The Old Painted Cottage - The Blog

Grey Stables

2012-01-26T08:55:00.001-08:00

It seems like just yesterday I decorated and redecorated our master bedroom. It’s no secret that I’m:

a) never done decorating and b) have a major crush on all things equestrian.

Ever since I met Alison from The Polohouse through her blog last year, I’ve decided I just can’t get enough of that classic equine look. I mean look at her fabulous tack room. I love her Ralph Lauren-esque style…

Speaking of awesome bloggers, I recently worked on a project with my friend Jill from The Virginia House…

Jill makes amazing hand painted signs on Etsy. But I should mention she only puts out a very limited number of her paintings, as she is a dedicated full-time mommy : )

I just about fell out of my chair when I saw this sign she made for her bathroom….

I’ve got the decorating bug once again, and I’ve decided to give our master bedroom yet another makeover – equestrian style! Very recently, I commissioned Jill to make a personalized sign specially for our bedroom, and boy did she deliver! These shots were taken by Jill before she shipped it out to us to make sure everything was satisfactory. (Insert huge LIKE button here)

Incase you didn't know, our last name is Grey. And yes, I do get asked if I’m Jennifer Grey, the actress, and no, I’m definitely not her! We chose the year 1954 because it holds sentimental value to Adam’s grandfather…

Jill kindly attached two D-rings to the back of the sign, which I haven’t hung up in our bedroom yet. I decided I first needed some frame hanging wire, to hang between the two rings…

In my search, I found a great website called Poster Frame Depot that carries frame hanging wire and many other framing supplies and accessories. I know I’ll be calling upon them for future projects for sure.

Now I just need to find the time to hang my new Grey Stables sign up in our bedroom!

Stay tuned for more updates on our master bedroom remodel project!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites…

Small Space Organizing

2012-01-19T22:23:00.001-08:00

You may remember the hair-raising before images from when we first bought this house, and you may recall seeing this jolly green nightmare among the bunch.

This is how the guest bedroom looked the first day we moved in. And that’s the bedroom closet to the very far left…

Here’s a closer, and rather frightening look at the inside of this super tiny closet, and how it looked before it got my DIY mitts on it…

Living in a quaint 1200 square foot home can present its challenges, particularly when you work from home. When we moved into this house 3 1/2 years ago, we were downsizing from a much larger home we had been renting for several years. We ended up selling most everything and started over.

I think the area I’ve found most challenging in this home are our petite sized closets. Since our bedrooms are so tiny, we can only fit a small dresser, if at all, so that means keeping clothing and shoes tidy is a must. If it doesn’t fit or we don’t wear it anymore, out it goes to the goodwill or salvation army. Constant discipline and not allowing things to pile up have been particularly helpful.

My most recent challenge was to create a personalized office space to work from on a daily basis. Being that I run my entire business out of my home, I needed an efficient place to work out of that was practical, functional, well lit, and made me feel inspired on a regular basis.

So I took our little guest room closet that once looked like this…

And turned it into this…

A quaint little dream office space where I work and blog from every day!

Fresh paint, DIY board and batten wall treatment, a single curtain panel gathered to one side and held with a tension rod & old rope, a vintage office chair, stacking plastic pull-out boxes underneath the desk top (made from a sheet of painted plywood), wicker storage boxes the top shelf, a funky metal found and repurposed light up above, fresh roses from the garden, and you have a super inspiring little closet-office space!

Admit it, you sometimes wonder where people blog from, don’t you? I know I do!

It seems I’ve been bitten by the organizing bug these past few weeks. Sock drawers, mystery food items in the fridge, piles of stuff hidden under the beds, collections of old batteries and dinosaur-aged computer parts, it’s all going to the donate, give away or toss pile. Organization just feels good!

So when I heard the news award-winning journalist and lifestyle blogger Kathryn Bechen just recently published a book called “Small Space Decorating, A Room-by-Room Guide to Maximizing your Space”, I received a copy for myself and dove right in…

I’ve been a long-time fan of Kathryn’s. She understands first hand the challenges that come with small space living, and in her new book she has created easy going approach to making even the tiniest space not only work, but successfully meet all your needs with ease. Every single space in the home is covered, from foyers, closets and kids rooms, to patio’s and terraces.

I plan to put Kathryn’s book to good use in many ways. First, I’ve already started organizing our kitchen drawers. Since we don’t really have a pantry, I’ve come up with some fun storage jar solutions I’ll be sharing in a future post. Also, we’ve been meaning to buckle down on our chaotic, unorganized garage, and Small Space Decorating is just the kick in the pants I needed to rise to the challenge. Lastly, I’m going to tackle our cluttered fridge. Adam and I are practicing a plant-based diet mostly comprised of veggies and fruits, and since our fridge is circa 1970’s, it’s pretty space deprived in there. It has super dark built-in produce bins that I’m terrified of using, cause let’s face it…who wants to find a three month old head of cabbage that you totally forgot about months ago. My dilemma was timely, because I was super inspired by this recent post Kathryn shared on her blog, using open plastic baskets for holding her produce, making the food more visible yet still organized. I can’t wait to go to the Container Store to make the dark bin-to-basket conversion!

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Kathryn’s book that I could especially relate: “I had the mindset that a small home meant a lack of living well. I longed for a beautiful large home and yard one day, and we were willing to work long and hard for it”. It took a while for me to realize that bigger doesn’t necessarily equate to better. And I think living in a small, quaint home has made our lives all the better for it.

To get a copy of Kathryn’s book, simply click here.

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites…

Brick House Fabrics Giveaway

2012-01-05T16:30:00.001-08:00

I’m pleased to introduce you to one of our newest sponsors, Brick House Fabrics, an online fabrics store based in mid-coast Maine. They live and work in an old 1840's brick house, hence the name!

(image to the left: The Brick House in Winter)

Brick House Fabrics fabrics are first quality, new on the bolt, from the manufacturer. They also go on buying trips several times a year where they pick up some unique out-of-print fabrics as well as vintage fabrics.

They carry Braemore Fabric, Covington Fabric, Duralee Fabric, P.Kaufmann Fabric, Ralph Lauren Fabric, Robert Allen Fabric, and others. And look for Kravet Fabrics, Laura Ashley Fabrics, Greeff Fabrics, Schumacher Fabrics and others.

Brick House Fabrics specialty is novelty home decorating fabrics. They are constantly expanding their lines, and adding new items. They also have an interest in lace curtain fabric yardage, both full width and cafe lace, and hope to import more of that directly from the mills.

They also do special order fabrics for people. If there is a fabric you need or want, they will try to accommodate your need!

Ready for the best part?

The kind folks at Brick House Fabrics are generously giving away 3 yards of fabric to one of my lucky readers! One name will be randomly drawn to have their choice of one the following fabrics:

Choice #1: Toile Country French Fabric

A country fabric with the look of French toile. The scenes all seem to have boys in them! A father is getting water at a well, while a little boy peers down it; a woman carries a pot on her head while a boy drives a sheep; an older boy and child are with a donkey, another boy pulls the rope of a swing for a lady, etc. There are also dogs, chickens, the usual languid lady, fishing scene, etc.

This toile is done in black, taupey grey, and grey on a soft buff beige background. The effect from a distance is of black and charcoal on light tan.

This is 56 1/2" wide. The boy pulling the rope for the swing is about 5 1/2" ( 13.97 cm. ), from the top of the hat to the pointed toe. This is a mutli-purpose home decorating fabric that is perfect for cushions, curtains, totes, etc.

Choice #2: Pink Toile Fabric

This toile fabric has scenes all with women. They are seen with children, in a boat fishing, washing clothes, going to work with rakes, feeding chickens, leading a donkey, talking to a man, etc. There are other scenes as well: children playing, leading goats, etc. The scale is quite small.

This is pink on cream. It has a delicate, pretty look.

This fabric is 58" wide. The woman with the hat, with the child and the donkey is about 2 1/2" (6.35 cm ) tall; the woman carrying the laundry on her head is about 3" ( 7.62 cm. ) tall. This is a multi-purpose home decorating fabric. It is perfect for curtains, cushions, totes, etc.

Choice #3: Georgian Horse toile fabric

Hold onto your saddles, my equine loving friends!

Overlapping rectangles hold small country scenes: there are saddled and unsaddled horses; in one a man is helping a woman, in habit, to mount. And in another one a woman is riding side-saddle. In some of these scenes there are large country houses; in some, small towns, with what looks like a horse show or sale going on. In between are small vignettes of countryside.

The background is a sponged beige, tan, and camel- the effect is of aged papers, with black for the toile.

This fabric is 57 1/2" wide. The horse with the woman riding is 5" ( 12.70 cm. ) nose to tail. This is a multi-purpose home decorating fabric that is perfect for curtains, cushions, napkins, totes, etc.

To enter your name in the giveaway, please do each of the following…

1. Leave a comment here on this post

2. Let us know which fabric you prefer (Toile Country, Pink Toile or Georgian Horse)

3. Extra credit question: If you win the giveaway, what project will you most likely use this fabric for?

We’re hoping the winner will send us pictures of their finished project using their winning fabric!

This giveaway ends on Monday, February 6th.

Good luck!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Ele Dreaming

2012-01-02T13:11:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, friends!

We spent the latter part of 2011 in Las Vegas with my folks. We stayed with them at their vacation home, which you may remember. This trip for us was all about good eats, walking, shopping, talking, playing and sleeping. I had such a great time, it was really hard to say good-bye to my folks who stayed there for a full 2 1/2 weeks! Vegas has become a great social hub for them.

On one of our outings, we visited the breathtaking Venetian Hotel, where we discovered the Peter Lik Gallery. I will always take time out to visit a beautiful gallery, and this one did not disappoint. Near the back of the gallery, down a narrow hallway was this magnificent photograph…

It’s called “Ele Dreaming”

This image brought tears to my eyes, and I had a hard time walking away from it. I could feel its compassion and gentle calm speaking directly to my soul.

It still makes my heart skip just looking at it.

When we got home, I learned that it was actually Peter Lik’s ex-girlfriend that took this shot, which is why I suppose you can’t find the image on his site. But while browsing, I was in absolute awe of his masterful photography.

Here’s one of my favorites of his…

In other news, it was alerted to me by several readers that my Miso Soup Recipe post somehow fell off the blogging planet. Weird. It completely vanished from my blog, but thankfully I always save a back-up of all my posts! For those of you that wanted the recipe, here you go…

- 10 Minute Miso Soup -

With the days getting chillier, I’ve been spending more time in the kitchen making lots of homemade soups and hearty stews. One of favorite soups is miso soup, which I used to seek out in Japanese restaurants as I just figured the recipe must be incredibly elusive and difficult to make. Boy was I wrong.

My friend Kate, who I consider my nutrition guru, introduced me to Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet a couple months ago. I’ll share more on that life changer of a book in another post. Let me just say WOW.

Have you ever heard of Mochi? Me neither until just recently. Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice (not to be confused with gluten) pounded into paste and molded into shape.

In other words, it’s a party in your mouth…

Hot n’ ready in just about 10 minutes (not including veggie prep)…

Miso Soup, lightly adapted from The Kind Diet

1/4 – 1/2 cup onion, cut into large dice

1 whole scallion, roots and all, sliced thinly on the diagonal

1 medium leek, cleaned and sliced

2” piece dried wakame, cut into small pieces with scissors

1/4 medium daikon, sliced into thin rounds

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2” x 4” piece brown rice mochi, quartered

Shoyu, soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons barley miso

1 1/2 teaspoons mellow white miso

1 sheet nori

Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Lower the heat, and add the onion, scallion, leek, wakame and daikon. Simmer while you prepare the mochi.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the mochi to the pan, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes, checking to make sure the mochi doesn’t burn. Flip the mochi, drizzling each side with a couple drops of shoyu. Cover the pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes longer. The mochi is done when it expands and begins to look puffy.

