AUTUMN OBSERVATIONS

When the temperature drops into the 50s in New York City (where I grew up), autumn is welcomed with really chic sweaters.

When the temperature dips into the 60s in Virginia (where I now live), fall’s arrival is heralded by displays of pumpkins and gourds.

When the temperature slides into the 70s in Los Angeles (where I was last week), the change of season is greeted with fire!
Residents in every part of town were hauling home cords of wood for their fireplaces. My son and his friends celebrated with a bonfire on the beach. And, in every backyard and restaurant patio, firepits were burning brightly.

And, once autumn has arrived, Halloween can’t be far behind. Window displays along Abbot Kinney Blvd. were ablaze with SoCal (southern California) flair--and lanterns.

One of my favorite windows was lit with Dutch designer, Tord Boontje’s chandeliers.

Famous for his amazing paper cuttings, Tord also has a line of lighting with Swarovski crystals. You can take a peek at these dazzling designs at Studio Tord Boontje (Slick on projects.)
www.tordboontje.com

Many store displays have Day of The Dead Mexican themes.

Others exhibit sassy style.

And a few aim for tradition with fuzzy spiders!

*** BLOG DU JOUR***
Please welcome new blogger Cheryl of Cheryl’s Fascinating Finds. She’s only posted twice so far, but what an eye for romantic finds!

MY PET PEEVE

For years, I've explained to folks that I am a "content" editor, not a copy editor.

I make lots of typos and feel on shaky ground when it comes to the finer points of punctuation.

However, when it comes to spelling, I have a pet peeve.

It's the use of mantle instead of mantel. When I was editing magazines, even writers known for their firm grasp of English usage would sometimes err on this one.

We once photographed a home with a huge professionally painted sign above the fireplace mantel. Mantel was spelled wrong.

Another time, I visited a store named XXXX MANTLES. The shop stocked everything needed to decorate your mantel.

This past week, while touring holiday decorating posts, I noticed dozens of instances when bloggers used the word mantle, when they should have used mantel.

Please don't feel badly, if you're one of the guilty parties. You're in good company.

And, please don't hate me. I don't usually seize the mantle of authority when it comes to the English language. Just consider this post a Public Service Announcement.

In keeping with my Mosaic Madness theme. I have illustrated this post with a gorgeous fireplace surround (below the mantel) created by Brenda Sabbatino.

*** BLOG DU JOUR ***
Have you seen the mantel of the month at Enchanted Treasures?

FOLLOW MY TRAIL

It’s official… the first half of The Mystery Project has been handed in to the publishers. That’s 20,093 words, but who’s counting?

This morning, I went to Google “Hydrangeas” and a list of all of the “H” words I had Googled recently popped up. Seeing “Hawaiian woods” and “Hippie Lamps” pop up made me laugh, so I scrolled down the list to see what else was on it. The list read like a This Is Your Life flashback.

I decided to check out a few other letters. The topics covered are varied and I decided my list was worth sharing.

My self-imposed rules were as follows:
1- Nothing that would give away too much about the book made the list
2- I would choose only three searches for each letter.

Other than that, it’s a wonderful treasure hunt should you choose to follow my leads. Or better yet, check out your own Google trail and post your list.



