Thank You, Romantic Homes & Cottage Charm Giveaway Reminder

I am so honored that Romantic Homes magazine featured Twice Remembered in their "site seeing" section in the June 2010 issue. Though this blog has been featured once before in the first addition of the Cottages and Bungalows magazine {back when my blog was called "One Woman's Cottage Life"}, this is the first time any photos of our home were included. I'm truly thankful for this privilege - and will cherish this issue for a long time to come!


If you've discovered Twice Remembered through Romantic Homes, I'd like to welcome you to my little corner of the world. I apologize that due to time constraints, I no longer host the weekly Make Your Monday craft/project event, but feel free to browse hundreds of past projects. Also, there is a pretty comprehensive list found at Paper, Glue, etc. that includes many, many other current "link parties" held each day of the week. You are sure to be inspired by them and just may decide to join in by submitting your own project!

On another note, everyone is welcomed to participate in the 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway event that begins Saturday, May 1st! I will have my own giveaway posted probably closer toward the

I'm looking forward to another great month long blogwide giveaway!

beginning of next week, but if you have one that you would like to go ahead and add {or if you would like to start entering your names to win giveaways on various blogs}, just stop in here Saturday morning to see the latest. For those that are interested in participating by hosting a Cottage Charm giveaway, please make sure you read the few participation requirements first. Thank you, and I'm looking forward to another great month long blogwide giveaway!

Red Cabinets - Taking the Leap

I just want to send out a huge round of 'thank you's' to all of you who emailed me regarding my white vs beige paint decision in my last entry, "Tell It to Me Straight". There was an outpouring of honest thoughts and opinions, and they've proven to be invaluable in helping me make the right choice. I've been able to respond to all of Sunday's and a few of yesterday's comments and am eagerly looking forward to replying to the others today. I'll fill you in on what I'm going to try because as of last night, I think I've finally figured it out.;)

By the way, this is one of the reasons why I am loving the private commenting feature: You get to tell or ask me what is really on your mind without worrying about what others may think. I've enjoyed hearing from long time readers who have never commented before as well. And I love being able to give personal responses - something

There was an outpouring of honest thoughts and opinions, and they've proven to be invaluable in helping me make the right choice.

that was lacking with the older format. I know private commenting may be weird and out of the norm for blogs, and I can appreciate that some do love to read the comments of others. Thank you all so much for your support with this, well, kind of major change to Twice Remembered's blog format. Feel free to tell me what you think about the changes - and it's ok if you don't like some of them. Also, I would love to hear what you do and don't like in blogs in general. From time to time I do like to take a step back and reevaluate by site and figure out what is working - and what is not.


Speaking of private commenting, I received an email the other day that I would like to share with you {I know...the irony!}. I thought it was interesting because I think it really states what many of you may be feeling regarding painting your cabinets red. Some may worry if taking the leap by going red would make it harder to sell their home in the future. I've added this question to my FAQ page as well because I'm sure it is a common concern.

I have been inspired by your red kitchen cupboards but am still frightened to take such a leap. Currently mine are plain old white. A friend...has said that it will take at least 3-4 coats of paint and if we decide to sell our home in the next 2 or 3 years no one will want to buy a house with a red kitchen. Do you have any words of encouragement?? -C.

C., I can certainly understand your hesitation with the red. It is a very bold color choice and one of your friends was right in that it does take many, many coats to cover properly. Mine took four, maybe even five on the doors, and that isn't counting the primer coat. So it is quite a time commitment to say the least! Resale could certainly be a consideration as well, but I don't think red cabinets would be quite the deal breaker as some might think. It really depends on the way you look at.


For me personally, I feel that by the time we are finished with our remodel, our home may just be completely out of the norm/unusual compared to other homes on the market in my area. It won't really be the "neutral blank slate" contemporary home that many are searching for.

Our house and red cabinets will fit just the right person, and I'm willing to wait for them to come along.

It will have {one of these days!} a very distinct style that folks will either love or hate depending on their personal taste. The person that I want to own the house after us is the person that falls head over heals over it and the red cabinets. The way I see it - and maybe it's an odd romantic approach - is that the red cabinets are like Cinderella's missing glass slipper. When and if we ever sell, our house and red cabinets will fit *just the right person*, and I'm willing to wait for them to come along.

