Love the Ruff

This is such a gorgeous detail of a painting. Love the ruff and the earrings. The quilted fabric too. via

Porch with Sliding Screen Doors

It's all pretty wonderful, isn't it? via

Baby Otter Learns to Swim: Video

Click here if you can't see the video below.

Amanda, the baby otter is the cutest thing ever. I want one! She has a voice too. Promise me you'll watch this. It will melt your heart. xo

Colorful Leaves in My Woods

I took this photo yesterday on an overcast day while walking Webster. No filters, right out of my iPhone. The colors were stunning and almost unreal looking. Another busy day with showings and promise. Have a great evening. xo

Tool Box Kitty

The sidekick is so tired. A toolbox kitty is such a handy thing to have around. via

I have two showings today!

Cute Cat Hammock

I wonder what Tabitha would think about a table like this? It looks wonderful with a cat in it but I think it would look strange without one. via

I had some showings today at my new listing on a beautiful day. I threw out an impromptu open house sign and got some lookers off the street too. I had a really good time showing them around. I think I'll do the same thing for an hour or two tomorrow as well. Enjoy your evening. xo

My New Listing

This circa 1780 home was moved to its current location in the village of New Vernon NJ 07976 in the mid 1800s. It is several doors away from my office and it is desperate for a new owner since it's been vacant since 2002. Cross your fingers for it and for me. I put the listing in the MLS yesterday and I'm waiting for my phone to ring but it hasn't. The dwelling is gutted inside so it's a real project for an old house lover or a commercial enterprise. I hope someone with a wonderful vision steps up to save this beautiful survivor with such great bones. It is zoned for business and residential and would be a wonderful place to live and work. It has a great feel inside with high ceilings, many new windows, and new framing installed by Amish post and beam barn builders. The tin roof was removed and replaced with hand-split cedar shakes. The old siding was removed to expose the original clapboards. The fully-floored walk-up attic is an amazing space. I'll keep you posted on the activity. See you later. Maybe this historic home called The Academy has been holding out for someone to love it again.

Inviting Side Porch

This is truly wonderful, isn't it?

New York horse country farmhouse. Crisp Architects, Millbrook, NY. Rob Karosis photo.

This New Day

This is very inspiring, isn't it? I love the bathroom shown below too. View more photos of this project, photos by Tim Ghie.

Post Halloween Dog Shaming

Trixie ate most of her little human's treats. via

Belated Halloween

I'm sorry I didn't see this sooner. Better late than never, right? So windy today. The leaves have blown back in my yard too. Oh well, maybe they will blow away again before the day is over. See you later. Have a great Sunday. xo

White on White on White

I know it's too early for snow photos, but I love this white on white house. I'm very snug in my cozy cottage tonight. I'm so glad I did my freezer paper DIY vent covers. I worked upstairs most of the day moving things around like an ant. One of these days I'll get it like I want it. I did some real estate too. It was a good day. I've got a baked potato in the oven that's almost ready. I'm grateful for the extra hour of sleep I'll be getting tonight. Enjoy your evening. xo via

Soaking Tub in a Museum Setting

It's very elegant, isn't it? The floor looks like old linoleum. I love a good hot bath in weather like this. Today we have rain that promises to continue all day long with wind tomorrow to help us dry out. I watched a weather report on TV this morning and the reporter said SNOWVEMBER occurred in the deep south. Is this true? Yikes. I am definitely not ready for the first four letters. My cottage is much warmer today since I performed my annual ritual yesterday on my ceiling air conditioning vents. I have decorative cast iron covers that don't open and close. They are open all year round and all the warm air goes up them like an open chimney. I have struggled with different fixes and several years ago I thought of cutting freezer paper to cover them. It worked like a charm so that was my project yesterday. I cut new pieces and affixed them with ATG double-sided tape with a special dispenser I have from my picture framing days. It went quickly and now my drafts have gone away. I'm so happy. Where there's a will, there's always a way, right? Have a good weekend and say hello to November. Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight before you go to bed. xo via

Gray Skies Today Over My Cottage

It never rained today and I was inside and outside all day long. I actually got a lot done too. I love it when I'm productive. If you look hard, you'll see webster outside the red building in the back. He had a good day too. Happy Halloween. I never get trick or treaters so I don't have any candy in the house to overeat and that's a good thing! Have a great weekend. xo

Webster Wants Equal Time

He wants his bed featured too so here it is. 

