Too Alarming for Words

Hollow Upbringings by Mindy Herrin, Silversmith, Artist and Professor; Figure is of ceramic, vintage suede, silver, cheese cloth. The raven was found in Paris one Christmas season, displayed with its flock on a white tree.

Day of the Cats

Sam at Installations Antiques

Happy National Cat Day to all you cats out there...and to all those who love you!

Dirty Laundry

Flowers for us all. Well, I couldn't show the dirty laundry!

Maryanne of Beadboard UpCountry presented me with an award. I am delighted! However, I am required to tell seven things about myself that most of you don't know. That's a stretch for two reasons:

• I'm not that complicated...seven things?
• I'm such a blabber mouth...are there seven things still unknown?

Here's the dirty laundry:

1. I translate the French blog Un Coeur en Provence into the English version, A Heart in Provence, and I don't even speak French. I've been reading French design magazines for years and have French designer friends, so I do translations like I'm code cracking, while retaining Laeriss's poetic touch. (I think I have been hampered in learning to speak French because Tall Husband, my daughter and my grandchildren all speak French. And they all laugh at my pronunciation.)
2. I used to speak German quite well.
3. I've been married three times, each time to a Texan...something about those Texans!
4. As you can tell by #3, I don't put up with much.
5. I'm a Zebra, as I have a rare genetic disorder, porphyria, which triggered a few years ago. (Paula, the daughter of Isabel Allende, died from porphyria. One day I'll tell you the story about how one of Allende's books saved my life.)
6. I love British murder mysteries.
7. We have a painful Texas mystery: Years ago, right before my wedding day, my stepfather who had adopted me, disappeared while on a fishing trip. Foul play was suspected, however, his body was never found.

O.K. You can wake up now!

Now I'm supposed to pass this award to seven other admired bloggers. However, I can't make that choice because I love you all...so this award is for all the blogs on my blog list and for all the wonderful bloggers who follow my blogs. So, claim this award for your blogs, along with my admiration for all that you do.

A Bee's Life

If I were a bee, I would buzz around all those large pots of Lavender on the back porch of The Bunny Bungalow...'cause it's a long way back to Provence.

White Wednesday: The Sound of White

Sniiiif...

achoo!

Crack!

Ouch!

White Wednesday is hosted by Faded Charm.

The Magic Toad

They assured Tall Husband and me that Mr. Toad is magic.

He certainly looks magic...he even feels magic.

However, for a toad he's really a ham,

insisting that this is his best side.

Yesterday, Tall Husband and I visited one of our favorite places in Houston...Adkins Architectural Antiques. I'm always on the lookout for antique bunnies when I go there, but this time an ugly toad found us. One has to admit, though, there is something quite charming about this toad and the people at Adkins assured us that Mr. Toad is magic. I immediately knew that Tall Son would adore him. So Mr. Toad is now at The Bunny Bungalow, looking quite at home with all the bunnies and awaiting Tall Son's next visit.

After all, Bunny Bungalow was once known as Toad Hall...before the previous owner sold the bungalow to us, packed up his toads and left us toadless.

Read here about Tall Son's love of toads. Right now Tall Son is on a business trip to Seattle, Washington...so he's toadless in Seattle!

Angels in My Alley

Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia)

There must be angels in my alley because I found their trumpets.

I cut a couple and brought them into our bungalow...

placing them in an old French vase that Tall Husband gave me on or first trip to Paris. The Bunny Bungalow is now filled with their heavenly fragrance.

Take a look down our alley and you can see dozens of these beauties.