Memories.....and a spring break, break.

If you have been around for awhile you will remember this sweet cottage - our 

'Forever*Cottage' in Minnesota.  We called it home for three years prior to

moving back to Portland 2 years ago. So many good memories....such long winters!

{this home was featured in Flea Market Style}

Tomorrow, what we loved most about Minnesota arrives in Oregon - our

next door neighbors!  We are SO excited we can hardly 

stand it.   Needless to say, the next 10 days {yes, you read that right,

they are here for 10 days - all SIX of them}will be very busy so 

my posting may be sporadic or not at all.  We shall see, I don't want

any pressure because I just want to be present.  

As a family who has moved many times - this last one was a doozy.

I attribute the added stress to my children's ages - my big

girl was in 6th grade and my little in 3rd grade.  The 

transitions were all harder - we had left 'home', which was 

not just the cute cottage pictured above - it was school, teachers,

parents, friends, neighbors, familiar paths to the park, the local

ice cream parlor etc.....You get the idea. 

Thankfully, my girls are thriving in Portland now.

Having the friends who became like family

visit us in our new home is an honor and we feel

so blessed to continue this important relationship!

You will see our pack of 10 all over Oregon this week -

let the fun begin!

***********

*** As you might have guessed, the guest bedroom 

redecorating was spurred on by this visit and as so 

many guessed, {although I didn't make it so

hard with my previous post}I chose the 'brass beauty'

sconces from Pottery Barn.  I love, love loved the 

green hipsters but in the end they just did not go with my home.

If I had a little boy, I would totally design a room around those sconces!

Guest Bedroom

We have guests coming to visit! Our next door

neighbors from our Minnesota Cottagewood 

neighborhood are coming to Oregon! 

We are SO excited.

Nothing gets you moving on a decorating project

like the anticipation of guests coming.

Our guest bedroom serves dual purposes in our home.

First and foremost, the room functions as

my husband's office but also needs to accomodate

guests when needed - it's a tricky combination which

is why I have basically done very little with this

room since we moved in almost 2 years ago.

The Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon fabric kicked off the color

palette which needed to lean in a manly direction - ahem, HUSBAND'S OFFICE.

The navy linen shams and duvet cover are from West Elm and the quilt

and coral blanket are from Target!

The curtains are Ikea - I added the navy grosgrain ribbon.  The

bamboo blinds are from Overstock.

I am still waiting on hardware for the Ikea Rast nightstands 

I hacked and sconces for either side of the bed.......

I ordered some but had second thoughts after they

came so I ordered another set........

I thought it would be fun to have you guess 

which sconces I ultimately chose to use.....

What do you think? What would you choose?

Professing my love for brass....{once again}.

I am a terrible thrift store shopper {btw, have you hear THE song

about thrift shopping?}........I am constantly inspired by other bloggers

who obviously have good luck with it....but my need for instant

gratification, limited time and a sensitive 'ick' meter that goes

haywire upon entering a thrift store have prevented any

'hey look at this $5.00 mid-century modern desk

I scored at Goodwill yesterday' posts.

One of my many design quirks is that I love brass, always have

and always will.  Emily Henderson, a design crush of mine,

also has the same appreciation for brass that I do.....

her interiors have been inspiring me lately and making me

twitch and shift a bit in my own home.......so....

When I spotted this lamp at my local Goodwill I took a 

picture of it with my phone BUT did.not.buy.it......

I am scared like that when I step out of my comfort zone.

I even went back the next day because that bad-ass brass boy

was on my mind but IT WAS GONE!!!!

Fast forward to a random Wednesday last week.....needing some

small pots to grow wheat grass in for Easter, I stopped

in my local Goodwill to see if I could get some for cheap and 

low and behold, bad-ass brass lamp was back!

Needs a new finial!

I snatched it up without hesitation and brought it home.

Of course, bringing a 'out of your comfort zone' design element

into your space can set off a domino-redecorating affect...but

it can also lend great personality to your spaces - something

unpredictable and unexpected make spaces unique! In my

house, nothing is ever permanent and for $5.99 I think

I just might have scored my first Goodwill score!

The occasional chair.....why you 'need' at least one.

I stopped by a local client's home today to check on some

pieces she had reupholstered.  I am in LOVE with this pair

of french chairs!  My client already had these chairs, just

not in this room.  However, being a big fan

of frivolous furniture, especially a quirky/beautiful/fun 

occasional chair, I ordered urged her to bring them into her family room.

  I really believe every room needs at least one occasional chair - in a corner,

beside a table, in front of a bookcase, next to a buffet....you get the idea.

Besides adding personality, occasional chairs can be moved

into a room when a larger gathering calls for extra seating.

This particular space was white on white - we have been working on

adding texture, a bit of color and some contemporary elements.

This fabric fits in all of the those categories!  

