The Winner of My 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway!
Check out who won! Congratulations!
{In case you missed it, last night I posted some information about my new About page - after all these years I finally have one!}
About Kim and The Twice Remembered Cottage
I have been wanting to make an About page for Twice Remembered for a very long time now. But it seems that every time I'd sit down to write it out, I'd just draw a blank after writing Welcome to the The Twice Remembered Cottage. Why is this so hard? I've been blessed, though, with many new readers this month and I suddenly thought this would be a perfect time to sit down and try to work on the page. And by suddenly, I mean I was in the middle of sorting out my craft supplies and thought "Hey, I really need to write that About page...right this very minute!" So I sat down and typed until it was finished. Funny how things work that way. You can find it here at it's permanent spot on my blog, or you can just read the contents below if you're not up to jumping around all willy nilly right now. First, let me say that I do sincerely welcome all the new readers and I also greatly treasure those of you who have been visiting me here for a very long time, some since the beginning! Thank you all!
Welcome to The Twice Remembered Cottage. My name is Kim but my ultra cool secret creative name is Twila, which is taken in part from my internet username of the the past ten years. Some days I wake up Kim and just want to laze around in my pajamas all day, and some days I wake up Twila and am compelled to dive into thirty creative projects at once. Hubs refuses to call me anything but by my real name. And I haven't even told him about my ultra cool secret creative last name yet!
Twice Remembered - our home - has been a labor of love, sweat, and tears for my husband and me for the last few years as we work
It is ultimately through creativity, hard work, and patience that goals, both mine and yours, are met, for there are no short supplies of these.
to transform it into the charming, unique, and old-fashioned cottage I've pictured for so long in my mind. We live in a tumble-down neighborhood, on a tumble-down street, in a tumble-down house that seems to be falling apart faster than our time and budget allow us to work on it but we are determined that none of these will prevent our "sweet little cottage dreams" from taking flight. Time and money, for most of us, are rare luxuries. It is my philosophy, though, that there is potential in everything and it is ultimately through creativity, hard work, and patience that goals, both mine and yours, are met, for there are no short supplies of these {though patience does seem to run out from time to time!}.Twice Remembered - the blog - has been my place to record random projects and goings-on here at our cottage in the making. As you'll see, there is hardly any rhyme or reason to much of what I post here because we kind of move around with our projects according to what we have the time and money to work on. So needless to say, we have a few rooms going at once, which I do not
"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."-Henry David Thoreau
You may notice that I often blog the way I live my life - by inspiration. Most days, I never really know what I'll be up to and I've found that for me, it is so much more "authentic" to just let life unfold, and then blog as I'm inspired to write. For me personally, schedules and deadlines and high expectations {though completely proper and necessary in many areas of life} squash my spirit when it comes to my blog, so one of my other philosophies is to Live freely. Blog freely. Sometimes I take breaks where I don't even think about blogging - some short breaks, some long. Other times, I may very well write too often because the words and ideas just flow and naturally end up on my blog. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my blog is pretty random, and I hope you're ok with that. :)
Thank you so much for coming along with us on this cottage transformation journey - and all the little pit stops along the way!
The 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway list officially closes to new giveaways tonight {May 28th) at midnight! Tomorrow, Saturday May 29th, I, along with all the other 68 giveaway hostesses, will be posting the winners of our giveaways on our blogs!
If you haven't done so already, please put your name in the hat to win my giveaway...it's not too late yet to enter! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see if you won!
Finally, check out and enter all the other giveaways by clicking on the banner below!
The Mouse and the Motorcycle Cupcakes
The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Who could forgot that clever and adventurous chapter book character of our youth? To celebrate the end of the school year and reading through two of Beverly Cleary beloved "Ralph" books to my daughter's class this year, I decided to make "Mouse and the Motorcycle" themed cupcakes for everyone. I'm pleased with how they turned out, and though they seemed to be a challenge every step of the way, after a week I finally completed them!
I was up until about 2:30 am last night making these little polka dot banners. The cupcakes just wouldn't have been the same without them! I didn't get to photograph the red and white polka dot paper doilies I served the cupcakes on, but they were so cute.
Ralph loved his treasured "toy" motorcycle, for it was just the right size for a mouse! He quickly discovered that when he said "Pbbbbbbb!", the motorcycle would run like a real one!
I made the motorcycles and mice from marshmallow fondant using a recipe I found here. There are 20 different pieces that make up each motorcycle, and I adhered each piece together using minute amounts of jam applied with a toothpick. I did not make or ice the cupcakes - I just bought them from the bakery. No time!
