Mosaic Monday: Country Living

Welcome to another Mosaic Monday!  I'm so glad you are all playing along.  I decided to make my mosaic about country living this week -- all the sorts of things that I love about living life with the seasons.  Misty mornings, rainy days, sheep in the meadow and geese on the pond...  flowers, country churches, historic buildings...  oh, and a few of my favorite antiques as well.  :)

In the meantime, let's have some mosaic fun!  Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post.  This will lead you to the static link for your post.  The static link is the page with only that post on it.  Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it!  It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me:  mrcarroll(at)optonline.net.  I can't wait to see your mosaics!  Here is Mr. Linky:

Quiet and Rainy

  Looking forward to a quiet weekend here.  My son is home for a visit, and I'm sure we'll be very busy next week, gathering the things he needs for his new apartment in Philadelphia.  But in the meantime, a little peace and quiet and gazing through the window seems like a good idea.

Wishing you a peaceful weekend, dear bloggers.  :)

Note:  Please join me for another Mosaic Monday.  I'll put Mr. Linky up on Sunday night by 8:30pm.  Hope to see you there!

Tablescape Thursday: Lunch on the Deck

We've had some beautiful spring days here at our Little Red House, and the rhododendron is blooming with abandon.  So I thought I would set the table on the deck for a simple al fresco lunch.

The salad plates are pastel-rimmed, with pretty hand-painted flowers.  I bought them at the thrift store a few years ago.  The dinner plates underneath are my hard-working neutrals -- Baroque, by Atelier at Home.

I'm a milk-glass junkie.  They make wonderful serving pieces, like this footed rectangular dish piled high with fruit.

The rhodies are gathered in two milk glass vases, and a small  cup and saucer are ready to serve mayonnaise.  A lovely milk glass basket in the background will hold relish.

The linen napkins are edged with rick-rack.  The silverplated napkin rings are from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Any outdoor feast should be a feast for the eyes as well, don't you think?  No paper plates here, especially as there are only two of us.  ;)

You've seen my mother's pressed glass goblets before.

Yes, I need to polish some silver soon.  The German silver spoons are my favorites.

So, are you ready to enjoy lunch on the deck?

I want to thank everyone who visited me last week for Tablescape Thursday.  Life intervened, and I was not able to visit all your posts.  I promise to do better this week.  :)

Many thanks, too, to our wonderful hostess, Susan.  Visit Susan's blog, Between Naps on the Porch, for loads of beautiful tablescapes.

Yet Another Garden Post

Hi everybody!  Another garden tour for you today.  Do you remember my post last week about garden ornaments?  This is part of the same garden.  It's a charming little water garden, with some really cute inhabitants.

Look closely at the edges of the pool.  Do you see who I'm talking about?  Wait,  I'll show you a closer peek in a minute.

In the meantime, don't you love this little garden structure?  What fun would it be to sit here and listen to the water, and gaze at this lovely garden?

See who is peeping out from under the fountain?  Frog and Toad!  (Or maybe Frog and Frog...  I'm not really an expert here.)

And look at this charming fountain in the surrounding shade garden.  I guess someone in this garden loves frogs.

And really, what's not to love?  ;)

Hello, My Pretties

First of all, thanks so much to everyone who participated in Mosaic Monday.  I had such a great time visiting you all and seeing your wonderful mosaics!

Today I wanted to show you a few pretties I got at an estate sale last week.  This was a three-day-sale, with loads of beautiful dishes and silver.  Of course, I couldn't pass up the milk glass dish (above).

And then I saw this Limoges serving dish, with a beautiful reticulated edge.  Yes, it was really calling my name.  I heard it.  

I know dishes are supposed to be functional, but I bought this one just because it's so beautiful.  Do you ever do that?  This is one of those things that I could just stare at.

Yes, I need to tweak my meds.

Finally, this little milk glass vase.  It's about three inches high, and just too cute.  I have to admit that I actually went back the second day and got a few more things.  I'll show them to you later in the week.  I'm also getting together a giveaway for my 500th post.  More on that, too.

Have a great week, dear bloggers!

Mosaic Monday: Blue and Yellow

Welcome to another Mosaic Monday.  :)

We have had some really beautiful spring weather here for the past week or two, and the spring blooms have progressed from blues and yellows to pinks and whites, and soon will be every color in the rainbow.  

Here are some of my favorite shots from early spring.  Next week I should have some more up-to-date photos.  My Siberian iris have started to bloom, and the peonies are big fat buds right now.  This week I hope to get my deck pots filled.  Spring is my favorite time of year.  :)

In the meantime, let's have some mosaic fun!  Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post.  This will lead you to the static link for your post.  The static link is the page with only that post on it.  Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it!  It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me:  mrcarroll(at)optonline.net.  I can't wait to see your mosaics!  Here is Mr. Linky:

Garden Ornament

I thought I'd show you some garden ornaments today, all photos taken last weekend on a tour of a garden called Hedgerows, in Chester NJ.  The tour was a part of The Garden Conservancy's Open Days program.  

Hedgerows is a beautiful country garden, surrounding a nineteenth-century farmhouse.  There is a formal herb garden and perennial borders, along with a lovely woodland garden and reflecting pool.  These different gardening styles are reflected in the types of garden ornaments displayed.  The two charming statues (above and below) guard the walkway to the front of the house, which is a formal area.  They are reminiscent of something you would find in an English Country garden, which is why I love them so much.  Sadly, they are probably a little too formal for our Little Red House.  :(

This simple but lovely formal birdbath (below) stands near the pool garden.  Can you see the miniature lilac behind it -- what a heavenly scent!

