Easter thoughts on a rainy day...

It's raining cats and dogs here as I write this -- a good day to bury your nose in a book. lol Of course I've got tons of work around the house, but here I sit reminiscing about Easters past.

When my kids were little, we always had an Easter egg hunt. My husband would go outside early on Easter morning and hide the eggs that we had colored earlier in the week. When we returned from mass, my kids would grab their baskets and run around the garden, hunting eggs. My son, who is a laid-back artist type, would happily amble about, waiting for inspiration. My daughter, who is a type-A competitor, raced around grabbing the eggs she had noticed when we went to church. When the hunt was done, we would always take some family pictures in our Easter finery.

My son is 22 now, and away at school. My daughter is 18 and busy with AP courses and senior projects. But I think I'm going to run out to the store today and get some eggs. :)

If you celebrate Easter, I'd love to hear about your special Easter memory today...

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And speaking of holidays, have you heard about Matthew Mead's new holiday project? I don't know about you, but I LOVE his creative decorating ideas and beautiful photos! And his newest project is all about holiday inspiration. Here is the 411, direct from the folks at his website:

Head over to Holiday with Matthew Mead to find out how you can win the opportunity to have your blog or online shop mentioned in the magazine. Holiday with Matthew Mead is a "book-azine" celebrating and offering inspiration for the Christmas holiday season. To be released in October 2010, Holiday is offered via online orders only - in limited quantities - and will not be sold on newsstands. But, by simply following the BUY HOLIDAY MAGAZINE link below their banner, you can reserve your own copy of this beautiful magazine, with guaranteed delivery of the magazine straight to your mailbox! Holiday with Matthew Mead is 144 pages of holiday inspiration with well-known and admired designers, bloggers and top-notch features, printed on beautiful paper and not drowning in ads!

Now, head on over for your chance to win!

Mosaic Monday: The Colors of Easter

First of all, an apology: real life just interfered with blogging for me this week, and I did not get to comment on all your mosaics from last week. :( I did visit and run without leaving a comment on many of them, and I apologize. Hopefully I will do better this week!

For this week's mosaic, I decided to showcase some of my favorite Spring/Easter colors. Shop-Rite was running a sale on hyacinths -- three for $10. And they had the most meltingly beautiful lilac-colored blooms. Right now they are sitting in my kitchen. I wish you could smell them -- they smell heavenly. I know that some people find their scent a little overpowering, but I just love it. :)

I rounded things out with some spring greens -- the rain-drenched leaves of Lady's Mantle, the beautiful yellow-greens of moss, some green plaid ribbon and speckled eggs.

Wishing you joy this Spring/Easter season!

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:

I can see clearly now...

I've been spending some time this week washing crystal and glassware pieces. This always reminds me of my mother, who collected many of the pieces that bedeck our dining room. My parents didn't have a lot when I was growing up, but somehow they always found a little extra for the things of beauty that they loved. And I'm sure that is where I got my love for crystal and silver and dishes.

If you love dishes too, don't forget to enter my giveaway. And have a wonderful weekend -- ours is supposed to be cold. But the forsythia and star magnolias and cherry trees are starting to bloom here, so I'm happy. :)

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I hope you will join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday. And hopefully I will be able to visit all the mosaics from last week before the new ones are posted! LOL

Thank You!

I have to tell you that when I started blogging, and for a long time afterward, I was always amazed that anyone was actually reading. What could I possibly have to share that anyone would value? There is no wonderful writing here, no serious content, no poetry... just some pictures of things I love.

Hardly Pulitzer material.

But then I put that little Followers widget on my sidebar, and began to watch as the list grew. Well, last week some time it reached 700.

And it occurred to me that here I was, helping 700 people ignore their laundry or put off reading their emails at work, even if only for a little while.

My mother would be so proud. lol

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for following Little Red House. I am warmed by your friendly and kind comments each and every day, and I am truly touched that you take time out of your busy days to visit here with me.

So I wanted to find something special for a giveaway. I visited my favorite thrift store, and came home with two beautiful dishes, for one lucky giveaway winner.

I found this little china basket, with gilded edges and delicate handles. It's a very sweet little piece of china, and would look fabulous filled with jelly beans. Or malted milk eggs. Or peanut M&M's.

Are you sensing a trend here? :)

I also found a lovely dish, painted with birds, butterflies and insects. It is for display use only -- and what a beautiful display it would make on a sideboard or mantel.

In fact, I think I will display it on my own mantel till the end of the giveaway.

You understand, don't you? ;)

So, let's have a giveaway!

The Giveaway Rules

1. You need to be a follower of this blog. This is not a blatant attempt to gain more followers. If you want to become a follower to enter the giveaway, that would be great. If you are already a follower, thanks!

