Little Red House

Just a Few Tulips

2012-02-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

"And tulips, children, love to stretch
Their fingers down, to feel in each
Its beauty's sweet nearer."

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Do you love tulips as much as I do? Especially in winter, they are so welcome; although I have to admit, this winter has been mild so far. We had two days of 60-degree weather this week. Now that's my ideal winter! lol

I love how tulips wave and wander and bend, like dancers. And this is my favorite place to display flowers -- on a tole tray, on the footstool in our library/living room. I can see them when I come in the front door, and when I use the stairs. They cheer me up. And even with the beautiful weather, I won't pass up any chance for a little cheer. :)

Mosaic Monday: Green and White

2012-01-29T20:23:00.005-05:00

First of all, forgive me for not posting this till rather late in the day -- we had a full day, including shopping with my daughter and driving her back to school. Also, I have been having some pain in my hands, probably due to too much computer time, so I've been trying to cut back. So you must also forgive me for posting an old mosaic -- something I made a few years go. I thought it was a nice look at something I always look forward to -- the coming of spring! All of these photos were taken in our garden and around our yard. I always think a white garden would be lovely... until I see some colorful flower that I absolutely cannot live without. :)

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.

I ♥ Toile

2012-01-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

First of all, please ignore all the mess on our bedside tables, and my running shoes, and the floor that desperately needs refinishing. What I wanted to show you was our new duvet cover and euro shams, which were birthday gifts this week. The bedroom has been painted this pale smoke blue for several years now. We've been using some bedding which I found in TJMaxx. It is beginning to get a little shabby, however, and I've always wanted a toile in here. I've finally found a bedding set that I absolutely love. It's from Pottery Barn, and it's a pale blue toile in a pattern called Martine.

The fabric is 55% linen and 45% cotton, so it's heavy, with a beautiful texture. Looking at this picture, I'm thinking I need to get the dust ruffle next. :)

Mosaic Monday: Winter Pinks

2012-01-21T14:01:00.013-05:00

We got our first snow of the new year on Saturday. This is always a little bittersweet for me. Although I love how it looks, it always seems to emphasize how far away spring really is. I went back through my photo archives to pull out some pretty pink images, and have gathered them here for you. The mosaic is made from a web board which can be found on The CoffeeShop Blog, here. If you use Photoshop, this is a great resource. I placed my images, and then changed the color of the frames to better match my blog colors.

Mosaic Monday: I ♥ Fog

2012-01-15T18:21:00.011-05:00

First of all, thanks to everyone who left comments of encouragement or commiseration on my post about house cleaning. I managed to get the house in decent shape, and the kids had a fun weekend. Now I just need to keep it clean... :)

I'm sharing a few foggy images this week. These were taken back in December. I love a good fog -- it's one of my favorite things to photograph outdoors. I tend to get in a photographic rut in the winter -- it's often too cold to take the camera outdoors, and I feel as though I have already shot just about everything I can in our little house. So this is the time that I often go back and start playing with older photos -- trying out different edits in Photoshop. For those of you who have Photoshop, I used some free actions from photographer Maria Kallin. You can download them from her blog here.

Help Needed

2012-01-13T17:17:00.003-05:00

Just popping in to say "Hi" to you all. This week has been a whirlwind of house cleaning, getting ready for some visitors. My daughter's freshman college roommate and my son's girlfriend are arriving this weekend. And so, it has been Triple Red Alert here at our Little Red House.

I have to confess that I am a terrible housekeeper. I really, really hate housecleaning. So I tend to let things slide... And every time I get caught up in these crazy bouts of cleaning for guests, I swear that I will not let things slide any more.

So, would you guys please remind me to pick up a dust cloth once in awhile? ;)

Tell me, are you an Oscar or a Felix? Slob or neat freak? Or somewhere in between? And if you hate housecleaning like I do, how do you make it easier to accomplish? Any tips for this helpless housekeeper?

Mosaic Monday: Pink

2012-01-08T18:58:00.008-05:00

It's January, which means it's time for supermarket flowers here at Little Red House. We all need a little floral cheer after the holidays, right? ;)

White and Wonderful

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

It happens every year. After the excesses of Christmas, we crave simplicity. After all the red and gold, I want white. And lots of it.

I've been sort of collecting white dishes for my kitchen for the last few years. I found this little covered dish at my favorite thrift store last year, and I'm not sure if I ever showed it to you. It's white, it's covered, and it has a bird on it, so as far as I'm concerned it's a home run. :)

As you know, I also collect milk glass. I won this Westmoreland hand dish on ebay recently. I'm not really sure why this particular shape should appeal to me so much, but it does.

My milk glass collection has pretty much filled the corner cabinet in our dining room, so I'm thinking I will have to stop soon. When my son was little, he had a friend whose grandparents collected milk glass. They displayed their collection in floor to ceiling shelves in their living room. I don't think I'm ready to go that far, so I'd best start to pass by the pieces I come across.

Yeah, that's going to happen.

When pigs fly.

Mosaic Monday: 2011 in Pictures

2012-01-01T17:44:00.012-05:00

Because of the holiday, I'm not sure how many of you will want to play along today. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday week. It's been lovely having my daughter home, and my son was here for a few days before Christmas. My husband has taken the week off, which has been great. My father-in-law is back in the hospital, which has been not so great. But it is what it is.

I have made a mosaic of some of my favorite photos from the past year. When I was young, I always wanted to be an artist. I drew and painted and used pastels constantly. I dreamed of having an attic studio with fabulous north light. But life happened, and I never did become the artist I dreamed of being. Blogging got me into photography, though, and now I cannot imagine my life without it.

As many of you probably know, I love to take nature photos, and I love to play in Photoshop. Having gathered these images, one from every month, I can finally see a personal style evolving. I'm not sure why this should be so important to me, but it is. For the past several years, I have been inspired by and learned from some fabulous photographers, professional and amateurs both. I have always envied the fact that they each had a very beautiful personal style. Now finally, seeing these photos from 2011, I'm starting to feel as though they really represent me. So no matter how depressing this past year has been (and it has had it's low points) I must say that I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to take pictures and make art. :)

To all my wonderful blogging friends, I wish you much love and joy in the new year! xoxo

Christmas Gold

2011-12-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

Just a few quick pictures from our dining room before all the festivities. :)

I've had the sheer golden tablecloth for several years, but this is the first time I've used it. The dinner plates are Wedgwood, and the salad plates are Noritake; both belonged to my mother. The bone-handled knives and German silver spoons were antique store finds. We never got a sterling flatware set when we were married, but I have enjoyed collecting old flatware. Other collections include tole trays hanging on the wall, and milk glass in the corner cupboard. The cut glass pieces on the painted chest are part of my mother's collection. I guess collecting runs in the family. :)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

xoxo

Mosaic Monday: Christmas Gold

2011-12-18T19:52:00.008-05:00

It seems that Christmas brings out the magpie in me. Glitter-encrusted faux fruit are nestled in a cut-crystal bowl that belonged to my mother, with a rope of beads flowing over the top. Golden faux hydrangeas sit atop the painted chest in the red dining room in our little red house. Warmed by the southern light that pours into the room, everything shines all the more. It's beginning to feel like Christmas here. How about in your house?