Tabitha, Bedded Down Last Night

I took this photo of Tabitha in her cat basket last night before I moved her so there would be room for me to get on my side of the bed. I always pull parts of the sweater through the woven willow branches of her cat basket so she will have high sides for optimum warmth. My huge, heavy, plaid woolen blanket on top of my spread kept me warm too. My furnace clicked on this morning and the radiators are nice and hot on a gray Friday morning. It's a good day to work inside. See you later. xo

Fall Rainy Day

I find this so restful to look at before bedtime. No, it's not raining here yet but will be by the weekend. I get my best work done on rainy days so I'm looking forward to being forced to stay inside and buckle down. See you in the morning. via

Warm your Hands by the Fire

My cottage feels like a tomb. It's pretty nice outside in the sunshine but cold inside. I've been rushing around all day so it hasn't mattered much but now that I'm sitting down I'd like some warmth. I have those plug-in oil-filled radiators up in the attic and one is beside my computer chair. Maybe I'll go up there and do some work and get warm. See you later. Have you had your first fire this season yet? xo Animated gif found here.

Stylist Emma Persson Lagerberg's Home

Antique drop leaf tables make the best desks.

I have never seen a wire tower this small. Love it!

Isn't it fun to see how a stylist decorates her own home? Like what you see? More photos here.

Out of the Mist

I love fog and a good mist, don't you? via

I'm tucking in pretty soon under my down blanket. My house is cold. BRRR.

Free Printable: Weekly "TO DO LIST"

Download here. Thanks to this website. I have an old clipboard somewhere. Now I must go and look for it. xo

That Will Be My Life

Mine too! via

Look Up!

Wow. Really interesting ceiling treatment in this hallway leading to a library. via

Gorgeous Entrance

Yes, please.

I love it all. The door surround, the planters, and the plantings. I would love to see the whole house, inside and out. I know I would love it. via

Most Beautiful Garden I've Ever Seen!

Picking vegetables at the Eden Project - St Blazey, Cornwall, England by franieK

This garden makes two things I love about Cornwall. The first one is Doc Martin. I wonder when we will get the next episode? Can't wait! xo

After Yesterday's Mowing

Today was another beautiful day but much cooler with blustery wind. I'm glad I picked yesterday to mow. Today I cut down some invasive weed trees with a hand saw and started raking my driveway. Little by little, I'm getting my fall cleanup down on time this year. It makes me gasp and when I think about three years ago when it snowed a lot over Halloween weekend and the trees still had most of their leaves. Maybe it was 4 years ago. Anyway, I want to stay on Mother Nature's good side this year and play nice with her so she doesn't throw another tantrum. I took this photo this afternoon from my balcony. Hope you had a good weekend too. Now off to my bed to watch Masterpiece Mystery on PBS -- Death Comes to Pemberley. Enjoy. xo

Delightful Vintage Decor

See more photos of this restored blacksmith shop in upstate New York here.

Elephants like Halloween too!

What a good use for Jack O'Lanterns after Halloween is over.

I had the busiest day ever and ended up spending the entire afternoon mowing, raking, and pruning. I got all my mowing done. The weather was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold and the grass was nice and dry. I'm so glad I waited until after the rain in the middle of the week. It's nice and short and hopefully the remaining leaves will blow away. Most of them have already fallen except on several trees that don't lose their leaves until the very end of autumn. I'm tired, but in a good way. Enjoy your Saturday evening. I'm going to look for a good movie to watch. xo