside but I also manage to get my hands very dirty when I take them off for fine work. I already had the Gardeners Hand Scrub and my old nail brush was too embarrassing to leave out. I am fanatical about clean nails and I adore this new brush. Thank you, Katherine for such thoughtful gifts in appreciation of my blog. I am also impressed that you were able to find my address at the office. Some of the associates at my meeting yesterday wanted me to open the gifts right away but I decided to wait and open them for you and my other faithful blog followers and friends after I got home. Today's post was fun to prepare and present. xo

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.