I know I'm just biased, but I feel that if the cabinets are painted red and painted well {and the right shade is picked...a red that isn't too garish}, it will not detract from the beauty of the home. In fact, a red kitchen will be one that buyers will remember while they are out searching for homes. It will stand out in their mind. Incidentally, the other day I was watching one of those 'designed to sell' kinds of shows on HGTV...the ones where professionals come in and spruce up a house to get it ready to sell, you know? Well, in the episode I saw, a huge shelving unit in a wide hallway {or maybe it was the passage way from the mudroom?} was painted. Do you know what color they painted it? Red!


I think red is just one of those colors where the "concept" of it is scary - the idea of actually going through with it in our own homes can be terrifying. And especially so if it is like nothing we have ever done before or like nothing our friends and family have ever done. It may just sound like a foreign concept! But I don't think folks in general get that horrified feeling when they see other kitchens or things painted red. Instead they may feel "I would have never thought to do that but it works! It looks nice! I love it! Pretty! I like it better than I thought I would!" It's only when they consider doing it in their own spaces that they may hesitate or worry if it's the right decision.

I guess in some ways, going red is just a leap of faith. Like I said, there are things to consider like finding the right shade {I love the shade I used - Waverly's

Going red is just a leap of faith.

Cherry but I still toned it down by wiping on and then wiping off some brown glaze}, wall color, countertop, backsplash, the colors of decorative items and fabrics you plan to use...all these things will either accentuate the red cabinets nicely or make them look like it's all too much. For me, I've decided to stay neutral with very little color elsewhere - white, off-white, and dark brown accents.

One last note about going red with your cabinets: Remember, it is only paint and can be repainted. Try painting one single cabinet if you have one detached from the others. I have a single cabinet on the other side of the sink above the dishwasher

Remember, it is only paint and can be repainted.

and that is where I started. I completely finished that one before moving on to the rest. So if you decide to take the leap, first paint that one cabinet completely and live with it for a while. It won't take you too long to know if you want to go with another color or not. If you love it, you won't hardly be able to wait to paint the rest. If you don't like it, you may feel like "Ugh!" every time you see it and will hardly be able to wait to paint over it!


I hope this gives you a few more things to think about before making your decision. I believe that when it comes to painting our homes, do what is going to make you happy - not what is going to make the future homeowners happy. If you do anything that you feel might be too "out there" when it comes time to resell, remember that it can be reversed if you are up to a little extra work. Don't not paint your cabinets red because you're worried about future buyers. It is your home now, so enjoy it - and if that means having white, red, green, or purple cabinets, then so be it!

-Kim


P.S. Just thinking about resale again...With our own house, we will never, ever get out of it what we've put into it so far, considering our neighborhood and the values of the homes around us. But it's just an example of doing what we love and what makes us happy.:)

Tell It to Me Straight

Usually I plan out my posts. Take photos. Spend lots of time trying to make those photos look pretty. Proofread my writings.

Not now. Consider this an impromptu blog post. My fingers are flying as I try to type this out while the chicken is being thawed in the microwave and before dinner needs to be made. And it's a school night - there are mountains of laundry to be done! But someone has to help me.

Don't worry. It's not a life or death situation. Well, it's not yet, but it could be if I don't once and for all pick a wall color and stick to it because let me tell you,

I've got it in my head that I want my walls to be white, too!

my sweet, wonderful, adoring hubs has just about had it with me changing my mind on paint yet again - after it has been bought and applied to the walls. I can understand that. We have "other projects we need to be spending time and money on". I completely get that - I do.

But...

"It just has to be right."

So will you help me? Hubs has agreed to let me choose a different color this one last time for years to come. The pressure!

Don't get me wrong - I love my current wall color. It's just the right shade of a soft, creamy beige and I've been very pleased with it. It's called Malted Milk by Valspar. I felt it would contrast nicely with crisp white beadboard.


But I've been bitten by the white bug. I know that our ceilings are white and our crown moulding is white and our beadboard is going to be white, but after being inspired by such beautiful interiors found at A Country Farmhouse

It's not a life or death situation. Well, it's not yet.

and many, many Swedish country style blogs, I've got it in my head that I want my walls to be white, too! I think it would just look lovely with the red cabinets and little red and dark brown accents. It would look fresh and clean and beautiful and...

