• Prairie Cottage •

:: Halloween Around the Cottage

2011-11-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

I am a little late this year, but here are a few photos of the Halloween decorations. Not a lot changed from last year, just a few new things here and there. Oh, how I love my spooky decor.

Halloween weekend was the same as OSU Homecoming (one of the reasons I am behind). So, unfortunately we didn't go all out like we have in previous years. The bf did still dress up and scare the kids and we did do some of the graveyard, but hopefully next year we will really have the time to deck out the cottage. I really wanted to have a costume party too, but maybe we will have a Christmas party instead and save the costume festivities for next Halloween.

Hoping you had a frightfully fun Halloween!

xx
A

:: Bits of Fall

2011-11-01T20:46:00.001-05:00

I can't believe that it is already November 1st. How does the time fly by so quickly? It seems like just yesterday it was 112 degrees here in Oklahoma and I was longing for the mild days of October, and now it is over.

The leaves are just beginning to fall and the temps are starting to consistently be cooler, and although it still feels like fall now, I know soon enough the cold, winter winds will move in and a snow will be upon us. So not ready for that.

So, for today I thought I would hold on to October a bit and share some photos with you that I didn't quite have time to post this past month. Just a few lovelies of the pumpkin patch, some gorgeous fall displays I happened upon at a little church across from The Crescent in Eureka Springs, and then the absolutely amazing scenic drive through Pea Ridge National Military park.

I hope you enjoy and I will be back tomorrow with some more belated October pics of my spooky Halloween decor. I just wasn't on my game this year folks - but better late then never. :)

:: Eureka Springs Getaway

2011-10-27T21:08:00.000-05:00

Last weekend the bf took me on a fall vacation that I have been wanting to go on for the last couple of years and I was beyond excited y'all! We left early Friday morning for Eureka Springs, AR to stay at the gorgeous and perfectly Halloween appropriate Crescent Hotel and to waste away our days enjoying the fall foliage and walking the quaint streets.

Below is a spooky image of the hotel many moons ago. It just has this sort of eeriely beautiful quality that I loved.

The Crescent and Eureka Springs in general are pretty popular come October. The hotel is famous for its many ghosts and was actually named one of the America's five most haunted hotels. It was also featured on season II of Ghost Hunters.

The hotel sits up on a hill overlooking the beautiful ozark landscape and the town of Eureka Springs. The grounds themselves are great for taking pictures and exploring.

We loved that the chimneys of the hotel still retained some of their purple paint, which was done by the one-time owner of the building, Norman Baker, who used it as his cancer hospital. His favorite color was purple and at the time of his occupancy, apparently most of the interior of the hotel was also painted purple.

From the minute you walk into the lobby of the hotel, you feel like you have stepped back in time. No fancy swipe keys for the door to your room - only the real deal.

We stayed in room 215, situated just across from one of the most haunted rooms in the hotel, room 218.

One of the most popular draws to the hotel in October are the ghost tours. I captured the above image during our tour. Do you see the white floating circles in the photo? Ghost hunters call these orbs and some believe they are spirits manifested as balls of light or energy. These could technically be specks of dust that were in front of my lens when I took the photo, but I take many, many pictures and have only had a couple other photos have these kind of white balls in them. Kind of spooky and kind of fascinating at the same time.

It was a great trip, perfect for a fall getaway before Halloween. So, if you haven't been, I definitely recommend it! And the drive through all the beautiful ozark fall foliage makes it even more worth while.

I have more photos to share from Eureka Springs iteself and a fun little stop that we made on the way back home, so I'll share those with you tomorrow!

:: Something Wicked Printable

2011-10-16T17:14:00.001-05:00

The Halloween decorating has begun and although I don't have many changes to the decor this year, I am still excited to show you the progress. But first- I thought I would share some Halloween fun with you today.

I love all things Halloween (as you probably can tell by now), including Halloween movies and one of my favorites is Disney's Something Wicked This Way Comes, based off the Ray Bradbury novel. The title Something Wicked This Way Comes, is actually a line taken from Shakespeare's Macbeth and after watching the Something Wicked movie again recently, I thought the title would make a great art piece for a Halloween display.

So, I put together this artwork, using a graphic I found online (because I was honestly too lazy to make my own) and some fun, spooky type. I pinned mine to my wine cork board for a little vignette on my kitchen buffet, but it would also look great in a black frame, displayed anywhere in the house.

And because I thought you might possibly enjoy adding a little Halloween fun to your space, I have included a link to download the pdf. Just click the image below to download and print at home!

If you end up using the print as part of your Halloween decorations this year, I would love to see, just shoot me an email or leave a comment!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

:: Fair Fun

2011-10-09T12:33:00.001-05:00

It always feels like fall is officially here when the fair rolls into town, and while I have never been a loyal fair-goer, in recent years I have decided this may now be one of my favorite fall treats. It is even better that the fair is within walking distance from the house, so we can usually hear the concerts from the front yard and it sorta smells like funnel cake 24/7. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. :)

This year we went for a concert and the food. Last year it was the rides and exhibits. Maybe next year it will be a little more of both. Either way, we always end up having a great time.

Do you love going to your local fair? How about trying all those crazy food concoctions they come up with? Krispy Kreme hamburgers or fried Twinkies? I would love to hear about your favorite fair treats!

:: Paula Deen at Michaels

2011-10-02T16:26:00.001-05:00

I found some cute Paula Deen goodies at Micheals the other day and had to share.

I originally went in looking for Halloween goodies and left with this cute little shaker. I like to use mine for my cinnamon and sugar combo, which I keep on hand for cinnamon toast, biscuits or oatmeal. It would also be great for any kind of homemade seasoning, which makes me think I might need to go back and get a couple extra.

I especially like the colors and vintage look.

I found the shaker (which comes in different colors/patterns) in the section of Michaels with all the bins of little goodies, like notepads and magnets. There were also other Paula Deen items like recipe cards and coupon organizers. I love these kinds of things because they make easy gifts and super cute stocking stuffers come Christmastime.

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend and are having beautiful weather like we are here in OK (finally)! I'm off to get pumpkins with the bf soon and to finish my fall/Halloween decorating. Absolutely love this time of the year!

:: Time Off

2011-09-15T21:11:00.001-05:00

Well here I am again, apologizing for my absence. I'm not the most dedicated blogger, I must admit, but I do still enjoy catching up with you all and updating you on things at the cottage.

Lately though, things have been a mixture of ups and downs, which is a good portion of why I have not felt much desire to blog. In the last few months, I was actually considering do this...

Which is even hard to say, because I love my little cottage so much. It is afterall, my very first home. Truth be told, I wasn't even thinking about moving any time soon. I love the cottage and I have done so much work to make it mine, it's kind of hard to think about starting all over. Although, she is a little cottage and slowly I have felt that we are beginning to outgrow her.

And then it happened. I just happened to stumble upon a house for sale in the bf and I's favorite neighborhood, it was the diamond in the rough project I had always longed for. It had been sitting on the market for six months, needed a TON of work, but had so much potential and was in the perfect location. This new place had long-term home written all over it. So we discussed and discussed. We went for many visits, met with a contractor and agonized over how-tos and what-ifs. It was a big risk. It could have been a dream home or it could have been a money pit. We decided it was worth it though, mostly because it was in such a desirable location. The biggest decision then became whether or not to go for it and make an offer and have two mortgages or wait and try to sell the cottage before doing anything else (the sellers refused a contingency). Either way it was another risk. We could possibly be paying two house payments for who knows how long (in this sad market) or we could sell the house and not get the other.

So, we decided to try and sell. Either way we knew it. We knew it might not work out - and it didn't. The day we went to put a sign in the yard, we got news the other place had accepted an offer. Sad day. Everyone always says "don't get attached". It is so true. Disappointment is a bitch - but reality.

Now I'm just trying to believe in the whole "everything happens for a reason" and "if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be" mumbo jumbo. It's probably true, I'm just not feeling that positive yet. Mostly because I got dang attached.

But through all of it, I have learned what I really want. What would really make me move, because I don't see myself moving for just anything. I love this little house too much. I'm kind of like Goldilocks - I want it to be jjuuussssttt right. Which means I'm happy where I am and next time if "it is meant to be, than it is meant to be"...right?? :)

Soooo with that - I am looking forward to fall being here, are you?? It is my absolute favorite time of the year. I just can't help but be excited for cool, crisp days and for things like sweaters and boots. Even just pulling out my pumpkin spice candles gets me giddy. It's the little things, right? Plus, fall also means Halloween is just right around the corner and that also makes me super happy. I am actually counting down the weeks until I can spookify the house.

Have a great weekend all! Be back soon (for real this time)! :)

:: The 4th!

2011-07-04T23:53:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July!

Hello everyone! Sorry for my long absence. I feel like I am often apologizing for being away, but alas, life is hectic and sometimes blogging gets set aside for awhile. I do miss you friends and hope that life is treating you well. Hopefully you have enjoyed a lovely, long fourth of July weekend. BBQ? Fireworks? Festive red, white and blue decorating?

I am afraid I have never really caught the patriotic decorating bug, but I do like to put a couple of flags in my porch planters. It may not be much, but it's something.

This weekend has been nice and relaxing at the cottage. I cleaned, did laundry, organized and cleaned some more. Not too exciting, but it was much needed. Sometimes long weekends are perfect for that. We did get in some grilling, movie watching and I even whipped up some yummy homemade strawberry ice cream. Delish!

Back to the real world tomorrow. It's going to be interesting trying to sleep tonight, with all the fireworks still going off in the distance. I can't complain though, today is a celebration!

God Bless the USA

:: Guest Posting at Remodelaholic!

2011-05-26T08:26:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! Guess what?!? Today I am guest blogging over at Remodelaholic! How awesome is that? I was beyond excited and honored when Cassity asked me to feature the kitchen redo. So, stop by and check out the post and be sure to wander your way through her amazing blog and all the other great featured guest bloggers.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead of you. I am headed to sunny CA to spend some much needed time with my fam. So I will see you next week!

:: Guest Room Update - Curtains

2011-05-11T22:45:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I updated you guys on the extra room that is actually becoming a guest room. I have done the painting and picked up a new bed, bedding and curtain panels, which I gave a sneak peek of in my February Finds.

After painting, hanging the new drapes and hardware was the next item on the list. I bought these sweet little curtain panels at Target. I was really drawn to their delicateness and the cute, subtle swiss dot pattern - perfect for the cottage guest room.

Unfortunately, when I went to hang them, they weren't quite as long as I was hoping. In order to have them puddle just ever so slightly on the floor like I wanted, the rod would have been just on top of the upper window moulding - which I was not crazy about. What to do, what to do?

I tried the clip on rings, which added length, but I thought made these particular curtains look sloppy. So, the next idea that popped into my head was to add ribbon ties. Perfect. Another little hint of feminism, but something that would also pair nicely with the style of drape and the fabric.

I got started by buying a couple of small rolls of white grosgrain ribbon, half off at the Hob Lob. I then measured the entire width of the panel, which was 75 inches. I decided to use 10 ribbon ties, so I spaced each ribbon out 7.5 inches and marked the spots with a straight pin.

