Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Welcome to “Show Off Your Cottage Monday”, a blog party I host at the beginning of each week to celebrate the things we love about our homes and how we live. Today, I'm celebrating the simple purity and freshness of "white ceramics".

I love white dishes. In the house in the roses, white has always been the Holy Grail of all glazes...

I love the combination of simple white china and the time-worn look of tarnished silver... You can find this lovely duo all throughout my kitchen.

White is always right and at its best, nothing looks better. Simple, pure, and fresh, the key to success in my house...

I love the shape of these generously rounded cups... for some inexplicable reason, my coffee always tastes better in them.

In the formal setting, nothing looks better than white. To me, a table without elaboration or excess invariably looks best.

What are you celebrating today? Now it’s your turn to tell us what you’re celebrating. If you have something to share with us on your blog, then add your link below. Just please be sure to:

1. Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address. 2. Link back to the house in the roses from your post so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is celebrating today! 3. Copy and paste our little logo on your blog so your readers can also join our celebration. 4. And enjoy your home!

Thanksgiving Thankfulness

I took a day off work yesterday, and will be off tomorrow also. With Thanksgivings and the weekend in between, I’ll have a total of five days off from work… it's heavenly! I’m spending every minute of every hour of my days enjoying my home—my refuge, my solace, and the place I yearn to be all day long while at the office. Oh how I wish I could take a long long hiatus from my career to stay home and just enjoy life….

To open your heart to the little (and so often unappreciated) joys of life, you must nurture these feelings of appreciation, wonder, joy, and almost reverence and love for every detail of your small personal world.... I love the airs which move about my home, the serenity that surround me when I’m alone, the scent of green apples and cinnamon lingering in the air, the gentle rays of sun peeking through the window into the kitchen, and how light and shadow seem to play magical games upon the dinning table…

I’ve been doing all the things I love… cooking, cleaning a little bit here and there, decorating and cozying up my nest… I love the feeling of clean wooden floor under bare feet, hot coffee with Mike in the wee hours of the morning, and how the days of late November seem to warm up for a few hours in the early afternoon, before a refreshingly chilly breeze moves in; dancing through bare tree branches…

It was so wonderfully warm this afternoon, that I was able to open up the windows for a little bit to let new air refresh the rooms… The harsh days of winter might be around the corner, but the garden is still beaming with life...

Even the dull and decaying, bring joy to my heart in thousand ways…

The birds have been hovering about the birdfeeder outside the kitchen window; you never know what's around the next corner in this enchanting place. If we open our minds to enjoyment, we might find tranquil pleasures spread about us on every side. We might live with the angels that visit us on every sunbeam, and sit with the fairies who wait on every flower. ~ Samuel Smiles “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever” (I Chronicles 16:34). Have you experienced His goodness - are you aware of His mercy - new every morning in your life? Give thanks! Today is the day!

Happy Thanksgivings every one!

SHOW OFF YOUR COTTAGE MONDAY

Welcome to “Show Off Your Cottage Monday”, a blog party I host at the beginning of each week to celebrate the things we love about our homes and how we live.

Today I’m celebrating the effectiveness and affordability of a baker’s rack.

I love the look of open shelves in the kitchen. Something about it just feels homey and “real", plus everything—from the white dishes to the measuring spoons, spices, and coffee cups is right there and accessible, and easy to grab. For as long as I can remember I’ve been dreaming of building some open shelves in my kitchen where I could showcase my creamy white stoneware collection... I can envision a full length shelved wall embellished with my white pitchers, tureens and under dishes, plates and cups of various shapes and tarnished silver pieces...

But that dream could take a while before it could materialize... n fact, it could take a very long while, so for now, I’m enjoying and cherishing what I have—my simple metal baker’s rack, from TJ Maxx.

Baker’s racks are an ideal way to display your products. They are the most effective and affordable way to display your most precious items, they occupy less floor space, while still keeping your goods organized neatly on the racks, and have open areas that can be used to showcase almost anything. You can use baker’s displays for business purposes or decoration within your home; they complement any decor and can last for years to come.

Now it’s your turn to tell us what you’re celebrating. If you have something to share with us on your blog, then add your link below. Just please be sure to:

1. Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address. 2. Link back to the house in the roses from your post so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is celebrating today! 3. Copy and paste our little logo on your blog so your readers can also join our celebration. 4. And enjoy your home!

Cats

I've been bird watching all morning. I can hardly relieve how sunny and clear it is for a day, late in November.

As I write, the house is being floated by tiny speaks of gold—magical rays of sun purging the usual gloominess; dancing above the once again blooming geranium...

The birds are as happy as they can be and the sky, amazingly blue and clear as it could be. I can hear my little feathered friends chirping happy songs, they’re everywhere, making the red leaves fall… While contemplating my world outside the window, I’m listening to the pure, haunting tone of the Native American flute and lush harmonies of strings of classic Nakai melodies from one of my favorite CDs. It feels so peaceful, and I’m basking in the serene atmosphere surrounding me...