A = Audrey Hepburn, Alarm clocks, Alligator skin, Anthopologie

B = Balinese fisherman, Brocade fabric, Baccarat crystal

C = Carrera marble, Casablanca, Cavern Home, Couture gowns

D = D’Orsay pumps, Disney World weddings, Duponi silk

E = Eames chairs, Embellished bridal gowns, Encaustic tile

F = Fast Buck Freddies, Florence Broadhurst, French bed linens

G = George Nakashima, Gold leafing, Golfing metaphors

H = Hawaiian woods, Hippie lamps, Hugh Comstock

I = I Dream of Jeannie, Indian sari fabrics, Ikea

J = Jacket styles, Jalousies, Jay Gatsby

K = Kelly Moore Paints, Kilims, Koa wood

L = La Fiancee du Mekong, Lilly Pulitzer, Louis Furniture

M = M & J Trimmings, Mies van der Roche, Mod patterns

N = Neoclassic architecture, Neon art, Native American Pottery

O = Op art stockings, Oprah At Home, Outdoor Umbrellas

P = Paisley Passamenterie, Poufs, Preppy menswear

Q = Queens of France, Quotes about…

R = Ralph Lauren, Ralph Rucci, Rattan furniture

S = Saddle shoes, Scarlet O’Hara, Suzani tapestries

T = Textured paint, The Atomic Look, Trompe L’oeil, Tulle

U = Ultra suede, ugly lamps, upholstery fabrics

V = Versailles, Vintage cars, Vintage linoleum

W = Wall moldings, Whale Trust, White paint

X = XM radio

Y = Yellow lacquer furniture, Yves St Laurent

Z = Zebra print furniture

Sometime last year, I cut a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Biscotti out of a magazine. I never got to try it out and tucked it into the kitchen drawer where I toss recipes I intend to try. I was sorting through the drawer and came across it two weeks ago. I was too busy working on TMP, so I asked my mother if she might want to test it out.

She did but the biscotti were dreadful --not enough taste, odd texture. Since were definitely not serving them to guest, my mother decided to see if anyone else in our household liked them.

Unlike our human testers, the chickens and the dog went wild over them. They liked them almost as much as the inedible cornbread my mom made not that long ago (when she was out of the usual ingredients and made a few substitutions.)

Don’t get the wrong idea, Ruth is a great cook and an incredible baker. I take full blame for the biscotti. I thought the recipe sounded like a winner!

Sorry for the scarcity of blog updates lately, but I am busily trying to meet my self-imposed work deadlines before I leave on vacation this week.

I visited a fabulous blog this morning. It truly captured the essence of cottage style. I read both new & old posts and I was entranced by the blogger’s sense of style.

I was about to add it to my Blogs To Visit, when I realized that the photos I had been admiring were most likely reproduced without permission from the folks who own the copyrights to them.

I sent a message to to the blogger to warn her against scanning photos from magazines and books. It’s illegal.
Yes, everyone does it, but several professional photographers that I know are starting to look for sites that reproduce their photos without their permission. If they find their work on a site, they have the legal right to ask that it be removed or demand payment… or initiate a lawsuit for unauthorized usage.

If you've credited the photographer (photo by Photographer X from Cottage Style), some tend to be less angry. They figure that someone might see their shot, love it and hire them for a paying job. If it’s un-credited they view it as property theft.

Many people don't realize that photographers (or sometimes the magazine or book publisher) own the copyright to each and every photo that they take. They make a substantial part of their income reselling or reusing them. No one involved wants them being used for free.

So, a word to the wise. I have Dan Mayers permission to use his photos on my blog in conjunction with our book. Other than his, I post photos that I’ve taken, my friends have taken or ones for products from companies (always crediting them).

Photographers expect payment for having their photos published on blogs. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I thought you should know about copyright laws. It's better than getting slapped with a lawsuit.

BIRTHDAY BLOG

Today’s the day. It’s my birthday. Although in truth, we’ve been celebrating for a week now!

First it was the scribbled “Happy Almost Birthday” on a set of pretty French market signs that a dear friend sent me as an early gift. Next it was several books about France (since I already know that a trip to Paris is my Big Gift). Yesterday it was a Tom Tom, GPS system for my car (confession: my nickname is wrong way).

I’ve always loved birthdays, mine or other folks. It’s as exciting making someone else feel special, as it is being the recipient of the royal treatment.

Years ago when my husband’s father was ill, we decided that birthdays shouldn't be one day; they should be longer. It was too much pressure to expect to have a great time on the exact day. It’s a recipe for trying too hard to enjoy the day.

So, in our family, you get a week in either direction. It's much more fun.

Anyhow, true to my obsession with land’s end, on our trip to France we are going to spend a few days on the Normandy coast. We’re staying at a 5-room B&B in a 17th century convent a few streets from the port of Honfleur. The breakfasts (with fresh bread and homemade jam) are served in an old cider house or in a courtyard garden (photo above).

In true French cottage style, it has exposed beams, color-washed plastered walls and a mix of formal and informal furnishings.

WILDER KINGDOM

Do I really blog about the fact that I spent most of yesterday afternoon researching sardines? I asked myself.

Do I admit after twenty minutes I had all I needed for chapter about a homeowner whose grandfather started one of the first sardine canneries in Maine but that I got hooked on reading about New England fishing history…and the personal histories of the folks who fished for these tasty morsels… and canned them… and even manufactured the cans?

Did You know the first successful east coast sardine cannery opened in 1887 in Eastport, Maine, 43 years after the world's first sardine cannery began operating in Nantes, France?

What took us so long?

The moral of my tale (no pun intended) is that if you are curious about something, it’s not bad idea to take follow your instincts. The internet makes it easy.