Next, I cut 40 pieces of ribbon (10 for each panel, 4 total - two windows). I guesstimated my length of ribbon. It ended up being a little bit longer than I wanted when I tied the curtains up, but I just snipped off the extra length from the loose ends.

Once I had all the ribbons cut, the spacing of the ribbons marked on the panels, I simply stitched each one on. I am sure there is probably an easier way of doing this with a sewing machine, but I don't have one, so any sewing I do is usually simple enough to do by hand or with iron on tape. :) It actually didn't take long by hand, I sewed two a night while watching tv. In case you are wondering, I did them much like I would sew on a button.

Here is a pic of the curtains with the ties at the top. They aren't overly noticeable, which was what I was wanting. Yet, they add just a little extra something fun to what is otherwise just a standard drape.

As you can see, the room is coming along. I am still looking for artwork for the walls, accessories and a night stand or two for beside the bed. I might also want a small scale chair and ottoman for the little unused alcove by the closet. Check back for more updates as I get the room further and further along.

Wishing you all a great rest of the week!

:: Cinco de Mayo Roses

2011-05-05T23:22:00.000-05:00

To the boyfriend and I, Cinco de Mayo is usually a good reason to eat some Mexican food and knock back a few margaritas. This year though, I actually have a little more Cinco de Mayo influence in my life.

These are my Cinco de Mayo Roses. I bought a little rose tree last year at Lowe's on clearance for $8! I didn't realize until I got home that it was named after Cinco de Mayo. It has done really well since I planted it, and was totally worth the 8 bucks.

Here are some of the pretty blooms just for you! They range in shade from a hot pink to a deep magenta/red color. Plus, they smell amazing! I would love to try and grow other kinds of roses. Maybe a climbing rose on a pretty trellis?

Do you guys have any tips or favorites that you recommend? Would love to hear your thoughts!

:: After the Royal Wedding

2011-04-30T17:57:00.000-05:00

The Royal wedding may be over (it was amazing, right?!?), but don't fear my lovelies. If you are crying tears over Wills being a married man now, just remember...

Did you enjoy watching the wedding and all of the hours and hours of coverage as much as I did? Pretty sure that is how I spent my morning and evening yesterday - and it was awesome.

Have a fabulous weekend friends!

:: I Love a Good Find!

2011-04-26T23:54:00.001-05:00

Sorry for my absence recently friends. It has been quite a busy month for me. First, I celebrated a birthday at the beginning of the month, which included having my family in from California. Then the weekend after my birthday we had a little belated shindig at the cottage along with house guests, which meant the newly functioning guest room was put to good use. Add that together with craziness at work, catching up on much needed spring cleaning and yard work, and I have been one busy gal.

Of course, I can never be too busy to do a little shopping and grazing (as I like to refer to my wandering through antique stores and flea markets). My latest find, which I am uber, uber excited about was not found in a vintage or thrift store at all. It actually was sitting kind of incognito, in the back corner of the Gordman's not too far from the house.

Yes, I snagged one of these awesome vintage apothecary style floor lamps (the more bronzey one, to be exact). Aren't they awesome?!

My apologies for the poor photo by the way, it was a quick iPhone snap - because this sweet find is actually sitting at work right now. That's right, it didn't quite make it home with me just yet. I showed this baby to my Art Director and she loved it just as much as me, so we are going to use it in an upcoming photo shoot.

Anyway, back to the exciting stuff. Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware both make somewhat similar versions of this style lamp.

The Pottery Barn Newbury Halo Task lamp retails for $119.99 on sale, originally $199.99

This Restoration Hardware Rowan Pharmacy Task lamp rings in at a *holy cow* $549, marked down from $739

I'll take my $69.99 version, thank you.

I even had a 20% off coupon, so it really ended up being around $60 with tax.

Pretty darn good deal, I do think.

So, what do you guys think? You likey? Do you have a Gordman's near you? Because if so, you should check it out. The other store in Tulsa didn't have any of these and the other lamp in the photo won't stand up straight, so I guess I got lucky grabbing one when I did. :)

:: Oh, painting...

2011-03-28T22:57:00.002-05:00

So, once the kitchen was finally to a point that I considered 'pretty darn finished', I had told myself that I was not going to take on any more projects for awhile. I was just going to take a little time off, not paint another darn thing and enjoy some much needed free weekend time. Well, you can probably guess, that only lasted a few weeks and I was back at it.

This is what I was doing this weekend...

I painted the extra bedroom in the cottage, which up until now has just been a storage room and not actually a functioning 'guest room'. No more. I finally decided (three years later) that this space was going to serve a purpose other than gathering all my stuff that really needed to be in the attic. So, painting the room from its original beigy color to Martha Stewart's Heavy Cream was the starting point. I love the color, it is so soft and subtle and really brightens up the space.

Now I am trying to put things back together and slowly add to the room and make it the little retreat I envision for my guests. I have snagged the major elements for the space, but still need to find some other items, so I will keep you posted with the progress as I move towards having a real, grown-up, extra bedroom!

Best!

:: A Little Bit Green

2011-03-17T23:16:00.001-05:00

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you all! Hoping that you felt a lil' luck 'o the Irish today and maybe even enjoyed a green beer or two!

In celebration of the day, I thought I would leave you with a few photos of some of my favorite green things - jadeite. Just lovely.

All photos courtesy of Country Living

Like the pansies above, mine are enjoying this warmer weather and are slowly perking up in the garden. It is so nice to finally see some color around the cottage. Soon enough we will all be busy in our yards and complaining about how darn hot it is. Until then - I am just going to relish the beginning of spring and know that I will not miss one minute of winter.

Have a warm and wonderful weekend!

:: Granny Chic

2011-03-09T00:12:00.000-06:00

I would say that I have a mish-mash of styles. I have never really picked just one. Although I would lean predominately to cottage style, I also like a little bit of French influence thrown in...with a dash of farmhouse, and a twist of the vintage/retro.

Lately, I have been feeling a hint of a new style creeping in. What I like to call Granny Chic. That's right. I put Granny and Chic in the same sentence - and apparently I am not alone. When I actually googled the term, I was quite surprised by the abundance of Granny influence I found on the web.

Maybe it is the comfort and memories of our sweet Grandmas that make these style elements so inviting or just the pure sweetness that it evokes in a room. Either way, I am digging the warmth, coziness and retro vibe that Granny Chic can add to a space. So, lets look at some of the things that evoke Granny style in my mind.

Doilies.

Call me crazy, but I have always sorta loved doilies. Especially the all white ones that have slowly yellowed with age. There is just something so delicate and beautiful about them. Yet, I absolutely never knew what the heck they were used for. I remember my Grandma would crochet them by the dozens and give them as gifts, but what do you do with the dang things? Now - I am seeing doilies cropping up all over the design world and loving it!

I adore this amazing doily runner found over at Under The Sycamore. This is on my to-do list.

I also am loving these doily pillows and how modern they look. What a great way to give an antique inspired twist to a simple home staple. This is also going on my to-do list.

Vintage Hankies.

via Canadian House and Home

Like doilies, these little babies are so sweet and easily found in antique stores and online. I love the colorful, retro designs. These framed hankies make a fun alternative to a gallery-style art display.

Crochet.

via Apartment Therapy

Some of my favorite things that my Grandma gave me over the years, I didn't always appreciate in my child and teen years. I was given mittens, scarfs, blankets, flower pins, and even potholders. Always something crocheted. Today, I adore them and I'm reminded of her every time I use them. I have to say my potholders may be my all time favorites though (besides my white afghan). They are the best potholders in the world and look quite pretty too! So, not only is crochet a beautiful craft, it can also add a bit of color and even practicality to your decor.

Vintage Aprons.

via Country Living

Another one of my loves. I can never pass a bunch of these babies at an antique store and not stop. Something about wearing one of my vintage aprons while baking a batch of cookies, just evokes the beauty of times gone by. There are so many amazing styles, patterns and colors and they are usually fairly inexpensive. Even stores like Anthro are making retro inspired aprons, so why not add an authentic bit of Granny Chic to your kitchen?

YoYo Quilts.

via Birch & Sycamore

Beautiful. Stunning. These quilts (like any kind of quilt) are a true work of art. I can only imagine the kind of love and labor that goes into creating something like this. I would love to have one of these antique quilts grace my home, but I would honestly be afraid to use it!

So, Granny Chic it is. What do you think? Have you noticed this trend creeping in as well? Do you dig a little hint of the Granny in your home? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Have a great week all!

:: Thrifty Fun ::

2011-02-28T23:51:00.000-06:00

By now you probably know how much I love to hit up the antique stores, flea markets and of course Ebay to find a good bargain. So, while I was about town, doing my thing, I stumbled upon quite a few goodies and thought I would share with you.

First off, I have a sort of obsession with vintage lighting. It's a problem, I tell you. Especially when I can find 'em cheap. Ahhh, love at first site with this little milk glass beauty. Snagged for $4.99 on Ebay. I'll keep you posted on its new home.

The old pie tins were hidden in a pile of discounted junk at the local Flea-tique. For $1 a piece I couldn't pass these up for the new kitchen. I'm thinking they might look pretty snazzy either above the stove or on the wall in the eat-in area.

Now, I have to tell you a secret. The moss rock/pebbles/weird, green, hairy things...those are from.....wait for it.....Dollar Tree! Yep, that's right. Those babies were a buck. They may be fuzzier than their more expensive Pottery Barn'esque' counterparts, but for the price, who can resist? Go get ya some people!

The fabrics are a combo score from both Ebay and Target. I have plans for these babies, but will wait to reveal that later. As for the last picture - I had my eye on this for the last month and finally decided (after a little bargaining) that it was time to take it home. What could it be? Any guesses??

Have you guys found any fun treasures this month while you've been out antiquing/thrifting/junking/ebaying? I would love to hear about the things that have caught your eye and that you just couldn't live without. :)

Wishing you all a wonderful week! xo

:: What to Watch - DIY Network ::

2011-02-21T21:41:00.009-06:00

I don't know about you guys, but as much as I love me some HGTV, lately I have been gettin' bored. I mean, if I seriously switch it over and see one more episode of House Hunters, I might just scream! It seems like all of the shows are real estate based now, which is fine, but what happened to renovation, updating and diy shows? Really the only thing I will watch anymore is Dear Genevieve and Curb appeal, although I have to say, I am super pumped for Design Star Emily's new gig. Especially, since I work in the interiors industry and styling rooms for photo shoots and such is just another day on the job. But seeing how someone else approaches the same task, is going to be exciting to watch!

Anyway, so before now I really had never watched the DIY network. It was always there, but sorta on the back burner to HGTV. Well, not anymore! I have found so many shows that I am loving right now. First and best being Rehab Addict. Have you guys seen this?!? If any of you are major restoration junkies and just drrreaaamm of buying a beautiful old, run-down house and returning it to it's formal glory, then this is the show for you! Nicole Curtis takes old homes in need of some serious love and brings them back to life. Not just that, she restores them accurately to their time period. So, no typical, blah, find in every remodeled home look, nope. Instead, she shops for vintage tile, hardware, wood, anything to fit with the history of the home and then restoring whatever existing character it has left. I am so in love. I want her job!!! Nicole Curtis, if you need an assistant, call me. I want to be your shadow, seriously. I couldn't find any good pictures of the house she is currently working on, but I did find this site that shows the inside of the house, fully staged.

