Zhu Zhu, how about you?

Cute little sucker, right?I would love to get my hands on one (or two) of these little buggers....the "hottest" toy this Christmas season.My girls BOTH want one - from Santa.Do you think Santa was lined up at midnight at Toys R' Us to score a few? I am ashamed to admit but I sent my poor, yet agreeable, husband out into the Zhu Zhu pet madness last night. Yes, the poor guy left the house at 11:30...

I am grateful, how about you?

Life has been a bit topsy turvy at our cottage. The kind of topsy turvy that involves lay-offs and job uncertainty....This kind of uncertainty allows you to really take stock and decide what is REALLY important in life.I know I am blessed.I know I am grateful for my blessings....for my family...healthy children...a beautiful home...a supportive community...good friends....ALL THAT MATTERS.But this...

Stockings For Sale!

Congratulations to my friend in real life, Allie for winning the stocking/Starbucks giveaway. And to just set the record straight,(ahem, Jermonne from Barn House, are you listening?) the drawing was conducted fair and square. I simply put numbers 1-28 in a bowl and had my sweet 7 year old, Abigail draw a number. Abigail drew the number "11" which was Allie's number! So there.Because of the interest...

.......and we have a winner!

The winner of the burlap stocking is "Allie"! Thanks everyone who left me the sweetest comments! I will be listing some stockings for sale on my blog on Monday for anyone who might be interested in purchasing one.Have a lovely weekend everyo...

It's About Time.....A Forever Cottage Giveaway!

This is my first giveaway.It is about time, huh?It is definitely not as fabulous as what Brooke is giving away at Velvet & Linen....not even close.But I thought it would be fun to giveaway one of my burlap stockings....I am quite happy with how they turned out.And by the way, if you are in Minnesota they (my burlap stockings)will be sold at Mustard Moon beginning tomorrow...Anyway....I will give...

What Do You Think?

I have always been impressed by the talented and crafty bloggers out there.I have never considered myself one of them. Nope, not ever.Perhaps THAT is about to change....Inspired by holiday images out in both blogland and catalogs, I got a bee in my bonnet, so to speak.I dusted off the sewing machine and created some burlap stockings with linen rosettes and other vintage "trinkets".I think I am going...

I have to tell you about........

One awesome blog giveaway!In celebration of her 300th post, Brooke Giannetti of Velvet & Linen is giving away THREE Brickmaker's tables like the one pictured above! How awesome is that!Brooke is looking for readers to submit pictures of the room where they would place the Brickmaker's table. Her point is to show how this same table can adapt and be appropriate in different looking rooms with...

Forever Cottage Tag Sale!

In preparation for my BIG plans for holiday decorating (read previous post to understand this sarcasm), I have been in major clean-out mode. I brought about 6 bags of clothes to Goodwill and have secretly edited the toy collections in each of my daughters' rooms (shhh, don't tell them).I have some nice vintage/or not so vintage but nonetheless fabulous items that have been collecting dust in cabinets...

Holiday Preparations...........

I think we have gotten to know each other a bit over my last year of blogging....Sometimes I am uncomfortable (ok, embarrassed) by the seemingly frivolous topics that I choose to blog about. Come on, feathering my nest and shopping for banged-up pieces of furniture to replace the already perfectly good banged-up pieces I already own seems a bit indulgent, unnecessary, spoiled even.Today I will deviate...

Filling a 'Void'.........

I miss my magazines....Do you hear that magazine publishing companies?Why did you take my beloved Cottage Living, Domino and Country Home magazines away? I was loyal, always renewing my subscriptions, so much so that I had years left on many of them. Subscriptions I faithfully renewed, expecting to receive my beloved publications. Publishers just replaced my favorites with such unwanted titles...

....Surprises....

Almost a year ago I started this little blog....I did not know what I was doing (technology speaking) and still probably only know enough to be dangerous.....I had no goals, nothing to sell, nothing to market and some would argue, not much to say....I was however, inspired and suprised in many ways....I was inspired by the many blogs I was reading on a regular basis. Blogs written by women who I...