She Collects (Vintage) Seashells

This time of year, late July, I get that little nudge to play with some Seashell Decor. There's a short window of opportunity to do shell decor around here. Early Summer is filled with garden fun, then comes the Patriotic decor. Now's the time before "Pre Fall" starts. So I put together a little vignette on an antique tray in the Dining Room. It's not really  "beachy", but more "vintage".

Summer Entry wih a New Vintage Print

I like to keep things changed up... well, you all know that about me. With the patriotic flags put away, it was time to bring out something different for the next month. So here's a new light and bright vintage print in one of my favorite chippy white vintage frames. I've had this traditional British print of an old engraving for awhile, but haven't taken the time to find it a frame that did it justice.

The Chickens Have Come Home to Roost

Late Summer, (anytime after the 4th), has always been a time for the vintage chickens to come out and strut their stuff. I've been playing with all the chicks here on the old cupboard in the Hearth Room. I've had them in several different places on the shelves and think I finally came up with a good placement... for now. You just never know where a chicken will turn up around here.

(a small chicken bud vase in the Garden Room, where it's light and bright)

A Simple Centerpiece for the Garden Room

It's been fun seeing the shrubs, plants and flowers that have emerged here at the new place this Spring and Summer. Mid Spring, I was so excited to see a row of Forsythia at the back of the property line, and even though they were pruned to within an inch of their lives they are now becoming full and giving us a little more privacy.

Stars and Stripes in the Hearth Room

Hello Friends, Hope you're having a wonderful

 Independence Day Weekend!

Welcome to my Cottage / Farmhouse Kitchen!

You might have noticed that my kitchen has been absent from the blog. My only excuse is that I wanted to wait until I had things a little more put together. It took me a while to find a rug that I liked, and to get up a few prints. But as I was taking some pics of the Patriotic Hearth Room, I realized there would never be a "perfect" time. It's not a showhouse, or really even styled; it's my working kitchen. I'm not a fan of "the Reveal" because that's too much pressure to be fabulous.

The French Chef and a Patriotic Church Pew

I'd had so many things stashed away in the bar area downstairs that I'd lost track of them all. But as I packed them up earlier this Spring, I tried to make mental lists of paint projects and things I wanted to work on once we unpacked and settled in. One of my projects on the to-do list was to give a paint update to my Little French Chef. He'd been living downstairs in obscurity.