Shadow play...

 The window in my new studio office faces west...

... and as the late afternoon/early evening sun streams in, it creates beautiful shadows.

In this case, the beautiful vintage parakeet lamp that Claudia of Mockingbird Hill Cottage helped me find casts beautiful shadows on the wall.

The sun moves so quickly that the shadows fade away very quickly.

The rooter that hangs in this window with the sun streaming behind it...

... casts its own fleeting shadows...

... on the wall and door of the studio.

The bedroom is on the other side of the house...

... so it's the morning sun that creates window pane shadows on the sheer curtains in this room.

We are expecting gray skies and rain, so there will be no shadows for several days. Wishing you all a beautiful week, whether it is filled with sunny skies or gentle spring rains.

I'm joining Brenda at Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday
and Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday this week.

Donna

Silhouettes on the shade...

When I walked into the family room the other day, everything was silhouetted against the bright afternoon sun.

(click any photos to enlarge)

The robin's egg blue pumpkin in the white 50's parakeet cage...

... looked quite dramatic in shades of gray and black.

Yet another birdcage, sitting on the table lamp that we just put into the family room, houses Mr. Rat during the Halloween season.

"Say cheese!" Just look at that toothy grin sticking out between the cage bars!


And since we're also in the middle of moving more of Amanda's bedroom furniture to her new apartment, her tall dresser and mirror are temporarily sitting in the family room while we get things organized. It looked so pretty with the diamond-paned window and fall foliage reflected in the mirror.

Please stop by to visit Cindy at My Romantic Home where you'll find a list of bloggers participating in this week's Show & Tell Friday!

Donna

Peek-a-boo...

... I see you...

Well, it's actually easy to spot these two guys...


They're just little chipmunk statues that sit still...

...on either side of the deck railing...


Now these guys are a little tougher to spot sometimes, but if you look closely, you'll always find a friend or two peeking at you from somewhere...

This little Chip likes to play hide-and-seek on the bottom shelf of the carpenter's bench.


This one enjoys playing around our new backyard decking...

And the other day, while looking out the window, I noticed that Garden Bunny was sporting a hat of sorts...

Upon closer inspection, it was a Chip perched between his ears...

They also love to maneuver (with incredible ease) the pickets of our garden gate and trellis...

Such a welcome addition to our little yard...

We are enjoying some MUCH needed rain for the past few days here in New England. Thankfully, it also brought temps in the 60's... Such a relief after the long, hot days of this past summer.

Hope you are all enjoying this last week of August. I can't believe the summer is almost at an end, and that September is just around the corner!

Donna

An issue full of eye candy... It was love at first sight...

Lookie what I found a few weeks ago while browsing through Target's magazine aisle... The Spring 2009 issue of BH&G's Creative Home!


photo by Greg Scheidemann
This cover had me hook, line, and sinker... After all, my major project for this year is going to be a makeover for our bedroom (which hasn't been touched since the 80's!), and this robin's egg/cottage blue is at the top of the list for the color scheme... This bedroom is so bright and cheerful compared to the dark bedroom furniture, bedding, and wallpaper I now have...


(Photo by Kim Cornelison)
This issue is page after page of cottage perfection... I absolutely love the look of the diamond panes on just the upper windows of this gorgeous cottage!


(photo by Kim Cornelison)
I actually have some black-on-white silhouettes of my girls, done when they were very young. I think it's time to give them a little 'cottage' update and this article will definitely serve as inspiration!



photo by King Au
Just look at this neat laundry room! Talk about making laundry a pleasant task! Again, I just love the bright and cheerful colors!


(photo by Greg Scheidemann)
Isn't the photograph of these vintage colored bottles just beautiful? I loved reading about this woman's house and collections!

Now, what I showed you above is just the tip of the iceberg... Trust me, this issue has so many neat ideas and photographs and colors and room layouts.... I just keep looking through it and spotting something new every time I do!

So find yourself an issue and then settle into a comfy, cozy chair, or snuggle under the covers for some bedtime reading... Whenever or wherever, take some time for yourself and r-e-l-a-x, because you deserve it!!

Donna

Afternoon shadows....

The late afternoon shadows are arriving earlier and earlier as the end of August approaches... This afternoon, the contrast of light and dark was so vivid, I couldn't resist snapping some photos of the sun's handiwork....


Not only are the outdoor wreaths silhouetted on the front doors, but the cutwork of the Battenburg valances is so defined at this time of the day...


A lace valance that hangs in the living room window casts its shadow on the floor above the silhouette of the rocking chair...


The lace trim of the window shades, a silverware wind chime, and even the glass knob on the jelly cupboard cast shadows in the dining room...

The late afternoon is such a lovely time of day but, oh, how I wish the days were getting longer rather than shorter!!

Donna (who is not looking forward to winter!!)