Christmas in our Forever*Cottage....

Welcome!  

I have to admit I had much more fun fluffing our home

for Christmas this year.  I think it's because I am hosting

my family for the holiday which definitely made me

"up my game".  The awesome sign on my mantel was made

for me by my friend Melaine of My Sweet Savannah!

Back in the day I purchased santa's and snowmen and glitter houses,

but over the years I have donated many of those items and the

ones I have left remain in my green and red tubs.  Like

many of you, I find myself embracing a simpler decor, using more 

natural items to bring the season inside.  

My decor is as simple as substituting pinecones for seashells in

my silver bowls.  I also pull together all my vintage red books for a 

festive touch.

Or adding a jar of candy canes to my tool caddy in the kitchen!

I love creamy poinsettias!

Here is a view of our dining area, simple boxwood wreaths on the 

window and red stripe grain sack pillows are all I added to

add a seasonal feel.

Here is our au natural tree!  My girls say it's a "Charlie Brown" tree

but I love it's imperfect qualities!  I have collected Christopher Radko

ornaments for years and I think a sparse tree allows them to hang 

so much better.  Hard to see, but the tree is sitting in a 

vintage galvanized metal tub.

{my large french doors are dying for some drapes, don't ya think?}

Paper whites are a Christmas must-do!

Can you guess what is holding those vintage ornaments on the center

of my table????

It's a vintage chicken feeder!

You often can find metal chicken feeders at flea markets but I had

not seen a wooden one until I found this one at an occasional sale

in Minnesota last year.  

  Overall I want our home to feel like our home,

just tweaked a bit for the season.  

Now, that our home is fluffed I can move on to enjoying the best

part of the season......baking!

Wishing you all peace and joy this season and always!


** I am linking up with Rene at Cottage and Vine!

Lark Nest Design

It's often been said that blogging brings special people into your life that you

might not have otherwise met or crossed paths with.  This fact

is certainly true for me and is probably the number one

reason that I continue to blog.  

A few years ago, Ki Nassauer asked me to style a tablescape

at the Junk Bonanaza Antiques Show with items purchased

exclusively from a Minneapolis thrift store.  The project

was one of the first 'gigs' I did after I began writing this blog and I was

lucky enough to go on and do other things for Ki, Junk Bonanza

and Flea Market Style magazine.  

Styling that tablescape meant I spent alot of time at the Junk 

Bonanza that year.  I met LOTS of great people.  One of the most 

memorable people I met that year was Kim Yeager, who 

at that time was the Home & Garden editor for the 

Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper.  I remember

feeling like I was meeting a 'celebrity', as I recognized her byline on
the home and garden features I enjoyed in my local paper!


You can't meet Kim and not describe her as "memorable".  She
has a mass of beautiful curly hair, often done up in a clip on top
of her head.  Kim talks with a familiar Minnesota accent, having lived in
the upper midwest her whole life and is just about the most outgoing,
energetic and friendly human being you will ever meet.
I liked loved her right way.


I was blessed to have the opportunity to get to know Kim
a bit more before I left Minnesota, we had coffee dates and worked
together on some Junk Bonanza 'stuff'.  Kim is immensely
talented and creative, her writing is impeccable and she
loves all things to do with pretty fabric and vintage-wares.


Kim has since left the newspaper business and moved on to bigger
and better things.....she is writing the Flea Market Style blog, doing press
and publicity for Junk Bonanza and helping homeowners style and decorate
their homes.


Kim recently created a website and began a blog to chronicle her adventures.
I encourage you to go check out Lark Nest Design and
get a glimpse into the crazy, beautiful, creative world of my friend
Kim Yeager!

...these are a few of my favorite things.....

The Nester had posted a linky this week asking bloggers to 

put together a post of their favorite things/gifts.  I began the post

and then the week just got crazy and I never finished in time to link

but still wanted to share with all of you nonetheless.

First up, Beth Quinn Designs.  I met Beth at Junk Bonanza a couple years

ago and besides being a sweetheart, she makes beautifully inspiring jewelry.

I recently wanted to give a special group of girlfriends here in 

Portland a little something to commemorate our friendship.  

I contacted Beth and she made five custom pieces 

and mailed them to me in less than a week!

How awesome is that?!

Beth Quinn Designs

The Elde shop on Etsy sells hand crocheted and knitted items to 

keep you warm and cozy in the winter months!  I love these fingerless

gloves!

Elde on Etsy

I have a wardrobe of cuff bracelets thanks to my good friend

Becky from Farmgirl Paints!  I love to wear inspiration on my wrist!

I recently came across Michelle V Custom Leather Jewelry
on Etsy and fell in love with the verses and inspirational passages that
she includes on her leather cuffs.  She offers lots of custom options.
{shhh.....} someone on my list is getting a Michelle V creation!

Michelle V Custom Leather Jewelry

Anything with a monogram always sets my heart aflutter!  I love

these embroidered monogram pendants....adorable.  They

are from Etsy seller 'the merriweather council'.

the merriweather council


So, are you done with your shopping yet?  I am doing pretty good but
am not done yet.  We don't even have our tree up yet!  We have
four basketball games and two soccer games this weekend so looks
like the tree will have to wait till a free evening next week. All part of
life with active kids!
Have a fabulous weekend friends!

The festivities have begun!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving weekend at my parent's home in 

central Oregon; lots of eating, playing games, a day of skiing in fresh

powder, a little shopping at the local shops and lots of relaxing!

My kind of holiday!

Probably the best memory made was going to cut down our Christmas

tree in the forest!  Although we lived almost 9 years

in Oregon we had never gotten a $5 tree cutting permit and 

hiked through 'nature's tree lot' to find the perfect natural tree.

We all agreed that this new tradition is a 'keeper'! It was

so much fun and the warm temperatures and little snow at this

elevation made the experience all the more enjoyable!

The girls enjoyed the hot cocoa at the coffee shop afterwards.

Despite my attempts to slow down the coming frenzy, I guess it's here.  

I have a feeling that this year it will be enjoyed more by our family; we

are happy at home in the place we love, we have employment,

good health, family and friends near {which means no holiday travel} and the

joyful anticipation as our girls wait to celebrate Jesus' birth!

Bring it on.......I guess....