Show Off Your Cottage Monday 11/2/09

Join Cielo and the participants for "Show Off Your Cottage Monday" by visiting here.

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My desk in my kitchen/dining area where I take messages for Love Bunny or write out my grocery list and sometimes just chat on the phone. The table is my old sewing table, which is actually a vintage school desk from the 30s and a folding chair for which I've made a lovely chair covering for it. The tablecloth is a vintage Wilendur one that I'll never, ever part with because I had 2 of them and cut one up for pillows and sold. It is my favorite one of the old tablecloths. Looks perfect in my rose strewn home.

I made this folding chair cover about 7 or 8 years ago out of a barkcloth and really fancy lace curtain. I love it and will never part with it either. It covers an $8.00 blue steel folding chair bought at WM. See how you can jazz up things to look glamorous, shabby chic with minimum effort and cost?

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What's a house without more birdhouses?! Hmmmm?
A new birdhouse cottage I made just the other day with beaded lace, ribbon roses and clay roses I make, pearls, a little chick, a rhinestone button and mostly polka dot fabric with a black and pink roses roof. I'm calling this one "Polka Dot Rose Cottage."

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Random Thought:

Do you realize that most people under thirty don't use the phone book much and the "20somethings" and teens of today will probably make it obsolete because they are so used to computers and typing in—oooh, say "doctor San Francisco" and getting a list of doctors and phone numbers that they are going to make the Yellow Pages obsolete? Think about it.
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I'm also joining in with the 30 days of blessings over at this blog. Each time I post I'll state that for which I am thankful.

The first thing for which I am most thankful is my savior, Jesus Christ. I depend on him to get me through hard times and He does. With 2 tragedies in our family this past year I don't know how I would have done it without the strength He gives me. This might sound trite to some of you, but I can assure you without any equivocation that it's true!
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Changing the Craft Room Again

While trying to cut out the fabric for the aprons recently I realized I need more room in the sewing craft room. Love Bunny was not happy with my decision because that meant he had to take out another shelf in the dining area and drag that vintage desk out there. That's what he's FOR!! DUH.

While doing this I also decided to straighten the fabric again. I seem to have to do this every six months or so. Sigh... I have fabric I'll probably never use unless I open an apron shop and start making them to sell. I really don't want to do that but it may become a necessity since I'm making so many lately. I enjoy it and I only do what I enjoy now. I'm an ol' lady, ya know. ;-)

So since I'm not going to be refinishing this desk any time soon I decided to cover it with a vintage wilendur tablecloth. So this is how it will remain for a while. I really like the desk near the kitchen in that little part of the dining area.

Looking good so far, chicks.

But during that time I decided I wanted another mouse pad. One that was shabby chic with roses on it. I found the perfect ones on eBay and the woman was here in my town! Now, let me tell you there aren't too many women in the state of Idaho who are into shabby chic! Trust me. She definitely agreed with me. This woman came over after her day job and delivered it to me because she wanted to see my home. I was thrilled to show it to her and as she said (and I've always told you) it looks even better in person. She just moved into a new rental house and it is freshly painted yellow. Now, she's also a pink person and wants to repaint it again if they allow her. She is having a very rough time with the yellow walls throughout the whole house. I would too!! She's a shabby chic aficionado also and told me about a place in Eagle (near to me) and I plan on going over there some day soon. I'll keep you briefed on it when I do make it over...with my camera, of course.

Anyway, I needed 2 mouse pads - one for my desktop and one for my laptop. Are these not cute?!?!?! Squeeeeeeeal. So if you want to visit with her and buy some adorable mouse pads for your desk, check Lisa out on eBay or Etsy and tell her Connie sent you over. ;-)

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Our Romantic Roses Dinner

We were alone this Christmas and it was actually very nice and relaxing. Our daughter came for Thanksgiving and we had the traditional turkey so for Christmas we had ham, which is one of our favorite meals. I've been known to do "outside-of-the-box" dinners and luncheons for friends and senior ladies from our church and love doing it. But today I decided on the non-traditional dinner for Christmas - a romantic roses dinner.

As I said, today was a very relaxing and easy day for us. I puttered around in my office; Love Bunny was out in his train room doing something with the electrical on his never-ending layout for his model trains.

I had decided to set the table early - right after breakfast. I put on a beautiful lace and roses embroidered cloth that was way too big for our table which is 42" x 42" without any of its 2 leaves in it. But so what? So the tablecloth almost touched the floor on 2 ends. I loved it!

Then I selected some old dishes I have that aren't china but probably Homer McLaughlin creamy white with silver roses embellishing the edges. Well, just come along with me as I describe each thing.

Hubs knew something was up when he came in from his train room and I was on a ladder with my camera in hand photographing the dining table. Men are sometimes clueless when this happens so I put my beautiful little hands on his cheeks and said, "Photoshoot, photoshoot"!! He knew immediately what that meant. BLOG!! See, they get it after a little show of tender affection. *Wink*

This was the picture from the ladder. I only set it for two as it was just the two of us. I have a vast collection of china dinner plates and salad and dessert plates so I mixed it up for a more informal romantic feel.

