Ode to Otis

Essex Bay

Katama Bay

Lewis Bay

It is the end of summer, practically.... Despite tornadoes, earthquakes and Hurricane Irene all I

want to do is Sit on the Dock of the Bay. Otis really had something there; it is the ultimate key to enjoying life and taking stock of the surrounding beauty. I hope he made time for it.

As our senses are bombarded with external stimuli and our days get filled with 'things to do' that languid pace of summer noticeably quickens. I am taking much pleasure in looking back; you could say 'wastin' my time away'. I am reminded of Otis Redding who was born on September 9; a birthday that is one week to the day later than my eldest son's birthday. Significant to me as my son turns 26 - the year Otis Redding was when his life was cut short tragically in a plane crash. Otis Redding (1941-1967) - an American Soul singer/songwriter and record producer of the first posthumous Number One Single in US Chart history selling 4 million copies worldwide. He died one month before its release.

Wouldn't you all agree we need more Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay. More... Much more........

Goodbye, Irene!

Honey Bee Sweet or Honey for Sale

It is never too late to bee happily every after

Apis melifera - Honey Bee - with Echinacea purpurea 'Sundown'

Apis melifera - Honey Bee - with Veronicastrum virginicum

Here's to the Sweet Days of Summer

G is for Grueby Pottery

Courtesy Treadway/Tommey Galleries

Courtesy artpotteryblog.com

Grueby Pottery began in Boston, MA , 1894, as the Grueby Faience Company producing terra cotta and glazed bricks. It was founded by William H. Grueby (1867-1925) a ceramist who was inspired by the gorgeous French pottery exhibited at the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. Grueby experimented with glaze colors and perfected shades of yellow, aqua and pink, as well as his signature matte green glaze which ultimately catapulted him to success. An exhibition at the Society of Arts and Crafts of Boston in 1897 increased his exposure with the pieces so well received as to be imitated by other Arts and Craft Potters of the time - Hampshire, Teco, Pewabic, Van Briggle, Roseville, Weller, and Rookwood.

Grueby won two Gold Medals and a Silver Medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition, as well as countless accolades at the 1901 Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. By 1905 Grueby Pottery was being sold at the Tiffany Studios in NYC where clients viewed entire rooms on display for purchase. Gustav Stickley also collaborated with the potter at trade fairs. Grueby Art Pottery pieces focused on hand-applied florals stylized during the Arts and Craft movement. This period reflects the movement away from commercial industrialization towards hand crafted art forms and creativity. Due to its popularity Grueby designs and glazes were widely copied and mass produced, ultimately flooding the market with low-cost reproductions and forcing the pottery company into bankruptcy in 1920. Today the pieces are highly collectible, with a lamp that was paired with a Tiffany shade selling at auction for $286,000! Should you decide to collect a piece a Grueby, familiarize yourself with the pieces and their marks before purchasing from a reputable dealer. And, as always, ENJOY the hunt for these absolutely beautiful pieces of American Arts and Craft history, sure to grace your home with style!

Gardens of Beauty

'What a surprising garden...might this be wonderland?' author unknown

F is for Federal Glass

Columbia pattern, 1938-1942

11" Chop Plate

Serving Bowl

Established in 1900 in Columbus, OH, Federal Glass produced beautiful hand-crafted glassware until the 1920's when it switched over to machine-made products. At that time Federal Glass was a leader in pressed, mold etched pink, green, amber and clear dish ware. It produced more Amber glass than any other depression glass company. Federal Glass established itself in the food service and commercial industries, remaining in business until 1979 when Indiana Glass Company purchased it and acquired its molds.

The Columbia pattern was manufactured from 1938-1942 in clear and pink. This unique design has some heft to it, with the decorative pattern of a central daisy-like ray flower emitting happy bubbles towards its edges. Other patterns made by Federal Glass include:

Colonial Fluted Rope, 1928-1932 Parrot (or Sylvan), 1931-1932

Diana, 1937-41 Patrician (or Spoke), 1933-1937

Fruits, 1931, 1936 Raindrops (or Pebble Optic), 1927

Georgian, 1931-1936 Rosemary (or Dutch Rose), 1935-1937

Honeycomb, 1931-1936 Sharon, 1935-1939

Madrid, 1932-1939 Thumbprint, 1927-1930

Mayflower, 1934 Windsor (or Button & Cane), 1970's

Normandie, 1933-1940

Despite being in the category of Depression Glass, collecting any one of these lovely patterns will ultimately bring joy to your home that only a thing of beauty can bring! Enjoy!