Why am I hesitating? Why does part of me think I should stick with the creamy beige? Why am I still lured by the soft contrast and warmth of it? Why am I so torn?

I truly, truly love both. Creamy white and pure white. They both to me look equally gorgeous. This will be the color I carry throughout the whole house {with the exception of the kids' rooms}. I've decided I just want to keep it all the same - so it's a pretty major decision for me. The reason that I'm all fired up about it now is that after our beadboard and trimwork are painted in the studio, we will be putting on the final, final, final wall color in there. The first coat of paint was applied to the beadboard in there today, so the clock is ticking!

What would you do? What would you like to see in The Twice Remembered Cottage?

Crisp, super fresh white walls {floor to ceiling, though different sheens will be used on the woodwork}?

or

A warmer, contrasting soft beige?

Any and all opinions are welcome. It's kind of almost an emergency.

Tell it to me straight.

I'll be anxiously awaiting your thoughts!

Edited to add: If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out my last post containing the details about the upcoming Cottage Charm Giveaway.

Upcoming 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway Information

One week. That's how much time is left until the 4th Annual {month long, blogwide} Cottage Charm Giveaway officially begins! Will you be joining this year?

For those that may have never heard of it, this is a multi-blog, month long event beginning Saturday, May 1st where bloggers give away on their blogs items they feel exhibit "Cottage Charm". Anyone can join at any point in May before the 29th. On May 29th, all participating bloggers will announce their winners and post it to their blogs. An ongoing list of ALL the giveaways and participating bloggers is maintained here at Twice Remembered during the entire month of May. {I'll be using MckLinky this year as I have with past Make Your Monday link parties...so you may already know how easily this works. Participants will simply add their Cottage Charm giveaway link to the list.} The list grows and grows the whole month of May as bloggers add their Cottage Charm Giveaway to their blogs.

To join, you simply:

1) at any point in May post on your blog what you are giving away - your "Cottage Charm Giveaway", and also post your own rules for your giveaway {for example, where you are willing to ship and how you want your readers to enter your drawing}.

2) include in your giveaway post a link back to the Twice Remembered entry containing the master list of all Cottage Charm giveaways {I will post the entry on Saturday, May 1st @ 8 am central time}.

Use your own definition of "Cottage Charm" for this giveaway- the possibilities are endless!

The more people who know about this event, the better! Feel free to use the Cottage Charm banner above as well.

3) come back here and add your link to the list of giveaways {Again, I will have the list available on May 1st @ 8 am central time.} Giveaways added without following step #2 will be deleted}

4) announce the winner of your giveaway on your blog on May 29th. Please no exceptions to this unless you need to end your giveaway a day or two later due to scheduling conflict. {**If you want to end a giveaway earlier than the 29th, please do not participate in this event. If I made an exception for one person, out of fairness I would need to make an exception for all. This would change the dynamics of the Cottage Charm Giveaway completely. I hope you understand.}

Finally, use your own definition of "Cottage Charm" for this giveaway- the possibilities are endless! You can give away books, your own crafts, thrift store finds, new items, yummy treats, gift certificates to your shop, vintage goodies...whatever to you represents cottage charm. Don't worry - you don't have to live in a cottage or personally decorate in cottage style. However, if you would like to give away something to those that do, please join in! Above is a little collage that I put together of some of my past Cottage Charm giveaways and for more inspiration, check out the links below...

3rd Annual {2009 - 68 giveaways}
2nd Annual {2008 - 54 giveaways}
1st Annual {2007 - 40 giveaways}

If you have any questions about the 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway, please let me know. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing?
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!


Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown -
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
~Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Swing"

It has always been a goal of mine to build a good old-fashioned tree swing for our girls. But when we first moved into our house about seven years ago, hubs grandmother sweetly gifted to the children a brand new swing set complete with three little swings, a slide, and other delightful attractions fitting for an eight, three, and two year old. How they loved that swing set! I have photos of the three of them swinging, sliding, and dangling from it - those girls with their precious little hands, feet, and baby faces.

