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You are here: Home / Archives for giveaway

A Gift

January 7, 2014 at 8:14 am by Claudia

mailtrucksunset

A gorgeous, spectacular sunset on what was a rainy, rather miserable day. Gosh, I love sunsets. I might have more pictures of sunsets than of anything else. Except Scout, of course.

That mail truck?

It was delivering a lovely package for me. My longtime friend Tracie, of My Petite Maison, had a sort of ‘flash’ giveaway on her Facebook page a while back and I won. Tracie has an online boutique that specializes in French Nordic Goods and she has impeccable taste and a beautiful home. Even more importantly, she has been a dear friend over the years I’ve been blogging. We share a deep love of all animals. Many times during Riley’s last year of life, Tracie was there for me. She nursed her beloved Zeke through his last months in much the same way I nursed Riley. She’s a dear, compassionate, loving person who just happens to live in a beautiful town in California. (Need I say I’m a bit jealous on this bitterly cold January morning?)

I hardly ever win a giveaway, so I was surprised and delighted when Tracie informed me that I was the winner.

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Excuse the blurry photo, but I just had to show Tracie that Scout was mightily intrigued by this package. I bet she could smell Bechet, Tracie’s beautiful dog.

tracie'swrapping

Here’s a better picture of Tracie’s beautiful wrapping. Sigh. It’s almost too lovely to open.

vintagebynina

Here’s what was inside. Vintage by Nina, a big, beautiful coffee table sized book full of amazing photos. Nina Hartmann is an internationally known stylist and lover of all things vintage, who runs the shop vintagebynina.com and also has a showroom in Sweden. This is her third book and it includes not only her work, but the work of eight other collectors and friends.

It’s Gorgeous with a capital G. I can’t wait to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate and indulge in the beauty of the photographs. And it’s autographed by Nina.

Tracie, being Tracie, also included some organic tea and some heavenly lavender.

Thank you, Tracie dear, for this generous gift. And thank you for your friendship.

My neighbors who are stranded in Aruba? They can’t get a flight out until Saturday. So yesterday, there was a flurry of messages back and forth on Facebook, a search for her house key (successful) and instructions on feeding the cats and fish, plus a little litter box cleaning. They had expected to be back by Saturday and it was now Monday, so those cats were happy to see us. They were waiting at the door and guided us right to their empty food dish!  So we’ll be doing a little cat and fish sitting this week.

Tomorrow is the start of our Christmas Critter Felt Along. Dawn and I will be posting our first two ornaments, along with the patterns. I just made mine on Sunday and it was a lot of fun. We’d love having you join in.

And finally, the day has arrived! Don’s show, American Experience/The Poisoner’s Handbook, airs tonight at 8:00 on PBS (7 pm Central.) It’s a documentary with a mix of interviews and historical information and a reenactment, which is where you’ll see Don as Dr. Charles Norris. It’s the kind of thing that PBS does incredibly well and we are very excited to see the final product. We’re eating dinner early so that Scout can get through her hyper ‘Daddy is cooking!’ nightly craziness in time for us all to settle down in front of the television.

I hope you can see it!

Happy Tuesday.

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Filed Under: Don, Fellow bloggers, gifts, giveaway 65 Comments

A Chatty Post

July 25, 2013 at 8:46 am by Claudia

♦ Well, who would have known that so many of you have a Detroit or Michigan connection?  I am continually reminded of what a small world it is! Thanks for all the Vernors and Detroit love, my friends.

hostablooms

♦ Psst! Don’t say anything because you might jinx it, but the temperature here went down to the fifties last night.

What??

Surely this will be short-lived, but I am determined to enjoy these coolish temperatures while they last. On the agenda today: mowing. With all the lawn we have, mowing is on the agenda at least 4 out of 7 days of the week. Soon Don will be taking over that job. I’ll miss it, it keeps me in shape.

I haven’t begun to pack because I’m in denial. And because Don has the big suitcase. The suitcase transfer will take place on Sunday.

liatris

♦ While in Hartford, I’ll be staying in the same apartment I was in last spring. I requested it. Remember the adventure with the mattress in the middle of the night? Since I wrestled that softer mattress down the hall and into the apartment at 3 am, I think I deserve to use it once more, don’t you?

Two months. I’ll return home on my dad’s 90th birthday, September 28th. Yikes.