2. To enter, leave a comment on this post.

3. For a second entry, write about the giveaway on your blog, and then come back and leave another comment on this post.

4. I must have a way to contact you if you win. This means that your profile must contain either your blog link or your email address. If you are not a blogger, please leave me your email address in your comment.

The contest will remain open through 9:00 pm Eastern time on March 31st. Winner will be drawn by Random.org. and announced on April 1st. Good luck!

The contest is now closed. Winner will be announced April 2nd. Thank you for playing along. :)

Spring buds and a fine, soft rain...

Yesterday was a quiet, rainy spring day and, after getting a few errands completed, I covered the camera with a plastic bag and went out to chronicle the "fine, soft rain," as my husband's Irish grandmother used to call it. I couldn't help snipping a few of the red buds from the maple tree, too, and bringing them inside to admire.

And then I played around with Photoshop for awhile, and made up this little mosaic. Yes, it's not Mosaic Monday, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Besides, think back to when you were little... what did you do on a rainy day? Either reading or coloring book, right? Well, Photoshop is my adult version of a coloring book. lol

Sometimes a rainy day can be just as beautiful as a sunny one, in it's own quiet way.

Mosaic Monday: Happy Spring!

After one of the coldest and snowiest winters I can remember here at our Little Red House, it's finally Spring! Woo-hoo! We don't actually have daffodils outside yet, but here are some from my archives to celebrate the day. Oh, and a little pot of primroses, too. ;)

We have had an absolutely beautiful weekend, with temperatures in the high 60's, blue skies and signs of spring everywhere. On Friday, my daughter and I heard the spring peepers for the first time. Saturday brought beautiful red buds to the maple tree, and my husband saw a pair of ducks fly overhead. All are sweet harbingers of spring, and more precious than almost anything I can think of...

Happy Spring, dear bloggers!

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:

A Cupful of Sunshine

Just a few wishes for you all today...

Somehow, I managed to miss St. Patrick's Day here at Little Red House. I'm not actually of Irish heritage, although my husband and children are, and so I'm feeling just a wee bit sheepish for my oversight. So let me say here and now -- I hope you all had a wonderful day, filled with all the blessings of family and friends.

I did manage to snap a few photos of the most Irish-looking things here -- some fine bone-china cups with shamrocks that belonged to my mother. (Don't tell anyone, but they are not actually Belleek; they were made in Japan. lol) But I think they are still very beautiful, especially filled with sunshine. :)

I also wanted to take a moment to welcome all the new followers I've seen here lately -- I am so excited to see you here, and I sincerely thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to visit Little Red House.

In fact, I'm thinking that we should celebrate crossing the 700-follower mark with a giveaway! That will give me an excuse to visit my favorite thrift store to find the perfect prize. (Like I need an excuse -- who am I kidding?!) So anyway, be sure to check back next week when I should have the giveaway up and running.

Wishing you sunshine this weekend, dear bloggers!

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Please join me for Mosaic Monday this week. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Eastern time on Sunday night. I can't wait to see your wonderful mosaics! :)

In Celebration of Transferware

Can you tell

1. I love transferware.
2. I love photography.
3. I can't think of a darn thing to write about today?

Sorry! Hope you like my dose of dishy eye candy today. :)

Mosaic Monday: Food, Glorious Food

For someone who has been trying to lose weight, I've been taking a lot of food pictures lately. Hmmm, do you think that may be a problem? ;)

These have been mostly taken for my 365 project, beauty unspoken. My friend Amanda and I take a different subject each week, and last week's subject was "delicious." But even before that, my camera had been turning more and more to food. And "red" is quite a popular subject as well... lol. Anyway, I thought I would make up a food mosaic this week. So here it is.

Bon Appetit!

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:

Sunshine Makes Me Happy

Sunshine is in short supply this weekend in my part of New Jersey, with a rainfall of three to five inches expected. We had such a glorious week, full of sun and warmth, that I cannot complain. After all, into every life a little rain must fall, right?

I snapped this photo on Wednesday, when the sun was streaming in through my kitchen window. I've been taking a lot of photos in the kitchen lately, and showing a bit more interest in cooking, too. It's funny how winter just wears you down -- same food, same four walls. I've been trying to diet since January, but have only been able to make any headway this past week, when the sun began to shine. Rather than a strict diet, I've just been making sure that my meals include whole grains, fruit or vegetables.

And that seems to be enough for me. I've never been a big meat eater, so just a bite or two satisfies me. And I don't like fish at all, except for canned tuna. Yes, I'm a picky eater. :) But most of all, I don't seem to be craving sweets or salty things. Glory Hallelujah.

