Instagram, Anyone?



I want to thank you all for your words of support and encouragement in my last post, A New Journey.   It means so much to hear from you, and very inspiring to read your comments regarding the fact that Twice Remembered was one of the first blogs you subscribed to. :) It is also endearing to me that you understand change and moving on and will be moving along with me.  I don't know what the future holds, but I certainly have goals and am very excited about what's in store.

Right now, I'm a full time cake decorator.  {Did you see that coming???!}  My job is to make desserts, so not very many complaints there, other than I have a lot less time than  I once did.  I've been on my own for a little over a year, since Valentine's Day of last year in fact {after moving in with my folks for three months}, and I can't believe the positive changes that have taken place in my life since then.  It has been scary at times, I have to admit. {see cell phone photo below, snapped post-separation/ pre-divorce when I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of my old Twice Remembered studio, in the midst of trying to figure out my next move} I was a stay at home mother for almost 20 years and any work that I did was part time and from home...plus it certainly wasn't work that I had to do to keep a roof over my head.  So I've had to hurry-quick learn to be self-sufficient, which is a very, very, GOOD thing.  I'm growing, as we all are.


As I mentioned in my last post, I'm working on a new blog, or at least a new blog design.  I've been on the fence about  whether or not to stay "here" and just change the scenery or to move entirely.  Your input would be greatly appreciated.  

In the meantime, please join me on my instagram page...See Twila Dream {Twila has always been my creative name that I've added to paintings, etc. for years, thus the name of my instagram account.}  I'll also be posting here until the new blog is ready.  

Before I go, check out this dining table that I found at Goodwill last week for only $19.99. {Yes, $19.99...crazy, right?!}  It's an old solid and heavy Duncan Phyfe table that is screaming makeover. I've bought the paint and am ready to dive in.  Stay tuned...and Happy Saturday!




126 comments





A New Journey



Dear friends... I want you to know that I have not forgotten about you.  I miss you AND blogging so much! Some of you, I've known through my blog for over a decade, and well, when that much time passes, life is bound to change in one way or another.  And how things have changed for me in the last couple of years! I want to share with you my journey, what I've been up to, and where I'm headed with my life. 

For now I'd like to tell you that I've been divorced for over a year.  I no longer live at the Twice Remembered Cottage and it is now occupied by good folks who want to continue it's transformation where I left off.  This makes me very happy, and yes, a bit sad as well.  But life goes on, we make new paths for ourselves, and we don't dwell on the past.  Everything that happens in our lives shapes us and paves the way for other beautiful experiences, interests, and adventures.   

I can't tell you how much I look forward to blogging again!  My style preference has evolved, as styles and tastes tend to do when one experiences major life changes, and I've embraced the world of  art, vibrant color, and Bohemian charm. I hope that you'll join me in my new journey, even though it is so very different from my previous one.  I am working on a new blog, and I will be posting here to let you know the location as soon as it is complete and ready to go.  Thank you SO INCREDIBLY MUCH for your patience and friendship, and I hope to "see you" soon. :)

With much love,

Kim

41 comments





A Cottage Bedroom - The Marmalade Makeover


Hello friends, and Hello 2013!  I hope this brand new year finds you and your family happy and well.  We've been chipping away at this little house and today I have a bedroom makeover I'd like to share with you. 


I believe the last time I wrote about a cottage style bedroom makeover was back in 2010 when we installed the hardwood in our youngest girls' room.  Well, this month, we were able to work on our oldest daughter's room while she was away on a trip.  {This is the last room in the house that needed hardwood, and I am so glad THAT job is behind us!}

  I neglected to take any before photos before we moved her furniture and things out because a) we had very little time for the project and I just wanted to get down to business and b) oh, it was so ugly!  Imagine gray berber carpet that was well over a decade old and tired, beaten up periwinkle walls.  I did catch a shot with my cell phone right after we ripped the carpet up and began patching the walls.  As you can see, we did some work on the closet...enlarged it, actually.  For some reason, originally there were two small closets on one wall, which resulted in wasted closet and wall space.  So we combined the two closets. Much better!


All primed and ready for paint! 


