Thank you, Rue!

Oh my goodness - thank you, Rue! I received such a nice "You Make My Day" award from Rue at Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life. I never expected this as my blog is still in its infancy :) When you visit Rue's blog (it's as sweet as she is) be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom to see the beautiful photo of she and her husband - and the label on the canning jar - you'll love the meaning behind her blog title!

My understanding is that I should pass this along to ten other blogs that "make my day." The following ladies have made my day by making me feel so welcome in the blogging community. They took the time to comment on one or more of my posts which was just so kind of them! And wait until you see their beautiful blogs! They're what I want to grow up to be in blogland!! So, thank you all for making my day:

1) Rue at Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life (you don't have to feel obligated to hand out ten more of these, Rue... But I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you, so for the record - you make my day :)
2) Cindy at My Romantic Home
3) Heather at Cottage Dreaming
4) Domestic Diva at Our Birch Corner Abode
5) Kelli at Lolly Jane Boutique
6) Linda at Linda's Blue Gate
7) Sherry at Edie Marie's Attic
8) Deborah at Pictures, Pots and Pens
9) Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti
10) To all the future blogs I hope to see soon from my sweet friend, Jill, and from some of my RMS friends (you know who you are!) I know your blogs will all Make My Day (as you already do, even without blogs!)

Hugs to you all,
Donna

Recycling Old Windows

Does anybody else's car just screech to a halt if there are old windows laying by the roadside? They are just so full of character and charm (and possibly lead paint, too, so be careful - especially if you have little ones!). I've seen people put mirrors in them or paint beautiful designs on them. Here are two that I was lucky enough to snag. It was fun transforming them into a photo frame and a bulletin board. If you aren't lucky enough to find yours along the side of the road, try looking in junktique shops, salvage yards, or on eBay or Craig's list. Happy hunting!

Donna

Vintage Wastebaskets

I have a thing for vintage tin wastebaskets. I found the pink one on eBay several years ago and picked up the green one at a cute little antique shop in Rhode Island. I'm always moving them around and using them for different things. They're so cheerful, and have such a sweet cottage look to them... There are a few other items that I collect, but I'll save that for future posts... (P.S. Can two wastebaskets be considered a collection?)... I'd love to hear what other people collect...

Donna

Opposites can attract!

Initially, I wasn't sure if I liked these two pieces paired together... On the one hand you have a vintage, ornate mirror; on the other, the straight, modern lines of a new CD case. However, after painting both pieces creamy white, and purchasing this beautiful robin's egg blue/peachy-pink scarf (from Annie's Attic on ETSY) for the top of the CD case, this pair has kind of grown on me. And my little "button nesting" bird and 1930 photo of my mom seem to be quite happy there... So although these two pieces are as different as night and day, I think it might just be a match made in heaven...

Donna

Our Ms. Gizmo (1992 - March 22, 2008)

The cottage seems empty; our hearts are heavy. We love you... we miss you... till we meet again, our little Gizzy Girl...

"My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet." ~ Edith Wharton

"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am." ~ Toby Eileen Green

"I think God will have prepared everything for our perfect happiness. If it takes my dog being there [in Heaven], I believe he'll be there." ~ Rev. Billy Graham

The Enchanted Cottage

I love those words - Enchanted Cottage. The word cottage itself sounds so cozy. No wonder even those of us living in ranches, splits, or capes refer to our homes as cottages.

I remember in the summer of '65, my parents rented a cottage near the ocean on the Mass/NH line. What a magical time and place that was. Perhaps that's when I fell in love with the word cottage...

Or maybe it's because one of my mom's favorite movies was The Enchanted Cottage. My mother, very much a romantic, loved the story of the two lead characters. Without giving anything away, the imdb synopsis reads: Two scarred people are transformed by love while living in a very special cottage.

If you are into the old b&w films of the 40's and 50's, you owe it to yourself to rent it. If you can't find a rental, you can easily locate one to purchase on the Internet. I bought my VHS copy on eBay years ago. They can still be found there. And there are even new DVD releases of this movie that are quite a bit cheaper than the old VHS versions. Enjoy!

Donna

Armoires...

The Rolling Stones once sang, "I see a red door and I want it painted black." Well, my theme song could be, "I see a brown hutch and I want it painted white." Actually, my obsession with painting things white goes way beyond hutches (the more I post, the more apparent that will become!).

This is the small corner TV armoire in our living room. We purchased it in the 80's at an unfinished furniture store. Back then, I stained everything dark brown. (click here for before photos)... A few years ago, when I caught the shabby/cottage bug, this armoire became a prime target!

I primed it, applied some neat appliques (there is such a wide variety to choose from!), painted it creamy white, sanded along some of the edges to lightly distress it, and finished by putting on some nice glass knobs. (More photos below.)

I recently saw a post on a favorite blog that I read daily, where Cindy from My Romantic Home was also doing a transformation on an older dark brown armoire. She decided to paint hers white as well and it came out spectacular!

Donna

Armoire Before & After Photos

Reflections...

This arched mirror hangs on a narrow wall in our family room, facing the sliding glass doors that lead to our deck. In a previous life, it was a dark brown mirror that had long been separated from the bureau it was originally made for. At 28"w x 44"h, it's an impressive size, just what I was looking for. It didn't take long for me to paint it a creamy white and sand it along the edges so a little of its original character peeked through. Depending on where you sit in our dining room, this is what you see when looking into the family room. One day last summer I got my camera out and took a picture of the room and deck, as reflected in the mirror. And now it's a reminder that the warm weather is right around the corner, and that before long we'll once again be enjoying the deck, watching the hummingbirds visit, and eating supper outside each evening... After the long New England winters, I sooo look forward to spring! Wishing you all warm, sunny days...

Donna

Our Galway Girl

This is for you, Mom... our very own Galway Girl with your hair of black and your eyes of blue...

We miss you always, but know you are still with us.

Happy St. Patty's Day to you!

P.S. Yes, I am wearing something green!!

Love you always,

Donna

...you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today...

I have been so inspired by the beautiful blogs I visit regularly that I decided to dive into blogging myself.

I have always loved this song and when I chose it for my blog, it made me think of the flowers that sit in the vase on my dining room table every day. Although fresh flowers come in and out on special occasions, I must admit that for everyday use, I am hooked on the incredibly realistic flowers now available (a far cry from the plastic flowers my poor mom used in the 60's and 70's!).

You may not be able to see the detail, but this is a beautiful crackled vase that I picked up for a song at a local thrift shop. I filled it with cream and white buttons and then arranged some roses in the most beautiful peachy pink color. It's such a cheerful sight when I come down the hallway each morning and see them sitting on the table.

Wishing you a wonderful day,

Donna