Snow Day Project

Everyone . . . . ok, most everyone . . . . likes a Snow Day!  Am I right?  I thought so!  However when Snow Day 2 arrives, you . . . meaning I . . . . get a little stir crazy.  So let's back up a little . . . this is how it went down . . .

That Small Town Feeling

I've always lived in a small town.  It's the life for me.  I have been fortunate to travel some awesome places...many large cities...but my heart belongs to "small town living". 

For 52 years, I lived in the same small town...I grew up here and raised my boys here.  Just this past August, I found my cottage in a neighboring town...and yes, it is a small town too!

Every where I turn, there's a small town, and I like it that way.  I love the fact that I'm only around an hour from Nashville, TN, Chattanooga, TN, and Huntsville, AL for shopping and restaurants.  However, I am only minutes in all directions from quaint little towns like Tullahoma, Lynchburg, and Manchester.

Today after work, I needed to run an errand in Manchester...about 15 min. from work.  Luckily, this was one of my early days that I don't tutor after school.  So I decided to treat myself to a little small town fun...

Come with me, and let me show you what I mean...

For The Love Of Decorating

So when did you first get interested in home decorating?

For me I think it's always been there. I can remember paying close attention to details when creating homes for my Barbies.  I adored several 60's/70;s sitcoms for 1.  fashion and 2. home décor.  Here are some of my favs!

Wintery Decorating

Christmas is over but winter is not.  The red and green are put away, but now what?

I love the twinkle that my white lights give off...it's kind of magical!  That is something that I like to carry over in my décor after Christmas.  So I went on the hunt for some inspiration.  This is what I came up with...

Christmas Dessert Table

source

Traditions have always been important to me...we had many traditions when I was a young child, especially at Christmas, that I hold dear to my heart today!  When I had a family, I started Christmas traditions of my own.  However, when your children grow up and have families of their own, those traditions can change.  And now at this season in my life, I am starting new traditions once again...and that's ok.

This year, my kids will arrive Christmas night.  We will have our "Christmas" on the 26th.  We will all gather at my oldest son's home for an early dinner and gift exchange.  That evening we will gather at my new home for dessert, light hors d'oeuvres and drinks.  So, my quest for inspiration began.  In my previous post, I shared Christmas goodies that are a must for my dessert/hors d'oeuvre table.  I wanted to share some new ideas that I have found that have inspired me.  I hope something will jump out and grab you for a little Christmas inspiration!

So let's get started...

A "Two Seater" Spruced Up For Spring

So the other day, my bestie and I did lunch and then prowled around some antique shops.  We chose to do both in a small neighboring town.  It was a nice little outing...even though we had to drive back home in a torrential rainstorm!

Spring Is In The Air....and Around the Cottage...

So this marks the second week of spring break.  My first week was spent in the mountains...in a cabin with my grangirl.  The cabin was cozy, we hit lots of fun places, shopped, and ate lots of yummy foods...but the weather was anything but springtime weather!  All in all, it was a fabulous time despite the cold and snowy days!  I'll share that soon in another post.

Upon my return from our mountain getaway, the temps were still a bit cool.  However, there has been lots of sunshine on these chilly days...and I was ready to make Chippy White Cottage a bit more springy....So....out came the bunnies...the colored eggs...birds...and big blooms!  Would you like to take a peek?  I kind of thought you might....

Easter Bonnet...With all the Frills upon it

I remember always getting a new dress for Easter...many times it was made by my mother, who was an awesome seamstress! I loved playing dress-up as a little girl!  I would always get my momma's and grandmother's old hats and purses for dress up and fashion shows.  I would dress up in outfit after outfit...gowns and hats, and carry the wonderful old hand-me-down purses.

Gallery Wall...New Concept?

"Gallery Walls" are all the rage...I decided that I wanted to create one in my living room.  While choosing just the right pieces, I thought to myself...this really ISN'T a new concept at all!  Off and on all my adult life, I had created something similar.  I started looking back through picture albums (you know those things that hold photos before camera phones and digital copies...lol) and I found photos of several "gallery walls" from the past.  It's kind of like in education...ideas go and come back around with new names for them....I think that's the same thing here.

Weekend Crafting

Last weekend was the flea market, and this weekend I put some of my treasures into projects.  Anytime I am working with anything chippy and white, vintage millinery flowers, or dolls, I'm a happy girl!  And when the project calls for all of the above...then I am over the moon!

When I found this chippy white frame last weekend, I initially had a different idea in mind for it.  However, things just led me in a different direction when I got out all of my treasures.  So, after gluing vintage millinery flowers, a white rusty heart & key, a sparkly "LOVE", and a Frozen Charlotte to this wonderfully chippy frame...here are the results...and I have to say, I LOVE it!

It fits into my Gallery Wall (that I'll be posting about soon) just perfectly!