Another great show on DIY is Marriage Under Construction (there is also a Family Under Construction) - about a recently married couple that buys a fixer-upper with the hopes of remodeling on a very modest budget. Remodeling a whole house + starting a marriage, is it a good thing? Watch and find out. :)

Lastly, I also love Renovation Realities, which had a brief run on HGTV at strange hours. It may not be a favorite to everyone, but I love how ridiculous some of the people are on this show. It basically follows around amateurs who are trying to do a renovation to a certain room of their home. Some do a decent job and others...not so much. One girl even suggested lighting a match to the kitchen gas line to see if the gas was off or not - and she was serious!! Crazy, hot mess, renovation tv. Love it.

What about you guys? Do you have any new favorite home television shows that I might be missing out on? Do tell!

:: Pretty in Pink ::

2011-02-14T19:14:00.002-06:00

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine's Day

Here's hoping it's sweet!

*photo from Country Living

:: Aw, schucks... ::

2011-02-14T18:38:00.000-06:00

I am beyond honored, excited and humbled that sweet Stacey of A Sort of Fairytale passed on the Stylish Blogger Award to me. What a great little surprise!

So, before I pass on the award, here are the 7 things that you probably did not know about me...

#1: I have a ridiculous sweet tooth. Give me chocolate or some kind of sour candy and I will love you forever.

#2: I am really lucky to have a job I love. Working for a large interior fabric company, I get to combine my passion of graphic design with interior design on a daily basis.

#3: When I was little, I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. The Little House books are still some of my favorites and 'Prairie Cottage' is partly named in honor of these fond childhood memories.

#4: I love animals and am passionate about rescue and adoption. Someday, when I have little more space, I would love to become a foster parent to pets waiting on a forever home.

#5: I like scary movies and shows like Ghost Hunters. I would totally go on an real paranormal investigation if given the chance - as long as I'm not left alone during any of it.

#6: I am deathly afraid of wasps, hornets, bees - basically anything that can fly and has a stinger attached.

#7: I aspire to someday be able to cook and bake as well as my Grandma - she is simply amazing!

And now for the fun part...I am passing this great award on to eight bloggers who inspire me and make for some awesome blog surfing!

the vintage wren

all for love

carolina country living

sweet as june

the steen style

welcome home

dots and birdie children's boutique

notes from the heartland

Take a moment and visit all of these lovely ladies!

If you are a recepient....

1) Thank and link back to the blogger who

awarded you with the award.

2) Share 7 Things about yourself.

3) Award 8 recently discovered great bloggers.

4) Contact the bloggers and inform them of the award.

:: New Kitchen Budget Breakdown ::

2011-02-05T21:38:00.002-06:00

So, in case you are wondering how much this little kitchen makeover cost, I am going to give you the inside scoop on what I spent to get 'er done. When I planned to go ahead and redo the kitchen, I decided I did not want to spend more than $3,000. If I could do it for less, awesome, but I really did not want to spend any more than that. They always say that renovations go way over budget...so do you think I managed to stick to my number?

Let's find out :)

The cost rundown...

The countertops were purchased on special from Lowe's for $1,621

The sink from Ikea was $230

I ordered the faucet from Overstock.com for $140

The 3x5 subway tile was a Craigslist find for $30 (for four boxes, I only used two) and the edge pieces which I had to purchase separately from Daltile were $15

Hardware for the doors and drawers together was $50, all the news hinges came to $50

BM oil-based paint for the cabinetry rang in at $60

Rollers, trays, paintbrushes, caulking, spackle, primer, and other misc items were around $75

For new drawer gliders it was $40

The wall paint and new rollers were also $40

Cabinet bun feet were $10

I relied on professionals to help with some of the projects that were out of my league or that I didn't have appropriate tools for - including my co-worker's help with some of the cabinetry refinishing, building the bump-out and moving the garbage disposal switch, a professional plumber to install the sink and faucet and also a professional tiler to install the backsplash. Honestly, labor would have probably been even more, expect I have an awesome Dad who helped me out with various parts of the project almost every time he came in town. Cost of labor came to $795.

Which adds up to a grand total of...............$3,156!

Wahoo! I only spent $156 more than I had planned!

Except....then I decided that with this purty, new kitchen that maybe it was time to invest in a new refrigerator. Not a previously planned expense. At all. After some thinking and with the help of some Christmas cash, I finally decided to bite the bullet and I am so happy I did. It is so nice to have more room and no more ice trays! The new fridge meant we had to install a new water line. I then decided to add an under sink water filter at the same time. At least the new mircowave was free... thanks to my super sweet bf, who got it on sale, plus his discount, (he works for 'ol Target) and gave it to me as a 'new kitchen' gift. Oh, and I totally forgot to budget for new accessories in my original plan. Which means, that the baskets in the cabinet, the new mirror above the sink and the various other items were an extra cost as well. So, after all that, I had spent around $1,200 more. Which means I did in fact go over budget, and really spent $4,356. Boo. But...I like to think that the actual 'project' part of this redo, did in fact stay in budget. A good way to make myself feel better, huh?

When I think of what it would of cost me to completely gut and rebuild a brand new kitchen, I am pretty darn impressed with what I accomplished on my small budget. I have to say though, that a lot of the reason I managed to only spend what I did, was by shopping smart. I bought my countertops the very last day of the Lowe's special. Equivalent granite that I had priced elsewhere and in a smaller thickness ran around 1,000 more than what I spent. The Ikea apron sink is a steal for that style. The subway tiles were an incredible find (I even have extra!) and the Overstock faucet was another awesome deal. I even got my first gallon of BM paint half off with an interior designer friend's paint store discount. So, if you have a small budget for an upcoming project - shop around, look for those specials, coupons and check discount stores and websites. You will be surprised by all the great deals waiting for you!

:: For Presley ::

2011-02-04T00:10:00.003-06:00

Today is my sweet Presley dog's 8th birthday. Three and a half years ago the bf and I adopted him from a lady living in rural Missouri with a small animal rescue out of her home. After adopting Gatsby (my first Brussels) as a puppy two years before, I knew I wanted another little Brussels brother for him at some point. So, once I moved to Tulsa, made an offer on a house (with a nice backyard), I started looking for my second doggie. I was immediately smitten with Presley's cute face when I saw his adoption page on petfinder. Although I wasn't set on getting a black Brussels, I did really want one - they are just usually harder to find, especially a rescue. Seeing Presley's picture and how adorable he was with his all black fur, I knew I had to meet him.

Only a week after our first trip down to meet the little guy, we were back in the backwoods of Missouri picking up our newest member of the family. We had little info on P, only knowing that the lady at the rescue had gotten him from a large breeding facility and that he needed lots of love and care, as he hadn't had a 'normal' doggie life. He was so sad looking when we adopted him - as nice as this lady was, she had not appeared to have bathed or cut Presley in quite some time. So, that cute picture on petfinder had obviously been from awhile back.

Taking him home, he was nervous and unsure. He didn't know his name and wasn't fully potty trained, but inside I could see this sweet animal craving love and someone to give him a life worth living. It was definitely a reality check though, when I suddenly had an adult dog (not a puppy) having accidents in my house, who didn't know his name, who was afraid of men, had never walked on a leash or up and down stairs, never had a treat, a toy or a chew stick. It was hard. Really, really hard. Yet, watching him learn and grow a little every day and to see his personality bloom, was one of the most amazing experiences.

Today, he is a 100% different dog. He is adorable and incredibly loving. He could cuddle with you all day. He loves 'cookies' and walks and especially loves Greenies and chew sticks. He still doesn't like playing with toys, and to this day he has never jumped up, but he is Presley and he has come so far.

He has always had medical problems since we got him - nothing major, but obviously due to his first four years of neglect. He came home with horrible ear infections and teeth in need of serious cleaning and some removal. Strangely the rescue's vet had checked him out and given his health the ok (lesson learned there). Later on he started having urinary problems and was put on special dog food. It was only around a half year later that we figured out this was most likely attributed to the early stages of his diabetes. That's right - Presley was diagnosed with Canine diabetes around a year and a half ago. What a shock. Yet also a relief, because he had been acting so strange. He was lethargic, drinking tons of water and suddenly could not hold his bladder at all. The vet told us how lucky we were that we brought him in when we did, because if we had waited any longer he would of been hospitalized.

That very day, P started on insulin shots. Two a day. That the bf and I had to give him ourselves. Shots. As in, with a syringe. Twice a day. Myself. Nightmare. To my own amazement, I learned quickly, but only after many, many tears. Now I do it without even thinking. The best part is - he is the best little patient and takes it every day, calmly and like a champ.

I've had people scoff at the fact that I give my dog shots for his diabetes - people even suggesting that I should give him up or asking why I didn't just have him put down. Really, really?! It may be expensive to take care of him and it may not be an ideal situation at all times, but never, ever did it cross my mind to give away or put down my animal that had developed something he couldn't prevent or change. He needed me. Who else would want him or care for him if I couldn't? Definitely not the people suggesting he wasn't worth it.

Well, he is. He is worth every last penny that goes to his meds and check-ups. He fills a spot in our life that nothing else could. He has been through so much and he still looks at us and the world like everything is wonderful and perfect now - how could his life be denied or not meaningful enough to save?

I thank God everyday for bringing this little guy into my life to care for and I thank him for all the other wonderful people out there rescuing and adopting animals in need and giving them the life and home they deserve. These truly are special gifts.

Happy Birthday my little chick chick!!

:: Kitchen Redo - Details and Sources ::

2011-02-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

Below is a list of all of the projects that I (and my help) tackled to get this kitchen project done, as well as a list of products, paints and sources. It's just a little insight into everything that went into my new kitchen and all the sweat, tears and happiness that it takes to do a DIY reno. Especially for an inexperienced rehab-er like myself. All I have to say is, I am glad it is done and that I am finally able to enjoy it! :)

NEW

OLD

• Took down all of the doors and drawers and removed around 3-4 layers of paint from all the original cabinetry. Painted everything with a layer of latex primer and then a satin oil-based white paint.

• Removed the square trim on the cabinet doors to give a sleeker, more modern look.

• Removed the small, stainless steel sink and created a bump-out under the old sink to accommodate the size and depth of the new apron sink. Also, added new wood bun feet under the bump-out for a custom look.

• Tore out the old laminate countertops and backsplash and replaced them with granite and classic subway tile.

• Installed new sink and pull-out faucet.

• Replaced all the old hinges and hardware with new self-closing hinges and updated satin nickel pulls.

• Took out the old mirror and small side shelves above the sink area.

• Refinished the original built-in cutting board.

• Installed gliders under old drawers to make them work/roll smoothly.

• Built new doors under the sink, since originals no longer fit with the new sink.

• Added garbage disposal switch to backsplash, which was originally in the cabinet under the sink.

• Added a water line under cabinets for the new refrigerator and also an under-sink water filter.

• Painted the walls.