Next on the agenda for this room -  throw pillows and styling with 

accessories, my favorite part!  Stay tuned.....it's going to be fabulous!

Life via Instagram......

Life has been great, but busy.....

My little celebrated her birthday - I survived the sleepover!

My big girl got accepted into her high school of choice - 

I chased the mailman a couple streets over to get the 

awaited envelope.  My girl claims she will never be able

to face our mailman again because 

I embarrassed her so.  However, she was driving me crazy 

with all her pacing that morning/afternoon so when I saw the

mailman was up the street, I decided to make a run for him, you

are welcome darling daughter!

My little girl had a violin recital and performed her piece beautifully.

So proud of her.

My mom visited this week to celebrate the big birthday

and help me with the sleepover {the hubs was on a guys golf weekend}.

We took the girls to the Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant on Friday

night - they loved it, I liked the wine and chocolate.

I made everyone go for a hike on Sunday cause I am a mean 

mom like that, plus, we had some fondue to work off

....actually one likes to hike, the other kept

proclaiming, "you know me, I am not a woodsy kind of girl".

Thanks for visiting - I swear I have design posts coming, I swear!

Oh - and thanks for all the votes on my front door!

I will consider the winning color {coral!} or may have

even hatched another plan since that post!

tgif.....

Never mastered this task!

Phew!

I can't believe it's Friday already.....

This week has flown by, filled with the regular life stuff,

birthday celebrations, client work, homework, housework,

a hike with friends, a much needed hair appointment

for yours truly, sunny warm spring weather.......

A fun weekend awaits - my mom visits to celebrate 

my girl's birthday,  a sleepover and lots of nervous energy 

as my big girl awaits high school acceptance 

letters due to arrive on Saturday - eeeek!  

My blogging content has been thin, but

that doesn't mean that I haven't been working

on projects - I have!  Stuff is coming....

coming, I tell ya!

So what are you up to this weekend????

eleven......

My baby turns 11 today.

Her birthday is always particularly special

to me because her pregnancy was....

"special".  I had complications in the

beginning that threatened both her life and mine.

We both survived....and thrived!

My sweet Abigail is so like me....

she is creative, sensitive and serious.

She is always eager to help me in the 

kitchen and loves to bake!

Abigail enjoys quiet and her favorite place

to be is at home.  Although she has

many friends, I often believe she is most

content when she is by herself, building lego

sets or playing Barbies {yes, even at 11!}.

Abigail plays the violin and played

on her school's volleyball team this year.  She loves

fashion and shopping - hard

for a girl that has to wear a uniform

to school everyday!

She does not like math.

She can sometimes be overshadowed by

an older, extroverted big sister so when

you get her alone she will talk your

ear off.  I love that.

Abigail has birthmark smack dab in the

middle of her neck, "her dot" as she

calls it......we have always thought

we would allow her to determine if it

is removed or not but she wears it proudly.

Thank you for letting me share my girl.....we will

be celebrating with some shopping fun with her Mimi and 

then a sleepover party with her friends on Saturday...

wish me luck!

Thank you.....{design board sale!}

Over the last months I have had the pleasure of working with 

some of you on rooms in your homes.  It has been such a blessing

to me.....I love that the internet can connect us to people

we would have otherwise never have met!  

I never take for granted that these rooms, in homes I will most likely

never visit are personal family spaces.  Opening them up to me and

asking for my help and advice is an honor.  To my core, I 

really believe that living in a space you love, that lives the way

your family lives enhances our life, and that of our family, in so many ways.

The design above is one that I am still working on.  The young 

couple already has a sofa and loveseat in the space, but that's about it!  Like so many,

they are trying to finish the room on a tight budget.  We elected to 

keep the paint {SW Kilim Beige}, but paint the door to the garage a 

moody black.  This couple really likes neutrals and traditional

design so the board reflects this.  The botanical prints are

a budget-friendly option for art and framed in Ikea's Ribba

make a big impact at a low cost!

As spring break approaches, I am planning to take a few weeks

off but would love to fill my design cue for April.  I am 

offering design boards for $175 for the month of April.  I will

take a limited number of clients so I can complete your 

board in a timely manner.  So, if you are interested in 

having me help you create a room you love in April,

please email me at jill.hinsondesigns@gmail.com.

Spring Curb Appeal.....

via

Spring time is the perfect time to rethink the curb appeal

of your home.  I know I am re-thinking the color

of our front door, a relatively easy update for instant

curb appeal!

While I would love to paint our entire house - it just isn't 

happening this year.  Our home is currently painted SW Sea Salt -

a sort of cool grayish bluish.  If you remember, last 

year I painted our front door a bright yellow.

via

I like the yellow but have considered re-painting our door

either a coral red or a traditional black......

Our front door!

For fun, I thought I would conduct a poll - asking for reader input.

If you would be so kind, please take a minute 

and cast your vote for what color

I should paint my front door!

