Great early bookplate with a wonderful message for anyone who borrows James Moore's book.
"Note! Neither blemish this book nor the leaves double down. / Nor lend it to each idle friend in the town: / Return it when read -- or if lost please supply / Another, as good to the mind and the eye. / With right and with reason you need but be friends / And each book in my study your pleasure attends."
My most recent dozen Instagram posts. See what they are all about. I'll try to post a page like this from time to time so you can keep up with me there. I know many of you aren't on that social media site. I like it because it's all about photographs. On Instagram, all of the photos are mine.
I bought this small frame at an estate sale long ago. I fully expected to replace the photo with one of my own but didn't have the heart. When people pick it up to look at it they always ask who he is. I always say I don't know but he reminds me of my grandfather. They usually say he looks like mine too. So there. He's everybody's grandpa.
A page from The Cheerful Cherub by artist and author Rebecca McCann. These single panel newspaper comics appeared daily in the Chicago Evening Post 1914-1927. Each featured the title character, accompanied by his pet dog, speaking a short poem to offer wisdom and wit on many topics. This one is on Leisure.
I am happy to report that we finally have a rainy day. It is perfect for a Monday and it's the good kind of rain that will soak in rather than a gully washer that would just run off. Here's hoping you will get rain too if your area needs it as much as mine does. Have a great week. xo
I love this carpenter gothic farmhouse with the huge porch, don't you? I really can't tell whether it's a period house or a modern reproduction. Either way, it's fabulous and I'll take it! via
A series of stunning prints, titled Libellus Novus Elementorum Latinorum, designed by the Polish goldsmith Jan Christian Bierpfaff (1600-ca.1690) and engraved by fellow-countryman Jeremias Falck (1610–1677). See the remaining letters of this fabulous alphabet here.
Now this is an enviable library. It has everything I need except an ottoman. The big table is really nice for doing research, the easy chair looks comfortable, and the big windows let in nice light plus the wonderful view. What else is there. Robert Hall had wonderful books and wonderful taste! Love.
Bookplate, 1902. Robert Hall, an avid collector of Kelmscott Press books.
On the library table are Kelmscott works, including William Morris’s The Glittering Plain and his 1895 translation of Beowulf. All the books are clearly bound in the distinctive Kelmscott full limp vellum tied with silk ribbons. The Wood Beyond the World is open to show a Morris-designed woodcut border and frontispiece. Leaning against the bookcase is a copy of the 1896 edition of Chaucer.
My area was especially hard hit by the 9/11 tragedy since so many commute to downtown NYC. It's very sad to watch it happen all over again on TV. This is really a day to reflect, especially with a Presidential election less than 2 months away. image source
Wouldn't it be nice to have a garden that didn't require a fence? My grandparents never had one around theirs in various gardens big and small. Stevan Dohanos - Victory Garden [1951]
I discovered this matched, graduated set of old copper pots at an outdoor antiques show years ago. Each one has this monogram on the front opposite the handle. Somebody was really proud of them and so am I because they look wonderful on the top shelf of my pantry. The large dovetails are beautiful too. The bottom of the biggest one is marked on the bottom with an incised E. I don't know what that signifies but it's probably a maker's mark. I didn't look on the bottom of the others. They fit inside each other nicely in a nest for easy storage. I like them lined up better. At my former house, they were displayed on a standing pot rack. The insides need to be re-tinned so I don't use them. Plus they are really heavy!
The mastermind behind this canine work of art is British artist Reuben Ward Binks. In his youth in the late 1800s, Binks showed artistic promise and verve, and won a competition at the tender age of 10 for his flower paintings. He found his calling, however, in canine portraits.
The artist was soon painting Royal dogs left and right, from the Prince of Wales’ Cairn Terriers, to the Duke of York’s Labrador Retriever and even the Clumber Spaniels owned by King George V himself.
Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, the alleged ‘favorite niece’ of J.D. Rockefeller, had a soft spot for pooches as a dog show judge and a breeder of championship canines with big dog shows just up the street from my cottage. Years later her estate auctioned off 150 of her pup-friendly works to help benefit the Saint Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ. I did not attend this auction but I know people who did. As expected, the best paintings stayed in the area and helped raise some serious money for this worthy dog rescue charity. Read more here.
This is a pretty terrifying image, isn't it? Do you think J. A Kennard had a lot of experiences like this? I certainly hope not! The image is signed by the artist, lower right.
