Spring's Lilacs Around Elinor Cottage

Mother Nature has been very generous to me this year. I have sixteen lilacs around my yard and all but four are heavy with the most fragrant flowers I have experienced in years!

Happy May Day!

A delicate fabric of bird song

Floats in the air,

The smell of wet wild earth

is everywhere.

Red small leaves of the maple

Are clenched like a hand,

Like girls at their first communion

The pear trees stand.

Oh I must pass nothing by

Without loving it much,

The raindrop try with my lips

The grass with my touch;

For how can I be sure

I shall see again,

The world on the first of May

Shining after the rain?

May Day by Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)

Tussie-Mussie

Originally a term used in the early 1400's Europe, "tussie-mussie" referres to a small bouquet of herbs and flowers with symbolic meanings.

(language of the flowers)

In later centuries it became customary to wear these bouquets on one's person to portray a mood or feeling, a thought or even to have a pleasant scent around one's body when bathing was at one time, a once or twice a year event!

Of all the various tussie-mussie holders out there (silver, gold, ivory, wood & everything else in between), the smaller painted porcelain ones are my most favorite of all, such as these beauties which date from the Victorian era to the 1920's.

Courage

The Goodie Drawer

Does every kitchen have a "goodie drawer"?

I know a few that do.  I do.

To dedicate one drawer to "goodies" is taking away from the functionality of the tiny space.

And although mine isn't that organized or pretty (I have a VERY small galley kitchen with cabinets still original to 1950 when my cottage was first built), its still fun to pull open and gaze into. 

I have it filled with tea strainers, colored twines, mother-of-pearl handled knives and silver sugar tongs.  But mostly its filled with the English Sheffield porcelain handled serving pieces I have collected for 22 years now.  I sold half the collection (about 50 pieces) 2 years ago and kept just the pieces I really love.

The handles are all in shades of blue.  Some are the Florentine pattern in pale blue with multi-colored painted floral and gold details, as well as a cobalt/indigo handle with the same floral and gold details, or a Blue Onion pattern.

My most prized piece is the double sided ladle.

I also have a Victorian cake cutter, several cheese planes and bread knives, a grapefruit knife and butter knives or teaspoons, a Springerle wood cookie mold....

I will feature the pieces in the next few entries on this blog.

A Restful Retreat

While being a fan of Shabby Chic style, I prefer a little more chic then shabby (not modern, mind you, but just a little more taken care of).

I have never been a fan for an over-the-top aged, tattered or shabby/chippy look either.

I like things cleaner and fresher.  Seeing something too aged or chippy makes me want to take a bath or inspect it for spiders...

In the 90's I had a hand painted furniture business for several years ("a Gilded Vine") where I specialized in Swedish Gustavian.  Its a clean look with a bit of history to it.  (Love the pale colors too.)

I have always believed in "upcycling" furniture and that's what I have been doing for almost 20 years now.  Most of my own furniture is rescued and painted to suit my look.

That's why this beach cottage caught my eye.

(courtesy of Cottage Style Spring/Summer 2012)

This is a cottage done right.

The freshness of the pale lemon yellow and the periwinkle blue against a warm white will not grow old within a year.  Its a timeless look with nice woodwork, well taken care of.

There is enough prettiness to keep it soft and enough practicality to make it easy to live with and clean (shutters on windows).

And nary an overly faux-aged piece of chippy furniture in sight!

I think a person could live a very long time here and be very happy.

I know I could!!