{the cottage nest}

On a Pedestal

2012-01-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Last week I made 2 batches of these scones. They're pretty good, especially for a healthy version. My search for the perfect scone continues but this was a nice diversion. Twice. The first batch lasted all of 12 hours.

I think they taste even better on these cake pedestals I got at Costco. They at least look like they taste better. The set of 2 was $20 and they also come in white. Why must there be such temptation at every turn? I called my man and said "What is a reasonable number of cake pedestals for a person who bakes all the time to own?" I already had 3 at home and he knew that but here is one of the many reasons I love him, he said "There is absolutely no limit." Yay. After an internal struggle I left the white behind and just bought green. I have a limited amount of space and hope to add a pink or blue one to my collection some day. Self control. Who knew I had any?

Nesting

2012-01-23T13:41:00.000-05:00

My nesting mood continues and now seems to be overlapping on to my blog. I've been wanting to redo my blog for quite some time and simplify things but I find that I'm fairly ignorant about such things. Add to that the fact that I'm also frugal and you will find me piddling around with it myself rather than shell out money that could be used for the house. Or for more fabric, which I seem to be unable to stop buying.

I've been organizing, tossing and rearranging all weekend and it looks like the trend will continue for a bit. I have some fun things to show you as a result but I'm finishing up a few details first.

I hope you are feeling as inspired as I am this week.

My View Today

2012-01-19T12:28:00.000-05:00

I'm taking the day off. Aside from making soup for dinner and cleaning the kitchen, I'm not doing any work today. I didn't even make my bed. Gasp. Scandal! I picked a good day for it. This is the view out my window from my spot on the sofa.

A perfectly snowy day. This is my view of the coffee table. A stack of unread books and magazines just waiting for me to flip through them.

The wrap I'm knitting is also calling to me. It's ruffled edge eagerly waving me over. How is a girl to choose?

Did you ever think to use a pretty glazed pot to contain your yarn while you knit? It works perfectly.

P.S. Answers to questions from yesterday's post:

1)The door knob is from Anthropologie. The funny thing is that the first knob he got me said Enter and Exit on it and he accidentally knocked it out of the door and smashed it to bits. When he went back to get another, they were out of that one and so he got the In and Out one. I actually prefer this one so it was a happy accident!

2)The paint color is Martha Stewart Araucana Blue from Lowes. It's an old color but they should still be able to mix it for you. If you have trouble I have the formula.

3)The light fixture is from Lowe's. I really, truly love it and two of them might not be enough for me.

Come On In

2012-01-18T17:11:00.003-05:00

Are you guys tired of hearing about my studio yet? I wouldn't blame you. Sadly, it may be some time (or never) before I'm tired of talking about it. I didn't want to bore you today with lots of detail pictures but you can count on seeing those sprinkled around the blog for awhile. By the way, I'm in love with this doorknob that my sweetie surprised me with while I was out of town last month! I'm now daydreaming about replacing every knob in this house.

Here's a quick before of the room from the day we were here on our house hunt.

This is the view from the door. The closet is to the right and a daybed to the left. A reader had asked if the table in the closet was really going to be useable for crafting. I have set up the tables for different uses and I think that is one of the things I love the most about this room now. I have a sewing area, a work area and a creative area. So far it is working great. I am on the hunt for a nice wood rolling chair to use at these 2 work tables.

Here's the latest incarnation of my inspiration board. I like to redo it about once a year. It always makes me happy and inspires me endlessly.

Note the new light fixture. I'm so in love with it. We put one just like it in the hallway upstairs.

Until Maddie leaves home, this room also serves as a part time guest room. Some day that daybed will be out of here and will be replaced with a cozy reading chair and more storage. It's not like I'm counting the days. But...

Here you see how the closet works with the rest of the room. The metal shelves in the niche are very functional and give me tons of storage. I think I may curtain at least some of the shelves. I'm going to be giving that 'ol sewing machine a workout very soon with plans for pillows for the bed, window treatments, a sewing machine cover and a few other surprises.

This space is my dream come true. I'm not an extravagant girl, no expensive jewelery or Mcmansions for me. Just having this space to surround myself with pretty things feels like such a luxury and helps me to live contentedly.

I really wish you could come play in this space with me. It's the only thing that could make it better.

And Then the After Becomes the Before

2012-01-16T15:04:00.003-05:00

Where do I begin? The closet is done. It turned out just the way I envisioned it when we first saw this house almost exactly one year ago.

I love seeing all of my things on those shelves. If I don't see it, I probably won't use it. I can also clearly tell from looking at all my stuff that I have really gotten to a point in my life where I know what I like and I try to honor that when I shop.

I wish I was sitting there right now.

Today was a dreary day for picture taking but I just couldn't wait. This post has a crazy number of pictures in it. I'd be embarrassed if I weren't so danged excited. I wanted to share all of the details of the closet with you. I assume you are like me and dig that kind of thing. I'm crazy excited with the amount of storage I packed into this 2x8 foot space. Crazy.excited. I'm a storage geek.

So...the details. We'll start on the ground and work our way up.

This is an old album table that I got cheap at a garage sale. It's great for holding scrapbook paper, canvases and big bulky things I don't have any other place for. The basket that sits below it holds my stamps.

This old vintage bucket holds my wrapping paper and yardsticks.

I found this piece last month while visiting my friend Melissa. I didn't know what I was going to do with it at the time but for less than $20 I figured I would figure it out. It is some kind of handmade garden caddy. But I decided to use it like those Pottery Barn wall cubbies that I love but don't want to spend the money on.

This grey wire stand holds my vintage jars and some favorite embellishments.

These vintage jewelery boxes hold part of my sizeable collection of vintage jewelery and jewelery making supplies.

A little reminder to keep on doing what got me here.

Boxes full of treasures like crystals, paper bits, wood game pieces and more vintage jewelry. Who has a problem?

Part of my library of crafting books.

I could just stare at these colors all day. That pink and red bag holds my ever growing collection of Japanese masking tape. Like everything else on these shelves, it makes me smile.

A favorite hook with some favorite ribbons and trims.

I wanted to show you how I used that narrow upper shelf. I put things up there that I don't access much. I found that Anthropologie shopping bags were just the right size to corral some of those items.

My big paper cutter and laminating supplies are up there too.

More of my library of craft books. I'm always on the lookout for more inspiration!

It wouldn't be mine without the occasional outburst of glitter.

So there we have it, approximately 16 square feet of storage and studio wonder. How's that for making a small space live large?

I still have the rest of the room to share with you. I cannot even believe how it came together. Hopefully I will have a sunny day to take those pictures. I may not be back for a couple of days. I bet you can guess where I'll be.

Out of the Closet

2012-01-13T13:16:00.001-05:00

We finally finished the closet renovation last night and a little birdie told me you might like to see it. This really seemed like the project that wouldn't end.

This is what we started with, minus the rickety bi-fold doors. Sorry about the blurry pic. The hideousness of the closet gave me the shakes.

Note the old, unraveling carpet, the lack of storage and the dingy walls.

For some reason some of the walls and the ceiling did not have drywall. This house has a lot of what we fondly call "jackassery" and this is just another example of it. That awesome man of mine even had to build in wall studs to do this project. He is my hero. Swoon.

Here is a shot of the ceiling. Directly above it is the attic so you can imagine the draft that was coming down from there.

Here we are now. The walls have all been paneled and painted.

The ceiling has been covered and trimmed out. Three levels of shelves have been built in. This job was like a big woodworking jigsaw puzzle but luckily I married the smartest man in all the land.

After pulling up the carpet it became clear that this was not going to be best case scenario so it was on to plan b and a new surface was added over the old. Add some grey floor paint we had sitting around and we were good to go.

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. I also couldn't be more proud of the job my man did in this space. He's a keeper! I'm amazed at how far his skills have come over the years. We are such a good team and I truly love doing these projects with him. I do the creative, pretty parts and he does the brainy, muscley parts. It's a great collaboration.

Today I'm finishing up some furniture painting and then I'm going to spend the weekend rearranging and reorganizing and fluffing and maybe even some playing. I'm only coming out for food and sleep. Maybe not even then!

J is for Joy

2012-01-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

For the last 9 months I've worked hard making over this house and, while I know there will always be a project (or 3) in the wings, I've decided to start taking some time to do things that I love. I've embraced a slower pace for my projects and I've decided to give myself permission to spend time doing things that make me happy.

The only way I know I can follow through with this is to put myself on a bit of a schedule. My plan is to spend from 7:30 (when I drop Emma at school) to 11am every morning taking care of the house, business, running errands and working out. Then I will have until 2:15 (when I pick up Emma) to spend however I choose. I'm finding it satisfying to accomplish so much so early and I don't feel guilty if I want to do something fun with part of my day.

I know this isn't going to work every day and I have no intention of being rigid about it but I also know that I need the routine and hope this allows me to carve out time on most days to bring a little extra j-o-y into my life. Do you schedule pleasure into your day?

Think Pink

2012-01-05T08:36:00.000-05:00

One day when Maddie was about 14, she told me that I was too old to wear pink. She couldn't help it. She was possessed by hormones at the time. If you ask her about this now, she will claim to have no memory of it. I didn't wear pink for a few years because of that remark. Behold the power of our words. It's okay. I've forgiven her. Mostly.

Lately I'm craving some pink in my life and I'm obsessed with finding the just right pale-ish shade to use on a couple of small pieces in the studio. I may be too old for pink but since I don't care, it's okay. I'm a girl obsessed. I have a friend, who will remain nameless, okay Sarah (she deserves to be shamed) who had the nerve to send me a text the other day after I had added these plus aprox 238 other pink pictures to my pinterest boards that said "Would you just paint something pink and get it over with?" Has she not been paying attention? I cannot possibly choose a paint color without obsessing about it first. Silly girl.

The other night I didn't sleep especially well and every time I woke up I was leaving behind a dream that was pink hued. Do you do that? Do you dream about colors and patterns? Should I call a professional?

In other news, my studio closet is coming along nicely. We really underestimated what a big job it was and I feel bad about that last post where I whined about my carpenter because he has worked his back side off to get it finished. He's a good sport!

Also, I want to thank you guys for the awesome lunch suggestions. Keep 'em coming! They are just the kinds of things I was looking for. I can't wait to make my grocery list!

Stuck in a Rut

2012-01-03T18:58:00.001-05:00

I'm a pretty good meal planner when it comes to dinners. Lunch is another story. I find myself eating things like bread heel sandwiches and the lasts bits of things that need to be eaten before they go bad and get tossed. Such is the life of a mom.

I'd like to be more deliberate in my lunch choices. I have two go-to lunches. The one shown here: an apple (honeycrisp please!), sliced cheese and walnuts or an egg scrambled in a bit of olive oil with a toasted tortilla with a bit of melty cheese in the middle. Both yummy but getting a bit monotonous. Do you have any ideas that are healthy, fairly quick to make and budget friendly? Also, am I the only one that feels like I need to take out a second mortgage to buy groceries these days?

Turning the Page

2011-12-31T15:27:00.000-05:00

A New Year. Are you giddy with the possibilities a new year brings? Me too. Is this the year you will simplify, get healthy, get organized, make that big change or take that risk? I believe if you can dream it, you can do it.

How many of us will actually attempt the things that we are dreaming about? It's so much easier to just keep dreaming. Don't get me wrong, dreaming is one of my favorite past times, but if you look back on your life with regret at the things you never did, then it's time to do something different. Don't listen to the naysayers, don't give in to the fear. Don't get stuck on the possibility of failure. Here's what I want to ask you...What is the worst thing that could happen if you went for it? What are you sacrificing by not trying?

I've always been a dreamer. I used to sit around wishing my life was what I envisioned. One day I realized it wasn't just going to happen. I had to make it happen. I worked hard, made life changing decisions and made a big dream come true and now I feel empowered. I feel like if I put my mind to it, I can accomplish anything. I no longer care what people think about the life I choose to live. I also no longer fear failure. I will fail. I'm sure of it. If I take risks, not all of them will work out. But you know what? Not even trying is its own kind of failure. I'll choose the first kind, thankyouverymuch.

I cannot imagine going back to my old life. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad life. It just wasn't the life I felt I was meant to live. It took some soul searching to figure out what I wanted and once I did I just started taking one step at a time until those steps led me to my dream cottage in my dream town. Very often I stop and reflect on the journey that brought me here and I am filled with gratitude that I listened to my inner voice.

I have learned that sometimes you have do the very thing that scares you because it scares you. It is my nature to be afraid but I push forward. Sometimes I just need to fake it til I feel it. When I'm scared, I make myself commit to something that pushes me out of my comfort zone so that I'm forced to face my fears. Of course I regret it each and every time. Right up to the point when it's over and I'm no longer afraid. Crazy, but it works.

I love my life now. I'm grateful we took a risk and changed the course of our family's lives forever. We've never been happier. There was a time when I couldn't imagine this life being a reality but I turned my thinking around and after a lot of sacrifice we made our Village dreams come true. I appreciate most the things I work the hardest for.

