I'm taking some eggs and butter out of the refrigerator so I can bake a cake later if I can find a recipe using only ingredients I have in the house at the moment. Yum---cake. 50 Tips for Baking Better Cakes
Mad Men's multi-season renewal is still generating buzz from major outlets this week, while an announcement that Netflix will stream the series stirs new buzz. This is great news for those of you who don't get AMC. Mad Men
The 20 Most Exciting New TV Shows coming to a channel near you. Wonderful Slideshow
Have a great relaxing weekend and do a little dreaming about the kitchen and eating area shown above. If the Government shuts down over the weekend, we should too.via
This is what spring is looking like so far this week at the cottage. Very un-spring like. A little sun would help but I guess that's asking too much and believe me, I've been asking.
More great and useful advice from our favorite father -- H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I found a recipe for the microwave peanut brittle and now I want some. I can't remember the last time I had tapioca pudding. We never had it at my house and I think of it as being rather institutional -- but I found a microwave recipe in case you like it.
I love these white and transferware plates on the gray wall. I don't see any evidence of the usual wire plate holders and wonder how they are staying up? Maybe it's magnetic paint? Now wouldn't that be fun? Glue magnets to the back of the plates and stick them all over until you get a pleasing arrangement. via Crush Cul de Sac
I made these bookends in 4th grade woodshop and my mother kept them. The colonial ladies were cut with a bandsaw and applied to the wooden backs. I cut the lid from a large can of tomatoes in half and nailed them on the bottom to hold the books in place. In another 100 years they will be folk art.
Rose O’Neal, 11, uses a crosscut saw in a miter box to cut rails for a step stool she is building in a class at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. Woodworking Classes for Kids - NYTimes Teaching children construction is gaining momentum across the country as a way to develop imagination and confidence in the very young. Watch a wonderful slideshow with 15 pictures and captions after you read the article. I am very excited about this new trend. Kids today don't learn enough practical skills to carry them through life and the trials and tribulations of homeownership and homemaking.
I think a carpenter is practically the best thing you can be in life. I took home economics starting in the 4th grade too. I know there were several other girls in my woodshop class but I don't remember any boys in home ec. These classes were in public school and I'm so glad they were offered.
Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. This painting is being auctioned in Australia. Don't fail to read the great story about William Dargie’s ‘wattle painting’ of Queen Elizabeth II. The painting, commissioned to commemorate the Queen’s first visit to Australia in 1954, became her official portrait for Australia. Originally found via lottie tea
I hope I see something good today after the office meeting. I looked at the list last night and didn't see any cottage castles on the broker open house tour. One can always dream about them though.
It's not even 5:00 pm and I'm already thinking about how nice my bed is going to feel when I jump in it later tonight. I think a cup of tea is in order to perk me up. Dinner is already made and in the oven so I'm way ahead of myself in that department. The Animal Blog
"Inside her own private cup, Pigeon settles down to pecking and nibbling and talking to herself."
Lauren Scheuer is an illustrator, children's book author and chicken mom. She has been sharing the tales of her flock of five which includes one special needs chicken, one mean girl and one who gets tormented daily. Read today's installment and then click on the link Lauren provides to catch up on what you have missed. Scratch and Peck: EVENING RITUAL
I know everyone would love to spend the day at this cottage in England with the fabulous thatched roof. I am quite sure I'd never want to leave. The yellow front door works with the garden in front, doesn't it? Enjoy your Sunday; I'm doing an open house today. See you this evening.
This looks like a real kitchen in a real home, doesn't it? There's nothing like curling up in your little dog bed in front of the Aga Stove, is there? I've always been told pets love them. I'm getting ready to curl up in my own bed pretty soon and try to recover from a massive yard cleanup today. It looks so nice and it felt great to get a good workout. via
I got rid of that big tree that fell on my private road in the back. So happy. When you work hard you can follow Mark Twain's advice and eat what you like. That's my reward today. I love his humor, don't you? I scanned his face from the cover of an old Time Magazine.
Have a playful weekend doing something fun like this young pachyderm playing in the grass under the watchful eye of his mother. The sun is shining brightly at the cottage at long last. Webster and I will be dealing with some outside cleanup and it's nice enough to hang a load of wash outside on the line. Oh happy day!