What will matter?

Lately I seem to be so busy running from Point A to Point B.

 

I sometimes forget to stop and smell the flowers.

 

I need to remember it’s not always about the destination, but the journey we take to get there.

 

I need to remember to enjoy the ride before it’s over.

 

 

My friend Marcy sent me a beautiful poem a couple weeks ago. It really made me sit back and think about my life, and concentrate on living a life that matters:

 

What Will Matter
By Michael Josephson 

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no days, no hours, or minutes.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass on to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevant.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will all expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you come from, or on what side of the tracks you lived.
It won’t matter whether you are beautiful or brilliant.
Your gender, skin color, ethnicity will be irrelevant.
So, what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built. Not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people knew you, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

 

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On another note, I am excited to share this good news with you..

 

Our very own Rosemary Olson, a very talented and inspiring artist who creates most of the paper items in my shop, just landed a feature in the latest issue of Romantic Country magazine.

 

 

To help celebrate, Rosemary is having a Giveaway on her blog.

 

She’s giving away to one lucky winner one of her Gutter Screen Crowns, similar to this one:

 

 

Her giveaway ends this Friday, so make sure you head on over there to enter.

 

Good luck my friends!

 

 

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This post sponsored by:

 

Venetian Mirrors Boutique - Handcrafted Venetian Mirrors that make a distinct design statement

 

Imagination Island

It feels like forever since I’ve blogged about our Cottage8.

 

Since I’ve been getting lots of inquiries about our kitchen island, I thought it to be the perfect thing to post about this evening.

 

The decision whether or not to add an island to our kitchen was a topic of controversy when we were remodeling our kitchen, nearly two years ago. What could be so controversial about putting in a kitchen island you ask? The kitchen size, and lack thereof. Nearly everyone debated me that an island would never fit in a kitchen our size. Well…

 

1) I’ve always dreamed of a having an island in my kitchen

 

2) Never, ever tell me “it can’t be done, it’s impossible, you can’t do it”

 

After an extended search, I found the most perfect island at JC Penney of all places. And it was, in my sole opinion, the perfect size for our kitchen.

 

So what happened next? More controversy!

 

My darling husband was convinced that the island wouldn’t fit, even with 21” of room on each side to pass through, between the island and the cabinetry.

 

So what did I do? I had to prove it to him! I came up with a mock-island. (Keep in mind, image below was mid-remodel, nearly two years ago. Note bottles of wine & brandy on counter next to coffee maker, need I say more?)

 

I give you … Imaginary Island:

 

 

This desperate island kitchen situation called for desperate measures, so I gathered up all my old shipping boxes, and I stacked them with the height of the boxes measuring the exact island height. Hubby certainly couldn’t argue with logic this scientific.

 

Looks like I won that debate:

 

 

The top flat cardboard piece on my mock-island represented the actual island wood top measurement. Note the chrome stand with the apples - clearly I was using anything in reach to help sway my husbands opinion on what a kitchen island could offer us…

 

 

And now I love creating vignettes on top of my kitchen island…

 

 

By the way, how do you like the new barstools? They’re vintage industrial, right up my alley! I purchased them at the Agoura Antique Mart…

 

 

I have future plans to make our kitchen island look less “manufactured” and give it more character, so I plan on having a real wood butcher block top cut to fit, some old corbels to support the top from underneath, beadboard wallpaper inside the recessed panels, and a kick plate along the bottom to hide the wheels and make the island look more like a permanent fixture in our kitchen…

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

By the way, if you have any questions about our home, like how we paneled our fridge, what paint colors we used in our home, or to view before and after photos, please check out our FAQ’s page!

 

Design and Innovation comes to Las Vegas

Several weeks ago, Adam and I received an exclusive invitation to attend the Hospitality Design Expo and Conference, Design and Innovation, held at the beautiful Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. It is the largest design expo of its kind in the world.

 

With over 900 exhibiting companies, we saw first hand what new products and services are being introduced into the marketplace for this coming year. 

