On HGTV it's so simple....and quick!!!

Very sorry, right now you would not be welcomed into the cottage, despite this sign inside my front door. I'd love to entertain you, would have the tea tray ready................but not while the painting is still underway and the entire house appears to be coated in a fine white dust, quite embarrassing! Remember those painful words 'Spring cleaning'? There will be plenty of this required in the next few weeks! Why is it jobs always take longer than estimated? The ceiling makeover (removing the texture, repairing some areas, waiting for the drying process....and more waiting, then two coats of paint) took a day and a half more than expected.............but it looks super nice now, smooth and so clean. Actual painting of walls underway now and a helper appeared as 'Superman' is behind schedule!

Are you like me, do you find it hard to get much accomplished when there are strangers working in the house? I always feel I have to be offering drinks, snacks, lunch, afternoon tea.........perhaps this is why they fall behind schedule........I'm too hospitable!

The upstairs is still inaccessible as the stairwell is being painted now, so today I'm trying to do useful odds and ends. First, ironing the holiday table linens which are still in a pile and have been ignored far too long. Making Magical Leek Broth (those of you who've read 'French Women Don't Get Fat' are familiar with this!) for my supper as dh is out of town, and then perhaps run a dust cloth over the cloudy dining room table.
Just paint rollers whooshing upstairs, and two paint splattered guys talking about beach music and religion - after all this is North Carolina!

Decorating notes for a quiet day.

Found a sample piece of burlap - tied it around a candle with twine - I like it.

Filled a vintage zinc topped canning jar with shredded music - this came as filler in a recent package from sweet Joy at The Hope Jar - I'm loving my scarf Joy, and the Paris and crown tags.

Looking for more old books to add to this pile in my bedroom.
Thinking about and coveting these rather expensive vintage glass knobs snuggled up at SuzAnna's Antiques last week - would be perfect to hang my burnout velvet bedroom curtains but I'd need so many for the bay window.

Organizing altered art supplies.

Tea tray linen cloth I embroidered at age twelve - used at special afternoon teas.

A quick note of thanks to all who left a Birthday greeting for my special cousin, Sue. Your messages crossed the pond and brightened her day.

Sisters AND Cousins Are Special

As children they went away to boarding school together. As teens they learned their craft and both became talented dressmakers. Prior to World War II they worked together here in this beautiful Devon seaside town (click on pic to enlarge) in their father's hotel/pub - two sisters who were very close. They were glamorous ~ they dated famous British Wimbledon tennis players. They lounged on the sea wall wearing cream linen dresses, elegant hats, silk stockings and soft strapped leather shoes.

For their sister's wedding, they lovingly stitched the wedding dress and the bridesmaids' gowns.

My mother, third from the left and her older sister next to her, they were so close. The bride and the sister on the far right are their twin sisters.

They each married during that terrible time of war and, being close sisters, they each had a daughter of their own within nine months of one another. The cousins ~ me on the left obviously throwing a tantrum, while Susan my cousin walks holding the sisters' hands.

Mary & Sue

Torquay Seafront Promenade - 1944

The cousins grew up just a few miles and a bus ride apart. We had no cars but the double decker bus could take us to each other in about 30 minutes. We spent Summer holidays together, looking into the future...........................

................................enjoying girlie pursuits in the house.............playing on the beach, walking the fields on the cliff tops, picking blackberries and hazelnuts from the hedgerows, sharing pennies at the amusement arcade on the pier, you can see it's still there in the first photo above.

In the teen years school kept them busy, then boyfriends appeared. They met now and then. Sometimes hanging out at the one little coffee bar that had a juke box - feeding it sixpences to hear Buddy Holly sing 'Peggy Sue' over and over again.

Johan, Mary, Bob and Sue (seated)

Torquay, England - Oct. 2007

The years have flown by and the sisters, our sweet Mums, have gone. We no longer live a quick double decker bus ride apart. Sue is still there in that lovely English coastal town with wonderful Dutch husband Johan. I am far away across the pond with Yankee Bob. Sue's unable to fly here to see me but I cross the pond when possible to visit with her. We are always in touch - because we are, and always will be, very special cousins.

Today my cousin Sue celebrates her sixty fifth birthday. Where have all those years gone?