My favorite part was brushing on the edible metallic finish!
One of Ralph's favorite foods was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Here he's having a snack while sporting his white motorcycle helmet - which was a "half a ping pong ball".
Ralph often found himself in predicaments, like being lost in the middle of a pile of laundry. His solution was to just chew his way through! 
While you're thanking the teacher, Ralph, I'd like to thank you for a great year of adventure! Now stay out of trouble, will you!?
{Many thanks to everyone who has written this last week with their well wishes! I very much appreciate your thoughtful sentiments and kind words! Once again, I find myself very behind with my emails, but I just wanted you to know how much your notes meant to me!}
The 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway list is growing and growing! Thank you to everyone who has contributed a giveaway so far and making year four a great success! Make sure you click on the banner below for more information! There is still plenty of time left to add your giveaway to the list and to sign up to win some really great cottage style gifts!
Conversations with Ralph
{Me:} Pssst. Hey Ralph. Up here. Hi little fellow. I'm sorry to interrupt you chewing through that towel and all but, ummm...I'm going to have to put you on a cupcake soon. And...ummm....you're going to be eaten. I am so sorry.
{Ralph:} Cupcakeawhaaa??????
The 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway list is growing and growing! Thank you to everyone who has contributed a giveaway so far and making year four a great success! Make sure you click on the banner below for more information! There is still plenty of time left to add your giveaway to the list and to sign up to win some really great cottage style gifts!
A Studio Project and A Sabbatical
I want to drop everyone a little note to let you know that I've decided to take a little blogging sabbatical for a while. Sometimes life just unfolds in ways that make it necessary to do so from time to time, plus I never know when my health will allow me to "paint the town red" or force me to stay in bed for a day or more at a time {*nothing* serious - just chronic pain issues I've had for several years}. So this is just a little time off to put things back together after a 'bout' and to work on other things as well. Projects will continue here at Twice Remembered, and I will continue to document/photograph them as I always have and share them upon my return. I will definitely be posting on May 29th to announce the winner of my Cottage Charm Giveaway...and I can't wait to see who wins!
My main area of concentration as far as the house goes is getting my studio completed as soon as possible. I am just really looking forward to having a place to squirrel myself away and create - and goodness knows that has been a long time coming!
One studio project that I recently wrapped up was converting this $5 antique headboard...
...into my very own Inspiration Board. I had hubs cut off the legs and then simply painted the frame, painted the old fabric a deep chocolate brown{the fabric had a short nap, or practically no nap - like canvas}, and added natural colored elastic to form the criss-crosses. The bottom rectangles were filled with sheet metal to hold magnets. I think she is so pretty and fits right in with my faux dessert creations {top photo} and the dessert themed studio I've had in mind. 
Today I'll be easing my way back into the land of the upright by making real marshmallow fondant for some "Mouse and the Motorcycle" cupcakes I'm going to try to make for my daughter's 2nd grade classmates. This year I read a couple of Ralph books to them in class, so I thought this would be a great way to end the year. I've never worked with marshmallow fondant and the last themed cupcakes I made {"Mexican Food" themed cupcakes}, I only used Starburst and other candy pieces. I have used store bought fondant for figures for the penguin cake I made, but wow, store bought fondant tastes terrible to say the least!
So I'll "see" you again for sure when I post my giveaway winner on the 29th, and I will also be posting photos on the 29th of the wall color I decided to go with for our cottage. Thank you all for your advice on the matter. Let's just say that at one point, I agreed with each and every one of you {I kept changing my mind, going so far as buying paint and taking it back before putting it on the walls.} But I *love* the choice I finally made and I hope you will, too!
Thanks so much for visiting and I'll "see you" again soon!
The 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway list is growing and growing! Thank you to everyone who has contributed a giveaway so far and making year four a great success! Make sure you click on the banner below for more information! There is still plenty of time left to add your giveaway to the list and to sign up to win some really great cottage style gifts!
Blog Love: Faded Plains
Now you see, it's when folks like Andrea of Faded Plains blog about their fabulous kitchen makeovers that I seriously start to believe that I need ten houses to remodel. Andrea, who lives in an old farmhouse, took her already nice kitchen and turned it into something that better reflected her vintage style. 
The color she used on her cabinets is a crisp white called Super White by Ben Moore in the Aqua Pearl finish. So pretty and fresh! Andrea added a beadboard backsplash that was in better keeping to both her style and the style of her home. And don't those beautiful countertops stand out so much better now?
