Bird's Eye View

This is such a gorgeous photo. Don't you wonder what the bird is thinking? I hope he's not thinking anything, just soaking up the beauty of the view. via

Perfect Greenhouse + An Appalachian Cottage

Dream on. 

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Cottage in Appalachia.

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I took a road trip in Baby Shark this morning to the Department of Motor Vehicles to return my old license plates and it was wonderful. I left around 10:00 and there wasn't much traffic. It is a trip I usually dread but it was painless in my new car. I am still learning things about it. I didn't even turn on the radio because I wanted total concentration. I was familiar with the route so it went very smoothly. I love the way my Honda handles and we are becoming fast friends.

xo

My New Car

It was an absolutely paralyzing week for me but it ended well with a new car. On Monday my 2002 Chevy Suburban SUV was declared not fit to drive. My mechanic said he could fix the current problem so I left it with him. About 4 hours later he called me and said he would love to make the money on the repair but he feared for my future safety and thought it would be best to get a different automobile. I certainly appreciated his honesty and will hold him in high regard forever.

On Tuesday I was so traumatized I stayed in my pajamas all day wondering where to start. It is very hard to buy a car when you don't have a car, right?

On Wednesday morning I was up with early and started my Internet search. What should I buy? Used or new? I really didn't want to have to learn a new car at all. I looked and looked and looked. Sometime in the late morning, I called a girlfriend who always knows what to do. She said I should least a brand new car for three like she and her husband have been doing. They are on their third lease after owning cars outright in the past.

So I called the closest car dealer, the Honda dealership in Madison. The girl I got was so very helpful and she helped me narrow down my choice by asking me questions and listening to my wants, needs, and wishes. I was mostly interested in cargo space for open house real estate signs. I certainly did not need the third row seats that came with the Honda CRV I initially thought I wanted.

We narrowed it down the the HR-V and they were running a special on the 2019 unsold inventory to make room for the 2020 models. She even brought one to my house for a test drive. WOW, talk about customer service! I drove it back to the dealer ship and loved it. It took a couple of hours in the office for all the paperwork but I drove away with a 3 year lease with 10,000 miles per year allowed miles. I don't think I will have a problem with this since there are days I never leave the house and I never go very far. So on Wednesday late afternoon I had a new car. Since then I have driven on one nice day, one rainy day, and today I drove it in the snow. Tomorrow (Sunday) there will be ice and rain.

This is a photo I found online in Google Images. Click to enlarge.

I got this color, Modern Steel, with black or very dark gray cloth seats and interior. I have all-wheel drive and a back up camera. My car has a key instead of that button start and I'm glad. The key has buttons to lock and unlock. The back seats go down very easily for a full flat cargo space that is huge. It has been trial by fire all week but I am confident I made the right choice. It was pretty painless too. They took care of everything for me. Plates, insurance card, registration, etc. All those things you usually have to do yourself when you buy a new car. I am donating my old car to the local fire department. 

Sorry I have been absent for a while. Now you know why. xo

This is Baby Shark on Sunday after I shoveled the snow on the driveway and moved her so the front could continue melting in the sun. She was so easy to clean off!

Detail of her shark fin with my cottage in the background.

Snow.Bunny

This has got to be the most charming photograph of a snow bunny ever! via

Great Laundry Room with Old Sink

I especially love the vintage porcelain sink with built-in drainboard. It looks perfect in this wonderful laundry room. The wall drying rack is nice too. via

Gorgeous Marble Bathroom

I love the huge floor to ceiling marble tiles surrounding the window opposite the tub. The large square marble floor tiles are gorgeous too. It's a lovely room in all respects, isn't it? via

My Kitchen Today

I had some good sunlight shining on my farm table after lunch today. I had three pots of rosemary plants overwintering on the counter where my TV used to be but they died from neglect during the Christmas season. Thankfully, I still have a giant plant that is thriving in my pantry. Yesterday I moved some cookbooks to that spot and I'm loving the new look. I had an old wooden bookstand that I could never find a use for -- until yesterday and I'm so glad I didn't donate it. I moved all the cookbooks I reach for first to this location and I'm going to make pumpkin muffins with raisins later today thanks to the inspiration. Click photo to enlarge.

New year, New look.

Wonderful Greenhouse Interior

I love every detail of what I can see of the interior of this greenhouse. The door is especially beautiful. via Click photo to enlarge and swoon.

Winding Path on My Property

I took this photo over the weekend when the fog had almost lifted. It seemed the perfect photo to write on with my Apple Pencil. Watch a demonstration of the Apple Pencil here.

My Snowdrops are Starting

I took this photo on Saturday and was shocked to see a large clump of snowdrops emerging. They usually don't start until February. There is a lot of very cold weather coming and I hope they can withstand it. They are such dear little things and unusually hardy too. Fingers crossed. xo

New Year Goals

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This made me laugh.

DIY Seed Snowman for the Birds

This looks like a great treat for our bird friends.

Wild Birds Unlimited

Tiny Snowman for The Birds

This tiny snowman for the birds is adorable as is his expression. via

Beatrix Potter: Rabbits making A Snowman

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 

Here is yet another original Beatrix Potter watercolor that is new to me. via

Ball Fringe Curtains and Snow

I can remember making kitchen curtains trimmed with ball fringe long ago. There was a house for sale near me last year that had crisp white ones like these in every window and they were so beautiful inside and especially from the street view. I still think they are charming, don't you? Will you stay up tonight to ring in the New Year? I will try but I'm usually not successful. Photo found here. Here is the link to order ready-made white ball fringe curtains from the Vermont Country Store. Thanks, Pam for mentioning this source in the comments.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dream Cottage

The forever timeless center-chimney cottage of everyone's dreams. Not too big, not too small, just right. via

Cat in Bathroom Drawer

I love old furniture in a classic bathroom and a cat in a drawer too. via

British Royal Christmas Card released Christmas Day

Happy holidays from the Cambridges!

On Christmas Day, Kensington Palace released a new photograph of the Cambridge family. Taken presumably on the grounds of their country estate, Anmer Hall — it shows Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all bundled up in coats and sweaters. A hat-clad Prince William kisses his youngest child on the cheek as Charlotte grabs her brother’s shoulder. The scene was shot in black and white — and by the Duchess of Cambridge, who frequently takes official photographs of her family and children.

“Merry Christmas to all our followers!” Kensington Palace wrote on Twitter. “This photograph of The Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis was taken by The Duchess of Cambridge in Norfolk earlier this year." Text and photo from Vogue Magazine. Read more.

Christmas Decor by Mother Nature

These holly leaves dusted and outlined with frost plus the blurred red berries in the background make a beautiful living Christmas card on this Christmas Eve morning. via

Flying Staircase at Shirley Plantation

The flying staircase at Shirley Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia. Shirley is one of Virginia's oldest plantations, founded in 1613, and construction of the current house began in 1723. Eleven generations of one family have lived in the mansion, and descendants still operate it as a farm. via

I never cease to be amazed at beautiful architecture created without the aid of power tools.