Hello my friends. I have missed you tremendously. I must admit that a somewhat trying year so far has tempted me to eliminate something from my life that was turning from a pleasure into a guilt-inducing, unfinished item on my never ending “to do” list. The longer I avoided opening the dashboard of my blog, the harder it was to…
I am a passionate tea lover. I drink tea to relax, invigorate, celebrate, comfort, warm or cool myself, in chunky mugs or china cups or from a thermos at a picnic! So when the Novel Bakers chose The Vintage Tea Party book series for this week’s theme I was thrilled. I poured myself a cup and opened the first book,…
“Won’t you come into my garden? I would like my roses to see you.” ~~ R.B. Sheridan ~~ Although my knock-out roses are still recovering from an over zealous gardener who pruned them into a neat, boxwood shaped lump (!) last year, they (and other flowers) are blooming in late October here in Connecticut. The roses have a beautiful, light…
Towering over my small table on the back deck is a glorious tree. For a few weeks each spring it bursts into blossom, and sunlight streaming through the petals casts a pink glow on everything around. From our two rear bedroom windows on the second floor we see this every morning. Sitting underneath the spreading boughs I can drift away…
Even though the temps are very low and the wind is blowing, I can’t stay inside when my pretty pink tree is blooming. It is packed with blossoms now. Mr. Fun has been working round the clock and needs a place to unwind, and I know just the spot. Here he can pay some attention to his lovely wife 🙂…
I can become a little obsessed with choosing the right dishes, linens and glassware for my table, but I am more interested in the quality of the food that goes onto those dishes. And although I am not a “chef” mom by nature, when the kids are home I am even more conscious of our food choices. We have tried…
The little table in the family room (we call it the den) is one of my favorite places to eat lunch. I’ve set it today for the two of us. Here’s your place … … but it looks like we have company! The cabbage dishes are tempting this brave bunny, just as they tempted me! Little bees have joined…
The thermometer outside the kitchen window is trying hard to touch 50, and that means it is time to visit the cedar closet in the attic to find the summery things I tucked away last fall, when the thought of tweeds and wools seemed so cozy and comforting. Let’s gather my winter bags together to start the great seasonal switch. I can…
Swans have long been a symbol of fidelity and love everlasting. Seems like this winter is also everlasting. So I sent Mr. Fun outside to dig out our mailbox… (I’m expecting some LOVE letters 🙂) I set the table in the dining room. But the icy view was setting the wrong mood … … so I moved everything to the little…
Welcome to my home. My friends call me Nellie, although I answer to Nellie Belly, Nelle Belle, Miss Brown, Brown Beast, Smelly Nellie, Nellie Belly Burp (because I have been known to…), and most anything sounding like Treat or Ball. My official name is Naughty Miss Nellie Belle, in keeping with my ancestors who include Bad Buster Brown, Good…