I'm Linking To.....

PINK SATURDAY

INSPIRE ME MONDAY

BUSY MONDAY

AMAZE ME MONDAY

MONDAY SOCIAL PARTY

OVER THE MOON PARTY

CREATIVE MONDAY

Wordless Wednesday

Stop and Smell The Roses

I love roses...and I love the way they smell.  I especially love the meaning of this saying. Unfortunately, I don't set aside time just for doing that and nothing else! 

We all have full plates at one time or another...sometimes we can't seem to ever get those plates clean!  Many of us are multitaskers much of the time!  But stopping and putting all aside for just enjoying the things around us in important!  Even if you have to "pencil in" time for "smelling the roses" we need to do that!

I love my home....it's comfy and cozy and full of love with my two pups!  After a long hard day, I have a wonderful leather recliner sofa to plop down on to watch a little tv. I have a nice cozy bed to snuggle up in at night! I have decorated my little cottage to my heart's desire.  I rearrange and redecorate often because that's just who I am and what I love.

Handwritten Letters... A Lost Art...

I've been into interior decorating since I was a young girl.  My taste has changed over the many years...decades...but I've always had a LOVE for OLD things!!!

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder...

I'm pretty sure the title of this post is an idiom...Sorry, I've been teaching idioms to my fourth graders this week.  They are everywhere!  LOL

Anyway, I do believe that idiom to be true!  What I might find beautiful might be dreadful to some.  Personally I find anything  CHIPPY*SHABBY*PEELING to be glorious!  Let me show you what I mean......

How positively, imperfectly PERFECT is this door!?!
Let's see MORE...

No Fleas Today

Today was Flea Market Day. 

My bestie and I were looking SO forward to it since it had been a while since we had been.  We couldn't go on a Saturday this month due to my pups' obedience training, so we opted for Sunday.  We've been on a Sunday before, and it just wasn't as good...i.e. picked over, booths closing early, etc.  But we were all set to go...lists of hopefuls in hand....

The Nashville Flea

The Nashville, TN Flea Market is considered one of the top 10 flea markets in the country.  Well, I am not one bit surprised!  My bestie and I have been frequenting this flea market for years and hauled loads of goodies home almost every time!  You can find this monthly-themed flea market at the Nashville Fairgrounds every fourth weekend of the month!  You are sure to go home with some vintage treasure...if not many!

There are about 1000 dealers and vendors, representing about 30 states, each month!  It's been going since 1969 (I was 4 years old when it began) and has been going strong since....bringing in close to half a million visitors a year!  What?????  WOW!!!

Blogging Through the Years...

So....this post is dedicated to my blogging through the years....

I thought I'd share some of my fav FINDS, BLOG PARTIES, VIGNETTES, ETC.

I began my first blog, Our Back Porch in October 2007.  My focus was just what it still is today....decorating and home.  Since I was of a young age, I took a great interest in home decorating.  In high school, that is really what I wanted to be when I "grew up"!  I had a typing teacher in high school whom I adored, and I found out that she use to do just that.  I did a report on home design, and I interviewed her as one of my sources.  I found out quickly that it would be quite hard to enter this career and remain in the small town in which I lived.  I really didn't have a desire to move to a big city, so I put this idea to rest....however, it was a part of me....a BIG....CONSISTENT...PART. 

From the moment I had my very first apartment, I spent so much time decorating and redecorating.  When I married, and we bought our first home, I decorated and redecorated....and I've been decorating ever since!!!

"Country Decorating" was all the rage when I first married.  I bought every decorating magazine as soon as it came out on the stands!  I frequented antique shops, yard sales, flea markets, etc. and soon filled our home with all sorts of goodies from yesteryear!  The decorating mags back then had a pen pal section.  I soon made friends interested in the same décor...some of which are still friends today...and we would pack monthly boxes of goodies for each other!  One of the most exciting times was when my pen pal request was printed in one of the mags!  It was one of the best times in my life! 

R is for Rebecca

It's NO secret that I adore using WORDS in my décor!

Just Like Mayberry....Sort Of...

Thanks for joining me again on my trip through quaint little towns of Tennessee.

Today, I'm going to focus on a little town called Bell Buckle.

It has such qualities of a "Mayberry" type town that you think you'll see Barney Fife running across the road and into the drugstore!  LOL  And...I happen to be blessed by living just a short distance from this small, Middle Tennessee town.

You will be SURPRISED at what this little town has to offer!!!

Let's take a look!!!

Chippy Shabby....and...A Dilemma!

While most women dream of expensive jewelry, designer clothes, tons of shoes...I dream of

RUSTY. CRUSTY.

CHIPPY.SHABBY.

If it has peeling paint....I'm overjoyed...

And if it happens to be white peeling paint....I'm ecstatic.