Please note: there will be no Mosaic Monday next week. If I don't see you before Christmas, have a wonderful holiday!

Christmas Reflections

2011-12-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

It's beginning to feel a bit more like Christmas here. My good blogging friend Kate told me to do a little decorating, and listen to some Christmas music, and I would begin to feel better. And I do.

My husband brought me four armloads of red and white tulips, and some Godiva chocolates. Oh, how I love this man! Just seeing them as I walk through the room makes me feel better.

My children came home for the weekend, and we started on our Christmas decorations. The old and well-loved traditions help to bring a sense of peace, especially in this year that has, at times, seemed like one sadness after another. And while the sadness is still there, the quiet joy of the season is there, too.

Another blogging friend, Georgianna, told me that quiet reflection is as valuable as festive celebration. So that's where I am at the moment -- doing a little decorating, listening to a few Christmas songs, eating a little chocolate, and reflecting on how fortunate I am to have such wonderful and caring family and friends. Including you, my dear blogging friends. Thank you for listening, thank you for caring, thank you for your comments, encouragement and prayers for someone you have never even met.

Wishing you much love and laughter as you prepare for this Christmas season. xoxo

Mosaic Monday: Snowy Beauty

2011-12-11T19:36:00.006-05:00

While I don't really look forward to snowy weather, I do appreciate how beautiful it can be, and I always hope for a little dusting around the holidays. So I guess I can call this another white Christmas mosaic. I'm so sorry it's rather small. I have to admit that I'm not really feeling Christmas too much yet. In fact, I'm in a bit of a funk. Just thought I'd put that out there. I know that the holidays can be difficult for some people, and that sometimes the stress of trying to make the perfect storybook Christmas instead just makes us depressed. So I'm going to take a moment to look around and appreciate the beauty all around me. I'm going to take one day at a time, and see where that leads me. Hopefully, it will lead me to a merry Christmas. :)

Mosaic Monday: White Christmas

2011-12-04T20:00:00.002-05:00

First of all, thank you all for your comments on my last post. Your thoughts and prayers are so greatly appreciated! There was a great outpouring of love and support from our church and our community this weekend, as the two families buried their sons. We are all striving to hold them close, and remember them in this busy season. I cannot imagine how difficult it will be for them.

As for my mosaic today, it's a repeat of one from years past. While my little red house lends itself to the traditional Christmas colors, sometimes I feel the need for something cleaner and calmer. Something a little quieter, more muted. Here is my version of a white Christmas. :)

Please Remember

2011-12-01T18:38:00.004-05:00

This has been a very sad week for us -- two young men, who went all through grammar school and high school with my daughter, were killed in a car crash on Monday afternoon. One leaves a father, mother and older sister; the other leaves a father, mother and seven younger siblings. If you can, please remember them, their families, our schools and our town in your prayers. We are devastated.

Mosaic Monday: Bone-a- Fide Bandanas

2011-11-27T19:38:00.011-05:00

Do you have any dogs (or dog-lovers) on your Christmas list this year? What do you get for the dog who has everything? How about something bright and colorful and personalized with their name?

I had the opportunity to meet earlier this week with Nicole, owner of Bone-a-Fide Bandanas. Nicole is the daughter of my dear friend Robin. She is a smart, capable, savvy 21-year-old with her own business, making personalized bandanas and blankets for the canine set. She has been in business for about a year now, traveling to craft fairs around the state and building her website.

The idea for the business began with the simple bandanas that are given out with a visit to the dog groomer. Nicole thought to improve on the idea by personalizing them, and adding a clean edging with threads in colors that compliment the fabrics. She offers an ever-changing variety of fabrics, too -- everything from camo to cards to chili peppers, and much more. There are also fabrics for major holidays. You can see a few of her Christmas bandanas in one of the photos above.

Modeling a few of Nicole's creations here is Riley, her Jack Russell terrier. The bandanas come in five different sizes, to fit everything from a Chihuahua to a Bernese Mountain dog. In case you were wondering, the photos were taken in Robin's beautiful house. I will have to do another post on that soon. ;)

Best of all, for readers of Little Red House, Nicole is offering 20% off your total order through December 31st. Just use the code REDHOUSE. You may request gift packaging (bone patterned organza bag) by including the word "gift" in the text box which appears with each bandana listed in your shopping cart.

Check out Bone-a-Fide Bandanas for all the doggies on your Christmas list!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T19:36:00.004-05:00

Best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Mosaic Monday: Christmas Cards

2011-11-20T20:09:00.001-05:00

This is a somewhat unusual mosaic, but I thought I would show you what I have been working on for the past week -- Christmas cards for my portrait photography business. They are all designed to be printed as 5"x7" flat cards. Two of the designs are made for ornate die cut shaped cards.

Most of the digital papers used here are from Sarah Gardner Photography. The vintage frames and tape are from Florabella. The red bird in card #2 is from The Graphics Fairy.

I will be printing the first card as our family Christmas card this year. And can I tell you a little secret? I have never been this early with my Christmas cards. In fact, some years they just don't get done at all... ;)

A Little Bit of Summer

2011-11-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

I guess I'm just not ready for the cooler weather yet... :)

Mosaic Monday: A Facelift

2011-11-13T17:08:00.010-05:00

OK, so you didn't really think it was me getting the facelift, did you? Not that I wouldn't mind donating an extra chin or two to charity, you know. In fact, now that I look back on the sanctimonious attitude I took toward plastic surgery in my thirties, I shake my head in sorrow. Oh, if only I knew. Nowadays, having a forehead you could bounce a bullet off of doesn't sound like such a horrible thing... lol

Anyway, as you can see, it was our Little Red House getting the much-needed facelift. I actually shudder to show you the before pictures. How truly hideous! The path was pathetic to begin with, but with the tree roots pushing it awry, well... it was dangerous as well as ugly.

It was so exciting to watch the transformation, though, day to day. (Yes, I need to get a life.) I can't tell you how happy we were to simply see the shape of the new path dug out. And as it started to take shape, we became even more ecstatic. Now, we are absolutely giddy to simply walk on it, and find a dozen excuses a day to do so. :)

Our Daily Bread

2011-11-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

circa 1860, found at a local antiques store last month. See you all on Sunday night, for Mosaic Monday. :)

Mosaic Monday: Something Pretty

2011-11-06T20:05:00.002-05:00

First of all, thank you so much for all your sweet comments earlier in the week. Things are getting back to normal around here slowly but surely. It's so strange to be even partially without power. All the little things you take for granted -- like light switches and washing machines and cable modems -- are all suddenly useless. I don't think I have ever really appreciated how very difficult life must have been before the advent of electricity. ;)

I wanted my mosaic this week to be cheerful and pretty, so here is a group of flowers from my flickr set My Flower Faves. I have been getting the urge to shoot flowers lately, so I think I may have to see what my supermarket has in stock tomorrow. Yes, I know that I am perverse about enjoying the seasons while they last. I just feel as though I've had an overload of leaves and pumpkins. I need a little something girly. You understand, right?