If like me, you have a dream, no matter how big or small, take one small step today to start making it come true. Sit and make a plan, then take some action, no matter how small. Then I want you do the scariest part, tell someone about your dream. Then tell more people. That will make you accountable. If you would like, tell me about your dream. I would love to give you moral support. I want you to succeed. I want you to feel the soul deep satisfaction of making your life what you want it to be. Whatever that is. I want you to feel empowered to steer your life in a direction that gives you joy, that fills you with peace and that makes you feel like you are living the life you were meant to live.

This year we have 366 days. I'm going to make mine count.

(except the first picture, all the above pics are from pinterest)

Project Before, During and Inspiration

2011-12-29T14:15:00.001-05:00

Another week, another project! We are currently working on the studio closet and as usually happens this will have a snowball effect on the entire room. Since a post full of pictures featuring wall studs, bad drywall, funky trim, ratty carpet and old wallpaper isn't especially attractive, I thought I'd sprinkle in some pretty pictures from my Pinterest boards that are inspiring my dreams for this room.

I'm looking forward to more storage and being more organized. Who says organization can't be pretty? Fools.

Below is a true before picture of the closet except we had already removed the lovely marker scarred refuse-to-stay-in-the-track louvered bifold doors. Pretty huh?

Yeah I didn't think so. Now look at this one and squint your eyes and use your imagination. And maybe click your heels together 3 times for good measure.

Below is a progress shot. We're not quite there yet and I'm feeling antsy to be done with construction and moving on to the pretty/fluffing/playing stage of the project but my hired hand is not moving at a pace that satisfies me. I'd fire him but since I live with him, that could be awkward.

I know all the pain will be worth it in the end but for now I'm stuck in the planning phase and dreaming about when it's all done. I'm sure my carpenter is dreaming about that part too. I'm just happy that he is (mostly) willing to carry out my crazy ideas.

Scenes from Dec 23rd

2011-12-23T17:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some (several) pictures of what Christmas looks like around our cottage today. I did keep the decor pretty simple this year and it makes me happy. I'm not even close to being sick of it. I think that's a good sign.

A vintage chicken feeder filled with greenery and vintage ornaments sits on our table.

My favorite stockings strung in the studio.

A festive chalkboard in the family room. I can't get enough of mercury glass these days.

An ironstone bowl filled with Christmas card cheer.

The holiday box I made a few weeks ago. Glittery reindeer make me smile every single time.

Glittery houses and feather trees always draw me in.

Oversized aqua ball ornaments hang in the front porch windows.

The 25th is almost upon us and like most of you, I'm wishing I could slow these last few days down. It seems the more I wish that, the faster they go.

The only caged birds around here are glittered and living on the front porch.

Trucks and trees.

A favorite find a from a few years ago looks great on the aqua door.

Urns filled with happy colored vintage ornaments.

The mantle in the dining room.

Jadeite and santas decorate the shelves in the kitchen.

You better watch out...you better not pout...

A chippy red table helps hold the presents.

The time out chair happily gives up its corner for the tree and gets pulled into a cozy grouping with the sofa. We love it so much we don't want to move it back.

I hope you are all savoring every moment. I hope you aren't getting overwhelmed by the details that no one will remember any way. I hope this Christmas season brings you the joy you all deserve.

Birthday Happiness

2011-12-20T19:52:00.001-05:00

Today is my 41st birthday. This is the scene I woke up to this morning. Gifts lovingly wrapped and placed under the birthday tree in my studio. What? You've never heard of a birthday tree before? Well, that just sounds crazy to me. When your birthday is this close to Christmas you find ways to celebrate the connection.

My little one was way too sick for school today (wink,wink) and stayed home to help us celebrate. We had breakfast on Main Street and there was some shopping in the morning and studio pottering in the afternoon. My guy made me dinner and my big girl baked me this gorgeous carrot cake from this recipe. Incredibly good. She made the lighter version so we could have bigger pieces. It was a good decision.

It was a simple day filled with love and sweetness and, I think, my favorite birthday yet. I wish the day never had to end but maybe that's because it's such a treat to have my family fuss over me so much. I found myself looking around at their faces before I blew out my birthday candles and I knew for sure what my birthday wish would be. I hope this next year is as happy as the one that came before it.

On a Happier Note

2011-12-18T18:01:00.000-05:00

Here is the stocking I made for Melissa for our annual exchange last weekend.

I lined it with one of my favorite fabrics and added some pom poms because really, can you ever have enough pom poms in your life?

For the most part, I am a self taught seamstress and this was my first attempt at lining something and also at applique. I love applique! I can't wait to do more. I have a habit of jumping in to things that are over my head. It's how I learn. It also seems it's becoming a way of life.

This is some of what the stocking was stuffed with.

There is a lot of... one for you, one for me... going on when I shop for stuffers.

Here is the gorgeous stocking Melissa made for me. Melissa is a whiz on the sewing machine and I am always a little intimated sewing something for her. I love that appliqued candy cane with glittery seed beads and there is something about raw edged ruffly fabric things that make me swoon right now.

Here's some of what was in my stocking. She spoils me. I allow it.

This is our 3rd year to do this and I think I officially have a collection of stockings now. I'm already planning next years.

Here I Am

2011-12-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

What a day yesterday was. My email, account and blog were "disabled" by Google. No explanation. I spent the day emailing them and looking for info on what happened and it was not pretty. They can do this without warning and you may never get it back. I was very lucky that I got mine back within a day. There is this whole process that you have to go through that usually takes longer. I woke up this morning and was happy to find everything as it should be with an email from Google saying "Our apologies for the inconvenience" and no explanation.

I felt so helpless and sad all day yesterday and had no way to let any of you know what was going on. Aside from my sadness about losing this blog that has chronicled the most important parts of my life for the last 5+ years, I was angry and heartbroken because I have lost so much in my life and after my Mom was killed my brother and I were not given her things, nor was I given a letter that she wrote to me to receive upon her death. It is a long, complicated story that I will share one day but it's effect on me when I thought I had lost the comments she has left on this blog were devastating.

Today I am thankful but wary and considering my options for a move. Know that I would never disappear without a word. I would never delete this blog. I would never treat you that way.

Thank you all for your concern. I hope to be back later today with a more upbeat post. You can't keep a good woman down.

The Weekend

2011-12-13T22:50:00.003-05:00

You have no idea how hard it was to narrow down the pictures in this post to just the 4,752 posted here. It was a weekend full of beauty, inspiration and friendship. With maybe a sprinkling of shopping. Or maybe more than a sprinkling.

Melissa's attention to detail is amazing. At first glance the table was gorgeous. At second glance it was absolutely inspired. Look what was hiding under the plates! Where does she come up with this stuff? I want to live in her dreams.

There was loveliness to be found at every turn.

The colors spoke to my very soul. I was seduced by the glitter and sparkle.

Here a vignette, there a vignette. I'm pretty sure she is going to give me this bird cage whens she tires of it...

On to the studio. Nothing could prepare me for that moment. I stood staring and slack jawed.

I prayed, Dear Lord, please let this be what Heaven looks like.

At every turn a feast for the eyes. For all of the senses really.

The work table waiting for us to dive in.

Painted reindeer call my name. I happily answer the call.

Trees wait to be glittered and called into action.

Melissa was so generous with her amazing stash of treasures. Nothing was off limits. A dream come true.

The projects finished. This weekend will not soon be forgotten and I am happy to have this keepsake to help me remember an amazing weekend with a cherished friend and her wonderful family.

A Very Vintage Studio

2011-12-08T19:34:00.001-05:00

When the weatherman promised me sunshine yesterday for my pictures, he lied. Either that or he and I have different opinions on what sunshine means.

I hurriedly snapped these this afternoon right after I finished a project I was working on. I'm hitting the road tomorrow for my crafty girl weekend and I still have to get packed and get the car loaded but I wanted to post these before I left.

I have a little spruce up project planned in here with a little help from my friend Cath Kidston so I'll be back with that soon. You guys will be sick to death of the studio in no time. Not me. I could live in this room.

This picture above shows what is left of my beloved mercury glass bead collection after what happened in the picture below.

Mayhem. Misery. Destruction. I wiped out almost my entire collection of aqua ball jars and mercury beads. There was a little wailing involved. I have since replenished my collection of beads a little but the healing process is going to be slow.

One of my favorite words, but you knew that.

Some gift wrapping supplies in my favorite box. I'm a sucker for containers especially if they are aqua or chippy. If they happen to be both then I cannot resist.

These are my supplies for my December Daily journal that I've yet to actually start. I'm hoping to catch up on that next week. If not I'm going to give myself permission to try again next year. Simplify.

The aqua and white basket above is from the dollar section at Target. Those holiday Cavallini stamps on the left might just be my favorite stamps ever. You can find them in the Sundance catalog.

A favorite vintage ornament found at a thrift store. It reminds me of the ornaments my mom made and that were sadly lost to me. I mourn them every year.

Another shot of my studio tree. It's filled with small vintage and felt ornaments. I could sit and look at it all day. I made that bird ornament in the background and hope to make more ornaments this year.

Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back next week with lots to share.

A Little Holiday Project

2011-12-06T16:51:00.000-05:00

Lately my mind is buzzing with ideas, some big, some small. It's like all the creativity that was missing for the past 2 years was quietly gathering steam and I am being propelled at full speed now. I hate going to sleep at night and can't wait to wake back up and play. It's like I have a new toy I can't wait to play with, only that toy is my life! It is the most surreal feeling. I'm loving life right now.

Anywho! Enough of my blathering. You came here for a holiday project you say?

All you'll need is:
2 empty glass spice jars (I love Target Archer's Farm spice jars & use them for buttons, etc.)
2 ballerina cupcake toppers
mica flakes
glue dots
craft glue
long tweezers

We put 4 mini glue dots on the base of each figure then put dabs of craft glue on the ballerina so some of the "snow" would stick to her. We used the long tweezers to get her situated in the jar and then added the mica. Emma's ballerina went for a dip in the mica pool but that was purely optional. Emma would still be playing in those flakes if I hadn't wrestled them from her.

So there it is. It was super easy and fun and there is no end to what you could stick in a jar and cover with snow.

I'll be back Wednesday or Thursday with news from the studio. There is real, actual sunshine in the forecast for tomorrow so hopefully I can get some good pictures.

Dishing Up Some Happy

2011-12-05T10:04:00.002-05:00

I'm enjoying this new slower paced life. The only house project I worked on all weekend was organizing my studio and let me tell you, if I said that was really work, I'd be lying. I'm locking myself in there for the next few days. If the sun will cooperate, I hope to get pictures of the Christmas and creative explosion that is happening in there.

Until then I thought I'd share pictures of one of our favorite Sunday morning meals. I got this Hello Kitty waffle maker at Target a few years ago. They usually sell them around Christmas. Somehow getting in touch with your inner adolescent makes waffles taste better. Clearly I was deprived as a child.

Emma and her friend Azumi always request these during their regular sleepovers. These girls have a lot of major differences. One likes her waffles face up, one likes hers face down. One likes her strawberry on her plate, one likes hers on the side. One spoke almost no English when they first became friends a few years ago and one spoke almost no Japanese. Like all good friends, they overcame those differences.

We love happy food served on happy dishes in this house. Even a certain Daddy that lives here gets very excited for Hello Kitty waffles. He will even eat them off of flower plates without a second thought. Just a little insight as to why I love him so much.

Christmas Wish List 2011

2011-12-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

I always love to hear what other people are putting on their Christmas wish list and thought I'd share what's on mine.

Books, books and more books. Some of these I happen to know are already on the way and I will probably take my birthday money and buy the ones I don't get. I can never get enough books! They are my number one favorite present to get and give.

From Sur La Table: A marble pastry board to get me through until I have marble counters:

Just about anything from Anthroplogie would make me happy but these items are especially high on my list:

Likewise, just about anything from Cath Kidston would make me happy.

Alright, I have a confession. You know how some people drunk dial? Well. I sleep shop. It's the downside of having my laptop on my nightstand and easily accessible credit card info. Last night, after going back and forth for days about whether or not to order myself some pre-birthday goodies, I took the plunge while in a sleepy stupor. Unlike the drunk dial, which you always regret the next day, this I did not. The first 2 items on this list should be on the way to me soon.

A tripod for my camera

Some aqua twine

and some perfume

I'm not an extravagant girl and we have a pretty small holiday budget compared to most people I know. I may only get a few things off my list and that's fine with me. Sometimes it's the dreaming that's the most fun! What's on your list?

A Creative Friend

2011-11-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

I am lucky to have some wonderful girlfriends. Some I see often, some I know only from this blog and hope to meet one day and some that don't live close by that I get to only see occassionally. My friend Melissa is one of those. I originally met her at the Silver Bella art retreat in 2008. We became fast friends. Lucky for me she only lives a few hours away and this past year we have been better about scheduling visits.

She came to see me in June for 5 days. She slept in the studio. This is what it looked like before she arrived. Neat huh? Tidy? That first picture is of a tin of goodies I put together to welcome her.

