Things as they ought to be…

 

A vintage enamel bucket next to my garden hydrangeas in a milk glass vase.  Classic combo.

A vintage enamel bucket next to my garden hydrangeas in a milk glass vase. Classic combo.

 

I try to make life a little easier these days.  Without time enough in the day to do all the things I want to do requires me to prioritize that which is most important.

As such, I try to find furnishings for my home that need not be changed in order for me to like it.  I want things that I love in their “as found” condition.  I’d be a happy girl if I never picked up a block sander and paintbrush again.  I’d rather spend time admiring something’s prettiness than trying to cajole it into something else.

A couple of months ago, I found a rusty, vintage nine piece wrought iron patio set.  My first order of business was to get it powder coated to pretty up the finish.  But then I thought “no”…let’s not worry about perfection.  Let’s just let it be.

A new outdoor rug, some custom cushions, a few market items from Pottery Barn and we are good to go.

So here you have it.  A summer porch with rusty furniture.  And frankly, I couldn’t be happier.

I hope you find some inspiration.

xoxo.

Always,

Cindy

Rusty and the refined.  Linen pillows, custom cushion make these some very comfortable vintage rocking chairs.

Rusty and the refined. Linen pillows, custom cushion make these some very comfortable vintage rocking chairs.

 

Big blue striped pillows, a lantern filled with sand, shells and citronella and an antique pewter mailbox all feel very coastal.

Big blue striped pillows, a lantern filled with sand, shells and citronella and an antique pewter mailbox all feel very coastal.

 

The stripes in the rug play against the flag stripes, the blue in the pillows play against the blue in the flag.

The stripes in the rug play against the flag stripes, the blue in the pillows play against the blue in the flag.

An vintage camp chair covered with a vintage grain sack that can be used for extra seating and folded up when not in use.

An vintage camp chair covered with a vintage grain sack that can be used for extra seating and folded up when not in use.

 

 

 

The French Laundry

Fresh, white and clean sheets with lavender scent in the vintage French Laundry Basekt

Fresh, white and clean sheets with lavender scent in the vintage French Laundry Basket

I stumbled upon some french laundry baskets this Memorial Day weekend at an antique warehouse in Forney, Texas.  I have wanted one for a long, long time but hadn’t found one at the right price.  As luck would have it, DeRidder Antiques was having a Spring Cleaning sale and they were very reasonably priced…so I bought three.

Few simple things bring as much pleasure as line dried bed linens washed in home made lavender laundry detergent.  The smell and feel of crisp, white linens pulled taught on a freshly made bed that beckon a heavenly rest.

My laundry closet is like my house; not fancy or well appointed…but simple, straightforward and quaint.  No apologies…it just is what it is.

The perfect place for home made lavender laundry detergent.

Simple Washing Powder

16 cups baking soda

12 cups borax

8  cups grated castile or glycerin soap flakes*

3 tablespoons lavender,  lemon or grapefruit essential oil

Combine baking soda, borax and  soap flakes. Add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk. Use 1⁄8 cup per  load.

 

The basic items needed: Borax, Baking Soday, Soap Flakes and Essential Oil.

The basic items needed: Borax, Baking Soday, Soap Flakes and Essential Oil.

Soap flakes just look clean, don't they?

Soap flakes just look clean, don’t they?

 

A vintage enamel bowl is put to good use to mix Borax, Baking Soda, Soap Flakes and Lavender essential oil.

A vintage enamel bowl is put to good use to mix Borax, Baking Soda, Soap Flakes and Lavender essential oil.

Vintage containers hold linen water, Borax and cleaning supplies

Vintage containers hold linen water, Borax and cleaning supplies

 

Vintage Mason Jars filled with old wood and wire clothes pins with a sweet home made label

Vintage Mason Jars filled with old wood and wire clothes pins with a sweet home made label

 

Using office supply oak tags and alphabet stamps for laundry room labeling

Using office supply oak tags and alphabet stamps for laundry room labeling

 

Home Made Lavender Laundry Detergent.

Home Made Lavender Laundry Detergent.

Freshly dried and folded linens in the French Laundry Basket.

Freshly dried and folded linens in the French Laundry Basket.

 

 

Apothecary Four Ways

 

Tarnished german glitter glass is a lovely foil for the beautiful vintage jars.

Tarnished German glitter glass is a lovely foil for the beautiful vintage jars.

My inspiration for this article was a monogrammed handkerchief from my grandmother, Mary Keifer.  I have had it for years, but it sits in a drawer and that seems not to honor her.  And in a moment, I had this thought that I could tie it around one of my many apothecary jars, kind of like a vintage label with the “K” monogram on the front.  I really couldn’t think of a better vessel to display her lovely little gift to me.  Vintage with vintage.   And it is in a spot in my house that I see every day and in doing so, smile at her life and her memory.

As I was arranging the handkerchief around the bottle, it reminded me of all the other ways I use vintage apothecary jars, so I thought I would share them with you.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

A wide mouth apothecary jar holds lovely scented votive candles.

