Of Beets and Baskets, and Belles de Boskoop

My kitchen windows look out over the deck and the garden. At this time of year, the afternoon light slants in warmly, casting shadows over the vintage cherry table that originally stood in my mother's dining room.

I always keep autumn flowers here, to brighten the room as the days grow shorter. I love these reds and golds and browns, warm and cheerful colors that compliment the painted cabinets. In fact, I respond instinctively to these colors. So when I saw these heirloom golden beets in the supermarket yesterday, I brought them home simply because they were so beautiful.

And the first thing I did was to plop them in this wire basket and start taking photographs. lol

I added a few heirloom apples as well. I know that heirlooms are treasured for their flavor and vigorous growing habits, but I think I would buy them simply because of their names -- William's Pride, Cox's Orange Pippen, Belle de Boskoop. :)

And finally, wire baskets. I cannot resist them. I love their mixture of beauty and utility. And they are fabulous photo props, n'cest pas? ;)

Do you have plans for the weekend? I hesitate to even type this out loud, but we may be expecting a little s-n-o-w.

Yikes. I am so not ready.

Mosaic Monday: Landscapes of New Jersey

I've got an old school mosaic for you today -- made at Big Huge Labs from one of my flickr sets called "my landscape faves." I feel like that is cheating, but it's been a busy weekend. :)

Despite it's nickname as the "Garden State," my home state of New Jersey tends to get a bad rap as the home of the idiots from the television show Jersey Shore, or for the ugliness of the New Jersey Turnpike.

I beg to differ.

With the exception of the sunset in the first row, which was taken down the shore, every other image in this mosaic was photographed within ten minutes from our little red house.

I ♥ New Jersey.

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz 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

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	Fishtail Cottage	23.	Cathy	45.	Shirleys World Animals
2.	Home is Where the Boat is~	24.	Bernie in Australia	46.	Tina´s PicStory
3.	eileen	25.	Ash Tree Cottage	47.	Crafty Gardener, Canada
4.	Wandering Thought	26.	Lorrie	48.	Rural Revival
5.	A Garden of Threads	27.	Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti	49.	Dawn Treader Sweden
6.	Black Eyed Susans Kitchen	28.	Katalin:)	50.	eye of the beholder
7.	My Little Home and Garden	29.	Autumn Harvest~	51.	Cestohowa, Texas
8.	Lavender Dreams	30.	Karen, A Scrapbook of Inspiration	52.	Savoring Time in the Kitchen
9.	Ebie, CA	31.	Sheila	53.	Michelle at Rosebudquilting
10.	InaSandbox	32.	Riet, Holland	54.	QMM
11.	ldh	33.	The Charm of Home	55.	Autumn Morning
12.	BailiwickStudio	34.	Kim,USA	56.	Suzy
13.	Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson	35.	Teacup-in-the-garden	57.	1960s Paris Knits
14.	The French Hutch Kirkwood Mansion Tour	36.	Elaine	58.	Views Of Audubon Park, New Orleans
15.	Custom Comforts	37.	Pondside - A Giveaway	59.	Cass at That Old House
16.	Life Images by Jill	38.	Jackie's life in Surrey, UK	60.	Roberta
17.	Carol @There's Always Thyme to Cook	39.	Millie	61.	Barefoot in Lavender
18.	Dab of This and That	40.	Sweet Nothings	62.	A Musing Potpourri
19.	Snap @ Twisty Lane	41.	Yael	63.	Color Chic
20.	Lavender Cottage	42.	Tassels Twigs and Tastebuds ~Veronica	64.	NHGarden
21.	{oc cottage}	43.	Très Julie
22.	Rajesh, India	44.	Halloween Party

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In Which I Return to the Scene of the Crime

First of all, let me say that I have been a good little girl. I haven't been to the thrift store since April or May. In fact, my favorite thrift store moved into a larger building over the summer, and this week was the first time I had been there to check it out.

And wow, what a difference! Where before it had been housed in the basement of a very small church, it is now in a large, bright and airy room with lots of space to show off all the great things for sale.

As you walk in the door, there is a large table filled with all the housewares that I love -- dishes and trays and lamps and candlesticks -- and everything is styled beautifully. In fact, it almost looks like an upscale home decor shop. But with really good prices. ;)

So what did I get? I got this beautiful Wedgwood covered casserole dish, for $8. Yes, as you have probably guessed, I'm a sucker for covered dishes. And this was just the perfect color to go in my kitchen.

