Falling into Fall.

July 27, 2012 by 3 Comments

 

A Goulish Arrangement in a vintage orange pitcher.

 

This blogging thing is still relatively new to me.  The idea that retailers and bloggers alike are thinking about Fall while we, here in Texas are just at the beginning of our mean season is a bit of a challenge.

The earlier the better, I suppose.  It gives our wonderful and loyal followers enough lead time to start thinking about Fall design.  It just might get here in the blink of an eye.

Some ideas for Halloween decor…maybe you will find something that inspires you!

Always,

Cindy

Remember to click twice to bigify!

As a footnote, this article is being submitted for consideration for Whisperwood Cottage’s “All Things Fall” link party:

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

 

Filed Under: Holiday and Seasonal, My Home, Projects Tagged With: , , , , ,

Anatomy of a Redesign – Part 2, The Reveal

July 26, 2012 by 1 Comment

 

Cozy Niche.

I am a person who loves balance and symmetry.  I am learning that one trick of design is getting balance through asymmetry.  I am not quite good at it, but I am learning!

This re-design is really about one simple change that lent itself to an entire transformation….it has been staring at me for years and I missed it.  It involved moving my dining room table from the middle of the room (symmetry) to one side of the room (asymmetry).  By using two benches in a window seat fashion, it allowed me to tuck the table into the corner of the room and create a  more open space, improve the traffic flow and have a more intimate and comfortable dining area.

Here is a rundown of what I did during this re-design:

  • Benches.  The benches used for the window seat were handcrafted by a local artisan.  I had them custom made to mimic the seat depth and height of a normal chair.  The decision to build the benches with the same dimensions of a chair made all the difference in the world in making the benches very comfortable. (if you are interested in custom benches, please email me from the “contact me” page and I will give you the artisan’s contact information)
  • Cushions.  Another opportunity to add the vintage touch, I used old quilts for cushion covers and filled them with down.  The cushions are very comfortable and along with the throw pillows, make the dining niche very comfy and cozy.  They really invite you to linger and use the table for reading and computer work.
  • Collections.  A design trick is to group collections or use repetition to create impact.  So I used the various built in shelves to showcase my antique oil lamp collection, vintage compotes and milk glass.
  • Storage.  I was able to add an antique wall cabinet that I had sitting in my garage for flair and extra storage.
  • Cost.  The total cost for this redesign was the cost for the benches, which was very, very reasonable.  Other than the benches, everything else were items that I had: oil lamps, milk glass, pillows, wall cabinet, antique and vintage small wares and fabric and stuffing for bench cushions.

I hope you enjoy the transformation and find some inspiration for your space!

Always,

Cindy

Here are the pictures:

Remember to click twice to bigify!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Before 'n After, My Home, Projects Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Simple Summer Table

July 19, 2012 by 2 Comments

 

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!

 

 

Filed Under: Antique Finds, Holiday and Seasonal, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lavender: Two Ways

July 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

Dried Lavender.

 

I love lavender.  For me, it is such a relaxing and calming aromatic that I can’t get enough of it.  I keep dried lavender and  lavender oil around the house and try to use it in as many different ways as possible.

Making sachets with dried lavender is nothing new.  These particular sachets that I made are for a friend who will be giving them out at a family birthday party.  They are particularly sentimental because each one is made using her grandmother’s vintage linen napkins and handkerchiefs.

I made a point of hand sewing each one shut, once they were stuffed with the dried lavender. It would have been easier to use a sewing machine to finish up, but I really wanted them to have the handmade feel, so I finished each one up by hand.

Also, I use lavender oil and mix with water to make cold compresses for being outside on a hot summer day.  I used to attend bootcamp where our instructor would freeze cold compresses and bring them to us for summer work outs.  Even though it was 5:30 in the morning, here in Texas, it was still 85 degrees outside even before the sun came up.

Since our instructor worked so hard in creating the work outs, I offered to take on the cold compress duty.  However,  I put my spin on it by adding lavender oil to the water before I saturated the facecloths.  Jackpot.

It was such a pleasant way to cool off, I started making them and keeping them in the fridge to grab throughout the summer.  They are great for a day of flea marketing or antiquing, hiking, picnics, and outdoor summer celebrations.  When my mother comes to visit, she sits on the front porch alot and these little compresses do the trick in cooling her off and are very relaxing.  On occasion, I use them as a compress over my eyes to go to sleep.  The lavender smells so lovely and the coolness of the face cloth is very soothing.

The trick, I learned, is to wring out the wash cloth until it is just a smidge beyond damp.  Roll them up and put in zip lock bags and put in the fridge to grab for use.  If you are going out for a day long outing, put them in the freezer overnight, then put them in an insulated bag for use throughout the day.  Just a few drops of lavender oil to a bathroom sink full of water and you will yield about 12 or so cloths.  If you prefer a stronger scent of lavender, just add more drops of oil.

