Wood Carved Boxes and Accessories

Aren't theses roses beautiful? My very dear and closest friend brought these over for our family (along with some homemade soup, muffins, and cookies!) a few days ago. They were big when I got them, but after putting them in water, they fully opened up and and were absolutely huge...much bigger than the palm of my hand! The rose fragrance was absolutely heavenly and permeated the living room! It really makes me want to plant some more rose bushes of my own. Ah, the rose - an absolutely perfect masterpiece. Perfect in every way!



I've always had a thing for all things wood carved. That said, I don't have a lot of wood carved pieces, but when I find them, you can bet that they come home with me. There is just something about all those tiny, intricate details that piques my interest. Here are a couple of my own wooden boxes. The large, dark one I found for $10 at Hobby Lobby during one of their half-price sales. (They have half price sales daily - love that!) I use this box to hold pens and pencils. Functional beauty at it's best!



The small box I found at Goodwill. It wasn't stained a color that I loved, so I painted it myself and stressed it a little. There in the center, I'd like to add a monogram or perhaps my sparrow silhouette that I love so much. And there in the background are a couple of carved wooden candlesticks from Goodwill as well...

In the past, I've written about my trivet collection. Left unpainted, they seem to take on more of an Indian feel...but painted and aged, they work perfectly in a cottage kitchen. I have to admit, though, these are really tough to paint, even with spray paint, but well worth the effort.





And here are a few carved vintage boxes that I found while perusing Etsy. Aren't they gorgeous?!

Nifty Vintage

KittyBCreative

Grandtiques

Olive Vintage


I have most of my new blog design completed. I hope you like it! There are some issues to work out, though. If you have added my blog to your blogroll and click on my blog name or photo snippet, you may be directed to the wrong page and get a Blogger error message. I don't know what is going on with that, but I'm working to get it fixed. Also, if you haven't been receiving my blog feed, let me know. I think things went awry with my feed when Google officially took over Feedburner.

If you know of some great cottage style blogs out there that I haven't yet discovered, I'd love to hear about them!

Have a great Monday!
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If you would like to read more information about the 2009 Cottage Charm Giveaway event taking place during the entire month of May and see the list of current cottage style giveaways, just click the banner below!

It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful + Cottage Charm Giveaway Update

I'm so thrilled to have something fabulous (and free!) to share with you today! The Nester, of The Nesting Place has written an E-book based on her mantra,her battle cry - It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful!

"I truly believe that the home where you live in right now can become your dream home. This ebook isn't a step by step list of rules for you to follow to achieve a perfect home but rather a fun read that will free you to make your home what you want it to be starting now." ~The Nester

For more information and to sign up to receive this free e-book, just visit the Nester here!

Well, we're exactly one week into the 2009 Cottage Charm Giveaway and I'm happy report that we already have (as of this writing Friday morning) 24 giveaways- almost a quarter of a way to our goal of 100 giveaways! Thank you ALL who are supporting this event either by hosting a giveaway, spreading the word by telling others about it on your blog, or by signing up to win the lovely giveaway offerings! We couldn't do this without you! I've set up a Flickr account just for photos of all the giveaways, so take a peek and become a Cottage Charm Giveaway Flickr contact if you'd like to stay up to date with all the giveaways that are added daily.

I enjoyed reading about your "forever" pieces in my last post. Thank you to the following visitors for sharing!

Cherry's Jubilee, Digiscribbles, The Cottage Around the Corner, From House to Home, Cottage, The Gathering Nest, Walnuthaven Cottage, and Yarborough House 1929

Have a great weekend everyone! We'll be working on my studio tomorrow...but what are you up to?
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If you would like to read more information about the 2009 Cottage Charm Giveaway event taking place during the entire month of May and see the list of current cottage style giveaways, just click the banner below!

LolliShops: The FrouFrou Friendly Market Place

Have you heard of LolliShops yet? What is it exactly? From the Lollishops site...:

"LolliShops is a juried, online selling venue for talented artists, collectors of vintage and art supply vendors. LolliShops will appeal to those who love...

* Elegant Whimsy
* Romantic Inspirations
* Fanciful Creations

... artists will enjoy setting up their own, customizable store fronts while LolliShops patrons enjoy feeling like a kid in a Candy Store!"

I'm really excited about this new venue for crafters/collectors/artists and patrons who love whimsical, romantic, and fanciful type items. The site is projected to open near the end of October.

While you are visiting LolliShops, don't forget to check out the:
~LolliShops blog to stay up to date with the latest happenings
~LolliShops Flickr Photos to see samples of the beautiful work of the many Lollishop vendors that have been selected so far
~Pre-application if you would like to apply to LolliShops.

Also, even if you aren't interested in running a shop, you can help spread the word about LolliShops buy putting a button on your blog...you can just copy and paste the button coding from the bottom of the main LolliShop's page.

I hope you enjoy the site as much as I have so far - and it's not even "open" yet!