While the mochi cooks, place the miso in a small cup, stir in a few tablespoons of the soup broth, and then add it to the soup. Simmer the soup for 2 minutes, making sure NOT to boil the miso. Remove the pot from the heat.

To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl. Rip the nori into bite-size pieces, and sprinkle on top. Serve with the fried mochi squares. Enjoy.

…….

NOTE: If you’re unsure about some of the ingredients, they were a little unfamiliar to me at first too…

Mochi (pronounced mo-chee) can be found at Whole Foods, in the refrigerated section.

Wakame is a sea vegetable; edible seaweed. Can be found at Asian markets and Whole Foods.

Daikon is a member of the radish family. It resembles a huge white carrot, with amazing properties. Look for it at Whole Foods or Sprouts.

Shoyu is the Japanese word for soy sauce. I prefer Eden brand, available at Whole Foods and Sprouts.

Miso is a thick paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt. I prefer Eden brand, available at Whole Foods. Look for miso aged 2 years.

Nori is edible seaweed, eaten dried in sheets. I prefer toasted nori.

…….

Last but not least, we have TWO winners to announce for the subway sign Giveaway:

Congratulations to Coastal Cottage Dreams & ANTIQUECHASE!

Please contact Kathee to claim your prize. And a big thank you to all those that entered!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Subway Scroll Sign Giveaway!

2011-12-13T10:49:00.001-08:00

If you happened upon our Cottage8 page this past week, you probably noticed I finally
updated our kitchen and dining room photos…

Speaking of our dining room, the wall to the right I’ve always seemed to struggle with because we have solid cinderblock on that side, underneath the beadboard, and it’s super difficult to hang heavy objects from it.

Well thanks to my friend Kathee, this fabulous subway sign, and several rounds of trial and error, I think I finally got the look I’m going for in this space. And I’m really loving it…

Have you met Kathee from the french inspired blog Chateau et Jardin. You probably remember when I featured her home on Cottage of the Month several years ago!

Kathee’s an antique dealer and she’s super talented. She puts together the most inspiring vignettes. Just look this inspiring corner of her garden…

Kathee recently took up a space at American Home and Garden, a wonderful gem of an antique store located in Ventura, Ca. I’ve been shopping at American Home for over a decade. It’s tucked away off Main St, but once you encounter this lovely little shop, you won’t soon forget your visit…

I love the new front window of the shop. This is where I bought a pair of Kathee’s subway scroll signs from…

I’m good friends with Karen, the shop’s manager. She and I go back more years than I can count. She is the heart and the soul of this store, and everyone adores her.

Kathee's space is tucked in the large back room of the shop, and it’s a wonderful little treasure trove back there…

So let’s get to the Giveaway, shall we?

Kathee is giving away one subway scroll sign to one lucky winner! And I should mention, the lucky winner will have their choice of the England sign, as seen in my dining room…

The New York sign, as seen in the home of one of my favorite blogs Our Vintage Home Love…

Or the Paris sign as seen in the shop’s front window…

BONUS!! You guys, Kathee is so generous. She’s agreed to draw a second name for the chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate towards anything in her shop! So that means there will be 2 winners chosen. One person will win a subway sign of their choosing, and the other will win a $50 Gift Certificate!

To enter your name for this Giveaway, simply do each of the following:

1. Leave a comment here on this post

2. Also leave a comment on Kathee’s blog

3. Let us know which subway sign you prefer (England, NY, Paris)

4. Extra credit question: What was your favorite book growing up?

This giveaway ends on Saturday, December 31st.

Good luck!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites…

Giveaway from Bella Inspirations!

2011-12-05T07:25:00.001-08:00

You might recall our home recently featured in Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas issue…

And all the burlap pieces featured throughout our home, such as the document pillow on our sofa (above), and the stenciled tree skirt and linen ruffled stockings (below)…

As well as the ruffle-edged runner on our dining table…

We’ve gotten a ton of emails about these pieces since the article came out, and they’re all handmade by my dear friend Laurie from Bella Inspirations!

Laurie has a gift for what she does. She’s incredibly creative and she designs some of the most beautiful, unique handmade pieces…

I’ve ordered dozens of pieces from Laurie over the past couple years, and she’s even done some custom work for me too.

She also made our stenciled table runner, which was featured in Fifi’s Romantic Prairie Style book…

photo by Mark Lohman

Now let’s discuss the giveaway!

One lucky person will receive a $75.00 gift certificate towards any item in Laurie’s shop!

Here’s just a sampling of what you can find in her shop right now…

Holiday Collection:

Table Runners…

Laurie also offers a helpful color chart that shows the various shades her burlap comes in…

To enter to win a $75.00 Gift Certificate towards any item in Laurie's Etsy shop, simply do the following:

1. Leave one comment here on this post.

2. Leave one comment on Laurie's blog.

3. Extra credit question: If you could be any color in a Crayola box, what color would you be and why?

This giveaway ends on Monday, December 12th. The lucky winner to be announced here on my blog.

Good luck!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Honorable Mention

2011-12-03T07:52:00.001-08:00

A word of thanks to all the folks that came to my rescue last week. We had a ball going through literally dozens of holiday home submissions. There were many to choose from, and narrowing it down to just one was the hardest part. Did you see who was ultimately chosen for December’s Cottage of the Month?

Click here to see December’s feature in its entirety!

I’ve said it before and I’ll happily say it again: Bloggers Rock. Period. You guys didn’t let me down one single bit. I thought it might be fun to share with you a handful of some of the holiday home submissions I received over this past week….

Laura from Finding Home

When Laura emailed me earlier last week, here’s what she had to say about blogging and home renovating “I have been blogging for just over a year and have just completed a full renovation of our home. Our home now reflects our family better and is a comfortable mix of new and vintage treasures.”

Sharon Brandt

Here’s what Sharon had to say about decorating for the holidays: “I love to decorate for Christmas! I actually start as early as October because I decorate other peoples house's for Christmas...so I like to get mine done early. I make a lot of my own decorations and love to frequent the dollar store. My white tree is decorated with dollar store frames I spray painted and printed black and white photos of my boys when they were little at Christmas time.”

Pattie from The Shabby Chick

Pattie had this to say about decorating and family: “I love to entertain and throw parties for my families and friends. I am passionate about cooking, gardening, decorating, and junking. I love finding old treasurers at thrift stores and Goodwill and turning them into new treasures. I'm the owner of the Nail Room, which I run out of my home so I can take care of my daughter Tia, who is in a wheelchair. She is the love of my life.”

Alise

Alise has been teaching elementary school for the past twenty seven years. In May of this year, the local Woman’s Club approached Alise and her husband about participating in the Christmas Tour of Homes. “We together decided to share our home with the community through the tour. We have spent the last 6 months sprucing things up around here.” (Photographs courtesy of Jan Madert)

Maria from Rusty Hinge

We especially got a kick out of what Maria had to say: “Well, I follow your blog and when I saw that you needed a December Cottage, I thought why not, so after Thanksgiving dinner was over I rushed home from my family's holiday celebration downstate to haul out all my Christmas tubs from the garage and got to work.”

Meaghan from MT Tails

Here’s what Meaghan had to say about living in the country and decorating her dream home: “I live in Ontario Canada with my husband and pets. We moved into our dream home in the country almost 4 years ago and have been renovating it room by room since then. We hunt through antique shows, flea markets and brick & mortar stores to find the pieces that make our home uniquely ours. I work full time as a Registered Dental Hygienist but home design and decor is my passion.”

I have the BEST readers here on my blog, did I already mention that? You guys are always so courteous to those I feature for Cottage of the Month. I like to visit the blogs of those featured each month and read the comments you all so kindly leave. In fact, it looks like a bunch of you have already visited Carolyn! I just wanted to say thanks. It means a lot to me (and them). Yep, I guess I’m pretty smitten with you guys ♥

Hey, stay tuned for a great Giveaway coming up next post!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Cottage of the Month Casting Call!

2011-11-23T10:25:00.001-08:00

We’re looking for a Holiday decorated home to feature for December’s Cottage of the Month! Have a holiday decorated home that’ll knock our socks off? Here’s your chance to be featured!

I know this is short notice for you guys, but the homeowner we had scheduled for December dropped out unexpectedly yesterday so we need a replacement asap!

Want to enter your home? Here’s what you need to do:

1) Do not comment on this post. (Although comments of encouragement are welcome!)

2) Instead, please email your submissions to: jennifer@theoldpaintedcottage.com

3) Make the subject of your email Holiday Home

4) Tell us a little bit about yourself

Here’s what we’re looking for:

1) beautiful holiday photos of your home

2) a homeowner that can provide a minimum of 60 photos

3) a photo of the homeowner

4) at least one exterior shot of the front home

When I would need your submissions by:

We always feature a new home on the 1st of every month. So this means I need everything in a few days before the 1st to edit and create your feature from scratch (It’s a lot of work, friend!)

All photo entries must be received no later than Midnight, Monday night, November 28th

For a little inspiration, here’s a look at some of the past Holiday Homes we’ve featured over the years:

One lucky person will be chosen to have their home featured for December’s Cottage of the Month. I can’t wait to see your holiday home submissions!

And remember, all entries must be received no later than Midnight, Monday night, November 28th.

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Cottage8 in Christmas Ideas magazine

2011-11-18T07:52:00.001-08:00

Earlier this year back in February, when my blogging pals were having fun decorating for Valentine’s Day and making pink fuzzy hearts, I was frantically decking the halls of Cottage8 for a two-day photo shoot.

Imagine my uber excitement when I received a call from the folks at Better Homes and Gardens magazine, for an opportunity to be featured in their upcoming December Christmas Ideas issue, just a month after Christmas already passed. (Magazines sometimes shoot up to a year in advance). I had just finished packing away the last tree ornament and vacuumed up the final flake of mica snow when I got the call, but I couldn’t say yes fast enough.

The folks at BH&G were the nicest people to work with. Courteous and professional, both the photographer and the stylist were very respectful of our home, our two cats, and all of my things, including our 300lb industrial factory cart coffee table. They understood the way I decorate and that my house is a neutral, non traditional, red-n-green-free holiday zone. They totally got me, which isn’t always an easy thing to do.

See that 7 1/2 foot tree, below? It came from Wallmart and it’s a fake tree! Yep, it comes in about 200 pieces and requires full assembly. You see, in February it’s pretty slim pickins’ when you’re looking for live trees. I was however, able to score some live garland from a wonderful nursery all the way in Indiana. They provided the swags and loose branches for the mantel and centerpiece on the table (above). It had to be flown in overnight, just in time for the shoot!

The stockings were made by my friend Laurie at Bella Inspirations, and she also made the stenciled tree skirt. You can find these and more in her etsy shop. This girl is crazy talented and she’s a super great friend. She came to my rescue for this shoot, big time. If you could have seen the two of us the day before the shoot…we were busy styling the house at warp speed while listening to holiday carols!

These two trophy cups actually belong to my friend Marcy. She let me borrow them for the shoot. And that pic of me...it was taken just two weeks before I started my diet, over nine months ago. I guess I have an official “before” photo. That sweater literally hangs off of me now.

