UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL...

New beginnings! 

 Although spring 
has been here for awhile, 
Mother Nature has finally decided 
to align herself with the calendar.

 We are having 
some beautiful weather and 
when beautiful weather happens,
 my mind turns to 
cleaning house!

I have been dusting and doing
 and taking on one room at a time 
to get ready for what,
 I hope, is a
 peaceful and delightful summer.

 Before anything else, 
I would like to give Katie at
 Let's Add Sprinkles 
a tremendous thank you
 for featuring my 
Kitchen Shopping 
post last week. 

 I am always so appreciative 
when someone takes 
their time and efforts
 to give me such an honor 
and, Katie, 
I thank you very much.

As I told you in my last post,
 I am turning the Cottage into
 a blue and white summer place. 
 This is not a new concept.
  These iconic colors are timeless and
I have been reading 
that a lot of you
 are doing the same thing.

  
I have kept almost all
 of the Victoria magazines 
over the years and
 when an idea comes to mind,
 I look to them to help me 
in my search for 
just the right things. 
 I've seen so many 
wonderful ideas and,
 of course, 
almost all of them use items 
that I could only dream about.
  But, as I am dusting and doing,
 I have been looking 
through my stash of blue and white and
 find that I have more 
than I thought I did.

Because these colors 
are a recurring theme 
throughout the Cottage,
 I think I sometimes 
take them for granted and
 don't really look at them as
 the strong influence 
that fuels the way 
I like to decorate.

...so, 
I have gathered a small selection
 of blue and white 
that I have on hand and
 while choosing ones to use in my project, 
I will take you along 
as I look at them..
up close and personal.

Some of these 
will be used throughout the project,
 some will be put back 
on the shelf for another time and
 as we proceed through the summer,
 other colors will be added 
to celebrate certain occasions.
  
All of us 
favor certain colors and styles and 
if we look closely 
at what inspires us, 
it might make it easier 
to put a 
special look together.

When you see, 
up close and personal
 all that inspires you,  
you might be certain that
 you are on the right track or,
 it may surprise you, and 
send your imagination soaring
 into a whole 
different direction.



...Judy...

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COMING ATTRACTIONS...

The sky is blue

The trees are green

and

The sun is?  White?...

Is that what summer looks like?

  Haven't we always

 thought of the sun as yellow?

Didn't we learn 
as small children 
that the yellow crayon 

was always chosen 

when depicting the sun?

 We think of sunshine

 as a warm color, but yet, 

when we look directly 

at the bright summer sun, 

it doesn't appear

 as anything but 

a white light.

That is my story and

 I'm sticking to it, and 

I am using my story 

to decorate our Summer Cottage

 in shades of 

blue and white with

accents of

 real and faux greens.

It helps 

that the color blue 

seems to be a mainstay in the Cottage.

 As long as I can remember 

blue has been a

 dominate color 

in my life...

...I can remember 

dresses that my mom insisted 

that I wear as a child 

always being some shade of blue and 

the pattern of the dishes

 that served my mom's wonderful 

home cooked meals, and 

which are now lining the shelves 

of our dining room cupboard, 

was Blue Willow.

  Blue 

is an easy color 

to get along with...

...it can be perked up 

with red 

for a patriotic holiday...

...or by adding 

virtual sunshine,

 can take us into 

the fall season.

For now, though,

 in this transitioning time

 between spring and summer, 

blue and white are just

 coming attractions.

The colors of this summer 

are still in the planning stages and 

until the definite presentation is set, 

we will be content with 

what is changing in the garden.

 Maybe it isn't as exciting now

 as it will be, but

 it is definitely 

on the way.

The brilliant greens 

of the spirea 

are awaiting the arrival of

 its pretty pink blooms...

...the tiny pink azelea buds 

are starting to show

 some color...

...sweet little faces of

 Forget-Me-Nots...

...the Lily of the Valley 

will soon be a mass of

 tiny white bells...

...and Miss Lady Banks, 

although shy about starting,

 will soon be

 very showy.

The beautiful white camellia 

is almost done blooming. 

 Constant rains 

seem to have hurried 

up the process...

...the little grape hyacinths 

are making a small carpet cover

 around the lawn...

...the maple tree 

is setting forth 

dainty and tender

 green shoots...

...and a fern is

 unfolding 

and adding its whimsical shape

 to the garden.

The giant hosta 

is returning in 

the Secret Garden...

...along side of 

the beautiful green leaves 

of a hydrangea bush.

Last, but by no means least,

the lilac is starting to show

 against the blue sky.

The above photo 

is from last summer and, hopefully,

 the garden will come back again.

 When the garden is in 

the transitional stage, 

these same thoughts emerge each year 

but it hasn't failed us yet.