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On the homefront, little did I know the last time I posted that things were about to go downhill in a big way for me as far as my health goes. Hubs had been terribly sick as were a couple of the children, but I felt like I was holding my own though not feeling well (little twinges of congestion in my chest, tickles in my throat). I as I said in my last entry, I was just determined to rest when I could thinking I'd be back to my old self soon. Ha!

Let me tell you, I have been bed bound now since last Thursday morning. It turns out that I have acute Bronchitis. Goodness, talk about miserable! Up until today, I literally coughed probably 21 out of the 24 hours of the day. Any small movement, any attempt to speak even, would bring on a coughing fit to end all coughing fits - the really violent type of coughing fit where you can hardly catch your breath, your insides burn, your throat is irritated, your back and shoulders hurt, your abs throb, your gag reflux kicks in, and you feel like you've given yourself a hernia. My poor children thought I was dying:( I've been telling them all along that it wasn't as serious as that, but I guess physically, I looked to them like I must be on the brink of death! They'd get out of bed at night with very serious and concerned faces, sweet things, and come to my bedside..."Mommy, are you ok?!" When I came back from the doctor with my prescription strength medications, they needed to be reassured..."So you're going to live now???"

Hubs has been wonderful...he's done so much. Of course, I missed school registration and it was he who took the day off work and went in and filled out all the paperwork for three children, did the girls' shoe shopping, organized their backpacks for the first day of school, watered my flowers, did the laundry, took the kids to two parties this weekend, and so much more. He has admitted that it's very hard to be a "single" parent!

I would be remiss if I didn't admit that our little cottage does need a woman's touch again after being neglected by me for almost a week. With so many other important things needing to be taken care of by Hubs, the dusting and sweeping are low priority (though he did sweep and mop a couple of nights ago!) I'm really looking forward to being back on my feet again - and today I've felt better for the first time since all this began, not nearly as much coughing, thank goodness!

1955 Good Housekeeping Cookbook

Do not walk, RUN to Ebay and snatch up a copy of this vintage cookbook from 1955, the Good Housekeeping Cookbook ! I found one at Goodwill yesterday and WOW, what a gem! There are over 3000 recipes in the book (760 pages!), from old-fashioned dishes to the "newer" dishes of the 1950's. There are plenty of practical kitchen tips as well. This is a great one to add to your cookbook collection. Vintage and antique cookbooks are so charming...through them, you can take a step back in time to the kitchens of your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and beyond.

As of this posting you can get this book for as little as 1.99! Check it out! And let me know if you order one! I know you'll love it as I do mine!

Vintage Style Embroidered Tea Towels and Polka Dotted Ironing Board Covers - Fun!

I found an Ebay shop, Chenille Pet Vintage Stitch Designs, that sells embroidered vintage style tea towels and other items and I thought this one particular tea towel set was especially sweet. It's a "Days of the Week" set with each towel depicting the activities that usually take place on that particular day. Aren't these lovely?











And speaking of lovely, check out this handmade ironing board cover I bought from Hestia Houseworks Cottage Ecclectic
the other week! Oh, you must check out her shop - you'll love it! She has other colors available other than red, and other patterns, too!

My poor old ironing board is i-don't-know-how-many years old and is such an eyesore. I can't wait to give it a facelift using this red polka-dotted cover. I may even paint the metal base another color besides white if I'm feeling especially ambitious. Who knows...maybe I will fall in love with ironing by the time I'm finished.

Nah. But at least I'll have something cheerful to look at:)

New Cottage Charm Giveaway Mailing List

Well, this year's Cottage Charm Giveaway is all but over! Drawings are taking place now and into tomorrow for some and it's so exciting to see who all the winners are! We've had a blast and I thank each and every one of you for playing along.

I received some exciting news yesterday from Sadie Lou, the administrator of the Cottage Style Street Team @ Etsy.(As you probably already know, Etsy is THE place to buy and sell all things handmade and vintage.) The Cottage Style Street Team was put together "for artists/sellers at Etsy that specialize in Glitter, Ephemera, Old Photographs, Collage, Mixed Media, Roses, Polka Dots, Tea Stained, Ball Fringe and all around beautifying the world with our Romantic, Shabby, Cottage Style!" There are, as of right now, over 160 members in the team. How wonderful is that?

Anyway, Sadie contacted me and expressed interest in working together next year to promote the 3rd Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway. This would be an awesome way to promote the members of the Cottage Style Street Team as well and I'm all about promoting small businesses - especially those specializing in cottage style! So who knows...with the help of many more shop owners, next years Cottage Charm Giveaway could be even bigger!

So check out the CSST @ Etsy...Maybe you even qualify to join their team if you have an Etsy shop. They also have a blog that you won't want to miss. I've added it to my blogroll already.

While we're on the subject of exciting announcements, I wanted to let everyone know that I've set up a mailing list for those interested in receiving upcoming announcements regarding future Cottage Charm Giveaways. (Thanks to KJ at eye-dyllic for the great idea.) I know that time flies by and we can easily forget - so it would be convenient to have reminders when the next giveaway rolls around. You can join the mailing list below as well is in the right hand column of my blog down near where the other Cottage Charm info is.