That same swing set, though once shiny, new, and exciting - has sat pretty much neglected for the last year or so. It has been showing signs of it's age for quite

The old swing set was simply forgotten...

a while, with it's rust and cracked plastic here and there...and it has shrunk significantly, it seems. With the baby of the family now nine years old, and my eldest being fifteen, the old swing set was simply forgotten along with Sesame Street and their once beloved Dr. Seuss books.

So this last weekend while the girls were away helping their grandfather make and sell kettle corn at a local event, hubs dismantled that old, rusty, memory laden swing set. In it's place he built the beautiful tree swing that I planned for the children many years ago. The children were thrilled and they've been having a blast with it...and I'm enjoying watching them play. I have a perfect view of the swing from our dining table, and well - my heart just swells knowing that such a simple, old-time play thing can bring them such delight. I believe Robert Louis Stevenson had it right when he said swinging was the "pleasantest thing ever a child can do"!


{You may have noticed a change in the commenting format here. In the spirit of simplicity, I'm now just using email to correspond with my dear readers. It is my hope that your comments sent to me directly via email will better get the personal attention they deserve. Just access the email form or direct email address by clicking on the link below that says "Questions and Comments". Thank you for continuing to graciously move along with me and these recent site changes!}

Window Dressing

When we were on our trip a few weeks back, we enjoyed browsing a few antique shops on our way home. One of my treasured finds was this lacy white window valance.


When I first saw it, I was immediately reminded of those beautiful and romantic Victorian dresses of long ago.


I'm not normally a frills and lace kind of girl, but I admit, I have a soft spot for dainty white linens. For our home, in moderation, I think it adds a little softness and charm.


There is a rod pocket, but I didn't like the way the curtain looked hung that way - perhaps a little too "froo froo" for my taste. But the black clips, I think, add just the right contrast with a touch of masculinity that keeps it all balanced out.


These sweet little Victorian-esque curtains, too, help soften the hard lines of the lighting fixture.


I don't know if the valance was actually part of an old dress that was repurposed by a thrifty and creative homemaker many years before my time...


But I do like to imagine it that way!

{photo via shorpy.com}

A Little Dirt, a Little Sun, a Little Water...

Frozen. That's how I feel. No, not because of the weather - the weather has been absolutely magnificent! I feel frozen because in my determination to finally begin learning how to garden, I've bought plants and just don't know what to do with them! How I envy the seasoned pros whose lush gardens seem to just magically burst forth from spring to fall!


I, on the other hand, am the owner of a few scantily clad landscaping beds and about an acre of possibilities. I know nothing of soil or pH balances, plant nutrition, drainage, or sun exposure. I am...afraid to begin in earnest.


{I love you, sweet and innocent little plant. I come in peace and I will try really hard not to accidentally snuff out your young life. }

I did plant some hollyhocks earlier in the week though I'm not sure if they are in the right location. I also spread some perennial wildflower seeds but I'm afraid I may have over watered them already.

And I've bought herb plants for an "herb tea garden" that I just don't know where to plant. I've been told that mint {and I bought several mint herbs - apple mint, lemon mint, and chocolate mint!} grow fast and can be invasive, so I've changed my mind about planting them near my other landscaping beds.


Now I'm thinking my herb tea garden could perhaps grow along the fence line out in the back yard, though it's not very convenient or interesting. I have romantic ideas that involve just stepping out barefooted through my kitchen door and collecting a few leaves for tea whenever it strikes my fancy. Tromping out through the back yard to the fence line {that borders our neighbor's unsightly backyard} is not part of my romantic imaginings. Also, the fence line gets full sun... nearly all the plants I bought say "full sun to part shade". I've been assured by others that they are hardy enough to accept full sun, though.


I read once, in a book by Celestine Sibley I believe, that you just have to plant, do your best, and see what happens. Nature is full of surprises and in most cases, all that is needed is a little dirt, a little sun, a little water, and a lot of patience. The rest just takes care of itself. As with anything else, you learn what works and what doesn't - and you simply try something different when things don't quite work out as planned. I need to try to remember this and not be afraid to truly begin!

