Friday, October 8, 2021

Thursday, October 7, 2021

French Manor House & Gardens


Manor D'Eyrignac 
Family-owned gardens for 22 generations, with sculpted box hedges, inspired by 18th-century designs. The website is amazing. The numerous photos are almost like being there.
Visit these French gardens here. xo

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

October Bluebird 2010


I took this photo October 24, 2010.
I honestly haven't seen ANY birds lately.
So this old photo will have to do
xo

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Small Collection Atop My Miniature Chest


Just finished a new arrangement in my second bedroom that doubles as a dressing room / laundry sorting room / and a place for things in transition to the attic, the basement, or the trunk of my car for donating. It is never ending, but fun. xo

Monday, October 4, 2021

Vintage Sink Repurposed in A Laundry Room


This laundry room is small but mighty. I love the vintage sink finding new life here. I think it could be a bath room or powder room too. I love it! 
Photo found here.

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Finally Found the Perfect Lampshade


I rewired a lamp for downstairs this morning shown below. It was originally for a clip-on shade and I found the perfect lampshade for it in the loft over my garage but it needed a harp. I took the lamp apart and added the harp holder and the harp and it looks so nice. In the process, I ran across this French Faiance lamp I have had for over 20 years and found a shade that is suitable that I made myself years ago. It is covered in marbleized paper and I think it looks very suitable. The light switch turns on this lamp and a floor lamp in my dressing room/guest room. The miniature chest is an estate sale find.

I am still working downstairs and yesterday spent the day cleaning the walk-in closet and finding more items to donate. I also pulled the refrigerator from the wall in the kitchen and did a deep clean there from the floor to the ceiling. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I slept like a lot last night and didn't get up until 9am this morning and that is super late for me. I earned a good night's sleep.


Just inside the back door. 
This is the lamp I rewired and added a harp.



The toile shade had black ball fringe and several were missing so I cut the remaining ones off.



The base is an old pewter tea container with a Chinese theme. I thought the shade was perfect because it had somowhat of a pagoda shape.

That's it for my Sunday playing around my house. Don't forget to watch or record PBS MASTERPIECE tonight. The new season of GRANTCHESTER begins. I will have to wait until Monday night to stream it via the PBS VIDEO APP. See you tomorrow. xo

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Beloved Independent Bookstores


I've been in this one. Baldwin's Book Barn. 
You could easily get lost there.

Architectural Digest has an interesting article: Inside the world's most beloved independent bookstores. Read here.

Friday, October 1, 2021

October already?


October apples are my favorite.
I miss picking apples like these from a friend's tree. She moved away and she had the best "ugly" apples I've ever tasted. My mother and I used to go over and pick all we wanted and we always took plenty and went back for more. I have never been able to buy apples that good. Her house was built in 1900 and the apple trees were very old too. Heirloom apples are the best. I had another day in the salt mines cleaning out kitchen cabinets. I started another donate pile and I think I see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. xo

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Surprise Salmon Dahlia


What a nice surprise today.
All of my other tubers turned out to be dark red.
Today I got one dahlia in salmon.
Isn't it beautiful?

September is over today and I have moved mountains.
Yesterday I washed all my outside windows on the lower level as well as the storm door and the main entrance. I did the sliding glass door a while back. I found more things to put outside for the annual trash pickup. Everything was supposed to be collected Monday but it hasn't happened yet. Most of the stuff I put outside was picked up by people driving by. I got several things myself from my neighbors' piles. I got a fabulous large step-on stainless steel garbage can for my downstairs kitchen. It cleaned up perfectly and I can't imagine why my neighbors were getting rid of it. I really needed it too. It doesn't take much to make me happy, does it? I've been cleaning out the loft over my garage too. It's just dry storage for stuff I don't need. I have slowly been weeding it out for a long time and it's looking better each day. Will I ever finish? I doubt it! I keep tweeking arrangements I've already done but that's the fun part. See you tomorrow. xo

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Crustless Tomato Pie


This looks so good. If you are looking for ways to use your tomatoes on the vine that will soon be gone, you should consider making this tomato pic that is crustless.
Recipe found here.




Monday, September 27, 2021

Dahlias: Thriving On Neglect


I haven't done anything outside lately and this section outside my front door is full of weeds I'll attack one of the days. The dahlias don't care. They rise above to show off their beauty and continue to bloom prolifically.  They really are easy to grow!