Tartans, Shortbread, & Short Stories of The Scottish Highlands...

Lovely Sarah @ Hyacinths for the Soul had a giveaway, a while back, and I was the lucky winner!!! She sent me this Darling Shortbread tin that looks  just like a kilt. LOVE it in it's tartan finest, but there are no signs of the goodies that it contained, but I can assure you "They were DELICIOUS"!!! The antique iron nodder bank has been in my family for-e-ver! Mom had taken him to retire with them to Florida but he didn't like the heat SO he came home with me... His original paint is still wonderful and you can even see the tartan plaid in his kilt...

The tartan cloth is also a gift from Sweet Sarah... I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE the colors in it and plan to keep it ONLY for the "Most Special of Occasions"!!! Wouldn't a tablecloth be GORGEOUS in that tartan? The little ceramic "Highland Cattle" followed one of my sons home from a trip we made to the Scottish Highlands(One of our favorite places on Earth)...

My tree peonies had a very hard winter with the heft of the snow. I wasn't sure if I would see any flowers this year. I am VERY Happy to report that they will be fine and here are some of their smiling faces...Their flowers are impressively HUGE. They remind me of Big Floppy Garden Hats! So Pretty and they smell divine.

The little antique iron "Pot of Gold" is a $1 thrift find of mine. Of course it was coin-less at the time it hopped in my car...All the change is part of a large collection I have from all my travels in Europe... We would weave in and out of countries so quickly I never got used to the money, "THEREFORE" my pockets got heavier and heavier. When I would make a purchase I would hand out my paper money and add to the silver weight I was gaining. One trip gave me 12 countries jingling in my pockets. There is "Nothing" like a bucket of loose foreign change all mixed together that will make you feel like a little kid again, trying to figure out how many quarters, dimes, nickles and pennies equal a dollar...

The teacup trio today is "Shelley Heather". How appropriate this is for the beauty of the Scottish Highlands...I fell in love with heather after seeing it's endless fields growing in the highlands as far as your eye could see. When the wind blew it looked like a sea of orchid waves. Yes, when I came home "I did plant heather". I also found out that not only WE love it, the deer find it irresistible..The little wood-carved Scot is hand carved by Donald Corr in the village of Tomintoul... When we met him he was working on chess sets. Oh how I wish I could have brought one of those home! My sons each adopted one of his little characters...

 Scottish Highlands Heather... I visited many weavers in my journeys... I would buy yardages of favorite patterns of tartans and tweeds to use in my future decor. I also bought lots of knitted sweaters and woven jackets with horn buttons. Timeless treasures of memories that will never be forgotten. We traveled every inch of this beautiful land and always chose to stay in the B&Bs. I LOVE the people as much as their land and we always chose to be as near to them as possible.

Lots and Lots of Highland Flings going on here... AND... a group of the cutest little "Harmony Kingdom Scotty Dogs"

Sarah, I wish I had "Hyacinths Blooming for this post"... I can never look at one and not think of you... Thank you again for my new treasures...

If you would like to peek at "WHY" I have damage in my gardens and "WHY" I am tickled "PINK" to have all these beautiful faces smiling at me("PLUS" I have my many shades of PINK PEONIES for Beverly this week)... You may venture into my Winter "HERE"... AND... if that is NOT enough there is "MORE HERE"... Before you go, you MAY need a warm cup of tea or java though AND I'm warning you now, "It's COLD"!!!

Drink in all the sweet fragrance of my tree peonies. Just "Bee" careful of the little guy buzzing in and out of the flowers! "He may tickle your nose"!!! NOW you "MUST" go visit Sarah@Hyacinths For The Soul but You first may want to pour yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee for the enjoyable journey. "You are going to love Her Dearly like I do"...AND please give her a HUG from me when you visit!!!



 "Oh My Goodness" I just discovered the most GORGEOUS Giveaway Going on right now!!! I just had to share this with you AND You must hurry over to enter

I'm Linking to...
"Pink Saturday@How Sweet the Sound"
"Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home"
"Vintage Inspiration Friday@Common Ground"
"Feathered Nest Friday@French Country Cottage"
"Friday Pretties@I Love Pretty Little Things"
"Show and Tell Friday@My Romantic Home"
"TableScape Thursday@Between Naps on the Porch"
"Thrifty Thursday@Tales from Bloggeritaville"
"Treasure Hunt Thursday@Blue Creek Home"
"Vintage Thingy Thursday@Colorado Lady"
"Teacup Tuesday@Martha's Favorites"
"Tuesday Treasures@The House on the Side of the Hill"
"Table Top Tuesday@A Stroll Thru Life"
"Tea Time Tuesday@Rose Chintz Cottage"

Praying for the Tornado Victims

Although we are surrounded by such beauty, There always lurks pain and devastation amongst us... As I tour my gardens each day I offer prayer for those who can not take time to smell the flowers..."YET"...

Dear Lord I ask you to please let the victims have peace soon and see that there "Is Light in that Tunnel"...

This little tree frog made me smile today as he "THINKS he is hidden" but I sat and watched him and the swirls of hummingbirds that frequented my wiegela bushes around him...I also thought if I could place a little red cap on his head the hummers would visit him too...