#1:  A wide mouth (for filling and grabbing) apothecary jar holds lovely scented votive candles.

 

 

Elevate a vintage jar by setting it in a vintage matte white pottery piece.

#2: Elevate a vintage jar by setting it in a vintage matte white pottery piece.

VIntage Handkerchief as a label of sorts.

#3: Vintage Handkerchief as a label of sorts.

An homage to Grandma Kiefer

An homage to Grandma Kiefer

A variety of vintage jars collected from all over next to a vintage reproduction clock.

A variety of vintage jars collected from all over next to a vintage reproduction clock.

 

A lovely little apothecary jar found for $2 now holds make up remover in the most lovely way.

#4: A lovely little apothecary jar found for $2 now holds make up remover in the most lovely way.

Vintage lamp, a variety of jars used in a number of ways, old bathroom mirror agains a crisp white back drop make for a lovely vignette.

Vintage lamp, a variety of jars used in a number of ways, old bathroom mirror agains a crisp white back drop make for a lovely vignette.

 This blog article is in honor of my Grandma Kiefer, who I miss dearly.

My dad's mother, Grandma Kiefer.

My dad’s mother, Grandma Kiefer.

 

 

 

 

 

At the Corner of White and Pine.

 

Home is where the heart is.

Home is where the heart is.

White. Pine.  Or Chippy White and Patina Pine.  Both of those finishes are the finishes that I am transitioning the antiques in my cottage to.  Yesterday while strolling through downtown McKinney on a beautiful crisp winter day, I found this little market item: a little white heart. Painted white it is made of stone or something and has some weight to it.  A heavy heart, you could say.

So I brought it home and found a special place for it.  So it goes that home is where the Heart is.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

The Corner of White & Pine

The Corner of White & Pine

Vintage French Monogram Linen Sofa Slipcover

 

Pieced together to showcase the lovely handwork with a decorative stitch for some flare.

Pieced together to showcase the lovely handwork with a decorative stitch for some flare.

When I go to the Round Top Antiques Show, one way I treat myself is to pick up some vintage french sheets.  The trick is figuring out a way to use them wisely and showcase the lovely hand embroidered initials.  Last year, I did a monogram headboard slipcover using my special vintage finds.

One of my other projects is a love seat slip cover, along with a side table slipcover.  In the case of the love seat, I had to cut and sew the fabric and piece it together in order to keep the embroidery front and center.  The side table is a simple IKEA side table that I slip covered with leftover fabric from the sofa project.  Some piping and antique lace helped to upgrade this unremarkable modern table.

Since this is a transitional time between Winter and Spring (spring if you go by our weather for the last couple of days) the rest of my decor is refined and edited as we look ahead to warmer weather.  In the living room with the slipcovered sofa, I styled the fireplace mantle by using vintage mercury ornaments as vase filler along with the (now) dried pepperberry branches leftover from the holidays, I feel like I am keeping a nod to winter, but looking ahead to a crisp clean spring time.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

Vintage all the way around.

Vintage all the way around.

White 1750's cabinet set against the contemporary IKEA table.

White 1750’s cabinet set against the contemporary IKEA table.

 

Piping detail and vintage lace make this slipcover very special.

Piping detail and vintage lace make this slipcover very special and turns a run-of-the-mill table into something with great vintage styling.

Matte White Potter, Ironstone Pitcher and candles wrapped with velvet ribbon.

Matte White Potter, Ironstone Pitcher and candles wrapped with velvet ribbon.

 

Old linen runner that is a family heirloom along with an antique alabaster lamp.

Old linen runner that is a family heirloom along with an antique alabaster lamp.

Old onion skin typewriter paper with a german glass glitter starfish for a paper weight.

Old onion skin typewriter paper with a german glass glitter starfish for a paper weight.

 

She is a big, silly sweet girl.

She is a big, silly sweet girl.

Simple and edited.  Rustic against the refined.

Simple and edited. Rustic against the refined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using the Vintage for Storage

 

A variety of vintage and antique containers.

For a long time, I used to collect vintage aluminium measuring spoons that came in a set, held together with a small ring.  The problem, however, was that aluminum does not come through a wash cycle in the dishwasher very well and keeping them on a ring was necessary to keep them from getting lost…but kind of inconvenient for practical use.  It seemed that being able to grab them and use them individually made more sense…but I wanted to find spoons that were more substantial and had some style to them.

I was perusing an import store and found a set of white china measuring spoons for a very reasonable $2.99 a set and decided on the spot that I wanted several sets to break apart and use a variety of little vintage containers that I already had in my collection.

Even the most functional storage can be beautiful and useful.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

 

Stored by measurement, as a group.

Organization that Works!

[hana-code-insert name=’cottagesbungalos’ /]

The Simple Summer Table

 

Simple.

 

Summer is a time when I prefer a simpler routine so I strive to find ways to create beauty and comfort with very little effort.

This is the first in a three part series on seasonal tables for summer, fall and winter.  And for those followers that have been asking, the dining room reveal will be my first blog article next week.