Paint Colors and Sources for the Kitchen redo:

• Paint: Kilz Latex primer (for cabinetry and walls), Benjamin Moore's White Wisp oil-based paint in a satin finish (cabinetry), Benjamin Moore's Bennington Gray matched at Home Depot in Behr Premium Plus (walls)

• Sink: Ikea Domsjo
• Faucet: Overstock.com, made by Fontaine
• Bun Feet: Ebay
• Granite: Lowe's - slab selected at Verona Marble in Tulsa - Lowe's called the color New Venetian Gold Light, but at Verona it was called Giallo Oranamental
• Subway Tile: Craigslist - extra edge pieces bought at Daltile (craigslist tiles were in Daltile box with name and shade, so I was able to get the exact match)
• Oval cabinet knobs: Home Depot
• Drawer cup pulls: Lowe's
• Self-closing cabinet hinges: Lowe's
• New refrigerator: LG from Home Depot
• Mirror above sink: Antique store find
• Baskets in cabinets: Michael's
• Schoolhouse light fixture: Ebay

• Most all of the accessories in the kitchen are antique store, flea market or ebay finds.

If I left something out or if you have a question about anything with the kitchen, please don't hesitate to ask!

*Linking up to The Nester's Paint Color Linky Party. This is a great way to see rooms all over blogland and the paint colors they have chosen.

:: Kitchen Redo - The REVEAL ::

2011-02-01T21:43:00.005-06:00

Well, it has been a long time coming. Finally, almost a year later, I am able to show you the new kitchen. It has been a long, tedious, and at times, down-right frustrating and miserable process. There were so many ups and downs, things that went wrong and unexpected twists to prolong the process, but all of that aside - I have to say that I am so, so happy with the way it turned out. There are little things here and there that I still need to finish up, but it is pretty dang close to the perfect cozy, cottage, vintage-style kitchen that I dreamed of. Plus, I accomplished it all on a budget and kept the original cabinetry and footprint of the kitchen.

So, without further adieu -

The BEFORE...

Old, peeling, chipping layers of paint. Nasty mirror. Small sink. Yucky, old laminate countertops and backsplash. Very green.

The AFTER...

Completely redone vintage cabinetry. New granite countertops. Subway tile backsplash. New apron sink and pull-out faucet. New satin nickel hardware and hinges. Refinished built-in cutting board. New refrigerator and microwave. New wall paint, accessories, lighting and window treatment.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my new little cottage kitchen. I have been loving cooking and even doing the dishes (gasp!) in my new space. It just seems so much brighter, more refreshing and much more - me.

I will be sure to follow up soon with more detailed info on things like sources and a budget breakdown. I also have photos of the attached eat-in area to share with you, as it got a little bit of a face-lift as well, since it is attached to the newly updated kitchen.

Stay warm my friends! We actually had a blizzard here in Oklahoma - 14 inches of snow later and I am happy to have spent my day curled up with my loves and watching movies. :)

*Linking up to the DIY Showoff's DIY Project Parade, the Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday , Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After , Miss Mustard Seeds Furniture Feature Friday and Jennifer Rizzo's Refresh Your Room party - be sure to stop by and check out all of the amazing projects!

:: Nice Buns ::

2011-01-17T21:28:00.000-06:00

Bun feet, that is. And yes, I do think that my new bun feet are nice - lovely to be exact. They are happily at home under the bump out that was made to accommodate the new kitchen sink.

Here is what the bump out looked like when it was first built. You can read more about that and the beginning stages of the kitchen redo here and here.

It has since been primed, painted, sink installed and new doors made to fit underneath. Even after all that, I just felt that it need a little extra something to give it that custom look and amp up the charm factor. So, I looked around for the perfect feet to add underneath - hoping to give it the look of a piece of furniture, but I had no luck locally. Then I got online and found several kinds, but most were not the right size and were pretty pricey. Then there was Ebay - good, wonderful, trusty 'ol Ebay. It didn't take long before I found the perfect buns, in shape and size....and got both for $10 including shipping. Happy dance!

When they arrived in the mail and I tried to fit them under the cabinet (even though they were supposed to be the right height) they were about 1/16 - 1/8 inches too tall. I wanted to make sure that they would still fit nice and snug, so I sanded both down just enough to squeeze them under, then primed and painted them to match the cabinets, topped 'em with a little wood glue and slid them into place.

A simple, custom look and inexpensive - which is always a good thing.

Hope you enjoyed this little detail of the kitchen redo, there are more to come to get you all caught up on the changes...and then there will be the big reveal. It's been a long time coming, so stay tuned my friends! :)

:: Shiny & New ::

2011-01-05T00:03:00.000-06:00

A very exciting delivery was made today - the final touch to the kitchen renovation.

I was not at all sad to say goodbye to my basic college apartment refrigerator. No way.

Hello my new LG love. You have an ice maker. And much more room. And a pretty smooth finish. And I like you very much. We shall be new best friends.

I'm not a huge fan of ice makers and water in the door of refrigerators. Does that make me weird? Maybe, but I'm fine with it. I like the look without and since I won't have nice filtered water in the door of my fridge, I opted to get one of these babies instead.

The GE Single Stage Under-Counter Filtration System. It is really amazing! It hides under the sink, so you can't see it and it filters out all the nasties in tap water, leaving the water healthier and much more tasty. With this, I plan on saving some moolah by buying less and less bottled water.

Pretty exciting stuff!

Now that Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's have passed, I can finally catch you up on all of the final details of the kitchen redo. It has definitely been a long road, quite miserable and frustrating at times, but I am truly in love with the outcome and can't wait to show you more of the changes.

Have a wonderful week!

:: Holiday Exterior Illumination ::

2010-12-23T00:09:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry I am so behind on posting pictures of the cottage Christmas lights, it has been an exceptionally busy couple of weeks. I am so proud of the bf and all of his hard work. Besides putting the wreaths in the windows and the two trees on the porch, everything else was all him. He really made the cottage look sweet and festive, very gingerbread-housey (if that is a word). So here she is - in all her glory. In past years, we have done just red and white lights, but I really like the addition of the green.

I love driving down the street to see the house all lit up, it gives me the warm & fuzzies - and makes it really feel like Christmas time. Now if only there were a blanket of snow to complete the look. :)

We decided not to neglect the garage this year, so it got matching lights as well!

I will probably be absent through the holidays and into the New Year. I plan on spending lots of quality time with my family and taking some much needed time off to enjoy the little things, before 2011 hits and life is hectic once again. So, I hope you all enjoyed my little slice of holiday cheer and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

xoxo

:: Decking the Halls - Christmas Tour of Homes 2010 ::

2010-12-14T21:17:00.002-06:00

Welcome to a holiday tour of my little Prairie Cottage! I am joining in with The Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes, so be sure to stop by and check out all of the other wonderful homes decorated for the holiday season. There are tons and tons, so there should be plenty of eye candy and inspiration for all!

To start off the tour... here is my Christmas tree...

The tree is decked out in gold, silver, green and white ornaments. I have ornaments from Target, Big Lots, Gordmans, Hobby Lobby, Pottery Barn - pretty much anywhere that I see something that I love.

The wrapping has begun! The tree always looks so much more festive with gifts underneath.

I love these initial ornaments that I found last year at Pottery Barn. I have one for myself, the bf and both of the pooches. I like the little extra personal touch that it adds to the tree.

My german glass Eiffel tower ornament was a gift from my Mom and another one of my favorites.

I showed off the mantel earlier this week, but I thought I would include it again for the home tour.

Stockings with little initials attached.

Another closeup of the mantel with old books and mini evergreens stacked on either side.

This is the entry way table topped with a glittery snowman with his red top hat, that I just love. I made the Joyeux Noel flashcards myself, setting up the layout in InDesign, cutting them out and using my handy corner rounder and a little burnt umber oil paint (with a dry, dry brush) to age the edges. I attached them with glue dots to a piece of red paper, so they would have a little bit of dimension to them and placed them in a black frame I always use in this space (just changing out the artwork for the holidays).

A closeup of some mini mercury glass ornaments in a tarnished silver compote on the entry table.

I love how they look sitting atop their nest of faux snow. Both the ornaments and snow came from Pottery Barn's after Christmas sale two years ago.

I'm crazy about vintage bottlebrush trees. These aren't vintage, but I love the red. Someday, I would love to have a whole collection of these babies in various sizes and colors.

Even the bathroom gets a little holiday cheer with a mini tree.

That concludes the Christmas tour! I didn't include any exterior photos, because I feel the boyfriend's light handiwork deserves its own post. So, check back soon to see pictures of the cottage in all of its lit-up glory.

Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for stopping by!

:: Decking the Halls - The Mantel ::

2010-12-12T21:20:00.002-06:00

I'm back and I'm finally feeling better. There is definitely a reason that 18 or so is the common age to have wisdom teeth removed, it is much worse when you are in your mid twenties. Ouch! I'm so thankful that the continuous throbbing seems to be easing up and that I can eat somewhat normal food again - not just mashed potatoes and soup for every meal. Pretty exciting stuff.

Anyway, the extra time off work with nothing to do (when the pain meds had kicked in and I had a little energy) allowed me some time to pull out the Christmas decorations and get to work. The mantel was the first thing I put up and then the rest of the house and the tree followed.

Since I moved into the cottage I have always used silver, gold and green for the mantel and tree. I usually throw a little red into some other areas to keep the traditional festive feel, but I love the way the metallics look against the white lights - everything seems to glitter and sparkle!

For the mantel I used a simple and inexpensive faux garland and added a mini set of white lights. The faux mini evergreens and mercury glass pots are from the Pottery Barn after Christmas sale a couple of years ago. The stockings are from Target and Hobby Lobby. The mercury glass Fleur-de-Lis stocking holders are a another Target find. My mom bought the icicle wreath for me in college and I just tied a simple ribbon to the top and placed it behind my Grandma's antique mirror. The evergreen pots are sitting atop two stacked old books with their covers removed.

The finishing touch was to add a glittered initial to each stocking for myself, the bf and the two fur babies. Yes, my puppies have their own stockings. They usually are filled with treats, chew bones or a toy. They're my kids for now, so they're pretty spoiled little pooches. :)

Just like anything else, my mantel always changes a bit from year to year, but I think this is definitely my favorite so far.

:: Under The Weather ::

2010-12-03T23:58:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! I am sorry I have been away for the last couple of weeks. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for these days...including you!

This year my Thanksgiving was extra special because my Mom and Dad got to come in from California and not only did we celebrate Thanksgiving together, but it was also my Dad's birthday on Friday and then the Bedlam game on Saturday. Which, unfortunately didn't turn out the way all of us OSU fans had hoped, but it was still fun just tailgating and spending time with family and friends.

I had little time to recover from having company and heading back to work, before I went in yesterday to get my wisdom teeth pulled. Oh joy! Needless to say, I have been feeling a little under the weather today. It has been nice to just lay around and catch up on some much needed sleep, but I can already feel the cabin fever setting in and I am getting sick of jello and pudding cups. Ugh. Plus, I sadly look like this right now.

It's a good look, don't you think?

Hopefully, tomorrow I will start feeling a bit better and I can tackle some of the Christmas decorating. I keep seeing all these gorgeous trees and mantels in bloggyland and I feel super behind. At least the lights are up outside. Isn't that exciting? I have to say, the boyfriend did a pretty amazing job this year. His nickname at Christmas is Clark Griswold, because if I left it completely up to him, every square inch of the house would be covered in lights and I would probably cry when I got the electric bill. :)

Welp...it's that time - pain meds and then ice for these extra poofy cheeks of mine.