We shopped, played and ate. It was so much fun, like a grown up slumber party but better because you can legally drink. She put up with my family and my Sweet Hubby's messy fried egg sandwiches. I put up with her staying up sewing until the wee hours and going running in the mornings presumably just to make me look bad.

I also put up with her trashing the studio. I mean, Holy bad house guest! Okay. Maybe I was just as much to blame as she was. Plus I was able to leave it at night to sleep in a tidy bedroom. No wonder she was up half the night.

I'm going to visit her in a week and a half for a few days and I'm especially excited about a craft brunch she is hosting. Also I want to see if her family is as weird as mine. Probably not. Here is Emma trying on her clothes. Aren't those legs ridiculous? They are about a mile long these days.

Recently Melissa requested that I knit a wrap for her after seeing a picture of one she liked. Believe me, it will look much more chic on her than it did on me when I tried it on while I was racing around trying to get ready for my Thanksgiving company.

I suggested that rather than give me money, she pay me with a Christmas throw quilt she made a few years ago which I have been smitten with since I first laid eyes upon it. That's way more fun, don't you think?

Now it's mine and I will cherish it almost as much as I cherish her friendship. A truly good friend is a hard thing to come by.

Thanksgiving 2011 Recap

2011-11-26T13:01:00.004-05:00

The biggest eating day of the year has come and gone. I enjoyed every moment of the prep and cooking this year and felt very thankful indeed. We kept the tables simple. The kids designed their own table covering which provided the added bonus of keeping them busy during the last push to get the cooking finished. My Maddie is always a huge help to me preparing Thanksgiving dinner and this year was no different.

Emma's turkey drawing above says "Don't make me dinner". But we did. We had smoked turkey, smoked pork, ham, gorgonzola mashed potatoes, green beans, fresh cranberries, sweet potatoes, baked mac and cheese, yeast rolls and stuffing.

Speaking of stuffing, our post Thanksgiving tradition is to take the leftover stuffing, put it in a pan, sprinkle it with shredded cheese, beat some eggs and milk (4 eggs and about 1/3 cup milk for this amount) and bake it for 30 mins at 350°. Fast and easy because I don't know about you but I won't be in much of a cooking mood for several days.

There was no Black Friday shopping here. Instead there was a mani/pedi with a bold color choice (Mermaid Tears) for my happy toes and the Village Christmas tree lighting. Now we are all feeling fat and happy. Our company has all flown the nest and the house seems more quiet than usual. We are all soaking it in.

Today we are putting our feet up and doing nothing more strenuous than watching movies, reading and playing on the computer. Tomorrow the Autumn decorations come down (or today if I am feeling ambitious) and little bits of Christmas will start to show up around the house. Sweet Hubby will pretend that there is no way the tree is going up before December 1st and I will pretend to agree with him. This is just the beginning of our holiday traditions.

I find myself wishing I could slow down time this next month. I want to absorb every merry minute. I'm going to do my best to live in the moment for the next 30 days. Maybe with some practice I will be able to make that a way of life.

Long Week

2011-11-18T18:32:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy that the past two weeks are over. My endless painting to do list (front porch, doors, treehouse, trim, master bedroom, sitting room, hallway and entry) all done with the exception of a second coat on the outside front door.

The feeling of relief is overwhelming. My motivation was the promise of a rare treat mani/pedi next Friday and the promise of a holiday season without the weight of my to do list hanging over me. The bonus is that this place feels more mine every day.

Now I'm ready to think about Thanksgiving next week and the company we have coming in town. I'm ready to finish up some knitting projects and spend more time with people (and critters) I love.

I'm ready to tackle that stack of presents that is waiting to be wrapped, that pile of magazines and books waiting to be read and sit in front of that sewing machine that's been gathering dust. I'm ready to let the fun begin. Guilt free.

No Soup for You

2011-11-14T08:57:00.001-05:00

Another rainy Monday is happening here. This is the view from my corner. I would not have been able to share that picture with you a few weeks ago but we recently had some unseasonably warm weather that pushed me outside to clean windows. Dirty windows during winter are just depresssing.

It occured to me that I never shared my Butternut Squash Soup recipe with you so I thought this was a good day for it. Plus with Thanksgiving only 10 days away food is really on my mind. I'm working on my menu but would love to hear what you are planning to make that day. Inspire me! I beg you!

Butternut Squash Soup
3 pound butternut squash
1 medium onion, chopped
olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 heavy cream (or half and half or milk to lighten it up)
ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

Cut squash in half through stem. Drizzle the cut side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put face down on sheet pan and roast for 1 hour or until very fork tender. Allow to cool and then scoop out the squash from the skin. Chop into cubes.

In large pot put 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil and saute onion until translucent. Add squash, using a potato masher to break up and add 4 cups of chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes and then using an immersion blender, puree soup. Next add cream, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

I am normally so so on any kind of squash but I really liked this soup. My Sweet Hubby who loves him some squash thought this soup was awesome! After I made this, I read a recipe that had bacon in it. Yes bacon. You can bet I'm trying that next time.

I'm a Planner

2011-11-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

I'm a planner and a dreamer. Give me a stack of books, a pen and a notebook and I'm off and running. One of my favorite pre-holiday traditions is sitting down with a stack of Christmas books and gathering ideas for the upcoming holiday. Of course, in my enthusiasm I always dream about way more than I can realistically accomplish in the short season and I always think I will do better next year. Such is the curse of being me.

This year my goal is to get all of my shopping and big home projects done by Thanksgiving so that I will have time to savor the season. I am blindly optimistic that way. I like to wrap presents as I buy them because otherwise I might hide them and never find them all. Not even when I move. Weird. Not that that ever happened to me. I love this paper I found at Target this week. Just the right amount of color and festiveness for me. Am I the only one that finds wrapping paper to be a very big decision?

Have you tried the Candy Cane Kisses? I've been craving my peppermint bark for months and months and have been not-so-patiently waiting for candy canes to hit the shelves. Until that happens, I am making do with these.

The baking labels from my last post are from this website and they are also great for the holidays. I made some for a cookie exchange party I had a few years ago. They'd also be great for holiday baking gifts. To further cut back on holiday stress, I'm not baking much for other people this year. If I were I might use something like this one I just designed. I'm also not sending out cards. I'm practically the Grinch. It's freeing. I really just want to sit by my tree and watch Christmas movies and embroider and knit. I refuse to participate in the Christmas crazy this year. Please remind me of that in about 4 weeks.

Fresh Out of the Oven

2011-11-08T09:07:00.001-05:00

Lately I've really enjoyed cooking. It's not just the food, but the process. Also, I really enjoy eating so that's a bonus. Cool weather always sends me to the stove but this year there is something in addition to that. I'm just so very satisfied by it. Be warned, there will be a lot of food posts in our future.

Today I want to share my recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. If you call it bread you can eat it for breakfast. If you call it Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake, not so much. I was all ready to publish this post when I realized how remiss I was in not taking a photograph of an actual slice of cake, err, I mean bread. And even though it was only 8:30 am, because I call it bread it was totally acceptable to cut myself a slice to "share" with you

And since I can't really share a slice with you, as much I want to, I can share the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
4 eggs, beaten
1 c oil
1/2 c cold water
3 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Combine the pumpkin eggs, oil, water and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Put into 2 large loaf pans and bake at 350° for 1 hour. You can also put into small loaf pans and they take about 45 mins. I like to bake 1 large loaf (for us) and 2 small loaves (for sharing).

Follow Your Heart

2011-11-04T12:03:00.000-04:00

Well, I did it and I love it! The color is Sherwin Williams Aqueduct. I love this color. I want to do the backstroke in it, pour it into a colorful mug, top it with marshmallows and drink it, wrap it up and tuck it under my pillow at night. I would marry this color if I could. I'm ready to commit. Yep it's serious. A little over the top, right? But I am just that into it. I keep forgetting about it and then I walk in to the room and catch sight of it and it just makes me smile. Does your house make you smile? If not you should work on that. Live your life for you! I get that this door might not be for everyone but it is for me and a smile inducing door can only make life better I think.

Here is a wider view of the room so you can see how the door works overall. And there is Millie pouting on her pillow because I'm too busy to throw her ball for her.

As with any project I do, this one seems to be having a snowball effect. I will soon be attempting a slipcover for that ottoman and I'm searching for an antique dresser to fit where that entry table is. Outside that window is the covered front porch where I will be spending a good portion of the next few days painting. My hope is to have all of the house painting done by Thanksgiving. Be gone hunter green paint! Be gone mustard gold paint! Be gone molding the color of manila folders!

I seem to be in major nesting mode lately. Is it just me? Do you think it's the weather? I will try to stop long enough to share my progress. Hoping your weekend is as happy as an aqua door!

I Dream of Yarn and Other Colorful Things

2011-11-03T12:38:00.002-04:00

I dream about yarn. I knit in my sleep. I am currently obsessed with this blanket from the Purl Soho blog and trying to find a budget priced yarn to knit it up in. Sometimes I dream about fabric or paper or just really colorful things. Few things make me happier than dreaming about aqua, red, pink, yellow and green. It makes me want to jump out of bed and create something.

The other day I decided to paint the inside of my door aqua. I have always had white. I'm tired of playing it safe. Life is too short for that. So today I started painting. I now realize that it's not enough for me to just paint the inside. I'm going to paint the outside aqua too. I find that these days I really crave color. The problem seems to be that, the more I have the more I want. Actually, maybe that is no problem at all.

As I do what I want to this house, I feel myself becoming transformed right along with it. I am now someone who knows what she wants, feels secure in that knowledge and doesn't care what other people think. It's freeing! I think this is the gift of turning 40 and of living an authentic life. We are a house full of colorful characters. It's time our surroundings reflected it.

Halloween Around Our House

2011-10-30T14:16:00.000-04:00

Saturday Emma had her first Halloween Party.

Spider craft kits.

Lots of sugar.

A decorated mantle.

Feathered friends.

Old silver and books.

Uninvited guests.

S'mores anyone?

Not enough time for everything we planned, so there was a post party apple bob with a sweetheart of a big sister.

Power pumpkin carving. That's how my man rolls.

What I Learned on My Fall Vacation

2011-10-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

There are few things as good as Smores eaten by the fire with people you care about.

The only thing better than reconnecting with a Father after a 25 year absence is reconnecting with the little brother that is quickly becoming one of my favorite people. Seeing him wear the hat I knit him was a bonus.

Cousins are one of the greatest gifts in this world.

Climbing that mountain is almost always worth the effort.

If you take your pioneer loving daughter to a pioneer living history museum right before Halloween, there is a good chance she will change her mind and no longer want to be a vampire for the big day, but will instead be donning an apron and bonnet along with her new prairie dress.

A brisk morning spent surrounded by the vibrant colors of Autumn will surely help you appreciate the beauty that surrounds you every day if only you will take the time to see it.

Getting Horizontal

2011-10-18T09:02:00.000-04:00

I have a deep love for shiplap or horizontal wood walls.

I think they have lots of character and add tons of charm. Typically I like the boards wide. The wider the better.

Also, they hide a multitude of sins. We have a lot of sins in this house.

We have decided to try this technique inside the studio closet which currently is nothing but studs. And since we are terrible at drywall, and this is a diy level project, it seems like a good choice.

This will be our practice room because we also hope to do it in our master bathroom and in the mudroom.

I find it best to always practice in a less conspicuous place. We are getting started soon so if any of you have successfully attempted to get horizontal, I would love some tips.

Answers

2011-10-17T08:23:00.000-04:00

Now to answer some recent questions:

-The stamp used on Emma's packaging was gifted to me from a fabulous friend so I don't know where it's from. Inside the packaging it says poppyink.com so I would start there if you want to find it. The tags were easy to make. We just used an xlg oval scalloped punch from Marvy Uchida and stamped the image on.

-For those of you worried about the birdcage in the garage sale picture, it is still in my possession. It is one of several things it turned out I wasn't ready to part with.

-We plan to spend our profits from the garage sale on these new flannel sheets, a blu ray DVD player (yes we finally entered the 21st century), a rug for our bedroom, renewing our Children's Museum membership, a secondhand eliptical, a bookcase, an antique dresser for our entry (which I am shopping for today) and approximately $50 worth of cheese from Trader Joe's. I'm not even kidding about that cheese.

-The wall color we have used in most of the house (including the family room and dining room) is Benjamin Moore Natural Cream color matched at Sherwin Williams. I love it so much I'm getting ready to continue it upstairs (I'm hoping to wrap up my painting projects by Thanksgiving). Also, many people questioned why we want to get rid of these french doors. Only one of the doors opens so we would like to have double opening doors. Long term, we hope to enclose the area outside those doors to become the dining room and at that time the doors would be removed all together.

-These much asked about cups are from Anthropologie. I have a cup problem (to match my bowl problem). More on that soon.

One Girls Dreary is Another Girls Dreamy

2011-10-13T13:39:00.001-04:00

Today is rainy and dreary. Rainy and dreary are two of my favorite things. This is a dreamy, snuggly, cozy, ignore the to do lists and unfinished projects kind of day. Who am I to argue with that?