  After the paint was on the walls, we installed hardwood {Bruce, 3/4" oak in a finish called 'Marsh'}, added crown moulding, and finally, added farmhouse style baseboards and window trim.  We will add a wood plank ceiling down the road...still not a fan of the popcorn! Again, I didn't have a lot of time to take 'in progress' photos, though I wish I did!  

So what color did my girl request for her room?


 Orange. I have never used orange myself, but she is a teenager and knows what she likes.  I found a shade called 'Marmalade' by Behr which I thought might work well and so I hoped for the best. I gotta admit, when we first put it on the walls, I was a little hesitant, but....I don't think a more perfect color could have been chosen.  


I was worried about how the wood finish and traditional style of her furniture would work with such a bold color, but I think adding lots of crisp white and  refreshing, complementary blues helped to bring it all together.




I had toyed with the idea of introducing some shades of green and had actually bought a pretty green striped rug, but it seemed out of place.  So I searched for another one and was thrilled to discover this rag rug at Ross for $12 in the exact shade of blue I felt the room needed.  




The thing about having children, and especially a teenager, is that your idea of what looks nice and their ideas are often quite different.  So before we moved all of my daughter's things into the room, I had fun photographing a few accessories that she would never go for.  


Shells and teacups and pretty books about the beach, for instance.  


This table is actually a small white table topped with a larger painted framed mirror.  I needed a table for another photo shoot a few months back and had a mirror hanging around in the attic. Why not? :)



I glued burlap to the mirror, let it dry completely, and then simply painted it.


The curtains were from Target.  I had a hard time finding what I liked in the length I needed {95"} so I was pretty happy about finding these - and they were very inexpensive at $13 a panel.  I used four panels total for a fuller look.  It's hard to tell from the photos, but the curtain rod extends 9 inches from each side of the window, making the window appear much larger than it actually is.


I found this sweet little lamp at Ross.  It was actually the first thing I found for the bedroom after the paint was on the walls.  When I saw the blue, I knew it would be just lovely with the Marmalade walls.



If you ever find a vintage globe while out thrifting, buy it.  Just do.  {I have to admit, I'm a little sad that my girl chose not to leave it in her room, but that's ok...I'll use it elsewhere!} 


Again, the 'before/in progress' shot...


...and the same space now.  LOVE the chunky trim!  It's just 6" wide pine.  Easy peasy to install with no mitered cuts.  The crown moulding was easy, too, with those nifty corner pieces.  We painted the trim and doors Ultra Pure White by Behr.  The doors still need another coat!


We added the wood appliques {bought at Lowes} to these doors as we have on all the other doors in the house.  Just a little something pretty.



The inside of closet still needs shelving and a clothing rod, but that's another project. ;)


I'm on the lookout on Craigslist for a desk and bookshelf for this wall.  It's a little bare now.


My only regret is that we weren't able to get to this room much sooner.  My baby leaves for college in another state at the end of August.  I'm not even going to think about that right now. Needless to say, I hope this year goes by muuuuuch slower than the last! 


Edited to add:  Before I began my search for coordinating colors and accessories, I found the color board below on Pinterest and fell in love! This is what inspired me to try to add some green to the room.  It *would* have worked  well  if the rug I bought wasn't striped.  It really clashed with the patterned lamp shade and made the room feel busy and disjointed.  BUT, as you can see from this color board, with a good balance of the right patterns, these colors work beautifully together!


I hope you enjoyed this bedroom makeover and I can't wait to share more projects with you in 2013!  I have an ambitious list of goals to tackle as time and money allow and I thank you so much for continuing to be here to share this journey with us!

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself. -Neil Gaiman



48 comments





Down the Rabbit Hole...


“What is REAL?" asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day... "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When [someone] loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. 

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand... once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.” 
― Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit


Meet our two new cottage babies that we brought home in the spring:  Talulah Tippytoes - the snuggler, the follower, the funny bunny, the girly girl...


and her sister Little Bea Sugarwhiskers - the observer, the thinker, the curious mastermind of adventure, the "please-pet-me-but-do-not-hold-me-or-I-will-taste-you-with-my-teeth" girl... 

They are both pleased to make your acquaintance. Even Bea.  Really.

16 comments





Goodbye Fall, Hello Winter


In just about three weeks, my favorite season of the year will officially give way to winter - whether I'm ready for it or not.