I hope you all have a splendid weekend!

*Chubby cheek chipmunk found here

:: Making Old Door Knobs New Again ::

2010-11-18T12:45:00.004-06:00

I have original hardware on all of the doors inside the cottage. I love this extra detail that has remained with the house all of these years. However, the door knobs themselves were not in the best condition. What were once brass plated knobs, had been worn down over time, so some still had a bit of the brass remaining, like the below photo, and on others the brass finish was completely gone.

Most of the knobs had worn down to the silver finish underneath (nickel I'm guessing?) with some dark spots and scratches. Instead of having cool aged charm though, they just looked yucky and shabby.

So, I decided it was time to bring the knobs back to life and make them all coordinate and look consistent, instead of dirty and worn out. That's where the fabulousness that is Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint came in. It really is a miracle worker. Really.

I took all the knobs off of the doors, used a bit of sandpaper for metal to get as much of the grim and old finish off that I could, and then gave them several coats of ORB paint. I may add a protective clear coat later, but all I had at the time was a matte finish clear coat and I much prefer the satin of the ORB - we'll see how the paint holds up too, but so far, so good.

After the knobs were dry and looking beautiful in their new finish, I attached them back to each door and voila! So much better.

I would love to remove the white paint from the key hole hardware and refinish them as well, but there are just too many projects for this little cottage and I think that one will have to wait a bit. At least the new knobs are a starting point!

Linking up: The Shabby Nest Frugal Friday

:: Good Eats / Holiday Candied Pecans ::

2010-11-14T19:18:00.004-06:00

It has only been a week or so since I packed up the Halloween decorations and I am already in the Christmas mode. I haven't put up the tree or any lights (I like to wait until after Thanksgiving), but I have already given in and made one of my favorite holiday treats. These are so yummy and very addicting, but the best part is - they are super easy to make. Plus, they would be a perfect snack for Thanksgiving day or packed in a pretty jar and given as Christmas gifts.

:: Holiday Candied Pecans ::

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pound pecan halves

Beat egg white and water until frothy, not stiff. Stir in sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir in pecans until coated. Spread pecans on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

:: Halloween at the Cottage 2010 - Wrap Up ::

2010-11-02T22:58:00.005-05:00

So, I know everyone is probably a little Halloween-ed out. Which surprisingly, being the lover of all things Halloween, I am actually a bit myself. It was really sad at first to start taking down all the Halloween decorations, but I just had to remind myself that I can now gear up for Christmas. It will be that time before we know it!

Anyway, I wanted to keep things short and sweet and just show you a few snaps from Halloween night.

My creepy skeleton waiting quietly on the Trick-or-Treaters to arrive.

I made this costume for him last year, it's inspired by the skeleton singer/band member in the movie Hocus Pocus.

Our spooky Jack-O-Lanterns lighting up the front porch

My skeleton BF hiding in the graveyard, preparing for the perfect moment to jump through the fog and scare all the kids!

We had a great night and loved being 'that' house that had everyone laughing and pointing as they walked away with their candy.

The graveyard didn't end up looking a lot different than last year, just slightly larger. So, instead of posting repetitive pictures - if you are interested in seeing our mini cemetery, check out this post from Halloween 2009.

Best!

:: Happy Halloween ::

2010-10-31T14:58:00.002-05:00

:: Halloween at the Cottage 2010 - part one ::

2010-10-31T14:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!! We had an awesome time at the Halloween party last night and saw tons of amazing costumes. Today has been much more relaxing and I can't wait to hand out candy later and watch scary movies with the boyfriend - who by the way is dressing up again this year and hiding out in the graveyard to give all the kiddos a good fright. I love it!

Over the last couple of weeks, I have shared several of the Halloween projects I worked on this year, but wanted to show you some of the other decorations and vignettes I put around the house. All of the images in the frames I found online and printed out on my Epson. The boyfriend really hates the tarantula picture, he thinks it is super creepy, but that's the whole point right? :)

I'll be sure to post some pictures tomorrow of the graveyard (maybe even with the creepy skeleton lingering about) and the outside decorations.

I hope everyone has a safe and scary Halloween night!

:: Revisted - Dressing Up the Fridge - Halloween Style ::

2010-10-28T19:49:00.006-05:00

Halloween is almost here and I can't wait! We carved our punkins last night and the porch and graveyard look awesome! Tonight I will be putting the finishing touches on my costume, as well as baking some yummy goodies for tomorrow's work party. Saturday night we have a Halloween bash downtown and then we'll be handing out lots of candy (of course) to the kiddos on Sunday. It should be a great weekend!

To continue with all of the Halloween cheer leading up to fright night, I thought I would revisit a previous post found here, where I decided to give the front of my fridge a new look.

Although, this time, that look is much more haunting.

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Grunewald - who happen to be the new not-so-alive residents of my fridge. They may look normal at first glance, but get a closer look and you might be surprised, or even a little scared. They are a perfectly spooky illusion, just right for dressing up the fridge for All Hallow's Eve.

I found my gruesome twosome earlier this month at Michael's for $6 a piece, on sale. They are definitely one of my favorite finds this year, especially since I have seen similar portraits online for around $25 a piece. Like these from Horchow.

Before I head out to get going on my costume, I thought I would share some Halloween link love with you also. These are just a few of my favorite blogs and sites for all things Halloween. Enjoy!

Old Fashion Halloween - for vintage Halloween finds and inspiration

Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone - amazing Halloween decor, invitations and party ideas

Curious Sofa Diaries - incredible Halloween store displays that are a feast for the eyes!

Pumpkin Rot - photos and video of super creepy, but truly remarkable outdoor Halloween haunt displays

:: All Hallow's Eve Banner DIY ::

2010-10-24T20:05:00.005-05:00

I decided to make a Halloween banner for the fireplace mantel that had a vintage look to coordinate with my spooky trees and my antique pumpkin lanterns. So, working with book pages again and taking a cue from many of the great banner/bunting creations on the web, I created this All Hallow's Eve piece. It takes a little time to create the rosettes that makeup the banner, but I think it was definitely worth the work.

In case you are interested in making a banner of your own, here are some of the supplies you will need:

• Book pages - torn or cut away from the binding

• Ruler

• Exacto knife

• Double-sided tape and/or glue stick

• Hot glue

• Black (or color of your choice) paper

• Ivory or ecru paper

• Printer

• Small hole punch ( I used a 1/16" size)

• Twine or ribbon

How To:

Start by measuring and cutting 2" wide strips from your book pages, leaving the length as is. It takes three strips to create one rosette, so you can figure out how many strips you need to cut depending on what you want the banner to say.

The next step is to take each strip and accordion fold them to create a zigzag look. Then you want to use double-sided tape to attach each end of the three folded strips together, so you have a circle. Holding the paper circle, push the inside edges towards the middle to create the rosette. You will then need to glue the back side of the rosette with hot glue or equivalent to make it hold.

For the letters that go in the middle of the rosette, I found a small round object and traced it onto black paper for each letter of my phrase. I then laid out all the letters for the banner in InDesign (you can use any kind of design or publishing software to do this) and sized the circles around them to be slightly smaller than the circles I traced on the black paper. I printed the letters on ivory paper and then cut them out, along with the black circles. If you have a round punch, this would probably be much easier, but I just used my exacto and worked slowly. You could also create your letter circles with a thick black border to simulate the look of the black paper behind the ivory paper, but I like the look of the two paper types combined.

* I just realized that what is supposed to be an apostrophe before the S in Hallow's is wrong. That's what happens when you type the letters individually and aren't paying attention. So, if you plan to do this exact project you will want to make sure that your apostrophe is an apostrophe and not a quotation mark. Oopsy daisy. Time to go back and fix that one. :)

Once all of the circles are cut out, using double-sided tape or a glue stick, apply the printed letter circles on top of the black circles. Then glue each of the letters to a rosette to spell out your banner phrase. The last steps are to punch a small hole in one of the top folds of the rosettes and string them in order onto twine or ribbon.

That's it! Now time to hang and enjoy!

:: Gettin' Punkins ::

2010-10-20T22:56:00.003-05:00

The BF and I have started many a Halloween tradition in the past couple of years, but one of our absolute favorite things to do is take an evening and head to our favorite pumpkin patch (which is really more of a ginormous pumpkin stand, but still a-mazing). They have the best selection of unique pumpkins/gourds and I usually have to stop myself from buying one of every kind.

We always start by grabbing one of the trusty red wagons and then off we go to fill 'er up. A large, traditional orange is necessary for carving and because we still like a little of the old school. I also have to have at least one ghost pumpkin. I can't resist, they are my favorite! Then we usually choose one or two of the more unique options, for a little variety, you know?

The only thing that would make gettin' punkins even better is if they had adult sized ponies for those of us who would like a ride, but are above the weight and height requirement. Or if they served complimentary apple cider - spiked maybe?

Then again, pony rides and adult beverages might not be the best combination.

Hmmm...

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the week- check back for even more Halloween fun leading up until the 31st!

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore".

2010-10-17T22:48:00.001-05:00

Lately, I have been really inspired by many of the great book page projects floating around blogland. I have always loved old books. There is just something about the yellowed pages, the worn edges and even the aged smell of the paper. Plus, I love typography. So, I can't resist the pages and pages of type. It just has such a beautiful look to it. I have to admit though, that I had never really explored the idea of using book pages to create items for my home - that is until I discovered all of the beautiful pieces being created and shared online. So this year, I decided, why not mix old books into my decor? My Halloween decor, to be exact. Plus, the books and book pages create a very sort of Edgar Allen Poe meets Sleepy Hollow vibe, love that.

With that in mind, I decided to take the birdcage that sits on top of the armoire in my living room, and turn it into an eerie home for a couple of black crows. I used a small clip on crow and a larger black crow from Michael's to adorn the outside. Then, I took pages from an old book and simply cut them into strips, crumpled them up a bit and placed them in the bottom of the cage to create a nest. To top of the Edgar Allen Poe inspiration, I created a 'Nevermore' banner for the larger crow by printing the word onto a blank page found in the front of my book, cutting it out and then flagging the edges. I attached the banner to the crow with double sided framers tape.

This is how it turned out. Another simple, easy, spooktacular Halloween project and for very little mu-lah!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! The BF and I went to the pumpkin patch and got lots of fun goodies, can't wait to show you pictures!

*Tulsa friends - check out Gardner's Used Books on Mingo. I get all of my old books from the 5 for $1 tables outside. It is a great deal!

:: Halloween Wish ::

2010-10-10T19:51:00.006-05:00

Dear Scary Godmother,

I know I don't have a Halloween ball coming up anytime soon (at least that I know of), but for possible future ghouling get-togethers...may I please request the following?

Maria Luisa Gown by John Galliano for Christian Dior

:: Spooky Hallowe'en Tree DIY ::

2010-10-04T23:40:00.004-05:00

I love Halloween. Loooovvee it. I love anything that is a bit strange and spooky. So, I always get excited for the beginning of October when I can turn the house into my own haunting space. This year, I have had a list of different projects I wanted to add to the Halloween decor, starting with these creepy Hallowe'en trees. I saw something similar in a magazine once and knew I could recreate them for either side of my mantel. They are easy, fun and oh so eerie!