October Snow

2011-11-03T04:45:00.000-04:00

It started on Saturday. I was at my favorite bakery, Cocoluxe, with my dear friend Robin. We were sitting at a table by the window when we saw the first flakes appear. As you can see, the maple trees were still aflame with autumn color.

At first it looked beautiful -- a patchwork quilt of green grass, autumn color, and white snow. For the past three years running, we have had our first snow in late October. Those others were just a dusting, and soon melted, but this one was different.

As the morning progressed, the snow began to accumulate, and I began to hear our small town's emergency sirens go off several times.

Then we lost power.

We have a generator which runs our furnace, well pump, sump pump and kitchen and den lights. The generator kicked in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least our pipes would not freeze and our cellar would not flood. My husband had been in Washington D.C. and was scheduled to fly into Newark on Saturday afternoon. He took the train instead, which was probably a good thing. Newark was pretty much shut down by late afternoon. By early evening, we had around 4-5 inches of snow.

Power returned around 2:00 am Sunday. We cheered. But then it went off again at 8:30 am. And it stayed off for the next four days. I spent most of Monday trying to reach someone (anyone) at our propane supplier, to supply the generator. And I went through internet withdrawal. ;)

We were very lucky. We had a warm and dry house. And even though this huge branch came down on our deck, it did not break anything. Driving around on Sunday, we viewed hundreds of downed tree branches, hanging wires and swollen streams. Roads were closed to through traffic, and getting around town entailed several detours and a thorough knowledge of the back roads. Schools and businesses were closed. A few of our surrounding towns cancelled Halloween.

And I ate way too much Halloween candy.

So, how was your week?

Of Beets and Baskets, and Belles de Boskoop

2011-10-27T06:00:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-23T19:11:00.006-04:00

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.

In Which I Return to the Scene of the Crime

2011-10-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

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

2011-10-16T20:14:00.005-04:00

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. :)

Milk Glass. Yes, More.

2011-10-14T06:00:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-09T19:51:00.007-04:00

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.

Mosaic Monday: Hollister House

2011-10-02T19:14:00.011-04:00

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. ;)

My Treasure Hunt

2011-09-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I always loved to go outside and just look. Not necessarily at beautiful vistas, but just at the details that are found in even the smallest patch of earth. I guess it was sort of like a treasure hunt for me, to discover the tiny gems in nature -- the seeds and berries and flowers and leaves -- and to watch how they grew and changed with the seasons.

I guess I am still at it almost half a century later. So much time has passed, so much water under the bridge, so many seasons have turned, and I am still hunting that treasure. The cedar trees are almost bursting with berries this autumn, a thousand tiny dusky pearls clinging to their branches. And every misty morning brings more small mushrooms to the lawn, appearing seemingly overnight, as if a whole colony of fairies had decided to take their rest in our backyard by the light of the moon.

The spiders are busy weaving now, too. Everywhere I walk, they have spun their soft yarns, spreading lacy silver shawls across the garden.

I hope you have enjoyed coming along on my little treasure hunt. Often I find myself at a loss for something to post here. My life is small and ordinary. But filled with treasure. :)

Mosaic Monday: San Francisco Landmarks

2011-09-25T20:27:00.005-04:00

Yes, I m still posting pictures from our trip to San Francisco in August. And I'll probably be posting gardens we visited in June in October. :) I'm late getting this Mosaic Monday together because I had to drive my daughter back to school tonight. We had a lovely weekend together, though, which makes it all worthwhile.

So, what do we have pictured here? The top picture was taken along the Embarcadero, which is prime waterfront property filled with high end shops and eateries.

The second set of pictures shows the Transamerica Pyramid, the tallest building in the city, and a small street fair which we happened upon while visiting the famous City Lights bookstore, founded by the Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1953.

The beautiful green building is the historic Sentinel building, home of the famous film company American Zoetrope, which produced Godfather I & II, and Apocalypse Now, among others.

Below that is Ghirardelli Square, home to the famous chocolate makers, as well as a mall filled with high-end gift shops and eateries. The final picture shows the wharf directly across from Ghirardellli Square. The Transamerica building is in the background.

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of San Francisco. :)

Happy Autumn

2011-09-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

As the fields outside are filled with goldenrod, and the autumnal equinox approaches, bringing that golden light inside seems perfectly natural. We are creatures of the light, and we respond almost instinctively to golden flowers.

So, because the past few days were cool and rainy, a bunch of yellow roses came home from the supermarket with me.

It makes perfect sense, right? ;)

Happy almost-autumn, dear bloggers!

Mosaic Monday: Land's End

2011-09-18T20:16:00.010-04:00

We spent an afternoon in San Francisco hiking to Land's End, a remote and deserted beach with fabulous views of the water. The hike itself was all down hill to reach the beach. The return hike was a b*tch! But the views were definitely worth it. The beach was littered with beautiful rocks and timbers, and as the tide was coming in, it battered and splashed the rocks. I'm so glad we took the time to make this hike -- it felt like a quiet and precious discovery so near to the city.

A Few More From San Francisco

2011-09-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

It's been over a month since we went to San Francisco, and I'm still editing photos. :)

As you have probably guessed, I'm currently loving a vintage feel to my images. These shots of the Golden Gate Bridge were edited with a Florabella Photoshop action called Heiress.

Do many of you use Photoshop? I never know whether my little editing notes are helpful to you, or if they make no sense whatsoever. ;)

I've been feeling very scattered lately, between blogging and flickr and Facebook and Pinterest. Do you know what I mean? There are so many places on the web to keep up a presence -- I think I may need to pare down a little.

I have been spending more time with my portrait photography business, which I hope will keep growing over the next months. I've also got a 2012 garden calendar in the works, which you will see here soon.

And one of my favorite rummage sales is coming up in a few weeks. I keep telling myself that I don't need any more milk glass, but you know that will go by the wayside as soon as I get there... :)

So how is your September going so far? Last night was the first time I felt a little bit of fall in the air. How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

Mosaic Monday: We Remember

2011-09-11T19:13:00.008-04:00

I have no words, except these:

We will remember you always.

Collecting on the Cheap

2011-09-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

Are you a collector? Does your heart go pitter patter at the sight of red transferware dishes or monogrammed silverplate or milk glass? In fact, my heart goes pitter patter at the sight of all of those things. :)

But I am also a cheap collector -- it's not just the thrill of the hunt, but also the idea of finding a bargain that appeals to me. And so, I also have to admit that some of the most fun I've ever had has been when I have been searching for shells or fossils or stones -- all free.

I found the fossils in the dish pictured above while on a class trip with my daughter when she was in junior high. We wore old sneakers and walked through a stream where glacial activity had deposited many treasures from thousands of years ago. The kids soon got bored, but I had a ball. :)

When our kids were small, we went on vacation in the Adirondacks, and stayed close to the site of a former garnet mine. I had a blast spending an afternoon seeking out stones with tiny bits of garnet (my birthstone, by the way) in them. :)

I think perhaps I inherited my love of "collecting on the cheap" from my father, who was famous in our family for coming home from the town dump with more things than he had brought there. He was a child of the Depression, when necessity made a virtue of collecting. How wonderful it is to find something useful or beautiful, for a pittance!