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
-George Eliot
The coats, hats, and gloves have been out for a few weeks now, frosty windshields have already been scraped a time or two, and it's a rare tree around here that still has any straggling leaves.  {Near the end of fall, I always search for and begin observing a tree in my yard that has just a few leaves remaining, then fewer, then fewer still, then three...two...one singular leaf. I like to see how long the last one can hang on. A little leaf one winter hung on the entire season!}  Though I'm not overly fond of cold weather, I appreciate the fact that winter has it's own unique way of slowing us down and turning us inward, both literally and introspectively.  I welcome both after a busy summer and fall.

One fun project that I enjoyed near the end up of September was a little fall piece I did for the October/November issue of Sage Magazine.  The theme of the issue was 'cozy' so I decided to take advantage of the fair weather and do a couple of outdoor scenes in the spirit of romantic glamping, or, as I've learned in the last year or so, "glamorous camping".  I don't know much about glamour, but I certainly do believe in whimsy and magical places and pretty little things that just make a girl smile.

So we built a tent out of a simple frame and sheets, blankets, and even curtains....


Inside, we filled it with a cozy feather mattress, quilts, throws, and pillows.  Perfect for outdoor reading {or a nap!}


Call me old-fashioned, but I love crocheted shams and bedcovers.  There's just something romantic about them.  {I made the brown paisley pillows...can you believe I didn't sew my fingers together not even once?}


I also thought it would be sweet to make a pennant banner from various fabrics to string along the top of the tent ceiling. I'm so glad you can't see the, ahem...interesting...stitching lines I sewed across top of it!


I wanted this little tent to have a hanging lamp, so I took an old shade and stripped it down to it's metal frame.  Then I just knotted strips of linen and burlap all the way around, adding accents of tulle along the bottom. The light is a battery operated candle in a little mason jar.  


For the dinner tablescape, I went with a collection of items that I felt would work well for both fall and winter, indoors or out.  Of course, I had to throw on a crocheted tablecloth to set the stage...


along with a green garland and plenty of pops of red with apples, a rose and hydrangea arrangement {from Hobby Lobby.  I tucked in real sprigs of baby's breath to help fool the eye}, and some homemade tomato soup.


I can never seem to pass up those tiny little glasses that I'm always seeing at thrift stores.  I put them to use by wrapping them with various things such as cinnamon sticks and adding tea lights.   {hint: secure the cinnamon sticks with a rubber band first, then cover the rubber band with fabric a fabric strip.}


Here's another little glass that I covered in linen and converted into a candle holder.  Just sweet and simple.


                           

I really loved the shape of this lamp shade but not the original fabric.  So I stripped it down to the metal frame and recovered it in a piece of crochet work that I found years ago at Goodwill.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out but it was a bit tricky getting the scallops to sit just right.  It kind of killed me to cut into the crochet because I wasn't sure if I was going about it correctly, and like I said, I've had this piece for years.  Ever had one of those "this could be fabulous or it could be a total failure" kind of projects?  This was definitely one of mine and I was a more than a little skeered, let me tell ya.  


But sometimes you just gotta take those risks because you never know. I ended up using any extra crochet work that was cut off as trim on the brown paisley pillows, so it all worked out.:)  I used another little mason jar with a battery operated candle to light it up and hung it from a tree branch  with cotton string above the table.


Are we all still singing the praises of wooden pallets?  I know I am.  I had taken a before shot of what this pallet looked like originally, but I took it with my cell phone and then recently dropped my phone in the toilet, ugh!  But just imagine an old beat up wooden pallet.  I stained it a nice rich brown and it became the perfect low lying picnic/dessert table set atop my adored chenille quilt that I affectionately call 'grandma blanket'.  Don't judge.  She was a very inexpensive find at Old Time Pottery many, many years ago and she seems to just get tougher  with age.  Isn't that exactly what a grandma should do anyway? Also, there is a grandpa blanket, but we'll feature him another time.