I love really simple place settings, and I was really pleased with how this photo came out. That’s one of Laurie's burlap runners on the table, and my friend Rosemary made the number wreaths for the backs of each of the chairs. The little baby pine in the center of the table was from Home Depot, and I simply placed it inside a birch bark vase I found at Pottery Barn several years ago.

My kitchen “bakery wall” as well as some fun close up shots from the dining room…

This magazine is going to be carried on shelves until December 19th, and you can find copies of it just about anywhere. It’s one of my favorite holiday issues I’ve seen. Just about every single home in there is a show stopper. I especially adored the featured they did on my friend Layla’s home:

Stay tuned for my next post…we’re doing a huge Giveaway featuring Bella Inspirations!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites…

Interview with Northumbria Byways

2011-11-11T08:16:00.001-08:00

It is my great pleasure to introduce Vicky from Northumbria Byways in Northumberland, UK. Byways is the website behind that cute badge with the three border collie dogs in my Sponsor Bar above…

…and they have been with us now for just over a year!

Jennifer: Let's start by asking you a little bit about Northumberland. Where exactly is it, and what makes it special?

Vicky: Northumberland is up in the top right hand corner of England and lies on the border with Scotland. It is one of the least populated counties in England and has some really interesting places. For instance, Hadrian's Wall which stretches for 80 or so miles from the east to the west coast. This was built in 122 AD by the Roman emperor Hadrian. It is an Unesco world heritage site and has some very atmospheric sections.

The Castles

This was a troubled land which saw many battles between the English and the Scots. We are fortunate in having two magnificent castles at Alnwick and at Bamburgh. The castle at Alnwick was used as the setting for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. Bamburgh castle has a reputation for being haunted. We also have what might well be one of the most appropriately named castles at Chillingham which which also has some very unpleasant spectres indeed.

Border Reivers and the troubled times

Around the same time as the border wars were being fought there was a general lawlessness to the area and this encouraged a wild west mentality with families grouping together and raiding their neighbors. The outlaws were called Border Reivers and they have left us with words such as bereaved and blackmail.

Our heritage from the 19th century

The border troubles and wars meant that most of the county was desolated and lagged behind the rest of England. But the 19th century brought coal and lead mining as well as ship building. This brought great wealth and has resulted in some magnificent country estates.

Jennifer: Could you talk a little about what Byways actually does?

Vicki: Yes of course. We help visitors coming to Northumberland to find the best vacation rentals for their own requirements. We have been in this business for over 15 years, and a lot of the holiday homeowners are our friends.

Jennifer: Can you introduce us to some of your favorite houses?

Vicki: Ok, lets start with "Dunsdale house". It must be the highest house in Northumberland. It sits half way up an ancient volcano and yet you still get real quality accommodations.

Then we have "The Bathing house". This was built by the family of a British Prime minister back in the 19th century and sits literally on top of the beach. The Estate here is where Earl Grey tea was first made.

This is John Dodds (below), a local farmer who still ploughs his land with Clydesdale horses…

Jennifer: What is the story behind the 3 border collies on your badge?

Vicki: We know a farmer up in the Cheviot hills who is working really hard to preserve and grow the local sheep stock. Every lamb is hand delivered and then tagged and recorded. He looks after his stock with lots of love and care. However the countryside is hilly and steep so that although he has a quad bike he still needs his working dogs. These three border collies are called Kale, Tweed and Glen. They are named after local rivers and to us they are a direct link with traditions going back hundreds of years. Interestingly, one of the local collies was involved in rescuing American air crew when their flying fortress crashed here during WW2. The collie received the Dicken medal for valor and is fondly remembered.

Jennifer: Why have you chosen to advertise with The Old Painted Cottage?

Vicki: We liked the idea of quality from days gone by. Individualism, uniqueness and well just being special is something which we treasure and felt that your readers might like to share our views of this beautiful country around Northumberland.

Thank you Vicki for speaking with us today. I know I’m feeling inspired to get out of my own backyard and visit foreign, magical places far and wide, Northumberland being number one on my list. Okay, I’m off to go dust off my passport…

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Flea Market Style Decorating

2011-11-01T11:44:00.001-07:00

I think my headboard mantel painting opinion –should I or shouldn’t I- has been officially swayed. I tallied the votes, and it was 100% “paint it black” across the board. Thanks to all those that weighed in your opinions. Good thing I have a fresh can of Ralph Lauren’s Black Truffle paint ready to go! While I start prepping for that huge project, my friends over at Design Shuffle were kind enough to write a guest post to share with you today….Take it away, Susi!

Hi, I’m Susi, a writer for Design Shuffle, a community where interior designers, other design professionals and home owners can share inspiration and projects. It's a great place to find inspiration. One of my favorite blogs for cottage style is The Old Painted Cottage so I am thrilled to be guest blogging about flea market style decorating ideas today. I have a few new pieces in my home but most everything is thrifted or a flea market find. Flea market style decorating is so personal. For me it is a mix of mid-century modern and antiques; for someone else it might be French and vintage cottage. That's what makes it such a fabulous way to decorate! Enjoy these flea market style decorated spaces.

Flea market style can be anything from shabby to chic and everything in between. Traditional and painted pieces mix with classic style accessories in this chic entry.

Love the flea market style in this bedroom. A mix of painted furniture adds interest. The botanical prints, a great flea market find, make a charming trio of artwork above the bed.

Flea market style can also be global. Mixing elements from different countries and styles gives an eclectic look with a global vibe in this home office.

Love this shabby chic room filled with flea market style. Great flea market finds to look for to include in living rooms designs are painted furniture, lighting, china, textiles, and accessories... pretty much everything!

Decorating with flea market finds applies to the walls too. There are some great paintings, prints and photographs by unknown (and sometimes very well known) to be found at flea markets.

Flea market finds are great for styling bookshelves. Beyond vintage hardcover books, look for color and patterns that work with your décor. Add a few things that speak to your personality too.

Flea market finds are great for decorating a kitchen. Open shelves, a popular trend in kitchen designs these days, are perfect for showing off collections and flea market style.

Paint is your friend when decorating with flea market finds. Flea market style is all about incorporating different finds into one unique room. Paint can unify everything for a more cohesive look. Images ( 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 ) Similar to a flea market, Design Shuffle is a great place to share ideas and gain inspiration from a variety of interior designers, including San Francisco interior designers and Boston interior designers!

Thanks again to Susi for sharing her design inspiration and eye candy for us all to enjoy. I know I’ve already Pinned my favorites! Stay tuned for my painted headboard mantel update…and wish me luck!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T15:09:00.001-07:00

I couldn’t let the month of October come to a close without paying tribute to this month’s Cottage of the Month, Kathy’s Halloween decorated home in Simi Valley, CA. While I’m pretty positive most of you have already checked it out by now, I have lots of new followers to this blog and my website that may not be following Cottage of the Month, or maybe you’re not even sure what it is!

In a nutshell…On my website I have a special monthly feature, Cottage of the Month, where I feature a new home every month, and it always begins on the 1st and runs through the entire month. I’ve been doing this feature for over 5 1/2 years now (yes, that’s 65+ features). I have them all Archived so you can look back at every single feature I’ve ever done, going all the way back to February 2006!

So here’s a little sneak peek at October’s feature, a few of my favorites pics…

I received an enthusiastic email from a Cottage of the Month fan, Corey, saying “Love this month's October cottage, breathtaking! I feel like a little kid but I hafta ask...Can we go back at Christmas, can we please, can we?"

The answer is yes, Corey!

There was an overwhelmingly positive response to this months feature, thank you Cottage of the Month fans! Kathy and her girlfriend worked their tushes off in getting the house ready for me to come over and shoot. They were literally setting up each room moments before I could shoot. Since we all loved Kathy’s home so much, I’ve invited her back so we can all look forward to visiting her home again in Spring and Winter, 2012!

Happy Halloween my friends! And don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see November’s Cottage of the Month. I’m featuring a sweetheart of a gal named Ruthie!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Cottage8 Master Bedroom: Luggage Nightstands

2011-10-24T16:06:00.001-07:00

October is always a super fun, busy month for us. We celebrated my birthday, and we also celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. We spent a warm weekend in Newport Beach, where the weather was clear and beautiful all weekend long…

We came home to find it starting to feel a bit like Fall, so I’ve been digging deep into the backs of our closets for our favorite flannel sheets, wool blankets and my cable knit sweaters with the joyful anticipation of chilly, cozy nights.

With the changing weather soon approaching, I’m feeling the urge to get my rooms “ready” for the new upcoming season. No holiday decorating just yet, but all those little projects that have been lingering on my to-do lists are finally getting checked off.

Remember this striped suitcase I shared with you a little while back, from my friend Victoria. It was a little piece of a bigger puzzle I’ve been working on and recently accomplished.

I had grown tired of the white french provincial nightstands that used to flank either side of our bed, so I swapped them out for repurposed suitcase/luggage rack nightstands…

I simply placed old suitcases on top of vintage luggage racks and whala…instant nightstands!

You know the phrase it takes a village…well I think it took the better half of Ventura County to help me pull this little project together, thanks to some pretty terrific gals.

I asked my friend Nicki to find me an old striped suitcase during her travels. Because I wasn’t hitting the flea markets as frequently over the warm summer months, she was my go-to pair of eyes as this gal thrives in 90+ degree weather. She ended up finding this great old suitcase at a local flea market from our mutual friend Debra…

The vintage luggage rack that works as the nightstand base I purchased from my friend Rachel, whom I’ve been buying from for over the past 15 years…

This is a super tiny room, so I was relieved to discover the rack and suitcase fit perfectly between the mantel headboard and the wall…

Wanna hear a secret? Lately I’ve been thinking about painting my headboard mantel in Ralph Lauren’s Black Truffle (a smokey charcoal black), and of course leave the tufted fabric center alone. Think I should go for it? Am I crazy?

You probably already know this, but I’m pretty equestrian obsessed lately, so when my friend Jenni was offering up this old horse print in a cool aged wooden frame, I just had to snag it…

We love the framed monogram above our bed, which often is covered with a large mirror depending on what I’m doing decor-wise that week. The monogram and double frame is entirely vinyl and was super easy to apply! I got it on etsy…

Here’s suitcase luggage rack #2, which I bought from my friend Victoria at A Beautiful Mess and the vintage luggage rack was another flea market find. The stripes on that case just do it for me!

The large, funky old clock piece I bought from my friend Karen years ago, and it seems to end up in each room of this house, depending on what project I have going on. And the lamps are from Pier1…

This room is still in desperate need of some crown moulding, and I have a really sad looking dresser I bought years ago from an old salvage yard that is going to be getting a facelift real soon. I don’t think I’ll ever run out of projects, and that’s a-okay by me!

Till next time, click and keep up with us on our favorite sites….

Beautiful Mess’ified

2011-09-21T09:04:00.001-07:00

I seem to be going through a nesting phase in our home these past days. Maybe it’s just my increasing anticipation of cooler weather and cozying up this place, but I’m less interested in DIY home repairs (such as the much needed finish work on our crown moulding and the painting of our exterior patio door). Instead I’m more focused on the interior details that have less to do with D-I-Y and more to do with B-U-Y. Buying unique things for our home, that is.

Ask anyone that shops with me, I’m a pretty finicky buyer when it comes to buying for my home, my shop or my clients. I would rather leave empty handed than drop bucks on something less than ideal. And ever since they opened shop nearly a year ago, I can’t seem to stop stalking A Beautiful Mess, a favorite antique store of mine, located in Agoura, CA. The quality of their ever-changing inventory is always up to par. I try to drop in whenever I’m in the area to just see what those creative ladies are up to. I guess you can say they’re my inspiration-station.

