HYDRANGEAS & ROSES & KMART BACKYARD SWEEPSTAKES!


    A petite iron chair
    inspired me this morning...


    Covered in chippy old paint
    swirls and curls & loads of shabby details


    It is one of my favorites
    and it makes for a perfect spot for a little vase of flowers
    picked fresh from the garden


    I love pretty pink hydrangeas & gorgeous cottage roses.
    Together they create a charming Summer bouquet
    and are such a perfect pairing with vintage milk glass.


    Love them with the shabby chair....
    so simple and beautiful.
    ~

    It's a bit chilly and rainy here this morning
    so I am tinkering with my new camera and starting on a new project inside. :)

    I also wanted tell you about a fantastic sweepstakes going on on Facebook
    Remember the backyard makeover I did with Kmart?
    Well there's a sweepstakes involving 3 weeks of $250 giveaways and
    a grand prize of a $4000 backyard makeover
    Yes, that's THOUSANDS- for 1 lucky winner.
    Included in that Grand Prize is outdoor living makeover
    design advice from me to help the winner do their makeover on their yard.
    OMGosh... So excited!!
    All courtesy of- you guessed it
    KMART!
    Get over to Facebook now and 'Like' Kmart and then enter the
    sweepstakes for a chance to win!


    Happy Tuesday Everyone!



    Sharing at

BURLAP BLISS


    Ruffles and ruffles and ruffles and MORE ruffles..


    I started out feeling energetic
    and excited to get this one crossed off my to-do list.


    I grabbed a cup of green tea and put on my Ipod outside...
    (there's nothing like a little Puccini to (attempt) to sing along to
    while working away on a project.)


    I was good and in a 'whistle while you work' zone
    while working on finishing up my ruffled burlap tablecloth
    to share with you.


    I love the look of burlap.
    The nubby texture...
    the rustic and natural feeling...


    But not so much loving working with it.
    Ugh.
    My fingers are in dire need of a manicure at this point.
    and oh how my sinuses and itching eyes are aggravated
    with me and my crazy crazy project...
    this table is 9' long...
     that's a lot of burlap!


    Is it okay to just say that I am not too unhappy that
    I ran out of burlap to finish the last few bottom ruffles at this point?
    That means I can take a little break!
    :)


    This is a bit of a project-
    especially for someone who is not talented at sewing.
    But I have to say...

    Even with all the sniffling and sneezing and itching
    and fuzzies I am covered in...


    I am SO LOVING IT!!

    The burlap is so rustic and charming and the ruffles add
    just the right amount of shabby sweetness and give it a bit of an elegant feel.


    Loving  all it's ruffly glory!
    and already thinking of making another...
    but this time out of soft, non-itchy drop cloth canvas.
    :)


    Happy Weekend Everyone!


    Whoo whoo!!

    My tablecloth was featured in the January 2012 issue of Romantic Homes Magazine
    It is so honored
    ;)


    For those of you who have asked- the bistro chairs are from Kmart
    They were part of the outdoor living makeover I did with them :)
     The links are on my sidebar
    :)


SHABBY COTTAGE SUMMER PARTY STARTED!

    There's no Feathered Nest Friday this week...
    instead- it is my party for the blogger block party week
    It's a Shabby Cottage Summer over here!

    Ruffles have me right now...
    I am just loving them.


    So perfect with pretty pinks, & chipping whites...
    french bistro chairs and outdoor parties...
    They are shabby, cottage, charming and sweet.

    Shabby Cottage Summer is my theme for the party~
    so I went in search of sweet pinks for my flowers.
    These darling Dianthus are so sweet-
    and the perfect soft shade of shabby pink.



    I also wanted a fabulous little tablecloth for the perfect backdrop
    for the outdoor table.
    I had a thoughts of burlap with
    ruffle
    after ruffle
    after ruffle
    on the sides.
    A bit shabby, a bit rustic, a bit chic
    &
    oh- so charming!


    I took my sewing machine out to the back patio & sewed
    in the warm sunshine and fresh air.
    Good thing I did, because wow does burlap make a mess
    but I am absolutely loving the look!

    Not 100% finished yet
    I have the raw edgings to finish and the other side to ruffle up a bit
    so I will share more of this shabby cottage table setting
    in another post in the next day or two
    when I am done pulling
    all the burlap threads and fur off of me and my patio!
    lol!

    For now~
    let's get this part of the
    Block party going! Whoo!! Whoo!!

    Link up your Shabby Cottage Summer post(s) below and your links will appear on all twelve blogs that are hosting the party as their posts go public! That means your posts will appear simultaneously on all of our blogs once you have linked them up here and will be there throughout the party!
    You are welcome to share as many posts as you like related to shabby cottage summer below.

    Plenty of time to join all the themed parties up above!

    Today you can also join


    We have GIVEAWAYS too!!
    In order to be entered in the giveaways-
    Your post MUST relate to one of the party themes.
    and MUST be linked back to the party you joined

    French Country Cottage' theme is Shabby Cottage Summer~
    So link up any shabby or cottage summery inspired post here~
    and grab the button with code for your link back.
    Thanks so much Heather and Vanessa for organizing all the details!

