A Bountiful Harvest Nest...

Yesterday, my beautiful "Harvest Nest" arrived that I ordered from my friend Vicki at 2bagsfull... I was soo excited!... I actually pre~ordered this little nest almost a year ago, as they are designer nests she knits and spends almost an entire year creating them... truly one of a kind treasures to be cherished always!... Since I grew up in the little town of Bountiful, Utah, right next to the town I live in today, I love that she calls her post about these beauties "A Bountiful Harvest"...

It is the most beautiful Harvest Nest... full of luscious Autumn colored yarns, only the softest, most delicate kinds... and knitted in amongst the nest are the most enchanting Autumn treasures from the trail... seeds, berries, flowers... leaves... truly a "Bountiful Harvest" as she calls them...

A darling little Harvest tag was attached to the pretty Autumn leaves tissue it came wrapped in... the tag is handmade by Vicki's friend Sue... (the photo below I snatched from Vicki's blog)...

As soon as I took mine outside to photograph on an old log, a sweet little pair of squirrels arrived... they were as excited as I was over this beautiful nest and set about making it their own... they knew the birds were heading South for the winter, and this would make a delightfully cozy place for them to settle in on a crisp Autumn's eve...

A stunning vintage brooch in luscious Autumn colors adorns this side...

One of the little squirrels jumped right in the middle of it... as inside Vicki had placed the most brilliant Autumn colored beaded acorns... how could a little squirrel resist!...

A teeny little tin heart, representing the love Vicki puts into each nest... the love she has for Nature... and all mankind... and the love and support she has received from fellow bloggers... (and so generously gives back to us!)...

Stunning glass Autumn leaves and flowers entwined throughout...

A pretty sunflower...

The secret acorns the little squirrels uncovered, resting on a soft mohair bed deep inside the nest...

Soon the other little squirrel took a turn inside... ahhh... so soft... just right!...

Beads and pearls and berries and such...

My little squirrels couldn't be happier with their Bountiful Harvest Nest, and neither could I!...

Vicki wanted her nests to capture the colors and feel of a sunny walk in the woods on a crisp, cool Autumn day... and she did just that... I own three other little nests created by Vicki... two of her Woodland Nests you can see here and one of her designer Shorebird Nests which you can see here... I also love that she donates much of her profits from these little nests to such worthwhile charities... the proceeds from the Harvest Nests will go to a local church by Vicki where ladies knit scarves and mufflers for the homeless and those in need for winter... if you have not met Vicki yet, please stop in at her blog, 2bagsfull and introduce yourself... please tell her Julie Marie sent you... you will be as enchanted with Vicki and her blog and sweet nests as I am... Thank you Vicki!... it is so amazing, and will be such a beautiful addition to my Autumn decorating... I will enjoy it so much!... xoxo Julie Marie (oh yes, and the little squirrels will enjoy it too!)... I am linking this post to Debra's fun parties at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday~Fall Fun...

Conghaile Cottage...

Have you been to Conghaile Cottage?... oooh, such a delightfully enchanted cottage... hidden deep within the woods... where magical things take place and every day is full of sweetness and bliss...

where a beautiful lady named Donna lives... a kinder lady one could not hope to meet... and she always welcomes one and all with something enticingly delicious from her kitchen...

where sparkly beads mysteriously pour from vintage teapots into lovely vintage Heisey cups...

and bears are most welcome to join her for tea... so long as they behave, mind you...

where you will dine on beautiful treasures from days~gone~by that are fit for a Queen...

and all of God's precious little creatures delight in this magic as well...

where mice come a' carolling at Christmas time, inside out of the cold... are you mesmerized yet?... I am... and I have been since the very first time I happened upon this most endearing cottage...

(Above photos courtesy of Conghaile Cottage)

Yesterday... as if brought by some of the same magic... a package arrived for me... from Conghaile Cottage!... inside, dear Donna had sent me the most wonderful surprises... "just because"... how fun to receive a surprise package full of gifts "just because"... a beautiful garden flag full of Delphiniums, birds and a birdhouse... I couldn't wait to put it right out in my garden (which has taken it's toll from our heat these past weeks)... but now, voila!... beautiful Delphiniums flourish once again!...

Donna knows how much I love and miss my grandmother whose name just happened to be "Delphine"... she also knows I plant beautiful Delphiniums in love and memory of my sweet grandma... besides the pretty garden flag, she sent me four gorgeous fine bone china plates from Crown Sterling in England, "Windsor Delphinium"... they are the most beautiful plates I have ever seen... and so very special to me... she also sent me the pretty vintage doily... my beautiful grandmother Delphine in the photograph below...


a precious card that she says is me, Tessy and her having tea... ooh!... too cute!...

"True Blueberry" tea bags... I can't wait to try some...

and a wonderful book called... "Julie"... can it be about Moi?... oooh how exciting... I shall sip my tea and begin reading it... Merci Donna!...

See... magic really does happen at Conghaile Cottage... and now a part of the magic has come to me... but how do you get there, you ask?... you must follow the brightest star in the nighttime sky... past the tallest towering pines 'till you come to a clearing... there you shall see the warm glow of a candle flickering through a shuttered windowpane in the distance... and the air will be filled with the Heavenly scent of raspberry scones... tread lightly on the ivy~covered stones... and... and... oooh... you are afraid you might lose you way?... then you can take my secret path here to this most beguiling cottage... please tell Donna Julie Marie sent you... but then... she will already know that... of course... since you arrived by way of my secret path... Believe in the magic that awaits you!... xoxo...