In a strange way, I think the sunshine and warmer weather are responsible for my change of heart. I've always been a big stress eater and, well, sunshine makes me happy.

Can it really be as simple as that?

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Please join me for Mosaic Monday this week. I was blown away last week by the amazingly talented bloggers who shared their photos with us, and I look forward to seeing what you have to show this week. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday. :)

Cocoluxe

I sincerely hope you are not dieting, because I have a little treat for you today. We're going to my favorite bakery, Cocoluxe, in Peapack-Gladstone, NJ.

And after we have our little treat, remind me to buy some focaccia. I have to bring a loaf home whenever I've been to the bakery; otherwise my daughter won't let me in the door. :)

Cocoluxe makes wonderful muffins. This beauty (above) is one of my favorites -- pumpkin. My friend Robin and I each had one recently when we met for girl's morning out. Of course, it's almost impossible to choose just one item. We also ordered two wonderful coconut macaroons shaped like thimbles. Aren't they cute?

The bakery is a popular neighborhood gathering spot, with everyone from teenagers to young mothers to seniors dropping by throughout the day to meet for a chocolate croissant (heavenly) or a bowl of vegetarian chili with a side of cornbread. Yum!

Everywhere you turn, there is a tempting bit of chocolate bark or a beautiful cake. I love their scones, with a different type daily. Two of my favorites are coconut chocolate chip and cherry chocolate chip. (Are you sensing a pattern here?)

The bakery is decorated with French posters, cafe tables and bentwood chairs. The coffee station is laid out on a beautiful antique sideboard, topped with a gilded mirror. Pretty chandeliers hang from above.

So, would you like to join me for a cup of chai tea and a pumpkin muffin? :)

My treat!

Cocoluxe Fine Pastries

161 Main Street

Peapack, NJ 07977

908 781-5554

www.cocoluxepastry.com

Sunshine in the Farmyard

My chickens have come out to play in the afternoon sun. :) We have had three glorious days of it now, and it has been truly wonderful. Isn't it amazing how a little bit of sun can change your entire outlook on life?

Mr. Rooster is lording it over his little flock. ;) He is a recent birthday gift from my dear friend Robin, who also gave me the littlest milk glass nesting hen. The middle-sized nesting hen was a gift from the marvelous B.J., of Sweet Nothings, who is a pretty sweet lady herself. :)

Thank you so much, my friends. I love my rooster and chickens!

And they are loving the sunshine. Wishing you all some sunshine today, dear bloggers! :)

Mosaic Monday: Riley

First of all thank you so much for your support and your kind comments yesterday! I don't want to characterize it as "misery loves company," but it is nice to know that I'm not the only one going through all this. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart! I think I will be looking into creating a blogger's photography course, for beginner photographers who use a point and shoot camera. I'll be letting you know more about it as I get to work on it. :)

Now for Mosaic Monday... It was such a beautiful weekend here in New Jersey, with temperatures in the 50's. Now that may not sound so warm to some of you, but believe me it was Nirvana. Truly.

We went for a walk at my favorite park, Natirar, with our friends Robin and Ken. They brought along their daughter's new puppy, Riley. And of course, I brought along my camera. :)

Riley loved the park, which was filled with people and other dogs. We walked about four miles, and he ran most of the way! He was very well-behaved with the other dogs, and charmed quite a few of the people, too. He's just so darn cute!

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:

I'm a Little Flower Bud

I've been suffering from a surfeit of writer's block lately -- not knowing what to write about, or where to turn my camera. All the snow, and some major cabin fever, were both getting me down.

I've also been thinking about my upcoming empty nest, and trying to see a way forward for the years ahead. It sounds silly to ask: "What will I do with the rest of my life?"

But I guess that has been on my mind lately, too.

I used to be a fitness instructor, but had to give that up for health reasons. I have also worked as a copy editor but that was so long ago it seems like another life.

What will I do now?

(I almost feel like I'm a flower in bud, waiting to feel the sun. Gosh that sounds stupid, doesn't it?)

I'd like to do something with photography, but I'm not sure that there is much money in stock photography sales, and I don't see myself starting a portrait business. I'm just not comfortable with my level of expertise in that area yet. Maybe with a little more practice...

So I've been thinking about creating an internet photography course for decorating and gardening bloggers. I have learned so much about that sort of photography in my years of blogging, and I think I might have some experience to share.

I'm actually a little nervous writing about it -- does it sound totally ridiculous? Maybe I should just go down to the local supermarket and fill out an application...

So, anyway, that's where my conflicted brain is right now. Anybody have any good advice?

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Sorry about missing Mosaic Monday last week, but you can see what a mental wreck I've been... :) Please join me for Mosaic Monday next week. (March 8th) Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday. Looking forward to seeing your work! :)