Containers That Won't Be Contained

I trust that I'm not alone in my quest to re-purpose bowls, baskets, bins, saucers, and metal tins, just to name a few. Hopefully, there are those of you out there, who also appreciate a different approach to containing things. 

To start, I absolutely love urns. Little ones, big ones, it doesn't matter. Couple them with some moss, an old skeleton key, and an item of interest is made. Ta-da!

 

Another container favorite of mine, is this owl planter. I simply sprayed it white, and now use it as a kitchen gadget caddy.

 

A great alternative to a brightly colored, laundry detergent box. This also brings up another one of my fetishes - little, metal scoops. You just can't have too many!

Photo, Courtesy of iamvickie.blogspot.com
Fellow blogger, Vickie, shares yet another use for the shiny scoop. Such a clever gift idea for that special teacher. Hint, hint, kids! 

 

Hanging wall tin, perfect for keeping sewing and laundry notions handy. 

Moving on the the den. How about this shiny tub to house my priceless publications of the late Cottage Living magazine. I'm still grieving over its print demise :(

 

No cheese ball here, but the glass dome lid sure makes a great display for a rustic nest.

 Copper colored, chicken wire basket, serves as a catch-all for today's, yesterday's, the day before that, and...you get my point. It holds the mail I have great intentions of sorting.

 

Simple pine cones get to be the center of attention. To these, I added glue and sea salt to the edges of some to give detail throughout their glass, cylinder vase.

A plain, wooden crate was given a sage color wash. Now, it's a better presentation for most of our homeschooling books. 

 

Where there are workbooks, there are pencils. A wide mouth, over-sized jar, gives a candy store look to the pencils, pens, and markers our girls insist on pouring together. One thing's for sure, children like happy, colorful things, whether they're organized or not :)

These pictures, don't do the developing crystals and vinegar inside, the justice they deserve! Incubating in re-purposed Starbucks bottles, six of them line our kitchen window seal just waiting for colorful crystals to emerge :)

What does a bathroom vanity have in common with a kitchen counter, you ask? White porcelain saucers, of course. They multi-task from one room to the next. 

 

Pieces from my (inexpensively collected) milk glass collection, are rotated so they each get a chance to strut their timeless stuff.

A hinged, wicker basket disguises our paper and magazine recyclables. No one is the wiser. Well, actually they are now that I divulged our secret.

This is sure better than a plastic and cardboard box, huh?  Those boxes never seem to contain the swabs in the first place. 

 

A shiny, silver jewelry box, elegantly hides away feminine unmentionables. Enough said about that :)

 

A votive candle holder with a striking strip attached, cleverly contains wooden matches without having to use the box. We'll cover the box later to use as a fairy bed, of course.

 

 

In keeping with a vintage, bedroom vanity display, Brad gets the choice of a feminine, or let's see, a feminine dish to hold his watches and other manly items. After living with so many females, he's given up the dreams of having a masculine space to call his own, anyway. Maybe someday, sweet man of mine :)

Well, there you have it. Thinking outside the BOX, so to speak. 

 Next post, "Petite Pickers" ~ Stay tuned :) 

Let's Get This Cottage Started!

You might very well be wondering at this point in my blog reveal, "WHAT cottage appeal?", since all you've gotten a glimpse of so far is a couple of guinea pigs! Well, wonder no more! 

Coming up, are rooms that radiate with cottage appeal, and lots of other great stuff too! So, pour yourself a cup of something warm, and let's scroll down together - cottage style!

Photo, Courtesy of Dwellings, Inc.

Ah, the much-coveted mudroom lockers. A place for everything, and everything in its place, at least for this photo shoot, anyway. 

What makes this room great, is not only its spaciousness and easy-to-access storage, but the character brought out by the bead board, an unexpected pendant light, and the great, rustic bench in the center. Not to mention, the natural light pouring in to add to the bright, crispness of it all. 

Rooms like this one keep everything in reach, and help to make getting out the door with everything in tow, a much easier feat. 

Maybe right now, you'd like to slip off your shoes and hang up your coat. You've claimed this room for yourself and you are home! Maybe dinner, we call it supper where I'm from, is already on the table :)

 

Photo, Courtesy Unknown

Doesn't this bedroom just beg you to call-in to work, and cancel all your appointments? Add in a newspaper spread out on "his" side, and "my" nightstand full of well-intended reading, and we're there!

Again though, it's the soft color palette and perfect symmetry, that make this room so easy on the eyes. All of this, combined with the warm, natural light, and soft fabrics, help this room to lure you into its grasp - to STAY, as long as the outside world will allow. It's good while it lasts, at least.

Photo, Courtesy of theletteredcottage.net

One of my all time favorites from Layla at TLC. A small, cozy space, made very useful and VERY inviting! Light is reflected in the mirror and framed prints, and visually expands the space. 

 If you ever do manage to climb out of the earlier bed, emerging from this one will be equally as challenging! It's sure to render even the most productive among us, completely relaxed. Maybe I should go first, what do you think?  