{Thank you all for your support in my decision to cut back on my blogging time. It seems that many of you feel the same way and it's nice to know that I'm in good company! }

Some Important Blog News and Changes

I have some news for you. I wish it were happy and exciting news, but in reality it's the kind of news you put off telling because you hate to disappoint others. What is this all about?

I have decided to discontinue my weekly Make Your Monday link event. I've been thinking about this for a while, and now that I've had some time to consider all the pros and cons, I know that this is the right decision. I know you may wonder why, so I hope my explanation makes sense.

First and foremost, it boils down to a matter of time, or lack thereof. I visit all the links submitted each week, choose a few that really catch my eye {which is hard because there have been

Thank you all so much for your support with all the past Make Your Monday link parties!

so many great projects submitted!}, and post them as highlights each Sunday evening. Because of the volume of all the wonderful links submitted, sometimes this can take me up to 3 or 4 hours - or more! It really is a great problem to have, actually, but I'm afraid that when I honestly look at how much time I have available, there is simply not enough. For this month alone, I will be out of town for the next two Sundays, and who knows what summer will bring.

A secondary reason that I feel that this is a good decision is that there are just so many link parties in our blogging community right now, especially on Mondays. Again, another wonderful downside, but I feel better knowing that those of you who regularly link up to Make Your Monday will have somewhere else to submit your project links. Thank you all so much for your support with all the past Make Your Monday link parties - you made it a great success each and every week!

A Couple More Blog Changes

Within the next couple of months, you may notice a small change here at Twice Remembered. I've decided that after all of the contracts with my fabulous sponsors and other paying advertisers are up, I will no longer be displaying ads in the sidebars of my blog. I wanted to try a sponsorship program to see if it was "me" and though I think it could have worked well from a monetary standpoint, I feel that it isn't a good fit for Twice Remembered. I suppose my point is, I don't want to view my blog as a job where I must worry about and maintain traffic flow and visitor count and readership in order to truly do justice to paying advertisers. I want my blog to be the opposite of a job, in fact. I want Twice Remembered to be a respite of sorts for both visitors and myself.

Within the next couple of months, you may notice a small change here at Twice Remembered.

A simple place of quiet conversation over domestic affairs {and a large part of that happens to be our cottage remodel}. A "home" away from home to visit a couple of times a week, a haven in which to kick off the shoes and have a cup of tea or coffee - a quaint and cozy {tumble-down but slowly improving} place to relax without obligation or expectation. You will still see a few Google text links at the bottom of individual post entries, however not on the main page. I'm not ashamed to admit Google has been my "egg money" for years, a little something that I build over the months for extraneous projects. I've tried to put them in a tasteful, discreet location and I hope you don't mind them.

Just for fun, here are some home related goals for myself - and there is a point to this: cultivate a cottage style garden, grow a kitchen garden, get my business off the ground{!}, clean out and organize the attic, bake more homemade bread and other things to replace store bought versions, prepare better more wholesome school lunches {this has been requiring me to get up at 5:30am...but it's so worth it!}, decorate more cakes, improve my sewing skills, delve into photography a bit more, read more, take better care of myself, learn calligraphy, make room for letter and card writing {I still have to send those postcards out!}, more quality time with the family, make time for crafts, learn needlepoint {I ordered some really beautiful copies of antique patterns!}, have company over more often, and finally have that tea party I want to host for my elderly friends...That is just a partial list which doesn't include our many remodeling projects!

Here are my blog related goals: Do the things listed above, write about my experiences as I have time - once, maybe twice a week. Quality over quantity. Keep it cozy. Keep it quaint. Keep it real. Keep it simple.

In other words, maintain the cottage journal/journey type format that I began with many years ago.

I hope this isn't too disappointing for those that prefer blogs with frequent updates, but I've discovered that I just don't roll well that way. I can't keep up

I'm hoping that visitors here will come to view my entries as letters from an old friend - though not written daily, just as sincere and heartfelt.

that pace, live life, and be the person I want and need to be at the same time. I'm hoping that visitors here will come to view my entries as letters from an old friend - though not written daily, just as sincere and heartfelt. Blogging has opened up a whole new world for many of us, and just like you, I continue to try to find balance between it and actually experiencing life. I need more time to work on the cottage and to do all the things I've listed above, plus time to concentrate on priorities even greater than those listed. I hope you understand. :)

So that's about it - no new Make Your Mondays, no advertising on the main page when ad contracts are up, and once or twice a week blog posts.

