've posted the names of the winners of the three Cottage Charm Giveaways I offered this year. Just click on the links below to see who won!
Giveaway #1 (for hostesses)
Giveaway #2 (for everyone)
Giveaway #3 (for those adding banner to blog)
Thanks again to EVERYONE who made this years Cottage Charm Giveaway event a great success! I hope everyone had fun!
any thanks to all of you who are participating in this years Cottage Charm Giveaway Event by hosting giveaways on your blog. We couldn't do this without you! For those of you who are thinking about having a giveaway, there is just one week left before the big blogwide drawings on May 30th. You have until then to post your giveaway and then let me know so that I can add your link to the giveaway list. We've almost hit 50 giveaways and the original goal was 75-100 this year. I think we can still at least reach 75 this final week, so let's see what happens! If you are interested in participating, just click on the banner below for instructions. Thanks again, everyone!
olks, it's that time of year...the kids have just a few days of school left and then they are all mine for the summer! Doesn't it seem, though, that the last week of school can be one of the busiest? I'm thinking ahead to next Friday, the last (half day) of school - when we can all finally exhale again. But it's all good...we are staying busy with fun things at least - one of which will be making these cute Pupcakes for two of my daughters' classes. I'll be working on these all of Monday and hopefully they'll all be ready by Tuesday morning for 40 sweet-toothed children!
Tuesday night, my oldest will be graduating from 8th grade (and giving a speech!), so we're really excited about that. Following the ceremony, we'll be having a small party for her here at home for close friends and family and serving all the things kids and adults alike love...homemade pizza, punch, cake, and icecream. The next day, a school picnic for the graduates! I'm trying to figure out when I'm going to bake the Snickerdoodles she's requested for the picnic, but I'll fit it in somehow as all mothers miraculously do, hehe! And then Thursday, more baking for the volunteers that are helping to remodel our place of worship. I hope to find snippets of time to actually be able to shop for everything I need - and I have to admit, I ordered a cake for the graduation party instead of making it myself (I know...what were all those cake decorating classes for?), but I really don't think she'll mind.
Last week there were field trips, this week field day(s), today - an Awards ceremony...and tonight...ah, yes, more cookies to be baked and and delivered by tomorrow morning. I think there really is no such thing as too much baking! It's just pure love in the form of sugar and butter:) So this coming up week will no doubt be a little crazy but a lot of fun. I'm going to sign off now for the next week so that I can focus on my family and getting everything accomplished that I'd like to do. I'll still be popping in to update the Cottage Charm Giveaway list.
We will "see you" again next week!
(Photo by Rita Maas)
We're still plugging away at painting all the studio furniture and with the exception of the giant storage unit, we're in the home stretch. I tell you, it took 2 HOURS just for me to prime 10 of the cubes! I'll need to prime and paint 28 shelves as well, so it's quite the painting project to say the least. The rest of the furniture is all but finished...another coat to go on the sideboard and the armoire doors need to be painted.
I absolutely love the photo of the kitchen above - those yummy chocolate and vanilla colors. That's the feel I want for my studio. Here are a few more inspiration photos. Not all of them are of workspaces, but I think would look lovely in a workspace setting.
I love these greenish blue cabinets in contrast with the checkerboard floor...
With all the white on the walls, the cabinetry and flooring doesn't seem dark at all. Love that lighting and would look great in a workspace, too!
Look at that painted chocolate brown floor with a painted runner that goes all the way up the steps...How I love painted floors! If the tile in my studio was in bad shape or unsightly, I would paint them (you really can!), but I think the grout just needs a good cleaning. (By the way, you can change the color of existing tile grout by staining it. They make specialty stains just for that purpose. Neat, huh? I may try it if cleaning doesn't improve the look of my tile grout.) Oh, the chandelier above the steps? Hmm...my mind is racing as I have one I'd like to use in my studio.
Any color looks pretty against a white background. That's why I couldn't resist painting all my furniture white! And you know I love the red accessories and storage boxes in this photo - I want to incorporate just a touch of red in my studio - minor accents. I've already bought all my storage containers (think vanilla icecream with chocolate on top!) I can't wait to start organizing my craft supplies! The table skirt in this photo is really sweet. I think I'd love a skirt made out of burlap or natural linen...if I make one, I need to figure out how to do it without a lick of sewing sense!
Dark brown (or black?) desk and chair. Notice the natural looking rug? Love it!
