Where's the Blue&White???

"I had to do some grocery shopping today and decided to stop into HOME GOODS... I bought the most gorgeous mustard yellow quilted round placemats... I have been wanting something in yellow for all my Blue&White dishes. I've been thinking of a Fresh French look and seeing as ALL my Blue&White are patterned I really wanted something solid AND in a muted yellow color(or as Mrs Blanding would say, the color of your best butter)... OK mine is more your best mustard BUT it's a nice neutral...The set of placemats seemed perfect and I then decided I would go to the dishware section and see how WELL it went with their Blue&White Dishes! "WELL" do you know what I discovered??? In the rows and rows and endless vignettes they had set up there was "NOT ONE", not even a left over cup or saucer in their clearance..."NO BLUE&WHITE"!!! What IS the world coming to??? OK, this has JUST gave me one more reason to hit the "Antique shops, thrift shops, tag sales, ebay, &Beyond"... Is there a shortage of Blue&White paint? Is it that the RETRO aqua's have taken the stage? Hmmm, I should have seen it coming when the Rich Hunter Greens were fizzling out to the avocados once more... OK, trends come and go BUT I'm not giving up my Blue&Whites, they will not be stacked at a tag sale or given to Good Will ladies and gentleman SO don't even go there...
I bought a set of 4 of my New light mustard quilted round placemats AND do you know what I discovered??? They not only look "wonderful" with my Blue&White, they go with EVERY SINGLE dish set I have... Yellow is an incredible color that is as warm and calming as a neutral wooden table(yes, I'm a wooden tableaholic)... I guess I'll have to sneak back to HG and get another set or two...
Has anyone else noticed the decline of Blue&White in the NEW decor(not ours of course!)???

"Practical Magic"

I am going to DEDICATE this post to "My Brother Joey"... His birthday is "Halloween"(How fun that was when we were growing up), he is STILL so very weak and fighting pneumonia. We are waiting for him to get stronger so they can fix his "very special sweet heart"... I decided to post this Practical Magic for him... All his life he's been intrigued with magic and has always been there entertaining us all... "He always had that Magic look in his eye"... So this one is for you Joey... We are all deep in prayers to bring you through, and I long to see the "twinkle in his eyes while he's preforming his favorite magic tricks once again"... and once again I want to Thank ALL my special friends here that are such wonderful support to me... Love&Hugs to you all!

"Practical Magic" ...the finished house...

This is MY personal "Book of Spells"... As fall approaches it's time to elevate a "Season of Magic"...

"We can't have magic without the help of Mr. Toad"... and a FINE specimen he is!!! "I can assure you that as I talked him into the experiments he was only my consultant and DID NOT suffer any bodily harm"...

"Charlotte was also a Practical Help at knowing each and every trick of Spinning some Magnificent Webs", and not one was deceitful...

Mr Wizard is deep in thought and study as he tries to figure out "How to regain his Height"... It's been years since he shrunk himself to the size of a salt shaker, BUT in those days he would blink himself back at will...

"Ah, where do I start"...

"A few of these can't hurt"...

"I'll get back to these later"...

Madame Magick

No time for love potions now...

This After-Bath Potion is fantastic, too bad I LOVE showers... although it sounds like it would be a hit over ice also...

"This looks like a good one"... "Now to assemble the ingredients"...

This Royal Dalton Wizard followed me home "Many Full Moons Ago"... "Hey Big Foot, would you go find me an Eye of Newt"...

I'd like you to meet "Big Foot", he's a bronze creation of Tim Cotterill, who is known as Frogman... If you've never seen his incredible bronze frogs, You MUST... Look him up and treat yourself to his whimsy... I bought this owl when he first introduced him in 1998 and he's been our library mascot ever since...

"Big Foot" by Tim Cotterill...Made of bronze...

Antique European Lace Runner... This is a very impressive piece of hand made intricate lace... It is a very large piece ... "I am LINKING to the PRACTICAL MAGIC BLOG PARTY"...This will be SUCH fun to check out, so grab your broomstick and fly on over to see!!!

Oktoberfest at Conghaile Cottage

"View of Mon Jardin Secret THROUGH My "Schwarzwald"... These are the same trees as grown in Germany's Black Forest...

