Miscellaneous.......

On this grey, frosty morning- soon to be a rainy , grey morning - enjoy a bit of spring in our     flowering bulbs:  

                                                                    AMARYLLIS                           

 

4 beautiful blossoms all at once!

The headily scented paperwhites

Their scent is a cross between hyacinths and something dead!!LOL

(I suppose, if I was thinking, I would have removed the for sale sign and taken a more artsy photo!!!)

Some thrift store scores.........a perfect $4 vintage scarf- maybe it will become a pillow, or just be casually draped in the hunt theme room

Some vintage folding rulers- I have and use my grandfather's- but can't resist whenever I come across these! These two will probably be put in my Etsy shop (another NY's resolution- get busy and stock that darn shop!!!)

 

This vintage folding screen below was in the truck with all the condo contents- I love it - altho' I don't love the teal color scheme that was an obvious favorite of the former owner.(Note the teal-ish magazine table!)

Right now, it is standing near my sewing table in the basement studio- to help deter the soot from the wood stove from wafting over my fabric! At some point, I will replace the fabric on the screen.

                                      And last- more additions to my vintage horse tack collection:

A tangle of rusty bits was something I could not pass up - most will end up on Etsy, since they are duplicates) - EXCEPT for the two very cruel ones pictured below. Can you imagine - putting these in a poor horse's mouth?????

 

 

On a lighter note, ending this post,  a happy baby pachyderm - brought home by my mom, to add to my elephantine collection!!

Tea on Tuesday

Well, here we are............10 days into the 2012th year!.

I've made no resolutions - except maybe to blog more and be more artsy- finishing what I start!!!!
That's about as resolute as my scattered mind can commit to!!!!
 I am starting a journal for the year.

I dug out a watercolour Moleskine I purchased last year. I calculated, that if I can get 6 days per side of a page - I can fit all the days of the year into this book!!!

So, I have begun- a little blurb about each day, and a little sketch or watercolour...... pigma pens, watercolour pencils and markers. Still have to put paintbrush to water on this page, but so far, I am keeping up with the days........just thoughts and scribble scrabble!

This morning, I am drinking a tea, that suggests I should drink it with someone I love!! Since I am the only one home,  I will drink with my fellow Tea on Tuesday bloggers!

Here's the tea:

As you can see - blogger still refuses to cooperate with flipping pix - I am so frustrated with my inability to figure this out. Considering this was taken with the camera upright - like all the other pix - and this is what blogger chooses to do with some photos.

Here is the teacup of the day- a thrift store orphan that was too pretty to pass up, even tho it had no matching saucer!!

 

Another sideway that was not sideway ....sigh

Really makes me want to go back to Wordpress, altho I would lose alot of followers!!! And that took me too long!!!! I am wondering what happens when I upgrade to the next camera- how blogger will react!! Never any issues with the Nikon, only with the Canon.....

Anyway, in keeping with the artsy "resolution" for this year, look at all the art supplies that recently fell into my lap! .

D/H helped a friend empty a condo - and all sorts of goodies found their way to my house!!

Portable easel with complete set of oil paints and palettes - never used!!!!

Endless supplies!

                                                               Water colours also!!!

So, more distractions added to my daily living!!!!

I will leave you with an early morning view out my window - frost quickly fading as the sun comes out!

Please join other tea fanciers- visit Patty and Kim for a list!!!

Fell free to join us every Tuesday, even just to visit and comment!!

George Carruth

Remember the little wee creature, who silently greets all by the front door of my friend's house?

 

Well, it turns out, this sweet babe is a creation from the imagination and hands of sculptor George Carruth.

A mild mannered stone carver from Ohio, George's talent has expanded to include two shops of garden creations.

He has been commissioned to do pieces for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and has had an ornament on the White House Christmas tree.

Our little Fulks Run Grocery used to carry his pieces, but only has one small hummingbird plaque left in stock.

I am hoping they get more Carruth pieces in soon, because I NEED this little sweetie in my house!!!

In the meantime, if you want to read more about George Carruth, click on his name above, to view a PBS video, or click right here for his website and store.

.

First Day Gathering

                     
             I had the pleasure of being invited to a New Year's Day party.

                     I much prefer this kind of gathering, to the late night,rowdy     parties of my youth..

        It was my first First Day party- I am not much of a social butterfly!

I read on someone's Facebook post, that what you do on the first day of the year, is indicative of how your year will progress.

So, I guess that means I will become more social? That could be a good thing, considering I have become more hermit-like, since moving here to the country!

I was afraid my social skills had become a bit rusty - but good food, nice, artsy, earth loving folks, and a welcoming atmosphere made for a good time!

  This was a sort of progressive dinner - between two houses in the forest.