I grabbed my boots and umbrella and meandered over to Main Street and the yarn store where I took some pictures of yarn for a sweet friend that wants me to knit something for her. Then I stayed for a class and finished a mitten. That mitten pattern proved to be a killer and some alterations were made. Also, I wonder if there is any chance my two mittens will match when I am done. If not, please pretend not to notice if you see me walking around in them.

My pace on the way home was much quicker as the rumbly in my tummy told me it was lunch time and I couldn't wait to make my current favorite salad which is filled with grilled chicken, walnuts, blue cheese and figs and topped with straight up balsamic vinegar which I seem to have developed an addiction to. Have you ever had a fresh fig? If you have resisted then I urge you to go buy some now before their short season ends, so you too can fall in love. They are perfect when they are super soft to the touch and feel like they are over ripe.

Tonight I'm making homemade soup. Butternut squash soup, to be exact. Never mind that I've never even had butternut squash and don't even know if I like it. I adore making soup from scratch. I always forget that, and then every time I do it, I fall in love with the process all over again. Go ahead and give it a try. It will transport you. You can see some of my other favorite soup recipes here and here.

Finally, I just want to say how wonderful and special you all are. You guys made Emma's day with all of your sweet comments. I know my blogging has been hit and miss lately and I truly appreciate that you guys always show up and support me here. I feel like I am finally getting my mojo back as my project list gets smaller. I will be back next time with some answers to recent questions that I have been remiss in answering. If you have any questions or think I've missed one of yours please feel free to leave it in the comments here or email me!

The Sale

2011-10-11T08:46:00.000-04:00

You know how I said I was never going to have another garage sale ever? Well, we had so much fun having it that I would almost consider doing it again. However, I have no plans to accumulate that much stuff again. We made a lot more money than we anticipated thanks in part to one of our first customers who bought almost $400 worth of stuff! Also, what a feeling to load the rest of the trappings of our old suburban life into the back of the car and drop it at the nearest donation center. While all of that was great, the highlight of the weekend was definitely the friendly people.

Well, that and Emma's bake sale! No more lemonade stands for her. She found her calling. I loved that people came up to her and talked to her like they knew her because her name was on her sign. She was very professional and prepared. Her packaging was adorable and all of her female customers really appreciated it. I think this girl has a future ahead of her. I'm thinking there is a Mom and Daughter shop in our future.

Wednesday Morning Random

2011-10-05T07:01:00.002-04:00

I am super busy this week preparing for our garage sale Friday and Saturday. I will be so happy when it is over and I swear I will never have another one. Of course I say that every time I have one and you can feel free to remind me of that next time I say I'm having one. Which I won't. Because I will never have another one. By the way, those scooters are not for sale but just moved out of the garage to give me space to sort the 376 boxes of stuff we no longer have room for.

Last night I made this chili for dinner. It is one of my favorites. I'm not a beans in my chili (or anything else) kind of girl. To go along with it I made this girls fabulous biscuits that she shared with me. The recipe comes from her Grandma Carrie Wright who was apparently an amazing baker. They were hands down the best biscuits I've ever made and probably the best I've ever tasted. My entire family is in Claudia's debt and my search for the perfect biscuit recipe has just officially ended. I may have just polished off a leftover one for breakfast. Here's the recipe:

Grandma Carrie's Cloud Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients, until well chopped.
Stir egg into milk and into dry ingredients. Put on floured board and knead until blended.
Flatten out (but not too flat, or they won't be fluffy), cut with a cookie/biscuit cutter and place
on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.

Claudia's tips:
I learned not to flatten too much after kneading. You want the thickness of the dough to be at least a 1/2 inch or more for fluffiness, hence the name "Cloud" biscuits. Also, in my oven I've learned to bake them for 12 minutes.

Jen's tips:
Always make sure your biscuit ingredients are super cold. I dice up my butter and put it back in the fridge to get cold. Never overwork your biscuit dough. I also used buttermilk instead of regular milk because I had some I wanted to use up.

Tonight I'm making these with the leftover chili. If you are one of those foodies that doesn't eat hot dogs then just look away now. I however, justify my love of them by telling myself they are all-American. It's practically my patriotic duty to eat them.

This morning I'm headed to knitting class with my girl Sarah where I'm going to attempt these mittens. Wednesday mornings with Sarah are usually the highlight of my work week but I am especially looking forward to the break today.

You see? I wasn't kidding about all of those boxes! So that's about it for me this week: clean, sort, price, cook, knit, grocery shop, sleep. Come to think of it that's pretty much a typical week if you substitute paint for price! Hope you are all having a productive week too.

Bookworm

2011-09-30T09:11:00.000-04:00

Our Emma loves to read. She will read in any position. And in any place. Even her favorite antique store.

She will even sneak a book and a book light in when we go snuggle under a quilt and the stars to watch a movie being projected on the side of a barn.

She reminds me of Rory in Gilmore Girls because she always has a book with her. Often more than one. She always says, you never know when you are going to have a few minutes to read.
She believes in being prepared.

There are only a couple of times she can be caught without a book, like when she is on a horse.

Of course, as soon as she is off that horse there is probably a book in her hands. There isn't even time to take off the riding helmet.

She puts the book down long enough to practice her violin. Though, if you look closely, you can see it is lying on the cushion next to her just waiting until practice is over.

Clearly she can't be blamed for this habit. It is apparently hereditary.

Before, During and a Dining Dilemma

2011-09-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

I've decided to share 1/2 of our kitchen with you this week. This is our dining space. Our only dining space. The kitchen and dining room are one long narrow open room. The picture below is what it looked like when the house was on the market.

Love that ceiling fan? We were blessed to find several similar ones in the house. I will do a happy dance the day the last one is removed.

This is how it looks right now. The pics are a little dark but I got tired of waiting for a sunny, picture taking day. There is still plenty to do on this side of the room but it is in much better shape than the kitchen side. You will have to take my word for it until I unveil it next week.

So far we've painted trim and walls, removed some of the brass strips from the fireplace, beefed up the trim and painted out the fireplace and replaced the light fixture. Long term we will do built in shelves on either side of the fireplace (hopefully with windows above to let in more light, rip out 2 layers of sub-floor, install new flooring, rip out the ceiling, raise it and install wood paneled or smooth ceiling, gut that fireplace and start from scratch and replace the french doors.

Short term I still need to paint the remaining brass fireplace pieces with high temp black paint, paint the dining table and find a furniture arrangement that works for us. This room houses our only fireplace and I hope to find a way to make it a sitting area as well as a dining area. I'm thinking a comfy settee facing the fireplace with the table turned the other way and a bench on the opposite side with a chair on each end. I'll need to just remove the long, narrow white buffet side table if we go that route.

I'd love to hear any suggestions you guys have about arranging this room. I also need to decide what color to paint the kitchen table although I would dearly love to replace it with a wood finish table. Maybe I will make enough money at my upcoming garage sale to fund some new purchases in here.

Today

2011-09-19T09:27:00.003-04:00

Today I was hoping to show you the progress we're making with our kitchen but we have been blessed with a dreary, cloudy day which is not conducive to picture taking, but which is conducive to baking. So to honor this day, I'll be baking these. I've gone pumpkin crazy. This weekend I made Jayme's amazing pumpkin cake which can be found here, only I made it as a layer cake and added a little fresh ground nutmeg and I might possibly have made a little extra frosting to make sure there was plenty to go around. That cake is insanely good. Luckily we shared with friends so there isn't any left.

This kind of weather always puts me in the mood for movies. My favorite Fall movie is You've Got Mail, although I also love Practical Magic and When Harry Met Sally. Do you have a favorite movie for this season? With the arrival of the first crisp day it's just a matter of time before I MUST watch it. I think today is the day I give myself permission to curl up with my knitting needles and enjoy. I'm not sure why I feel like I have to give myself permission to do something enjoyable during the day but that is my little crazy reality. Even as I type that I feel the need to justify it by listing all the work things I will also do in my day. I think I have a sickness. Homemaker's Disease. I'm pretty sure it's a real condition.

I'll be back in a few days with more about the kitchen. Be prepared for the good, the bad and the horribly, hideously ugly. I'm not kidding.

Hey Pumpkin

2011-09-10T09:13:00.001-04:00

We've had beautiful Autumn weather this week. This morning we are just hours away from our town's big parade and the beginning of our Fall Festival. I'm feeling sad that Sweet Hubby had to extend his business trip to Germany an extra day and will miss the main event this morning but happy he will be here later this afternoon and won't miss the whole weekend.

Obviously no Midwestern girl worth her salt could be experiencing Autumnal weather and a Fall parade without her thoughts naturally drifting to seasonal decorating.

I find myself drawn to mercury glass, ironstone and natural elements for holiday decorating now. Also, as in every other aspect of my life, I'm feeling less is more. Simple and natural with a dash of flair. That's me in a nutshell. I'm a study in contrasts. It's what makes me, me.

I always struggled with knowing how to incorporate Autumn and Halloween together and when and how to do what. I finally figured it out. In September I will focus on Fall elements, adding warmth and texture and keeping it nature inspired then, come October I will edit a bit and add in the Halloween and finally when November arrives, I will take the Halloween back out and count the days until I can decorate for Christmas! Commence with the eye rolling. I'm sure you smarties figured all that out years ago. Sometimes it's the simplest things that escape me.

I find a new house gives me an excuse to revamp the holiday decorations a bit, but a forever house gives me an excuse to really edit and just use and buy things I love for the spaces I have now. There is no more keeping stuff because I might need it for the next house. It's time for me to live in the here and now. Maybe there is a life lesson in there for me?

(pics 1 thru 4 from Pottery Barn, pics 5 and 6 from BHG)

The View from Here

2011-09-05T09:22:00.002-04:00

This morning I woke up to temperatures in the 50's, a light breeze rustling the trees and my man beside me. It feels like the kind of morning that was created to give us a little glimpse of perfection.

I have been waiting for this very kind of morning. Waiting and dreaming. This kind of morning calls out to be celebrated. Not in the parade and marching band sort of way, but in a cinnamon toast, cocoa, snuggle under a blanket on the back porch with your honey sort of way.

That's us. Perfectly imperfect.

A lovely, silly, scruffy, snuggly kind of morning.

I love the view from here. Literally and metaphorically.

You know how sometimes as you are having an experience, you just know in your heart that you want to memorize every moment of it?

That was this morning. Believe me, I'm not in the habit of celebrating Monday mornings. But this one? It demanded it.

I think probably there are many more perfect moments in our life than we notice. There is something about the cool air this morning that has me wanting to take the time to find them.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing this morning, I hope you are enjoying the view.

No Place Like Home

2011-08-30T10:02:00.000-04:00

Today's post is a combination of me counting my blessings mixed up with a little virtual tour of what our Saturday mornings look like.

We head out pretty early and always make a beeline for this place where we buy Emma her weekly chocolate chip scone. This may look like a little gourmet shop but actually it is Emma's home away from home. She sometimes works there. Mostly what that means is that she gets to wear an apron and put stuff where it goes. And she gets paid in scones. She and the owner are tight. Emma even has a tab. She is the only person in the world that has that honor.

On our way to the farmer's market we pass the french bakery. Sometimes we are incapable of passing without stopping for a glazed blueberry doughnut which happens to be the best blueberry doughnut ever made. In the history of the world.

Next we head to the market where we always buy more than we intended and always see familiar faces that require us to stop and visit. We never mind.

The one constant on our farmer's market list is the fresh pasta. I will likely cry the first Saturday after the market closes for the season. We have this for dinner every single Saturday night. We love tradition baby.

Next we head to the coffee shop where Em eats her scone and Sweet Hubby and I get our breakfast. At the coffee shop they know us by name and my favorite coffee girl knows what I want without asking. We always try to get a table by the window so we can watch the goings on and sigh about how much we love life in the Village.

Growing up I lived a nomadic life going to 11 different schools. No roots, no real home. My whole life I have searched for my home. I have found it. This morning I walked the streets of my town, breathing in the brisk air, loyal pup at my side and I realized I am exactly where I should be. Sometimes I feel the need to pinch myself.

I know I appreciate it more because of everything that came before it and now I'm giving the girls a place that they can call home. As I give them that gift, I realize I am also giving it to myself.

Misfits

2011-08-25T13:12:00.059-04:00

Here's the truth, I was never part of the in crowd. That's okay with me. I like to fancy myself a bit of a misfit. As a result I seem to be drawn to other misfits, whether they be human or not.

We have started work on our kitchen. Here's disclaimer#1: Our kitchen needs to be gutted, tip to toes, soup to nuts, floor to ceiling. Here's disclaimer#2: Be don't have the budget for a full kitchen reno right now so we are focusing on making it livable for the lean years.

However, for when the time comes when the years aren't so lean, we are dreaming of an unfitted kitchen. We want something a little different than what every one else has, a mix of materials and finishes to give us a uniquely individual space.

The Europeans are experts in the unfitted kitchen. I'm getting back to my Scandinavian roots by going this direction. My Swedish and Norwegian ancestors are giving me a standing ovation.

Also, it turns out this is a less expensive way to do it. I almost never choose the less expensive way, so my Sweet Hubby is also giving me a standing ovation.