The poll is located on the upper right side of my sidebar.
Can't wait to see what you all have to say.

I would also love to hear how you are
adding curb appeal to your home this spring????

An easy, breezy client project.....

I love working with enthusiastic, ready to re-decorate clients!

Lisa was definitely READY to bring some much needed

style to her family room and was always quick to respond to 

any email I sent - so this process went fast!

 Look at that beamed ceiling, it 

was screaming for a fabulous lantern!

'Before'

Lisa's young family needed space to gather and wanted

it to be comfortable and casual.  Of course, they

are also on a budget.  So I came up with a design board

that mixed 'splurge' {Pottery Barn Carlisle sofas} along with

'save' {Ikea chairs, a Target throw}.  

I offered some examples of accessories - they

can choose to purchase these exact items or

use them as inspiration as they finish the room.

I am such an accessory girl myself and really believe

that it's these finishing touches that make your 

rooms personal, unique and cozy.

Thank you Lisa!  I loved helping you with

your family room!  I can't wait to see everything

in the space!

If you are like Lisa, and ready to redecorate and would

like some help, please email me!

jill.hinsondesigns@gmail.com

Winner!

Happy Monday!

Had to pass along this great giveaway

on I Suwannee.  I love this pillow combination.

Pink is BIG, I tell ya!

************

I was overwhelmed with the number of giveaway

entries I received for the Farmgirl Paints cuff giveaway.  Commenting on 

blogs has lessened so sometimes it feels

as if no one is reading - your comments had me feeling 

the love, so thank you.

I loved reading what each of you would 

have stamped on your cuff - such encouraging and

personal words! 

As much as I would love to give each and everyone of

you a cuff - I had to choose a winner.  Using Random.org -

lucky number 26 was chosen.....so congratulations to....

Shannon

from Upon a Dream 

{email me at jillbeth@aol.com}

Remember, if you did not win, you have until March 10th to

order your own cuff.  Use the CODE 'jill15' at checkout

to receive a 15% discount!  

PurposeFULL Life.....{a giveaway}....

I posted one of the photos above on Instagram earlier this week

with the hash tag #whosoldladyhandsarethese......isn't it funny that I obviously

look at my hands many times a day, like everyday...but never noticed how wrinkly

and well, OLD they look.  Hello, hand-cream, we need to become better friends! 

However, after I came to my senses,  I thought, these are the hands that have

held my husband's hand for almost 25 years, the hands that held

both my baby girls for the first time and the hands that have yet to fail me

in my almost daily yoga practice {downward dogs and many vinyasas}. They

are the familiar hands of my grandmother, mother and aunts.....family hands, 

good hands....I'll keep 'em.

But enough about the hands let's talk about the arm candy, shall we?

Nearly everyday, you will find me wearing a leather cuff, it's my thing.

I have many but most of mine were made by my lovely friend 

Becky of Farmgirl Paints.  

When I was relatively new to blogging, I stumbled upon Becky's

blog and felt a connection, mostly because she lived near me in 

Minnesota but also because she just seemed so 'real'.  So imagine

how shocked I was when I was at my gym a couple weeks later

and noticed a cute mom with a 'little chick' and a 'big chick' 

in tow.....I knew it was Farmgirl Paints {Becky, unlike me, posts many

photos of her cute-self on her blog}!  So like any good blog

stalker, I sent her a creepy friendly message along the lines

of "do you workout at Life Time Fitness in ......?"  Low and behold

she got back to me and a friendship was born......

Unfortunately {or fortunately, depending on how you look at it}, our

lives took both of us away from Minnesota - to opposite coasts!

Ok - now let's talk more about Becky's cool, hip, inspirational cuffs.

Words and quotes are important to me - they decorate my home, 

broaden my mind and inspire me to be better and do better.

Wearing words that speak, uniquely to ME is me, no apologies.

The photos above are my newest cuff - it says,

"PurposeFULL Life".

Phew!

That's alot to live up to. But with more PURPOSE

is how I am choosing to live this year - whoo hoo!

Purpose in who I spend my time with, how I spend my 

time and resources  - every minute. of every day.

Becky sells cuffs via her Etsy shop - open from 

the 1st-10th of every month. So guess what?

You can get your very own cuff with your

very own words stamped on it TODAY!!!

And even better......

Becky has generously offered 15% off

your cuff when you use the 

CODE ' jill15' at checkout!!!

Wait - but there's more {I feel like a game show host tonight!}

I am giving a cuff of your choice to ONE lucky

Forever*Cottage reader!

To enter:

* Leave me a comment letting me know

what your cuff would say.

* Become a follower of Forever*Cottage

{or let me know if you already are} for

a second entry.

That's it!

Enter by midnight PST on Sunday and I will announce the winner on Monday.

Have a fabulous weekend - now go get yourself a fabulous cuff!