Cheers

Although the leaves are turning here in New Jersey and things are beginning to look distinctly orange, I'm still getting some beautiful pink dahlias from the forgotten tubers I planted this spring.

And because I didn't stake them properly, they are all blooming with their faces on the floor of the deck, so I've been cutting them and bringing them inside to enjoy.

And because I'm a lunatic, that enjoyment involves finding the perfect little silverplated pitcher and painted tole tray to style them, and taking way too many photographs of them when I should be doing laundry or straightening the mud room.

Anyway, I hope they bring as much cheer to you as they have to me. Happy Wednesday, dear bloggers! :)

Mosaic Monday: Decorating for Fall

Just a little fall primping for Mosaic Monday this week. :)

This is a small credenza in our kitchen, all decked out for fall. The tole container and the wooden painted rooster plate came from HomeGoods a few years ago. Silk flowers and sheaf of wheat are from Michaels, and the small ceramic rooster was a gift from my friend Robin. The pair of bird prints hanging above the credenza came from an area rummage sale.

Happy fall!

Now 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:

Wonder and Humility

"It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility."

Rachel Carson

Wishing you worlds of wonder this weekend, dear bloggers. Please join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday night.

Tablescape Thursday: Autumn Luncheon

It's beginning to feel like autumn here in New Jersey, although I could stand the temperatures to be a bit cooler. The fields are filled with goldenrod, though, and the sun slants at a different angle in the sky, and the farm stands are filled with corn and tomatoes and zucchini. So I put together a small lunch for my friend Toni Anne.

A flowered tablecloth from Ralph Lauren set the stage with it's autumn hues, and made a nice backdrop for the simplicity of creamware serving dishes and pitchers.

You've all seen my dishes by Atelier at Home, and my assortment of thrift store and antique flatware before. :)

Napkins are cotton damask, with antique silver napkin rings that I love to leave in their untarnished state. Goblets are pressed glass, and belonged to my mother, as did the creamware pitcher holding goldenrod, queen anne's lace, chrysanthemums and dried seed pods.

Lunch included a salad of mixed greens with yellow pear tomatoes from the farm stand,

and orzo salad with roasted cherry tomatoes, zucchini and corn. This was a sort of fly-by-the- seat-of-your-pants creation, and I'm proud to say that it turned out quite tasty. In fact, I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. lol

Many thanks to our wonderful Tablescape Thursday hostess, Susan! For more lovely tables, please visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

Mosaic Monday: Red and White

I was really stumped about a mosaic subject this week. I've done so many flowers, and landscapes... Finally, I just decided to keep it simple. This is Little Red House, after all. ;)

What's your favorite color?

Now 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:

Hi there

Hi there! I look forward to seeing you all at Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday night. :)

Have a great weekend, dear bloggers!

I Ask You

Back in August, when my favorite thrift store had a one-day summer sale, I spied a silver-plated carving set that was made in Germany. I looked at it for a few minutes, and ultimately put it back. The store closed for the rest of August, and the carving set was pushed to the back of my mind.

The store opened again this fall, and I stayed away for a few weeks. But then, I caved. I took a ride out to the store on Tuesday, and lo and behold my carving set was still there. :)

My friend, Robin, will be chuckling when she reads this. She was with me in August, when I drooled over the set and then decided not to purchase them. But seriously, look at the decorative carving on this set. Is it not beautiful? Could you resist this?

I ask you.

A Fall Garden

It was such a beautiful day yesterday, and I had my camera in the car, so on a whim I stopped at a nearby garden that is open to the public. I wrote about the Leonard J. Buck Garden in the spring here, but it has a very different look in the fall.

Years ago I used to devour seed catalogs, and knew the Latin names for many plants. Nowadays, I have forgotten most of it, and my powers of identification aren't what they used to be. I think this may be tiarella, but frankly your guess is as good as mine.

Of course this is a redwood tree. I know it's probably small compared to some of the huge ones in California, but it seems mighty large for New Jersey. :)

Um, I'm guessing wild ginger? Violets? What do you think?

The Buck gardens were built on the site of glacial rock formations, and there is a meandering stream leading to a beautiful pond, crossed by several wooden bridges.