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♦ By the way, Don has heard that his American Experience will air sometime in November. I’ll keep you posted. Since individual PBS stations often air programs at different times and days, you’ll have to check your local listings.

pinkbloom

♦ I very seldom buy magazines anymore because so much of the content is a repeat of what I’ve already seen on the web or is uninspiring or the darned magazine costs too much. This is a big change for me as I used to buy tons of them. I know, however, how great it is to be featured in a magazine, as it has happened to me twice. It’s a big thrill. Two of my friends have recently been featured in Romantic Homes.

missbegonia

My dear friend Judy, of 20 North Ora, has a two page spread showing how she made a vintage dress form into a thing of beauty: Miss Begonia. Congratulations, Judy! Stop by and visit my friend. She and her dear husband John have been battling illness in what has become a very tough time for them. Judy has to be one of the most generous and loving people I have ever had the privilege to meet and she can use our prayers and support.

And in the same issue:

jane

Dear Jane of Blondie’s Journals. Congratulations, Jane!

♦ To those of you who participate in A Favorite Thing: After this week’s get together, I’m going to take a little break from the weekly party. I will be in Hartford for two months where I will be coaching two plays at the same time. I expect to be working long hours. That, along with my daily blog posts, will consume most of my time. Adding the party to the mix will be difficult, if not impossible. I can’t guarantee that I would have any time to visit the links. Frankly, this weekend will be tough as well. I’ll be in the Berkshires all day Saturday, will be packing on Sunday and traveling to Hartford on Monday. So, my dear friends, a two month sabbatical is on the docket. I hope you understand.

But, just to be clear, I will continue to blog every day, like clockwork!

♦ I’ve been slow in choosing the winners of the book giveaway. Apologies! I kept forgetting. This is a rare treat; I am able to give away 5 copies of The Last Camellia. The winners are:

• Nancy Blue Moon

• Patty

• Judy Ainsworth

• Grace

• Donnamae

I will be sending you an email. If you read this post before you get the email, drop me a note with your mailing address. Congratulations!

Happy Thursday.

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Filed Under: A favorite thing, Fellow bloggers, flowers, giveaway 33 Comments

Scout: Who The Heck Is In My Corral? (And Other Things)

March 25, 2013 at 8:08 am by Claudia

The other evening, around dusk, Scout started barking while looking out the window. There was, shall we say, an extra urgency to her barks which brought me to the window to see just what the heck was going on.

An intruder was in her dog corral:

deer

deereating

The nerve! At the end of a tough winter, that grass must have been enticing. Scout, of course, kept up her outraged barking. When I knocked on the window (these photos were all taken through the kitchen windows) the deer calmly looked at me and then resumed eating.

deerstaring2

My initial response was that I’d never seen a deer inside of the corral before. And Don remarked dryly that he would bet they were in there more than we knew. He’s probably right. Eventually, Don gently opened the door and the deer took off over the fence.

One early morning when Don was away in California – it must have been around 4 am or so – I got up to go to the bathroom and I could see the silhouettes of deer moving quietly through the back yard. I remember it distinctly because I was half asleep and the movements of the deer seemed other-worldly and almost magical – where you’re left wondering if you dreamed the whole thing. It was real and it was indeed magical. A vivid, wonderful memory.

I love deer. They are beautiful, gentle creatures. They share this land with us.

On this Monday? Snow showers. Oh Spring, where the heck are you? I’ve been feeling the blues lately and I know it’s because I need to get outside, feel the sun and start working in the garden. This winter has seemingly gone on forever. There is much I have to do before I leave for Hartford and the lingering winter is not helping things.

Ah, well.

1000gifts

I won this book in a giveaway from Mary at Ms. Redo. I’ve seen it mentioned on many blogs and I must admit I’m intrigued. I look forward to exploring it. Thank you, Mary!

The crochet you see in this photo? It’s my experiment in crocheting with thread, like my grandmother used to. The problem is that the hook I am using is too big. I’ll have to buy a smaller one. Nevertheless, it’s awfully delicate and pretty.

Today’s egg cups:

eggcups9

Egg cups with feet. The one on the left is the real deal – made by Carlton Ware of England and called Walking Ware. Such silliness!

The one on the right is not marked as Carlton Ware, but it’s pretty cute, nonetheless.

And for those of you who read my guidelines for posting on A Favorite Thing, the part about leaving a comment was only about that particular meme. Not about my other posts! I love your comments and they make me happy, but this is pressure-free commenting zone, my friends.

Happy Monday.

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Filed Under: A favorite thing, animals, crochet, egg cups, Fellow bloggers, giveaway 50 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

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