Until... All of the sudden a unanimous flapping of wings... A new air, frigid and unfriendly, sweeps the garden floor… I looked around trying to find the source of the sudden tremor…. until I saw her…

“Morning”—again in my garden, again frightening my birds away…. She swiftly moves, creeping, like a reptor, so as to hide from her victims, and waits patiently amidst the silent butterfly bushes….

“Morning”, is how I’ve named my new kitty friend. As I don’t know her real name, or who she belongs to or where she comes from, she is mine... and that’s the name I’ve chosen for her…. She seems to love my garden. I’ve seen her on many occasion basking in the sunshine among the faded roses, laughing at the birds, under the bushes, or like today, suddenly emerging… from nowhere.

Winter pleasures

Outside is cold and gloomy... I woke up this morning to curls of fog, almost like ghosts unfurling and traveling the garden floor, breathing in the austerity of early winter... now winter nights increase the number of their hours, and clouds during the day dress themselves in gray... let candles glow and chimneys blaze...

...and lets cozy up with gardening books by the window, and pretty cups overflowing with our favorite hot drinks...

Sweet tea, hot chocolate or our own fancy coffee drinks to warm our spirit! Mine, a yummy Cappuccino, sprinkled with raw sugar, please!

Summer has his joys, winter his delights!

Do you look forward to winter months? What do you like about winter?

A day in my life

7:06 a.m. – Good morning, morning!

Outside is still dark, but there is a magical glow… the garden beyond the window is shimmering, peacefulness reposes in the form of white beams of lights on bare tree branches and naked bushes... the land had been purified with the first snow of the year.

7:08 a.m. – the magic of light

The house is dark, but I would not turn on the ceiling lights... I prefer the soft and subdued lighting that let my mind wander amidst the beauty of my surroundings, softening the rough edges, bringing inner peace. And so, I start turning on some lights—a small lamp here in this corner, a group of candles over the mantle—the shadows softly evaporating into the nothingness… it’s a magical moment—me, the shadows and the mistiness of my cozy house.

7:15 a.m. – Evidence of coffee

I love the aroma of coffee wafting through my early morning kitchen… I love the quiet spirit of the house in the wee hours of the morning, the soft murkiness that rests over each object, like a magical shawl embracing forms and shapes, and how, as the morning advances, natural light from outside starts creeping in through the window in magical shades....

7:30 a.m – The day starts

I’d never ever leave it unmade... Is a made bed a morning must in your house? Or is it about as common as a blue moon? I need to know that it's been made—tightly tucked sheets and perfectly placed pillows.

8:00 a.m. -- Breakfast by Mike!

Spanish Tortilla! A slow cooked, thick omelette with potato filling. So simple but so delicious! As far as authenticity is concerned, Spaniards would have you believe that the only filling to the Tortilla was potatoes. But a sprinkling of spinach brings color to the Tortilla as well as making good use of whatever vegetables are available.

Today I am wearing my new scarf... I have bought two new scarves and several winter tights in all sort of interesting patterns. They’d look good with my boots, and with my gray Mary Jane shoes and gray pencil skirt... and I have plans for our guess bedroom. I’m in the mood for painting. I think I’m going to paint the big bed in white.

The geraniums by the window in my kitchen are blooming again.

And outside, facing the geraniums, the last of the roses are covered in icicles...

I have peace in my heart.

Thankfulness:

I have created an altar in my heart in thankfulness for all the blessings bestow upon my house... Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

SHOW OFF YOUR COTTAGE MONDAY

Welcome to “Show Off Your Cottage Monday”, a blog party I host at the beginning of each week to celebrate the things we love about our homes and how we live. Today I’m celebrating life over a cup of tea!

Outside, a cold wind is howling, all morning the rain has been pelting the windows... I’m enchanted by the music it makes—rain and glass... the sound soothes my soul, tea, rain, the perfect moment... I'm taken back to an age where ladies took tea and couples waltzed as string ensembles played. I'm there, in a place I’d never seen, or even heard of... a place only possible inside of me; somewhere lost in imagination, where gentlemen walked out togged in bowlers and gold-tipped canes, and the women on their arms led dainty dogs on leashes.

Perfect weather for the mood. Creaks and crashes and whirls of wind and rain over a cup of tea!

When winter draws near, it's time to dream... time to discover life over the simplicity and tranquility of a cup of tea. There’s nothing more enjoyable for me than a cup of tea deep in sweet reflection, looking at the wintry world outside the window from the coziness of my warm home… just by myself....

Now it’s your turn to tell us what you’re celebrating. If you have something to share with us on your blog, then add your link below. Just please be sure to:

1. Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address. 2. Link back to the party from your post so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is celebrating today! 3. Double-check to make sure your link works and goes to the right page! 4. Copy and paste of cute "Show Off Your Cottage Monday" logo on your blog so others can joint celebrating. 5. And enjoy your home!

Ps: The winner of our Pfaltzgraff giveaway is Cindy loo Hunsaker! Please send me your address and collection chosen... A huge thank you to all of you for listening to my every day tales, for your thoughtful responses, for encouraging me to take more photos, and for coming back and reading this blog over and over again. Thank you. You have no idea how much happiness your responses bring me.