Mike and Karen's house was the first stop. Bonfire outside, a delicious assortment of potlucks and mimosas inside.One of the dishes, cooked in a cast iron pot, over the fire outside, was a delicious looking Brunswick stew.
It was made of of several types of meat, including squirrel, so I had to pass on tasting it!

Having just met Mike and Karen, I did not want to be rude and whip out my camera to take pictures of their VERY cool house!

We did get a tour. Karen and Mike are the 4th owners- the first owner, a single guy,  started the house in the 70's, by building a very neat geodesic dome on stilts. Don't let the outer, rustic, quaintness fool ya'! It is gorgeous inside!

Each new owner added on- with windows, skylights,  beautiful wood everywhere, and stripped wood logs from the forest out back for support beams and decor.

                              The hill right behind the house inclines directly into the National Forest.

After having great conversation, delicious food, and then there was that Mimosa (!), we all took a short hike down the road to the "dessert" house - my friend Maryanne and John's .

I have written about Maryanne and John's house before - they have a little late 1800's cottage for rent in the warmer months. This will be available for rent, when I have my quilt retreat in August-first come, first serve!!!!

My contribution to the dessert table: anise pizzelles, and almond featherweight pound cake (with some Trader Joe's pfefferneuse, chocolate covered edamame and pomegranate seeds on the side)

Maryanne made a delicious apple pie with Stamen (?) apples and pear thrown in ! Yum! Chris made rhubarb and strawberry jello, a local favorite - it was very good!!! There was a walnut sheet cake, snickerdoodles, and more-
yum,
                             yum,
                                             and 
                                                            YUM !!!!

 

 

Below are scenes from around Maryanne's house

 

I love this little wee one who greets everyone at the front door.....

Maryanne's rock art and cairns  can be found everywhere

Heart rocks abound

 

Mr. Green Jeans  going across the foot bridge - he took great delight in shaking the bridge as I was trying to cross and take pics! Not funny..........

 

View of the back of the refurbished 1890's rental cottage

Pump outside back porch of the cottage

Artsy wasp abode -everyone is welcome here-a very zen atmosphere

 

Maryanne's moss and lichen gardens can be found everywhere

(I'll be making some of these today!)

Despite what Martha Stewart says, this little mossy gardens do better outside

The gathering began at a bonfire.......................and ended at one

                     A great way to start the new year, and I thank you, Maryanne, for the invitation!!!

We Will NEVER Have Cars in Our Garage..........

A friend used to kid me that I have never had a car in any of the garages  we have had! 

                              

                             She's right - in our house, garages are meant for storage!!!!

                                  
                         Well, Carol- my 3 car garage was CLEAN for a whole 24 hours- 

                                              

                                                                       Then,

                                                                       THIS
                                                                   happened:

 

D/H, aka, Mr. Green Jeans, rented a truck to help a friend empty out his mother's condo.The mother had passed away, the condo was sold, and the contents had to be removed.

This was all the stuff the friend did NOT want, and since Goodwill could not do a pickup in time,

 D/H brought it home.

      To our clean garage.............

I have spent the past few days (while D/H is in DisneyWorld!), sorting thru' the stuff. I have emptied ALL the boxes!

There are now several stacks of boxes ready to be loaded up in my car for donating to the thrift store; the kitchen counters are full of stuff washed, and waiting to be priced to go in the shop; a few things listed on Freecycle awaiting pickup; and there is a bunch of furniture yet to be unwrapped.

~Have a peek~

I  love this little chair - my mom said she had a similar pair when she first got married - but doesn't remember what they were called. I have tried researching under so many different names- but cannot find a similar style.

Anyone out there know what this chair is??? It is small, low to the ground, almost child sized, altho' I can sit in it comfortably.

Below, are several nice, but not my style, chairs. We will keep a nice, small, green wing back recliner. I had given it to my mother, but she was not strong enough to operate it......so, it's in my room temporarily.

Another piece of furniture I can't use below- a gorgeous, Ethan Allen (?) white on white cloth  6 ft couch. We don't do white cloth in a house with 3 dogs! It will remain in white plastic wrap 'til it finds a new home! Some of these pieces will be sold, to offset the price of the moving van.

                                  There is also a cute pull out bed/loveseat, of country blue gingham

                                                     Lamps or glassware, anyone?

          

                                                                 Sigh...........................

I am keeping this cool old bridge floor lamp, with swivel bulb - if I can find the attachments to hang the shade. I found a company called Paxton online - but I would have to buy the shade and special socket attachment - which would run about $75. I did find a shade there, that I fell in love with, but I am going to try to hold out a bit for a less pricey solution.........I now know  why I see alot of these style lamps turned into planters or having bird cages hanging from them - it's too expensive to replace the shades!!!!

Well, hope you liked the tour of my once tidy (albeit temporarily so) house and garage.

           And, Carol, you were so right, my garage will NEVER house a car!!!!!!!!