White on white on white

Today I'm sharing some of the white decorations...

scattered throughout the house...

These two LARGE white cats are made of different materials.

They were found at different thrift stores, at different times,

but they've clearly bonded.

Birds can be spotted everywhere...

There's a lot of white on the mantel...

And as you may have noticed...

...buttons are a recurring theme.

 Creamy white fringe...

...on white lamps...

...and white battenburg lace runners or valances cover tables.

A flea market kitty.

One of the above birds was a gift (thank you, Jill!) and one was purchased. 

Everything else came from thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets and the like.

Now this kitty, my favorite find of all, didn't come from any of those places.

No.... with her little tufted toes...

 "Like a graceful vase, a cat - even when motionless - seems to flow."

George F. Will

... she was found in a little animal shelter cage, 

the BEST place to shop if you're looking for a sweet ball of fur 

to grace every inch of your home and heart!

 "I love cats because I enjoy my home; 

and little by little, they become its visible soul." 

(Jean Cocteau)

Please feel free to check out the many adoption sites on my sidebar

where you'll find a multitude of animals,

all waiting for their guardian angel (you!) to rescue them

and give them the love and home that they so deserve

Have a beautiful week!

I'm joining White Wednesday at Faded Charm  and Show and Tell Friday this week. Please stop by!

Have a wonderful week!

Donna

Swan Song...

The vintage swan Paint-by-Number that hangs in our dining room is now
 framed within a frame.

 It wasn't always. Although the decorations in the bay window and the table &
hutch vignettes are always changing...

... the swan painting remains a constant.

(Same photo using PicMonkey!)

I'm not sure if I'll leave it like this forever, but for now I'm liking the extra chippy detailing.

My photo software's (contrast) Levels AutoFix really emphasizes the dimension and crackling.

Lots of worn wood underneath the chippy paint...

... and an amazing scrolly medallion on top.

Joining Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!!

Donna

Vintage Religious Needlework

Our Father Who Art in Heaven...

One day while thrifting for our ETSY shop, my daughter and I came across the most amazing vintage stitchery of The Lord's Prayer.

The prayer, doves, flower basket and border are stitched on a pink satin/silk material that's oh-so-slightly faded and stained around the edges.

The old gold frame is quite chippy, adding to the charm of this piece.

I was so taken with this piece that my daughter bought it for me on the spot and told me it was for my birthday!!

It definitely shows signs of its age which again, in my eyes, adds to the beauty of this piece.

The piece is not signed or dated, so there's no way to know for certain when it was stitched or by whom. I don't know if it was a young girl or an older woman who lovingly stitched this prayer, but it was certainly a labor of love as this is quite a large piece, about 16" x 20."

And since I work from home either transcribing, painting, or managing my ETSY shops, I'm able to enjoy it every single day as it hangs in my office/studio.

I'm linking up to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. Have a lovely weekend!

Donna

The Jelly Cupboard Still Life...

... isn't quite so still all the time.

 

Almost any surface in our house would be more comfortable than the top of the little jelly cupboard that sits in the corner of our dining area, but it is one of Baby's favorite spots.

This was how the little pine cupboard looked back in the early 90's.
At that point, the little mirrored cabinet I bought as a finishing touch was resting upside down on top while the cupboard beneath waited for its makeover.

It's amazing how a few appliques, a glass knob, and some white paint can transform a piece.

 Baby precariously perches on the outermost corner, always taking care not to disturb the aqua Franciscan platter and my thrift store St. Therese and St. Jude planters.

 From this spot, she can easily keep an eye on the screen feeder
attached to the dining room window.

She's also able to watch over the kitchen, dining area, living room, and entryway of our little split level, as well as the family room behind if she looks over her shoulder.

 And as we all know...

...those beautiful eyes don't want to miss a trick.

I think she just spotted a bird out on the screen feeder.

So while Baby watched over her world from the corner of the dining area...

...I headed to my office to play with PicMonkey! 

Oh-my-gosh, I am just loving how my photos look after a bit of tweaking!

I'm linking to Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend, everyone. It may hit 80 degrees here in New England this weekend!

Such crazy weather!

Donna

Happy Easter from the 1950's

 

 Easter Sunday, 1950's

Mom, Dad, my little Sister and I,

along with Rusty, our Cocker Spaniel

Fitchburg, Mass.

Back in the days when women wore high heels, dresses, white gloves and hats to church;

when men wore their best suits and ties.

when little girls wore petticoats and bonnets, ankle sox and Mary Jane's.

It seems like a life time ago.

Happy Easter, Mom and Dad.

You're so beautiful and so handsome.

I love you. I miss you.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to everyone.

Donna

Spring + Sunlight = Happy!

The warm spring sun was shining through the window the other morning and I had to grab my camera!

This time of year is so exciting when you live in a region known for harsh winters 

 (although I have to admit that here in New England, we had a pretty easy time of it this year!)

I set up this spring vignette on a little table that sits in the dining area of our small split entry, using things from other areas of the house.

The birds flanking the nest were 'borrowed' from the mantel.

They're such a pretty 'mottled' shade of robins egg blue (a favorite of mine).

I know they're not robins, but they are guarding the three pale blue eggs in the nest until Mrs. Robin returns.

The nest was originally purchased as an ornament several years ago 
(nests in Christmas trees are considered good luck).
I like to keep it in the house year-round.

I love the quote on this frame, "Humor is mankind's greatest blessing," by Mark Twain. The girls were hamming it up one Christmas morning, trying on their new cloche hats, complete with tags hanging down and stuffing still inside the hats to helped keep their shape.
(It seemed an appropriate photo for this particular frame!)

One of my favorite lampshades with a very spring-like pattern.

The sun was shining through the "faux" plant in this cherub planter.

And now the sun has gone behind some clouds, but that doesn't change the fact that
SPRING has arrived here in New England!

Pop over to Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home to visit everyone else participating this week.

Have a beautiful Easter weekend, everyone!

Donna