I started with these two matching resin urns that I found at Tuesday Morning for 9.99 a piece on clearance. They were the perfect size and shape. I didn't care that they weren't the same color, because I went straight home and gave them a makeover with some black spray paint.

The next step was to take a couple of dead tree branches from my backyard, cut them down to approximately the same height (so they will look even on both sides of the mantel) and spray paint them black as well.

To make the branches stand up in the urns, I used a set of round florist foam that I found in the craft section of Dollar Tree. I stuck each branch into the foam and then added torn paper towels around the branch and the foam to make everything nice and snug.

Although, you could easily bust out the hot glue gun for this project, I chose not to glue anything down. I knew I would have to take these apart for storage purposes and didn't want to ruin them in the process.

Once the trees were securely in place, I topped the urns with Spanish moss to hide the foam and to complete the ghostly look.

What do you think? I may have to add a crow or two or maybe some paper bats, but I am really liking the way they turned out.

The countdown to Halloween is on! Only 27 more days to go! I can't wait to show you all the other fun Halloween projects I have planned and photos of the house when it is done being 'spookified'.

Have a great week!

:: Autumn Get-Together ::

2010-09-27T22:32:00.009-05:00

Lately, I've been thinking about how much fun it would be to have a backyard pumpkin carving party. I have always wanted to do a Halloween party at the cottage, but when I heard about this idea, I was convinced this would be a perfect fall evening with friends. Unfortunately, every weekend in the month of October is already packed with plans; football games, a garage sale, and Halloween itself. So, I won't be able to have a pumpkin carving party this year, but I figured I would put together a little inspiration board and plan ahead for next year. I love the idea of rustic, but spooky details and lots of traditional Halloween sweets like caramel apples, popcorn balls and candy corn. Have any of you ever had a pumpkin carving party or do you throw a Halloween party every year? I would love to hear how you celebrate my absolute favorite month of the year!

* Images from Real Simple, Paula Deen, Decor Village, Martha Stewart, Eddie Ross and Country Living

:: Dollar Tree Cafe Curtain ::

2010-09-15T01:35:00.010-05:00

This past weekend, I decided to finish up a project I have been meaning to do for some time. Story of my life, really. I wanted to make a new window treatment for the small window in the kitchen, but I wanted to do it inexpensively and tie it in with the new plans and look of the revamped kitchen. I also wanted something that would provide privacy, but not completely block out the natural light. So, I decided to do a cafe curtain, because it allows in just enough light and has that sweet, cozy, cottage look.

The next step was to find an inexpensive airy, white fabric to make the curtain. That's when I remembered the great white flour sack tea towels at the Dollar Tree. I have seen numerous people make cafe curtains out of vintage tea towels, so why not use these? They are the perfect material and at $1 a piece (awesomeness), I grabbed two and got to work.

Actually, I didn't really do much work at all. I made the cafe curtain itself with no sewing what-so-ever. Just a little strategic folding. I placed both towels together (one just wasn't opaque enough on its own). Then I folded the top of both towels over to create the panel at the top of the curtain. The curtain was still a little too long for the window at this point, so I created another fold behind the top panel to hike 'er up a bit.

At this point she was looking pretty darn good, but I felt she still needed a little something something to jazz her up a bit. I hopped on to trusty 'ol Ebay and found a set of gorgeous vintage crochet trim for $6. It was just what my little cottage curtain needed. I did have to 'sew' a little for this part, but I just hand-stitched on the trim. #1 because I don't have a sewing machine and #2 because I don't have a sewing machine. At least it is a small curtain. :)

After a little folding, a teeny bit of sewing and clipping/hanging - this is how she turned out.

I love it and the best part!? It only cost $5 dollars!

*(2 $1 towels from Dollar Tree and $3 of vintage crochet trim, since I only used one out of the set)

Edited: Linking up to Melissa's Under $10 and Under 1 Hour and The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday. Check them out for some great ideas!

:: Cottage Kitchen Redo - Update ::

2010-09-14T21:51:00.011-05:00

Good News! The kitchen redo has resumed! I know you have probably been wondering why you haven't heard news of any progress and why this project seems to be lasting a lifetime. Well... I finally got my cabinet doors and drawers back from Bob (who was hoarding them at his workshop)...aaannndd they were practically untouched. Which means he wasn't working on them, which is probably a good reason why he wouldn't return my calls, which now means (6 months later) that I will be completing them myself. Wish me luck.

I have learned a lot in the course of this redo. You know that saying "if you want something done, you have to do it yourself"...well, I suppose it is indeed true. Let's hope I can finish these last few pieces of the puzzle before another six months passes. :)

Needless to say, I have been a little stressed and worried about exactly how I would complete some of the arduous tasks ahead. I consider myself 'semi' handy, but I am by no means an advanced DIYer. Thank goodness my awesomely handy Dad was in town over Labor Day weekend to put aside some of my worries and help me with some of the more advanced (or advanced to me) items on my to-do-asap list.

Including...making my old kitchen drawers slide! Smoothly. Squeak free. Bad language free.

I know these photos don't show the actual new drawer glides, I couldn't get a good picture inside the cabinet. But it is true, these babies work the way normal drawers are supposed to.

Happy dance, happy dance! It's the little things, right?

It wasn't a super easy process, since working with these old drawers called for some cutting, adjusting, sanding, hammering and overall rigging to make them work with modern day hardware, but at least they are done. Now it is time to get these babies (and all the doors) cleaned up, freshly painted and looking new like the rest of the kitchen. Oh, the joys of fixing up this old cottage.

:: Good Eats / Tomato and Cheese Toast ::

2010-08-27T01:56:00.008-05:00

When I first read this post from Jeremy & Kathleen about Kathleen's Cheese and Tomatoes on Toast, my mouth was watering. I love me some bread, I love me some tomatoes, and I really love me some cheese. Give me an easy meal that combines all three and I'm in heaven.

This has been my go to snack/lunch for the past couple of weeks and I am feeling even more inspired to start growing my own tomatoes, so I can have enough on hand next year to make this treat and others.

To make Tomato & Cheese Toast I use an Italian loaf (you can use French, sourdough, etc) cut into 1/2" thick slices. I like to sprinkle a tiny bit of garlic powder on the bread before I top with a slice of colby-jack cheese. I then add a layer of tomato with a dash of pepper to finish everything off and stick them under the broiler until golden and the cheese begins to bubble.

Delizioso.

:: It Happens ::

2010-08-17T21:33:00.010-05:00

*Image from Timothy Buckwalter

Looking for my motivation. It left two days before my vacation (which was two weeks ago) and never returned. What to do? Go back to lounging in my pjs I suppose...

:: Kitchen Redo - Cutting Board Revamp ::

2010-07-29T23:12:00.018-05:00

Hi friends!

Do you remember this photo that I posted back when I first started talking about the kitchen redo? Well I have one of those handy little hidden cutting boards, but since it is 60+ years old, like the house, it was in desperate need of a refurb. So, this week while still waiting on my kitchen doors and drawers (advice- be careful who you choose to help with a project, no matter how great you think they are, because there is still a good chance they could flake -such is my scenario) I decided to roll-up my sleeves and tackle the cutting board project. It surprisingly took very little time or elbow grease to get this baby back in tip top shape.

First, I washed the cutting board with a damp rag and just a tiny bit of mild soap and let dry. Then I used a small amount of paint stripper for the painted end of the board - the part that you see on the outside of the cabinets. The stripper allowed me to scrape off most of the layers of paint and then finish it up with some sanding.

Here she is out in my garage, prior to stripping and sanding.

After sanding the 'handle' area of the board, I started the sanding process of the cutting board surface itself. With so many years of wear and tear, it took a decent amount of time with the palm sander to make the wood nice and smooth and to remove any old marks or stains.

Once the sanding was complete, I gave the board a good wipe down with a damp cloth to clean off any excess dust and let it dry thoroughly. Then it was time to oil the baby up. Mineral oil is the recommended product to help seal, protect and maintain wood or bamboo cutting boards as well as butcher block countertops. Food grade mineral oil is the best option for a surface that will actually be used for food prep, but I was unable to track down the food grade without having to order online. So, I settled for the regular mineral oil. I found mine at Target in the section with the cutting boards and kitchen gadgets. It was around $7, and I after this project, I still have plenty left for future re-oils.

After covering both sides of the board in two coats of mineral oil and allowing each coat to dry overnight, I now have a pretty, new cutting board that has been brought back to life! Even though small and hidden, it definitely speaks to the period of my little cottage and how it looked and functioned back in the day. It's pretty amazing to think that this small, ordinary, household object has been a part of my house and the families who have lived here, for so many years. I can just see the original lady of the house (like in the first photo) preparing school lunches, dinners or chopping fruits for pies or jams- and now I can do the same. Pretty darn cool.

Have a great weekend!

:: Hot. Hot. Hot. ::

2010-07-20T00:07:00.017-05:00

The weather here in Oklahoma is sweltering and miserable. It is hot, sticky, muggy, miserableness. I sweat as soon as I walk outside and straightening my hair is completely pointless when it is a frizzy, curly mess in a matter of seconds.

On the days when I loathe the ridiculous summer temps and the awful humidity, I just have to continue to remind myself that anything

is better

than this...

:: Good Eats/Pioneer Woman Blackberry Cobbler ::

2010-07-05T18:07:00.031-05:00

Nothing says down-home or comfort dessert more to me than blackberry cobbler. So, when I found this recipe from the Pioneer Woman for a blackberry cobbler different than any I have had before and also with a minimal amount of ingredients, I figured the fourth of July weekend would be a perfect time to try it out.

It was delicious! Amazing. Yummy, yummy goodness.

I made homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it, but unfortunately forgot to freeze my Cuisinart's interior freezy thing (very technical term, I know) for 24 hours like recommended, so it never hardened. Fail.

The cobbler was great without it, but I'm sure would have been even tastier with a scoop or two.

A must try!

:: Pioneer Woman Blackberry Cobbler #1 ::

1 stick Butter

1-¼ cup Sugar

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1 cup Milk

2 cups Blackberries (frozen or fresh)

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish.

Now rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.

*Oh, and look closely at the above photos...you can see hints of the new (but still semi-unfinished) kitchen! :)

:: Happy 4th of July! ::

2010-07-04T19:28:00.000-05:00

* Wishing you all a wonderful 4th! *

images courtesy of Country Living

:: Dang You Craigslist ::

2010-06-28T21:42:00.009-05:00

Dang you Craigslist.

Dang you for helping me find items, which most of the time I do not need, but find myself feeling like I can't live without. Dang you for prompting me to take on more projects that I don't really need to take on, nor do I really have the time for. You seduce me with your good deals and unique finds and therefore, I come home with more things for my little cottage. The same little cottage that is quickly becoming full and cannot keep taking in homeless pieces of furniture, or in this case, lawn furniture.

She's rough

but pretty

and I can see her potential to be fabulous in my backyard

So, dang you craigslist. Dang. Dang. Dang.