Enter your email here to receive future Cottage Charm Giveaway updates:






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Well, it's been fun and thanks again to everyone who helped make this year's giveaway a huge success!

Colorful and Cool Retro Appliances - or What We Like to Call "Eye Candy"

Of course I couldn't write this entry without thinking of Cottage Daisy and her sweet baby blue fridge that we have all (let's admit it) drooled over for the last couple of years. While we have already bought our average, everyday, run-of-the-mill appliances since our remodel began, I still get a thrill checking out what is available out there nowadays.

Wouldn't these appliances be perfect in a cottage style kitchen? And you can also get them in *custom* colors - weeee!. Range hoods are also available but they haven't yet been added to the site. Can't wait to see them!

Isn't if funny how we get excited about these classic style appliances like men do about old cars?

Where Credit is Due

Digital scrapbook elements obtained from http://digitalscrapbookgrapixs.blogspot.com/, http://dreamscrap.com, and http://flergalicious.com

For Those That Are Interested...

I wanted to let everyone know that I'm keeping a separate blog for my faux treat and business related entries. After all, this blog is about cottage decor and renovation:) I'll update my business site as new photos or items are available but I'll let you know here whenever I do that...

You'll find my business persona a little "different" than who I am normally. It is a reflection of and in a way, a tribute to, the family and folks I was raised around here in the South - people I'll never forget and who are the epitome of Southern Hospitality. I'm not off my rocker, hehe, but I do genuinely have an appreciation from where I came from - no matter where I go - and wished to express that somehow through my business:)

Here you go! The Twice Remembered Cottage

Have a great day, everyone!

A New Journey

I feel that I have positively neglected my poor blog and dear readers! I wish that I could say that we've been swamped working on the house and that lots has been done, but no - that isn't the case. Just like my blog, our projects have been getting only a little attention this summer. I feel disappointed in both instances, but I do know the break has been necessary because my "new journey" has begun. In due time, we'll get back to the house and though I feel guilty about it's utter state of incompletion and my CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome), it will keep for now.

As you may know, I'm starting my own little business. I've always wanted to help out with the family budget in some way, especially from home and preferrably doing something I enjoy doing. Because of the great interest that has been expressed by many folks, I've decided to mainly specialise in making and selling my faux candies and other confections.

I have had so.much.fun with this sweet treat adventure and really see it as a way to be creative everyday and make pieces that bring smiles to people young and old. Children love it. My kids and others that come into my home are just amazed and you can see their eyes get big and their wishful expressions on their faces. Often they tell me, "Oh, I just want to eat it!". They love to pick up the pieces and touch them and marvel over the fact that they can't even take one nibble:) And I gave a small box of candies to Hub's grandmother the other day and I can't tell you how much joy it brought to her. She called and told me, "You have to sell these! If I could sell them from door to door, I would!". Hehe! Later in the week, one of her friends, who I've never met and don't know, called me and told me, "You have to sell these! Make them in bulk! I want to send some to so-in-so and so-in-so and...". As it stands at this moment, I'm making twelve boxes of candy for an upcoming event (they are being bought to give as gifts)- a dozen candies per box. I've been working daily on these little gems.

So, having decided to make this a real business, I've also had to spend a portion of my time ordering candy boxes, candy liners, and all the other supplies needed for this venture. After all, presentation is everything! I will also be expanding into making cookies, cupcakes, and later cakes, so the candies are just the beginning.

I've had many of you ask about purchasing my candies and first I want to say Thank You! Also, as soon as I'm finished with this larger order, I'll be taking some good pictures of them to post in my Etsy shop. At that point, I'll be officially opening my online business and you'll be able to see more details and purchase easily.

You know the saying, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life"? ... I love that and it's so true! So this is what I've been up to as of late. That and swim lessons for the kidlets, getting them ready for back-to-school, and preparing them for their annual end of summer trip with their grandmother. They left on Tuesdsay and don't get back home until Saturday night. Hubs was out of town from Monday until Thurdsay night, so I've been hubless and childless for days now with only our dogs and new baby cockatiel to keep me company...and I'm not complaining! A little time to oneself every now and again does wonders for ones spirit:)

Also, I haven't had the internet since Monday evening. I didn't know what was wrong with it but it turns out the the kids switched some plugs around and it wasn't connected correctly. So lots of emails to catch up on!

Thanks so much for checking in on me - I know it must be a bore to check in for two or three weeks straight with no update. I haven't had anything house related to report for awhile but I hope that things settle down and more time is freed up when the kids are back in school. Also, as it stands right now, the things that need to be done on the house are things that hubs has to do (trimwork, raising ceiling hallway, installing doors, etc., etc.). There's nothing for me to tackle now so I'm trying to be patient. His company has kept him busy traveling as of late, so no spare time for him, unfortunately. We're just trying to find time to squeeze in mowing the yard! I admit, I'm still having those days that I want to cry and throw in the towel and I feel in complete despair over living in what sometimes feels like a shack. I still shower in our almost gutted bathroom, come down our dreary, ugly hallway with missing sheetrock, walk into our living room with exposed subflooring and popcorn ceiling, but then look into our bright and sunny kitchen that though still needs a lot of work, looks so cheerful and inviting to me. The parts that are done show that hubs and I are capable of bringing our (my) visions to fruition and that eventually, I'll see every room the way I see the completed parts of our kitchen. But does anyone have any patience to spare?