More little homemade candle holders using various items such as burlap, twigs, tulle, and lace doilies... {hint: Turn a small container upside down, drape a doily over it, and spray several coats of spray starch - letting each coat dry before applying the next.  Then carefully remove the doily from the glass and insert a battery operated wax candle.}  



A table runner was created by tearing {not cutting} a long strip of  linen that came from an old curtain panel.  More natural elements such as blooming branches, berries, pine cones, apples, acorns, and cinnamon sticks were layered on to cozy the table up.  


I usually use this large glass cloche for decorative purposes, but apparently flies love chocolate brownies as much as I do.  They were being quite the pests during this shoot, so I finally got to use my cloche for a practical purpose.  


More pillows, pillows, pillows and crisp white tableware to contrast nicely against the richer browns, greens, and reds...





  I keep recommending battery operated candles because a couple of weeks or so ago I caught the living room on fire with a regular candle.  It was a silly mistake in which I draped some fabric over the top of it, forgetting that it was even there.  We were able to put the fire out with a garden hose before the six or seven {*sigh*} firetrucks arrived.  The birds and bunnies just happened to be flying and hopping around the living room when the fire broke out, but none were harmed, thank goodness.  I have a couple of pieces of furniture pieces to refinish or replace, including one of my favorite reading chairs that I got at Goodwill a couple of years ago,  some drywall and beadboard to repair, and a few scorch marks on the floor to live with, but it could have been much worse, and for that I am extremely thankful.  I still use regular candles, but for candles anywhere near fabric, like the candle holders I made above, I highly recommend battery operated, just to be on the safe side.

We'll talk again soon, dear friends! Until then, cozy up and brace yourself {like the last little tree leaf} as we say goodbye to delicious autumn and welcome winter...I hope you all are doing well! 

63 comments




Older Posts
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)



  • this and that

    • home
    • about
    • FAQ / have a question?
    • blogs of note
    • email

    categories

    • dining room
    • dollhouse
    • exterior
    • food
    • hallway
    • inspiration
    • kitchen
    • living room
    • personal
    • poetry and quotes
    • small projects
    • studio
    • thrifty finds

    search

    memory lane

    • ▼  2016 (2)
      • April 2016 (2)
    • ►  2013 (1)
      • January 2013 (1)
    • ►  2012 (4)
      • November 2012 (2)
      • July 2012 (2)
    • ►  2011 (30)
      • November 2011 (2)
      • October 2011 (2)
      • September 2011 (2)
      • July 2011 (3)
      • June 2011 (1)
      • May 2011 (7)
      • April 2011 (4)
      • February 2011 (2)
      • January 2011 (7)
    • ►  2010 (101)
      • October 2010 (2)
      • September 2010 (8)
      • August 2010 (2)
      • July 2010 (5)
      • June 2010 (6)
      • May 2010 (10)
      • April 2010 (10)
      • March 2010 (15)
      • February 2010 (23)
      • January 2010 (20)
    • ►  2009 (104)
      • December 2009 (7)
      • November 2009 (10)
      • October 2009 (11)
      • September 2009 (10)
      • August 2009 (24)
      • July 2009 (12)
      • May 2009 (16)
      • April 2009 (2)
      • March 2009 (8)
      • February 2009 (3)
      • January 2009 (1)
    • ►  2008 (55)
      • December 2008 (1)
      • November 2008 (8)
      • October 2008 (1)
      • September 2008 (7)
      • August 2008 (2)
      • July 2008 (6)
      • June 2008 (12)
      • May 2008 (11)
      • March 2008 (2)
      • February 2008 (1)
      • January 2008 (4)
    • ►  2007 (65)
      • November 2007 (3)
      • October 2007 (1)
      • September 2007 (4)
      • August 2007 (4)
      • July 2007 (1)
      • June 2007 (4)
      • May 2007 (9)
      • April 2007 (9)
      • March 2007 (11)
      • February 2007 (6)
      • January 2007 (13)
    • ►  2006 (107)
      • December 2006 (12)
      • November 2006 (4)
      • October 2006 (3)
      • September 2006 (4)
      • August 2006 (3)
      • July 2006 (16)
      • June 2006 (16)
      • May 2006 (17)
      • April 2006 (9)
      • March 2006 (7)
      • February 2006 (13)
      • January 2006 (3)
    • ►  2005 (23)
      • December 2005 (6)
      • November 2005 (3)
      • September 2005 (6)
      • August 2005 (1)
      • July 2005 (3)
      • April 2005 (3)
      • March 2005 (1)
    • ►  2004 (4)
      • December 2004 (1)
      • November 2004 (1)
      • October 2004 (1)
      • August 2004 (1)

    as featured in...