You can see the reflection of fall coming in the window of my Dutch Door Clock Entry to my Kitchen...Hubby drew this design on the side of the house when I told him I wanted my entry to look like a Cuckoo Clock... Within a week, he had built it for me...

"Oktoberfest" began this weekend for us as I took out a collection of things that Hubby's family brought back to America when they came back to stay(My Dad in Law was a military man)... My husband lived in Germany until he was in the fifth grade...

The large stein is one I gave my Husband for our first Christmas together. He has a VERY large collection that dates from Antique to New... The Carved Wooden Boy is an antique from "The Black Forest"...

This Antique wooden plate is one of six(all different scenes)that Hubby's Mom gave me because they are from "Wurzburg, Germany" where he was born... I also was given wooden chalices and steins(set of 8 each), these plates make "WUNDERBAR" chargers...

These majolica leaf plates are made in Portugal... I bought them in the 70s, and they are PERFECT on the German Wurzburg Chargers...

The napkin rings were a gift from my Dear Friend Ginny(edelweiss from Germany) These two steins are VERY OLD...The smaller is Hansel&Gretel... The larger has a cute little inscription That states, "A little health, a little wealth, A little house and freedom. With some few friends for certain ends, But little cause to need'em"(I have thought about this and it seems to me to sound like contentment??? This stein has gorgeous heavily raised wildlife all around it in a forest scene... 
Oh, do you see my little GW Goebel bear sitting there on the Stollen Board...No wonder he followed me home, he must have KNEW we were starting our celebration this weekend!!!  "AND Yes! there will be Apple Strudel"!!!

If you look REAL carefully at this stein you can see the "witch talking to Hansel & Gretel"(Oh My, No little children, Don't eat her house, RUN Back into the woods)... The carved board on the left is a "German stollen board"(Yummy, one of my very favorite Christmas treats AND the one I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE is the one filled with marzipan)... These carved boards are SO Unique they are definitely one of a kinds, "I LOVE them and have several"... The little carved boy is one of a set of three, the girls are around there somewhere ... They are visiting from Italy(they are ANRI), and he wore his German Lederhosen for the occasion... "Tomorrow we are grilling a "bratwurst feast" and I'm making homemade spaetzle..."Yummy"... Hmmm, I think I'll use my new GW bowls!!!

I'm linking to
http://happytodesign.blogspot.com/2010/12/welcome-to-82nd-sunday-favorites-sunday.html

 

I Believe - A 9/11 Tribute

"Treasure Hunting"

I have been looking for a particular little lid for a particular little teapot for a LONG time. I have hunted ebay, etc,etc with no luck for YEARS and knowing how you gals have SUCH luck with GW I thought "what the heck" I'll go explore... "Marty" are you there??? I had you with me and mumbled to you every step of the way "sending out ESP" in "Top Volume"!!! OK, I didn't find my "Particular Little Teapot Lid"... BUT, I have been LOOKING for the Perfect pasta bowls FOR-EVER!!! AND now I own a SET of 10!!! They are a Beautiful Creamy white, heavy, Syracuse Restaurant ware(WOW, are they EVER the most fantastic bowls I will EVER need and the color will go with anything)... They are oven safe too... They also came with salad places&saucers that I'm packing away till I figure out IF I'm going to keep them... The whole set was $5!!! The Jar is the most gorgeous little "Must have and we NEVER have enough of", "It's made in Italy" and has a beautiful green glow.(it was $1). The mason Jar is made in France and has Beautiful Large Raised lettering that says "Le Parfait" on the jar&lid and it was $1...

"This little German Goebel Bear just Followed me home"... Good thing I gave the cashier an extra $1!!!

These little playful Goebel Cubs came home with me too and set me back a "WHOLE BUCK" more!!! Aren't those pasta bowls "Wonderful". I'm making Beef Stew tomorrow night Just as a special "Homecoming for my New Bowls"...Mmmm, "Life is Great"!!! "Thank you Marty for sparking me to shop at GW"!!!

I'm Linking to 
"Nifty Thrifty Tuesday@Coastal Charm"...