    Here's a little giveaway too~

    A brand new copy of one of my absolute FAVORITE magazines out there
    Country French
    (more like a fantastic book-
    if you haven't read it and you love that style you will love this!!)
    and also a Modern Country design book that I thought you might like.

    Here are the rules:

    Link up below any post, past or present, related to Shabby Cottage Summer
    Be sure to link back to your original post and not just your url (main blog address)
    Please post the Blogger Block Party button (code located above and in sidebar) in your post so others can join in in the fun! (Mandatory).
    We love it when you party with our other guests! Please take a moment and visit some of the other posts and leave some comment love! This is what makes a party so much fun!
    We'd love it if you'd share the Blogger Block Party on your Facebook Pages and Twitter (use #BloggerBlockParty in your tweet) (Not mandatory but we'd appreciate it!)
    That's it...so get to linking up and partying with us at the Blogger Block Party!!
    Go all the way to the bottom of the post to link up.
    Here's my button!





SEASIDE COTTAGE TABLE

    I can almost hear the waves crashing against the shore
    taste the the salty sea air
    and feel the warm sand between my toes.


    I love the ocean.
    The sand, the sea,
    pretty shells & starfish,
    the fresh air and warm sun...
    Love it.


    I put together a quick
    Sea Cottage table after being inspired by charming
    fishing net I found at Dollar Tree


    I draped the table in burlap & added the fishing net.
    I used 2 pieces of it to cover the 9' long table.


    When I first found it,
    I envisioned it atop a table covered in seashells and starfish
    but you can use it in so many places.


    Love these beach inspired dishes
    (JC Penney)


    & these charming little green glass bottles


    that just might have had a
    note tucked safely inside when they washed ashore long ago.


    A little seaside cottage charm for a Summer table.



    Sharing at

FLIRTY FRENCH CHAIR SLIPS

    Painted French chairs
    with little pale slipcovers ...




    love.




    These carved French chairs are not old...
    but they have the look I wanted
    for my dining space.




    I love their chippy finish and neutral colors.




    White distressed painted wood,
    carved floral details on their backs, apron and legs, petite scale
    & upholstered in nubby linen fabric.
    They came looking like they were already
    wonderful shabby antiques.




    They are perfect for a french cottage inspired dining room.




    But they didn't come with those flirty little slips we all love
    so I decided to try and make some myself.




    Let me just start by saying ... I am not a seamstress.
    I have made simple pleated slip covers for straight lined seats before and
    laid one of those atop this chair for a few previous pictures




    But these slips were a bit of a challenge to make.
    A semi-fitted seat... ruffles...
    I decided on a simple flirty skirt rather than ruffly ~ruffly~ ruffly.
    I laid the drop cloth over the seats and
    cut it following the seat edges.


    I then cut about 6 inches of drop cloth in a long strip and pinned it to the seat piece~
    creating a bit of a gather here and there as I went.
    I sewed them together and finished the edges of the fabric.
    After adding a couple of ties and a little ruffle for the back
    I called it good.




    Though not perfect
    they came out darling and are so sweet on these chairs.
    I am loving them.


    Now just need to finish the rest of them
    :)




    Sharing at














A LITTLE GETAWAY...

    I have been a bit absent this past week from blogland.
    I haven't forgotten all of my blogging friends
    :)

    I have been breathing in the fresh sea air
    relaxing in the warm California sun
    digging my toes in the sand
    and
    'finding myself'
    at the ocean.


    We snuck in a refreshing little vacation at one of my favorite beach
    spots here in Northern California
    We are lucky to live close enough to visit
    Santa Cruz often.

    It is so absolutely beautiful.
    I love the beach against the gorgeous mountain backdrop.


    Our family, and my sister Taylor all packed up and
    headed to the beach for a bit of R&R


    We stayed at our favorite hotel in the area~
    An old historical resort on acres and acres of Santa Cruz mountain property.
    They have hiking trails weaving through the old growth redwoods and eucalyptus trees
    and wonderfully sized rooms with private patios.


    Love this old abandoned house.
    The first time I came to the resort and saw it, I wanted to buy it,
    fix it up and move right on in!

    It sits among the wilderness and trails that meander through the property.
    Going for walks on the trails and breathing in the fresh ocean air
    is fantastic.


    There is something so refreshing about the misty mornings by the sea.


    Ryan with Bella outside Starbucks

    We also went down to Monterey one morning.


    Cool and a bit fogged in, but so beautiful as always.


    The beach is one of my absolute favorite places to go
    Sitting at the edge of the ocean
    looking out at the water,
    listening to the waves
    and breathing the fresh air
    is absolutely incredible.

    Can't wait to head back again soon!

    ~

    The Block party is starting!!
    Whoo whoo!!
    A week long blog party at 12 different blogs!!
    Every time you join the party and link up
    no matter who's blog the party is at where you join~
    your link shows up at the other parties.
    It's like a traveling blog party so to speak-
    The code is placed on each of our parties so every link will be shared
    at everyones party!
    Debbie and Vanessa get the party started tonight
    Summer paint projects at Debbies and Summer activities for kids at Vanessa's
    My party will be up on Thursday as usual but is themed for
    Shabby Cottage Summer
    See you there!!

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