My Cottage Look!

Not always Chic...but comfortably lived in!



I loooove what I call the 'Cottage Look'!!! It definitely
is my favorite style, no matter where I see 'THE LOOK', it
doesn't matter what it's called, Shabby Chic, French Country
or The Cottage Look, to me it's BEAUTIFUL, it means one of
a kind decorating with vintage beauty mixed in with varying
shades of WHITE!!! Wait, that isn't always the RULE!
Clean, tasteful and ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL or cluttered, rusty
...and ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL! What about WHITE??? Color is not
forbidden! My rule is...Always use what you have, and only
have what you believe to be BEAUTIFUL!


Nothing to matchy, matchy and if it is, it must be vintage
or 'Hand Made'. We all tend to be collectors of stuff! Beauty
is truly in the eye of the beholder, which also makes the
cottage look more appealing to us. I know that someone may
enjoy 'MY COTTAGE LOOK', but their 'Cottage Look' may be
totally different, making it their own beautiful style and
oh so different! Which is why it's so inviting to so many of
us! It's always different in every home, making it so much
fun for us to take a peek and see what's going on in yet
another 'Cottage Home'!!!

I will tell you right off the get go, that my house is lived
in and if there's a shelf, it's full and our Grandkiddos, are
not forbidden to play here, it's kid friendly, so excuse my
Granddaughters books or a toy here or there, but this is
MY COTTAGE LOOK, comfort is as important to me as the warm
cozy feeling of the look itself!

Here's a portion of my living room, the chaise lounge
is a vintage shorty, that I looove! (I bought it years
ago at the antique mall I had a booth in), The mid century
lounge chair & ottoman with white leather pads are a favorite
of mine (found at a thrift shop a couple of years ago), the
shelf unit was from the 70's, (very ugly), stained almost
black, with gold marbled mirrors in the back, without glass
in the doors or the beautiful green knobs (garage sale find),
the french lamp was an antique store find (I just had to have)
I found the green glass shades at a garage sale a few years
later!!! Beautiful rose trays (a thrift store find)!

The gorgeous vintage window paned door in the background
was a find from a house in a nearby town, it was the
original outside door to that house. I had it cut to fit
the opening from my living room to my family room. It
truly gives these two rooms a warm feeling from the past!

What I really want to share with you, is how I painted my
living room walls...My wall paint isn't stark white, I
call it lace, I found a stencil I liked and painted
using white acrylic paint around my whole living room,
giving it a beautiful background to my 'Cottage Look'!
If you've been thinking it's hard to get the look you want
start small, maybe just painting and start picking up a
few garage sale finds that warm your heart, before you
know it, you'll have a room full of treasured objects that
define your own style and 'Cottage Look'!

An Open Letter to My Pets!

I wish I could take credit for writing this,
but I didn't, I wish I did know, so I could
give them the awesome credit they so deserve!
If you have pets, I know you too, understand!


Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object.. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.


Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

(1) eat less,
(2) don't ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,
(6) don't smoke or drink,
(7) don't want to wear your clothes,
(8) don't have to buy the latest fashions,
(9) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and
(10) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ...

Good Bye Summer, Hello FALL! Follow Me to OUR Farmers Market, Where I Always Have A Ball!

Stroll with me through the "Farmers Market" while I choose
a few veggies and help me pick out a bouquet of flowers,
it sounds much easier than it really is! You'll see!!!

As I walk along the old uneven oil soaked dock towards one of
my very favorite places, I realize as I look out over the water,
how blessed I am to live in the Pacific Northwest, with all
of this at my doorstep!

Oh the Thinks YOU Can Think, (by Dr.Seuss)!From this vantage point!

I love to look across the small harbor of boats & docks to see the
white tents beckoning me closer...

I adore our Farmers Market, it's always a treat to all of my senses!
It naturally picks me up, from the minute I get near the water
front and as I drive onto the wharf, I can feel the excitement in the air!

I love the sights, sounds & smells of an outdoor Market!

Blueberry muffins ANYONE? Simply beautiful!

I love the festive colors!

You can't beat the quality of the fresh veggies &
fruit our local farmers have to offer! I so wish I could
send you a gentle breeze with the aroma from this booth,
it's always heavenly!

Picking my flowers is never as easy as one would think
it would be...too many choices!

Could you easily choose your bouquet?

Usually I choose my flowers because I happen upon an all
white bouquet, with oodles of white lilies,(for fragrance)!

Now you see why I must wander through the whole Farmers Market,
and usually back through again...(which I did this time)
back to the beginning for my gorgeous bouquet!

This is the sweet vendor I bought my fresh bouquet from, she
was such a delight! Normally I buy all white flowers,
I have my cottage white going on, so I opt for beautiful white
flowers most of the time, until Fall, then I go for a
beautiful fall bouquet like this one!