So here is my question for you: Are you a collector? What do you collect? What was your best "cheap collecting" moment? Give me your answers in the comments. :)

Mosaic Monday: Palace of Fine Arts

2011-09-04T20:00:00.001-04:00

I have some more photos from San Francisco for you today. (Told you I had a lot!)

Patterned on an eighteenth-century engraving by Giovanni Piranesi entitled The Isle of the Dead, the Palace of Fine Arts was designed by Bernard Maybeck for the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. Originally one of many fantasy monuments, the neoclassical-style Palace was the centerpiece of the Exposition.

The dome of the rotunda is surrounded by a classical frieze and an octagonal arcade. There is also an open peristyle of Corinthian columns, flanked by a beautifully landscaped lagoon.

Because it was built as part of the Exposition, the Palace was not intended to last. However, the city of San Francisco developed such a love for the monument that it was preserved. It required a large amount of upkeep, and by the 1950's it became obvious that the original construction would not last. A group of influential San Franciscans, including former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, banded together to collect donations for reconstruction of the Palace, which began in 1964. Today, the Palace of Fine Arts remains as a beautiful attraction for tourists and San Franciscans alike.

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
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.

Doors of Alcatraz

2011-09-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share a few more images from Alcatraz with you today. Although the gardens were lovely, there were parts of the prison itself that were starkly beautiful in a very different way. No bright colors and soft petals here, only nails and rust and stone and wood. And a sense of emptiness that is somehow beautiful as well...

Mosaic Monday: The Gardens of Alcatraz

2011-08-28T20:16:00.008-04:00

First of all, in Hurricane Irene news -- we were very lucky here at Little Red House. Although we got over seven inches of rain (some of which came to rest in our cellar) we managed to scrape by without losing power, or losing any trees. Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers! :)

Now, about these photos... you had to know that I couldn't go long without posting a garden, right? There is actually quite a beautiful garden at Alcatraz in San Francisco. The juxtaposition of colorful blooms and forbidding prison buildings makes for a very interesting combination. And of course, since Alcatraz is an island, views of the water are never far away.

Goodnight, Irene...

2011-08-27T15:51:00.003-04:00

Greetings, peeps! I just wanted to touch base with you all before Sunday. Here in New Jersey, we are expecting Hurricane Irene to arrive sometime between tonight and tomorrow morning. There is a distinct possibility that we will lose power and/or internet access at some point. So if you don't see Mosaic Monday here at the usual time on Sunday night, that is the reason.

For all of you in Irene's path, stay safe and dry. I will hope to see you here on Sunday night, but I may not be able to check in till next week... :)

(Oh, and the photo is just another of my 400+ from San Francisco.)

I Left My Heart...

2011-08-26T06:00:00.007-04:00

Well, this is certainly a change from all the garden posts this summer...

So, can you guess where I was last week? Yes, that's right. And I definitely left my heart in San Francisco... It was cool, and misty, and totally marvelous!

And wow, it was incredibly windy on the Marin Headlands the day we visited (see photo above). After temperatures in the 90's and 100's in New Jersey, we really enjoyed the typical late summer cool weather in San Francisco.

There was fog every day, although on some days it burned off by the afternoon. But I love fog! It certainly makes for some great photo opportunities. The view of San Francisco's city hall (above) was taken from the top of a building at UC Hasting's Law School. We went to check it out for my daughter, who wants to go to law school after she graduates.

We spent a morning visiting Alcatraz, too. I took hundreds of photos, so that will have to be a post all by itself. I was so inspired by this spare, windswept island, with it's imposing and stark buildings.

Finally, I have to say that the "mellow" California stereotype is well-deserved. :) Actually, these sea lions at Pier 39 on the Embarcadero were not the only mellow creatures we spotted. The very first thing that we all noticed was the fact that California drivers actually stop for you when you are in the crosswalk. I cannot tell you how totally alien this idea was to us. Here in New Jersey, drivers speed up to hit you when you're in the crosswalk.

You think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

So, much more San Francisco photos over the next week. I'm so happy to be back and sharing with you once more. And I just have to take a moment to point out one of life's little ironies -- the day we returned from San Francisco, we had an honest-to-goodness earthquake on the East Coast. How strange is that?

Until we meet again, my friends... :)

Mosaic Monday: August in New Jersey

2011-08-14T20:08:00.002-04:00

Welcome to August in New Jersey. Actually, these photos may have been taken at the end of July, but let us not quibble over a few days. This is what August in New Jersey looks like -- the fields are filled with thistle and asters and queen anne's lace. And if you are lucky, your garden is filled with phlox and echinacea.

My garden is actually filled with weeds.

But this lovely garden is about twenty minutes away. It is called Willowwood, and is maintained by the Morris County Parks system. Last year, I posted about it here, and here.

Encompassing over 130 acres, the garden includes fields filled with wildflowers. In the more formal areas, crazy paving paths are overhung with helianthemum and lilies and garden phlox in melting shades of pink and white. Joe Pye weed towers in the back of the beds, while the whole is guarded by sentinels of dark evergreens. Open the black wrought iron gate, and enter a magical garden. :)

Please Note: Next week there will be no Mosaic Monday. I will be taking a week away from the computer, to celebrate my husband's birthday, to get my new business going, and to enjoy the last days of summer with my daughter before she returns to school. Enjoy your week!

Mosaic Monday: I ♥ Gardens

2011-08-07T20:15:00.001-04:00

Well, you have probably figured out by now that I love to go on garden tours... :)

The photos here were taken way back in June, at a local garden tour in a nearby town. I love this shingle-style home, built in 1904. You can see the side view in the photos above. I felt uncomfortable taking a picture of the front, as the owner was on the front porch greeting garden visitors. The side view of the house does give you an idea of what a beautiful house it is, though -- don't you just love those windows?

The garden itself was rather formal, with a brick path leading to a small stone bench encircled by a yew hedge. There were lovely decorative touches throughout, including a pair of blue and white Chinese jars planted with roses, and an elegant fountain just off the side porch.

And do you see what was parked in the driveway?! A vintage baby blue Mustang! How cool is that???

Mosaic Monday: Linda Allard's Garden

2011-07-31T20:15:00.001-04:00

I'm so sorry to be dumping so many photographs on you, but honestly, I couldn't decide which ones to leave out! When my husband and I visited Connecticut last month and ~~swooned over~~ saw Bunny Williams' garden, we also visited two other beautiful gardens. The one you see here belongs to Linda Allard, the genius behind the fashion house of Ellen Tracy.

Set on 60 acres of beautiful rolling hills, the main part of the garden is very formal and European in nature, with a strict geometry of box-edged beds. There are standard roses, a pair of rose allees that bisect the garden, and pairs of stone outbuildings that are used as garden sheds and an outdoor kitchen. I actually felt a little uncomfortable taking a picture of the house itself, so all you can see is a corner of it peeping out of one photo.