This is a reblog from both 2008 and 2009 for new followers who haven't seen it.
A young sweeper in Central Mills; Sylacauga, Alabama
Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. In between eating that hot dog or hamburger at your barbecue, you might want to learn more about the history of this holiday.
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union in NYC sought to create "a day off for the working citizens".
Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894. All fifty states have made Labor Day a state holiday. In European countries, China and other parts of the world, May Day, the first day in May, is a holiday to celebrate workers and labor unions. Before it became an international workers holiday, May Day was a celebration of spring and the promise of summer.
I cleaned out my fireplace this weekend and set a fire for the upcoming chilly weather. The one in this photo is gorgeous, isn't it? I never did polish my andirons when I was on that polishing marathon in the spring. Too late now, that ship has sailed. Smile. photo source
This caught my eye when looking through old photos. WOW. This was a while ago before I had so much junk on my kitchen counter. Now I'm tempted to go back to that sparse look. The green vase full of daffodils came with my house. I found this old porcelain laundry sink on the side of the road when I lived in my former house. My sweet mother and I put it in the back of my car and I stored it in my barn for several years before I found my cottage. It's still one of my favorite things. Hope you have a great Labor Day Weekend. I don't think the weather is going to cooperate here. Sad face. xo
This family room / kitchen looks pretty perfect to me. I love those chairs with the shared ottoman. The color palate is so soothing. via Happy first day of September. It rained overnight and it's so much cooler! I slept extra late this morning because I totally forgot to set my alarm. See you later. xo
Yep. Tater Tots right out of the bag. This idea came to me recently when there was nothing in the house to eat and it was too hot to turn on the oven. Just line them up frozen hard as a rock, close the lid, and look after a while. They are flat and crispy and delicious. Good for a snack anytime, as a side with burgers, or as tiny hashbrowns for breakfast. Perfect comfort food. You are welcome! xo
I love this little shed and I know you do too. The following link has a slideshow with 24 sheds for you to drool over. A Gallery of Garden Shed Ideas Enjoy!
This will be me pretty soon. I might watch a movie on my DVD player but I doubt I will be able to stay awake until the end. I will probably wake up early and watch the rest in the morning. Good night. xo via
I designed this seed saving envelope back in 2011. Now is the time to start saving your seeds so I thought I should publish it again. Click on the image to print it full size. Turn the page around and print another to get two on one page. You can also save the photo to your photo editing software to adjust the size to your liking and print multiples on a page. Share your seeds with a friend. Tuck into an envelope along with a card as a small gift. xo
Interior Design : Anthony Baratta LLC | lovely blue and white wallpaper in this pretty, fresh traditional vignette with Hepplewhite or Sheraton sideboard and blue and white porcelains. This was well thought out with the look of a recessed nook and the window placement. Really nice! via
I have a landline that I seldom use. Only a few friends call me on it and I use my cellphone for almost everything because it's always in my pocket or nearby. My phone used to ring off the hook late at night and early in the morning with automated recorded calls made by robots until I found a service to make them go away. For some reason, I switched channels recently to the CBS Morning News. I have been watching MSNBC and CNN news ever since the debates. Right when I switched channels, CBS had a person explaining a service called Nomorobo. It's free and very easy to set up. I have the triple play from Verizon and it worked with that. You have to know or set up your username and password for your cable service. I already had those set up because I control my DVR from their FiOS App on my phone or iPad to schedule my recordings.
Are you still with me? Watch the YouTube Video below. It's the same video that appears on the link.
After you get so far with signing up at "nomorobo" you will have to log on to your FiOS account or whatever cable account you have. You will need to set up "simultaneous ring". It's easy. You have to check a box and put in the phone number the robo service gave you. When any calls come in on your landline, if it is a Robot call, your phone will only ring once and hang up. If your phone rings twice, that means it is a call from a real person. Robot calls emit a special signal that the blocking service can read.
This might sound complicated but it's really pretty simple. It is like the Do Not Call that no longer works and is useless.
It really works. The link is HERE. Scroll down and see how many trusted business recommend it. It's also FTC approved.
I have friends who set this up for their parents. Now they don't have to rush to the phone to be annoyed by solicitors. They just wait and see if there is a second ring before they head for their landline phone. If you have trouble, ask your children or grandchildren to help you set this up.
You can thank me later. It's free for landlines. It's also available for cell phones but there is a monthly charge so I didn't sign up for that.