Here is a creative idea: Use an old dresser for a kitchen island! Andrea added beadboard to back of the dresser to give it less of a "dresser" feel. Perfect!
The front of the dresser/island... *Swoon!*
Andrea removed the doors on some of her cabinets to give them more of an open feel.
And I love how that beautiful flooring, which once blended right in with the cabinetry, now stands out and contrasts nicely with the white.
By the way, her wall color choice was Benjamin Moore's Simply White. I've heard a lot of people rave about this shade. So lovely!
What can we learn about Andrea's kitchen makeover?
-First and foremost, just because you already have nice cabinets doesn't mean you shouldn't paint them. Make them your own by matching them with your style through painting, changing out the hardware, or even adding additional trim to suit your taste.
-White can be warm! Your white decorative elements such as dishes and fabric choices don't have to all be the same shade to work well together. "Layered" whites of various shades and textures is what keeps a space from feeling too cold or sterile.
-A tile backsplash is nice, but again, if it's not your style, don't
If your kitchen is small, make it your jewel box by adding small punches of personality and character...
be afraid to remove it or cover it over with something different like beadboard or even old-fashioned tin panels.-Choose a cabinet color that will accentuate, not hide, your home's existing assets like flooring and countertops.
-Look for new uses for old furniture. Turn a dresser into an island or sideboard, a headboard into a bench, and so on. Make your kitchen truly unique!
-Use some of your cabinet space to display your pretty bowls, dishes, and baskets by removing a few doors. It's a timeless look!
-Small kitchens can be so charming and cozy. If your kitchen is small, make it your jewel box by adding small punches of personality and character like a lovely light fixture above the sink or pretty decorative touches and hardware like the vintage glass rod towel holder Andrea added to her island. A little will go a long way!
Andrea answered more questions regarding her kitchen update in her post here. Be sure to check out both her beautiful blog and her vintage style shop - Faded Plains: Vintage Inspired Living. {I love her style so much - I just had to share her shop, too!}
Thanks, Andrea, for allowing me to share your inspiring vintage kitchen with everyone! Now who else wants ten houses to makeover?
The 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway list is growing and growing - there are 36 giveaways at the time of this writing and still almost 18 days for more to be added! Thank you to everyone who has contributed a giveaway so far and making year four a great success! Make sure you click on the banner below for more information! There is still plenty of time left to add your giveaway to the list and to sign up to win some really great cottage style gifts!
My Pleating Heart : A Dropcloth Slipcover
Pleats. I love them. I've kept a few photos of the home of Lauren Ross {via Country Living} on file as inspiration for I don't know how long. I mean, how sweet are these?!
Though I hated home economics in high school due largely in part to the half year we spent on sewing and the "C" I was given on my sewing project {a khaki colored jumpsuit that more closely resembled some kind of prison garb, only not made nearly as well}, I know that for me to have any kind of pleated goodness in our home, I'm going to have to create them myself.
One studio project that I needed to tackle was figuring out how to pretty up this Goodwill chair. Yeah. I know. There are three other chairs like it and back a year or so ago, before I was brave enough to pull out my sewing machine, I painted the upholstery on one of them. It turned out great, but I decided I wanted a much softer look for my studio. This chair needed a skirt with pleats o'plenty.
I haven't sewn much since home economics, and it has been years since my last project. But I pulled out my dusty sewing machine
I got off to just a bit of a rocky start when the foot pedal started sparking and smoking...
this past week, oiled it properly, plugged it in, and went to work. I got off to just a bit of a rocky start when the foot pedal started sparking and smoking {which is surely never a good a thing, and it almost made me want to give up before I barely began}. I was able to disassemble the pedal, though, find the loose connection, and after hubs gave it a good going over when he returned from work, I was good to go. I started cutting out pieces on Friday night and by Saturday evening, I was finished. Seems there was much more folding, pinning, and ironing involved with this project than actual sewing! Just to make it clear {and to explain any visible mistakes!}, I have never done anything like this before. My sewing experience has been limited to throw pillows and a couple of little girls' dresses, one of which was never completed because the zipper part befuddled me. So, you see, this was a huge undertaking for me.
Other than the inspiration photos above, I didn't have any other information to go by because all the "how to's" that I tried to read just confused me greatly. Memories of home economics flooded back, so I just winged it and did my own thing - which is what, I'm sure, got me that "C" in the first place!
My pleated slipcover is far from perfect, but considering what the chair looked like before, I think it's a great improvement!