The house itself was designed by Miss Allard's brother, an architect. It is an imposing and large structure, inspired by a Palladian villa. It overlooks a great lawn and an orchard, with views of the Litchfield Hills. There is also a pool, a studio and a shade garden. We actually met Miss Allard in the shade garden, and chatted a few minutes about the depredations that deer can make on a garden. (Yes that's right, we didn't talk clothing design, we talked deer!) Much of her garden is walled, but the shade garden is outside the wall and requires the copious use of deer repellant.

More gardens to come this week. ;)

More Bunny

2011-07-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

After seeing all the beautiful formal spaces in Bunny Williams' garden, I thought you might like to see the service area. The barn shown in the top photo was built to replace the original barn which was remodeled into an entertainment and guest room. Immediately behind the new barn is a very posh chicken house, filled with exotic birds. The birds are favorites of Miss Williams' husband, antiques dealer John Roselli.

Also behind the barn is a large working greenhouse, complete with potting table. It was very hot the day we visited, and the greenhouse was home to succulents, house plants and annuals, many of them in beautiful hand thrown pots by Guy Wolffe, whose pottery is nearby. Don't you love the pot with the ruffled edges?

As you can see, there is a rather large vegetable garden here as well, complete with a compost pile enclosed with a fanciful iron fence. I know the photo is not the best, but I had to show it to you. Have you ever seen such an elegant compost heap in your life? :)

Anyway, I guess that is about it for today. I'm beginning to think that this will be the summer of gardens here on Little Red House, for I've got lots more to show you from all my garden tours. And my favorite thrift store is closed till the fall. ;)

Mosaic Monday: Bunny's Parterre Garden

2011-07-24T17:23:00.009-04:00

Well, what do you know? We have yet another post about Bunny Williams' garden! lol

This is the beautiful parterre garden, which adjoins the back of the barn and conservatory. According to Miss Williams' book, An Affair with a House, the parterre garden started out as a potager, modeled on one by famed garden writer Rosemary Verey which was, in turn, taken from the historic French style. But as the barn was renovated, the vegetables were moved elsewhere and the garden became more of a formal knot garden. In spring it is filled with bulbs, which are pulled and replaced with colorful annuals come summer.

In the first photos, you can see the side of the conservatory with a row of stone troughs filled with succulents. The second set of photos show the criss-crossing lines of the boxwood parterres, with a large Italian oil jar in the center. Also shown are a rustic wooden pergola which is covered with climbing roses, and several standard dwarf Korean lilac trees. In a garden with such strong horizontal lines, some vertical accents are key. As you can see, there is also a metal pergola in the center of the garden. The final photo shows the conservatory.

I hope you are enjoying this extended tour of Bunny Williams' garden. I still have a few more photos to share, if you can believe it. What a lot of blog fodder I've gotten from this amazing visit!

Another Saturday Night...

2011-07-23T16:08:00.004-04:00

Well, it seems that another week has totally gotten away from me without blogging. I guess that happens in the summer, when so much seems to be going on...

So, what have you been doing this week? We have had a record heat wave here in New Jersey. In fact, it was a breath-taking 108°F in Newark on Friday. The only silver lining I can find is that after 108°F, even temps in the 90's don't seem so bad. :)

I had two photo sessions this week; thankfully one of them at least was indoors. I will be posting some sneak peeks on my portrait blog next week. I wanted to thank everyone who "liked" my entry in the {Framed Show} contest on Facebook. I made the finals, but didn't win. :)

And because I can't do a post without a picture, here is my new favorite lunch -- cherry tomato bruschetta. I used ciabatta bread, toasted and rubbed with a piece of cut garlic clove. Then pile on the cherry tomatoes, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. It can be rather messy to eat but oh-so-delicious!

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Although I have absolutely no idea what to post for this week's Mosaic Monday, I still hope to see you all at 8:30 pm Eastern time, Sunday. Thank you to all our participants -- you are the best!

Mosaic Monday: Outside Bunny Williams' Barn

2011-07-17T20:13:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am officially mad for Bunny Williams. :)

Today I have some pictures of the outside of the barn that I showed you here. The top pictures show a lovely little table and chairs outside the mud room door, and a dovecote that sits in the graveled courtyard. In the two bottom pictures you can see that the courtyard is divided into squares by cobblestones, with gravel in between. I think that is a beautiful way to dress up a simple gravel driveway.

There is a lovely glass conservatory on the back of the barn, shown inside and out in the photos here. The marble topped table and upholstered chairs take center stage, with ferns and other plants lining the walls. There is a small kitchen in the barn, which makes it a wonderful space for entertaining.

In the side view of the barn you can see a beautiful group of hostas lining the walkway. Also visible are a side view of the conservatory and the small porch that leads to the mud room. Finally, in the last photos notice that the pair of french doors are protected by sliding barn doors. This helps retain the look of a barn, which might have been lost in a less sensitive renovation.

And now, what the heck is this photo doing here? It is a view from my favorite park, Natirar, on a misty autumn morning. I have entered it in a photo contest on Facebook, and I am going to shamelessly ask you to please scoot on over there and click "Like" underneath the photo caption. Pretty please? Many thanks!

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Heat Wave

2011-07-15T06:00:00.005-04:00

Sometimes you just have to spend the week on the sofa, hiding from the heat and nursing a summer cold. It's getting a little less humid here, and I think I'm almost done with the coughing.

I also spent some time this week updating my professional photography blog, with some more of the sessions I shot last fall. Still have more to post about there, and I have two shoots next week. Wish me luck!

More Bunny Williams next week, too. (I know what you're saying -- "Dear God, will it never end?") See you Sunday night for Mosaic Monday. Stay cool, dear bloggers! :)

Mosaic Monday: Bunny's Sunken Garden

2011-07-10T16:27:00.012-04:00

"If you take the time to listen, the land will speak to you."

That is the first sentence of the chapter on Bunny Williams' sunken garden in her book, An Affair With a House. She then goes on to say that she did not follow her own advice when she was starting this garden. She was (and still is) an impatient gardener. But little by little, aided by an unerring sense of scale borrowed from her work in decorating, she has created a stunning formal sunken garden.

An elderly neighbor told her that the site was originally used for tennis. Miss Williams added two facing perennial borders, backed with a lattice fence. Next came a stone wall, which made the garden seem more like an enclosed room. Finally, a small rectangular pond, surrounded by stone paving and an evergreen hedge was added to pull the two borders closer together. A lattice archway with facing benches leads through a yew hedge to the more wild area beyond.

In the photos above, you will note the formal layout of the garden. One of the double borders is shown, with it's hot color scheme of reds and yellows. A pair of beautiful lavender hydrangeas flank the entrance to the garden, and the small pool is inhabited by a school of huge carp.

Bunny Williams' Pool House

2011-07-08T12:15:00.008-04:00

Just a quick post today... I've got a nasty cold, and I'm going to sit on the couch with some hot tea and a good book. Just thought I'd show you a few pictures of Bunny Williams' pool house.

As you can see, it's a blend of 18th-century garden folly and 19th-century Greek Revival architecture -- the proportions are definitely classical, and the materials are wonderful and whimsical. The pediment is clad in rough hewn timbers with bark still attached, and the columns are actually tree trunks.

