Sweet Serenity ... my growing collection

My collection of Madonna statues began with a wall hanging of Mary that belonged to my mother.

(click any photos to enlarge)

It hangs in my studio office along with this beautiful cross swag that I purchased from the lovely Lori at Katie's Rose Cottage a few years ago.


Over the years my Madonna collection has grown to include planters and statues found at second-hand stores. The one thing they all have in common is the sweet facial expressions... a sense of calm, of knowledge, of wisdom. I love how each artist or sculptor uses their own distinctive style to capture that sweet serenity...


My most recent thrift store find...



There are chips on baby Jesus' hand and on Mary's nose... Neither detract from the beauty of this statue.

Amanda saw this planter in a consignment store last year and bought it for me, knowing I would cherish it. I do.

The gold is worn along the edges of her veil in one area... I wonder if someone rubbed a finger along it while saying a daily prayer.

Chips on the halo add to the character and charm of this statue, found in a New Hampshire second hand store a couple of years ago.

One of my all-time favorite movies is "Under the Tuscan Sun," starring Diane Lane as Frances Mayes. At one point, after moving to Italy, Frances talks about her relationship with Mary. I love that piece of dialogue:

"Signor Martini wants me to have faith. Something I've never been good at, and now I'm even worse at. Not that I don't want faith. I'm jealous of the believers. But as a fallen-away Methodist, I do not expect to emerge from all of this a Catholic, although I admit some interior juggling is going on. To my surprise, I have become friendly with Mary. It started the night she stood by me through the storm, knowing full well I'm not a Catholic. Yet, somehow, she seems more like Mary, my favorite aunt, than Santa Maria. Aunt Mary is everywhere here, her calm presence assuring us that all things will go on as they have before."

Mmmm... a calm presence... That's how I feel about my little collection of "Mary's, Aunt Mary's, Santa Maria's, Madonna's" ... they are, indeed, a calm presence.

Happy Monday, everyone! And thank you ALL for the wonderful birthday wishes for Courtney!!!

Donna

The birthday girl...

Is it possible my baby turned 21 today??

It must be so because that's what the candles say!

Wasn't it just yesterday that she looked like the cake topper photos??

...and wore fancy red sunglasses at her birthday party?

Tonight we made a special trip into Boston to visit both girls and to celebrate Court's 21st birthday! Here are the girls at the lovely little Italian restaurant we dined at.

When we got back to Court's apartment after dinner, her roommates presented her with a bright pink birthday crown and had decorated the apartment, including Court's bed, with streamers!

And then it was time for the carrot cake (Courtney's favorite!)....

... which thankfully survived the car trip into Boston despite numerous potholes and flood detours! We were treated to an incredible day - sunny and in the mid 60's - heaven after all the gray, rainy days we've had lately!!!! Happy birthday, honey!!!

Love Mumsy

Cottage bluebirds...

"About the time we first hear the Robin's ringing welcome to spring we may listen for the Bluebird's more gentle greeting. No bird's song is more associated with the return of Spring than the Bluebird's."

(Frank M. Chapman, Birdlife, 1897)

I've never actually seen a bluebird in our neck of the woods. Do they visit tiny suburban lots smack dab in the middle of neighborhoods? If they do, we've never been graced with their presence.

I have a variety of bird statues throughout the house but, to me, the queen of the cottage is the bluebird.

I love this old gravy boat. Yes, the gold is chipped with age... even worn off completely in some areas...

And yes, there is a significant chip at the end of the gravy boat...

All the more reason to love it...

Bluebirds = the promise of spring. What a lovely thought after such a long winter!

Right now we're being soaked with torrential downpours over the past several days, a "Nor'easter" of rain and high winds... But the robins are everywhere, loving the warmer weather and all the worms that the rain brings to the surface!

Happy spring!

Donna

milk glass, tulips, and a tiger cat

Life has a way of sometimes throwing us curve balls... or at the very least, keeping us on our toes. I'm sorry I've been so bad about blogging lately. Nothing catastrophic has been happening, but lots of little things have just required so much of my time lately that my blogging, I'm afraid, has been put on the back burner so to speak. I'm sure many of you can relate... There are only so many hours in a day, right?


In one of my last posts (which was weeks ago), I mentioned that I had decided on a different vase for my supermarket tulips... Oh, spring, can you come quick enough for me? I don't think so...


We get teased by temperatures that climb into the 50's only to be hammered the following day by late season snowstorms and dropping temps. But we're now in March. There is light at the end of the tunnel, both weatherwise and in many other ways, hopefully.


Tulips and milk glass.. Is there anything more spring-like? A perfect combination in my eyes, and oh-so-cottagey (is that even a word?)...

And while I was arranging tulips in the vase, sweet Tiger, who spends 95% of her time sleeping on Amanda's bed, climbed out from beneath the covers to pay a visit to the family room.

She tells me she has a bad case of spring fever and is very anxious for the days of open windows and warm, billowy breezes. We actually spotted the first chipmunk in our yard today - a sure sign that spring is just around the corner!

Wishing you all a wonderful transition from winter into spring...

Donna