 

This booth was one of my favorites. Vintage inspired industrial design…

    

 

Note the faucet knobs on the table below…

 

 

I swooned over the open wire design on this arm chair…

 

 

These factory style shelves could find so many uses in my home…

 

 

This eye-candy decorated booth made me feel giddy inside and completely inspired to color outside the lines…

 

 

Restoration Hardware was one of the shows exhibitors…

 

                 

They had an outdoor inspired garden patio on one side of their booth, and a bathroom vanity display on the other side

             

 

Their pea gravel and slate tile design is going to serve as inspiration for an upcoming outdoor patio project we plan to work on this Summer (stay tuned!)…

 

 

On the other side of their booth they had this gorgeous bathroom vanity display…

 

 

But the real star of the show was the Swarovski booth. The “Crystal Curtain” seen below is actually a replica of the real one created specially for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards…

 

 

Hanging beneath the curtain? A crystal encrusted showgirl of course. This is Vegas, baby!

      

 

Incredibly delicate and sweet, I loved this elegant crystal chandelier…

 

 

 How about this crystal encrusted ottoman! Clearly not for sitting on and just for show, this beauty batted its eyelashes at me from across the room…

 

 

These floating crystal rings speak of elegance and simplicity, and are incredibly romantic…

 

 

There were also many booths featuring beautiful contemporary design…

 

 

I loved the playful stripes in the multi-colored folding screen below…

 

 

The exhibit room was so huge, I can’t tell you how much restraint it took for us not to throw ourselves upon this double chaise sofa and kick up our feet…

 

 

The plush rug below, even up close, looked like a hand painted piece of art. I love the variation of color and the intentional fading.

 

 

A simple grouping of framed feather prints… 

 

 

 This one’s for all my mosaic-lovin friends out there. Fashioned to look like area rugs, these are completely made out of tiny pieces of tile…

 

 I loved everything about this outdoor cabana style lounge…

 

 

Beautiful coral encased in glass lamps…yes please…

 

 

Multi-colored, aged wood slat fronted cabinets. I think this was Adam’s favorite that day…

 

 

Another booth that will serve as inspiration for an upcoming project we’re starting next month – our master bathroom…

 

 

 Just for the fun of it, I had to get a photo of this booth filled with illuminated furnishings…

 

 

Thanks for sharing in the fun with us!

 

Rachel Ashwell Inspires Again GIVEAWAY!

I was one of several bloggers chosen by the very generous Lu of DustyLu Interiors to help spread some really fabulous news and share about a fantastic giveaway. 

 

You see, my friend Lu was recently hired by Rachel Ashwell as a photographer and stylist for her new Shabby Chic Couture line. Pause. Yes, you read that correctly. Lu is the bomb diggity! 

 

The thought of styling, let alone photographing for Ms. Ashwell is just about as good as it gets I would imagine. I have been inspired by Rachel Ashwell’s signature style for well over a decade. A true pioneer in design, Rachel Ashwell has touched all of our lives, and her style has embodied our homes with her impeccable design style and grace. 

 

The following fabulous images were all taken by Lu Tapp for Shabby Chic Couture: 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

Now onto the Giveaway… 

 

Thanks to generosity of Rachel Ashwell and Lu Tapp, they are giving away one autographed book!  

 

And the real cherry on top: The winner gets to choose their prize!

 

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic 

Sumptuous Settings & Other Lovely Things: 

 

 OR

 

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Interiors

My Rooms, Treasures, and Trinkets:  

 

Here are the rules:

 

1) Leave a comment on my blog. Becoming a follower here isn’t a requirement, but it is appreciated 

2) Become a follower of Lu’s blog (if you haven’t already) and leave a comment 

3) Become a follower of Rachel Ashwell’s blog (if you haven’t already) and leave a comment (She has a Follow icon at the top of her blog) 

4) Either blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar 

5) Please visit the new Shabby Chic Couture website 

 

This contest ends on June 30th, at 12 noon pst.

 

Good luck my friends!