Our girls no longer sleep in cribs, wear footed pajamas, or need to be rocked to sleep (sobbing is heard above the keystrokes), but this sweet nursery, makes me long for those days when they once did.

There is something so comforting about a baby's nest, and this one is no exception. Great details pull your eyes around the room, but don't overwhelm. In a word, perfection!

I think that my 15, 10, and twin 7 year-olds, are getting rocked tonight, whether they like it or night. I'll have to brush up on my quiet humming of lullabies and hymns, in the meantime.

What a great kitchen transformation this is! The original "bones" of the room were kept, and just enhanced. Cabinetry finish was lightened, upper ones added, a few were left open, white appliances switched out for stainless , wainscoting serves as backsplash and beyond, and classic bin pulls were placed on all the drawer facings.

Together, it serves to create an "Is this the same room?" before and after.

Last 3 Photos, Courtesy of HollyMathisInteriors.com

Photo, Courtesy of restyledhome.blogspot.com

Even the smallest of cottage girls among us, needs her own sweet space to enjoy. This one belongs to Miss Sophie, at Restyled Home.

What's not to like? It's pink, it's playful, and has tons of cottage appeal! And miniature anything, even if it's baby ears of corn, is just too stinkin' cute for words :)

Camper Photos, Courtesy of nochintz.com.au

I can tell you that these photos of a vintage camper interior, bring out the suppressed camper in me from my growing-up years! Our camper was circa 1980, complete with hanging, amber-colored beads, Harvest Gold oven, and manufactured paneling. A sight to behold, and an adventure on wheels! Oh, what fun times we had!

Campers like this one, dispel the notion that vacations need be elaborate or expensive. With all of the comforts of home, pleasing fabrics and patterns, this one would serve to make the nights spent inside special, even if it never left the backyard. There's just something about camping, that a hotel stay cannot touch. 

 Hope you've enjoyed these rooms, packed with cottage appeal as much as I did. Next post: Containers That Won't Be Contained - cliff hanger, I know :)

Never Say Never

If you would've asked me a month ago, or even one week ago, if I could ever see myself owning a Guinea Pig, I would have emphatically answered NO, NEVER. That is, however, before a friend asked if our GIRLS would like TWO, baby GP's for Valentine's Day. So YES, you guessed it, we've welcomed Penny and Piper into our home, which is quickly becoming a petting zoo!

Self-appointed Alpha dog, Pixie. She's our high-maintenance little sidekick.

Chumley, a White's Tree Frog. He spends his days eating powdered crickets, basking under his UV light, and changing from green to brown. 

 

Tate, our very maternal "boy cat" as the girls call him. He's always giving the other kitties a tongue bath, whether they want to be cleaned or not.

 

 Lulu, our Haitian rescue kitty. No, we didn't get her from Haiti, but found her at our cousins' property shortly after seeing them off to Haiti last summer. They are now full-time Christian Missionaries there. You can follow their ministry at  www.newvisionhaiti.blogspot.com

Twin Chihuahua puppies, we are fostering until our friends are ready for them. Who wouldn't be ready to have their faces licked, toes nibbled, and shoestrings pulled, by such sweeties? We just THOUGHT that our twin girls were busy as toddlers, until we met these two, little pranksters.


Well, there you have it folks, our petting zoo. Come one, come all, admission is free!

Step AWAY From the Glitter!

 Our cereal box, shoe box, and gift bag, each got a sparkly transformation to be our Valentine card holders. Metallic paper, silver doilies, scrapbook paper, glue, tulle, and of course, SHINY, SILVER, MAKE YOU FEEL HAPPY, GLITTER! And LOTS of it!

Juliana's girl frog was complete with rolled up tongue, glittered flies that she drew, a card slot mouth, and curled paper hair. In a word, PRECIOUS!

Emma's shopping bag was ready for a day of retail therapy! Credit cards, cash, hot pink tulle, and did I say GLITTER?

Kathryn chose a Canon Rebel that looks like my real one. Shutter button, glittered lens, view finder, and Rebel logo. She's ready to aim, smile, SHOOT!

They all screamed creativity! And I can't wait to saturate something else with glue and glitter! Oh, and I'll be sure to include the girls when I do!

Happy Valentine's EVERYDay

As Valentine's Day approaches, I see it as a LOVELY time to connect myself with the blogging world. I have wanted to be counted among "the bloggers" on here, for so long! A place where my thoughts, constant photos of everyday life, and cottage inspirations, can be shared. Ahhhh.....I feel that I've finally arrived!

As for the holiday, I am the "queen of tenderhearted" who cries even BEFORE reading the first line of a sweet card. And handwritten notes from my family REALLY get me! Don't bring me flowers though, unless they're hand-picked, or you got them on markdown. 

I think Brad appreciates that the longer we're married, the more practical I become. He knows that I enjoy a dinner out that I didn't have to prepare myself, coffee from a local coffee shop, and just the two of us, or the six, snuggling up together to eat pistachios and watch a movie. It's the sweet, simple, everyday things that say LOVE to me, and not those that require a payment plan. 


So, Happy Valentine's EVERYDay, to all of you! Now, go LOVE somebody~