Here you can see a beautiful dining area, complete with Joni Webb's favorite Kooboo wicker chairs, Do you suppose Bunny Williams reads Joni's blog? (She probably does. Everyone reads Joni's blog!) There is a kitchen out of sight to the right of the photo.

And finally, a shot of the hand-carved limestone fireplace, with a beautiful piece of architectural salvage hanging above. There is a sitting area off camera to the right, but the only picture I have of it is one my husband took, of me sitting where Bunny may have sat. And trust me, it would need a whole lot of Photoshopping to convince me to post that here... ;)

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I hope to see you all for Mosaic Monday. And yes, it will probably be more Bunny Williams! The link machine should be up by 8:30 pm, Eastern time, Sunday. See you then!

Bunny Williams' Barn

2011-07-06T06:00:00.003-04:00

By now you know that I have really gone gaga for Bunny Williams. I still have at least two more posts pending about my visit to her garden. (Just humor me, OK?)

Seeing this beautiful garden was a dream come true for me. But when I realized that her renovated barn was also open, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. lol

Originally built in 1840, the barn has a concrete floor with a grid of old, rough boards. It is 22 feet to the ridgepole, and most of the space is taken up by a large living room, filled with several conversation areas. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the barn's hand hewn, beamed ceiling in that beautiful English bulls-eye mirror.

A pair of beautiful arched windows flank the 1840's mantel. You will notice the unusual arrangement of the panes here -- the muntins are staggered instead of being aligned evenly. In front of the windows are a pair of matching tables with lamps made from old wooden balusters.

The 30 X 50 ft. room is filled with large scale furniture, including this Italian marble-topped table, with it's huge flower arrangement. The chair behind it is also Italian, and still has it's original needlework. Look closely and you will see one of three family dogs -- all well-loved. There are many paintings and statues and pillows with a canine-theme in the room as well.

I have to tell you that I felt a little uncomfortable taking pictures in here at first. Miss Williams' husband, John Roselli, was stationed here, talking to some of the people who were visiting. I really should have taken my time, and taken more (and better) photos, but all I can say is that I was overwhelmed at the opportunity, and just slightly uncomfortable. After all, I cannot imagine how I would feel if strangers were poring into my living room with cameras.

We actually walked through once, went out into the rest of the garden, and came back again. I still wish I had taken more time to set up shots and change lenses for some close-ups. Ah well, maybe next year! ;)

(We're going back next year, right, honey?)

In her book, An Affair With a House, Miss Williams relates that the barn renovation was a joint effort between her and her husband, John Roselli. Mr. Roselli is a world-renowned antiques expert, and his love of large-scale pieces is on display here. There are also several wonderful smaller antique chairs, including this beautiful specimen shown above. Note how the circle and the square in the back appear to be intertwined. What a lovely detail!

Although we did not see Bunny Williams, we did get to chat with Mr. Roselli for a few minutes. We learned that he grew up in our home state of New Jersey, and that Miss Williams decorated the house where my mother worked!

This last photo was taken from the staircase that leads to a small guest bedroom and bathroom on the upper level. Below these rooms are a small kitchen, a bathroom and a mud room. There were so many people in the bedroom that I couldn't get a decent photo. I actually missed seeing the downstairs bathroom.

See, we really do have to return next year! :)

Mosaic Monday: Garden Furniture/Bunny Williams

2011-07-02T21:09:00.012-04:00

Well, I promised (or threatened) to show you more photos from our weekend in Connecticut, so here they come.

Have you all done your homework on Bunny Williams since Friday's post? Because I have a lot more photos from her garden for you today. Miss Williams and her husband, antiques dealer John Roselli, have a shop called Treillage, where they sell beautiful architectural elements, decorative accessories, and garden furniture.

They have obviously collected a lot of antique garden accessories for their own home as well. There are such beautiful and stylish spaces to sit and enjoy the garden. I loved the patio set on the crazy paving, with moss between the stones. I also adored the potted ferns displayed on the black table, with an iron tree and white oval mirror behind -- such a pretty vignette. And the gorgeous faux bois table, with iron chairs and bench look so lovely against that white picket fence.

Bunny Williams' book, An Affair With a House, is my all-time favorite decorating book. The interiors are filled with beautiful antiques and comfortable chairs and sofas. It is not a showplace, but a real home -- where the dogs are allowed on the furniture. There is a fireplace in the kitchen. I have always wanted a fireplace in the kitchen! :)

The Ultimate Yard Sale

2011-07-02T06:00:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends,

Having just had a "milestone birthday" and embracing some of the ideas from the book--titled "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, I decided to do more than clear a shelf or a closet. In my usual obsessive way I tackled barns and attics, my studio and the basement. Whilst I am not quite going zen in style (far from it), I am attempting to "declutter".

This will not be the organized, "pretty" tag sale like the one I wrote about in Veranda Magazine a few years ago, but just your classic old fashioned yard sale. With a mix of things from garden hoses to some of my beloved ribbons and silk flowers (it has been hard for me to give up some of those, but this is an exercise in editing), there is a bit of everything.

If you are around the northwest corner of Connecticut, please stop by.

Best,

Do you suppose I can convince my husband that we need to go back to Connecticut next weekend? ;)

see a little of Weatherstone here.

Treat or No Treat?

2011-07-01T06:00:00.004-04:00

I realize that I may have over-hyped this post just a bit. I've been telling you for the last week that I had something special and a real treat for you. Well, it was certainly a real treat for me... we'll just have to see what you think.

So let's walk up the driveway here, and take a peek.

Do any of you recognize this house? It was on the cover of one of my all-time favorite decorating books. I first wrote about that book here.

Have you guessed yet? Yes, it is Bunny Williams' house in Falls Village, CT! (Forgive my exuberance, but... Bunny Williams!)

My husband and I spent the weekend in Connecticut, and went to several Garden Conservancy open gardens in Litchfield County on Sunday. They were all beautiful, and I'll be posting all about them in the weeks to come, but this garden was the one that I had looked forward to seeing above all others.

In fact, as we drove through the beautiful Litchfield Hills on Sunday, my husband joked about how excited I was.

"Bunny Williams, Bunny Williams, Bunny Williams," he joked. "Now, what do I do if we meet Bunny? Is it like meeting the queen? Should I not look directly at Miss Williams? Not speak until she addresses me? Can I shake her hand?"

Well, sorry to say that we never did meet Bunny Williams. But we wandered all over her beautiful garden for over an hour, and I took over 100 photos. Yes, that's right -- 100. So you will be seeing a lot of this garden over the next week. :)

This is the view of her sunken garden from the front patio of the house. I will have more photos in a later post, but you can see here that the "bones" of the garden are beautiful, and they are flanked by two spectacular perennial borders.

As I walked on that patio, I noticed that the front door was open, with just a screen door between me and the beautiful front hall. And I'm ashamed to say that I could not resist the temptation to snap a quick photo of a room that I have drooled over for years in books and magazines.

Miss Williams, if you happen to read this post, please forgive me. I am more ashamed than I can say. But gosh, I just couldn't resist. :)

Note: there is a great interview with Bunny Williams here.