Brick Backsplash for Cottage Kitchen - Step One Completed!

The bricks are in! I almost waited until tomorrow to take more photos after the stove was moved back into place, but I'm so excited, hehe, that I had to share. Step one of the backsplash project is complete! Click for a larger photo...Just ignore the stove in the middle of the kitchen! By Friday I hope to grout and then next week, I can paint the bricks. I'll be painting them a bisque color - about the same color as the sink and other appliances. The actual color is called "Honey Milk". After painting them, I'm going to take a stiff wire brush or heavy sandpaper and distress the paint a bit as I want to try to retain the "old brick" look. I haven't decided yet if I will use glaze or not - we'll see. Hubs really likes the brick and says it turned out better than he expected. He also said he wouldn't mind not painting the bricks, but I think they would compete with the red cabinets if left unpainted, plus they are rather dark.

Today was such a long day and am I zapped! Thank you for all of your comments below. I appreciate hearing from all of you and will respond intelligently when my brain cells have had time to repair, lol!

I especially want to thank Kim (ScraptomyLou) for featuring my blog on the very inspirational "Today's Creative Blog" ! What an honor to be counted in among all the creative people blogged about there. You should bookmark this site and check it out daily! Thank you, again, Kim!

Have you checked out who has joined the Cottage Charm Giveaway in the last seven days? Be sure to check them out and sign up for whatever strikes your fancy!

11) My Indulgences
12) Princess Nimble-Thimble
13) Bella-Enchanted
14) Mother and Child
15) Trinkets and Treasures
16) Casa Amada

To view everyone that is offering a cottage giveaway from now until May 26th, check out the complete participant list if you haven't already. And of course, if you are interested in having your own Cottage Charm giveaway, here are the details.

Before I retire for the night, I must share with you a little gem I found on the clearance table at the bookstore. Apparently this title, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady was also a movie and if it's half as charming as the book, I'd love to see it! The book is an actual nature diary written in 1906 by a woman named Edith Holden. The diary is written in her handwriting and is also filled to the brim with her beautiful watercolors. Each page is just so sweet:)

"Written in 1906, as a record of the stunning natural world around her, Edith Holden’s diary captures the innocence of the Edwardian age. In her own hand and accompanied with her beautiful and delicately observed watercolours, this book revels in the passing of the seasons..."


"For 70 years, her enchanting journal lay undiscovered--until 1977, when it was first published with great success (as any bookseller will recall). Now, it is back in print, ours to treasure once again. All the charm and beauty of the original remains intact in this facsimile, with Holden's carefully handwritten entries: favorite poems, personal thoughts, observations of the wildlife she saw in her native Warwickshire; and remarks on her travels throughout England and Scotland. On every page, her exquisitely rendered paintings--executed with a naturalist's eye for detail and an artist's sensitivity and skill--capture birds perched on branches, their mouths open in song; a tiny shrew mouse, sniffing the air; delicate butterflies and slithering snakes; fluttering leaves; and an array of flowers, from pink foxgloves and trailing roses to yellow water lilies. And, each spellbinding picture reflects her deep love of nature. Surely a beloved classic for a new generation of book buyers. ~Amazon editorial review"

It seems there are a couple of different versions of this book - one with "yellowed" paper, or at least paper made to look old and with different book covers. I'm not sure which is which is which, but I'm sure happy to have the copy I picked up today!

New Old-Fashioned Blogs

Love This Chair
Originally uploaded by Treasured Heirlooms.

I just love discovering great sources of inspiration! Here are a few new or new to me blogs for you to check out. I know you'll like them as much as I do!

My Indulgences
Niesz Vintage Home
Tag Sale Tales
Roses Petite Maison
Isabella's Closet
Okie Cottage Bliss

The old chair photo was found at Flickr. You should see all the beautiful photos in Treasured Heirlooms' gallery...So sweet!





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There is still plenty
of time to sign up for my Cottage Charm giveaway and others if you haven't already. Or if you are interested in having your own Cottage Charm giveaway, here are the details. There are several of us so far! Thanks to everyone!

Lot of 40 + Antique Ladies Home Journal on Ebay...What a deal!

It's not a usual thing for me to make two entries in one day, but I wanted to let everone know about an Ebay auction before it ends.


