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.

Walking on Slippery Ice

I have blue skies and bright sun this morning but it's still below the freezing mark. I MUST go out and hack up my icy patches with a pick axe so they will hopefully melt later today. More snow is on the way overnight turning to rain Monday morning with temps in the 40s and that will be good. Hopefully all will melt before nightfall since it's going down to 18° and there will be more ice. Take care if you aren't as sure-footed as these penguins.
I thoroughly enjoyed the three-episode mini series on Penguins called SPY IN THE HUDDLE. I can't remember whether it was on NatGeo or BBC America. It's on Netflix now, so if you are a penguin fan, look for it and watch it. It is a fascinating series with an up-close look as spy cam decoys are set up in the penguin colonies. BBC photo above.

Trees with Long Shadows

I love this wonderful linocut by Australian artist, Anita Laurence, entitled Winter II. I have always thought it would be fun to learn this craft but sadly I am not at all artistic in this way. Have a great weekend. xo

New England Gambrel Roof Cottage with Plans

See the house plans for this vintage New England cottage with a Gambrel Roof and more small homes with this barn-style roof here and larger homes here.

Quilted Valentines

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

I love these quilted hearts made from an old red and white patchwork quilt. The blanket stitching around the edges is perfect. via
See all my previous posts about Valentine's Day here.

Leather Buttons

This is probably a tailor's sample but I love this idea. If you have buttons that are similar but the colors are different, why not use them on a garment you are sewing? Make the buttonholes in different colors too, to match the buttons. via
I have temps above freezing and the sun is shining brightly this morning but the sky will cloud over this afternoon. I must deal with my car's frozen front windshield and my front walk. Be careful if you have ice. xo

Egg Carton + Egg Shell Seed Starters

I must start saving my egg shells to use in the lid of the egg carton. I adore this idea for a DIY seed starting kit. Be sure to buy your eggs in paper cartons from now on. It is cold and wintery today with a mixture of rain and snow and slippery roads. A friend just called and she said she had to use her four-wheel drive to get home from an early morning appointment. I'm not going out at all except to walk to the mailbox once the mailman arrives late this afternoon. Be safe wherever you are. xo 

Beautiful Floral Wallpaper

Odessa Garden Damask wallpaper in white. A unique take on the classic damask, this contemporary wallpaper that features ornate flowers is a wonderful feature wall option. via

Available in black too. Details and ordering information here.

19th Century Handmade Southern Crafts: High Museum Atlanta Exhibit

Unknown African-American Maker: A North Carolina Quilted Bedcover, ca. 1875–1900, cotton top, linen back, and cotton stuffing. High Museum of Art, Atlanta; on view through August 4, 2019

HAND TO HAND: SOUTHERN CRAFT OF THE 19TH CENTURY 

Stoneware water cooler attributed to Thomas Chandler, Phoenix Factory, South Carolina, c. 1840. This photo is from an article in The Magazine Antiques about the High Museum exhibition. See more items and read the article here. 

I thought these wonderful images would be a good contribution to African-American History Month.

Pussy Willow Embroidery

Do you love pussy willows too? Isn't this embroidery lovely? There is a big tree near me and maybe the owners will let me cut some this spring. I would love to have a sweater embellished with this needlework. via

xo, Rosemary

Content in a Cottage

A secure blog established in 2008.

Overwintering Nasturtiums in my Attic

These two small pots of nasturtiums were dug up in the fall and they have continued to thrive in my cool attic all winter long. I never tire of looking at their bright green round leaves on red stems  and am quite amazed at how hardy they are for annuals. They ask for nothing but to be watered when they begin to dry out. I also pick off the yellow leaves. They bloomed for a long time in the fall too. From now on, I'm calling them tender perennials and I'm happy I'll have a couple of plants to put out in the spring instead of having to wait for my seeds to sprout. 

xo, Rosemary @ Content in a Cottage

Blueberry Pancakes on the Wood Stove

Blueberry pancakes cooked on a blue wood stove. Yum. I am sure they taste extra delicious cooked this way. I have bright sun and a high today of 43° but it feels warmer because of the sunshine. I understand the deep south is having a heatwave. Mother Nature always likes to tease us in February! xo, Rosemary @ Content in a Cottage