And I always thought being a misfit was it's own reward.

Empty Spaces

2011-08-18T20:54:00.000-04:00

School is back in session and while I am excited about it, I did get a little mopey that first morning. I did great on our way to take her to school. Then she actually got out of the car. Then I sobbed a little. Or a lot. It depends on who you ask. Lucky for me my Sweet Hubby was there to drive me home, pick up the pieces and sooth my soul.

(Gratuitous adorable dog picture.) Millie was also feeling a little mopey.

Then we came home to a quiet house. Then we went to a movie and out for lunch. Then I remembered why I love the school year. Then I cleaned Emma's room for the first time since Summer began. Then I sighed with satisfaction knowing the room would stay clean until at least 3 o'clock. Then I took pictures for you.

Every girl needs a soft place to rest her head. My girl prefers to do it on vintage and mismatched bedding.

Every girl needs collections.

And more collections.

Every girl needs a place to collect inspiration.

Every girl needs a list of her favorite things.

Even if things like rocks and pencils rank higher on that list than her very own Mommy. At least Mommy didn't come in dead last like Daddy.

Fall of Promise

2011-08-10T22:44:00.001-04:00

We are mere days from the beginning of school. All we have left to do is buy green pens, post it notes and shoes. Not bad, although the shoe shopping might be the death of me. Emma starts 5th grade which is Middle School here. Middle School! Maddie starts college. College! The end of summer is a time of transitions, of endings and beginnings. Happy and sad. The girls aren't the only ones making big plans though. I'm making some of my own.

Here are some of my plans for this Fall:

- Start learning French and work on our itinerary for our Paris/London trip next Spring.

- Study photography. My Sweet Hubby gifted me with a big girl camera. A Canon T2i with an extra lens. Now I just have to learn how to use it all before our trip.

-Get back to being creative. I'm looking forward to knitting classes again and also to giving my sewing machine a workout.

-Speaking of workouts...it's high time I get off my rear and start getting some exercise again. I wish I had an elliptical in the house but considering I live in a Village that is loaded with trails and green space, I have zero excuses.

So to recap, if you're looking for me this Fall, I'll be the girl walking the tree-lined Village streets, listening to french lessons on my Ipod, while toting my big camera and day dreaming about my next creative project. There is so much promise in the air. Can't you just smell it?

Summer is for the Birds

2011-07-28T20:42:00.000-04:00

Thursday, a seemingly ordinary day. We spiffed ours up a bit with some watercolor pencil fun,

watching select episodes of Gilmore Girls, reading a couple of chapters of Little Women,

and capping it off with a brightly hued Margarita and dinner out at a Mexican restaurant to kick off our 4 day staycation.

After spending a good part of the summer feeling like I was coasting through, I am now doing my best to make the most of every moment. I'd like to be able to harness this make-the-most-of-it feeling every day.

School Supplies

2011-07-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

I keep checking the 10 day forecast hoping it will change. My heart craves Autumn. School supplies.
We have 3 weeks until school starts and the back-to-school shopping has commenced. Back-to-school is some of my favorite shopping. But honestly, I'm a little envious. I want new supplies too. I never outgrew the thrill that comes with a sheaf of fresh paper so I've made a list of must haves for this girl.

Bouquets of sharpened pencils from here:

My version of a book bag from Boden:

New shoes like these from Target:

Extracurricular reading from Amazon:

In case you aren't up for sharpening your own pencils from here:

To get me up on time from LLBean:

A Cath Kidston agenda from Amazon:

And in case you think I'm kidding, I will tell share with you that I have already ordered at least 3 of these items.

Questions and Answers

2011-07-23T15:36:00.001-04:00

To answer a couple of quick questions, the Sunshine sign in this picture is from here and the paint color in our family room is Benjamin Moore Natural Cream. I love this color. I used it in my studio in our last house and several rooms of the new house and I'm pleased with how it looks under all lighting conditions.

Now on to the important issues at hand, recipes. I've never known you guys to be quite so demanding. All I can figure is you must have been hungry when you were reading that last post. I hope these pictures don't make it worse for you...

These biscuits are made using the Barefoot Contessa's recipe. I can't even count the number of times I've made them. They are a go to recipe.

You'd like the recipe for the Gorgonzola Bacon Compound Butter, you say? Well, it must be your lucky day!
1 stick softened butter
2 heaping tablespoons softened gorgonzola or other blue cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and broken into small bits
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a fork until well blended. Chill for at least 1 hour and bring to room temp before serving.

And now we come to the meat loaf. This is a recipe I've never shared before. You see, I have it in my mind that one day I will write a book that will not strictly be a cookbook, but more of a lifestyle book with recipes in it. This is one of those recipes. So. If I share it with you now, will you promise to buy the book anyway? Also, don't tell anyone. We will just keep this top secret recipe between you and me.

Jen's Italian Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use a fairly lean beef)

1 pound mild Italian sausage

4 slices bread, edges removed and ground into bread crumbs in the food processor

3 cloves garlic, minced (I just throw it into the food processor with the bread)

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for top of meatloaf)

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp Italian seasoning

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3-4 slices pancetta or bacon

Water

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl mix together all ingredients except water and pancetta and mix with a fork until well blended. Do not over mix. Add enough water to moisten mixture. Form into a loaf on a cookie sheet with sides. I shape mine about 2 inches high and rather wide. Cover top of loaf with pancetta or bacon and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Add extra Parmesan cheese on top about 10 minutes before it's finished. I sometimes like to broil it for a few minutes at the end because I love to get that crispy crust on there.

I hope you guys enjoy the recipe. Let me know if you make it.

So that's it for the Q & A today. Let me know if you have any more burning questions like...what size shoes do I wear or what time do I get up in the morning. I'm an open book people!

18

2011-07-21T19:59:00.001-04:00

103°. That is a record for Miss Maddie's milestone 18th birthday. We did our best to stay cool.

I have very mixed feelings about this birthday. First off, I'm old enough to have an 18 year old. I don't approve. I'm thinking about telling people she is really 12 and just suffers from a rare glandular disease.

Also, unlike most 18 year old grown up children, she is not ready to leave the nest yet. I have a love/hate relationship with this fact. I was ready. There were times when I was counting down the months. I kid you not. But. She has decided to stick close to home for her first year of college and apparently she loves us so much she can scarcely stand the thought of leaving us.

I'm glad she is so fond of us. I can think of times over the last 4 years when that was not always the case. I hope she will come to her senses and leave the nest some time before her 30th birthday. Or 20th. I had an epiphany the other day as I brought her homemade cinnamon rolls in bed. It occurred to me that I should maybe not make her life so comfortable? I'm going to start working on that.

For today we celebrated our girl with her favorite Birthday dinner: Italian meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gorgonzola bacon compound butter, southern style green beans, cheddar buttermilk biscuits and S'more pie. Yum.

Finally

2011-07-14T17:10:00.001-04:00

There can be a negative side effect to blogging. The feeling of dissatisfaction with what you have and the feeling that you need to strive for perfection. A perfection you will never attain, no less.

I think this might be the reason I have been slow in sharing pictures of our new cottage with you. This is not one of those blogs where the budget is endless and the projects come together in what seems like days. I have been working my back-side off since we moved in, but I'll be honest, I've just scratched the surface. I'm just focusing on the bones of the place right now. And my budget? Well, there's not much of it left right now. But you know what? It's okay. We love our cottage. It's cozy and homey and it's ours. The projects will get done as we can manage them and that's okay too because we plan to stay here for the rest of our lives.

To thank you (or punish you, depending on your opinion) all for being so patient in your wait, I'm going to saturate this post with pictures. You've been warned.

These are the before pictures:

This room is very narrow. Our cottage was originally 1 story and when they added the 2nd floor the stairs took up a lot of real estate in this room. It is also long which can give you that bowling alley effect if you aren't careful. We plan on getting a slipcovered sectional in the not so distant future which will help this area work better. The rug is from Dash and Albert. LOVE it.

This is the media console formerly known as a dining room hutch. I'm going to paint it a medium grey. I'm thinking about trying that new chalk paint that I'm hearing so much about.

The as-of-yet still unfinished stairs. I have high hopes of getting them done soon but I have to say, even like this they are a big improvement.

This is Sweet Hubby's drafting table which is to the right of the sofa. I love this piece and all it's industrial beauty.

To the right of that is my time out corner which you have seen before. It's where I am likely sitting whenever you and I are talking. My feet are up on that soon to be slipcovered ottoman right this moment. Also, someone asked me about the fabric I have thrown on here. I know nothing of its origins. I purchased it recently at a favorite shop.

This is to the right of my corner. It's not much of an entry by suburban standards but for an old house it ain't too shabby. I still want to get an antique dresser to replace the table so I can organize and hide all our scarves and mittens for the cold months. I also have a rug on the shopping list.

An overview from the opposite side of the room. The room to the right of the entry area is my studio. You can see one of our 2 ugly ceiling fans. I look forward to seeing them gone.

This is the view from the sofa. The door on the left is Maddie's room and the door on the right is the downstairs bathroom. The doorway to the right leads to the kitchen and dining room. That is a rip it all out to the studs project that will not be happening in the near future. The print helps me to remember to choose joy before I walk in that room. I often need the reminder.

We've made good progress but still have a way to go. I'm starting to work on window treatments for this room and I'd love to hear what you picture there. I feel like the room is telling me it doesn't want full length panels. It's a bossy house. Originally I thought cafe curtains 3/4 of the way up the window but now I'm having doubts and thinking about other options. What do you think?

Winning

2011-07-13T19:11:00.000-04:00

(pic source)

Congrats to Amy at A Little Piece of Heaven who just won herself the Shabby Apple dress giveaway. Lucky girl!

I plan to be back tomorrow with pictures of our family room. I know right. So soon?

Not So Shabby- A Giveaway

2011-07-08T17:21:00.000-04:00

I hope this Friday finds you looking forward to a leisurely Summer weekend. After 6 weekends of company and traveling, we are looking forward to just that. I thought I'd start your weekend off with a giveaway from Shabby Apple. They are an online boutique of Women's dresses that I find myself daydreaming about fairly often. I'm more than a little envious that one of you will win this dress that I covet. I think it looks like the perfect Summer evening dress so if you leave me a comment telling me where you would wear it, you will be entered to win. Also if you Like Shabby Apple on Facebook you can come back here and leave another comment for a 2nd chance to win.

The giveaway is for the Daisy dress only and ends Tuesday July 12th at midnight. If you are interested in another dress you can use the coupon code cottagenest10off for a 10% discount. It will expire 8/9/11.

Ponderings

2011-07-01T07:08:00.000-04:00

Millie and I are pondering lots of things these days. She's wondering if I will look away from her long enough for her to pick the kitten's toy mouse up again. She's also wondering if she can get it before the kitten does. I'm pondering things less life changing but still important to me.

-Do you know where I can find a not-too-expensive fun silver necklace for every day wear? My default is always Etsy but I'm overwhelmed by the choices.

-If you had accidentally planted way more tomatoes than you could eat, what would you do with all the extras?

-Anyone know how to get rid of a sudden case of razor rash on the legs?

Okay. Your turn. Any ponderings for me? I'll get you started.

I know several of you want to know where my sunshine sign from the last post came from. You can find it here.

Bits and Pieces

2011-06-29T14:39:00.000-04:00

The last several weeks have been jam packed with goings on in the Kershner house. We've had a lot of company, including a 5 day slumber party with a great friend that may or may not have left me with a craft hangover.

There is much to share but little time to do it. When I do get a few minutes I don't quite know where to start. Today I'm just going to dive in and since we don't have any visitors scheduled for a few weeks, I hope to finish up some projects around here to share with you... like those new stairs that are still waiting to be painted!

I seem to be craving colorful things to hang on my walls lately. Also, hello yellow! I'm so glad you've come back into my life.

This is my latest knitting project, a blanket that I made for my newest niece that should be making her debut this Friday. Hello Abby! I can't wait to meet you! I know you are thinking aqua? Why not pink? This happens to be their 3rd girl. They have plenty of pink and requested something a little different for this little princess.

That ruffle! I could eat it up I love it so. I'm considering a large version of this for myself. Let's see. What else. Well, you know how I love grey? I love it so much that I have used it as the main color in our new cottage. Well, I was in the mood for a new grey accessory so we picked this up a few weeks ago.

Did I mention that I did this while Sweet Hubby was out of town on business? Oh yeah. He loves surprises like this. This is Winnie. Our cute little bundle of grey fluff. We've had her for about 3weeks.

While I know you may be sitting in front of your computer going awwww let me tell you that after an initial period of sleepy sweetness, this little grey tasmanian devil beast has awakened and is now in full terror mode. Still jealous? Thought not.

Except when she's asleep. Then we all think she is about the cutest thing to ever have walked the planet. One day soon I will have to do a post about the many crazy sleeping positions of Winnie. I'm sure you are on the edge of your seat with anticipation.

Very Pinteresting

2011-06-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite creative people in the world has been visiting me since Thursday and one of the many things we have been doing is playing together on Pinterest.

