Content in a Cottage

Home Maintenance Around My Cottage

2012-02-23T08:15:00.000-05:00

Remember when I painted my picket fence two years ago? The finials didn't hold up too well as you can see. I am starting a list of the things that need attention outside. The list will be long too. You can only hide your head in the sand for so long before reality takes hold.

Alfred Hitchcock and His Curious Dog

2012-02-22T18:54:00.000-05:00

I don't have to worry about Webster doing this. I don't get the paper and he can't read. via I do love Alfred Hitchcock.

Hitchcock, Sir Alfred (Joseph) (1899–1980), English movie director. Acclaimed in Britain for movies such as The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), he moved to Hollywood in 1939. Among his later works, notable for their suspense and their technical ingenuity, are the thrillers Strangers on a Train (1951), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).

Amazing Gray Paneled Walls

2012-02-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

Gray and white is always right. I love the gorgeous wood-paneled walls in this room. And everything else too. via

A Wonderful Cottage

2012-02-22T07:49:00.002-05:00

This would have been the perfect house for me to grow up in because I could have been inside and outside at the same time reading in that attic window.

Think Before Speaking

2012-02-21T18:23:00.000-05:00

I found this illustrated quote on my upstairs computer. Saved long before I knew about giving image credit.

Transparent Leaves

2012-02-21T11:55:00.001-05:00

This is such a beautiful photo. I wish I could claim it as mine! Found here.

The Fox and The Flower

2012-02-21T07:34:00.000-05:00

Pickles the fox smelling the daffodil by ©Sweetmart via Flickr. Isn't this an amazing photo?

Royal Profiles

2012-02-20T19:18:00.000-05:00

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh by ©Yousuf Karsh, bromide print, 1951 via

Meet Maddie The Balancing Coonhound

2012-02-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

Meet Maddie. This amazing Coonhound can balance on anything. I promise you will get a kick out of her many poses @ Maddie on Things

Bath Time Joy | Elephant Shower

2012-02-20T13:39:00.000-05:00

Bath Time by ©Richard Bond be sure to click on the link for a full size version of this joyful image.

Brown Kitten

2012-02-20T08:47:00.000-05:00

I want this kitten because it matches Webster perfectly. Same color fur and eyes. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a brown one, have you? via

French Door Paint Red on the Outside

2012-02-19T21:40:00.001-05:00

I have always loved a red front door but my shutters are green so I have resisted. I hope to have my house painted this year and I'm thinking about changing my color combination...and maybe sawing my front door in half. :) via

Great Place for A Fireside Chat

2012-02-19T09:21:00.004-05:00

As seen in a remodeled circa 1908 home nearby. I'm so glad they kept this cozy nook with a fireplace in the living room. What a great place for guests to sit and warm up upon arrival on a winter visit just the way they did when this home was built before central heating was perfected.

New [Vintage] Tartan Plaid Blanket at My Cottage

2012-02-18T16:55:00.001-05:00

The rummage sale at the Methodist church on the second day scored a wonderful vintage wool blanket. I changed my linens yesterday while I was cleaning my room and this blanket turned out to be perfect on top of my Matelasse spread. It is a thin weave and is so long that it has to be doubled lengthwise. The two bound edges wound up under the pillows. I'm sure it was made this way for double insulation because the bottom crease has always been this way. Maybe someone even made it from woolen fabric--there aren't any labels. It's in perfect condition without a single moth hole. Webster loves it too as you can see. It keeps both of us warm, cozy, and happy.

Have a restful weekend keeping watch while lounging in bed if at all possible. Everything looks better with a dog on it; doesn't the first photo look empty?

Webster and the Dust Mops

2012-02-18T09:59:00.003-05:00

Webster has stationed himself right in the line of fire between me and the dust mops hoping he will get priority. We are not Swiffer people here at the cottage preferring the old-fashioned way to dust floors. Sort of like the catch-and-release method in fly fishing. There was a church rummage sale this week and I resisted with all my might buying one of those cutsie signs saying "this house is protected by killer dust bunnies" because it hit too close to home. I decided to get rid of them instead---thus the resulting cleaning frenzy. Wish me luck.

Best Slipcovers Ever

2012-02-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

Don't you love the ties on these slipcovered chairs? Here's hoping you have a weekend filled with easy chairs, beautiful fabrics, good food, long walks, a movie or two, and hanging out with pets/family/friends. While you are doing all that you can picture me half-way through a cleaning frenzy pushing around vacuum cleaners and dust mops! via

Lake House in Winter

2012-02-17T16:31:00.001-05:00

I don't think it's in the cards for us to be tucked in with snow this year. I don't really mind because we deserve a mild winter after last year, agreed? Lake house in winter. Maine home by Whitten Architects.

Tight Quarters

2012-02-17T13:18:00.000-05:00

This is a really ceative small bedroom -- or is it a closet? I love seeing how people make the best out of a ~~small~~ tiny house, don't you? via

Morning Sun Shining Through the Fog

2012-02-17T08:21:00.000-05:00

I stuck my iPhone out the one attic window that doesn't have a screen to capture the sun trying to burn off the morning fog. It won't be long now before we have a nice sunny day after two days of rain. Have a great Friday.

Remembering the Beauty of Winter

2012-02-16T20:03:00.000-05:00

Isn't this one of the most beautiful winter scenes you've ever seen with the perfectly distributed dusting of snow? It really accents the geometric garden design. via

Adele Plans a 5-Year Break | What!

2012-02-16T16:55:00.001-05:00

I feel as if we just got her back after her throat surgery. Five years off is way too long. I can understand the need for a vacation to work on a new relationship and to rest but don't lose your whole audience Adele. We love you. Read the whole article here and watch her music video of 'Someone Like You'. The author of the article said he/she felt like writing a breakup album. Maybe Adele will record it.

Seascape in Progress

2012-02-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

How nice it would be to have talent and paint on site as you travel. via

Could I Please Sit In This Booth?

2012-02-16T08:17:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't want to sit in a booth at the diner? Wouldn't it be great to have one of your own at home? This one is perfect and it has everything. I like the antique drop leaf table, the upholstered cushions, the cubbies above and the built-in [cook]book shelves. The storage drawers under the seats are nice too. Sigh. I told you it was perfect! via

Dachshund Love

2012-02-15T16:36:00.012-05:00

This adorable little guy looks very worried. Does he think he's barking up the wrong tree?

Wild about Owls

2012-02-15T12:10:00.001-05:00

An elegant owl among the wildflowers. via

Wonderful and simple owl decoration on a cake or pie. via