For those of you interested in ephemera and antique papers and old magazines in general, this auction is for you! It's not my auction, (and I sure wish I had the extra cash floating around to win) but I think this is a great deal:)

Someone is selling a Lot of 40+ Antique Ladies Home Journals dating from the 1800's (1888 to 1896) for the starting bid of $75. I don't know how high the bids will go (no one has bid yet - the auction ends in 1 Day 4 Hours as of this posting), but I *do* know that if these were sold individually, you would pay A LOT more than that. For instance, someone else is selling an older LHJ (early 1900's) for $25. Someone else is selling one pattern from a Ladies Home Journal for $9.99, another is selling one ad from the magazine for $25, and so on. So this is an awesome find!


There would be so many uses for these old mags...framing ads and articles or using the beautiful pictures and print for decoupage. It would be splendid if one of you bids on and wins this auction! The seller has tons more photos on her auction page - check it out! The auction ends on Mar-29-07 16:25:48 PDT (1 day 4 hours)

Mission Accomplished - We Have Our New Doors from Southeastern Salvage!

Drats, I have to leave for a doctor's appointment and only have a couple of minutes to write, but I just had to report that hubs and I had the BEST weekend in Chattanooga. The flea market on Friday in Nashville was awesome...it was just me - no husband or children in tow. I did find goodies but haven't yet photographed them - I will later today and will tell you all about them soon!


I have to at least take a moment to share photos of our wonderful new solid pine interior doors! I'm telling you, if you need new doors and want to go the real wood route, please consider taking a trip to Southeastern Salvage. They build the doors for you per your specifications and measurements - and any interior door size for the 6 panel pine doors are just $98!!! You will save so much because at Lowes or Home Depot, you'll spend at least $150 per door. Southeastern Salvage has locations in Chattanooga, Birmingham, Chesapeake, Cincinnati, Mobile, and Shreveport. They have lots of other building and remodeling materials for cheap, too. Check them out when you get a chance! These guys take a lot of pride in their work and the quality is amazing. Oh, and we also picked up all of our oil-rubbed bronze door knobs there and I'll share photos of them later, too:) Just $10 for each set! Amazing!

Well, I must run and get ready to go see an oral surgeon for a consultation. I need all four of my wisdom teeth removed soon. Bleh! Have a great Monday, everyone! And thanks for all your lovely comments below!

Flea Market Bound + PIcking Up New Interior Doors

You may find this hard to believe, but I haven't been to the flea market in probably two years. I know that if I went there frequently, we'd have no money to finish this neverending remodel, so I play it safe and just don't go often:) Besides, I just have to box everything up and store it for now anyways. But Friday (today), I'm Flea Market Bound! I still won't be lugging back furniture or higher ticketed items because the Flea Market is just a pitstop for me before we head down to pick up our pine interior six-panel doors. We'll be buying all of the oil rubbed bronze door knobs we'll need while we're there, so my flea market budget is pretty pinched. (Fiddlesticks!) But we'll see if I can find a special something with an itty bitty "renovator's budget":) The weather is going to be gorgeous, I won't have the kidlets, and I love a good hunt!

Before I sign off, please check out a new decorating/remodeling blog that I've recently discovered. It's called A Charmed Life and is written by a new blogger named Dawn. She says on her website... "I just recently purchased my first home and am busy remodeling and decorating. I am inspired by magazines, HGTV, books, and of course other women's blogs! I want my home to feel warm and welcoming and to be a special place for my family." Now, I've probably gone and embarassed her (sorry, Dawn!) but I love it when a new and inspirational house blog gets discovered! She just started writing this month and has lots of nice photos and project ideas already...check it out!

Spread the Love

I wanted to share with you all a couple of new cottage blogs I've discovered - new to me and also in the sense that they are newly created blogs that are just waiting for visitors and to be discovered. By the way, if you have or know of a cottage blog, "vintage" blog, or "old house" blog, please let me know! I consider such blogs to be great resources - a wonderful source of inspiration for both myself and other readers, and I "collect" them, if you will.

First let me introduce you to Paintin-Patti. She is currently making over her older, outdated cabinets by adding beadboard and moulding. It's looking great so far! She says they are almost finished and she'll be posting photos as soon as she can. She's painting them a beautiful cottage white - I can't wait to see them!

I'd also like to invite you to visit Elizabeth Hill Cottage. What a sweet little cottage! Like hubs and I, Martha is going to be documenting their cottage transformations, which always fun to watch unfold.

A dear friend of mine also has a blog called Ivy and Lace Cottage. If you love all things old-fashioned - quilts, aprons, vintage goodies, nostalgia - you'll love visiting Marilyn:)

You'll also enjoy visiting Mary from Across the Pond ! She came to America 45 years ago but hasn't lost her love for her native land in England, and this shows in her lovely new blog:)

There are several other cottage blogs that I've come across but due to my major lack of organizational skills, lol, I can't find them now:( If you think you might be one of them, please tell me. You know, when I first started blogging I couldn't locate any other cottage blogs. Not that they weren't out there, I just couldn't find them. But now I'm thrilled that they are popping up all over the place!