Do you know about Pinterest? It's a completely addictive, inspiring way to spend your computer time. Find something that inspires you and pin it to your boards. You can find my pins here. I will happily choose 6 of you to receive invites to join if you will leave me your email address in the comments before Tuesday at midnight.

P.S. If you'd like the chance to win a lovely dress from Shabby Apple go visit my friend Sarah here to enter. You can come back here sometime next week for a chance to win a different dress.

Summer Lovin'

2011-06-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

Summer is in full swing around the cottage.

This is our first full week of it and we are starting to get used to the new normal. Well, the girls are. I probably won't get used to it at all.

Summers are a strange time for me and maybe for most stay-at-home moms? I miss my routine and having a little time and space for myself and for getting things done but I love the easy go-with-the-flowness of our days.

Today Emma had her 1st annual Summer Celebration party with a few of her friends. I love girls this age. Give them a jump rope, bubbles, a swing and a pretty lunch and they are happy as can be.

Giggly, carefree sing-songy and silly. Oh to be 10 again. Maybe I should plan a big girls version of this party?

Pride and Prejudice

2011-06-10T08:58:00.000-04:00

Our school year is officially over. It was a big one for us. An emotional year end for me. Maddie is leaving high school behind and Emma is leaving elementary school behind. I know I am completely biased but I think these two girls are amazing.

Allow a proud Mommy to brag for a moment?

Our Maddie had a tough time for much of high school. Our biggest struggle with her was getting her to take school seriously. Just when we were losing hope, the light bulb finally went off for her and after a less than stellar high school career she finished strong. She proved to everyone, especially herself, that she can do anything she puts her mind to. She might as well have been the Valedictorian we were so proud.

As for Emma, she was awarded the gold Presidential Excellence Award this year which was a pretty big deal around here. We are so proud of how hard she works in school and how seriously she takes it. That girl loves to learn and I hope that stays with her always.

Aside from all of this, the thing I am most proud of is our family. We are there for each other NO MATTER WHAT. I also love how close my girls are. There are almost 8 years between them but you would never know it. They are best friends and I'm pretty sure that is one of my biggest accomplishments.

Consolation Prize

2011-06-03T14:19:00.001-04:00

I have been a naughty blogger. I know. Feel free to give me the verbal spanking I so deserve. In my defense, let me say that getting a house cleaned, unpacked, arranged, painted, weeded, mulched and fluffed in 6 weeks time is a huge undertaking. The end of the school year is always such a hectic time but throw in a graduation and company 2 weekends in a row and you have a recipe for insanity. On top of that my danged 'ol family expects me to cook and clean. Hello??? What are they thinking?

Now I've gotten to the point that I always get to right before company gets here where I just have to let it go. I can only do what I can do. I am just one woman and without benefit of superpowers, it is not all getting finished.

I have a bathroom with unpainted walls but freshly painted trim, a front porch with one coat of white paint covering the deep green window trim and freshly installed stairs that have been neither caulked nor painted. Life will go on. Always one to look on the positive side, I am choosing to focus on what we have been able to accomplish which is really an astonishing list for such a short time.

Our Summer vacation doesn't officially begin until next Wednesday at which time I am going to become a blogging fool. I have so much to share. I'm going to blog so much that you will get tired of me and beg me to stop. Until that time I leave you with these hastily snapped, unstaged photos to quiet those of you that feel a need to complain about my lack of updates. That means you Michelle Skinner.

Pasta MacGyver

2011-05-22T09:47:00.001-04:00

I'm a planner. It is an innate part of my personality. It's something I am increasingly trying to change. Fear not, I will maintain a certain amount of my type A personality. I will always be a list maker and have goals. But...I am trying to introduce a little more spontaneity into my life, every aspect of my life. Believe me when I say it can be life changing. Let go of the control sometime and just go with the flow. You might like it too.

At first glance it might seem like there is no connection between this epiphany of mine and a recipe but it is actually a perfect example. Last night my Sweet Hubby was going to grill something for dinner when it started raining. In the past this wrench in my plan would have thrown me for a loop, instead I decided to throw a pasta meal together. I find myself putting together spontaneous pasta dinners more and more often. Sweet Hubby said I am the MacGyver of pasta hence the name for this recipe made entirely with things I found in my kitchen last night.

Pasta MacGyver

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

12 oz bag Trader Joe's frozen artichokes

28 oz crushed tomatoes

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

4 leftover chicken sausages, sliced

fresh angel hair pasta from the farmer's market

Parmesan cheese

Saute onion in butter and olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes, then add artichokes and saute until warmed. Add crushed tomatoes and seasonings. (I wish I had thought to run out to the garden and get some fresh basil- yum). Slice leftover chicken sausage and add to sauce and let simmer while cooking pasta. Top pasta with sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and thank God for the rain that forced you to create something you never would have made otherwise.

The beauty of this meal is that you can make it your own with whatever you have on hand.

Stairway to Heaven

2011-05-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

These are the stairs I have always dreamed of: painted, a lovely runner, definetely a stairway to heaven.

This? This is a stairway to somewhere else. There is nothing good that can be said for it. We're unsure about that post but hope that a coat of paint will have it swimming in charm. Don't be hatin' on me you stained wood purists. We contemplated just replacing the carpet and painting what was around it but we couldn't justify almost $1000 for something that wasn't even what we really wanted.

Lucky for us we have a contractor that is a stone's throw from our house. He will be arriving at the beginning of next week to start replacing the stairs. I think this will be the start of a beautiful relationship.

And while I adore white painted stairs, we have a big, constantly shedding puppers. This reality requires me to make an adjustment to my dream, which means painting the risers white and the treads a mediumish shade of grey. Do you have a favorite mediumish shade of grey you want to share with me? I would paint them Golden Retriever but I couldn't find that color in my paint deck.

I also need to find a runner that makes my heart sing without making my wallet cry. Dash and Albert? Sisal? Dash and Albert? I think you can see which way I'm leaning. I hope to find a way to install it myself.

I know I haven't shared a lot of house pics yet but I've been so busy with the doing that there isn't much time for the showing. We are pretty well unpacked now, I have painted 4 rooms from tip to tail and hope to finish 2 more in the coming week. We are finally getting things hung on the wall and have started cleaning up outside too. Our Maddie is graduating in a few weeks and we have the frenzy of activity and company that accompanies that event. I'm really looking forward to the 2nd week of June and getting time to catch you up on all we have done. I will tell you this, we LOVE this house and with each project we take more ownership and our excitement and pride grow.

The Corner

2011-05-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

I love my corner. I will do almost anything to get sent there. Including acting out like this:

Don't worry I didn't get in too much trouble. He was being ornery and deserved it. Plus it got his attention and got me sent to the corner. My Momma used to say that we act like 2 puppies playing and nipping at each others heels and then licking each others faces and rolling around.

Speaking of Mommas, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. Mine was a bit rough. Those of you who have been around since last summer will understand. My family spoiled me rotten and loved me up good so that helped dry my tears a bit.

Also, I got to spend time in my corner and even got to read the Sunday paper on Sunday. Can you imagine? I can't remember the last time that happened. Then I spent some quality time with this book, what a treat. Also, the Vera Bradley fairy visited me and was very generous. I love that fairy.

Today I didn't like my attitude at all so I had no choice but to send myself to the corner. It took me quite awhile to learn my lesson. I make no promises that my questionable behavior won't continue tomorrow as well. After all, I have a whole stack of books sitting there waiting for me.

Window Dressing

2011-05-04T11:21:00.000-04:00

I have always had a love affair with cafe curtains. Having never actually had any, I guess it was an unrequited love. I knew from the moment we said yes to this house that I would hang some in my kitchen but it wasn't until the other day that it occurred to me to use them in my family room.

I love the light and views that we have and I don't want to lose any of it to blinds or shades but I still need some privacy if I want to keep from scaring the neighbors. Unlike normal people who hang theirs 1/2 way up the window, I'm going 3/4 of the way up on mine. I thought that was really controversial until I started hunting for cafe curtain pictures and discovered that I am not as original as I first thought. Now I'm thinking anything goes which is kind of my theme for this whole house!

I've decided to make them in a white linen with a ruffle at the bottom of a contrasting material and now the only hard decision left to be made is inside mount or outside? I'm drawn to the inside but I already have some rods that I think might work if I go outside mount. Since that saves me $45 per window x 3, it is something to consider. Always keeping the budget in mind, you know! Speaking of budgets...we already had our first house repair! We had a roof leak that was letting in water on our front porch and which was keeping me from starting my big front porch makeover. Unacceptable, right? Yay for old houses, right? I'm pretty sure, with that repair, we just scratched the surface!

Sources (My Home Ideas, Pottery Barn, Rejuventation)

The Gift

2011-05-02T18:25:00.001-04:00

On Friday while the rest of the world celebrated the wedding of William and Kate, we were celebrating our own wedding which happened 11 years ago. This was a very special anniversary for us. Eleven just feels big to me.

We celebrated with a cozy, slow dinner on Main Street in a place we had not eaten at before. My Sweet Hubby completely surprised me with a painting I have been admiring from a Village artist. We don't buy each other Anniversary gifts so I was quite stunned. The artist and my hubby both personalized the back knowing that this painting will be passed down in our family and it will be a lovely remembrance and celebration of the love we share.

Walking after dinner to our new home, I was awestruck at the reality of this life I am living. I want to memorize every detail and lock it away in my heart forever. While I will always cherish the painting of another little cottage, it is the gift of this life for the past 11 years and the years to come in our own little cottage that are the real gift.

So to my sweet husband, thank you for the many gifts you have given me over the years, love and grace and for always being on my side. Thank you for being my best friend and for giving me the kind of marriage that I thought only existed in novels. May the rest of our lives be as filled with love and appreciation as these first years. I love you with all my heart.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

2011-04-26T10:11:00.001-04:00

We are here. All the waiting and sacrificing is over. We are in love. Head over heels in love. This swing was one of our first purchases. Emma and I sat in it for an hour yesterday talking and dreaming. I think it might be one of the most important things I've ever bought.

The last week and a half has not been without it's overwhelming moments and unpleasant surprises...but...it's all worth it. We LOVE this house. We are thrilled with our choice. Yes, we have work to do around here, more than we even realized, but we are so excited about bringing our cottage up to its full potential. We keep repeating this phrase to ourselves "One room at a time". It's our mantra. Of course it is nearly impossible for me to focus on one room at a time. I'm not really built that way.

I have managed to paint the trim and walls in both of the girl's rooms and I will share pictures when we get some little things wrapped up. Today I start painting the family room. Don't normal people finish unpacking before they paint? Not me apparently. I just slide the boxes out of the way and paint around them.

I hope you are all well. I hope to be around much more. There is so much I want to share with you.

Endings. And Beginnings.

2011-04-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

It's official! I am sitting here tonight with the keys to my new house in hand. Finally. I only have to sleep in the rental 2 more nights. Although I doubt you could call what I have been doing at night for the past week, sleep.

Things are feeling a bit surreal to me right now. I have a new house. A.NEW.HOUSE! I get to feather my nest again. I've been a homeowner since the tender age of 21. After growing up in rentals my whole life and never feeling a sense of permanence anywhere, owning a home is of extreme importance to me. The Year of Sacrifice, as I have taken to calling it, is coming to an end. Was it worth it? Of course!

We've decided to camp out in the new house on mattresses until the movers come next week. This will give me time to paint before most of our stuff arrives. Did I mention that I purchased 12 gallons of paint in the last week? Let the fun begin! Since our painting crew consists of...well, me, I am hoping that I can physically manage to paint 3 bedrooms before the furniture is delivered! That is my goal. I always was a girl that likes to reach high.

Also, it is just now starting to occur to me that I just downsized from a 3600 sq ft house to a 2100 sq ft house. An old house with not a lot of extra space and me with a storage unit crammed full of stuff. Why didn't that occur to me sooner? TGFG (Thank God for Garages).

On the whole, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, and a bunch excited, joyful and thankful! I know that the next couple of weeks will be full but after that I hope to get back to a normal routine and stop neglecting so many other parts of my life. You know who you are. Okay, well, it's all of you.

I will be without internet, phone and cable for the next week. It's like we will be partial Amish. A long time fantasy of mine. Or partial Little House on the Prairie. Another fantasy. I imagine I will still be able to fit in occasional trips to the coffee shop to check my email (and scarf lemon scones) and to check in with you. In my next post I hope to tell you about my plans for adding charm to the exterior and my makeover plans for the enclosed front porch! Until then I will leave you with some lovely cottage images to inspire your own Cottage Nest dreams.

P.S. You know the only thing better than a white cottage? A grey one. I guarantee my cottage will be one or the other one day.

Today

2011-04-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

Today I...
-Wished I was this guy
-Test drove slipcovered sofas at Crate and Barrel and fell in love a little. Or a lot.

-Started a painting and furniture plan for the new house

-Changed the address on all of my magazine subscriptions
-Scheduled the disconnection and reconnection of all of my utilities
-Finished packing up the studio

-Shopped for a media console to hold the big stupid TV that I gave in and bought for Sweet Hubby (and which I LOVE)
-Resisted the lure of over priced pretty chippy wood and paint
-Counted how many days are left until I start sleeping in my new house (10).