So now I have to make up for lost time at the thrift store, right? I have my eye on a small tea set and a Victorian chair... ;)

Mosaic Monday: Autumn at Natirar

Autumn color is just beginning here in New Jersey. These photos were taken this afternoon at Natirar, my favorite park for walking in any season. It was a beautiful afternoon, with the sun slanting across the trees and grasses, and my husband and I enjoyed a nice long walk. :)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz 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

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	Fishtail Cottage	25.	A Vermont Girl	49.	Kim,USA
2.	Pondside - A Work in Progress	26.	Jackie's life in Surrey, UK	50.	Just another girl's blog
3.	Black Eyed Susans Kitchen	27.	Molly @ A Bit O' Shine	51.	QMM
4.	Lavender Dreams	28.	kathy.atinycottage@gmail.com	52.	Little Touches of Fall
5.	Awesome Giveaway, bj's	29.	fall mosaics	53.	Elaine
6.	Spiffing Fall	30.	Michelle at Rosebudquilting	54.	Marianne@Leisure Lane
7.	Eileen, MD	31.	Bernie in Australia	55.	Yael
8.	My Little Home and Garden	32.	Elizabeth @ WeeKitchen	56.	Halloween And Praline Pumpkin Pie
9.	The French Hutch Historical Tour	33.	Teacup-in-the-garden	57.	Barb@Bella Vista
10.	Lavender Cottage	34.	Porch Days	58.	Brenda
11.	Cathy	35.	Ingmarie We/Refugium	59.	Roberta
12.	Rajesh, India	36.	RobinfromCA	60.	Coloring Outside the Lines
13.	Pat@Mille Fiori Favoriti	37.	Angels Among Us @ Ivy & Elephants	61.	Patricia
14.	Home is Where the Boat is~	38.	Maggie@Normandy Life	62.	NHGarden
15.	Pat@Back Porch Musings	39.	Synnöve	63.	Schotzy, in Virginia
16.	Life Images by Jill	40.	Tina´s PicStory	64.	Joy...Christmas Past
17.	Podso	41.	A Long Time Coming	65.	Carrie - Oak Rise Cottage
18.	Wandering Thought	42.	Screenplay...	66.	Ruth-Thailand
19.	A Garden of Threads	43.	A Montana Life	67.	Agni
20.	Becky	44.	Crafty Gardener, Canada	68.	Witch's Hairy Fingers Breadsticks
21.	Katalin	45.	Papaya Proud	69.	The Gardening Life
22.	Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson	46.	Glorious Maple Leaf?	70.	Project Bag
23.	Lorrie	47.	Sall's Country Life
24.	{oc cottage}	48.	Diann @ The Thrfity Groove

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Milk Glass. Yes, More.

For those of you who have been visiting here for awhile, you will recognize this post as one of my biannual favorites. For those of you who are fairly new, well, I will just come out and say it:

My name is Mary, and I am a milk glass-a-holic.

Last week found me at one of my favorite local rummage sales -- the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills Rummage Sale. Twice a year, I descend on the Housewares tent and troll for milk glass. I have way too many pieces already, but somehow I can never help myself. This beautiful set by Westmoreland Glass Co. came home with me. ;)

And while we're on the subject of my foibles, I have to tell you a little story about this purchase. Do you see how one of the candlesticks is upside down in the photo above? When I first brought this set home, I didn't realize that they were candlesticks. Were they little shallow bowls? Finger bowls, perhaps? Then I thought that they were made to hold pillar candles. After a few days, I suddenly realized that I had them upside down.

Duh!

I did get a few other pieces as well. But I'll save them for a later confession post. In the meantime, please tell me that you have a collection that overruns your house, too. You do, right? :)

Mosaic Monday: Season of Mists

And now for something completely different...

When I posted summer pictures last week, I promised I would get to autumn, and so -- here it is. I know that a lot of people love autumn for it's crisp days and bright colors, but I love it for the mist.

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness..."

Keats had it right.