Here's a cozy little work nook. Again, loving the dark painted desk! Notice those steps, too, with the treads painted dark brown. You'll be seeing that again;)
This workspace is a little contemporary for my taste, but still very pretty and clean. What I really like about it is the fabric focal point above the desk. It's just fabric stapled to a wooden frame. Inexpensive and easy!
Here's a nifty idea for those pretty old shutters we always see at flea markets...
I like this old piece used as a desk. And I really love that lamp and lampshade!
And finally, this sweet little space. The wall color is similar to mine - a little lighter I think. See the red accents?
I'm borrowing a few ideas for my workspace from the photos above and can't wait until we are finished so that I can share the results with you! I'm waiting on a little "something something" to arrive in the mail and when I receive it and it's in place, I'll at least have some AFTER photos of the studio steps and stoop (try saying that 5 times fast!)
Have a great day!
(Images from My Home Ideas, House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens and House to Home)
A quick note...If you're into typography as much as I am, then you'll love these numbered mugs from Anthropologie. They are on sale now for $3.95 each and they offer six different numbers/mugs. You can get a set of six for just $24! Not bad!
They also offer their beautiful cursive monogrammed mugs and print monogrammed mugs at $6.00 each. 
I'd love to have every one of these...how fun!
Mmmmm, the Snickerdoodle - an old time favorite. Snickerdoodles got their silly name the German word Schneckennudeln, which means "crinkly noodles". Funny, huh? While the cream of tartar in the recipe gives them a bit of a tang, they are still plain enough for children to enjoy, and who doesn't love soft, warm, buttery, cinnamon-y goodness?
I'll be making lots of Snickerdoodles today, along with The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Our place of worship is being remodeled and all the work is volunteer, including food preparations, so for the next two or three weeks, I'll be doing a lot of baking. Tomorrow, I'll also be helping to tear out all the old chairs to strip them down for recycling. Hubs will be busy there, too, with the exception of Saturday when we'll be attending the funeral service for his grandmother and visiting with family. It's going to be a little busy here from now through the weekend, so you may not see me until week. I will keep popping in until then to update the Cottage Charm Giveaway list. 
But back to those delicious Snickerdoodles...if you've never tried them or made them, here is a really great recipe that I use taken from Mom's Big Book of Cookies. They are simply divine!
Since finishing my own gumball machine revamp for my studio, I thought it would be fun to scour the web to find others who have given theirs a whole new look as well. And did I find some creative souls!
How sweet is this antique gumball machine made over by Karla at Karla's Cottage Here is what it looked like before - it still looked great even then but she made it her own by spray painting it in "Ballerina Slipper" pink. After roughing it up just a bit with sandpaper, she lightly drybrushed on some white acrylic paint. Don't you just love how pretty it looks filled with yogurt raisins? She keeps her gumball machine in her studio, too. 
Now take a look at this before shot of a gumball machine Ellie of Home - Be Inspired picked up recently at a garage sale. 
She says it was actually her 9 year old daughter who fell in love with it, bought it with her own allowance, cleaned it up, and spray painted in Powder Pink herself! She filled it with pink Whoppers and now it resides in her "pinkalicious" bedroom! (My kids would be so envious!) Great job, Little One! I know your mom is proud!
Here are a couple of gumball machines handpainted by the talented artist Teresa Lynn of Vintage Rose Studio. She paints her art on just about any object. You can see some of her work here! Can you imagine this in a shabby style cottage? I love the robin's egg blue base!
Teresa doesn't just do floral painting...check out this Rooster and Hen gumball machine she painted for a custom order. The nest of eggs and chicken wire are fun touches! 
Next, Kristi, the makeover queen behind Addicted 2 Decorating took this old gumball machine...
and with the stand she made this really nifty table! It has that old-fashioned feel that I just love! And the gumball machine? She filled it with...
Aren't theses roses beautiful? My very dear and closest friend brought these over for our family (along with some homemade soup, muffins, and cookies!) a few days ago. They were big when I got them, but after putting them in water, they fully opened up and and were absolutely huge...much bigger than the palm of my hand! The rose fragrance was absolutely heavenly and permeated the living room! It really makes me want to plant some more rose bushes of my own. Ah, the rose - an absolutely perfect masterpiece. Perfect in every way!