What did you do today?

New House Wish List

2011-03-24T18:54:00.001-04:00

Here I sit just weeks from move in and I am all in dreamy mode. I keep trying to get some stuff accomplished around here but I seem to be spinning in circles. I did manage to do quite a bit of organizing this week but I wouldn't call it a particularly productive week.

Perhaps that's because I've been running around doing my share of shopping. There are several things we want and need for the new house and while I have picked up some little things here and there, I find it hard to pull the trigger on the big things, like counter depth refrigerators and flat screen TV's.

I'm having a hard time parting with any of the money left in savings after we closed on the house. I think I just need to wait until we get in there to figure out what really is at the top of the priority list. Except for this mailbox. That is definitely at the top of the list.

So, while all of these things are beautiful and certainly worthy of a little daydream, I am going to wait a bit before I start bringing them home. I really feel pulled to simplify things in our new home and somehow draining my savings account to buy lots more stuff doesn't really feel like the right thing to do. I think I will have a big garage sale and use the proceeds to fund some well thought out purchases. That feels right.

In the meantime, I'm sure my Sweet Hubby will be doing everything in his power to convince me that we need a 46 inch flat screen TV.

photos: 1,2,3 from Pottery Barn, 4 Dash and Albert, 5 Crate and Barrel.

Lately

2011-03-17T18:28:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been:

Shopping for the new house
I've scarcely bought anything house related in the past year. I had been fond of saying that I had lost my will to shop. Well folks, I'm here to tell you that I have found my will again.

Doing lots of decorating research
Lots. There are decorating books, saved issues of Country Home and hundreds of tear sheets from magazines past that all need to be sorted through in the hunt for new house inspiration. (If you are anything like me you will click on this picture to make it larger so that you can see what some of my favorite decorating books are.)

Working on a new knitting project for someone special
Can't wait for my newest niece to enter the world.

Packing/sorting/purging
'Nuff said.

Playing the last time game
For instance in the above picture you see a large pack of paper towels. When I buy something like that I say to myself "That is the last time I will ever buy paper towels in this house." Another version of this game is the "by the time" game. It goes like this..."by the time this milk expires we will not be living in this house anymore." There is definitely a theme here.

Doing some reading. Aside from all of that time I am spending flipping through books I am actually reading a couple too. This book as well as the last Harry Potter book. I realize I am years late to that party but at least I finally showed up.

Buying a house. Yep that's right. We closed 2 days ago. We are renting it back to the previous owner for a month and it was really hard to walk out of there without our keys but I'm looking forward to all of the fun we will have when we finally get them on April 15th. Also the time is flying by. Because I am doing lots of stuff. Fun stuff. Cool stuff. Ok, weird stuff too.

So while I seem to have found my will to shop, I seem to have lost my will to spend much time on the computer. Or to cook. I'm not big on that lately either. I know I will get my mojo back sometime soon but until then please excuse my absences and strange, rambling posts when I finally make an appearance.

To Emma: On the Eve of Your 10th Birthday

2011-03-04T16:47:00.002-05:00

As I write this I find myself at once amazed, joyful and sad. How is it possible that my baby is turning 10? When you were born I vowed to cherish and appreciate every moment because I already knew from raising Maddie for almost 8 years, how quickly it would go. I kept my vow and yet here we are, you insisting on growing older and me unsure how we got to this place. If I could start all over I would do so without hesitation.

You are an amazing girl. It has been a pure joy having you as my full time job. I wouldn't give back a single moment of it. You are a sweet, loving, smart, inquisitive girl with an old soul. I'm always amazed how tuned in you are to me. You look into my eyes like you can see right through to my very heart. You are an amazing combination of me and Daddy. You are the best of both of us with his big brain, sense of humor, love of math and science (also his stubbornness!) and my love of reading, writing, creating, gardening, home making and all things vintage (also my stubbornness!). As much as you are just like us, you are uniquely you. I admire that about you so much. I love that you don't care about what or who is popular. You like what you like and don't care what anyone thinks about it. That will serve you well for years to come. You are a one of a kind Nancy Drew and Little House reading, Annie soundtrack singing, story writing, vintage shopping, Paris loving, skirt and mary jane wearing, picture drawing and hat knitting wonder of a girl.

As much as I wish I could stop time right here, I also get so excited when I think of what you will be like when you grow up. I know you can do anything that you put your mind to and I hope that you never lose your spirit of excitement and wonder.

Happiest 10th Birthday to you my little Hummingbird, Butterbean, Lulubelle, Sunshine, sweet Little Bit girl.

All my love,
Mommy

On My Mind

2011-03-02T14:07:00.001-05:00

These days I have lots on my mind. Everything is going smoothly with the house purchase. We close in less than 2 weeks! Sadly, we don't take possession until the middle of April which feels like torture right now, but allows me plenty of time for dreaming about decorating.

I have decided to paint my kitchen table and matching hutch. They are that cream and wood finish that was so popular in the 90's. Their turn for a makeover is well overdue. Let me be clear. I HATE painting furniture. It is the bane of my existence. However, I LOVE painted furniture. What we have here folks is quite a dilemma and the only solution usually involves me with a paint brush in my hand. That is probably because I seem to be missing the gene that allows me to pay other people to do something I am capable of doing myself. Sometimes I curse my Scandinavian heritage for that one.

I'm thinking I will paint the hutch white with grey interior and maybe shelf edges and just keep the table white although I love the 2nd picture that has a grey table with a white top. Also this solid grey hutch above makes my heart sing. Hmm. Maybe a solid grey hutch and a white table?

Then I see something like this blue and grey cabinet that belongs to Maria at the Dreamy Whites blog and I think. Oh, for sure blue. I must have something painted blue and the next thing you know I am back at square one and left sitting here staring blankly at pictures of lovely painted pieces.

Fabulous Friday - Style File

2011-02-25T15:51:00.001-05:00

First let me say THANK YOU. Thanks for being supportive and encouraging and kind. Thank you for coming to visit my silly little blog. The fact that you do, leaves me equal parts thankful and baffled.

Today I wanted to share with you a project of mine. This is my style file.

For some reason it has taken me years to really figure out what my style is and even now I don't always keep it in mind the way I should when I am shopping. I'm trying to change that, to remind myself that just because something is on sale doesn't mean I need to buy.

I'm trying to remember to ask myself "is it flattering on me?" and "is it truly my style?" and when I find something on sale that I'm tempted to buy I always ask myself if I would still want it if it were full price. If the answer is no, then I leave without it.

Whether it relates to decorating or fashion, I find that putting together pictures of what I love helps me narrow down my true style. Somehow my style file also inspires me to be healthier and take better care of myself. Probably because I want to look as good as the women pictured do in these clothes.

This was an easy project done with items I had on hand. I used empty file folders, stacked them on top of each other, poked four holes in the middle of the crease and used bakers twine to bind them together. All that was left to do after that was start cutting and pasting kindergarten style. Try it. It's liberating to get in touch with your inner child.

I think you will be amazed at how this process will help you see your true style. If you want to take it a step further, I highly recommend the book Style Statement by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte. It is a soul searching workbook that will have you examining all aspects of your life and will help you discover your authentic self. Oh my stars. I've become a self help book.

Rainy Day Ponderings

2011-02-21T15:25:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been struggling. Honestly, I don't feel much like blogging. I think that 10 months in this rental has taken a toll on me. You see, I love to fluff my nest more than anything in this world. I love to cook and clean and organize and decorate and just generally take care of my home and family. Those tasks are very limited here. I imagine that is why I have been knitting like a maniac these last several months. It's something domestic I can still do and enjoy in these temporary quarters. I'm just feeling so impatient to get out of here and get back to my regularly scheduled life.

Oddly enough, this brings me to a topic near and dear to my heart, being a homemaker. It's a subject I have wanted to write about for a long time but I have hesitated because I know how strongly people feel about this topic. I feel strongly about it myself.

Many of you homemaker's will understand what I mean when I say that I hate the question "What do you do?" It seems like a simple question, but the reality is that in our society what this question often means is, what is your worth as a human being? Well, I'm a Homemaker and if you judge according to the paycheck I receive at the end of the week, then I imagine you think my worth is very low. Luckily that is not how I calculate my value. I don't stay home because I'm lazy. Or selfish. It's about our quality of life, what we think is best for our family. What's best for you and your family may be completely different.

We happily make sacrifices to live this way. I don't apologize for this choice. Would things be easier financially for us if I went back to work? I don't believe they would. We could buy more stuff but that isn't what's important to us. Our quality of life is what we base our decisions on.

I imagine there will always be people in my life that are concerned about the fact that I don't have a paying job. We've been fielding inquiries on this topic for years from those concerned people. They don't understand that this is my career choice. Not everyone has this choice and some wouldn't choose it if they could. I get that. But it is my choice and one I'm very happy with.

You Give Me Fever

2011-02-16T06:28:00.000-05:00

57 degrees is our forecasted high temperature today. The thought of it has me feeling all dreamy and happy. A little giddy really. Flip flops and pink toenails giddy. Green grass and open windows giddy.

I have myself a pretty severe case of Spring Fever and I will warn you now, it is highly contagious.

I find myself daydreaming about my new yard, my assortment of porches, getting my hands in the dirt, clotheslines, planting vegetables, my potting shed, badminton, long walks, sundresses, grilled pizza, hammocks, composting, chickens, aprons, brunches, treehouse renovations, picket fences, big trees, eating alfresco and reading in the sunshine. Freshly mowed grass. Sigh. That smell.

I am awaking from a long winter's nap. I'm ready to bound out of bed and get to it. Sadly I must wait and dream a while longer. I'm not feeling very patient in my wait.

Happy Love Day

2011-02-14T12:47:00.001-05:00

I hope you are all enjoying a love filled day. I'm planning a little dinner of lobster ravioli with cream sauce, brie and walnut baguette slices, a salad and chocolate dipped strawberries for my Valentines.

I picked up a little something for each of my girls

wrapped dark chocolate bars for everyone

and made Valentines.

As for me? I received a lovely hand written note from my littlest love this morning. My guy wrote me a love letter that he will give me later when it is just the two of us and that's about it for us. No huge romantic gestures happening around here. No complaints though. I'm surrounded by love and honestly so happy I'm about to burst. That's enough for me.

Dream the Impossible Dream

2011-02-09T13:55:00.002-05:00

Today I really want to talk to you about dreams. I feel passionately about this subject. You see, I am completely overwhelmed today with the knowledge that we have the power to make our dreams come true. But. It's not enough that I know. I want you to know it too. I want you to reach far and wide. Dream big! There are no boundaries.

A year ago this past Autumn we began to visit this Village, falling more in love with it every day, just wishing that we could have a life here. It took awhile for us to realize that our dreams weren't just magically going to come true. We had to make them happen. We had to voice our dream, put it out there into the world and then start taking steps to make it come true. And guess what! It worked. We started telling everyone that we wanted to move to the Village. We called our Realtor. We prepared. We researched. Most importantly, we leaped feet first into this new life having faith that our dream would come true. And come true it has.

Don't get me wrong. There have been sacrifices galore but there have been even more rewards. Then around the first of January I started to get a little cocky. I started saying that we were going to be moving into a house on April 22nd. I had a very specific reason for picking that day. I figured if we bought a house in April we would only have an overlap of rent and mortgage for 1 month. Also, our anniversary is April 29th so clearly I didn't want to be moving that weekend. They all laughed, but you know what? I didn't care, because I knew that the only reason we were even here was because I had a dream, I put my dream out there and I took steps to make it come true. Would any of you like to guess what date we are moving into our new house?

My family was a little shocked when they realized this dream was also coming true. I mean, come on, it seems almost ridiculous that it would. Almost every step along the way we have had to overcome obstacles, some very large, to get to this point. I never want to loose faith or this feeling of knowing that I have the power to shape my destiny.

I really wanted to share this with you so that if you are coasting through life like I was, not really happy or living what you feel is your authentic life, that you will see that you do not have to sit around powerless and waiting. You can do something to change it. It may seem overwhelming or impossible, but little steps add up to big changes. I'd love to hear what you are dreaming for yourself.

**********************************************************
I dedicate this post to Kim at Daisy Cottage. Not only was she the person that introduced me to blogging and encouraged me to start my own, she was the person that showed me that this dream could be achieved and encouraged me the whole way. Love you Kim!

Starting at the Bottom

2011-02-04T13:55:00.056-05:00

The first order of business for the new house is hardwood. Now keep in mind that this is said without benefit of knowing just how large that expense might be. After the estimates I might be shell shocked into just sticking with paint for awhile. Buying a house is expensive! You probably already knew that. I had forgotten. I try to write a check every day for at least $500. I'm thinking that can't go on much longer.

The house already has hardwood all through the upstairs which is just a few years old. In the family room and 2 bedrooms downstairs there is older hardwood and it is not in the best of shape. We hope to replace the first floor hardwood and the carpet on the stairs with new hardwood and refinish what is on the 2nd floor to match. I love a dark floor. And wide planks. And a lovely aged patina. The good kind of patina. But there are so many questions. Factory finished? Engineered? Finished on site?