I then took some rose candle holders from our living room coffee table and put them down the center ends. A few paper roses for all four corners with some tiny paper roses scattered about and some faux candies in the middle just set the mood. (He'll be verrrrry happy tonight, chicks! *Wink*)

Pretty little salt and pepper shakers in the form of cottages was set at his place. Note the lovely dish in the upper right corner for bread.

Closer view

Spattering of roses and the candle holder roses. I had no candles and besides it was about 4 o'clock when we ate. Hardly dark but I would still have lit them if I had had some.

My place setting with my little salt and pepper shakers. I have a couple of sets of these and when I have a large group for dinner I set several sets of shakers on the table so no one has to say "please pass the salt and pepper." It's a thoughtful thing to do when you are having a dinner party.

My bread plate is just a tad different from hubs' plate.

Ahhhh, yes, I was going to have sparking white grape juice but hubs informed me earlier that we were out. This led to a "discussion." I shan't repeat the "discussion"!

This is our good silver that hubs bought us about 40 years ago when he was overseas. I love the pattern, but don't remember the name. It is very pretty in person though.

Just after I placed 2 of the vintage crystal glasses on the table, I reached across and one of them tipped over and broke. My "chest" did it! Hubs was sitting right there and didn't say a word. He was as heartbroken as I was but he knew it was an accident and I grieved for several seconds and went on. I have several but if my "chest" keeps getting in the way I won't have them for long. They are truly gorgeous. I have several stemware pieces because I love drinking out of them: water, juice, soda, anything. I popped a strawberry in there for flamboyance!! Hah.

All in all, it was a lovely day with Love Bunny and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I lamented about hubs maybe spilling something on the tablecloth. I want you to just guess who was the first to spill! Hmmmm, anybody wanna guess? Wasn't Love Bunny, but he didn't say a word. That man loves me a lot, chicks!!! A LOT!

Beautiful Mosaic Table

When we went down to California this summer I took an old table to daughter and then brought back a table she had. Look what she did with this vintage table and her gorgeous mosaic roses tiles!! Isn't that gorgeous? It will be for sale soon I think. I'll post it back here when it's ready. Maybe I should get it back from her. Hmmmmmm, what do ya think, chicks?? After all, she'll inherit it when I die!!!! Sheeeeshhhhhhh.........

She added the final tiles today and will grout tomorrow.

Close up view of the tiles.

Rose Garden & Chippy Frame

Today is a 2 post day. But wouldn't you know it, just when I go out to photograph the roses, the sun decided to hide behind clouds!! Aaaaacckkk!! I'm just going to post them anyway so you can see what we can grow here in the western deserts.

First of all, look at the shabby and chippy frame I found today in a store in Boise. It's not vintage but looks like it and that's all I truly care about. I think I'll take out the mirror and put in a foam or cork board for another message board or just a frou-frou-y type board to hang tags or gorgeous things on it. I'll show the finished product soon.

You really need to click on each of the roses pictures to get an idea of how beautiful they are. Now, I know everyone has seen beautiful roses but this is an accomplishment here in the desert and especially with hubby doing the "growing." He's putting down weed plastic so he can put more bark down out front. I threw in a picture of some pretty pansies and a rhododendron that is struggling for survival here but I think it's going to make it. Not like what we could grow in California though.

The last 2 pictures are of a little mosaic table I got for a song today! I just love it. Wouldn't you know though that the store we went into had a woman hubby knew and he introduced us when I had barely run a brush through my hair and no makeup on at all?!?!?! I wanted to crawl into a hole, but she was nice and carried the table up to the front of the store for us.

Vintage Fabric Birdhouse

I made another birdhouse today. I haven't crafted for several weeks now and I've missed it. Sometimes we just get into a slump and life kicks in and we just veg out in a nice, soft, comfy easy chair with a good book. That's me!

Anyway, this one was really quite fun to do out of all the birdhouses I've done. I used a vintage wilendur tablecloth. Maaaaaan, when I first cut into that tablecloth I almost cried! It was so gorgeous and they are becoming so hard to find anymore. So I use it sparingly. But the other fabric is an old cloth cover also. So when it's gone, it's gone forever. The other part is chenille - pink of course!

I then had to decide what I wanted to do. I just started sorting through all the "junque" I had and kept wanting more and more. I added little paper roses, ribbon rose, faux diamonds, rhinestones, pink vintage lace (haven't seen this particular pattern before in pink!) little posies around the front side and rose leaves all around it.

The little mommy bird is sitting on her pink paper nest just waiting for her babies to arrive. :-) Then she added some little flowers, twigs and a leaf to make a cozy bed for her baby chicks.

I was sitting in my office on the computer when hubby came home and I showed it to him and he actually said, "WOW!!" I asked him if he thought it was too much frou-frou and he said NO! Now, that's a first, let me tell you.

Now, here is the sad part. My friend, who is the only other Idahoan transplant from California I know and she lives up in north Idaho, emailed me today to tell me she is giving up her blog. Booooo hooooo. I just about cried I was so disappointed. She is funny and humorous like me and I feel a kind of kindred spirit since we both came from the same general area of California. Esther just has some other issues going on right now and they come first. I admire her greatly for doing this. Family first! But I'm going to miss her greatly. But I'm supposing I'll be emailing her from time to time.

Esther!!!!!!!! I'm gonna miss ya, cherub!!!!! Sniffle.....sniffle.......sob........sob........