So about the dining wall. Hubs changed his mind about letting me tackle it and wants to wait for our friend to do it:( He's suppose to come tonight but if he can't for some reason, the wall is mine. Today, I'll be spending my day decluttering and sorting through the winter clothes and preparing for a spring yard sale. I've also been working on crafts this week as I've had the time (ha!) and I'm having so much fun!

Well, Hello, Mr. Tax Refund... We've Been Expecting You!"

"It's so good to see you again! But tell me, how long are you planning on sticking around? Every year it seems that just as soon as you get here, you disappear just as quickly as you arrive? Why is that?"

Every renovator out there knows the answer to that question. In our household, anyway, our tax refund money is spoken for a whole year in advance. Last year, we bought flooring for the kitchen, living room, and hallway - and pine planks for some of the ceilings. We really wanted to get a new washer and dryer as ours are very, very old and cantankerous. Our washer literally tries to escape from the laundry room every time we use it. Seriously. One morning I'm going to wake up and find it eating breakfast in the kitchen. But...our refund budget didn't allow us to buy a replacement washer and dryer last year. You can bet, though, that it was at the top of our list year!

Though I've been really excited about getting a new washer and dryer, I was less than excited about actually shopping for a set. Because our old set is so...old, anything - anything at all will suit me just fine. As long as it's extra large capacity and front loading and stays put, I really don't care what we buy. Hubs, however, being the great researcher and comparison shopper he is, put a lot of time and energy into finding just the right washer and dryer at just the right price. He really knew better than to try and take me comparison shopping with him. All the numbers, the models, the features just totally overwhelmed me. Like a moth to light, I was only interested and drawn to the shiny and colorful models (figures). I nearly swooned after seeing the Wild Cherry LG washer and dryer. *drool* I just wanted to hug that washer and dryer in all it's red and chrome goodness. But even I knew that paying an extra $300-$400 for a color other than white just wasn't making practical use of our tight budget. I told hubs to just buy whatever he wanted. He ordered a white GE and it will be delivered on Saturday - yee haw! Our old washer is going to a bachelor friend. His current washer has gone through a form of appliance menopause (it no longer has a spin cycle), which means he has to wring out his clothes before putting them into the dryer - ugh!

The rest of our tax money this year will go to buying solid wood interior doors, oil-rubbed bronze knobs, and hardwood flooring for the kids' rooms. I was really hoping we'd have enough to go ahead and get the flooring for our masterbedroom, too, but it may have to wait until next year.

For any of you that live in the South East, it may be worth your time to take a trip to Southeastern Salvage Home Emporium in Chattanooga, Birmingham, Chesapeake, Cincinnati, Mobile, or Shreveport. They have the best products and prices for home building and renovating materials. At Lowes or Home Depot, we were looking at paying between $165 - $200 per solid pine six panel wood door. At South Eastern Salvage, we'll custom order our doors and they'll make them for us out of solid Brazilian Pine - for $98 any size! They come with hinges that match the oil-rubbed bronze finish knobs I want to use. To get that particular finish at Lowes or Home Depot, we would have been charged extra. Their oil-rubbed bronze door knobs are from $4 to $12 each and you just can't beat that! So we're pretty excited about this resource. We bought our porcelian tile for the bathroom there a while back and saved heaps of money.

I promise that the next entry I make will be the one about our "Ugly House Vignettes". You may want to skip it if you're especially sensitive to such disturbing viewing material, lol. It sure ain't gonna be pretty.

By the way, the Carl Larsson painting at the top called "An Evening by the Lamp". I love it because it pictures a small space packed with homey furniture, especially the extra large coffee table filled with newspapers, books, and other things. That's the way our coffee table stays, it seems! The next painting is called "Cottage in the Snow". Just lovely!

Off to work on some craft projects now!

Meet Carl Larsson - My New Favorite Artist

**Edited to add: View pages and pages of Carl Larsson's artwork here. I've linked to a few paintings in a paragraph below as well.**
I admit it...as much as I love color and creativity and expression, I'm really, really , really picky about the art that I display in my home. The color and style has to be just right and the mood the piece of art creates is just as important. Because I am so picky, I don't have very much art in my home:( But let me tell you, that will change once we are past all this dreadful remodeling because I have discovered a very talented Swedish artist, Carl Larsson (1853-1919) that has absolutely captured my heart.

Many of you may have already heard of him, but it wasn't until last night when I found a book about him (under piles of kids books at Goodwill) that I was introduced to his work. The book I found has little text and is filled with about 30 of his paintings - full 8 X 11 inch pages with no printing on the backs of them (perfect for pulling out to have matted and framed!). OH MY GOODNESS! No other artist that I know has captured most of the things that I hold dear in my life...home, children, simplicity, creativity, color...From what I've learned, he and his wife Karin (who was also and artist and textile designer) have been called the creators of Swedish design. Their colorfully and imaginately decorated small two story cottage really stood out among the very prim and proper Victorian homes of the time. According to the official Carl Larsson website, "Carl and Karin formed and furnished this house according to their own very special artistic taste and also the needs of their growing family."