I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite things I’ve bought from them, this being my most recent (and favorite) purchase to date…

Made from a rare old grain sack, circa 1931, my jaw about hit the floor when I saw the horse detail, which is original to the sack, and I HAD to have it, just ask my friend Kymberley. A talented designer and A Beautiful Mess shop owner, Kymberley carries the most beautiful line of pillows and textiles, with each piece crafted from old sacks specially for her textiles line, 3 Fine Grains, a division of A Beautiful Mess. Notice the hand stitched repair-within-a-repair on the left side. Swoon-worthy….

Another item I couldn’t leave the store without during a recent visit, this tea-stained book bundle…

I have a thing for rich textures…

And muted tones…

Yep, another equestrian-themed find. I’m so drawn to horses lately and their regal beauty. And fortunately for me, they work really well into my decor…

I literally stalked this old iron horse in their store for months before I finally caved. It’s a piece designed by The Junk Girls, vendors at A Beautiful Mess…

My favorite tote, which is called the Alles Bag (pronounced Alice). Alles means “everything” in German, the “everything bag”. Another piece from Kymberley’s textiles line…

The Alles Totes are made from 100 year-old grain sacks, and the names you see typically bear the name of the grain farmer or the town he and his family were from…

This old shoe rack I purchased from Marilyn, another vendor at A Beautiful Mess, and quite possibly one of my favorite people on the planet. Remember when I featured her home? Her taste is impeccable.

This thing gets worked over daily between our shoes and garden boots. It’s also a great reminder to take your shoes off right when you come inside the house, and helps keep everything tidy and in one place…

This old striped suitcase came from my friend Victoria, another great vendor at A Beautiful Mess and she also has a new website. I would show you more of this case, but it’s sort of top secret for now. It’s part of another project I’ve got brewing in our master bedroom, which is currently more mess than it is beautiful. See what I’m talking about...more nesting!

Thanks for letting me share some of my favorite finds with you. If you’re in the area, stop in and say hi to the ladies for me, and feel free to get your ‘mess’ on!

A Beautiful Mess

28875 Agoura Road (Whizin's Shopping Center)

Agoura Hills, California 91301

Chalkboard Inspiration

2011-09-14T08:35:00.001-07:00

I have been finding myself needing a little inspiration lately, specifically with this big bad boy…

Our huge chalkboard wall. It’s the wall that separates our living room from our dining room. Normally, I like to change up this wall every couple weeks, but lately I’ve been pretty uninspired with it.

Fortunately, I met up with the creative folks at Arcadian Lighting just in the nick of time. Not only do they specialize in beautiful lighting, they’ve offered up a chock-filled post aimed specifically at chalkboard ideas, specially for me my readers. I think I can already feel those creative juices flowing again.

Without further ado, I give you Jenn C. from Arcadian Lighting. Take it away Jenn…

Hi all! I’m Jenn C. and I write for Arcadian Lighting, a site that chronicles lighting trends around the world. I've been writing about home decor since graduating university and have loved it ever since. I'm addicted to patterned fabrics, Jonathan Adler, chaise lounges, old doors, milk glass jars, antiques, and chandeliers. I just bought my first house, and when I'm looking for some decor inspiration I peruse Jennifer Grey's website, The Old Painted Cottage. I'm excited to be guest posting here today - thanks Jennifer!

Once relegated to the classroom, chalkboards have become fun (and handy) interior design elements that are both whimsical to look at it as well as serve a great purpose: they can be used as art canvases for little ones, family reminders in common rooms, or even as wall art. Paired with a great light fixture in a space, such as ceiling lights and wall sconces, and a chalkboard can infuse a room with personality. Here are some chalkboard inspirations...

A is for awesome

via Modern Chic Tots

A child's bedroom or a playroom are the perfect places for a chalkboard. It can be a learning tool and a fun space for little ones to express themselves.

In the kitchen

via South Philly Renovation

A door coated in a layer of chalkboard paint becomes a great spot to jot down items for a grocery list, important phone numbers, or date reminders.

Wonky wallpaper

via papernstitch

An entire wall decked out in a chalkboard is a showcase for a beautiful chalk sketch, such as this floral wall art in a contemporary dining room. The ceiling light also adds to the modish feel.

Welcome wall

via pinterest

A chalkboard hung in an entryway can be used in a myriad of ways, from writing down to-dos to including a welcome message for visitors.

Double headboard

via Inspired. Interior. Ideas. Daily.

A chic bedroom with a tufted headboard looks even more striking when propped in front of a chalkboard wall. Colors are mimicked throughout - the black of the chalkboard is in the throw pillows, while the beige in the table lamp shade is picked up in the material of the headboard.

Awesome accents

via Furnishing My Home!

An end wall in a wide gallery kitchen looks oh-so-family-friendly with chalkboard paint - it's ideal for drawing pictures, keeping lists, tracking appointments, and much more. The added pendant lights was a nice touch to the decor.

Inspirational board

via Decor & You

A chalkboard hung in this bathroom features a cute quote from a Dr. Seuss book - it adds so much character to this usually-utilitarian space.

On furniture

via decorpad

Chalkboard paint can be applied to walls, sections of walls, or even furniture, such as this toy chest in a playroom.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting, a site that specializes in top quality lighting fixtures at extremely affordable prices. If you like this post, be sure to stop by the Arcadian Lighting blog and say hello!

Thank you Jenn C! I’m not sure about you guys, but I am feeling pretty revved up, so much so, I revisited that big old chalkboard wall yesterday, and here’s what I came up with…

One of my favorite quotes, “She Believed She Could So She Did”. It’s an important reminder to believe in yourself, even when it feels like the weight of the world is on your back. Anything is possible once you put your mind to it…

PS: If you’re worried about chalk dust with your chalkboards, you can always use dust-free chalk and it writes beautifully!

Stay inspired my friends!

Natural Sugar VS Artificial, and a Gorgeous Kitchen Make-Over

2011-09-05T14:26:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all the folks that weighed their thoughts in on my recent I-don’t-want-to-die-from-artificial-sweeteners dilemma. I was using about half a dozen packets a day of the stuff, sometimes more. Multiply that times the countless years I’ve been using it, and add that number to the preceding countless packets of Sweet n’ Low I’d consumed for decades before that. That’s a lot of artificial nonsense if you ask me.

After doing a ton of ~~Googling~~ scientific research….artificial sweeteners VS. real sugar, and refined sugar VS. unrefined sugar, I decided to hit the shopping isles of my two favorite markets, Whole Foods and Sprouts, and check out some of these products for myself. And as it turns out, the sweetener choices out there on the market can be a bit overwhelming, with each label claiming to be better than the next. After contemplating over each of the different varieties, I honed in on natural, unrefined, cane sugar.

(And as the words cane sugar ran through my brain, I couldn’t help but think back to this, one of my favorite commercials as a kid):

(The part at the end with the little boy hunkering down onto that huge raw sugar cane gets me every time. And don’t even get me started on that addictively catchy jingle. Adam and I have been humming it all morning long since watching that clip. You’re welcome.)

So after all that contemplating and vintage commercial time traveling, I settled on this, Natural Demerara Unrefined Cane Sugar…

So far I’ve tested it out in my hot tea, oatmeal, even my water & apple cider vinegar drink, and they’ve each passed the taste test. And the last one’s especially crucial, cause that ACV has a serious sting in the back of the throat sensation and doesn’t always go down smooth. But I will say it is doable and has a pleasant taste. Another thing I should point out, the granules don't dissolve easily in cold beverages so I just stir often in between sips.

Onto other news, last week my friend Laurie asked me to photograph her friend Rebecca’s kitchen, which was recently remodeled. Here’s how Rebecca’s kitchen looked when they first moved in, circa 1967…

And here’s how it looks today…

There’s actually over a dozen photos that I took in total, this is just a little sampling here in this post. To see the rest of the photos of Rebecca’s gorgeous renovated kitchen, along with sources, costs and the kitchen floor plan, please visit Laurie's blog for all the deets!

Happy Memorial Day my friends : )

TLC, HGTV and a Cottage of the Month Round-Up

2011-09-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

Happy 1st of September! I’m not sure about you, but we’re starting to count down the days till Autumn is officially here. (21 days to be exact, thanks to this helpful calendar). We can’t wait to start pulling out all our comfy sweaters and coats. Last night it was actually chilly enough to wear socks and pull the comforter all the way up over the bed. Best night of sleep I can remember : )

Aside from being an inspirational blogger and enthusiastic DIY’er, my friend Layla from TLC (The Lettered Cottage) also writes articles for HGTV.com. She had contacted us a while back about using our bakery wall for an upcoming feature she was writing. Since most of the photos of our house are totally outdated (I decorate and re-decorate this place on a weekly basis, people. Just ask Adam who never knows what he might come home to next). So I whipped out my Canon Rebel and came up with this current shot of our bakery wall:

And to my added excitement, Layla and HGTV.com came up with this:

You can see the article in its entirety HERE! It is a beautiful piece with loads of inspiration. There’s even a photo of Layla’s Reading Room included in the article, the tiniest sweetest little room I ever did see. Couldn't you just dream the day away in here…

Image

So this got me to thinking…It’s about time I pull out my camera again and update the photos of the rest our home, how it currently looks (this week anyway) as you know I like moving things around here on a regular basis : )

For a little fun, and to help get me motivated to start snapping this place with more current pics, here’s a before and current after of our bakery wall in our kitchen…

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Since today is the 1st of September, I’m hoping you’ll take a moment to visit this month’s Cottage of the Month. It’s Jojeana’s darling farmhouse-style home from Secret Garden Cottage. She’s a super friendly blogger and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to share her home with you. Here’s a few teaser pics to entice you if you haven’t already seen it…

To visit Jo’s blog, please click here!

As part of my round-up, I wanted to share a peek at a couple of the past features I’ve done incase you missed those as well.

July 2011 Cottage of the Month

In July, I featured the sweetest gal named Yozo, who lives all the way in Tokyo, Japan! I could definitely learn some tight-space-living organizational techniques from her, as she lives in a 70 square meter home…

August 2011 Cottage of the Month

For Augusts’ feature, I chose Trine’s home located in Norway. Her home is delightful and whimsical around every corner you turn. Here’s a few sneak peeks from her feature…

And there you have it in one big post-filled nutshell! Well, I think it’s about time I step away from my desk and grab that camera of mine. I’m feeling especially motivated to starting taking those current house photos I’ve been talking about : )

What I ate today, and more of your frequently asked questions

2011-08-30T08:57:00.001-07:00

We’re just around the corner from the 1st of the month and you know what that means…a new Cottage of the Month to look forward to! It is purely delightful, I’m sure you’ll agree.

I’ve received nothing but love and support from you guys in my continuing weight loss journey, for which I am very grateful. I have also received a good measure of questions from you guys, many of the same questions actually. Everything from “What do you actually eat every day?” to “What the heck do you do with the apple cider vinegar?” I’m hoping this post will round up all your questions and curiosities.

Let’s begin with some of your Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How many calories do you consume per day?

A: Because there are many varying factors in determining one’s caloric intake for weight loss, such as age, height, current weight, goal weight, activity level, etc, I advise you to calculate this on your own to find out what suits you best. There are some great sites out there, such as this site, and also this site I’ve found helpful too.

Q: What do you do with the apple cider vinegar, how much do you use, and how do you consume it?