    as featured in...

    inspiration

    • The Graphics Fairy
    • Miss Mustard Seed
    • The Gardener's Cottage
    • MARLEY and LOCKYER
    • Notes from A Cottage Industry
    • Air Kiss
    • home and harmony
    • FleaMarketTrixie
    • White Living
    • me and Alice
    • Dreamy Whites
    • Jennys Hem och Harmoni
    • Burlap Luxe
    • French Larkspur
    • The Painted Hive
    • BELLE BLANC
    • Et à part ça ?
    • Fiona and Twig
    • A Country Farmhouse
    • Vita Verandan
    • Agnes Shabby Chic
    • Vita Ranunkler
    • Linden Townhouse
    • Cottage Dreamers
    • an angel at my table
    • Welcome to Boxwood Cottage!
    • LA MAISON DOUCE
    • Modern Country
    • {oc cottage}
    • BELDECOR
    • Millas hem
    • 52 FLEA
    • Meadowbrook Farm
    • Lilla Blanka
    • K&K Test Kitchen
    • Hvítur Lakkrís
    • Brabourne Farm
    • Maple & Magnolia
    • The Old Painted Cottage - The Blog
    • white flower farmhouse
    • {Beautiful Nest}
    • The Fairfield House
    • Ticking and Toile
    • miss gracie's house
    • Crème de la Crème
    • Whimsy by Victoria
    • Faded Prairie
    • between cottage and cabin
    • Spets och snor
    • Faded Plains
    • frugal farmhouse design
    • Barn House
    • Anettes Hus
    • Songbird
    • Un autre été
    Show 25 Show All
  • extra! extra!

    extra! extra!


    my little shop

    kitchen

    kitchen

    studio progress

    studio progress

    small projects

    small projects

    thrifty finds

    thrifty finds

    food

    food

    dollhouse blog

    dollhouse blog

    subscribe

    Posts
    Atom
    Posts
    All Comments
    Atom
    All Comments

    email updates

    Enter your email address:

stay in touch

popular posts

  • Make Your Own Magnet Board
    "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson I appreciate everyone's well wishes in my last...
  • Transformation of a Cottage Kitchen Part 2: Antique / Farmhouse Style Red Cabinet Makeover
    K itchen cabinetry. Really, your kitchen cabinetry can be considered one of the major furniture pieces of your home and, to say the least, Y...
  • Make Your Own Vintage Art ... With Nail Polish Remover!
    I know I left you all hanging on Wednesday when I said that I was working on transforming the framed art below with my {not so secret} secr...
  • Everything and the Kitchen Sink: Farmhouse Sink Inspiration Photos
    F armhouse sinks. I don't think I've ever seen one that I didn't love. Usually what first comes to mind when we think of these o...
  • Red Cottage Kitchen Vignettes and Hardwood Photos
    Y ou all left such lovely comments in my last entry about our new hardwood flooring. Thank you! It was a backbreaking job as you may well k...
  • Perfect White Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    I 've been thinking about all of you who are having to endure these huge snowstorms in various parts of the country. How are you faring?...
  • Decoupage Goodness
    D ecoupage. I love it! After my last project that involved decoupaging, I believe I've convinced myself that I want to use old book pag...
  • Photos: Red Cottage / Farmhouse "Antique" Kitchen Cabinets *FINALLY* Complete!
    Get Your Own! | View Slideshow I didn't think I'd ever see the day where I could officially say..."The cabinets are fini...
  • Instagram, Anyone?
    I want to thank you all for your words of support and encouragement in my last post, A New Journey .   It means so much to hear from y...
  • A Cottage Bedroom - The Marmalade Makeover
    H ello friends, and Hello 2013 !  I hope this brand new year finds you and your family happy and well.  We've been chipping away at...



 cottage guests now visiting

The Twice Remembered Cottage © 2008 Free Premium Wordpress Themes and BlackQuanta | Bloggerized by : GosuBlogger