Please feel free to share with me your thoughts on blogging and finding just the right balance. I'd love to hear from you!

Speaking of hearing from you, many of you had a few questions regarding my last entry yesterday about our beadboard progress. I will sit down and address those this afternoon {off to read to some second graders and to take my little one to the doctor now!}. Thank you for all your nice comments about our beadboard!



Have a beautiful Friday, everyone!

Photos of Beadboard Progress and Important News Coming Tomorrow

Good morning, everyone! I hope this beautiful spring day finds you doing well. Somehow between our vacation and the family dinner we hosted this past weekend, hubs was able to install more beadboard in our main living areas. For this phase of the remodel, we are concentrating on beadboarding the kitchen, dining area, hallway, foyer, and living room. Though we still have the foyer and living room to go, I'd like to share with you the areas that we've covered so far. Please keep in mind that all of our beadboard and trim will be sanded, primed, and painted white.

I should note that I have lost *both* my memory card reader and my

Our hallway is starting to remind me of an old hotel...

memory card for my good camera. I think I put them somewhere when we were getting the house ready for company, but I don't know where. So I used my daughter's little point and shoot for these photos. I wish they were better!

We've gone through and added some smaller accent trim pieces at the top of the beadboard under the wide pine boards. For the top of the pine board, we will be adding more accent trim. Here is a mock up of the top piece I am considering, but I want to look at some more to see if I can find something with a more interesting contour. This one is ok and is cost effective, but more curve would be nice. However, this flatter piece will make hanging framed art over the beadboard easier - a curvier piece would jut out further. {Please ignore all the white splotches on the walls...we are prepping them for fresh paint!}




Here are a couple of progress shots of our hallway. I cannot convey just how thrilled I am to finally have beadboard in this area! The beadboard, along with the wide door trim and solid wood doors just really make the space. I'm looking forward to adding the pine ceiling and crown moulding now...and a light! Our hallway is starting to remind me of an old hotel, and I'm thinking about painting pretty numbers on the trim above each door, from 1 to 6.




Here you"ll notice our little piece of mock up accent trim. What a difference a little trim can make!


See my drop cloth curtains? The curtains in this spot are a necessity - we close them when we let our cockatiels, Sunny and Ginger, out of their cage for smooches and cuddles and playtime - which happens more than once daily. They like the kitchen, but I don't allow them in there. :)



I am loving having a faux fireplace in the dining room...even in it's incomplete state! It completely changes the feel of the space. The beadboard wraps around the fireplace wall and window wall...


around the divider wall between the kitchen and dining area and back to the cabinets...{that's Ruby and her stuffed animal duck sunning on the rug there:)}


and finally past the other end of the cabinets to the back door. From the back door, we will continue to wrap the beadboard around the corner and into the rest of the living room. We have another farmhouse style fireplace mantel to build in there first! {See the chalkboard? Apparently my teen thinks the hyacinths stink. Hmmpphh!}



Here are a few more shots of the dining fireplace. We have just a little bit accent trim to add around the opening. Hubs didn't have time to get to it before he left on a business trip this week.




Can you believe I found my first bell shaped cloche the other day at Goodwill for $1.25? Love it!


{Gratuitous dining room shots}




I'm still mulling over what I'm going to do with the inside of the fireplace, but on our trip, I found this antique Victorian cast iron fireplace surround that I will definitely be incorporating. I'm thinking of doing the rest in brick and for inside of the antique surround, inserting a piece of decorative tin painted black. OR, brick the cast iron opening and using decorative tin for the rest. What do you think?


Finally, here is a shot of the foyer area that I cannot wait to beadboard. We knocked out a tiny coat closet in that area to open it up and I'm looking forward to putting a table on that back wall {the cabinet that is currently serving as our TV stand, actually...you can kind of see it in one of the hallway shots above}. It will be perfect to hold beautiful flower arrangements - and it's a nice sunny spot to boot!


Please come back and see me tomorrow as I have a few very important announcements regarding blog changes here at Twice Remembered. I'll see you then!