What I'm really worried about is, what happens down the road when we go to finish the kitchen and want to put the wood in there. Or what if we want to open up a wall a bit? I don't want any of the money we spend now to be a waste.

Also? I like to research a project before I make a decision. Research it to death... That way I am assured of making the right choice. Well, not really. But I can pretend. Also, we are talking about what I assume is going to be a lot of money. Enough money that it will make me want to vomit when I hear the total.

So for today, I am looking at inspiration and hoping you will take pity on me (and the people around me that I will inevitably drive insane during this process) and give me your hard earned hardwood advice.

And the Correct Number is...

2011-02-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

House #4! I can't believe how many of you guessed correctly. Here is the rest of the tour.

This is the front downstairs bedroom. It would be a great studio.

The family room.

The mudroom off the kitchen.

The sitting room off the master bedroom.

Upstairs bedroom that would be Emma's. It even has its own bathroom.

Emma's closet. Hate her.

Other downstairs bedroom for Maddie.

Bonus finished heated and cooled space behind the garage.

The treehouse.

The covered back porch.

Isn't it dreamy? Sweet Hubby and I could happily spend summer evenings in that swing. The backyard overlooks the town green space so the view is beautiful. It's like country in the backyard, town in the front. Also, it's only one street off of Main St. Did I mention it is on the same street we are renting on?

Did I mention that as of about 45 minutes ago we have a signed contract on this house? Our house.

House Hunters Village Style

2011-02-01T18:29:00.002-05:00

Are you guys ready to play? I'm going to show you the houses in the order in which we saw them.

House #1
3bdrm/2ba
2268 sq ft
built in 1941
This was the least expensive house we saw.

Pros: Beautiful lot, kitchen needs renovation, good flow.
Cons: Finished basement felt like a basement, no master bath, that garage is really just a storage shed, location is just a bit outside of the heart of the Village

House #2
4 bdrm/ 2 1/2 baths
2688 sq ft
Built in 1927
Cost 56,000 more than the first

This house was the biggest surprise. I don't care for the curb appeal and didn't really want to go in but it was very nicely finished. I realized that it just needs a paint job that isn't gloomy!
Pros: Quality craftsmanship, good flow on the main level, great front porch, house is surrounded by some really nice homes, that tub, hardi plank siding
Cons: The style is not really my taste, 2 of the bedrooms are in the basement, the kitchen has been done and I don't care for it

House #3
3 bdrm/ 3 1/2 baths
3169 sq ft
$86,000 more than the first house

Pros: Wraparound front porch, the sunroom, the screened porch, the huge family room
Cons: The floor plan, almost no yard, the location

House #4
4 bdrm/3ba
2133 sq ft
Built in 1900
20,000 more than the first

Pros: The yard, kitchen needs renovation, has a 6 burner professional range, a treehouse, flexible bonus spaces
Cons: Narrow family room, floors need to be refinished/replaced, 2 of the bedrooms are downstairs but the master is upstairs and is also very narrow

A Tease

2011-01-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

We began our house search on Friday evening at this adorable cottage on Main St. It's not officially on the market yet but they were kind enough to let us have a preview. Out of the 5 houses we saw this weekend, it had the most interior charm. It was very much my taste. Sadly, it is just too small for us. We would have to add a second floor to make it work. I'm not really ready for that kind of a project right now.

I've got 4 more houses to share with you this week. I thought we would play our own version of House Hunters and let you guess which one you think we should pick. I will tell you this. We found our house. We hope to be making an offer by the end of the week or as soon as we can get our financial stuff together for the bank and afterward I will share with you which one we picked. Until then all prayers, happy vibes and good wishes will be happily accepted.

House Wish List

2011-01-28T16:28:00.002-05:00

This weekend we are seeing 5 houses that are for sale in the Village. We are so excited and hopeful, although we know that since the selection is so limited we are not likely to find our dream house. We are hoping to find something we can turn into our dream house. I hope to share pictures with you next week from our house hunting adventures. Until then, here is what we are hoping to find in our next home.

A charming exterior preferably with a front porch

A good garage

A yard large enough to throw the ball for the dog and for a clothes line

Climbing trees and a treehouse or a spot for one

An open staircase

A kitchen that has a gas range and hasn't been renovated so that I can create the kitchen of my dreams without paying for a renovation that is not my taste.

A dining area that is separate but not formal.

At least 3 bedrooms

At least 2 bathrooms

A space for my studio

A fireplace

My Favorite Corner

2011-01-27T09:41:00.001-05:00

We have now been here for 8 months and it will soon be time to start thinking about packing again. While this makeshift studio/office/couch storage room has not been my ideal studio, it has served it's purpose and I am grateful to have some space to call my own. Having this corner is a luxury. One I'm glad my Sweet Hubby always makes sure I have.

I'm not a high maintenance girl. All I really need in life, aside from my family and friends, is a place to sit and sew, stitch, dream and play.

A place to put my inspiration, including my stash of Country Home and Home Companion magazines.

A place for my yarn stash, which I try to keep contained to the size of this basket but which promises to burst free of these confines most any given day of the week.

A place for stacks of lovely fabric that inspire me to sit and put foot to pedal and create something new.

I love this space. It completes me. I hope that if you don't have a space to call your own, that you will walk around your house today with a fresh perspective and find a spot you can claim.

Crushing On

2011-01-25T11:55:00.001-05:00

Today I am crushing on:

These Union Jack Pillows made by friend Sarah and available for purchase here because they are awesome and I'm all about England (and France) right now.

The number #42 and The paper Rose because she is the winning commenter for my C&R giveaway.

The movie Bottle Shock. It's currently at the top of my favorite list. Be sure to have some good wine and perhaps a cheese tray when you watch it. You've been warned.

Ginnifer Goodwin because she is just so adorable and classy. Also she makes me want to be brave and cut my hair off.

The Food Network show Dessert First. Love the kitchen, food and her and can't wait for the new season.

And last but not least, house hunting because it looks like I am seeing 2 houses this weekend and I'm determined to move by the end of April.

What are you crushing on today?

Sew Cool- A Cabbages and Roses Giveaway

2011-01-20T07:00:00.004-05:00

This week I finally busted out my sewing machine. The 'ol girl hasn't seen the light of day in over a year. For some reason, the longer you don't do something, the harder it is to finally do it again. Did that make sense? It did in my head. The point I'm trying to make is I sewed something! And, I had really, really good incentive to do it. You see, I was the lucky beneficiary of a meter of Cabbages and Roses fabric. Those kind folks let me choose a project out of the above book to share with all of you. Believe me when I say, it was hard to choose.

I decided to make the fabric gift bag and used their lavender heart project as inspiration to make a pretty tag to go on it. Now before you go and get jealous of my good fortune, let me tell you that I don't even get to keep the book. Nope. The book is for you. And, it gets better. You also get a meter of the fabric I used for the bag for yourself. Who's jealous now?

Just leave your name and email address here by Monday January 24th at midnight Eastern and if I draw your name, you will be the lucky winner of the giveaway.

While you wait please go check out the Cabbages and Roses website and blog. Be prepared for inspiration overload.

Neutral with a side of Color

2011-01-17T10:02:00.002-05:00

I'm mad for color. Crazed, I tell you! I have an overwhelming need for it. I can already tell our next house will have a different feel from our last. I dream of soft neutral walls, at least in the main living spaces, paired with a pale slip-covered sofa and love seat (definitely my first major purchase when we move into a house).

But after that? Let the color begin! Colorful pillows, throws and artwork. Colorful dishes, whatnots and the occasional brightly hued painted piece of furniture. I aim to be bold. I aim to be fearless about decorating and color. Because, in this year of Living Fearlessly, how can I not just go for it?

I want all the rooms in my house to make me as happy as my studio does. It is truly the only room that really feels like me. I don't want my house to look like a model home. I want you to walk in and immediately get a sense of it's personality.

I feel like I decorated my last house to impress other people. I'm no Freud, but I would imagine that is a result of growing up so poor. This time I'll listen to my heart and do it my way without concern about what others think. I want it to reflect how I feel inside: playful, happy, youthful and individual. I couldn't care less about rules and trends.

I am officially a design rebel. Wanna join me?

Pics: BHG,Tumblr, Canadian Home and Country, Coastal Living, Country Living.

Belated Fabulous Friday- Fashion and Other Late Night Ramblings

2011-01-15T04:34:00.001-05:00

It is very late here as I type this. Either that or very early. I'm so deliriously tired that I can't decide. I was having a good sleep until a bad dream and the smell of ham and beans woke me up. Apparently it was not a brilliant idea to start the slow cooker before I went to bed so that my guy would have a hearty lunch. Hmm. I'll make a note of that. Also I have a cat curled up by my side, one curled up on my legs and a golden retriever with her 20lb head laying on my feet. I'm not completely comfortable but I can't quite make myself disturb them. You pet lovers will understand. The rest of you, not so much.

I want to thank you all for advice on our trip. I love research and fact gathering and planning and making lists. I'm a total geek about it. Thank you all for enabling me. Emma is as bad as I am. I will have to share her Paris list I found in my knitting journal. She has started her independent research project on Paris for school. It is supposed to be due in May. She is so enthusiastic that I'm pretty sure it will be finished by the end of January. Maybe sooner. They only want 4 pages for crying out loud and I'm pretty sure she is prepared to give them about 20.

In other news, I find myself thinking quite a bit about about fashion lately. A combination, I think, of dreams of foreign travel to the land of stylish women and my new commitment to losing 15-20lbs. I joined Weight Watchers online early this week and have started working out again. Why is it so hard to carve out the time to take care of ourselves? I'm determined to do it. This Spring I am going through my closet and getting rid of anything that doesn't fit or look right on me. That is a pretty big incentive as I will not have much left if I don't get on the ball. I've also decided to start a fashion journal to inspire me and help me pinpoint my style. I'll be sharing that as time goes on.

Disclaimer: The skinny legs in these photographs do not belong to me. Nor will any skinny legs appearing in any picture on my blog ever belong to me. I'm okay with that. Just keeping it real.

Doing my Homework

2011-01-11T14:37:00.001-05:00

With the kids back in school I too am doing my homework. We have decided to take a family trip to Paris and London in the Spring of 2012. I'm a planner so obviously I have to start researching now. Plus, how much fun will the planning be? I'm even hoping to brush up on my French, which is to say, learn the language from scratch as that one year of High School French seems to have deserted me. I speak passable English already, so that is a bonus.

I'd love to hear any suggestions about places to go, things to see or ways to get ready. We plan on going for about a week and do not have an open-ended budget. Have any of you used a Rosetta Stone type program?

As excited as I am, Emma is ten times more excited. She has been obsessed with Paris most of her life. To prepare she is reading guide books, making lists, thinking about clothing options, working on a report about Paris at school and saving every penny she can. Her goal is to have $1000 for the trip. You can beat she will do it. I, on the other hand, will likely have to borrow money from her to hit the flea markets.

We Have a Winner

2011-01-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

The giveaway winner is Kristina from the blog Something Beautiful.

As for the rest of you, stay tuned because I have 2 more giveaways coming up. One may or may not involve a meter of Cabbages and Roses fabric and a Christina Strutt book. I'm not saying one way or the other.

J-O-Y- The Choosing and Giving

2011-01-07T18:13:00.000-05:00

What gives you JOY?

There are a lot of things big and small in my life that give me JOY. I thought I'd share my top ten list of today's JOYs.

1) Maddie finally went back to school today after recovering from a tonsillectomy she had last week.
2) My Colts made the playoffs and have a game on Saturday night.
3) It snowed today, the biggest fluffiest, glitteriest snowflakes and I felt like I live in Narnia.
4) Being Fearless.
5) Studio time in my future this weekend.
6) We are making plans for a big exciting vacation for the Spring of 2012.
7) Since I had an empty house today, I finally worked out and I feel so good!
8) There is a bottle of red wine calling my name tonight.
9) My new calendar came today and I can't wait to start filling it up.
10) 2 skeins of chunky yarn waiting for me to make them into a striped scarf

Some of you might remember what a big part Choosing Joy played in my life last year. Here's what I know for sure, you can choose how you feel about something. You can choose how you react to a situation or a person. You can choose JOY. Here is something else I know for sure, the more you practice something the easier it becomes.

Since I like to share the JOY, today I am hosting a giveaway from my dear friend Jerusalem at The Adventures of Jolly Goode Gal who has started printing the most inspiring posters. That Jerusalem is an inspiring girl. She is using the proceeds from these posters to enlarge her family through adoption. Because she has a big heart. Which also explains why she wants to give one of you a poster of your choosing just for looking at her store and coming back here to leave a comment about which poster and color scheme is your favorite by Monday January 10th at midnight Eastern. If your name is chosen you will win the poster you picked.

Also, because I love you guys, I will tell you that you can go visit my buddy Shannan for another chance to win. Don't you just feel a little more JOYful already?