Meandering through Europe

If I could be somewhere else for Easter I think I'd choose Italy this year. This magazine picture reminds me of the time I spent in Tuscany a few years ago - dining one mild Fall evening on risotto with truffles in a rustic country dining room. I was in heaven and vowed I would return in another life as a Tuscan country woman living in a hill town where time stands still. I'll have to dig out those photos, taken before I went digital, stored in shoe boxes of course because we never got the albums finished, did we?

I would love to share with you what I found so beautiful about Italy.

Have you ever tried this wall finish called Ancient Damask? It's so amazing and involves plaster and stencils, staining and burnishing. But would I ever finish if I started - it would be so time consuming everything else in my life would have to be put on hold. You wouldn't hear from me for weeks........I think I'll stick with good old plain paint. But this is so European and gorgeous!

When in France I thrill to sights such as this in the markets. French linens, jute twine and string; golden, ochre and honey-toned blocks of hard-milled soap, stamped with interesting words and seals. Why do these natural, country items always look so beautiful? Perhaps because they are just that.........natural from the countryside.

These are words at the bottom of my staircase just inside the front door. I read them every day, sometimes several times a day in passing which is quite easy to do in a small cottage style house! They always evoke memories of the places I've seen and loved~ today I thought I'd share just a few thoughts about Italy and France in preparation for the stories yet to tell about my family's beautiful home in Southwest France.

Teach your children to explore the world, to see how other people live, to gaze at their historic places, to eat their food, hear their songs, dance to their music...............to travel every chance they get. Traveling is education wrapped up in memories treasured forever.

Back Garden Chronicles

Early evening I was sitting here on the front porch with a glass of chilled Chardonnay - my reward for a day well spent in the garden. As mentioned in my earlier post, I worked in the back garden and couldn't have picked a more beautiful day to do so. A perfect sunny 65 degrees, just a very slight breeze now and then. The neighborhood whirred with the sound of lawn mowers, several bumble bees buzzed around the Carolina Jasmine on the back fence - a good sign - dogs barked amiably, birds sang constantly, a red tailed hawk glided in slow circles overhead looking for lunch.

As you can see, the trees are opening their bright green buds and the tulips are in full swing. The grass is lush and thick - makes one want to run barefoot through it. Ummm, think I'll do just that tomorrow morning before heading out to a local Crafter's Flea Market for some serious bargain hunting. All the neighbors should be out in their yards - and they'll say "Mary gets older and crazier each day".......................kinda like that wonderful essay titled "A Gardener's Golden Years" about gardening in pj's and bunny slippers!!

Here's a shot of the potting shed today - so glad many of you think it's cute and would like one, thanks for the lovely comments. You will never regret building one if you garden - it becomes your little "bolt hole", a room of one's own so to speak. I painted mine after it was constructed - inside I had counters and shelves built, and windows installed on all sides to let in plenty of light. Note the pollen covering the bench - it's thick and heavy now - sneezing is becoming the local pastime.

The George Taber azaleas are blooming - these are my favorites because they are big blossoms, loose and cottagey looking, and they grow into huge bushes under the big oaks.

And last, but by no means least, there above my head among the buds, sat an Eastern Bluebird........truly the "bluebird of happiness".......such lovely birds and quite tame. We have a family living somewhere in the back garden - always at the feeders and sitting in the trees. Note the bluebird nesting box on the potting shed wall - been there 3 years now but nary a single bird, blue or any other hue, has ventured inside yet!

It was a wonderful day to be alive and beautifying God's little acre - altho' I only have one quarter of it! This is just the start though - stick with me and you'll find me "Out Tending My Garden" as it says on my painted sign on the arbor gate, from now until.......................forever I guess. We looked at condos a couple of year's ago - but we're still here enjoying cottage living.

How Green is Your Valley?

This is where I'm headed this morning - to do some much needed work in the back cottage garden. This is a pic from last year - it's not this green yet but everything is springing forth rapidly after warm weather and some much needed rain.

I love my potting shed. An earlier post (March 4 - More Tulips............) will show you the interior. Having electricity is great as I can heat and cool - I had the cutest chandelier hung which gives such a pretty light at night so I turn it on if we're eating outside on the deck or in the gazebo.

This tiny sparrow came by for a bath in a puddle - so adorable!

Off to climb into gardening gear and get down and dirty! Must clean up the remaining oak leaves - a love/hate relationship there - dislike raking but thankful they have protected my lovely sleeping plants during the chilly Winter months.

To you wonderful gardening friends ~ hope you are able to dig some dirt this weekend ~ then we can all head to the garden center, starting picking out new plants - and hide the charge slip from dh! Don't you love that part? I mean lovely new plants - not having to justify the cost, sigh!

It's been said many times " a garden is a joy and a job forever" which is true, but what better place to be lost in thought and surrounded by the awesome beauty provided by Nature - that makes all the hard work so worthwhile.

Soup's On!!

Even though Winter is out of here, soups will remain on my menu several times a week. We love soup - I love to make soup - we love it as part of a meal, or as the meal itself with a great salad and a slice of bruschetta or garlic bread, hot and crunchy from the oven. My favorite recipes are from an English vegetarian restaurant named "Cranks" - their cookbook is awesome. Published in 1982, my copy is well worn and I pray it doesn't fall apart in my lifetime! Good, simple, wholesome, non meat food. I use this book more than any other - and I have so many - please say YOU do too so I won't feel so guilty about cookbook overload! Over the years I have often had to debate the vegetarian soup making issue. Many say good soup can only be made with a big old meat bone or chicken broth.................I've managed to prove them wrong as nobody ever pushed a bowl of my soup away - they loved it to the last drop, and usually asked for more ~ ha!