Neither of us was blessed with a sister but I'm so thankful we are cousins.

~~~~Happy Birthday dear Sue~~~~

Nature Notes and China

More treasures I've just purchased from Kelly at Dove Grey Art Studio. The garland I've now moved to the side of the Welsh Dresser where it shows up better on a plain background, and the new Spring N~E~S~T birds and eggs banner.................................

..............................is hanging here for the time being so I could share it with you. When the Spring Cleaning (did I really mention that dastardly phrase) is over, and after the painting projects are completed, I may move this to another spot.

This close up of one section shows how beautiful Kelly's work is.

You can see I really do have a bird theme going on here on this dresser. My set of Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady china ~ love the large plate with mother feeding her young below, and the gravy boat pair on the branch of catkins above.......................

....................little pot holder birds doing just what they should ~ holding another of my decoupaged pots. I made a lot of these decorated pots and sold them at a local garden shop ~ I hope to paint more this year as I found this very enjoyable.

Kelly also gathers treasures to make delightful bundles of collage/art/antique papers and related items for scrapbooking, card making and art projects. I'm thrilled with this bird paper bundle and can't wait to use them in a Spring project of my own.

While looking at my Country Diary china, out of curiosity I decided to check what was available at Replacements, Ltd. in this pattern. I was quite shocked to discover that the pieces are so expensive now the pattern is discontinued. The china was made in Ireland by Noritake 1982-1991.

I purchased mine in the early 80's, a 'gift' to myself because I fell in love with Edith Holden's books and nature illustrations and, as many of you know, love anything with writing. The large serving platter is now $68.95, the gravy boat $92.95, and the coffee pot with lid $123.95 (you can just see it behind the banner 'T' in the second pic). I have a service for 8 as well as several extra pieces - and I probably didn't spend more than a couple of hundred dollars for everything. Anyway, I'll never sell it because I love it.......and we use it often. I like to mix it with my plain china - Mikasa's French Countryside - as I like the cream and white together.

Will just be more careful with it when washing dishes from now on!

New Feathered Friends

This is a new Spring banner for my dining room Welsh dresser - from Kelly at Dove Grey Art Studio. I enjoyed her delicate, clean creations for the Christmas banners so much ~ just couldn't resist her birds and buttons vintage paper garland to hurry along and welcome a new season that's waiting in the wings!

Just look at these babes in a nest waiting for dinner.



I do love Nature - a few things from the corners of my home including the tulip and dragonfly pots I painted and decoupaged.

More of Kelly's lovely creations coming soon!

Defining a Style

Below is my guest room which eventually will be turned from a rather plain bedroom into something more elegant and romantic. I only thought to take these pictures after I had started clearing out the room. Painter Bruce is working his magic ~ I'm reserving my energy for painting furniture when he's finished.

Beautiful padded headboard with romantic French writing ~ I would love a bed like this.This room below I love ~ it has some of that old European look with shutters and tiles. Painting my walls a similar neutral linen shade which I think looks good with the stained wood trim. I may hang a pair of old washed shutters each side of my window.Can I work some magic on my little chair? It has good bones. Needs the seat recovered, perhaps a linen cushion. A little more antiquing and distressing to knock down the white to get the look of a French chair.

And then there's the armoire. Useful they are, but their bulk needs more than a tassel to turn them into a thing of beauty.....................................

.................the doors painted like this perhaps, with delicate faded script ~ love letters?

I'm thumbing through those magazines and decorating books ~ ideas for accessories galore ~ will take time to hunt and gather from flea markets, antiques and vintage shops, perhaps Spring yard sales. A crystal chandelier ~ wall sconces ~ the right window treatment. It will be a challenge but eventually I'll get there, and I'll keep you posted.

Old French dresser drawer - Suzanna's Antiques, Raleigh, NC

Let the painting begin........

Rushed through breakfast as it will be a busy morning................

...................painting starting today. I've always done the interior painting but as this big job involves getting the texture off the bedroom ceiling and painting the stairwell, I'm leaving it all to Superman Bruce who comes highly recommended. I feel thoroughly spoiled - but meanwhile will supply mugs of coffee with almond biscotti, afternoon tea and Belgian chocolate biscuits, and moral support while he's up on the ladders rather than me!

Love this color - contrasts well with woods and natural materials.

Tall peeling wooden door - lovely colors.

This week at SuzAnna's Antiques.

Peeling and chipped but still lovely old painted wood.

SuzAnna's Antiques.
My natural stone bowl holding potpourri - soft paint colors with a little persimmon accent.
A cream painted and decoupaged terracotta pot - one of many I've decorated.

Neutral Ground

The hardest part of painting a room?

PICKING THE COLOR OF COURSE!

At last they've come up with little sample pots......................and by the time I finish with these I'll have blown the entire paint budget and won't be able to afford the gallons!

Actually, at under $4.00 a pop, they really are worthwhile if you just can't choose from those five thousand shades of neutral on minuscule pieces of card stock. No longer beige, cream, linen and ivory, there are now names such as 'Cincinnatian Hotel Hannaford'.........and to make things worse this is the color I may just end up with.

Slapping stripes of paint all over the bedroom yesterday afternoon was frustrating. There was no sun - not that the sun shines directly in that room - and on every wall each color looked different. Seems one has to just say to heck with it, I'll choose this one...........then hope it looks OK once the entire job is finished. If not, just paint over it when dh is out of town!

I'm still looking at this room for inspiration even though my room looks nothing like this yet - but it has the elements I love.

So this color card may be my choice as they are yellowed neutrals, good for a sunless room, Lyndhurst Stone, Cliveden Sandstone (very British sounding), and for some reason, the peculiar named Cincinnatian Hotel Hannaford. Any Ohio gals out there know if there's a Hotel Hannaford? If so, hope it's posh and not some sleazy place in the wrong part of town!

I'll keep you posted on the makeover, meanwhile I'll be off to the paint store later today. Promised dh no more sample pots, I'll go for the gallons.

Of course he's no help - when I showed him two stripes of color I was considering for the stairwell and upstairs hallway which will also be painted, and asked him which one, he pointed and I immediately said "no way, much too dark" to which he said "OK the other one then". Absolutely no help whatsoever!!!

It was then time to find a comfortable chair, pour a cup of tea, and stare at all those stripes again.