Try it…you will be glad you did!

xoxo,

Cindy

Post Publish Update:  I got an email this evening and according to LocalHarvest.org, it is lavender month this month.  Here is a recipe (from them) for Lavender Lemonade and some relevant links for lavender products:

Links:

Lavender Products

Lavender Lemonade:

Herbal Lemonade Boil 2 cups of water and pour over a 2″ sprig of rosemary OR 1 heaping tablespoon of lavender flowers. Steep for 5-8 minutes and then remove herbs. Add 1/3 c. sugar or honey and stir to dissolve. Pour into a 1 quart jar and add 1/4 c. lemon juice. Fill the rest of the way with cold water. Chill and taste, adjusting lemon and sweetness to taste. Serve over ice, with a small fresh sprig of rosemary or lavender if you like.

Vintage, hand made lavender sachets.

Packaged in a bundle. Easy to grab.

Lavender Cold Compress stored in the fridge.

Lavender Compress ready to grab at the next summer picnic.

 

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Anatomy of a Redesign – Part 1

June 25, 2012 by 2 Comments

I would describe myself as a nester.  I would also tell you that like alot of people, change is challenging.  However, you would never know these things about me by looking at my house and the evolution of my style over time.  I am constantly changing things around.

I never know when or why the inspiration to change something will hit me.  I had just such a moment in my dining room when I realized one small change would change the entire dynamic of my dining-living room space.

Once I have the idea of what I want to do, the next step is the floor plan.  Here is the current floor plan, to scale:

Dining Room Current Floor Plan

You can see from this lay out, the space is very small (narrow) so the options are limited.  The new floor plan will open up the space visually as well as practically, by improving traffic flow and allowing more space for the living room furniture by kicking it (slightly) into the plane of the dining room.  Here is the proposed new floor plan:

Dining Room Proposed Floor Plan

Here is the “to do” list:

  1. Build window seat
  2. Swag lamp over to new dining area
  3. Move antique cabinet to where the bench is
  4. Find a new home for the bench
  5. Make window seat cushions
  6. Remove leaf from dining table
  7. Store two of the four dining room chairs

Cost wise, this is a very economical re do that will have major impact.  The materials for the window seat should be $200, give or take.  Beyond that, since I already have the fabric, I only need some foam for the bench cushions which I would estimate to be appr. $50.

The result will be featured in next week’s blog article.

As always, thank you for stopping by!

xoxo,

Cindy

This will be removed and the bench (not pictured) will be removed and replaced with the antique cabinet shown in the picture below.

This area will be the new window seat/dining area and this cabinet will remain in the dining room, but moved to another place.

This won’t change, but will now become part of the window seat area for the dining table.

 

Filed Under: Before 'n After, My Home, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

We Remember.

May 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Flags 'n Flowers.

Lunch Sack Luminaries

I think that old houses are meant to be decorated for the holidays.  These luminaries are a project that can change with the seasons.

Lunch Sack Vintage Patriotic Luminaries, with a little patience, are easier than you would think.  I created these in MS Power Point.  The key is to create a custom page size ( to mirror the size of a lunch sack) in the advance options button in the printing box.  You will also want to adjust the type of paper setting (set it for thicker paper) and probably, depending on your printer, use the manual feed tray.  The patience part comes from figuring out which way to load the lunch sack…each printer loads differently so experiment until you get it right.

A little trial and error for image placement and some vintage Victorian clip art and it is a great way to pay homage to the men and women who have fallen.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.

Always,

Cindy

We Remember.

Beautiful Vintage Victorian Images.

For the Fallen.

Patriotic Finials.

 

Filed Under: Holiday and Seasonal, Projects Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The French Monogram

May 20, 2012 by 5 Comments

 

DIY Upholstered Headboard

 

I love french monogrammed sheets.   I generally find them when I go to the Round Top Antique Show.  There is a particular dealer, Touch of Europe, who always has quality, vintage linens and I always make it a point to stop by and pick up something.  The question, for me, is always “what do I do with it?”  They are so lovely, but they mostly sit on a shelf which isn’t a great showcase for the beautiful monograms.

One day, I got brave and decided that I was going to use one of my antique sheets to sew a slip cover for a homemade upholstered head board in my guest room.  I have to admit, I was a bit nervous cutting into that sheet.  But I finally just bit the bullet and did it and fashioned a slipcover for the headboard. I used inexpensive white denim for the back and the piping, and the monogram sheet for the front.  If I ever want a slightly different look, I can just turn the headboard around and showcase the plain, white denim side.