I've always had a thing for all things wood carved. That said, I don't have a lot of wood carved pieces, but when I find them, you can bet that they come home with me. There is just something about all those tiny, intricate details that piques my interest. Here are a couple of my own wooden boxes. The large, dark one I found for $10 at Hobby Lobby during one of their half-price sales. (They have half price sales daily - love that!) I use this box to hold pens and pencils. Functional beauty at it's best!
The small box I found at Goodwill. It wasn't stained a color that I loved, so I painted it myself and stressed it a little. There in the center, I'd like to add a monogram or perhaps my sparrow silhouette that I love so much. And there in the background are a couple of carved wooden candlesticks from Goodwill as well...
In the past, I've written about my trivet collection. Left unpainted, they seem to take on more of an Indian feel...but painted and aged, they work perfectly in a cottage kitchen. I have to admit, though, these are really tough to paint, even with spray paint, but well worth the effort.
And here are a few carved vintage boxes that I found while perusing Etsy. Aren't they gorgeous?!
KittyBCreative 
Grandtiques
Olive Vintage
I'm so thrilled to have something fabulous (and free!) to share with you today! The Nester, of The Nesting Place has written an E-book based on her mantra,her battle cry - It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful!
"I truly believe that the home where you live in right now can become your dream home. This ebook isn't a step by step list of rules for you to follow to achieve a perfect home but rather a fun read that will free you to make your home what you want it to be starting now." ~The Nester
For more information and to sign up to receive this free e-book, just visit the Nester here!
Well, we're exactly one week into the 2009 Cottage Charm Giveaway and I'm happy report that we already have (as of this writing Friday morning) 24 giveaways- almost a quarter of a way to our goal of 100 giveaways! Thank you ALL who are supporting this event either by hosting a giveaway, spreading the word by telling others about it on your blog, or by signing up to win the lovely giveaway offerings! We couldn't do this without you! I've set up a Flickr account just for photos of all the giveaways, so take a peek and become a Cottage Charm Giveaway Flickr contact if you'd like to stay up to date with all the giveaways that are added daily.
I enjoyed reading about your "forever" pieces in my last post. Thank you to the following visitors for sharing!
Cherry's Jubilee, Digiscribbles, The Cottage Around the Corner, From House to Home, Cottage, The Gathering Nest, Walnuthaven Cottage, and Yarborough House 1929
Have a great weekend everyone! We'll be working on my studio tomorrow...but what are you up to?
Have you ever thought that you could live without a certain item in your home or maybe even just thought that you could move it to another spot - but once removed from it's original location, something just felt wrong? So much so that you finally moved it back and then all was right with the world again? Yes. Me too.
A few years ago, I found the sweetest little white table at the flea market for just $20. I brought it home and tried placing it in the living room, the bedroom, and other places, but ultimately it ended up in the kitchen at the end of the counter. This has been a good spot for it because it seems to soften the abrupt, hard lines of the side of the cabinet, plus it's a great surface to decorate! This table has been adorned many different ways...like this soft romantic look compiled of tea pots, doilies, old plates, and a decorative dessert display.
A couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd take the table out of the kitchen - you know...to free up a little space and to provide a visual change. Well, I don't have to tell you that that didn't last long! The space seemed so "off" without my little old white flea market table. So back it went, nestled into it's permanent home at the end of the counter.
I seem to be drifting toward a kind of French cottage style - rustic meets elegant. So this is what I've recently come up with for my "forever" table...
I just love straw hats! I only have two {thanks, Goodwill!}, but I'm going to keep my eye out for more and start a little collection. The white dish towel is actually very, very old but has been preserved well throughout the years. I found it on Ebay. Linens - another weakness! I like the look of it layered on top of red and white towels (clearance at Wal-Mart). And nothing says French cottage like a nice basket! I have three of these baskets (thank you Goodwill!), but one I reluctantly gave to my birds once I saw how much they loved playing in it:)
My trusty old teapot you see in my photographs all the time coupled with an old chippy guilded box that I've had for years...and a bowlful of ceramic eggs!
In case you haven't noticed, I'm really into layering lately! I layered an old Italian gold mirror {another thrifty find!} on top of an antique plate for a little extra sparkle.
Do you have a "forever" piece in a permanent spot in your home? Tell me about it! I really do understand!
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Edited July 2009 to add that I'm adding this blog entry to Rhoda's weekly Thrifty Finds Link Party. I decorate with just about only thrifted treasures and need to take some photos of my most recent goodies, but I hope you enjoy these just the same!
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