I used very simple ideas to create this easy, yet beautiful table setting. Here some of the ideas (sources to the right):

  • Simple white (neutral) table cloth
  • Contrasting neutral runner
  • Old architectural column riser as a centerpiece base (Good Look, Inc.)
  • Vintage jar as a vase with simple white field flowers  (Good Look, Inc.)
  • 107 year old pages from a music publication for place mats
  • Mixed vintage silverware
  • Mixed vintage silver napkin rings
  • Vintage Mini Cruets (Fringe)
  • Antique ironstone butter pats used for individual salt & pepper
  • Simple white votive candles
  • Vintage (newly made) milk bottle for decanting ice water (Glass Milk Bottles -new)
  • New cotton towels for napkins (IKEA, .79 cents)
  • Vintage aluminum salt shaker for a toothpick holder

I hope that you find some inspiration!

Always,

Cindy

Remember to click twice on each picture to bigify them!

 

 

Opportunity for Refinement

 

Vintage Eastlake Frame.

Alabaster.

 

White Field Flowers.

Gray Antique Wood.

Ironstone.

 

Vintage Eastlake Frame. Alabaster. White Field Flowers. Salvaged Wood. Ironstone. Similar in tone, but different in texture and all present an opportunity for refinement.

Lovingly, I say that my kitchen is not the most refined kitchen.  It doesn’t have high end finishes like carrera marble, a tiled back splash or a sparkly chandelier.  It is a simple straightforward space with plenty of opportunity for refinement.  I try to think of it in terms of being a room, not a kitchen.  This opens up my thinking when making these small, but impactful changes.

This particular vignette started out with decorative objects that were holdovers from the kitchen before I embarked on my budget friendly remodel.  My eye and taste have evolved and I am now setting about to fine tune the style of the kitchen to flow better with the rest of the house.

An antique jug lamp, vintage soda bottles, a bread board and a folk art painting have been replaced with an alabaster lamp, a beautiful ironstone pitcher, an eastlake frame with a 250 year old nautical print and a newish mercury glass hurricane globe paired with and perched on top of an architectural and antique baluster do the trick.  These small changes have added a great deal of style to the entire kitchen.  The are the first thing you see when you enter the house and the first thing you see when you enter the kitchen and they set the tone for the entire house.

Thanks to my good friend and great shop owner, Vince at Good Look, Inc located the lamp, Eastlake frame and ironstone and Nancy at Ella Elaine, here in DT McKinney was the source for the mercury hurricane.  They both have such wonderful taste and style that I have benefited from.  Thank you!

Take a look and see what you think.  I hope you walk away with some inspiration!

Always,

Cindy

Before.

After.

 

 

 

Antique Find: The Champagne Bucket

Prosecco in ice. How nice.

Country or cottage living is inherently romantic.  It isn’t just a design style, but for many of us it is a way of living.

I was visiting my friend, Judy Jonker, who was having a yard sale.  Now her yard sales aren’t like most yard sales.  She is a creative spirit who also loves all things old.  So she had some really special pieces.  When she isn’t having yard sales, she shows at Fringe, The Event, which is a monthly antique and vintage show here in McKinney.

I spied a vintage blue bowl on a table;  liked it, but moved on.  Then I turned around and about 20 feet away from me was an old, white, chippy plant stand.  The second I saw it, I had this instant thought that the enamel bowl I had just seen would fit perfectly in the plant stand, if I turned the plant stand upside down.

So I grabbed the bowl, turned the plant stand over and voila…it was a perfect fit.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it…but I knew I loved it.

I brought it home and decided on putting it in my newly re-designed dining room as a lovely little wine or champagne bucket.  (As a foot note, the dining room redesign reveal will be featured in this blog very soon)

And so it goes…a romantic touch for a romantic girl.

xoxo,

Cindy

Old plant stand, new life.

Time worn and lovely.

Vintage enamel bowl in an old plant stand.

 

Antique and Vintage Glass

 

Etched Stoppers.

 

It is always nice when you find antique and vintage items that not only have charm and character, but are also completely functional.  Vintage and antique glass is just such an item that finds itself right at home for today’s living, even though many pieces are decades old and made for another time, another sensibility and another way of life.

Thank you to my good friend, Vince at Good Look, Inc..  He has been a great source for some my most recent vintage glass finds! Please stop by his store or visit him on facebook.  He has such great taste and style and finds so many interesting things!

Here are several pieces of my personal collection.  Enjoy!

Always,

Cindy

From my grandmother.  Makes me smile to think about her.

Beautiful Silhouettes.

 

Collection of Vintage Glass Apothecary Jars in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Beautiful etched pattern to hold bathroom items like make up remover, cotton balls and scented body powder.

 

Vintage Bail Wire bottles, mason jars and a vintage apothecary jar to hold lavender linen water.

I love the small scale of this vintage lab beaker; makes it fun to use.

Vintage Glass to hold all the cooking essentials: salt, pepper, vinegars and oils.

Vintage Compote.