Einstein Quote about PLAY

"Play is the highest form of research."
Albert Einstein via

Content in a Cottage -- Click here if you are reading this blog post in an email or on a reader. You are missing out on my beautiful blog with a sidebar. Click on any picture on the sidebar for more information. Thank you. xo

Beautiful Illustration of Chickens

Sophie’s Chickens by Jenny Crocker

© 2010–2019 Indigo Dreams

via
Content in a Cottage

Dancing Cat and Duck

I wish I could have been around to see this animated gif being made. What a pair! Enjoy what's left of your Sunday. It was rather balmy here at the cottage with a nice day to be outside. My front walk has finally melted completely and it's finally not dangerous to walk on. xo

Content in a Cottage

A Lamb Princess

I do believe this little lamb would look very regal even without her jeweled tiara. via

Content in a Cottage

Groundhog Day 2019

Well, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this morning, predicting an early spring. His success rate is only 40% so I don't believe a word of that forecast. We have gotten our coldest weather in the past few years in March, with blizzards, and that's a bitter pill to swallow when the snowdrops that are in bloom get buried and we are completely sick of winter. I am fine with the cold but not with deep snow. Fingers crossed that Phil is right this year. Read more about groundhogs here. Have a great weekend. xo

Hello February

Another month has come and gone, hasn't it? February will go even more quickly since it's the shortest month of the year. I hope the fair maiden in this drawing by Walter Crane sees the Polar Vortex on its way out. I am looking forward to seeing my snowdrops as they always emerge in February. xo

DIY Industrial faucet

COLD doesn't come close to describing the weather. I woke up to 0° this morning but my car is clean and my cottage feels like any other morning. I'm sure my gas bill will reflect that next month. My furnace rarely turns on in the night but my radiators were hot when I got out of my cozy bed. 

My kitchen faucet is leaking from the base and I dread calling a plumber. I shall wait until spring since I know I need two new outside spigots that were not used last summer due to dripping. I hope my third one doesn't need replacing as well, due to this deep freeze.

Anyway, I like the looks of this faucet made from plumbing parts. It would be nice in a laundry room or a sink in a potting shed or an outside kitchen near the grill. via

Watching PLUTO TV on my iPhone

This still photo above is actually a video I posted on Instagram. It shows my iPhone tuned in to a news channel on Pluto TV. It's a free app and I love it for watching live TV in rooms where I don't have a television set. This scene is in my home office in the pantry. You can also watch live movies or movies on demand. There are 24 Movie channels. 14 News channels, 13 Sports channels, and so much more. There are 100 channels in all. 

You can watch my video on Instagram here. You can download Pluto TV from the Apple App Store for iPhone or iPad or Google Play for an android device. Enjoy! You're welcome.

You don't need an app to watch it on your laptop or desktop computer. Here's the link. https://pluto.tv/ Click on the On Demand bar in the center to see the movies you can watch.

Hallway with Painted Floor

Love, love, love this decor by Lisa Tharp Design.

Antique Pendant with Blue Bird

I am not much of a jewelry person but I would happily wear this little beauty on a gold chain. I wonder if it's engraved on the back? via

Lennart Helje Art w/ Elf, Cat, Bird

Lennart Helje is a painter and illustrator who born in 1940 in Lima, Sweden. He paints gnomes wearing red hats and animals in snowy landscapes. He has also illustrated books, stamps, and postal Christmas seals, with Nordic, nature, and plant motifs. The photo above was found on Google Images. Isn't his artwork delightful? I also found an article about him on a blog with a slideshow of some of his wonderful paintings. Read more here. You're welcome. xo

Darling Doggie Door w/ Brick Exterior and Awning

It took a while and lots of searching on Google Images but I finally found a darling doggie door with a beautiful exterior. All it needs is a canine door man. This little dog must surely live on 5th Avenue.