Moonlight Sonata

"My Favorite Music"... This is Classical Piano at it's best... I am proud to say I can play this. I learned piano from a Professor John L Bonn that was associated with New York City's Carnegie Hall(he was also a composer)... The pianos I learned on were "Antique Grand Piano's that were awarded to this wonderful man"for his talents... I was only in grade school but He had the most incredible studio that had artifacts from all over the world that intrigued me even then. I know we are born with love for things that we COULD DO in life if nurtured... I understand how a "CHILD of four" can compose music beyond his years, because we ALL have those talents bottled up inside us and need to let them out...

Bach - Cello Suite No.1 i-Prelude

This is "My Favorite Music"... I don't "hear" very well, BUT for some reason, I CAN feel this music and it seems to lighten all my senses... When I FEEL classical music "I Melt" into another World that is Wonderful... "I know Heaven has this music"!!! 

"My Barnyard Bash"

"It's only appropriate that the Master of Ceremonies of ROUNDING up the crowds in my yard would be "Mr Chipster"... "Yea, I see you there on the wall thinking you BLEND IN", well you DON'T now go get everyone ready for The Barnyard Bash!!! "Oh we are going to have to limit your relatives to a hundred or so"!!!

"Excuse Me"... Mr. Deer if you are finished licking that rock(which in my book is TOTALLY senseless), we are going to be going to a WONDERFUL Backyard Bash AND you are invited(although there will be NO nibbling of flowers while we are there)!!!

This little Chubby Groundhog is particularly one of my favorite guys... He not only is my VERY OWN PERSONAL "Backyard Weed-eater"(did you know he can clear a very large area of dandelions on a single meal)...BUT my youngest son was "Born on Groundhogs Day"(How about that!!!)

Hey "Big Fella", if you are DONE with the bag of bird seed, we are "Going to have a party"... MAYBE if you're good we'll give you a "Picnic basket" all your own!!!

Mr Snapper is FASTER than you think AND YES I am this close to him(he only HISSED at me once)... When I told him about the party he declined... OK BY ME, he's to grouchy anyway!!!

"Don't you give me that look"!!!

This is a sort of "Where's Foxo" picture... BUT there are 6 of them stuffed in that hole... and as soon as I said "PARTY" out popped this Cute Little Head!!! ALL the animals in these pictures are "In My Yard"... It's only part of my population, BUT these guys were available on film for the "BackYard Bash"!!!

"Growing up watching Mr Ed was like comfort food for ones soul! I LOVED that horse AND The Dodgers were always my Dad's "Favorite", Mom is the Met's... AND this clip Brings us back to "The Good Ol' Days" of remembering Dad taking us to NewYork ballgames AND "Mr ED"(although I KNOW I never saw Ed there sliding into home-base)... Ah "Life was SO GREAT"!!! "NOW"... I wanted a horse for "The Barnyard Bash" @  http://happierthanapiginmud.blogspot.com/2010/08/youre-invited-to-first-barnyard-bash.html .... and WHO better than our "Mr ED"!!!

"Oktoberfest Pretzel Knots & Icebox Cupcakes...MUST MAKE"

"This is SO EASY & Sinfully Chocolaty"... I add a little dab of cherry preserves when I serve this... it looks SO PRETTY to serve the cherries in a little compote along side the dessert... I have also put a single cherry on top for the "Schwarzwald" look... ANY way you choose this is SO EASY and Super Yummy!!! OH and now you can imagine how many OTHER flavor combos you can make with the other FLAVORS of wafers, hmmmm, are you "thinking"???

Pretzel Knots... OK the name on the recipe is different BUT I like my name better...
I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE Smitten Kitchens, She is such a Sweetheart and you'll LOVE her blog...

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/knotted-and-stacked-disappearing-acts/

"Papillon Pass Bunny Brunch"...

My Antique Limoges Lapin Box & A German Salt glazed trinket box I use for sugar(Another special gift from My Ginny, "Love you Ginny")... AND speaking of Bunnies, there was one on "My Papillon Pass" This morning!!!
"Ah Yes! It is a PERFECT DAY"...Be Sure to "WATCH&Listen to THIS VIDEO"... I Promise you will NOT be disappointed... This is a little gift from "Joanne@Seasonal Hearth and Home" (Thank you Joanne! Hugs to you!!!)

Baby Cottontail lives in my garden... I know... giving him a generous supply of carrots everyday "isn't" going to make him "want to leave THIS nest anytime soon"... "WELL, I just can't help myself"!!!