Life is very fragile... This fern leaf peony is an example of how quickly things change... We have had LOTS and LOTS of rain here in Connecticut... I will NEVER complain about it... The flowers bow to the weather BUT they manage to smile again when the sun returns... To all the Tornado and disaster victims HERE and all over the world, "I am praying every day for you"... "Not a moment goes by that I am not Thinking of you"..."I want the sun to return for you so you can smile again"...

Captivated by Kipling

The stories and poems of Rudyard Kipling are captivating for all ages... He is a story teller that I will enjoy reading forever and ever... and we "MUST" introduce our youth to these timeless treasures of imagination so "They will live forever"... T

There is no greater gift than an "Interesting Audience"... I must admit I am as captivated with them as I am with the stories I tell!

When I was little my Grandmother had this "Wonderful little Elephant statue"...She had picked him up "Somewhere in time"... I LOVED this little guy and would sit in front of him for HOURS imagining how Great a life he had as "The Elephant of my Grandmothers House"..."He and I had LOTS of adventures together"!!! "He is Definitely One of my Favorite Things"...

The minute I met this basket it "Jumped in my car" and Followed Me Home! LATER I realized just how incredibly familiar it's shape was... Doesn't it look like Elephant Tusks???

This set of vintage binoculars I bought at our little town tag sale "Many Years Ago"... The elderly lady that I bought them from was "So Sweet", I wanted to take her home too... It was pouring rain that day and we were shuffling around under tents... This little lady took all my attention that day... I spent every cent I brought on her goodies... EVERYTHING was $5 that day as we all stood in the wind driving rain! These binoculars belonged to her Hubby and she told me of their adventures with them "Always strung from his neck"! They were the very first thing she gave him when they got married... "She had such a twinkle in her eye as she went on with her story"... I LOVE these binoculars and they sit in my front bay window to watch the world, and I think of a Dear Couple every time I pick them up...

We are having "Madagascar Coffee" today in these "GLOBE Paul Cardew Cups & Saucers"... The little ones will have milk with a few teeny drops of coffee mixed in... My Dad used to do this for me on a special occasion

The white bowl(one of two) is a GW find that had me "Happy Dancing" all the way home!

A baby elephant is one of God's Greatest Gifts to us...We need to give him the respect he was born to deserve... AND as I have said before, "If he shows up in my garden he is welcome to dine on whatever his heart desires"...

Ahhh, these bowls were $1 at GW and They were my BARGAIN of the year!!! LOVE THEM! They are ROSCHER "enchanting lines"... If you know me, You "KNOW" how I love quirky shapes and uneven lines...So these are just plain GORGEOUS and they are going to be popping up in lots of table settings!

P.T.Barnum was a native born Connecticut Yankee... I bought this book of his animal stories from the VERY HOUSE he was born in(in Bethel Connecticut). He lived there until he was 24 when he built a home in Bridgeport CT. This book was published in 1926 and caused a STIR at my table when "Clarence the Lion popped in to hear HIS favorite stories be told"...He is claiming that the Handsome Lion on the cover is his "Great Great Granddaddy"...Keeping Clarence in mind...I never missed an episode of "Daktari" back in the "Good Ol' Days". I LOVED that crossed eyed lion named Clarence. One of my favorite movies was "Born Free(you can watch the whole movie on YouTube)"... Did you cry a lot during it? I also LOVED Elsa... and I remember the day I took the bus Downtown to buy the sheet music for BORN FREE and played it on my piano... It was also "Very Fashionable to wear safari clothes"... I LOVED my Safari Jacket... Oh how I wish I had squirreled it away...

I don't collect baskets... They just seem to multiply like other "Cute Thingies" that Follow Me Home and Multiply "ALL BY THEMSELVES"... I Swear to you, they do!!! This gnarly basket was in a shop one day and at Conghaile Cottage the next... I kind of Knew once I made eye contact I would be doomed to house this Character for the rest of my days! "Hey I'm weak"!!!

"Water for Elephants" ... The book was wonderful and the movie is opening soon... I have some CLIPS for you...

"Getting to know Rosie"...

Anyone for Animal Crackers???

"Lions and Tigers loop-d-loop"...

Do you remember Shirley Temple singing Animal Crackers??? Well Here's some FUN for you!!!

You "Must,Must,Must" see this movie!!! Actually FIND IT and buy it! It's a movie you can Actually sit with everyone of any age and have FUN watching...It's one of those VERY Touching movies that will make you feel really good... It's  roll in the isle funny at times that it's not making you cry because it touched your heart... "LOVE,LOVE,LOVE it"!!! You can catch the TRAILER HERE!!!

"Born Free... Listen to their beautiful music"

I'm Linking To
"Show and Tell Friday@My Romantic Home"
"Vintage Inspiration Friday@Common Ground"
"Simple Pleasures@A Collection of This and That"
"Tablescape Thursday@Between Naps on the Porch"
"Vintage Thingie Thursday@Colorado Lady"
"Tuesday Treasures@The House on the Side of the Hill"
"Tea Time Tuesday@Lady Katherine Tea Parlor"
"Tea Cup Tuesday@Martha's Favorites"
"Tea Thingie Tuesday@Silken Purse"
"Table Top Tuesday@A Stroll Thru Life"
"Tea Time Tuesday@Rose Chintz Cottage"
"Masterpiece Monday@Boogieboard Cottage"
"Seasonal Sunday's@The Tablescaper"
"Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home"
"Friday Pretties@I Love Pretty Little Things"
"Thrifty Things Friday@The Thrifty Groove"