After this weekend's find, I will be staying away from you for quite sometime (or for as long as I can hold out).

Your soon to be absent friend,

:: Dressing up the Fridge ::

2010-06-17T21:23:00.012-05:00

I don't know about you guys, but my refrigerator is often covered with a graffiti of photos, notes, grocery lists and bills. With all the other projects in the kitchen, I decided it was time to clean up and dress up a surface in the kitchen that often becomes neglected. It isn't practical to think that I won't post anything on the fridge, but I can at least make it look attractive, right?

I started with a pair of vintage mini plastic frames that I got from a fleatique store for $4

They were sweet before, but I wasn't crazy about the gold...

so, with the help of a little white spray paint...

and some small magnets glued to the back side of each frame - this is what I ended up with...

a new and different way to display some of my favorite photos, but also a great way to organize fridge clutter...

so easy and so many possibilities...you could add magnets to anything from small decorative teacup saucers to vintage brooches or earrings, all would make awesome fridge art.

So what's on your fridge? Do you put post anything and everything or do you insist on it remaining bare?

:: A Tour of the Shore ::

2010-06-08T23:48:00.011-05:00

We had an amazing time in Jersey. It is absolutely beautiful (and not at all like it is portrayed on MTV, thank goodness). The shore town where the bf's grandparents live is so charming and quaint. Most of the homes are large, three story, historic Victorians. There are also lots of small cabins/cottages close to the water that were probably built in the 20's and 30's and then there are much newer homes, many that overwhelmingly massive.

I didn't really know what I expected Jersey to look like, but I definitely didn't expect it to be as gorgeous as it is. I was truely amazed by everything - the cozy homes, the beautiful tall old trees, the water, the smell of the ocean and just how relaxed it is. Here are some photos I snapped while enjoying our stay at the shore house. I am ready to go back already...

Our view from the bf's grandparent's shore house

Another view of the bay

The story of their neighborhood

One of the many cute cottages in the area

I loved this car. It just says 'goin to the shore' to me...

Looking out on the bay from one of the small private beaches

One of my favorite parts of the trip, crabbing. This is one of the blue crabs that we caught.

:: Takin' a Vacay ::

2010-06-01T23:57:00.008-05:00

Goodbye Tulsa. Hello Jersey.

Going on a nice little vacation to visit the bf's family at the Jersey shore. He claims that not all of the Jersey shore is that kind of Jersey shore. Instead of mullet spotting, I will be Snookie poof spotting - and taking photos of those poofs that are deemed worthy.

Vacation here I come.

*Photo by Patrick Cline via M.A. Belle

:: Decisions... ::

2010-05-25T20:31:00.015-05:00

The kitchen redo continues. I keep thinking, 'it is almost done, it is almost done' and then some other curve ball is thrown my way. From waiting two months for my countertop installation date, to having to wait on my plumber because he gave away my appointment time, to now waiting on Bob to get back from a trade show so I can see my doors and drawers again. There are definitely some benefits to doing a complete DIY project, because at least the only person you can blame for not getting the project done on time, is yourself. I just don't think I could have kept my sanity though, if I had been doing this project solo. No way. I love gettin' down and dirty and tackling projects on my own, but this whole thing has worn me out. There are some things I would prefer to leave to the professionals, especially if they will cut me a good deal. :)

As I wait for some of the last details/projects to come together, my biggest dilemma is trying to pick out a paint color. I usually have no problem in this area, but for some reason I am having a really hard time finding just the right shade of green. I don't want it to be too minty, or too sagey, or too olivey. Decisions, decisions. I do like that this Glidden green is appropriately called 'Prairie Sage'. A sign maybe?

If you guys have any suggestions for a nice soft green paint color, please let me know!

Oh, and check out that pretty white subway tile in the background. Lovin' it.

You may not be able to tell much yet, but it's finally starting to resemble a real kitchen again. :)

:: What to Watch - Sarah's House ::

2010-05-21T20:17:00.008-05:00

Have you guys caught any of this show on hgtv? I am seriously in looooovvveee.

It has been awhile since there has been a show on hgtv that I am just crazy about, but Sarah's House is so refreshing. I can't seem to figure out what kind of schedule it is on, but I just set my dvr and hope to see a new episode recorded at the end of the day.

If you have never seen the show, Canadian interior designer, Sarah Richardson bought a farm in the country and completely renovated it from top to bottom. The results are stunning. I especially love the fact that she kept a lot of the period charm while bringing the home up to modern times. She created a beautiful mix of styles with antique/vintage pieces, playful accents and warm, soothing colors.

Check out some of these gorgeous spaces...so inspiring.

The mudroom/entry

the kitchen

the staircase

the main bathroom

You can find more images of the farmhouse as well as photos from past seasons of Sarah's House here.

:: Sneak Peek - Countertops ::

2010-05-06T22:51:00.012-05:00

Things are crazy around the Cottage (as usual) and I apologize for not updating you sooner with news of the kitchen redo. The cabinets are freshly painted (minus the doors and drawers) and the new countertops arrived yesterday! I was ecstatic to have countertops again and to feel like the space is finally coming together. It still has quite a ways to go, but at least as of yesterday - I can see some end in sight.

Here is a little sneak peek...

more to come soon.

Happy soon-to-be weekend!

:: Country Living British Edition ::

2010-04-24T00:49:00.006-05:00

Have you guys seen this magazine before? I was at Border's tonight in a hurry to pick up a Pioneer Woman cookbook and stopped by the magazines to browse briefly. I came across the British version of Country Living- which I have never seen in stores before. It is bigger and thicker than its US counterpart and looked quite wonderful. I had to leave however, before I could look through it enough to decide if it was worth purchasing. So, if you are interested in what Country Living is like on the other side of the pond- you should check it out (and let me know what you think). :)

I couldn't find an image of the most current cover, so this is an older example

:: Signs of Spring at the Cottage ::

2010-04-11T11:58:00.007-05:00

Well it seems that spring has officially arrived. We have had several weeks of consistently warm temps, the grass is getting greener and the flowers are blooming. I love this time of the year and after such a long, frigid winter, I appreciate it even more.

At the Cottage one of the special signs of spring's arrival is my gorgeous pink dogwood tree. Its blooms don't seem to last very long, so I made a point to snap a few photos this year.

Isn't it beautiful?

I hope you are all having a great weekend! Maybe with all this great weather, you are getting some gardening done yourself. I'm always looking for suggestions of beautiful things to plant, what are your favorites?

*Oh, and on a side note... Tulsa is FINALLY getting an Anthro this fall. I am so so so so excited!!!! *

:: Cottage Kitchen Redo- Demo Time ::

2010-04-09T22:27:00.013-05:00

Well, I guess what they say is true- or at least partly true. That when taking on a home renovation or remodeling project you will most likely go over budget and most likely exceed your intended completion date several times over. Thankfully, the budget thing is under control, but man, was I a little overzealous on the time frame.

Unfortunately, my helper has been a little MIA lately with tons of construction projects at our day job, so I've been tackling most everything on my own. Which turns out to be quite amazing, I just hope I haven't screwed anything up. :) I have become quite skilled with my palm sander. Oh, and with spackle too. I will be tackling the caulking next. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Thankfully, my Dad was here last weekend for Easter and my birthday, so together we ripped out all the old countertops and backsplash. Demo was pretty exciting. Everything looks like a total mess, but I wanted to show you the progress.

BEFORE

The old countertops, backsplash and sink.

A LITTLE WHILE AFTER...

Cabinets sanded. The beginning of priming.

A LITTLE WHILE AFTER THAT...

Total destruction. No, I didn't stylize this shot. In fact that is my real mess. :) It's not too bad, is it?

When the old backsplash came out it took some of the plaster walls with it and left behind old nasty glue. Not sure about my corrective plan of action for this mess yet. I will have to prepare it somehow for my new tile job. If anyone has any experience or suggestions with this, please let me know! As for now, it is getting there. I plan to get the new paint job started asap, so I can at least get the cabinets finished. I think I need more weekends and less work days (which = 0 motivation).

Wish me luck with my mess! Have a great weekend y'all!

:: My Ikea Find ::

2010-03-29T13:49:00.013-05:00

Check out these great tumblers I found at Ikea for only $1.99! I'm digging the classic cafe style shape, but they are so much more interesting in ceramic. These babies are going to look great in the new kitchen. They also come in light pink and and beige.

Here they are featured in an Anthro shoot and discussed at

Apartment Therapy...

:: Vintage Style Kitchens ::

2010-03-21T17:15:00.010-05:00

When I first started thinking and planning the kitchen redo, I always knew that I wanted it to look and feel like it fit with the original style of the home. Of course, I wanted it to be updated and modernized, but definitely within limits. What I love about my 1941 home is just that, that is was built in 1941. It has character and some of it is good and some of it is bad, but that's what makes it special – and I just couldn't see myself taking away any of that. I could have easily ripped out my entire kitchen and put in all new, shiny, perfect cabinetry, but that was the one thing that still remained intact, after all these years, from when the home was built. And although not in the best of shape, there was something that really felt like it needed to stay. It is of course, immensely less expensive to refurbish old cabinets than to purchase all new ones, but I also have this warm feeling that I saved something that otherwise wouldn't be saved (and still may not at some point) – a little piece of my home's story from over 69 years ago.

With that, I want to celebrate other vintage style kitchens. Spaces that are inspiration to preserve period homes and their details or to recreate vintage/antique design in an all new space.

This space has such a fun and cheery feeling

image via Country Living

This is the perfect retro, beachy kitchen

image via Coastal Living

I love, love, love this kitchen. The white beadboard cabinets, the marble countertops, the vintage appliances. To. Die. For.

image via Coastal Living

The mix of shades of soft green are beautiful

image via Country Living

This space is so welcoming and cozy

image via Vintage Simple

I adore the Jadeite green color scheme and that it coordinates perfectly with that amazing stove!

image via Holly Doodle Designs

Warm, comfortable, farmhouse chic

image via Apartment Therapy

P.S. – Maybe it is just me, but I think it is great that all of these spaces use either vintage or white appliances. No stainless steel. It's like a breath of fresh air.

:: Cottage Kitchen Redo - Making Progress ::

2010-03-08T19:01:00.013-06:00

Well, the kitchen is getting there. Slowly, but surely.

The last few weeks have been crazy with work and other various events. So, although there has been some headway, things have slowed down a little. I will be excited to spend my upcoming free weekend, applying some finishing touches to the now sanded cabinets and then starting some priming/painting. Woot woot!

Here she is in all her bare-boned goodness.

Check out that new farmhouse sink! I think I'm in love.

It doesn't look too pretty right now, but I can finally start to imagine how it is all going to come together.

I am anxious to get the frames painted and the old countertops/backsplash ripped out.

Is it sad that this new sink makes me exceedingly happy? I can just imagine myself doing dishes in it and not even minding that much! :)

On another note, I finally found the perfect faucet. Which, I do have to say, for some reason was a very daunting task. I just couldn't find the style I wanted, in the finish, price range or size I was looking for. Who knew kitchen faucets were so dang expensive? Especially the pull down kind, which was my only real option as the sink has just one opening. I scoured every online resource I could think of. I googled my life away. I checked Ebay constantly. It was consuming.