A: ACV (apple cider vinegar) is some pretty ~~nasty tasting~~ strong stuff. I highly recommend taking it with something instead of drinking it straight. The recommended amount is 1 Tbsp, 3 times per day. I like to have it before each meal. I simply have a glass of cold water and mix in one tablespoon of ACV and one tablespoon of honey. Works for me. I’ve heard it can also be used as a salad dressing (I haven’t tried this personally) or it can be mixed into a glass of juice, which is how my mom prefers to have it.

Q: Do you lift weights?

A: Yes! I lift weights three to four times per week and I use 3 – 5 – and 10 lb weights. I want to tone, not bulk, so I do light weights with many repetitions. In the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD, hand weights are required. And I also do machine-type weights at the gym I belong to. Same thing applies there too - light weights, numerous repetitions.

Q: Before and after pics?

A: As you may have read before, I’m waiting to reach my goal weight before I step in front of a camera. Truth is, when you’re feeling heavy, the last thing you want is photographic evidence, or reminders!

Q: Have you thought about starting a weight loss blog?

A: Heck no! Keeping up with my online store, this blog, and Cottage of the Month keeps me pretty occupied 24/7 thankyouverymuch.

My Food Diary:

I received tons of inquiries from folks about what I eat on a daily basis. Since I keep a daily food journal of everything I eat (which I highly recommend to anyone serious about losing weight) I pulled out three random days from my journal. Please keep in mind, in addition to my daily meals, I drink large quantities of water and tea, and also enjoy organic 70% dark chocolate (2 tiny postage stamp squares) every day. I have a major sweet tooth and this really helps cut my sugar cravings.

Day 1

Breakfast: organic hot oatmeal w/ 2 Tbs ground flax seeds, 2 pcs turkey bacon (nitrate-free)

Snack: seedless cucumbers and peeled baby carrots

Lunch: 5 oz canned tuna in olive oil, spinach salad w/ low-fat shredded cheese, baco’s and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: 2 Tbs hummus and 4 crackers

Dinner: 7 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast w/ 1/4 c. mustard for dipping, 2 c. steamed asparagus

Day 2

Breakfast: 1/2 c. egg beaters, low-fat shredded cheese, 2 pcs turkey bacon (nitrate free), whole wheat english muffin

Snack: 1 light laughing cow cheese wedge, 4 crackers, handful of strawberries

Lunch: huge spinach salad w/ shredded carrots, 1 Tbs raw pumpkin seeds, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: cooked/peeled beets w/ 1 oz soft goat cheese

Dinner: 8 oz pan cooked cod, 2 c. steamed broccoli

Day 3

Breakfast: 1/2 c. scrambled eggs (egg beaters), 1 whole grain waffle w/ light drizzle of honey

Snack: 1/2 c. legumes, 1/4 c. chopped avocado, 1 c. cherry tomatoes

Lunch: turkey wrap (turkey breast, lettuce & tomato, whole wheat tortilla, 2 tsp light mayo, 1 Tbs low-fat shredded cheese)

Snack: 1 Tbs raw pumpkin seeds, 1 pear

Dinner: 7 oz grilled chicken cooked in 1 Tbs olive oil, 2 c. red peppers

Hey, may I get your opinions? I have something I’d like to ask YOU!

What is your favorite kind of sweetener?

I’ve been a long time Splenda user, but I have been wanting to get off that stuff and find something more natural, non-artificial. I tried using agave nectar for several weeks. That was before I started reading some pretty scary things about it and what it does to your body. Not good. I’ve also tried Stevia but didn’t find it too palatable. Then there’s honey, but I’m afraid of all that sugar, and sugar is on my no-no list. For example, I drink hot tea every morning and I HAVE to have it sweet. Do you have any tried and true sweetener recommendations that are natural, non-artificial?

Let’s begin then, shall we?

2011-08-21T14:51:00.001-07:00

Wow, looks like a whole bunch of you want to hear what tips I have to share. Thank you for all your positive comments and emails, and phone calls too!

I have lost thirty-two lbs in the past six months. Not “quick” weight loss by any means, but that was never my intention. I didn’t gain all this weight overnight, and I certainly don’t want to loose it overnight either. Slow and steady is the plan. On average, I have lost 1 1/4 pounds every week. Over these past 6 months, I’ve gained a few times (never more than 1 pound), but it always self corrects the following week with a satisfactory loss, most likely due to water retention. I try to weigh myself once a week, but I won’t lie…sometimes I’ll weigh myself several times a week if the number wasn’t favorable due to water retention or whatever.

I have not yet reached my goal. I am looking to loose another twenty to thirty pounds. But more important than numbers, it’s really about how my body feels and fits in my clothing. I’ve dropped three sizes so far, and it’s like a whole new world when shopping for clothing. I keep reaching for my “old” size (old habits are hard to break at first), and I am discovering I can actually shop in new clothing departments that I couldn’t shop in before, which I find exhilarating.

As we all know, weight loss boils down to two things…eat right and exercise. Sounds easy enough, right! Than why is it so hard for so many of us to do? I think many of us give up too easily or get bored, I know I have in the past. I’m not sure why it’s so different for me this time around, but I feel like I can move mountains with my bare hands…I am that motivated. I also try not to compare myself to others. I might see someone with my “goal body” walking around and I try not to focus on what she has that I don’t, because that just causes envy and frustration. I remind myself that this is not a race. There will always be someone who is ahead of you, and that’s okay. Just go at your own pace. You WILL get there.

What I eat, and don’t eat

I do…

eat breakfast every day. never skip meals. have three meals a day with a snack between each meal. pay strict attention to serving sizes. avoid taking seconds. write down everything I eat.

I do not…

drink anything but water or tea (8 glasses/day). no soda, no alcohol. no juice or fruit drinks.

I eat…

organic foods, green veggies, legumes, fruit, non-fat dairy, whole grain foods, lean protein.

I don’t eat…

starchy foods, fried foods, white foods (white potatoes, white rice, etc), processed foods or enriched foods.

I try my best to…

only eat when I’m hungry. stop eating as soon as I feel full. eat at the dining table, not in front of the television.

I avoid…

sugar. this is particularly difficult for me. I do indulge in one postage-stamp size square of dark chocolate. It must be organic, 70% cocoa or higher. Aside from obvious health benefits of dark chocolate, it greatly helps with cravings.

Every day I have…

8 ounces of non-fat greek yogurt. Traders Joes brand is my favorite. I mix in cinnamon and a handful of fresh berries. Greek yogurt is said to help loose belly fat, and my significantly flatter tummy is proof it works.

I proceed with caution with…

olive oil, avocado and nuts. all good fats, but best in moderation.

I snack on…

cucumbers, carrots, celery, and plain air-popped popcorn. I love crunchy foods.

Instead of…

ketchup I have mustard. I do baked or grilled chicken instead of fried. As much as I love pork bacon, Trader Joe’s carries turkey bacon with zero nitrates. I suggest cooking for 10 minutes in a dry skillet, NOT in the microwave (for best flavor).

I have learned to love…

apple cider vinegar, 3 x’s a day (helps with weight loss, among many other benefits). Ground flax seeds (sprinkled into oatmeal is best).

Okay, time to get moving

The first two months, I was highly resistant to exercise, but then I quickly realized it was the only way I would ever achieve my goals. And once I began exercising, not only was I seeing more weight loss, but my body was quickly changing shape and tone. To ensure I achieve my goal, I continue to do some form of exercise every single day.

Cardio…

I purchased Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD, and I did it every single day for 30 days. I noticed great results, especially in my arms and legs and booty. Then I bought another one of her DVD’s Banish Fat and Boost Metabolism. It’s a real butt-kicker, in a good way. I do this video 4 – 5 x’s a week. I also add in kickboxing, swimming and yoga on the off-days I’m not doing Jillian’s workout videos.

Walking…

I have a pedometer and I try to walk 10,000+ steps every day. You would be amazed at how many steps you walk just vacuuming your house or shopping at the grocery store.

Dancing…

I love to dance. I didn’t say I was great at it, but I love to move to music. I started taking Zumba classes (Latin inspired dancing). Sure, at the beginning I was at the back of the class and felt like everyone was watching me and my two left feet, but now I’m moving closer to the front of the class, understanding the moves and really having fun with it.

I joined a gym…

Best of all, I joined with my mom. We motivate each other, and we also laugh a lot. We workout together 3 – 4 x’s a week and I’m enjoying sharing this part of my journey with her.

I bought…

Good athletic shoes. Nike Shox are my favorite. A yoga mat for floor work and stretching. A pedometer for counting my daily steps. Proper work-out clothing. Old t-shirts and grubby sweat pants just weren’t cutting it. I am still looking for a really good sports bra if anyone has any suggestions. I wear Champion brand, but I know there’s got to be a better brand out there.

If I could offer just one piece of motivation, I know this is what keeps me on track every day...I imagine I’m strapping a backpack onto my back. It’s empty, but then I picture placing a ten pound weight inside the backpack. Then picture adding a twenty pound weight inside that same backpack. I think about carrying around those ten and twenty pound weights on my back and how much strain I would feel on my body and my joints, my heart, and especially my knees. Then I picture myself doing all of my daily activities, but with all that extra weight on my back; walking, jogging, cleaning the house, shopping, sleeping, eating, even intimate moments. When I picture my weight as an actual object that I am voluntarily carrying around, I find it incredibly motivating to loose that weight.

Finally, I want to remind you that these are the things that have worked for me. I realize it may not be the perfect answer for everyone out there, as much as I might like it to be. I hope that you’ve found this helpful!

PS: Many of you asked to see before and after pictures. Since I’m not yet at my goal weight, the after pictures will have just to wait a bit longer, and actually this adds to my motivation!

Cottage8 Turns Three!

2011-08-18T22:39:00.001-07:00

I just looked at the calendar today and realized it was nearly 3 years ago to the date that we moved into this house. 3 years. Really? It feels like yesterday and then it feels like 30 years, all at the same time. Know that feeling?

We put a bamboo roller shade up in our living room window, which remains there all summer long. The hot afternoon sun drives the heat straight in, and with no air conditioning in the house, this place heats up like a furnace in no time.

I’ve been super focused on working on the house this summer. I’ve been regularly combing my favorite antique stores for interesting finds for our home. I’m sorta hooked on the feeling of waking up in the morning and seeing something new in the house. It seriously makes me wanna kick the covers off the bed and run down the hallway barefoot, like a kid looking for Christmas.

A few days ago I found this rusty old tray caddy at a flea market. I love switching things out and trying new things. I especially like it when the look is really unexpected, rustic, and a bit quirky…

This tray caddy looks like it’s seen decades of outdoor exposure. A patina such as this simply cannot be replicated. Forgotten and re-found treasure…

The old rusty metal basket I recently purchased from Agoura Antique Mart, one of my favorite places to shop with some of the best dealers around…

I love these old piano player scrolls. I have dozens and dozens of them. I plan on listing a bunch of them on my website soon, but if you want to get your hands on them before then, I’m selling them at $10 a piece, with free shipping. Just email me with how many you want.

Have you read Sibella Court’s Etcetera book yet? I pick it up and thumb through it every couple days for some good doses of inspiration…

Some good news! We just recently finished our Guest Bathroom, which I’m super excited to share with you. Only problem is, our bathroom is the size of a phone booth. You think I’m joking? My camera is wide angle challenged I guess you can say, because it’s impossible to shoot with my standard lens. If you have any recommendations for a Canon lens that can shoot indoors, in super tiny, tight spaces, I’m all ears.

I also finished our Guest Bedroom and our Media Room this summer, but I’m having the same camera issue with these small rooms…I need a lens that can take in the whole tiny space without feeling like I’m being pressed against the wall.