"Look at that face"... Tell me now... if he was "Hoppin down YOUR Bunny Trail"... Outside your door "Could you resist"???

NOW, this guy is a different story! Bunnies don't seem to have a population explosion here on my land because of the amount of predictors we have...BUT!!! This guy is the "CUTEST little pest EVER", there are BILLIONS of them "ALL over the PLACE", if you were to sit in my yard it's cartoon-ish how MANY of them there are... They LOVE my gardens and although my little chippy here is "eating what he should be"... I DID NOT get a picture of him "Stripping my apple tree of EVERY apple". Yes Mr Chipmunk we know it's YOU, I can smell the apple on your breath... AND YES I know you ate my rose bush to a NUB this year too. Although I WILL forgive you for that one BECAUSE it was just a compulsive thingy and you don't usually do that! BUT if you do it next year I WILL put you into therapy! 

With all the "Nibblers" out there on my "Papillon Pass" I decided to have a Bunny Brunch... I'm using "Dedham Pottery Cups&Saucers", "Pfaltzgraff Folk Art Coffee Pot", "Crabtree&Evelyn London Masons Blue&White Ironstone plates", "Bennington Pottery milk jugs", "Antique German Salt Glazed Pottery sugar(gift from Sweet Ginny)"...On the left window ledge in the picture is an "Antique carved wooden lunch bucket from Finland"(with it's original blue paint)...

My Rocking Chair is A 19th century Victorian Wakefield Rocker... We bought this treasure in the 1970s in Wells, Maine along with a carload of other similar treasures... That is when I FIRST discovered my life could NEVER be driven with a car... A "Truck" of some kind would ALWAYS have to accompany me in my travels... This particular trip was made with my old sky blue Plymouth Duster, and by the time we arrived home it was "STUFFED" with this rocker, an antique Edison crank turntable, an antique tea cart, "A PUPPY", and a rosewood love seat tied to the roof. It "RAINED" and although the love seat did just fine, my vehicle had rose red stripes for months until Hubby could scrub them off... "That Victorian Chair ROCKED all three of My Baby Boys" SO it has added "More Memories to it's Centuries of Remembrances"...

"Crabtree&Evelyn London, Masons Blue&White Stoneware"... I LOVE the color, it's actually a creamy white&blue...LOVE,LOVE,LOVE it!!! Dedham Pottery from Massachusetts is also another blue&white favorite, especially with the bunnies and crackle finish... Note that the Bennington Pottery little milk jug resembles a "Blueberry"... "I LOVE that and always use it with ALL my blue&white dishes"...To me it ALWAYS matches perfectly! "Bennington Vermont" has such fond memories of growing up. My Mom, Dad, Brother and I used to spend lots of time there... All the Bennington Pottery I own has Such Special sentimental value to it and whenever I'm mixing up a bowl of pancake batter in their unique bowl or sipping from one of their mugs I "Reminisce of Loving Days spent in Bennington with my Family"... If you ever visit Bennington Vermont I guarentee it will be a "Favorite Place", AND You WILL have to visit "Bennington Pottery" and bring home "Lots&Lots of new Treasures"!!! 

"Here is a Closeup of my Antique Handmade Belgium small Tablecloth"!!! This is one of My Favorites... AND considering, "right outside my window, at this very second there are CLOUDS of butterflies whirling around", I thought it was PERFECT for the occasion!

"Dedham Pottery", I LOVE everything about this pottery, from it's pattern to it's crackle finish!!! This stone bunny hangs out in my "Houseplants", and never gives me ANY trouble... He seems to have picked out a couple of books to his liking from my library, and some "Fine Choices they are"! The little rocker is "VERY Special to me" It was a gift from one of my Best Friends EVER Janet(Love you Janet)... It is VERY old and each part of it looks hand chiseled... LOVE IT!!!

"Outside the window"...Notice the Hummingbird Moth on the right...

"A small section of my Papillon Pass"... If you were  to meander through it and see the activity here you would see it's name is understandably apropos... I can view "These" gardens from my Library, Kitchen & Breakfast Room... "All my Close Encounters here this morning made me decide to have a Bunny Brunch"...

I'm Linking to
"Sunday Favorites@Happy to Design"
"Memory Lane Monday@Brynwood Needleworks"... 

"Fishtail Cottage"...