Monday, August 27, 2012

...a change is in the air...


...it was time to mow the lawn...
...so we chose today because of the cooler morning temperatures...
...my job is to rake up any debris...
...then my sweet husband mows our small little yard...
...yes, with an old fashioned 'push' lawn mower...
...we are as 'green' as they get...

...look what I found in the yard...
...I'm so ready for fall...

...so, of course I think "Photo Shoot"...
...using a souvenir from our recent trip to New England...
... a book by Louisa May Alcott...
...titled Aunt Jo's Scrap Bag...
...published in 1893...
...with a wonderful 4-leaf clover pressed inside...

...the yellow and green look wonderful on the old book...

...we never get the glorious reds and oranges....
...but we love our yellows....

...today was the first day of school here...
...my husband and I used to walk to school every day...
...now we just watch the kids walk by...
...we do have such wonderful memories...
...of our many years of teaching...

...more play...
...sunflowers give such joy...
...even as they dry they are so beautiful...

...especially when placed on a very special old book...

...how fun to play with one of the photos in Photoshop...
...life's journey is so wonderful...

“We all have our own life to pursue, 
Our own kind of dream to be weaving... 
And we all have the power
To make wishes come true, 
As long as we keep believing.”

 ~Louisa May Alcott 

Friday, August 24, 2012

...white fever has hit again...

...everyone loves a souvenir or two from vacation...
...well, on our first day...
...we found Vinny's Antiques...
...within walking distance of our hotel...
...in Seekonk, Massachusetts...
...and I spied a little white cupboard... 
...then we were on a little cruise for several days...
...I could not get this little white beauty out of my head...
...have you ever done that...

...when the cruise was finished...
...we visited little towns in Rhode Island and Massachusetts...
...always checking out the antique shops...
...but I still dreamed of the cupboard at Vinny's...

...so on the day we turned the car in and flew home...
...we made one last stop at Vinny's just to see if it was still there...

...it was priced so well...
...I feared to ask about shipping...
...but let me tell you...
...when the quote came back...
...I squealed with delight...
...Eileen at Vinny's is an expert packer...
...and the USPS took great care of my little treasure...

...I'm so in love with my vintage white cupboard...
...the medicinal smell is obvious when the doors are open...
...it was fun to 'play house' and find the perfect spot for it...

...Alex is quite happy with it...
...and doesn't he look gorgeous on his little white stool...
...he is such a sweet kitty...

...so don't worry about me...
...I'm really not looking for a cure or treatment...
...for my white fever, that is...

Thursday, August 16, 2012

...let's talk details...

...okay, let's talk...
...I confess...
...I have way too much stuff...
...and I LOVE it all...

...the following photos were all taken in my very tiny guest room...
...I'm such a stacker...
...I love it when the stacks go really quite high...
...all of these treasures are on top of a chimney cupboard...
...which you will see in the next photo...


...I love old books...
...vintage linens...
...straw hats...
...this is one I actually wore many years ago...

...a little shelf that I painted white...
...the books are old mathematics books...
...the canvas is not original...
...however, I've had some of my photography put on canvas...

...on the shelf created by the top of the headboard...

...way up on top of a pine cupboard...
...a little of this and a little of that...
...the blue book is a book of poetry that Dad used to read to us from...

...also on the shelf created by the headboard...
...vintage buttons glued on a dress form...
...then wax was applied...
...a wonderful old white McCoy vase...

...a ladder with vintage linens...
...see the ones with initials...
...done by my maternal grandmother...
...Chloe Matilda Fix was her maiden name...
...I cherish her memory...

...how I wish I knew who wore this straw hat...
...what stories might be told...
...wonderful patina on the old shoe lasts...

...and finally...
...a vintage dress form...
...she's dressed in lace and pearls...
...do you love details like I do?...

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. 
 It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.
~Author Unknown

Friday, August 10, 2012

...I'm in love...with blue hydrangeas...


...the first three photos are from our vacation...
...these glorious blooms were growing on very large bushes...

...this one couldn't decide if it wanted to be pink or blue...
...it is so gorgeous in its indecision...

...the remaining photos are of stems purchased at Trader Joe's...
...what a wonderful store...
...so many gorgeous bouquets to choose from...
...at such reasonable prices...

...then the "play" began...
...just like a photographer's model...
...these blooms were posed in several settings...

...a pretty addition tucked in with some permanent botanicals...

....why didn't I bring home more stems...

...they are now in water in a little fat white teapot...

...play, play, play...

...and then finally...
...a snap of the iPad...and a magical app...

"Very little is needed to make a happy life; 
it is all within yourself, 
in your way of thinking."
~Marcus Aurelius



Thursday, August 9, 2012

...we ran away from the high desert temperatures...


...neither of us had ever been to Nantucket...
...sometimes the island is called "The Gray Lady"
because of the fog...
...we were told the day we visited was the best day all summer...
...the sun was shining and the temperature was cool that day...
...our ship anchored in the harbor...
...we piled into launches and made our way to land...

...the view in the harbor was divine...

...we boarded a bus for a lovely tour of the island...
...so nice to have an overview and hear the history...
...just look at those cobblestone streets...

...Nantucket was settled in 1641...
...they are very proud of their history...

...this is Sankaty Head Light...
...dating back to 1850...

...most buildings are grey shingle trimmed in white...
...American flags fly everywhere...

...most tourists arrive by big ferries...
...ready to eat, shop and see the sights...

...the plants were simply magnificent...

...the normally foggy days must be wonderful for
the gorgeous hydrangeas...


...it seemed like each little shop had a gorgeous window box...

...so varied and so beautiful...

...each scene was simply a feast for the eyes...

....perhaps ice cream even tastes better in Nantucket...

...flowers in all colors and shapes...

...talk about a patriotic entryway...

...no detail was spared...we are in love with Nantucket...

...these are little cottages that can be rented...
...we hear they are a bit pricey...but...
...just look at it...perfection...

...the day went by too fast...
...there was so much we still wanted to see...
...but, the last launch is returning to our ship...
...we had to be on it...sadly...

...this beauty was our home for several days as we visited more New England islands...
...it was a marvelous escape from the desert...