Besides being super focused on home decorating this summer, I’ve also been highly motivated to continue in my weight loss journey. I’ve lost another 12 lbs, making my total weight loss so far: 32 lbs. I must admit, I cringe when I hear people say “the weight just fell off”. Every single pound I have lost has taken work and incredible determination. Eating right, daily exercise and family/friend support have been instrumental, but there is so much more to it. I would love to share some of the things that have worked for me, if you are interested. The last thing I want is to turn this into is a weight loss blog…boring! (Nothing against weight loss blogs, but I know you come here primarily for home decor-related eye candy). So if you want to hear more, from time to time I’d love to share with you some honest to goodness tips and what’s made it work for me.

Lastly, I’ve been carrying around this list of lovely bloggers who I want to thank for sharing some link love on their blogs: BJ, Kristin, Stacy, Melaine, Grace, Mia & Jilly, and Patty. Thank you ladies!

Have a great weekend everyone, and Happy Friday!

Romantic Prairie Style book signing tonight

2011-07-05T15:17:00.001-07:00

I’ve been waiting for this night to come for a long time now…Fifi O'Neill is coming to A Beautiful Mess tonight to sign her book Romantic Prairie Style. She is signing from 5 – 8 pm.

I’m especially excited to see Fifi again. The last time we saw each other was when she came over to photograph our house for this book. You can help but fall in love with this woman the instant you meet her. She is full of charm and grace, with a fabulous French accent and a great sense of humor.

If you are in the area, please come out to A Beautiful Mess. They’ve stocked up, so you can purchase your own copy of Romantic Prairie Style and have it signed by Miss Fifi herself.

I hope to see you there!

A Beautiful Mess
28875 West Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818.874.9092

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T20:34:00.001-07:00

Hello friends! I hope you had a safe and wonderful weekend. I’ve been a bit out of the loop lately, and I apologize for that. We’ve been super busy with lots on our plates, so much to share with you! But today I wanted to share my friend Rosemary’s home with you. She’s super talented, just check out some of the wares she creates for my online shop. So when Rosemary mentioned to me she was hosting a 4th of July party at her home today, I couldn’t resist asking her if I could drop in for a quick round of photos before her guests were due to arrive, and she kindly obliged.

The front of her home, dressed up in flags and jars of fresh flowers hanging from shepherds hooks…

Don’t you love the jars? She found them at Pottery Barn…

Rosemary made this Celebrate pendant, just one of the fun things she makes…

An old wagon rests beneath a large tree, filled with hydrangeas and flags…

Out on the patio is where the festivities are to be held…

Here we have the beverage station set up for soon arriving guests…

An old Pepsi crate holds vintage drinking jars…

And those red and blue star straws…don’t even get me started! Rosemary said she found them on Etsy…

An antique glass candy jar holds patriotic themed Tootsie Rolls, …

Clearly labeled bottles of fresh lemonade and iced tea, perfectly set up for guests to help themselves…

Rosemary was pulling this delicious looking tray of chicken out of the oven while I was over there shooting and I couldn’t resist taking a quick photo…

A patriotic themed floral centerpiece for the table where her guests will be dining…

Special thanks to Rosemary for allowing us a sneak peek inside her holiday themed home today…

And thank YOU for joining me here today!

The winners, and a little secret

2011-05-28T11:38:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun reading through your comments and extra credit entries for our Chalk Board Paint Giveaway. May I just say, I have the best group of readers, and the people that so kindly comment on this blog positively rock!

Before I announce the winners (no scrolling down just yet!) I wanted to share just a few of our favorite entries to the extra credit question which asked “Name one thing that not many people know about you”…

Truth be told, if I had more room, I would have listed many more…thanks for all those that participated! You guys are all great sports.

Speaking of participation, I thought I would share a little secret of mine. Well, it’s not really a secret, but I’ve only told family and a few close friends…

In the past three months, I’ve lost over 20 lbs. There, I said it!

As I’m sure some of you might be able relate to this, weight has been an issue through most of my adult life, and I finally decided it was time to make a change and adopt a new lifestyle for myself.

Here are some of the changes I’ve made :

eating only when I’m hungry
stopping eating immediately after feeling full
having much smaller portions
no more eating out. 99% of all my meals come out of my kitchen
no more sugar, eating more fruits and vegetables
exercising 6 days a week: yoga, palates, kickboxing and walking

I’m nearly half-way to reaching my goal, and I still have a ways to go. I’m taking it day by day and reminding myself to enjoy this new chapter in my life.

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Okay, now it’s time to announce the TWO winners of the Chalk Board Paint Giveaway:

Congratulations to Maura at Lilac Lane Cottage and Cheryl at Sweet Young Journey

Ladies, please contact me through my “contact” button so that I can send out your prizes.

Happy Memorial Day weekend friends!

A cottage, a winner and an apology = Giveaway

2011-05-14T13:12:00.001-07:00

Hi there! I have lots to share with you today, so let’s get started!

Have you guys met Marilyn yet?

Quite possibly one of the coolest chicks on the planet, Marilyn was kind enough to open her doors to us this month, and offer a first look inside her gorgeous home. She is one of the many reasons I love doing Cottage of the Month. I can’t tell you the thrill of being inside her home and spending hours photographing all of the beauty around each corner. Thank you Marilyn for your hospitality during my visit!

Here’s just a teaser look at of some pics from this month’s feature…

To see the May 2011 Cottage of the Month feature in its entirety, please click here!

And thanks again to all those who commented on my photography. The natural light in her home is purely magical, just like it appears in the photos.

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Okay, now that I’ve hopefully buttered you up, I owe you guys one huge apology! I’m not sure what happened, but I (gasp!) forgot to announce the winner of the Romantic Prairie Style book Giveaway. I’ve already done a pretty good job of beating myself up over the mishap, so I hope you guys won’t be too hard on me.

Without further ado, the winner is….Erin from Carolina Country Living. Congratulations Erin!

If I didn’t announce your name, no need to pout because I am hosting another Giveaway, right now! And there will not be one winner, but two winners!!

So let’s play a little game, shall we? I’m going to give you a clue about today’s Giveaway.

Okay, without scrolling down too fast, what do these 4 images have in common?

(source unknown)

(image Pottery Barn)

(Mark Lohman photography)

Yep, you guessed it! Black Chalk Board Paint!

To enter to win a can of Rust-Oleum’s Black Chalk Board Paint, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment here on my blog.

2. Extra credit: Name one thing that not many people know about you.

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This giveaway ends on Sunday, May 22nd. Two winners will be announced here on my blog!

Happy Saturday my friends!

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This post brought to you by: Picture rail hangers

Parade of Homes Tour

2011-04-30T23:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Home #2 on the Parade of Homes Tour, hosted by A Bowl Full of Lemons. We are very excited to participate in this event.

For those of you new to our home, we graciously welcome you. Here’s a little background on us and our home…

My husband Adam and I bought this house, our first home, three years ago. It was run down and pretty much a disaster when we first moved in. You really should see how it used to look to believe it, so please click here!

Everyone refers to our home as Cottage8, simply because this was the 8th house we bid on in a tough, competitive real estate market, and successfully purchased.

If you have any questions about our home, our paint colors, or anything else you’re curious about, chances are I’ve covered just about anything you can throw a stick at with our FAQ’s page.

LIVING ROOM:

DINING ROOM:

KITCHEN:

MASTER BEDROOM: Our beloved fur babies, Chloe (right) and Skylar (left)…

To visit the next house on the tour, my friend Alison’s home, simply click the Enter Home 3 button below…

And if you would like to start the tour from the very beginning, Toni’s home, please click the Begin Tour button below…

Thanks again for joining us for this Parade of Homes tour. I hope you enjoyed your stay!

Romantic Prairie Style Giveaway!

2011-04-21T08:40:00.001-07:00

I am over the moon excited today! Fifi O’Neill has generously agreed to give away one copy of her new book, Romantic Prairie Style, to one of my lucky readers for our 3rd and final Giveaway here at TOPC. And are you ready for the BEST part? Fifi is going to personally sign it!

I am wholeheartedly grateful to Fifi. She is one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I have had the opportunity to meet on several different occasions. When you visit her blog, right away you can tell she has a warm, genuine heart, but meeting her in person simply takes ones breath away…

When Fifi contacted me to have our house featured in her book, I was delighted that she felt our little Cottage8 had the right look to grace the pages of her new book. You may remember some of the wild n’ crazy behind-the-scene images from the photo shoot when Fifi was here with her crew last year. Click here for a fun look back.

I know it’s a teaser, but here are just a few of the photos of our home that are featured in Romantic Prairie Style. All photos courtesy of Mark Lohman.

There are many inspiring photographs from some incredible homes collected in this book. One can pour over the photography and beautiful writing for hours upon hours. I am honored to be amongst a talented bunch of homeowners, all with the same shared passion: (in order of appearance) Anne Marie, Angela Reed, Joy Waltmire, Carol Spinski, Caroline Verschoor, Christian McCord, Andrea Dickersons, Tracey Leber, Fifi O’Neill, Lisa Adkins, Maria Carr and Michelle McCauley.

To enter to win a signed copy of Romantic Prairie Style, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment here on my blog.

2. Leave a comment on Fifi’s blog.

3. Extra credit question: If you could go on a road trip with one person (dead or alive), who would you choose and where would you go?

This giveaway ends on Friday, April 29th. Lucky winner to be announced here on my blog.

Oh, and before I go, I need to announce the winner of the Spring Basket Giveaway! Betcha thought I forgot. Nope, just been all kinds of busy these past few days! Anyways, the lucky winner is:

Deborah at The Fairfield House. Congratulations! Please contact Laurie to claim your prize.

Who are you and what have you done with my husband?

2011-04-15T16:38:00.001-07:00

It’s no secret the past three years of our lives have been dedicated to fixing up our humble abode, also known as Cottage8. We have done things with this house I would have never imagined possible, considering our DIY abilities were pretty much at the changing-light-bulb-skill-level when Adam and I first bought this house.

While Adam is no stranger to using a sledgehammer to bust out dry rotted old kitchen cabinetry, laying flooring, or cutting and installing subway tile, he usually needs to be warmed up to the project first. And the warm up usually involves the promise of a tasty, rewarding meal and possibly a little shameless pleading on my part. Most weekend mornings, I wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, leaping out of bed in anticipation of doing another house project, while Adam might have other plans, which is likely to involve breakfast or lunch accompanied by a stroll on the beach wearing sandals, and a lazy afternoon spent at the Santa Monica Pier.

Well you can imagine my excitement and surprise when I got an email from Adam, discussing his thoughts on our chalkboard wall project and our TV room, simultaneously, in the same email. What’s this, he’s thinking about IKEA book cabinets without any coercion? And he’s coming up with organizational ideas? And hey, when the heck did he sign up for IKEA’s mailing list anyway??

Adam’s email: “Did you see the IKEA email ad? I kind of like those square book cabinets. Before we painted the chalkboard I actually could have seen one of these on that wall with stuff on top and books in them. Or if the TV room was bigger, have two along the side wall.”

Gotta love that handsome man of mine!

Let’s just say he scored major brownie points on that one. And looking back, here’s just a few of the pretty terrific things he’s done for me us these past several years…

Babe, you’re the greatest!

Okay, now it’s time to announce the name of the winner of the Belle Jardiniere Pillow Giveaway from French Charmed:

Karen from Design the Journey, congratulations! Please contact Chelle to claim your prize.

If your name was not announced, don’t fret because there’s still time to enter the Spring Basket Giveaway from Bella Inspirations. Plus I’m going to be hosting Giveaway #3 here in just a few days, and this one promises to knock your socks off, trust me on this. Don’t forget to check back for it!

