Mosaic Monday: A Winter's Night

"I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,'
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December."

- Oliver Herford

OK, so it's not quite December yet, but this bit of poem just felt right for these winter skies. I'm sure there must be some scientific explanation for it -- the fact that we seem to get the most beautiful and colorful sunsets in winter. So today is a tribute to a winter's sky.

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

What's Up?

Oh, it seems like I have not been here in forever! This has been a crazy busy week, but nice, too. With all four of us under the same roof again, I've been kept busy cooking way more than I usually do these days. It's quite a nice pat on the back to have your college students come home and tell you how much they missed your cooking. :)

Well, we've been dining off leftovers for the past two days now, and I really don't want to see another turkey for a long time... lol. The refrigerator is clean and relatively empty, the dishes are all put away (almost) and the dining room looks calm and normal.

And it's only 28 days till Christmas.

Yikes!

I've been busy also making up some Christmas cards in Photoshop, and a 2011 calendar, and potting up some bulbs for Christmas. I'll be sharing all that and more with you soon. So tell me, what are you up to today? Braving the crowds at the mall, or relaxing after the holiday, or putting up your Christmas decorations? I'd love to hear your story!

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Please join me for Mosaic Monday! I'm thinking that I may have to kick the season off with some Christmas themes... :) The linky thingy will be up by 8:30 pm Eastern time, Sunday.

Mosaic Monday: Thankful

Since Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I thought I would make a mosaic of things I'm thankful for during the past month. November is a month on the edge of winter -- and the spirit of change is everywhere apparent. I love the sense of nesting, or roosting, or turning inward. The days get shorter, the light at dusk is blessedly warm and golden, and our thoughts turn to the light of our kitchens and hearths. Everywhere, there are reds and golds and burnished coppers.

All of these images were taken over the past week. Our spirea bush turns the most beautiful coppery red, and I love the little leaves. I was at my favorite park, Natirar, when I spied the beautiful full moon over the hillside. The other landscapes are also from an evening walk at Natirar. And the owl -- oh, how thankful I am for having been given a glimpse of such a beautiful creature! My husband spotted him (her?) in a tree as we walked to buy the newspapers this morning!

So, today I'm thankful for the beautiful light of an autumn evening, for the last colors of the leaves, for the endless wonder of nature, and for the blessing of being at home for the holidays. If I don't see you all before Thursday, please accept my warmest wishes for a wonderful day filled with light, love and laughter. :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

My Show & Tell

Happy Friday, dear bloggers! Just a little show & tell here today. I found these two little pieces at the thrift store. They are about two inches high. I don't know what it is, but I have a soft spot in my collecting heart for little things.

I think I was drawn to the carving, too -- as you can see, it is quite intricate for such small pieces. I'm thinking that they are perhaps made of celluloid? Or ivory? Although they are pitcher shaped, they are solid pieces -- decorative only.

Do you all do this? Buy things that you cannot identify and know nothing about, just because they "speak" to you?

Do I sound as crazy as I think I do?

Hey, it's the end of the week, right? ;)

Linking to Cindy's Show & Tell Friday. Thanks so much, Cindy, for being such a great host!

My Thrifty Office

Do you remember when I got this desk last January? My daughter immediately claimed it as her own, and loaded it with books and papers from school. Well, she's off to college this fall, so I have taken it over for use as Blogging Central. Yes, this is where all the magic happens.

Try not to get too excited. ;)

I wanted to show it to you, though, because of all the thrifty items that make up my little corner office. The desk, of course, was a roadside find. Free. $0. (Yes, you may applaud.)

The chair was on sale at HomeGoods. The front legs were scratched a little, so I got it for $62. I think that is a pretty decent price for something that usually retails for over $150.

The tarnished silver-plated urn that holds pencils and pens was a garage sale find for $1. The gold painted finial is from TJMaxx. The hand-painted tole tray was a gift from my dear friend, Robin. (Thank you, Robin!) The small silver-plated pitcher holds oak leaves from a recent walk. It is from the thrift store. I think I paid $4. for it.

An assortment of frames from HomeGoods hold family photos -- my mother, my husband and kids, and my father and his brothers. The brass lamp was $20. at the thrift store. The shade was $16., again from HomeGoods.

I've always admired some of the home offices I see in blogland -- some very trendy, others very feminine. The style of mine was dictated by where the desk actually fit in our house. So I had to go with the hand I was dealt. But in a funny way, I think it fits me very well -- classic, old and comfortable. Kind of like me. :)

Mosaic Monday: Autumn Thoughts

"Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean, Tears from the depth of some divine despair, Rise in the heart and gather in the eyes, In looking on the happy autumn fields, And thinking of the days that are no more. "

--Alfred, Lord Tennyson

I don't seem to have words today, so I'll let the images speak for themselves. :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

I ♥ Vintage Linens

Do you love vintage linens? Does your heart go pitter-patter at the sight of an old pillowcase with a beautiful crocheted edging?

If you love vintage linens, please check out my review blog, Little Red House Reviews, for a chance to win a gift certificate from newest sponsor, FunkyBabyMine.

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If you are interested in becoming a sponsor with Little Red House, feel free to email me at mrcarroll@optonline.net. I am currently accepting 125 x 125 button ads at the rate of $25. per month, which will appear in my sidebar under the heading Sponsors. There is a 20% discount for a three-month block. Don't have a button ad? For a one-time fee of $15., I will personally design and create a button ad just for you. This could be a wonderful way to advertise your online shop, or attract more viewers to your blog.

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I hope to see you all soon at Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Eastern time, USA, Sunday night. Have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers!