Sunday, February 21, 2010

Attention All Boys ~ Learn Carpentry



Me too. This was posted by an 18 year old blogger from New Zealand. I agree and I am a zillion years older. A carpenter is about the best thing you can be and too few young people today realize this. You can build the things in your head that are so hard to describe to a hired man. You can never have too many bookshelves, can you?
I recently found a really interesting article about Thomas Jefferson's BOOK BOXES with the dimensions he used for his. These sound perfect and I really want a set or two. They have built reproductions at Monticello. Thomas Jefferson designed them and thought they were the perfect way to store, display, and travel with his books. They look very simple, don't they? Bookshelves don't have to be ornamental in any way. The books they hold are the decoration.



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Do Want This Folk Painting Of A Sleeping Cat

  • A Cat's Dream: Waiting for the Right Moment to Pounce.
  • Unsigned. Oil on canvas 18" x 20" in a molded bird's-eye maple frame.
  • Condition: Relined, scattered retouch.
  • Estimate $6,000-8,000.
This painting is the best. Coming up at Skinner. I wonder if cats really have dreams like this?They probably do. This would be a nightmare for me because of the mice but a pleasant dream for this tabby.

Looks like a good sale. Skinner always puts together wonderful things to attract dealers and collectors alike. I once sold an early paint-decorated tall clock there. Are you going? Will you bid online?



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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Chai Latte Made In A Slow Cooker



I thought this looked interesting. I've never heard of ground vanilla powder but must look for some. I do love a good cup of chai. This recipe is in the current edition of Nesting Newbies. Scroll down a bit for the link. I posted about it yesterday. I never would have thought of making chai in my crockpot. You could use soymilk too. That's what I always use.
photo: Google Images



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Delightful Country Kitchen

Simplicity personified. I love everything about this photo. The sink, the curtain beneath it, the plate rack, the broom, the exterior shutters, the wire basket, the bananas hanging in the window, the bare floor ...wish I could see more.



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Remembering Spring

Webster thinks he can remember the time before snow. Pretty soon I'll be able to snap more pictures of the Wonder Dog looking out his favorite window. Did you know he has a fan club? People are always asking for more images of this handsome fellow. He sends his best regards.



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Daffodils And An Open Fire

Spring is in the air but there is still a nip in the air. Here's the perfect antidote. Have a warm and happy weekend. Rosemary



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Egg Cups


I've had these M.A.Hadley egg cups forever. Today I used one for a soft boiled egg with toast. So good. Here's hoping you have an egg-stra good weekend.



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Friday, February 19, 2010

Librarian Glasses Love

I love everything in this picture. The librarian glasses, the book in hand, the fair isle sweater vest, and the books in the background. A perfect composition. Have a great weekend, Rosemary.



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Nesting Newbies Magazine | Volume Two, Winter 2010

Volume two of a new digital shelter magazine Nesting Newbies is now viewable online. This should keep you entertained this weekend. It's very nice ~ I like it.

They are having a sweepstakes too. Enter by or before March 15th to win a Blue-Bird-Bag full of goodies with a retail value of $1,514. Details here. Cool. Good luck if you enter.



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Thomas Jefferson's Library Is Being Recreated

The Library of Congress is attempting to reassemble Thomas Jefferson's original library sold to Congress in 1815 for $23,950. Jefferson had the largest and perhaps the finest personal collection of books in the country which he offered to the United States government to replace the holdings in the Capitol that were burned by the British in 1814. His book collection became the foundation of the Library of Congress. A second fire on Christmas Eve of 1851 destroyed nearly two thirds of the 6,487 volumes Congress purchased from Jefferson. He never used the word "sold" when referring to the transaction but used "ceded" instead.

Does anyone know if there is a list of the books they are missing? I would gladly donate any volumes I might have in my personal library of antiquarian books to this worthy cause. Read more. I love stories like this, don't you?

Proclaiming that "I cannot live without books," Jefferson began a second collection of several thousand books, which was sold at auction in 1829 to help satisfy his creditors.


Stated in a letter to John Adams dated June 10, 1815.

Have a great weekend, Rosemary.


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Homemade Yogurt Day In My Kitchen

I had a real assembly line going in my kitchen yesterday. Four batches of homemade yogurt (21 cups) were ready to refrigerate before I turned off the lights. I make mine with powdered milk and it's delicious. Easy too. I've picked up all of the incubators at various garage sales over the years. I always look for the ones with milk glass cups. They are the best. Oh happy day. I have to blast out of the house early this morning after I eat a cup of plain yogurt flavored with one spoonful of no-sugar apple butter from Wightmans, the local farm stand that's open all year. Yum. I have an early real estate showing. Please cross your fingers for my sellers. Rosemary



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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Delightful Interior

I love the pillow made from a black pepper burlap bag.



via

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What A Beautiful Morning (Long Ago)

An early morning walk with Webster last summer with beautiful sun rays shining on very green grass. A preview of what's to come in a few months. Today I have blue skies and bright sun on white snow with birds singing in the background. It is actually quite nice. I put up a new feeder that the squirrels haven't discovered yet so the birds are happy. I made a peanut butter ball for them too. xo, Rosemary



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Endangered Carnivorous Plant Fears Floral Designers

Sarracenia leucophylla, the white-topped pitcher plant, grows wild in bogs and the wet pine savannas of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The nectar-producing ‘pitchers’ of these rare and uncommonly beautiful carnivorous plants are actually specialized leaves that lure, trap, and digest insects as a means of obtaining the nutrients lacking in their infertile soil. Demand for Sarracenia leucophylla for use in floral displays has led to widespread, illegal, and unsustainable harvesting of these wild plants. Agricultural and urban development, suppression of naturally-occurring fires, and competition from invasive plant species also pose threats to the habitats of wild populations of this spectacular species. If you see these plants in their native environment, just admire them and leave them alone so they can multiply. They are spectacular, aren't they?
Source.
Photo credit.



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Smile At The Baby Animals


That little Panda looks as if he's having such fun on his toy rocker. Ride 'em cowboy. Is there anything cuter than a Corgi puppy? I've never seen one in person but I love this one. They always remind me of Tasha Tudor and Queen Elizabeth. I'll be back later. Rosemary



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