At the entrance to the gardens, there are benches and several large planters filled with wonderful coleus and other foliage plants.

Oh how I wished my planters were this beautiful!

There was also a rock garden trough with these sedum, which look like some kind of strange landscape when viewed through the macro lens of my camera.

All in all, I spent a beautiful half hour wandering around the garden. I hope you enjoyed it, too. :)

Mosaic Monday: Autumn Comes

Yes I know, I'm rushing the seasons a little. But I have to say that I'm starting to get into the spirit of the season that is not yet officially upon us.

When my kids were little, we used to read a book called My Favorite Time of Year. I've probably written of this before; it was one of my favorite children's books. The child narrator and her little brother and mother drop everything to run outside when they hear the honks of Canadian geese flying overhead.

I have always loved the change of seasons, but especially summer into autumn. And here are some of my favorite things from autumn. :)

Now 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:

Please Join Me

Just a note to say that I hope you can join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday night. :)

Just Breathe

I know I've been remiss about posting lately -- feeling a little burned out. We've had a rough few weeks with my in-laws' health starting to really go south, and a few of the normal speed bumps of every day life, like my son losing his cell phone.

I've been trying to find a little balance in my life, and at the same time thinking long and hard about what's really important to me, especially in the face of daily reminders of the fleeting nature of our lives. And today, of all days, should be a time for reflection.

So I've been taking some time to enjoy nature, to take some long walks in the park with my husband, and to remember that there is more to life than blogging.

And to just breathe.

Mosaic Monday: Blessings of the Seasons

I know there are a lot of you out there who hate to see summer end (and many in the southern hemisphere who are looking forward to spring) but I have to say that I love the change of seasons, especially summer into fall. My husband and I walk a lot on the weekends, and we love to mark the changes in the countryside around us -- the queen anne's lace is beginning to give way to goldenrod, the Canada geese are gathering on the fields, and the wild berries are ripening from red to black.

I also love to bring home something from almost every walk -- a fistful of flowers, or a hickory nut, or some acorns still attached to a leafy oak branch. My treasures sit in pride of place on the window above the kitchen sink -- reminders of the blessings of the seasons.

Now 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:

Rosie

I just wanted to show you two of the portraits I did for Robin. Her Jack Russell terrier, Rosie, is such a cutie-pie. At age 11, though, she is slowing down and has a few bald spots. But she was still pretty feisty when she saw the camera.

I quickly learned that it's much easier to get a child to pose than a dog. lol

I'm really loving this portrait thing, even when the subjects don't want to pose for me. And I'm eagerly lining up more subjects so I can practice. If you know anyone in my area of New Jersey (Somerset and Morris counties) who wants a free portrait, let me know. :)

*****

I hope you will all consider participating in Mosaic Monday this week. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday night.

Edited to add: I'm entering the photo in this post at the iHeartFaces contest of the week entitled "Pets." Please visit their link for some really amazing photography!

Robin's Bar

Hi there, I'm back! Did you miss me?

Just kidding. I spent a lot of time practicing my portrait photography, and very little time on all the projects that need doing around the house. But c'est la vie.

I thought I would show you some photos I took of my dear friend Robin's house yesterday. I went there to take some photos of her and her Jack Russell, Rosie. But I also took the opportunity to snap a few photos of her beautiful home.

These images were all taken in her bar, which is a gorgeous paneled room. I had my 60mm lens on the camera, so I couldn't get any wide shots, but I thought you might like to see some close-ups of her furniture and accessories. I'll go back soon and get shots that show the whole room. :)

A few of of you may remember the red decanter with the hunt scene (above). I bought it at my favorite thrift store for Robin, who collects things with a fox hunting theme.

Robin's husband, Ken, is an electrician, and they have the most beautiful lighting fixtures. Another common theme in this room is stags, and hunting in general. Isn't this a gorgeous sconce? It is one of a pair that flank the center wall behind the bar.

Robin also collects antique tins, like this wonderful example that sits on a wooden tray on the ottoman in front of her sofa.

A collection of beer steins hints at Robin's Austrian heritage. The room is also filled with family photos, some taken in Austria near where her mother grew up. It is a warm and inviting room, perfect for entertaining.

And yes, I promise to bring you some shots of the whole room soon. :)