cottages and roses, Yountville

In late spring there are dozens of rose-laden cottages in the little town of Yountville California in the Napa Valley. My father and stepmother lived there more than 20 years so I was lucky to spend a lot of time in that sweet town that has more good restaurants than most cities. (But my favorite is the taco truck--they put radishes on the veggie taco.) The first picture is actually the verrry famous French Laundry restaurant, not officially a cottage, but cottagish in its demeanor if you know what I mean. Anyway, in May the roses are everywhere.

Little Defiance

This little orange lantern belonged to the Boston Department of Public Works. I know because it is stamped so on the other side. I love to think of a hundred plus years ago some hard working person relied on this little gal for light. But the best part? She is called Little Defiance! That is her official name decided by some official lamp-making company person. I am selling her for $14 and can't believe nobody has snatched her up. I adore her. She is one of the reasons I decided to open a store, because I need to let people know about her and her kind.

feedsack love

I just spent a whole lotta time looking at feedsacks on Etsy. The pretty prints are calling to me. I'd like to make pillows or place mats from them. But then I'd have to take my sewing machine out of the closet. I do have a quilt in the store made from feedsacks. Remember childhood books (Little House on the Prairie?) where the mom made dresses out of feedsacks? From here, here and here.

secret garden

When I was a child we had a border of massive, unpruned lilacs. That was my special place to read and play and daydream. The smell was lovely--sweet and fresh. Last spring I went to see the lilacs at Boston's Arnold Arboretum--there are hundreds of them in shades of white, pink, blue and purple and I got that deja vu smell thing and was happy and sad at the same time. I like to think about lilacs now when I have three feet of snow in my yard. Did you have a favorite place in nature when you were a child?

rusty metal finds work

I got these old Erector Set pieces at a barn sale. The small ones in the top picture came in that cool wooden box. The bigger pieces were in a cardboard box and I dumped them into a coal bucket. I thought they'd be perfect for a sculptor or assemblage artist, and put them in my store. Last weekend a grandfather brought his grandson to the store and bought them. They will be put to use in special grandfather-grandson projects, which makes me very happy!

the last flowers of Manet

So sweet. I love the wildflowers jammed in a vase look. I have a lot of milk glass vases and some old mason jars I will put in the store when we are on the cusp of spring and dreaming of picking flowers. Manet from this book.

little house, Hull

This little house is in Hull, Massachusetts. I love the saucy periwinkle door and shutters against the traditional weathered grey shingles. The first picture is the view from the house of Hingham Bay. Hull is a very old-school penny arcade beach town--it's hard to believe it's just a short ferry ride from Boston.