Approaching Autumn...

Can you feel it?... that subtle change in the rhythm of the Seasons as Summer makes it's way into Fall... I can... the mornings are alot cooler here now, and it is darker later than it has been... Tessy and I take a flashlight now on our early morning walk down the trail... a raccoon scurries across the path in front of us... pausing for a moment to check us out as we do her... then she goes about her way, off into the thicket which is heavy with morning dew... Tessy is full of energy this morning and bounces down the trail... excited to see what early morning pleasures await us next...

As we approach the end of the trail, the sun is just beginning to peek it's head up above the foothills to the east of us... the outline of pines on the crest of the mountains is breathtaking in this early light... we stop to breathe in all of the beauty surrounding us... we pause for a few minutes... to say "thank you" to God for creating this lovely place in the countryside we call home... then Tessy is pulling on her leash, anxious to explore some more... like her, I am in no hurry to go back home... it is much too pleasant outside this morning... I glance once again at the hills and notice that many of the trees are already showing some signs of their stunning Autumn colors... soon, Mother Nature will have taken her paintbrush to the hillside and it will be a blazing kaleidoscope of brilliant colors... Autumn... my favorite time of year... the time of year I want the days to linger... and the nights to be cozy and enchanting... soon, it will be September... September sings her own beautiful song... such a gorgeous month as well... the last night of August is the second full moon of this month... did you know that it is called a blue moon when there are two full moons in one month?... 'tis so... reluctantly, we head back home... but our thoughts are full of a beautiful day ahead just waiting to be enjoyed... perhaps I shall pack my vintage picnic basket, like I did last year in the photo above... even if I just enjoy it in my own backyard today... and make plans for a day soon when I take my basket once more on a trail up the canyon from my home... and find a comfy spot under a tree full of russet colored leaves to eat my lunch, sip my coffee from my favorite vintage Thermos... and read a favorite book or magazine... or just laze away the afternoon... yes, Tessy thinks that sounds like a wonderful idea too... Autumn... the anticipation is such a delightful part of it... do you anticipate Autumn's arrival as much I do?... xoxo...

My Quiet Corner...

Several posts ago, I showed you my bedroom re~do all in soft pastels... lavenders, lilacs, soft pinks and roses... the only money I spent on it was for my Rachel Ashwell comforter set I showed here, several toss pillows and flowers I showed here... and a few odds~and~ends... most everything else I already had...

Probably about twenty~five years ago, Jack gave me my beautiful drop~leaf oak secretary desk you can see in the corner of my bedroom in the photo below... it's so pretty... but I wanted a new, softer look for it to match my dreamy new bedroom...

So... I decided to leave the drop~leaf down and went to work on softening it up... I wanted it to look serene and pretty, but still able to use it to sit in quiet solitude and write in my journal, hand~pen a thank you note... or just write my lists of to~do's each day...

I left the top of the desk the way I had it... beautiful Ormolu frames with my French ancestors photos in them... my great~grandfather's pocket watch... my antique French opera glasses... tresors I love to look at each day...

Inside... so soft and pretty now... a lace~tied little bundle of some of my vintage French books... a sparkly bird rests atop of them... a gift from my friend El...

A pretty little flowery journal and pen to jot down my thoughts...

Precious letters sent home from my daddy to my mama and my grandmother from France, Belgium, Germany and England where he was stationed during WWII...

Beautiful note cards, thank~you cards, gift tags and stationary fills the inside cubbyholes...

A very old sealing wax stamp from an estate sale years ago... now I want to get some sealing wax... I always used to seal my letters that way... so romantic and nostalgic...

Soft roses and my tiara... I am a self~appointed Princess, you know...

A sweet little birdnest adorned in dried roses from my garden, sitting on a vintage lace doily takes me back to a warm Spring day... natural bark pencils live in a vintage floraly creamer... ready to write down my latest finds from the trail in my nature journal...

A pretty little birdie paperweight my niece Liz gave me...

My treasured teacup my sister and I each got when we gave each other the "gift of time" last Christmas and spent the day taking tea at a beautiful tearoom in Salt Lake City, then browsing antiques shops afterwards... ready for a relaxing cup of Laduree tea Filly and Ellie brought me from London...

More sweet dried roses from my garden in a vintage purple pressed glass doorknob for a vase...

A cherished silver magnifying glass...

Always close to my heart...

Beautiful French candies from Laduree New York from my friend Jeni... sitting in another precious treasure of mine ... a vintage French salt dip and spoon my sister Jill gave me years ago... it makes a perfect little candy dish...

I am absolutely delighted with how it all turned out... I think we all need a place to sit in quiet solitude... surrounded by all of the beautiful things we love... do you have such a place?... I am wishing that you do... and that like me, you enjoy your precious time spent there... xoxo... Linking this post to Vintage Inspiration Fridays with Debra at Common Ground...

Dreamy...

Somehow... in our near one hundred~degree temperatures... this sweet little Fairy Rose is determined to bloom...

I've sprayed her with a gentle mist of cool water... a thank~you of sorts for making my hot, hot late~Summers days a bit dreamier... I don't know how she does it... keeps her "cool" in all this heat!... xoxo... **6pm... Updated weather just now... cooler temps tonight and thunderstorms predicted... Yippee!...