They had eight children and really treated them much differently than Victorian children of the time were treated. They were the children of artists, so I would expect that to be true! "Meals were important to the Larsson family. The adults did not eat by themselves; they wanted the children around them. This surprised a number of visitors who were used to adults and children having separate lives. There are stories of the merry dinners, of gossiping with the neighbours over coffee and of card games during the dark winter evenings. Carl and Karin had brought home to Sweden, the French habit of remaining a long time at the dinner table for conversation."

If you look on his website, you'll see a few photos of their sweet little home. It is left today nearly exactly the way it was when they lived there. In the dining room, you'll find red chairs. "In our day the bright colours in the Dining Room may not seem so sensational. But contemporary writers had a lot to say about the "raw" colours, and indeed about the red chairs the Larssons had ordered from carpenter Arnbom in Sundborn." I read also, that just because a piece of furniture had been made in 1694, that didn't stop him from painting it - which during that time, just wasn't done! I have a feeling that color ran through his veins.

His paintings that I love so are the ones from his family life...just simple yet very detailed vignettes around their home. It is kind of eerie and surreal, in a way, to view his paintings and then view actual photos of their home because nothing really has changed. The rooms are the same - the furniture, the walls...everything. The only thing missing from the photos are the children and his wife that now only live in the rooms of the paintings.

"In the summer of 1894 it had rained for six straight weeks. "I went about in an insufferable mood", Carl Larsson wrote. Karin then suggested that he should sketch a few pictures of their home to cure his impatience." So this is how it all began - this series of books about his family and home. His books have been called the "Internet" of their time because they are so real and raw and gave a real view into their family life.

And, oh, how the colors are exquisite! You see, all the colors in his paintings are the colors that I long to incorporate into my own "cottage" - the reds, the greens, the yellows, and even some blue. So you can understand why I fell in love the moment I found this book hiding under a pile of books at Goodwill.

There is a painting, "Homework" of his children sitting at the table doing homework, another - "The Kitchen" portrays two of his girls in the kitchen churning butter while their kitten plays in the corner and the breeze blows up the sheer curtains on the open window, "Flowers on the Windowsill" pictures a daughter watering plants on the windowsill with mother's ball of yarn and knitting needles on the table, one of "Breakfast Under the Big Birch"...the whole family, including the dog, eating together at a big table outside, one entitled "Brita's Forty Winks" - the baby sleeping under a cozy red blanket in her cradle, "Shelling Peas" - the children helping with food preparation, one called "When the Children Have Gone to Sleep" which pictures Karin and Carl enjoying quiet time by lamplight, he reading the paper, she working on her needlework, "Hide and Seek" shows one of the adorable children at play, "A Lazy Corner" - I just want to curl up on that sofa!

There are so many of these sweet and charming little vignettes - I could just fall over! You know how in our time, we go about our homes clicking photos of our family and this and that, and are eager to share them with others? Well, that's what Carl Larssons paintings were all about. And I just can't wait to display them in my home...just knowing that this precious family and all the painted vignettes actually existed - and somehow still exist through the paintings.

I want to share some of these paintings with you but have run out of time! I'll have more later...until then, enjoy learning more about Carl Larsson on his website:)

International Blogs of Note (What Yummy Eye Candy!)

You may have noticed that my link resource list is getting longer and longer. I just can't help it. I've been finding such wonderful cottage and/ or country design blogs lately and the beautiful photos are so inspiring. Who needs magazine subscriptions when you can lay your eyes on fresh design photos from across the globe every day? You know, I need to have a weekly or monthly post where I post about my newly added links. I want to spotlight every one of them!

Today, I'm going to focus on a few international blogs of note, specifically European blogs. It's so refreshing to know that women around the world love the charm of cottage and country living as much as the rest of us. What I've noticed in most of the European blogs I've visited is that often their style is very clean and very simply, with oh-so-subtle use of color. Many only use shades of white, which I find very refreshing! I wish I could pull that off here, lol, but I'm such a color junkie. It would be wonderful to enjoy the best of both worlds, so maybe when we redo our bedroom, I'll go all white! At any rate, these blogs and photos are a great resource and are so creative and inspiring. Bookmark these, study them, and be sure to go back in their archives so you don't miss any of the gorgeous photos. Better than I magazine, I tell ya! Also, don't be shy about leaving a comment on international blogs even if they are written in another language. If you can't read their entries, you can always comment on the photos themselves, and the blog owner can often translate your comments themselves or via an online translator. You can also try to translate thier pages online, but I know this doesn't work too well with the Swedish language for some reason.

Ok, so here we go...in no particular order. These are just a few. There are *sooo* many more out there! Make yourself a hot cup of tea or coffee and give yourself some time to pour over these sites:)

Spets och Snor - Run, don't walk, to this blog, and look at all her entries. She just started blogging in January, so now is a good time to start keeping up with her!

I Min Vackr Varld Just lovely!

Jenny's Home A dream of a country home:) Another thing I notice about all these sweet homes is that they have such beautiful, natural looking flooring.