Through the years, I have been surprised by the interest generated by certain features that I wrote or published in one of my magazines.

Several years ago, my editor’s note in Flower Gardens magazine, titled “I Hate Squirrels”, received more mail than any of the other stories in the issue! I was amazed. After all, it was a short 4-paragraph essay. I concluded that the long-standing actor's rule -- never work with animals or kids – applied to magazines, too.

So, I guess I shouldn’t have been all that surprised when last week’s blog entry Wild Kingdom resulted in dozens of phone calls and e-mails from friends, long-lost friends, acquaintances and strangers.

Animals have a way of commanding attention. Known to steal the scene in films, animals it appears also garner the most attention in print photography, blogs and situations of any kind.

Once, when I was a partner in a photo studio, we had an assignment to shoot a cover photo for an oil industry magazine. The concept was a take off on Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road.

The photo called for chickens crossing the road. The set – a country road complete with a shotgun shack and cornfield -- was very expensive to build. It was gorgeous. We hired professional chickens who came with a handler and could perform a number of remarkable tricks.

Okay, if they were dogs, it wouldn’t be that impressive but they were chickens, after all.

Chicken Disclaimer: I have raised chickens for the last ten years and they can come when called, learn about 10 words/phrases and find their way back to their coop at sunset. As a whole, they are not that dumb but in every group of four there is always one that is so stupid that it makes me understand how chickens got such a bad reputation.

The morning of the photo shoot the art director raved about the set. He thought it was the best backdrop we had ever produced. The chickens arrived and we shot about 16 rolls of film. A few months later, we got a copy of the magazine. The photo had been cropped to show just the chickens!

So, that’s why instead of posting a photo of a terrific decorating idea or stunning waterside cottage today, I decided to share a photo of a bird that I photographed in the Bahamas.

The scarlet ibis was facing away from the camera when I came across it. In order to get it to turn around I made lots of birdlike sounds. I guess I accidentally uttered an insult of some sort because the bird twirled around and started to charge at me. Being a professional, of course, I crouched down and made sure I got the shot before fleeing. Enjoy!

WILD KINGDOM

My goal yesterday was to finish up Chapter 2, about an amazing Victorian style summerhouse on Little Diamond Island, by mid-afternoon and blog about it in the evening.

But, sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned.

After dinner, I went back to my computer to read through the text once again and make a few more edits. My chickens were happily roaming the garden.

It was almost dark when my husband asked me if it was okay that the chickens were still out. No, it wasn’t okay. I had forgotten about them.

Usually I leave the coop open when they are out so they can go back and lay eggs, have a snack or take a sip of water. However, I recently adopted 4 baby chicks (Chocolate, Chip, Holly and Helene) that can't go out yet.

Since their coop door was closed and they were unable to wander back in, they had settled in for the night roosting on chairs, in tree branches, even the roof of the coop. I shooed some of them in and carried in the ones who were really asleep. Nine got home safely. One was missing, Pedro.

My husband and I beat the bushes, scanned low-trees with flashlights, you name it. No Pedro. I was thoroughly miserable. She’s a senior member of the flock and though past her egg-laying prime, much loved.

I leashed Belgium and took him out hoping he would catch her scent and lead me to the spot where she was holing up. No such luck. He was far more interested in eating grass but he did sniff out a box turtle.

I finally went to bed, setting the alarm for 4:30 AM. I knew I had to be up before dawn to try to find her before the foxes woke up.

This morning I renewed the search, At 5 AM, I heard a fox in the distance but there was still no sign of my missing chicken.

About fifteen minutes later, I was on the porch and heard a flutter of wings and a kerplunk. I ran out and there was Pedro by the door of the coop. She had obviously been up in a tree somewhere near the coop and had somehow evaded our flashlight search. I opened the door for her and she cheerfully walked into the coop’s completely fenced in yard. I was rewarded with an egg from one of the other members of my small flock.

I was so relieved that I started pruning overgrown shrubs like a madwoman. I let Belgium out of the house to keep me company.

Within minutes he found the box turtle again and this time decided it would make a great chew toy. I rescued the turtle and moved it into the woods outside of the fenced in backyard garden.

Pedro seems none worse for her adventure. I, on the other hand, am exhausted from going to bed late and getting up early. I've had enough of domestic pets and wildlife today for today.

I’ll tell you about Missy and Michael’s summerhouse tomorrow.