The headboard itself was fairly elementary to make.  I just used a piece of plywood, a 2 x 6 and some metal “L” brackets to hold it together.  The foam I purchased online.  I was able to get it custom cut, in one sheet wrapped in Dacron.  The company I used vacuum packs it so shipping is very reasonable.  I found it is much cheaper and produces a better product than trying to buy the foam at the hobby store which is expensive and has to be pieced together.  Click here to go directly to the foam website.

Touch of Europe and Foam For You can also be found on my Resources and Buying Guide page.

Here is a quick tutorial in the DIY headboard and the result.  More pictures of my guest room can be found on the My Home Tour page.

Thanks for stopping by!

Always,

Cindy

It is a freestanding headboard.

The foam, custom wrapped in Dacron attached to the plywood backing with spray adhesive.

Simple "L" brackets attach the plywood back to the 2x6 base.

A slipcover made from painters drop cloth used to help hold the foam against the plywood back.

The trick is to make the painters’ drop cloth slipcover slighty smaller than the finished measurement.  It is a bit of a tug getting it over the headboard, but doable.  This helps the headboard always maintain a full, stuffed look.  Another tip: wash both the painters drop cloth and the denim BEFORE you sew.  This also helps keep that fuller look.

The regular slipcover pulled on.

DIY Upholstered Headboard.

Delicate work makes this headboard special and a great showcase for The French Monogram.

 

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Architectural Elements

May 3, 2012 by 2 Comments

 

Lovely details.

Lamps. Lamps. Lamps.  I have always been challenged to find mass produced lamps that satisfy my cottage sensibilities.  So I am always on the hunt at flea markets, antique stores and antique shows for architectural elements that I can turn into lamps.  .

Here are two that I have found, both for under $20 each.  Some inexpensive hardware and two Pottery Barn lamp shades and the net result are some wonderful pieces that have loads of character and charm.

I hope you like them.

Love Always,

Cindy

Lovely architectural element painted in crisp white.

Everything looks so much crisper against a white backdrop.

Vintage glass knobs for lamp feet.

Lamp made from re-claimed baluster section

 

Loads of character and cottage charm.

 

Lovely first hydrangea blooms of the year.

Filed Under: Antique Finds, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Some of the Best Solutions are Very Simple.

April 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My inspiration from Swedish Interiors.

 

I fell in love with this book.

 

Same house from the kitchen photo above.

 

Some of the best solutions are very simple.  Part of the mandate of my kitchen remodel was to keep the existing lower cabinets.  However, they were construction grade, big box, off the floor cabinets that possessed neither quality or style…but I had to make them work on a budget.  One idea that crossed my mind was to mine the Internet looking for door and drawer fronts and while there were some at reasonable prices, there wasn’t anything that would fit my very modest budget.

The solution was to clad the existing door and drawer fronts with a simple bead board fascia and paint the cabinets.  A leak under the sink had bowed out the two lower cabinet doors so the budget conscious solution was to use a fabric curtain.  For continuity, the same fabric that was used for the roman blinds was also used for the sink curtains.  It took very little time and helped salvage drab cabinets and give them some character.  The cherry on the sundae were the over-sized, vintage, reproduction glass knobs.  Total cost for bead board and new knobs/pulls: $43. I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Love Always,

Cindy

Before.

After.

Result.

 

 

Filed Under: Before 'n After, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Spice and Extract Storage

April 23, 2012 by 6 Comments

 

Nature's Colors.

All the Spices in a Row.

I am a creature of convenience.  So when I remodeled my kitchen, I needed to store my collection of spices and extracts in a way that was easily accessible.  For years I have used tins for spice storage and kept extracts in their original packaging.

I intuitively wanted glass containers for the spices and new lab bottles in amber color for extracts and put the oft used salt and pepper in vintage squat Kerr jelly jars.  The spices themselves are in what are generally used for…wait for it…specimen jars.  Just typing that makes me chuckle.

But seriously, the jars have a certain heft and elegance about them and I like their weight and feel.  Being able to see the spices in glass jars (versus opaque tins) has a practical application, too: I know when I am running low by simply looking.

I store my measuring spoons separated by measurement because I find I use them that way.  Tucked near the spices and extract, their placement is perfect for the way I cook and bake and navigate in the kitchen.

I made the shelves to keep things neat and organized and made the labels using Kraft paper labels.

Hope you like it.

Love Always,

Cindy, Lillie and Samantha

As a post script, I am submitting this article for consideration for a feature in Cottages & Bungalos.  Stop by the blog when you have some time, there are some terrific entries already:

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

[hana-code-insert name=’Half Banner’ /]

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