To serve company soup the beautiful TUREEN is necessary - it makes a simple food become elegant on the table - or on the kitchen island where I usually set mine up as we're not formal around here.

The tureen lids are little porcelain gems in their own right.

Here are some of my own collection of tureens. Like to make three hearty soups when having a "soup supper party". Perhaps Lentil Tomato, Squash Bisque with Creme Fraiche & Frizzled Leeks, and Cream of Spinach & Zucchini - served with a selection of crusty breads and crackers. I add two salads, usually classic Ceasar with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and mixed Spring greens with Gorgonzola crumbles, thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, toasted pecans and balsamic vinegar dressing. Of course several desserts are in order and can be enjoyed by not having a heavy entree - friends enjoy English sherry trifle, French pear clafouti (great recipe for this in Ina Garten's "Barefoot in Paris"), and always something for the chocolate lovers - perhaps Grand Marnier brownies with orange buttercream frosting, yummy! Plenty of wine ready to be opened - would be great if you could all come by some evening and enjoy!

"If such be Nature's holy plan......" Wm. Wordsworth

Today I wandered through the beautiful North Carolina Arboretum snapping photos of the gorgeous plants and shrubs already in bloom.
The weather was perfect for strolling slowly and just admiring the beauty of each flower and leaf. Birds were singing, a few butterflies hovered.
The horticultural students from NCSU were busy cleaning out old beds, preparing new test beds, and planting vigorous looking shrubs and plants.
The pinks were so pink! The greens were literally Spring green, or acid, even yellow. Every color was fresh and vivid, new and clean. One's eyes almost hurt from squinting close up to really experience those colors.
"And the Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the spirit of love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

Rose from the the dreams of it's wintry rest,

The snowdrop and then the violet,

Arose from the ground with warm rain wet,

And their breath was mixed and sweet odour sent

From the turf like the voice and the instrument. "

................................................................Shelley

Dining Room Dreams

Thought I'd share a few dining room photos. Several blog friends seem to be currently working on, or planning out, their cottage dining room makeovers. Like many of us, they're staring at the walls and thinking "what color shall I paint?" The only thing harder than picking wallpaper has to be picking paint - far too many colors - and if you still can't find the right one they can always mix it for you! The thing is though, paint is cheap (unless you just have to order Farrow & Ball from England!) and you can always paint over it if not happy - wallpaper's a bit more difficult.

My paint colors here are Linen White above the chair rail and White Coffee below (both Benjamin Moore). I hung a very subtle border below the crown just to anchor the walls which seemed to fly away left plain.

My dining room has been deep red, then ballroom gold, but a few years ago I returned to these light neutrals which I love. All the woodwork in my house is stained and dh refuses to let me paint it - have to let him have a little say now and then I suppose. I now enjoy it because it enhances the cottage look, especially all the six paneled doors. At one time I wanted to paint the dining room table and chairs - purchased 30 years ago - but am glad I kept this beautiful dark wood as it blends nicely with the crown and chair rail mouldings and is a contrast with the light walls and carpet. Of course I've recovered the chair seats more times than I care to remember.

The Welsh Dresser I purchased unfinished years ago - first I pickled it (if you're around my age you'll remember when that was popular!) so it had that bland look with the knots showing through. When I did this last makeover I decided to paint it. I used Behr's Sneakers flat latex, waxed with Briwax, polished, sanded the edges, waxed again and polished until smooth. A lot of work but it has held up brilliantly and doesn't mark or chip.
I do love painted pieces and found this cabinet a couple of years ago at Greenfront Interiors (Virginia and N. Carolina readers will know this company - great furniture). I love the shade of green and the delicate handpainted flowers.
More green whimsy - this piece of dyed and frayed burlap embellished with torn lace and ribbon - and that amazing Victorian lady named Miss Rosie Boote stitched in silver thread - this was a great find in a local designer's boutique which was closing and selling all the shop fixtures and decorations.
And finally...............for the special person who left an anonymous comment wondering what on earth to do "below the chair rail", here's the answer! Hang embossed wallpaper which goes on easily on a short wall, and paint it. Roll paint on with a lightly textured type roller - very simple and fast. This looks quite white but is actually the White Coffee color, several shades darker than the wall above.
Good luck dining room decorators - whatever you decide to do I'm sure you will love your finished space.

Loving tulips more each day!

I don't have many faux floral displays around the house. Remember how awful they used to to be? Really FAKE looking then but have improved by leaps and bounds. Couple of years ago when wandering around the local Pottery Barn store, I found these tulips.................... and luckily they were on sale! So beautiful, they look like the real Pink Impression tulips I grow each Spring in the garden. What's amazing is that the stems and leaves are so realistic as well as the actual flowers. Had to have these to fill in until the real ones bloom...................and when I look out my kitchen window this morning I see them starting to open their lovely rich, rosy pink cups with black star centers and yellow stamens. The stems grow taller and taller each day - a beautiful flower - thank goodness for gorgeous Dutch bulbs, just wish I was in Holland right now!

Click on photos for close up views.

My other faux display is outside my front door on the porch and this one changes with the seasons. Love this hanging iron basket from Michael's with lightweight resin basin to hold flowers. Have just removed the Winter leaves and added the daisies...............and who doesn't LOVE daisies, fresh and happy looking, and again not so faux looking now. The cabbages are beginning to look a bit aged, probably because birds enjoy sitting on them - need to give 'em a good hose down - cabbages that is!

Must share this fabulous switchplate cover with you. Was shopping out of town in one of those posh, overpriced, little gift boutiques with a dear friend. She knows I love tulips and she found this for me - of course had to have it and it's in my dining room. Also has a few of my beloved "written words" at the bottom - just perfect.

Wishing you all a great weekend.