{For those of you who are wondering about the fabric, it's just a new dropcloth that has been washed in warm water and dried to make it nice and soft.}
The first week of the 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway event has gotten off to a great start with over 30 giveaways added already! Thank you to everyone who has contributed a giveaway so far and making year four a great success! Make sure you click on the banner below for more information! There are about 3 weeks left to add your giveaway to the list and to sign up to win some really great cottage style gifts!
Our 500 Year Flood
I've had several of you who knew I live in Tennessee write me out of concern due to the recent flooding here. First of all, I want to say thank you all so much for dropping me notes to inquire of our safety.
I hope that all of you that were in the area are safe and suffered very little damage.
I apologize for not getting back to you right away but we had no internet for most of the day yesterday and it took a while to even get through to our internet service provider {I'm sure they were inundated with calls.} My family and I are just fine and only parts of our home flooded ever so slightly. My studio and our garage - the two low lying spaces in our house - received about 1/4" or so of water both Saturday and again on Sunday {more on that below}. But *nothing* compared to what others experienced. I don't know how much the non-local news reported on this disaster, but is certainly going down in the books as "historic". A "500 Year Flood" is what it has been called. Much of Tennessee was affected along with a couple of other states, and never has anyone seen such a phenomenon in these parts. Throughout the state {Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga - and small towns as well}, creeks that were normally a couple of inches deep and a few feet wide became 10+ feet deep and looked more like raging rivers. So any home especially that may have had a small ditch or anything of that nature near it was at risk. The waters even rose to the surfaces of bridges, flooding them or washing them out. The Cumberland River, which flows through the heart of Nashville, reached 12 feet above flood levels, flooding our beloved downtown area. I just don't think we as Tennesseans were prepared for such a disaster. There were 19 deaths that I know of.
This shot was taken by someone who lives in my hometown about 40 miles away. There is just something eerie about seeing things submerged like this.
Close to home, scenes like this were played out over and over again.
This is my friend's back yard here in my little town... Hubs took a similar photo on our street a few doors down with his cell phone, but I forgot to have him send it to me for this post. I noticed some of my neighbor's belongings had been moved out in their yard this morning with their doors open, trying to air out and clean up.
Just down the road a ways - this creek is usually just a few inches deep. Here it is level with the bridge.
The Opryland area...
Just exactly three months ago, the big blogging conference known as "Blissdom" was held here at the gorgeous Opryland Hotel. I didn't attend the conference, but did go to a pre-conference blogger meet and greet here where I got to meet and chat with Rhoda, Layla, The Nester, Kimba, AnNicole, Chris Ann & Kristen, Melissa, Becky, and many other beautiful bloggers. Now this year's Blissdom location looks like this right now. Restoration could take months. Ironically, those who were staying at the luxurious Opryland this last weekend had to be evacuated to a high school to sleep on cots. And, oh, do I feel sorry for those who had weddings scheduled here on Saturday!
Exterior of Opryland. I read that the flooding here was one story deep.
The famous Grand Ole Opry... *sigh*
This is an *interstate* running through Nashville - about 15 from where I live. The cars and trucks were bobbing up and down like apples.
You are seeing this correctly - that is a building floating down the interestate.
You can see a video of this here. I watched in horror as this unfolded on the news. Awful!
Here at home, as I mentioned, it was the low lying parts of our house that received water. This is the side of our house where some landscaping beds are and where the water crept into the studio. Next to the studio is the garage, and the water accumulated there as well.
Excuse the mess. When the water started pouring in, hubs and I had to make a mad dash to get all of our remodeling supplies such as drywall, trim, and boxes of hardwood flooring off the floor. What wasn't "perishable", we just tossed to the side.
A few of our backyard and the neighbor's backyard. We had a lot of water to the back east side of the house, too, but I wasn't about to step outside in the downpour to take a picture!
So here is the studio that we were working on when the rain hit. Hubs had just installed some baseboards, walked out of the room for five minutes, and when he returned, half the studio floor was covered in a quarter inch of water. And funnily enough, just the night before the flooding - about 12 hours before to be exact, I had started working on a project to freshen up our tile grout. Last night I was removing mud from the grout with a toothbrush, ha!
Another irony is that the studio is an important project right now as I am trying to reach a deadline for an article I'm writing involving the space. So this weekend we really needed to be knocking out projects in there. Instead, we were sopping up water on Saturday, washing and drying our towels late that night, and using them all over again on Sunday for the next wave of rain and water that came in. I ended up working in there anyway. The show must go on!
I hope that all of you that were in the area are safe and suffered very little damage. Hopefully we won't see anything like this again - even 500 years from now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