Japanese Garden, Garden Conservancy, NJ

2011-06-29T06:00:00.002-04:00

As this blog seems to be "All Gardens, All the Time," I'm just popping in today to show you the rest of the garden from my previous post. As you can see, it is a shade garden with some Japanese influences -- quite different from the English borders near the house. And it is a beautiful sight on a hot summer's day.

My husband and I spent a wonderful weekend up in Connecticut, and I have some fabulous pictures to show you. In fact, I took so many pictures that my right hand is sore from holding my camera! I will be back on Friday to share my special treat with you all. ;)

Mosaic Monday: More Open Gardens

2011-06-23T19:01:00.007-04:00

I have visited so many open gardens this year, and I am way behind on showing you all of them. I visited this particular garden a few weeks ago, as part of The Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program.

This particular garden was attached to a low, mid-century modern type home, surrounded by a woodland garden with a Japanese flavor. However, parts of the garden were much more English in style, as you can see in these photos. Boxwood hedges framed beds in the kitchen garden, and roses and clematis spilled over a central paved pathway.

I will try to show you the woodland and bog gardens later in the week. I will also have a fabulous treat for you, so stay tuned!

Garden Shed

2011-06-23T06:00:00.001-04:00

Last week I went on a local garden tour sponsored by The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. There were some beautiful gardens to see, which I will probably post about next week, but first I thought I would show you this wonderful garden shed.

Wouldn't you love to sit at this bench and look out the window while potting up some seedlings?

I just love the charming mixture of pretty and practical!

And the outside is just as adorable as the inside. :)

So, next week there will be more gardening posts. Hope you don't mind, but I've been to a lot of open gardens this month, and I've got tons of pictures to share with you.

Mosaic Monday: Happy Father's Day

2011-06-18T20:56:00.016-04:00

Please forgive the quality of this last image. It was scanned from an old photo that my sister-in-law took on Block Island, probably the summer of 1992.

For my dear husband, the love of my life, the best father my children could ever have, and the one who always takes point on our hikes ~

Happy Father's Day!

My Heart is Heavy

2011-06-17T06:23:00.003-04:00

How can you miss someone you've never met? How can your heart break when you read of her death?

I'm not sure what led me to visit Char's blog for the first time on my birthday, two years ago, but I do know that it was like an unexpected gift to discover her beautiful images. She inspired me to learn how to add textures to a photo, and she was generous with words of encouragement at my first, horrible attempts.

Occasionally sharp, often introspective, always well-written, hers was an authentic voice chronicling a life that at times seemed very hard. But her posts were larded with humor as well, and leavened with the real joy she found in her friends and family.

If you read Char, you will know that she could make your mouth water with her Southern cooking. She could make your heart sing with joy at the sight of a sunset. She made this Yankee an unofficial daughter of the South on her drives down the back roads of Alabama, in search of something beautiful to photograph. But the images that I will always remember the best are of her windowsill -- a few simple flowers in one of her beloved antique glass bottles.

I will miss her ipod playlists, which often left a song stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Fortunately, it was usually a good song -- her taste in music was extensive and catholic. I will miss her often acerbic wit -- sometimes directed at the foibles of her fellow man, but just as often targeted at her own self-perceived shortcomings. I will miss her laughter. I will miss her honesty. I will miss her voice in my head -- a low, Southern drawl with a hint of steel behind it.

As several bloggers have noted, she is most assuredly now in heaven with her beloved mother. I extend to her family my deepest sympathies. She will be missed by so many.

Garden Conservancy Open Days, NJ

2011-06-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

I thought I would share some more photos of the beautiful garden that I visited this past Saturday, as a part of The Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program. I love the mixture of formal garden rooms and more natural areas.

There was a wonderful potager which was enclosed by a white picket fence and included raised beds, a rose-covered trellis, and a central water feature. Tomatoes were trained on a pair of white trellises, and the garden included plants that are both ornamental and edible, such as chives and artichokes.

Overlooking the potager, tucked into a small clearing in the trees, was a sweet little table and chairs, surrounded by some lovely potted specimens. It was the perfect place to enjoy dinner on a cool evening.

I loved the use of garden ornaments here, such as the beautiful stone and iron central feature in one of the formal garden rooms, and the charming porcelain birdhouse hanging from a tree outside the potager. I think that the inclusion of these ornaments helps to give the formal bones of the garden a human touch.

I hope you are enjoying the virtual garden visits. I still have to share photos of the second garden I visited last weekend. I guess it's Garden Week here at Little Red House. :)

Mosaic Monday: The Garden Conservancy

2011-06-12T19:51:00.006-04:00

On Saturday, I visited two gardens close to my home that were opened as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days Program. This is a wonderful program that opens private gardens across the country for a small fee, gaining funds to use towards the preservation of "exceptional American gardens for the education and enjoyment of the public."

This is the first of the gardens I visited. It is set on a steep hillside, with a formal knot garden near the back of the house, a white-fenced potager, and beautiful naturalized plantings following the curve of the hill. The owner first became interested in gardening when she retired. She is now a Master Gardener, and active on the board of a local arboretum. Her garden is filled with beautiful plant combinations, using colors, textures and leaves to create wonderful vistas.

If you are interested in visiting gardens in your area, do check out the Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program.

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.

Heat Wave

2011-06-09T06:00:00.005-04:00

Beautiful chartreuse Lady's Mantle,

plus a rummage sale find,

and a little romance...

creates a cool tableau...

on a very hot day. :)

It's in the 90's here. How's the weather where you live?

Mosaic Monday: Chinese Dogwood

2011-06-05T16:22:00.014-04:00

"To see a hillside white with dogwood bloom is to know a particular ecstasy of beauty..."

~Hal Borland

I have had such a difficult time with writer's block lately. Actually, writing has always been secondary to the pictures for me. But lately, I am totally blocked -- nothing to write about, and often, nothing to post about, period.

I feel like the most boring person on earth.

So, I apologize profusely, but here are some pictures of the Chinese dogwood blossoms from our front yard here at Little Red House. I've styled them with a small silver-plated creamer from the thrift store and some of my favorite antique books. Somehow, books and flowers seem to go together, if only because they are two of my most favorite things.

(Can you tell I'm reaching here?) ;)

Have a wonderful week, dear bloggers!

En Plein Air

2011-06-02T06:00:00.003-04:00

After one of the harshest winters on record, we have been practically living on the deck this spring. I love to drag out all the pillows and linens and crystal, and take our meals amid the flowers.

Even the simplest of meals becomes special when you make up a pretty tray and sit in the fresh air.

And oh, how I love these cute little purple pansies. I know they will soon wilt in the heat we are getting here, but I will enjoy them while I can.

A Waterford jam jar, linen napkin, monogrammed silver spoon and beautiful hand-painted plate are all served up on a green tole tray.

And a small bouquet of peonies, baptisia, spirea and foxglove from my garden make the meal special. Breakfast, en plein air. :)

Mosaic Monday: We Remember

2011-05-29T19:40:00.005-04:00

"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic. "

~John A. Logan

Let us remember all those who have served,

on this Memorial Day

Container Gardening

2011-05-25T21:50:00.004-04:00

I've been busy this week trying to get the garden and the deck containers in order before the long weekend. I thought I would show you what is on my deck so far.