I finally got lucky, at Overstock - although the information and photos of the faucet were very misleading. It looked like some kind of brushed brass next to all the other stainless steel and nickel finishes. So, after doing some research and comparison of item numbers, I discovered it was in fact stainless steel. Plus, it was the perfect height and in my price range. A coupon for $15 off my purchase made it even better!

Isn't it pretty?

The whole process has been fun and exciting, but I do admit- doing dishes in my bathroom sink and having to go to my guest room for pots, pans and groceries is getting old fast. Here's hoping we can get this project done fairly soon (minus the countertops- 8 to 9 weeks, really?!? Boo).

Have a great week all!

:: The Plan ::

2010-02-14T11:12:00.018-06:00

The facelift has begun! We started last weekend with taking down and numbering cabinet doors and removing the shelves of one cabinet to make them adjustable. I don't have a pantry, so it is nice to finally have shelves that I can move to accommodate larger items like cereal boxes, bags of chips and containers of flour and sugar. It's really the little things that can be the most exciting! :)

Bob has spent yesterday and today in a quarantined cell of a kitchen - tediously striping, sanding and touching up these stubborn 68 year old cabinets. They had three layers of paint- the original paint color from the 40's being green - very similar to the current wall color left from the previous owners. It's amazing to see how the house has evolved over the years and to get a little glimpse back at how the house may have looked when it was built.

So, here's a little glimpse of how she looked a week ago...

Nasty, ugly, chipping layers of paint.

Only canned food items in this cabinet.

Flaking, cracking, these-things-get stuck-everyday drawers.

So happy to see these babies go on tracks, so they will open smoothly and with no bad language involved.

and here's the new plan to bring her into 2010 (without losing all her 40's charm that is)...

1. Get cabinets down to bare wood and prep for new paint. Add european hinges, so no more ugly and useless magnetic pieces to keep the doors shut. Maybe change from handle hardware to knobs? Undecided.

2. Take down small corner shelves that serve no purpose but to gather dust (one period detail I'm not keeping.) Remove old nasty mirror.

3. Keep and refinish small decorative shelves under the cabinets.

Love these.

4. Install granite countertops (scored for a great price at Lowe's), subway tile backsplash (a craigslist steal), new apron sink (ikea- love you for this) and faucet.

5. Cut down cabinets and create a 'bump out' to accommodate size and depth of new apron sink.

6. Preserve original details - like this incognito cutting board that will get cleaned up and back to working order. It would have looked something like this...

7. New brushed nickel cup pulls for the drawers to add a little extra period charm. See above photograph.

Last but not least...new wall paint and accessories , yea!

:: Happy Valentine's Day ::

2010-02-14T08:30:00.008-06:00

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

xoxo

:: Celebrating the Baby Bump ::

2010-02-08T20:44:00.010-06:00

This past weekend I helped host my friend Tara's baby shower. She is the first of my close friends to have a baby, so it was such a fun and exciting experience. She had an awesome turnout and after all those gifts, she should be set for the baby's arrival!

These are the invitations I designed/illustrated for her shower

I wanted them to have a slightly retro/ 50's baby announcement feel, but still be modern. So, I used the brown and pink of her nursery plus the more modern type style to bring the design into today, and went for a more vintage feel with the illustrations. Invitation and stationery design is my passion, so I can't wait for the opportunity to do more baby stuff!

I also made her a diaper cake for the shower, using the butterflies and colors of her nursery for inspiration. It was a big hit and surprisingly simple to make!

Pretty and practical!

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing weekend- and while mine was fun, it definitely wasn't relaxing. Work events, baby shower, and the beginning of the kitchen redo. Whew, I'm exhausted. I'll be back soon with photos and updates on the kitchen progress, so stay tuned!

:: Changes at the Cottage ::

2010-01-29T15:17:00.008-06:00

Y'all I am so excited about the changes taking place over the next month, here at the Cottage! My little kitchen is getting a 'facelift'. Which, means that I am not doing a full blown remodel or renovation, but just some much needed updating. The Cottage has original cabinets (with lots of character), but they have been painted and repainted several times over. The previous paint jobs weren't the best, so the layers of paint are visible, along with cracks, chips and pure ugliness on the inside of the cabinets. So, the major job in this process will be to completely strip, scrape, and sand all the cabinetry to prepare it for a beautiful, flawless new coat of white paint. They are actually currently painted white, but looking very shabby (and not in a good way). I also have plans to put in new granite countertops, a subway tile backsplash, and even a new apron sink. Plus, I'm doing it all on a serious budget!

My friend from work, Bob the Builder, will be helping me through this new process of kitchen updating. I can't wait to get in there and do some demo. Buh-bye ugly 50's countertops! Let's hope the weather gets better by tomorrow morning. It has been snowing like the dickens today!

You can see above the different things I have picked out for the space, the granite, the tile, sink, faucet, new pulls and light fixture. I haven't decided on paint yet, so these swatches are just a starting point. I actually really love the green that is in the kitchen now, but I am thinking it may need to go a few shades softer. I have a feeling I will have to live in the new space for awhile, before I will really be able to settle on a color for the walls.

Wish me luck tomorrow and I will be back soon with 'before' photos and talk of our progress.

Have a warm and safe weekend!

:: Things That Make Me Happy ::

2010-01-26T22:55:00.010-06:00

My Dad's high school drawing

One of my relatives found this hidden behind a family photo at my Grandma's house. They were helping her clear out some old items and dividing things up between family members, so after all these years, it is now mine. I am so excited to have a piece of my Dad's childhood that will last forever. I love seeing it everyday. I love that I can look at it and imagine all the time he spent to get the horses just right. I can even see his eraser marks, where he went in and made one of the muzzles a bit shorter and touched up around the their ears. To me, this is a piece of artwork that is truly priceless.

:: Green Fever ::

2010-01-20T22:49:00.012-06:00

I have major green fever. Which means I am loathing all of this brown, deadness that is Oklahoma in the winter. I want flowers, I want green, lush grass, I want spring!

Since, I still have a few more months before I can even start thinking about planting flowers and mowing the lawn, I decided to step into a new realm. One that involves plants- indoors.

Introducing ... my new little succulents. Aren't they sweet? I was at the flea market over the weekend and there was a wonderful lady selling cacti (is that the proper term?) and all different kinds of succulents. The funny thing is, I had just gone to Lowe's a couple of days before looking for them and they said they wouldn't have them until around March. So glad I went to the flea market! Who woulda thought?

I'm not much of an indoor plant kind of person and much prefer exercising my green thumb outdoors. However, like cacti (haha), succulents require very minimal maintenance, so I thought I would give them a try. The succulent lady told me that they stay pretty dormant in the winter and only need to be watered a tiny bit every three weeks or so. I've since read you can even just spritz them a little. They need as much sun as possible, so putting them in an area with direct sunlight is best. She also recommended putting 1-2" of pea gravel below the soil and just a little on top. This helps with drainage and to avoid overwatering. You definitely don't want to overwater or 'over love' your succulents. They are pretty independent little plants.

Oh! And what do you think of my cute little urns? I snagged those at TJ Maxx for 4.99 and 3.99. Gotta love that!

They are going to look great in a certain part of the Cottage, that very soon is getting a little 'cosmetic surgery'. It's been a long time coming and I can't wait to tell you more about it!

Have a great week everyone!

:: Good Eats / Rolo Cookies ::

2010-01-10T20:10:00.016-06:00

One of my New Year's resolutions is to cook more and try new and different recipes. So, to start this resolution off right, I decided to make chocolate- of course. I originally saw a recipe for Rolo Cookies on the awesome blog Great Full Day and after doing a little research settled on the recipe below.

*Warning* These cookies are absolutely delicious!!! The Rolo in the middle is yummy melted goodness and the cookie itself tastes kind of like a brownie. I like my cookies a little soft and less done, so I took these out a bit earlier than the recipe called for. So, if you like Rolos and chocolate you must try these babies, you won't be disappointed!

:: Rolo Cookies ::

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup cocoa

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 small packages Rolos (40)- I used one big bag of Rolos

In a large bowl mix butter, 1 cup of sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. In medium bowl mix flour, cocoa and baking soda. Add to butter mixture. Roll 1 tablesppon cookie dough into ball; flatten into palm of hand. Place one Rolo in the center; bring sides together and roll into ball. Roll ball in the remaining 1/4 cup white sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

:: 2009 in review ::

2010-01-03T16:26:00.014-06:00

I can't believe it is 2010! Wow, it's amazing how fast a year can go by. Here's a little overview of how I spent a very wonderful 2009.

I celebrated two years with the most amazing person in the world- the BF. :)

I won my very first local Addy Award for Consumer or Trade Publication/ Campaign, 4 color. Wahoo!

I'm blessed to have an amazing job and an amazing group of people to share such an accomplishment with.

I celebrated my 25th birthday (a quarter of a century -crazy) by taking a little trip to Las Vegas and then CA to see the family. The BF got me tickets to Beatles LOVE, simply a-mazing!

Entrance to Beatles LOVE

My birthday cake

I have a beautiful (partially complete) new fence thanks to a couple of quite handy men in my life; my Dad and the BF. My mom was a huge help too. Love you all!

Here's to saving up to finish the last two sections in 2010.

I found out the my sweet little Presley dog is diabetic and learned to overcome my fear of needles by giving him insulin shots daily. This is a HUGE thing for me, I honestly never thought I would be giving anyone a shot, let alone my own dog. He is the most gentle, loving, easy going creature and he has made what was once a terrifying task- now a normal part of our routine.

I celebrated in 2009, with two of my closest friends both getting married and a third friend being the first to have a baby (in March). I can't wait!

I also bought my first vintage Halloween paper mache Jack 'o Lantern. This may seem silly to some, but I was really excited. Hehe. :) I have been wanting to own one forever (I love Halloween, remember?) but whenever I came across one, it was usually way out of my price range. Ya for good deals in 09!

Image from Country Living showing similar vintage Jack 'o Lanterns from the 30's and 40's

I threw my first Christmas party at the cottage and then headed to California for a warm Christmas with my wonderful family.

And finally... I spent New Year's away with the BF at Big Cedar Lodge, enjoying the scenery and some much needed time away.

The view from our room at the Lodge

Through all the good and bad, I hope everyone has fond memories to take away from 09 and wishing you all the best in 2010!

:: A White Christmas ::

2009-12-24T00:09:00.008-06:00

Happy Christmas Eve everyone! I don't know about you guys, but I love Christmas Eve almost as much as Christmas morning. It must be the anticipation to open all those gifts!

I just found out that back home in Oklahoma they may be having a white Christmas this year. It stinks that the one year I leave, they get snow - but I am enjoying the warm CA weather too much to be too disappointed. I got to go golfing with my Dad yesterday. Who goes golfing in Oklahoma in December? Not me! Brrrrr.

Since I was going to be gone for the majority of the holidays, I decided not to put up my big Christms tree. Instead, I put up my little white one in the bedroom. Here it is, all decked out in it's white, silver and black goodness. I love the new monogram ornaments I snagged at Pottery Barn a couple of weeks ago.

I hope you all have a wonderful day and a very Merry Christmas!