L'Armoire De Suzanne A great resource!

For the Love of Country Anna is such a sweetie and has an excellent eye for country and vintage decor. You have to bookmark this site for sure!

La Maison de Jehannell Just yummy! Her home has stone walls and beautiful cobblestone tile floors...so old European country!

Lines Verden I think this blogger is renovating her house as well. She's doing a great job so far:)

Mias Landliv Simply charming!

Vintage House Another must see...ah, her home just makes me feel happy!

Vita Hem Beautiful and inspiring photos galore...

La Cabane de Violette Her needlework is incredible, especially her ribbon work.

!Vardagsrummet Lots of charming country goodness to be found here!

An Angel at My Table More charming style and renovation projects!

Designe She accents her home with the color I love - Red!

Et a Part Ca? (I'm sorry I left out the accent marks...I need to learn how to add them) Such wonderful photography and creativity!

Yvestown Yvonne is about to have her home photographed for a magazine - it surely is magazine worthy:)


Wel, these are only but a few of the myriads cottage / country international blogs out there. It's so neat to be able to branch out and get a taste of European old-fashion design. I hope you enjoy these sites as much I am - and if you know of others, please let me know!

Cottage of the Month!

It's late, but I wanted to quickly share with you a great resource for all of you cottage lovers out there. Thanks to Alison at Brocante Home, I discovered a site called The Old Painted Cottage. The site owner, Jennifer, has a feature called Cottage of the Month where she adds reader submitted photos of a different cottage each month. The archive goes back to February 2006, so right now there are photos of eleven different charming cottages to inspire you. Go have a looksee and be sure to bookmark as I know you'll want to go back and see a new cottage every month.

By the way, be sure to check out Jennifer's blog and the rest of her lovely site:)

Our New Addition + Interesting Blog Posts of Note

Everyone here is slowly getting better, though hubs was home sick from work again today with a high fever and other flu symptoms. I wish this flu would fly aleady!

The cat's out of the bag...we welcomed a new addition to our family this week. About a month ago on a very cold and rainy night, a little stray solid black kitten showed up at our door meowing her little head off. I brought her in and and quickly gave her much love and many cuddles while I could, because, you see, I'm allergic to cats. We placed an ad in the paper and I created a little webpage with "glamour" photos for folks to see pictures of her. I've used this method in the past when we found a pregnant stray dog roaming a busy street...After her pups were born and ready for homes, we did a little cottage pups photo shoot with them and they all found homes in a day! So, we got plenty of phone calls about our stray kitten this time around, too. Hubs made arrangements with an interested person to meet him at his office to pick up the kitten, but they flaked out and didn't show. Most of the folks hubs worked with, however, really liked the idea of having an "office" cat and took to our little stray right away. But that only worked out for a little while. The kitty would be left in the warehouse and, well, not having access to her litter box, she'd finally "go" somewhere...and some people weren't happy about that. I wasn't comfortable with the whole idea anyway, but for hubs sake (he loves cats), I didn't fuss *too* much - but I did fuss. Anyway, after a few complaints, I told him to bring the cat home and we'd place another ad. Strangely, I've had no allergic reactions to her in the week that she's been back, and goodness knows I've cuddled her to pieces. I don't know what is going on. The cat allergies seem to have disappeared as quickly as they appeared 7 years ago. Soooo... now it looks like we've been happily adopted by a bird, two dogs, and a cat. I've yet to come up with a real name for her. Hmmm...Goodness...I wish I wasn't such a softy. I told the kids that this is absolutely the last animal we will bring into the family.

I don't have anything else interesting on the housefront to write about so I thought I'd take a stroll around other cottage and country blogs to see what's going on. I hope you enjoy these links as much as I have!

At A Storybook Life, look at this fabulous *$2* cupboard that was painted a deep, rich red! This just goes to show that (1) great finds are out there (and the hunt is so much fun!) and (2)a little paint goes a long way!

Look at this darling cottage apron that Chris at Cats on My Quilt made. I've never worn an apron, but the more I see, the more I think I'd love to collect them for the charm of it:)

I just love this little powder room at Cottage Bethy's place. She recently painted it and the once gold light fixture that was in there. The fixture is now a fresh and airy white. I especially love the white mirror. Great job!

If you'd love to see a cottage bathroom in the making, please check out Cottage by the Sea. They've been working hard on their bath and it's always fun for me to see these kinds of projects come together. Someday...SOMEday, we'll be putting our bath back together, lol!

Speaking of thrify finds, look at this sweet little cabinet Kim from Daisy Cottage found recently at Goodwill for $10! Again, gotta love the thrill of thrifting!

I just discovered Tiffaney's blog at Folded Gingham and love how she has redone her fireplace. She says she is "olding up" her new house (like what I'm trying to do with this relative "new" nearly 30 year old house of ours). She painted the mantel a really pretty pear green and replaced the granite tile with brick. It turned out lovely...check it out!

Well, I guess that's it for now! Gonna go check on my sick hubby!