I bought two small side tables to use as plant staging on my deck this year. I already had two smaller ones, and I've combined them all to get the look of a baker's rack, without the steep price. I will add a hanging shelf soon.

The urn planters were from Michael's a few years ago. So far, I have a pot of blue pansies and some scented geraniums in them. The pansies will have to be replaced once the weather begins to get hotter. I'm thinking I may go for purple and orange as my colors this year... maybe a little chartreuse thrown in. :)

Another corner of the deck sports some lantana, nasturtium, and a standard hibiscus. I need to find some heliotrope to add to the nasturtium, and maybe some good old-fashioned marigolds. I'm loving all the orange that is so fashionable in decorating this year.

Well, that's about it so far. I did add a new cranesbill geranium to the garden yesterday. If the deer haven't eaten it, I may show you a picture tomorrow. lol

It's light out and the birds are singing here at 5:00 am these days, which means our cat has been bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and meowing at the bedroom door this morning. So here I am, putting the finishing touches on this post at 5:26 am.

Good morning, dear bloggers! :)

Mosaic Monday: My Photography Business

2011-05-22T20:30:00.001-04:00

Some of you may remember my New Year's day post, in which I chose the word accomplish as a guide for myself in 2011. I listed several goals for the year, but the big one -- the scary one -- was to start a portrait photography business. I'm a little closer to that goal this week, as I have just put the finishing touches on my professional website.

Last summer, I mentioned to my hair dresser that I was interested in finding some children to photograph -- to see if I could get some practice in doing portraits. She led me to several families, who led me to several more... the result was a lot of practice for me, with the promise that I could use the images on a professional website. The result for the families was a free photo shoot. Some of the families used my images for their Christmas cards. I also did a newborn shoot, and the family used my photo for their birth announcement.

It was great fun, and I learned so much with each new family. I still feel as though I have a lot to learn, but I think I'm ready to make this business a reality, at least in a small way.

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

After the Deluge

2011-05-21T13:52:00.003-04:00

After a week of non-stop rain, where we must have gotten a month's worth of water (at least), after swollen streams and lawns too wet to traverse, and a cellar full of puddles, it is finally, thankfully... sunny!

My heart goes out to all those along the Mississippi River, who are experiencing far worse. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

*********

I'm really looking forward to Mosaic Monday this week. I will have a special and exciting (at least to me, anyway) announcement! I hope to see you when the linky machine goes up on Sunday night -- 8:30pm, Eastern time, USA.

Azaleas at the New York Botanical Garden

2011-05-18T10:02:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to share a few more photos from the New York Botanical Garden with you today. As you might imagine, I shot a lot of photos. :)

These are all from the newly opened Azalea Garden. Sited in an old growth forest, the paths of the garden wind their way up a hill, to culminate in a small open clearing. Overall, the azalea garden covers about 11 acres, and numbers some 70,000 new plants, including 40,000 bulbs, 28,000 new woodland perennials and ferns, and 3500 trees and shrubs.

But the numbers don't quite convey the genius of the garden, which is designed to appear as if it grew naturally out of the 200-year-old forest which once covered the site.

There are pockets of plantings nestled against ancient glacial boulders, and complimented by an understory of low perennials, including barrenwort, foam flower, bugloss and sedge. The garden paths wind past the rocky outcroppings and meander through semi-wild wetlands.

It is a very soothing place, filled for the most part with soft pastels. White, pale pink and lavender swathes of blooms paint the forest. The stronger reds appear in a separate planting, where they light up their wetland landscape. It is a tribute to the designers that this very important plant collection is presented in such a natural and beautiful manner.

And I will just leave you with a shot of one of the NYBG's beautiful planters, located near the entrance to the garden. So pretty and inspirational!

Mosaic Monday: New York Botanical Garden

2011-05-15T15:48:00.015-04:00

Last week, I spent some time at the beautiful New York Botanical Garden. Founded in 1891, the garden was designed to emulate the famous Royal Botanical Gardens in London. Many different gardens and plant collections cover some 250 acres in Bronx, NY. The newly opened Azalea Garden was in full bloom during my visit. That alone was definitely worth the trip. A series of perennial garden rooms, designed by Lynden Miller, were also very beautiful. The highlight of the garden is the gorgeous Enid A. Haupt conservatory, a vintage wrought-iron framed glass house from the 1890's. It was designed by the prestigious company of Lord & Burnham. The garden itself was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967.

While I was wandering through the garden, a group of extremely well-dressed women walked by, carrying little gift bags. And guess who I spotted? Carolyne Roehm, designer and author of A Passion for Flowers, Presentations, and At Home with Carolyne Roehm, among other books. She was beautifully dressed, as befits a former Oscar de la Renta fitting model, and remarkably well-preserved.

But my visit was capped by a meeting with one of the sweetest bloggers I have ever met -- Katy Noelle, of In the Sunny Spot and Katy Noelle's Photo Journal. Many of you probably know her from her generous and friendly comments on your blogs. We sat down with a cool drink, and talked for almost two hours! It was such fun to meet a kindred spirit, and a talented and sweet blogger.

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

White Rummage

2011-05-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

I'll bet you've been waiting with bated breath to see what else I brought home from the rummage sale last week, yes? Well no, not really. But you are too polite to say so, and I thank you. Actually, I always feel like I'm writing a report for school entitled What I Bought at the Rummage Sale. But without the butterflies in my stomach from having to deliver it in front of the whole class. :)

First up is this pair of white urns for $1.50. each. I think I need to find a couple of myrtle topiaries to go inside. They will look nice on the deck for the summer. And I'm a sucker for anything urn-shaped.

Next, I found this gigantic stoneware compote for $3.50. I've been collecting white and cream dishes for the kitchen, so this big guy fit the bill nicely. It's marked Red Cliff Ironstone on the reverse. A little research tells me that the pattern is called Heritage, and it was probably made sometime from 1950-1980. Tureens in the same pattern are going for $65 -- $95 on ebay, so I guess it was a good deal.

You know I can't leave the rummage sale without at least one piece of milk glass. This footed candy bowl, in the English Hobnail pattern by Westmoreland, was $3. A collector's encyclopedia published in 1995 values it at $25 - $30.

The two hobnail pieces above were most likely made by Fenton. I think I paid $1.50 each. Haven't found a current price for them yet, but it's probably not more than $10 or $12 each.

And finally, I think this little vase is an antique reproduction made by the John E. Kemple Glass Works, currently selling for around $20. I paid $1. for it.

So that is what I bought at the rummage sale. :)

Our white azaleas are bursting with blooms this week, and I thought they looked really pretty in my new little vase. The green and white tole tray was a gift from Cindy, at My Romantic Home. The blue and white tufted seat is a new HomeGoods purchase to spruce up our family room. If I get my act together (highly unlikely) I will be showing you some changes there in the following weeks.

So, can you tell that I'm currently in love with white? ;)