 As for now,

 the lawn has just been mowed and 

the scent of freshly cut grass 

is filling the air around the Cottage.

 A trip to the nursery 

is planned 

so some colorful annuals

 will be added to the mix this summer.

  There may be a little less lawn

 in the future 

as our water rates 

are being raised again but 

whatever is in store 

will make for a 

very happy and 

well deserved

 summer.

...Judy...

A quiet Easter morning 
at the Cottage.

Hope everyone had 

a beautiful and blessed 

Easter holiday.

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KITCHEN SHOPPING...

I have been reading a lot lately 

about shopping your house,

 that moving things around

 from room to room 

can make it all seem 

fresh and new.

To be sure,

 I have done that. 

 Most of the Cottage's rooms

 have perpetual "Clearance Sale" signs

 posted and...

...poor Goatzie 

has been moved so many times, 

he needs new tread 

on his wagon tires.

But, 

if I truly believed that and 

if I always practiced what I preach, 

I wouldn't have a full room 

dedicated to the exact opposite 

of that idea.

 But,

 that is neither here nor there, 

so back to the subject

 at hand.

Our kitchen

 is a far cry now 

compared to how it was

 when the Cottage first came 

into our hands

 for safe keeping. 

 I did a post 

about the evolution 

which you can see (here) if you are interested.

  The island, above, 

is known as Cinderella. 

 You can read about her (here). 

 You might call me 

the wicked stepmother,

 but even though

 she was a true labor of love,

at the time, 

she just didn't work out.

She was doomed from the beginning:

1.  We paid too much for the

state she was in.

2.  She was a lot of work.

3.  She didn't fit the space

that she was intended for.

  

The kitchen is fairly large 

when taken as a whole,

but the actual working part

 only takes up a small corner and 

with the addition of two adults and 

two dogs, always underfoot,

 that doesn't leave much room 

for cooking. 

 Cinderella was definitely in the way,

 so began the plan

 of how to make

 the kitchen 

more efficient.

We listed possibilities. 

 A new smaller island, 

removing the table and chairs all together,

 or moving them to another location, 

taking out the stove, etc.

  In other words, 

removing the charm 

that I love in my kitchen.

  Buying anything new

would cost money, and 

if I was going to spend money, 

I would rather put it into

 a new wood floor...

...but that 

is a story for another day.

 So what did we do? 

 We shopped the house.

We moved 

the Ikea cupboard 

across the room

(which if you went back to the older link,

 you might notice that it has  

been here once before - 

 before the face lift)...

...and switched places 

with the stove. 

 (The Captain will be making a back drop

 for the stove

 eventually).

Although the table and chairs 

remained in the same place, 

we did switch out the table

 for a smaller one 

that was behind 

the settee 

in the parlor.

By moving the bowl tower

 and the little chair, 

that opened up space 

for an antique chair...

...that was hidden in the dining room and 

meant that I could still use 

the piggy lamp on the old crock.

 I think it is as important to have 

lamp light in the kitchen 

as well as in 

any other room.

In putting back the counters,

 I tried to de-accessorize

a little. 

( I refuse to use the word clutter!)

...but, to be honest,

 you must know me well enough by now

 to know that even 

if I really do try, 

that probably ain't gonna happen!

I am very pleased

 how it all played out.

  There will most likely be

 a little more tweaking 

here and there

 as time goes on. 

There always is, and I think

 I might be happy with 

a round, braided rug 

under the table and chairs.

 We shall see.

It feels more open 

and the happy feeling 

I get first thing in the morning,

 when the coffee is perking...

...could be 

just the sun shining in 

but I think

 it's a little more

 than that.

This has been an overload 

of photos and words, 

but I promised the recipe 

for the tomato soup 

courtesy of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa:

CREAM OF FRESH TOMATO SOUP

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 cups chopped red onion (2 onions)

2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

4 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned leaves for garnish

3 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

3/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

Croutons for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat. 

 Add onions and carrots, saute for about ten minutes, until very tender. 

 Add garlic and cook for one minute more.

  Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt and pepper and stir well. 

 Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes,

 until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup 

and process it through a food mill 

into a bowl,

 discarding only the dry pulp that's left.

  Reheat the soup over low heat 

just until hot and serve.

Enjoy!!

This is the very first day 

that really feels like spring. 

 I'm wishing you all 

more days like this.

...Judy...

I'd like to take this time 
to thank ones who posted photos
 of their trips to France and Notre Dame.

 A tragedy has occurred and 
it is one that is felt around the world. 
 A thing of beauty 
is a joy forever and
 nothing about this magnificent icon 
will be forgotten 
and, through time, 
it will rise again.

  It is a reminder to all of us that, throughout life, 
 our most precious possessions
 can be taken from us 
in an instant. 

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