chippy clay pots in the dining room

Bringing the outdoors in…  I brought in these chippy clay pots from the back garden after I finished painting and distressing the dining table.  I think they are going to be so fun to have in the dining room, with these violas, maybe paper whites at Christmastime, or cut flowers when the garden starts to bloom.  These violas will love it inside until it warms up some outdoors. Until then, the dining room is smelling delicious.  Violas can thrive in […]

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thinking about paint and color? … continued

Well, I didn’t totally chicken out, only halfway!  My original plan for our dining room was to paint the table creamy white and the hutch robins egg blue.  I painted and distressed the dining table and even ventured out and had the robins egg blue paint made.  In between buying the blue paint and getting around to painting our hutch, I went to an open house in our neighborhood. No, we are not looking to move, but I have no […]

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thinking about paint and color?

It’s just paint, right?  If I had a dollar for every time those words fell out of my mouth I would be one Etsy shopping lady!  I’ve been considering painting the dining room table and the china cabinet, the cabinet possibly the robin’s egg blue color of the candlestick pictured.  So I guess you can consider this a before picture, unless I chicken out.  Robin’s egg blue is one of those colors I’ve always oohed and aahed over,  I’m glad […]

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vintage treasure hunting for your cottage

sun porch with vintage wicker

Are you looking forward to a bit of vintage treasure hunting this Spring?  I know I am!  I’ve always been intrigued by antique furniture and I’m a sucker for vintage treasures.  I guess my love of vintage finds really took off when we purchased our first home.  My mom would take me out to estate sales bright and early Saturday mornings,  and I couldn’t believe what great pieces we would come home with!

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berry smoothie for two

berry smoothie recipe

We’ve been on a bit of a health kick these days. What that means to me is more fruit, vegetables, fresh air, and exercise, although I’m not sure if that counts as an official full blown health kick. But hey, it’s one step closer to fitting into a pair of skinny jeans! A bikini beach babe is just around the corner! Grin! At first I decided to cut way back on sugar — I inherited a major sweet tooth from […]

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wicker chairs

Time for a little switch-a-roo! With all of the painting, repainting, and rearranging going on there is never a dull moment around here. A friend of mine recently admitted that she has never seen my living room the same color twice. Every time I think of this it makes me laugh! I’m happy to say the mocha latte shade in the living and dining room is feeling right, it’s here to stay. And man, am I glad. I don’t think […]

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a thrifty find

bench with hand knit ivory throw

Every now and then I run across an estate sale that should have a sign posted at the entrance stating “shop at your own risk!”  The sale where I found this lovely ivory throw was just one of those scrappy, push and pull kind of sales.  It’s like trying to keep your head above water in a storm, surrounded by sharks, and constantly getting toppled by waves.  It’s funny how excited estate sale junkies get over rummaging through another person’s […]

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