PS: Please forgive the dated photo (isn’t it amazing how things change in just a year and a half?) Anyway, the gal that bought this floral loveseat from me has decided she needs to sell it, so I thought I’d help her out by mentioning it here on my blog. She is asking $2400. If you are interested in purchasing it please call her directly at (512) 218-1232. Her name is Patricia. This loveseat is located in Fontana, CA and it MUST be picked up from that location. PICK UP ONLY. Shipping or delivery is not being offered.

Spring Basket Giveaway from Bella Inspirations

2011-04-10T19:55:00.001-07:00

We really appreciate all your feedback on our new dining room wall. Thank you! And I’m super happy to know that my ladder actually says “ladder” and not “scale”. We are still giggling over that one!

Remember I mentioned earlier that I was hosting 3 giveaways? Welcome to Giveaway #2!

(Giveaway #1 is still going, so if you haven’t signed up for it yet, here you go).

My friend Laurie has one of the biggest, kindest hearts I have ever met. She’s created the runners and pillows you’ve seen here at Cottage8.

Uber talented indeed, Laurie owns the online shop Bella Inspirations, where she creates beautiful custom items. “As my mom tells me, I was born with the creative gene” Laurie recalls. “I was not yet 5 years old when I created little model rooms inside of shoeboxes. I wallpapered or painted the "walls" with magazine cutouts, made curtains from fabric scraps, and created furniture from tiny cardboard boxes”. Ever since, Laurie has passionately renovated three of her homes. Of the homes Laurie has designed for others, a few of her favorites include a small 1935 cottage in Sherman Oaks CA, a beach house in Ventura CA, and an expansive home in Westlake Village CA. Each one, as with others, presented totally different challenges along with typical budget concerns. “I go beyond selecting fabrics and paint colors. What I hope to achieve for each of my clients is to make their interiors unique to them. I incorporate pieces with soul - either vintage or antique items you won't see everywhere, as well as items I personally design with my clients in mind”.

Onto the giveaway, shall we? Laurie is giving away to one of my readers this adorable French-Inspired Spring Basket! Please note: the farm eggs are not included!

The basket is lined with pussy willows and green moss…

Crinkly paper grass…

And french ribbons with a piece of vintage jewelry…

To enter to win this beautiful Spring Basket, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment here on my blog.

2. Leave a comment on Laurie’s blog. Comments make her day!

3. Extra credit question: What is the kindest thing that someone has ever done for you?

This giveaway ends on Monday, April 18th. Lucky winner to be announced here on my blog.

Good luck my friends!

Dining Room (Cinder Block Wall) Makeover

2011-04-07T16:50:00.001-07:00

I’m pretty sure a good number of you remember how this space looked the day we moved in. This is the view of our dining room, looking into our living room. And you probably remember that horrid cinder block wall which was the white (make that blue & yellow) elephant in the room…

Well, here’s how our non-cinderblock dining room wall looks today!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, perhaps I should show you how our dining room wall used to look, up until just recently. Remember the huge chalkboard I built out of plywood and fluted moulding and painted it with chalkboard paint? Well it was super cute and I enjoyed writing my favorite quotes and special menus for our guests, but a girl like me can get easily bored with decor and sometimes feels the need switch things up.

So I pulled out the huge chalk board and decided I was on the hunt for something with a little funk and character. It must have been my lucky day, because a local funky boutique was going out of business, and I found this unbelievably charming ladder…

And this super cute convex glass porthole mirror, both at the same boutique that was closing their doors. The mirror sits across the large window in our dining room, so it really captures the light and interestingly obscures the view with its fisheye glass reflection…

Since I seem to have an incurable addiction to old books, my new ladder accommodates them beautifully. By the way, don’t you just love the writing and the finish on this thing! Surprisingly, it is not old, and it was manufactured to look this way. I decided to look up the French quote that runs along the side of the ladder, and according to Google Translator, it reads “This is not a scale”. Okay. Not exactly what I was expecting, but whatever.

This old industrial chair is my next favorite addition to our dining room…

Not a repro, it is an old authentic one, the real deal. I bought it from my seamstress who had it for years just sitting in her sewing shop covered in drapery. And even after I handed her a sum of cash for it she still didn’t see or appreciate the value in it. But that’s not the first time someone’s scratched their head over my design motives…

While out at a flea market, I fell in love with these huge black beads strung on ribbon. I draped them across more of my old books. Easy and done.

So there you have it, our non-cinderblock dining room wall redo…

Although now I have an itch to erase this old quote off my chalkboard wall and write something else.

Any opinions on what I should write on here next? I’m open to suggestions!

Just for kicks, here is a look at all three sides of our non-cinderblock wall, which faces into both our living room and dining room spaces.

Living Room View:

Side view that faces out into the living room:

Dining room view:

If you are curious to see all the before and after photos of our cinder block wall, and how we did everything including our fireplace mantel , please check out this post, and this one too!

Pillow Giveaway from French Charmed

2011-04-06T15:08:00.001-07:00

Bonjour! I want to thank each of you for all the kind comments and warm support I’ve received over my recent post. Remember the three giveaways I mentioned earlier? Well here’s the first of the bunch:

I want to introduce you to the nicest gal named Chelle from French Charmed, who also happens to be one of our sponsors. Chelle has been kind enough to offer to one of my lucky readers one of her very popular pillows, the Belle Jardiniere “Bee” Pillow.

Pillow as described on Chelle’s website: “Large pillow covered in soft distressed muslin. Image of a French feed sack with a very large French Bee! A tres chic piece for your Paris Apartment or French Country Home”. Measures 21” x 21”

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For those unfamiliar with Chelle from French Charmed, you may want to acquaint yourself with her fun to read blog and gorgeous website. Chelle began in the antique business in 1991, and though she’s found many stunning pieces from all over the world, she says “I can't help but be extra charmed by anything encompassing the ambiance of France”. Chelle ponders “Is it the elegance of the language, the romance of the cobblestone streets, or the bold and seductive style of the people who live there? I can't put my finger on exactly what draws me in, but the country certainly has a je ne sais quoi about it that can't be ignored”. Since experiencing the magic firsthand via her first trip there 15 years ago, Chelle’s thrown herself into creating a place where people just as entranced as herself can buy, see and be inspired by the beautiful things that make France so magnifique. Chelle’s business has evolved over the years (it actually started as a lingerie boutique!) But one thing stays true: “I am forever passionate about my work. Whether busy in my studio creating cards and tags, or chasing down new Artisans and their lovely products, I am constantly working on my French inspired dream” says Chelle.

To enter to win this beautiful pillow, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment here on my blog.

2. Leave a comment on Chelle’s blog. She loves to receive nice comments!

3. For extra credit: Aside from Paris, where would be your favorite place to spend Spring Time?

This giveaway ends on Thursday, April 14th. Winner to be announced on my blog.

Good luck!

One for me, and three for you

2011-04-05T22:37:00.001-07:00

Hello! We have so much to catch up on. There’s been a tremendous amount of highs and some very sad lows and loss in our lives this past month. I’m just trying to catch my breath and get through it all most days. Thank you for always being so patient with me when I get quiet sometimes.

I do have several bits of exciting news, which I will be sharing with you a little later, but this one’s hot right off the press and I am so excited, thanks to my fabulous friend, Fifi. My website is featured in the April issue of Romantic Country magazine. It’s an honor to be mentioned among some pretty amazing ladies.

You’ll want to stay posted as I have three different giveaways coming up, and the first one starts tomorrow afternoon! There are some pretty fabulous items being offered up by some pretty incredible women, so you won’t want to miss out!

Cottage8: Cinder Block Wall, Behind the Scenes

2011-02-28T10:16:00.001-08:00

Okay, by now you’ve seen all the “after” photos. Now here’s a look behind the scenes.

Aside from our house looking a bit disheveled, this a before shot of our cinder block wall, just moments before the big renovation began…

And here’s another “before” shot, below…

I’m not sure if this will come across in the photos, but there was 2 inch recess in the lower part of the cinder block, on each side of the firebox. To compensate for the difference in depth and make the wall entirely level without any gap, our handyman used construction adhesive to attach two wood planks on each side, then screwed another set of wood planks on top of those…

Aside from the tools and cinder block dust, here you can also see the beginning phase of the first sheet of drywall (left side) making its way onto the side of the wall that faces out…

The drywall fully installed, our handyman seamed the edges and finished it with compound. After 2 1/2 years of that unsightly cinder block, even this half-finished sight was a vision of beauty to my eyes…

For the next phase of the makeover, I painted over the drywall with Ralph Lauren’s Canvas Natural. Then came the mantel, which our handyman custom built to fit our fireplace…

The design I had in mind was for it to be simple, straight lines and fuss free…

Crown moulding beneath the top plank was added to give it a little extra detail…

A look at the side profile…

Simple finishing trim was used to finish off the corners and edges…

Next came the finish and paint. The top of the mantel was stained a dark walnut shade. The base was painted in Behr’s Seaside Sand, which was a little too vibrant, so we toned it down by mixing in a couple drops of raw umber…

How about a little Before and After, shall we?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

Notice how cluttered the bookshelves used to be…

AFTER:

Bookshelves look much more streamlined now…

To check out more photos of the rest of this completed project, please click here!

A couple of folks asked me about the paint we used inside the fire box: Rust-Oleum’s Specialty High Heat paint, in Satin Black. A bit thick, and it went on beautifully…

In my next post I’ll share with you this side of the (beadboard covered) cinder block wall, the one that faces into our dining room, and how we replaced that huge chalkboard with something(s) we love even better!

I want to thank you for your encouraging comments and emails on our recent renovation. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous when we began this project. But now that all the dust has settled, I am over the moon thrilled with how it’s turned out. Thanks again for joining me on yet another renovation journey.

To see more of our home, along with updated photos and faq’s on how we managed to do all this stuff, click here, or you can click on the Cottage8 link at the top of my site!

Cottage of the Month Turns 5!

2011-02-26T15:42:00.001-08:00

Image

I can hardly believe it’s been 5 years that I’ve been doing the Cottage of the Month feature on my website. Actually, I can believe it. All those late, late nights, and hours of editing each month.

Yep, 5 years – that’s 60 features, people!

People sometimes ask me when I’m going to stop doing this feature. End Cottage of the Month? Could you imagine! I think the earth might possibly stop rotating around its axis if I skipped a month. Come hell or high water, I have never skipped a month. Even when we moved into Cottage8, and the first two months we were living out of boxes with mattresses on the floor, I still managed to get ‘er done. It is a labor of my love, I assure you.

I’ve also been asked if I have ever thought of charging for this feature. Honestly, that is the furthest thing from my mind. I mean, I guess I could charge, or create a donate button on the page, but I’ve never done this for financial gain or profit. Several of my friends and family members think I’m a little cuckoo in making that choice, with all the work that is involved. But hey, if you’re feeling generous, I’d love it if you stopped by my online store every now and then : )

I think one area that folks don’t think much about is the behind the scenes work that is involved. Sure, I spend my 12 – 15 hours each month creating every feature, but if it weren’t for the homeowners there wouldn’t be any feature. And let me tell you, I demand a lot of my homeowners. Stunning photography, beautiful rooms, great vignettes and completed questionnaires. There are many emails that go back and forth between them and I, and I always seem to be asking for more. I make it my goal to present their homes in their most beautiful light possible.