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz 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

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	Katalin:)	21.	The French Hutch ~ Indian Summer	41.	Synnöve
2.	Painting and Mixed Media Daily Painting	22.	ellen b	42.	Weaver struggles to please the Missus!
3.	Dwellings	23.	Cathy	43.	Dawn Treader Sweden
4.	Lavender Dreams	24.	Kim,USA	44.	Inspired Home
5.	Celebrating the Grape	25.	A Montana Life	45.	Schotzy, in Virginia
6.	A Garden of Threads	26.	Ceekay	46.	Marianne@Leisure Lane
7.	Snap @ Twisty Lanep	27.	Last Days of My Flower Garden	47.	Qmm
8.	Riet	28.	My Cozy Corner's Living Room	48.	Sheila
9.	Black Eyed Susans Kitchen	29.	Barb's Murex	49.	Elaine
10.	Podso	30.	Gibson Guitar Rally	50.	Susan@STitK
11.	Eileen	31.	Diann @ The Thrifty Groove	51.	Cass at That Old House
12.	InaSandbox	32.	Teacup-in-the-garden	52.	Lorrie
13.	A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson	33.	Collecting Recipe Tea Towels	53.	My Little Home and Garden
14.	Bernie in Australia	34.	Roberta	54.	Yael
15.	Pat@BPM	35.	Pat@Mille Fiori Favoriti	55.	Dolly Sarrio
16.	The Cottagew Wren	36.	Joy@Tomorrow's Memories	56.	Up in Smoke
17.	Shirley LeMay	37.	Maggie@Normandy Life	57.	Coloring Outside the Lines
18.	Pondside - Thanksgiving Drive	38.	Project Bag	58.	thanksgiving dinner mosaics
19.	My Cozy Corner's Living Room	39.	Dani, Greece	59.	Patricia
20.	The Colors of Today	40.	Tina´s PicStory

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Mosaic Monday: Hollister House

I know it's officially autumn, and I should be showing you foliage and fog and pumpkins, but I have these beautiful images from way back in June that I never posted. So here is Hollister House, a fabulous garden in Washington, Connecticut.

My husband and I visited Hollister House as part of The Garden Conservancy's Open Days program. Designed by owner George Schoelkopf and maintained as a Garden Conservancy Preservation Project, the garden is a blend of formal walls and hedges softened by romantic and exuberant plantings. It was inspired by the great 20th-century gardens of Great Britain, such as Sissinghurst and Hidcote. Brick walls and hedges enclose a series of garden rooms, each with a very strong focal point such as an antique urn filled with flowers, or a formal reflecting pool. Such a design provides interesting vistas throughout the entire garden, and into the rural landscape beyond.

Looking back at these photos from June makes me just the tiniest bit sad. Yes, autumn is lovely, and I do enjoy the change of seasons, but oh to have the reckless abandon of summer back again... *sigh* I promise I will get down to celebrating fall this week. Really. ;)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz 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

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	ellen b	23.	Lorrie	45.	Dawn Treader Sweden
2.	Ebie, CA	24.	Vee~Rainy Day in October	46.	Puna@LifeSignatures
3.	Black Eyed Susans Kitchen	25.	Ceekay	47.	Michelle at Rosebudquilting
4.	Cathy	26.	Bernie in Australia	48.	Airing Our Dirty Laundry @ Ivy & Elephants
5.	{oc cottage}	27.	Pattie @ Olla-Podrida	49.	janice
6.	My Little Home and Garden	28.	Ingmarie We/Refugium	50.	janice@ mygardenjournal
7.	Home is Where the Boat is~	29.	Kim,USA	51.	The French Hutch ~ It's Fall Y'all
8.	Wandering Thought	30.	NHGarden	52.	Jill Ruth
9.	Lavender Cottage	31.	Carol @There's Always Thyme to Cook	53.	Jennicillin
10.	Lavender Dreams	32.	Diann @ The thrifty Groove	54.	Teacup-In-The-Garden
11.	Qmm	33.	Marty@A Stroll Thru Life	55.	pumpkin patch
12.	InaSandbox	34.	Making and Serving English Tea and Scones	56.	oldgreymareprimitives
13.	Bailiwick Studio	35.	Elaine	57.	Mountain Mermaid
14.	Special Find	36.	Nature Trail	58.	Roberta
15.	Dab of This and That	37.	Judy	59.	Penelope
16.	Mark With P	38.	Carrie	60.	Yael
17.	Rajesh, India	39.	Jackie's life in Surrey	61.	Patricia
18.	Pat~ Mille Fiori Favoriti	40.	Maggie @ Normandy Life	62.	Indie - Red House Garden
19.	Snap @ Twisty Lane	41.	Shannara, Sweden	63.	Sheila
20.	Barb's FALL FARM	42.	Sueb	64.	Garden Blooms
21.	Riet, , Holland,	43.	The French Tangerine	65.	A Walk in the Woods
22.	Beckyi--Portrait	44.	LindyLouMac in Italy	66.	Wandering Thought

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