Hello again!

 Hello again to everyone! It has been a very long time since I've posted anything; over a year, in fact, right after we lost our wonderful Mr. J. I thought I would check in and let you know that we are all doing fine here in New England.

I also thought I'd introduce you to the newest member of our family...

... this little Black Beauty (which also would have been a great name!). She's a little lady - always with her dainty front legs crossed!

We adopted Ms. B "Midgie" Cocoa Bean at the end of August from the Lowell Humane Society. She is a very affectionate kitty and loves to spend time in the studio office with me.

She's a 10-year old all black long-haired kitty and a complete purring machine.

I've always had a thing for black cats. There was Mrs. B in the mid-70's, then Mr. B in the mid-90's, and now Ms. B "Midgie" Cocoa Bean. I think it all started with My Nana & Gamp back in the mid-50's with their all black cat, Midgie. (It seems that every 20 years our family has a black cat!)

So that brings me to the reason for her l-o-n-g name. At the shelter she was Cocoa Bean. I don't know why, but so many of my animals have had "Mr./Mrs./Ms." before they names. It just fit them. Since I know she's a female but don't know her history, she is "Ms." I also wanted to pay homage to my Nana & Gamp who were huge animal lovers. My Nana named every cat she ever owned "Midgie," Hence Ms. B (for Blackie) "Midgie" Cocoa Bean, simply called Midgie.

As you can see, she has made herself right at home.

Isn't she beautiful?

She and Baby are getting to know each other. I will be honest, it was not love at first sight. I don't know that they'll ever be best friends or cuddle with each other, but they are content to sit or lay within feet of each other with only an occasional growl or swat. But there's no swatting or growling when they're in front of  the slider watching squirrels, chipmunks and birds.

I don't know this sweetie's history, but she is such a good girl.

If you're looking for your own furry friend, every single town or city has a pound or shelter where beautiful cats, dogs, and other types of animal are desperately in need of good homes. Please consider adopting rather than buying until our shelters and pounds are empty. If you're looking for a specific breed, do a search on Petfinder or Adopt-A-Pet (on my sidebar). The shelters are FILLED with cats and dogs of every breed! Just enter in your zip code, what you're looking for, and the mileage range you're willing to travel and you're on your way to owning a rescue! And believe me, they know they've been rescued and make the BEST pets!

That's my news for today. I may try to post a bit more often than once a year! I hope you've all been well!

All my best, Donna

In defense of faux foliage and flowers...

I know faux foliage and flowers have gotten a bad rap in some decorating circles, but I refuse to feel guilty about using them!


First of all, the foliage and flowers currently available are a far cry from the plastic arrangements that my mom was forced to choose from. The choices today are almost endless, and most of them are quite realistic.


They look good in everything from a vintage milk glass vase...

... to a distressed French bucket.

Unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow for vases of fresh flowers around my house on a weekly basis.

Faux is also great if you want a little something in a place that doesn't get natural light...

... like this vintage tin wastebasket down on the floor (strategically placed to hide the ugly electric outlet and cords behind it!). A real plant would never survive in this sunless spot.

Or maybe, like me, you don't have a green thumb.

I've had these paper roses for at least 10 years, and they look almost as good as the day I bought them.

The top of the TV hutch in the living room does not make for easy watering, so faux is the perfect choice.

These faux roses, ...

... a peachy-pink with violet edges, are my favorites.

...right down to the crackled vase filled with buttons that anchors the stems.

Pete the Parakeet certainly enjoys perching in a bit of faux ivy at the bottom of his cage.

And a small sprig of faux white lilacs peek out of the vintage kitty planter in my windowless kitchen (it's definitely a challenge to grow live plants without a window for light).

This family room window is one of Baby's favorite places to hang out.

She can knock this over without me worrying about water spillage.

Now these, I have to admit, are a bit tacky. They're a throwback to the 60's and 70's, but I couldn't resist them at a church thrift fair last year.

Two matching copper pots, overflowing with faux ivy. They're perfect on either side of yet another of my bird cages.

This old brass/copper/whatever vessel holds faux flowers in front of the family room slider.

The planter is cracked and would never hold water. Court bought it for me at a neighbor's yard sale when she was very young, so it is a prized possesion.

Tons of faux (lavender, ivy, grass, and boxwood) on top of the bookcases. Again, an impossible place to water real plants.

Faux ivy is the perfect hair style for Patience, ...

.. the former garden planter who now lives indoors.

An old, dented tin vase that I've had for at least 30 years...

...is filled with some old, dried flowers.

There's no chance of these being poisonous to Baby...


...who, as you can see, followed me around while I photographed all of our faux flowers this morning!

So due to any combination of the following: 1) cost, 2) lack of sunlight, 3) hard to reach spots, 4) my brown thumb, and 5) possibly poisonous to animals, real flowers and foliage aren't always practical for me. Therefore, faux will always have a place in our little cottage, with no apologies!

I'm linking up to Cindy's (My Romantic Home) Show & Tell Friday. Be sure to stop by!

And before I forget, Happy St. Patrick's day, everyone!

Donna

Cottage Halloween Decor, minimalist style

We awoke to a beautiful day here in New England and, although not entirely sunny, the rain was at least a thing of the past.


I want to thank all of you for your heartfelt comments on my last post about stress. It seems that so many of you are, or have been, in similar situations with aging parents, etc. Carol, you were the only one I was not able to personally respond to. Thank you so much for your sweet comment on this topic as well...


Today I decided to put out a few decorations, and I do mean a few. Unlike other years, where I've had tons of pumpkins, fall leaves, and a wicked Witchy Woman, this year I'm going the minimalist route.


One lone pumpkin sits in a birdcage in the familyroom...

... but oh, what a pumpkin! Robin's egg blue with pink roses... be still my heart.

And at the risk of sounding like a well known political candidate in her new commercial, no, I am not a witch...

...but I do have a soft spot in my heart for black cats! This little cast iron sweetie has taken up residence in a bird cage...

...while this little beauty has nestled up against one of my all time favorite chenille pillows.

So that's it for this year's decorations. Don't blink or you'll miss them!

Now the outside is another story! Lots of little ghosts and goblins will be descending on our home this Halloween, and I love to decorate the yard for them. My girls always enjoyed trick-or-treating so much, and it's still such a fun part of the holiday for us, giving out the treats to all the kids who visit! So I'll share the yard in an upcoming post...

And thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for all your kind comments, thoughts, and prayers...

Now be sure to pop over to Cindy's Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home! There are loads of links to beautiful blogs! Grab a cup of tea or coffee, sit back and enjoy!

Donna

October means Halloween...

...and to me, that means:

And now that you've seen what Halloween means to me, click here to see what it means to all the other Halloween Party bloggers! Wishing you all a spook-tacular HALLOWEEN!!!

Donna