Just looking back at the last several months, there is always a bit of a last minute rush and a good measure of pressure. For March’s upcoming feature (not telling who it is, you’ll have to check back on the 1st to see), the person I had initially scheduled wasn’t prepared for her feature, so I had to move to Plan B and contacted the next person on my list. With very little warning, this gal had a 4 day deadline to execute the entire shoot. Styling, photographing and editing. And I should also mention, she has a very young daughter and she’s also 7 months pregnant. She is my hero.

Some of my recent hero’s also include: Maria who made numerous trips to the store in the attempt of buying fresh flowers for her Valentine’s dining table vignette, which turned out gorgeous. Shelley who had to physically remove Christmas from her home because it was still December and we were featuring her in January. Carol who had to drag Christmas in to her home while it was still November. Rhoda, I can’t say I remember any bumps in the road. That woman is organized and prompt. And Lu, knee deep in skeletons and corn stalks in late September, preparing incredible vignettes for October’s feature. I obviously have many more heroes, as this is looking back at just the past 6 months. But each person I’ve featured over these last 5 years has been so gracious and kind, opening their doors to us and letting us take a peek inside.

So Happy 5th Birthday, Cottage of the Month! And thanks to you folks out there who encourage me to keep it going. Here’s to another 5 more! (Don’t tell my husband I just said that).

Cottage8: Cinder Block Wall Reveal

2011-02-23T19:36:00.001-08:00

Thanks for joining me here today. I just love a good reveal don’t you! All the drama, and the excitement. And the nail-biting anxiety that folks are hopefully going to like it. But enough about me. Allow me to turn your attention to exhibit A, below. I figure if I’m going to make this a good reveal, I’m going to go full monty and show you not how our living room looked last month, but how it looked the day we bought this house, 2 1/2 years ago:

Cinder Block Wall, Living Room Before:

Good-Bye Cinder Block Wall, Living Room After:

Truth be told, we didn’t actually tear any of the cinderblock down, we simply covered it in 1/4” drywall, secured with construction adhesive. We may be insanely passionate about remodeling, but we’re not crazy. And it would have taken crazy money to take on that kind of major renovation. We’re saving up all our pennies for a new roof. So that means creativity and thinking outside the box is the vehicle that allows me to continue to fix up our house, while keeping us on budget.

On the side of the wall that faces directly out, I decided to cover it in chalk board paint, right over the drywall. It was so easy and quick. The hardest part was convincing Adam that it would look good. Funny thing is, after I painted it we both loved the clean black wall so much, we dragged our heels a bit before actually using it as a chalk board. But after I bought this fabulous old frame from my friend Debra, we were finally ready to break it in. Inside the frame I wrote my favorite quote…

And wouldn’t you know it, the ledge of the frame makes it the perfect spot to hold my chalk!

Beneath the old frame are a couple of large glass jars I bought at Restoration Hardware. I filled them with fun and curious objects, and I plan on changing out this jar area often. Currently in my jars are rolled copies of documents tied with twine (left) and cactus skeletons (right). For those that are curious, apparently the cactus sheds its skin and leaves behind its skeleton. I just loved the texture and quickly grabbed them up when I spotted them at a flea market one day.

On to the fireplace wall, did you notice the new mantel? Our handyman, the one who built the floating shelves in our dining room, built this mantel for me. I love collaborating with him on projects. He listens very closely to what my “vision” is, never questions my ideas no matter how silly or strange, and we work seamlessly together to achieve the final product.

For the mantel, I told him I wanted simple, easy, clean lines. No fuss…

Did you also notice I painted the inside of my fireplace black? It used to be gray (well it was originally orange when we first bought this place), then I painted it gray, then I realized…ooops! I used regular latex paint, not special heat resistant paint. What was I thinking. So I bought a great product specially for high heat areas, and I’m so loving the black!

A few of my favorite flea market finds: a vintage suitcase, an old clam basket, and a bundle of old document ledgers rolled up inside…

The thick black frame above the mantel was something I’d found at a flea market several years ago and just had lying around somewhere in the back of a closet. So my friend Laurie took one of my old french documents from the late 1800’s and had it blown up and printed right onto canvas. I carefully placed it inside the black frame…

I so love the strike-through at the very bottom…

I can honestly say that for the first time I’m truly happy with the look of the bookshelves on the right side…

I found a huge collection of vintage encyclopedias, but wasn’t thrilled with the gold writing on the spines. So I simply turned the books around, and it gives off a great looking black and white vertical striped vibe which I’m completely loving…

It’s really hard to pull me out of this chair sometimes. I love sitting in this very spot more now than ever!

Okay, quick funny thing….see the silver champagne bucket on the right, which I bought at an estate sale…

Well, if look closely at the engraving…it says “Happiness Forever. Love, Burt Reynolds”. I highly doubt it’s Cannonball Run’s very own Burt Reynolds, but every time I look at this silver bucket it makes me chuckle…

This is an old photo of our dining room. Since we already had a chalkboard on the right side our dining room, we decided having a chalkboard and a painted chalk board wall was just too much. So we recently decided to ditch the chalkboard and we redid this wall, which I am totally loving! I just have to take some pics and show you what we did in here…

A note about chalk board paint:

I did a lot of research about chalk board painted walls, and how you are supposed to “condition” them before use, and clean them afterwards. There was a lot of different information out there, but I met a friendly blogger named Kristin who worked at a coffeehouse and regularly had to clean the black boards. She changed my entire school of thought on the subject. It’s simple: if you want to keep your chalk board black and clean (not hazy with eraser swirls) simply wet a towel (wet enough so it’s soaked through but not dripping) wipe over chalk and let air dry. She recommended a chamois, but a wet towel worked just fine for me. And I didn’t condition the painted chalk board wall either! (Conditioning is when you rub the entire surface with the side of the chalk before you start using it, thus creating instant haze). And for those of you worrying about the dust, I used dust-free chalk and there was hardly any mess at all.

. . . . .

I took a bunch of pictures before and after the drywall installation, how we built out the wall around the sides of the fireplace opening, the mantel before I painted it and stained it, and how it all came together. Since this was such a big post, I’ll share all the before’s and during's in my next post. Plus I will also share the changes on our dining room wall. Whew! Stay tuned!

I’m joining Jennifer Rizzo’s “Refreshing our Rooms” Party:

Hope you’ll join me over there!

Christmas comes to Cottage8 again, in February!

2011-02-19T08:08:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends! We have so much to catch up on…

I’m happy to announce we finally completed our dreaded cinder block project, as several friends and bloggers have started referring to me as “Jenny From the Block” over the past couple weeks. Thanks girls, you made me laugh when I was near tears over this project. I think this was one of our most difficult makeovers yet. What began as “honey, I bet we can whip this thing out in a three day weekend”, quickly turned into “honey, do you think we will get this thing done by 2012”?

Here’s a

before

photo of the three-sided block monster we were been up against…

I’ll be taking photos of the completed result in the next couple days (I promise), and you won’t want to miss how our block monster project turned out. We are really pleased with it and can’t wait to share.

PS: Did you notice in the photo above, the wreaths on the backs of my chairs in the dining room? That leads me to my next bit of news…

Better Homes & Gardens magazine was here for two days, photographing our home for their annual Christmas Ideas issue, hitting book stores this coming Christmas (November to be exact). That’s right, while fellow bloggers were cutting out pretty paper hearts and sending out valentines, we were hanging the stockings by our chimney with care, and assembling our artificial 8 foot Christmas tree, branch by branch. We even had fresh garland greenery flown in overnight from Indiana, and lots of last minute packages coming in from all over. Making your home look convincingly like Christmas in February means serious business. Fortunately, I had a great team to work with and they made our home shoot a very positive experience (Although I think the house is still recovering, and I’m still finding bits of garland greenery in my socks).

Warning: the following low-quality image was taken with my iphone camera. Can anyone recommend a killer camera app for better iphone pics? Please help a girl out…

I wish I had taken more (and better) photos of the two day shoot, but I was so involved in the process, especially working Gayle, the photo stylist. She was so great. She collaborated with me and really allowed my “look” to come through in the shots we did without imposing her own personal style, which I would imagine might be a hard thing to do. And when I wasn’t busy sharpening my styling skills, I was closely observing Michael Garland, the photographer. He was so patient and really fun to work with. I was admiring all his fancy lighting tools and equipment, especially his camera. My little canon rebel xt looked like a toy next to his big-mack-daddy camera.

Oh, and in case you’re curious, the tree was dismantled the second they called it a ‘wrap’ and it took 5 hours to officially pack up Christmas and return the house to normal.

. . . .

In other news, I was so excited to have my blog featured in the February issue of Romantic Homes:

And I’ve also learned that I have much to learn about photographing for a magazine. To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the quality of my photos in print. Here are the originals (below), which to me looked pretty clear. Guess it’s time to hit the books and study my camera manual once again. Anyways, I’m really excited they chose to feature me. Thank you Romantic Homes!

By the way, it seems a bunch of you are curious as to where I bought my lamp with the burlap shade. I got so many inquiries about it from this post. I found it at an antique store in Agoura, CA. And thanks for all your nice comments on my new birch side table! You guys make my day : )

While on the subject, I also seem to get tons of inquiries about my farm table and my dining chairs, and where I found them. I bought the farm table at an antique store, and the dining chairs came from a local flea market…

I recently updated my house FAQ’s page, which I encourage you to check out if you’re curious about my home. Not only are there tons of updated pictures (cause you know how often I like to decorate, and then redecorate) but I’ve also included info and sources as to where I bought everything! Click here to check it out. And if I’ve missed an item that you think deserves a place in my FAQ’s, just leave me a message in the comments.

Note: I’ll be adding a new section for our master bedroom, which in the meantime you can read about here and here.

Hope the rest of your weekend is great!

Birch log living room side table

2011-01-21T08:38:00.001-08:00

Hello, and how is everything in your neck of the woods?

I’ve been wanting to share this with you for quite some time, but lots of projects n’ things have gotten in the way lately. Speaking of projects, our cinder block wall project has taken on a life of its own. I think I may have opened a can of worms with this one, but the outcome is looking pretty darn awesome. Look for the reveal in the next couple days! I might even make it a 3-part series, as it’s a 3-sided cinder block wall and there’s lots to share.

So I was at The Little French Flea Market in Tarzana a short while back and I spotted what appeared to be a freshly cut birch log for sale. Upon closer inspection, I realized it’s a hollowed tube, wrapped in real birch. I was told it was used as a display prop for the clothing store Coldwater Creek. Even better! I placed it next to my favorite reading chair and propped a lamp and a couple old books on top, and added some sporty pinecones for good measure.

There are lightly visible staples which I plan to cleverly disguise at some point, but I’m pretty busy with my cinder block wall project. So for now, a few silly staples aren’t hurting a bit…

This is my favorite spot to sit in the house, literally. When we first bought the house and had not a stick of furniture, I used to sit on the floor and look through that window (that you can see peering through the mirror). It holds a view of the most magnificent sunsets that greet us each day from that spot.

The rough texture of the birch just speaks to me. I feel like I’m in a cozy cabin retreat when I sit next to it…

And on the other side, it’s snow white which feels so wintery and cool. Have you ever noticed how naked birch trees in the winter look like human shaped limbs, with the rough patches looking like elbows and knees? Just me? Okay then.

I hope you have fun plans for the weekend. As for me, I have gel stain running from the tip of my pinkie, down to my elbow (which takes days to wash off) so needless to say I’ll be avoiding any red carpet events the next few days. We’re hoping to take a break and run down to Santa Monica for a little shopping and good eats. And you bet I’m going to be sporting long sleeves, even thought it was in the mid 80’s here this week. What’s that about?