Look at this whimsical iron frog (below), near the barn/garage.  How cute is that?  Someone has a sense of humor here.  :)

These charming squirrels (below) overlook the path to the rock garden.  Formal in style, but casual in subject -- they are totally charming!  Now these, I think, would look really great at our Little Red House.  :)

And for all you rooster lovers out there (and I am one of you), how do you like this handsome fellow (below)?  Unfortunately it would seem as though he is a favorite with the birds as well.

And how about these two little piggies (below)?  How cute are they?

Finally, a collection of watering cans (below) -- straight out of an English cottage garden.  Love them!

So tell me, do you have a favorite style of garden ornament?  What pretty things are peeking out from behind the leaves in your garden?

*****

I hope you will all join me in another Mosaic Monday next week.  I'll put up Mr. Linky by 8:30pm Sunday night.  I can't wait to see your creations!  :)

*****

Wow, this is my 500th post!  I feel a giveaway coming on...   stay tuned!

Tablescape Thursday: Tea Tray

Welcome to another "Trayscape Thursday!"  Yes, I know -- it's not really a tablescape, but it's all I could manage again this week.  :)

This delicate porcelain cup and saucer belonged to my mother.  I think I've told you in the past that she loved dishes.  She had a collection of these, which she proudly displayed on the hutch in the dining room.  I often wonder where she got them, because  there was not a lot of money around when I was growing up, and I can't imagine her  going out and buying something as frivolous as this delicate piece.  It is Fan China, made in Japan.

I've already shown you this small Lenox teapot and creamer, which also belonged to my mother.  I love them because they are perfect for a single cup of tea.

The tole tray was a birthday gift from my husband, a few years ago.  The flowers -- the last of my Mother's Day gifts.

I feel like I've been cheating the past couple of weeks, showing a "trayscape" rather than a tablescape.  But I've got so many unmatched pieces of china that I use quite often for a cup of tea here, or a piece of cake there...  And I don't often set a full table and have dinner parties.

And I just love to set a pretty tray!  ;)

As always, many thanks to our wonderful Tablescape Thursday hostess, Susan.  Please visit Susan's blog, Between Naps on the Porch, for more wonderful tablescapes.

Sunken Garden, Kennelston

I'm beginning to think I should have dubbed this "Garden Week" here at Little Red House.  With the exception of Tablescape Thursday, I think we are going to be seeing a lot of gardens.  :)

This is the sunken garden at Kennelston Cottage, the same garden that I showed you yesterday.  Let's go through the garden gate, and down toward the entry.

This is a wonderful garden, surrounded by a trellis and stone fence.  The design is formal, but softened by moss edging the stone pathways.

So beautiful!

As you can see, the trellis fence gives way to a stone wall and hedge on one side, creating a terrific sense of enclosure.  I love the feeling of being surrounded by a garden.  Is it a sense of security, a sort of going back to the womb, I wonder?

I love the allium peeking out from under the hostas, too.  The stone bench looks like a wonderful place to sit and contemplate the garden.  I could have spent hours here.

This hosta is about three feet across, I swear to God.  Gorgeous!  They obviously don't have to worry about deer here.

These succulents are growing in the top of one of the stone fence posts.  An unusual and charming addition to a very beautiful garden.  

More gardens on Friday.  :)

Kennelston Cottage

First of all, thank you SO MUCH to all of you who participated in Mosaic Monday yesterday.  I was thrilled to have so many participants for the first week, and I LOVED seeing all your wonderful mosaics!  

I hope you all had as much fun as I did, and that you will join us again next week.  Tell your friends, too.  The more the merrier!

If anyone else would like to join but needs instructions on making a mosaic, drop me an email at mrcarroll(at)optonline(dot)net.

I wanted to show you a few photos from The Garden Conservancy Open Day I attended on Saturday.  These photos are from Kennelston Cottage in Far Hills, NJ.  Not really a cottage at all, but an English Tudor style house built in the early 1900's. Kennelston is a series of garden rooms, many organized along axial lines.  The two photos above show the ornamental potager, with it's very formal design.

This beautiful bank of early perennials surrounds the pool.  Don't you love the allium and iris?  Blues and purples are my favorite garden colors.

Finally, here is the courtyard garden.  These photos really do not do it justice.  This garden is SO beautiful!  I have some more photos to show you tomorrow, of a wonderful sunken garden.

If you are interested in finding Open Days in your area, visit the Garden Conservancy.

Mosaic Monday: Pretty in Pink

Welcome to  Mosaic Monday!  I was so excited to have company this week that I think I may have overdone it with the pink.  LOL  But no matter, it's always fun to make a mosaic in your favorite color or, in this case, with my favorite subject.   :)

The Garden Conservancy held an Open Day in our area on Saturday, and I was able to visit three beautiful gardens.  No, these flowers are not from those gardens.  But I promise to show you some photos from two of the gardens later this week.

In the meantime, let's have some mosaic fun!  If you are participating in Mosaic Monday, here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post.  This will lead you to the static link for your post.  The static link is the page with only that post on it.  Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."

That's all there is to it!  It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me:  mrcarroll(at)optonline.net.  I can't wait to see your mosaics!  Here is Mr. Linky:

A Reminder

Don't forget Mosaic Monday!  If you want to participate, I will try to have my post up, along with Mr. Linky, by Sunday night at 8:30pm.  I'm really looking forward to seeing all your mosaics!