A Rainy Day in Portsmouth, NH

The day after our 'snowstorm,' there were some heavy coastal rains.

Of course that's the day Amanda and I had plans to drive up to

Three Graces Gallery in Portsmouth, N.H. to pick up her remaining artwork.

(this particular photo was taken by me in 2009 during another rainy day in Portsmouth!)

 

Sadly, this beautiful gallery where Amanda has exhibited her artwork for the past several years will be closing at the end of December. Kim, the gallery owner, has decided to spend more time working on her own art. And since she was at the gallery just about every day, that didn't leave a lot of time for her to pursue her own passions. So although we're very happy for her, our trips to Portsmouth just won't be the same without stopping in at The Three Graces. (Good luck, Kim!!)

 

Normally we wander around Portsmouth (even on rainy days like this), but on this particular day we were in a bit of a hurry, so after loading up Amanda's art we left the van in front of the gallery and just ran across the street to Fat Belly's to grab a quick bite.

 

 Someone told us we didn't have to put money in the meter because it was still the holiday season.

 

I still wanted to keep my eyes on the van 'just-in-case' we were misinformed and a meter reader or tow truck happened along! So how lucky were we to get the one table right by the window, with a clear view of the van!

 

I love tables with a view, and even in the pouring rain, Portsmouth is a fun place to people-watch. We saw people with umbrellas, people with dogs, people hurrying along, and people taking their time and enjoying a lovely, rainy afternoon (probably saying prayers of thanks that it wasn't snow or sleet! I know I was!)

 

The meals were delicious! Amanda ordered a grilled cheese with lobster...

 

.. and I ordered a veggie burger with a side salad. Delicious!!

 

All in all, a fantastic way to spend time with one of my two favorite girls in the whole wide world!

 

I hope you're all enjoying this week between Christmas and New Year's.

 

Donna

Eclectic Mirror Gallery Wall

Split entries are not known for spacious entryways, so rather than focus on my lack of floor space I've turned my attention to the entryway wall (which has been a work-in-progress for many, many years).

That's actually pretty sad, because I know many of you could have put this wall together in less than an hour rather than over the course of years. Although I've never searched for anything specific to hang on this wall, once I've spotted that 'something,' I know it's coming home with me. And I have to say, I'm beginning to really like how that method is shaping up.

For years our entryway looked like the photo on the left, with just the large white mirror and the rustic wood mirror above the coat hooks. The original painting, done by my mother-in-law, is the star of the entryway, hanging over the double doors. Last year I spotted a couple of rustic wood-framed mirrors at the swap shed of our local dump one Saturday morning, and I knew just where to put them. The photo on the right was taken after they were hung.

And little by little, as you can see, some other things have caught my eye!

This gorgeous "God Bless Our Home" vintage cross stitch is my most recent find.

The frame is pretty beat up, so it blends in nicely with the VERY rustic mirrors from the dump!

I needed something narrow for between these two mirrors. This crucifix, borrowed from our bedroom, was the perfect size. I think it ties in nicely with the cross stitch.

I've had this heart wall pocket and quilt-look print hanging in the entryway for a l-o-n-g time. I thought the saying was perfect for an entryway. However, the white frame and dove plaque above the quilt print are too stark white, so I plan to age them a bit. I'll share the "after" pix in a future post.

I couldn't resist this very inexpensive piece (99 cents) that I found at Salvation Army last week. It truly looks like someone just put a magazine page in a very inexpensive woodtone frame, but it spoke to me :)

Also, it ties in nicely with plastic dove plaque above the quilt print and the bird hooks for our coats.

At one time this was the only mirror in the entryway. I've had it since the girls (now in their 20's) were little. We call it the "monkey mirror" because of the carved top section. It looks like two little monkey ears, and the distressed wood almost looks like a face (if you have an over-active imagination and really squint!).

I honestly didn't think I'd ever add so much to this wall as I truly was trying to embrace minimalism.
I guess minimalism just didn't embrace me :)

The bookcases are still along the hallway wall, just waiting for me to get in gear and start moving my office studio into the larger of the two spare bedrooms. Now that the weather is getting cooler, we'll be doing more 'inside' projects, so hopefully that's in the not-too-distant future.

But today was GORGEOUS with no chilly weather in sight; just a balmy breeze and temps in the 70's. All the windows and doors were open. Here in New England, we know we won't have many more days like this!

So that's what I've been 'tweaking' lately!

I'm joining Brenda at Cozy Little House for "Tweak It Tuesday,"
Cindy at My Romantic Home for "Show & Tell Friday" ,
and Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage for "Favorite Thing Saturday" this week.

Be sure to stop over and share a favorite thing or something you've tweaked!!!

Donna

I'm thinking about moving....

... all because of this magazine... (isn't that the cutest little Chip on the cover??)


The Summer 2008 issue of "allanimals" (published by the Humane Society of the United States) arrived in my mailbox last month, and while flipping through it, I found the home & garden that I was certain existed only in my dreams...


Isn't this the most peaceful painting? Heaven on earth! So thanks to the incredibly talented illustrator/artist, Andrew Hutchinson, I am packing my bags and I'm off to find this tranquil little piece of Eden... (Of course I'm only kidding, but I can still dream, right??)

Update to comments... Okay, you guys have got me in stitches! Truth be told, I could do without Mr. Slithers, too, but I'm going to pretend he's the nice 'garden variety' snake that is beneficial to a backyard and would never think of harming one of my Chips or Sammy Squirrels! Joanne, make up the spare bedroom for me... Since you already bought the place, I'm coming to visit!! And thank you for the animal lover/pet friendly comments! You're all my kind of people!!

Donna