LIFE AT THE COTTAGE

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Shades of White


Though many things have changed about my decorating style over the years, one thing has remained constant...

my infatuation with shades of white.















Joining Kathleen for White Wednesday.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Talented Time Travelers in Focus #19


It's time to share the terrific talent and fabulous finds of some of our time travelers from last week.


Sometimes it really pays off to be the only one who sees beauty in a particular thing.

TaraScarborough Seashell was delighted that was the case for her turquoise thrift find. 


Are you ready for the next round of holiday decorating fun?

With the tea towel tute from Maggie @ ceo a's draiocht, you can prepare for holiday guests in style.


There's much to be said for being at the right place at the right time.

That's how Jeanne @ Bees Knees Bungalow scored her "best ever" find.


Gingerbread men and Christmas fun go hand-in-hand.

Lucy @ craftberry bush sweetly shared her recipe for gingerbread cookie ornamentsthat will fool your senses into believing they're the real deal.

Thanks to all Time Travelers for joining in on the fun. 

I look forward to seeing your creativity linked to the next Time Travel Thursday party!


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Time Travel Thursday #20 - Gobble, Gobble


BE SURE TO CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS FOR THE LINKY PARTY HERE!


Welcome to the twentieth Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for our next trip back in time and into the future?

Then here we go!


I'm afraid the only transformation taking progress around the cottage, at present, is changing this...

author: stu_spivack

to this.

Hope your Thanksgiving is filled with abundant blessings!


Now, by all means, share what you've got!  ; )

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

It's FALL-ing



Each year, there are specific telltale signs letting us know fall 
is just around the corner.  First, our Asian pear tree begins to
yield its sweet, succulent fruit.


And the woodland creatures don their autumnal apparel.


The goldenrod shoots forth like luminous extensions
 of the sun's rays.


The dogwoods begin to blush with a variety of fall colors...


before exploding into the deep autumn shades
 of orange and red.


The saplings—which had blended into the forest, only a few short weeks
before—demonstrate a brilliant display...
beneath the pines.


And the crape myrtles are nearly set aflame.


The pines—daring not to be left out—show that they, too, can join the season's
parade of color.


Truly, with the deep green pines as the backdrop, the fall colors appear
even more splendid.


From my kitchen window, I observe the maple—by the pumphouse—turn from
radiant gold, with hints of orange...


into a dazzling fiery display.


And, of course, every season serves to make the delightful little well-house
appear even more charming.


Alas, all good things must come to an end.


And the breathtaking autumn beauty—that for a few brief weeks,
richly decorated the trees— 


...has now heavily blanketed everything in sight!


No doubt, I'll be working off my Thanksgiving feast
with this.   ; ) 

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Talented Time Travelers in Focus #18


Let's take a peek at some of the terrific talent from last week's travelers.  Shall we?


How would you like to have a whole house full of wonderful vintage doors like this one from Oxford University?

Check out the wild-eyed escapades of Sarah @ Modern Country Style to find out how she scored her doors. 


It's not always easy to come up with decorative items for a child's room that he or she won't grow out of too quickly.

Monica @ Don't just count your blessings...share them! had an idea of what she wanted for her son's room and was kind enough to share the steps with us.


Button, button, who's got the button?

That would be Julie @ saltbox treasures.

Like her cute vintage button garland?  She sells them in her Etsy store.


Okay, I just told you again last night how much I like birds.

So it shouldn't be a surprise how much I like the image above.

To me, this candid shot of Surf Scoters, by Scented Leaf, would make a great piece of wall art.


And speaking of art, I think these incredible vintage-book-page stars, by Amanda @ House Revivals, qualify.

Don't you?

As always, great job Time Travelers!

I look forward to seeing all your creative ideas for next week's Time Travel Thursday linky party.  ; )

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Mysterious Appeal of Statuary - Part 2


Sooo...
you want to see more of my decorating-with-statues style, do you?

Terrific; I'm glad you came back for part two!  ; )

If you missed part one, just take a look over here.

The type of statuary that has always appealed to me the most has been that of a romantic nature.

This wavy-haired cherubic figure, from the 50s, looked so sweet atop this vintage nightstandpainted pink by the Yankee, just for me.



And this gorgeous vintage piece was one of my all-time favorites.

I guess that's why I used it in my blog banner.

The open-urn top presented so many wonderful decorating opportunitiesfilled with:  soaps in the bathroom; a pillar candle, atop the dining room buffet; a plant on a side table; and jewels, atop a dresser.

Did you notice the little golden cherubs in the background?

They've had the priviledge of playing all over my humble abode.

Truly...they have been around.







See what I mean?


This sweet-faced angel has watched over many areas of my yard and garden through the years.


Did you notice her when I shared the fabulous makeover of this Victorian table...


or when I showed you our incredible shabby chic creations?


Now this whimsical little guy makes me smileevery time I see him.

Several springs ago, he was the crowning touch for this shabby table beneath the trees.


This spring, however, he found the daffodil bed, sheltered by the pines, to be more to his liking.


This lovely miniature Italian porcelain piece made a beautiful addition to my vanity, a few years ago.


With her eyelet doily skirt, this half-doll pincushion was the perfect decoration for my sewing table.  The tapestry on the sewing basket made a most fitting backdrop for her.


As if hoping to impress the lovely lady-in-waiting above, this gentleman make-do pincushion always sat close by.


My favorite eras of history are those that reflect a more gentile spirit.

That was the draw for me of this quaint vintage pair above.


This is not the type of statue I'm normally drawn to.

The facial features of this one just happened to remind me of my mom though.

Take a look, and see if you can see any resemblance.


This pretty maiden added just the right element of charm to my yard conservatory.

Hmmm...charm.  Could that be the reason I like decorating with statues?  They add charm.

I've never really analyzed it.  But, as you've seen in these last two posts, there have been many places where I've used statuary, so there's no doubt I like it.

What about you?  Is there any kind of statue that appeals to you? 

Say, why don't you join me over at Beverly's for Pink Saturday.  I'll be sharing my splashes of pink at her party.