color my world

Last month artist Karen Harvey Cox had a giveaway at her blog, A Scrapbook of Inspiration. The prize was an original watercolor of the flower of your choice.

I did not win.



In Karen's post declaring the winner, she relayed the sweet custom started when her daughters were small of giving the girls not celebrating a birthday an unbirthday gift on their sisters' special day.

Karen then surprised us non-winners by offering to paint a mini watercolor of our favorite flower as an "ungiveaway gift." Another amazing tale of generosity and creativity in blogland.

I wrote to Karen and told her that I love her paintings of flower boxes because they look so happy.



Karen painted a watercolor of my plate garden and literally-named Shabby Shed. I have never received anything like this in my life. Hand painted ... for me ... of something I adore!



In her card to me Karen wrote, "I know nothing happier than your garden." My gosh, I am touched, awed, moved. Boy, I'm so happy I took up blogging. I can't imagine receiving this kind of heartfelt connection from ... golf! Just teasing, golfers



Karen also has a lovely shop on Etsy where you can buy her beautiful watercolors. Here are two favorites:


I am now on the quest for the perfect frame for my original watercolor, about 5.5" x 7.5". I am imagining reclaimed chippy wood and have been doing searches online and onland (HomeGoods, TJ Maxx). If you have any ideas, suggestions or links, please send!

Wishing you a happy unbirthday today.

xo

note: added 7/12
I just ordered this frame from Fragment Freaks. It's an 8x10 and I will use/make a matte! Thank you for the great suggestions and Amy also for the ringing endorsement of Fragment Freaks. My 1st Ebay purchase!

"waterside" inspiration

Yesterday my pre-ordered & personalized copy of Waterside Cottages by Barbara Jacksier arrived: GASP! It is the most beautiful and beachy book. The text and awesome photos inspired and motivated me to give my beach-house-inspired living room, a renewed dose of ... beachiness.


First I removed the the faux cherries from the green bowl and replaced them with sea shells and postcards.


Click to enlarge
I removed the garland and picture frames from the wooden screens, and returned touches of orange to the room.


This whimsical goodie was from Roberta Laprade's aptly-named Fairhaven shop, Enchanted Treasures. Roberta's swoon-inducing home is featured on pages 62-73 of Waterside Cottages.

back door

My "water-near" cottage is less than 2 miles from a beautiful pond.

bathroom

Sand collected from our pond and a favorite beach


Seaglass from a real junky beach. The more trash, the more seaglass!



kitchen window

I love how this photo reveals the bright orange day lilies outside.

block island

My husband took this photo last Summer


How awesome is this border of wine bottles? (Start drinkin'!)

Tomorrow's weather forecast for RI actually says "spectacular!" I hope the same for wherever your cottage is.

xo

rainy day fun

As I may have mentioned, it has been raining almost daily since May. I recently contributed a rainy day craft idea to a wonderful online resource for parents based in Providence, called Kidoinfo.com and was told it would be posted the next rainy day. Well that day is today. Here is the link to the article if you'd like to check it out: Rainy Day Art


My youngest dotting bristol paper with food coloring


Just add rain


Here's how Mommy plays when it rains. I (re)hung my tea towel from Cindy at Cute Pink Stuff by some twine and my clothespins. I like this better than how I had it before.

Have a nice day ... rain or shine!

xo

generosity, beauty and capuchins

Yesterday I visited one of my favorite Ocean State treasures, a shop called the greenery. It is such a cool gift and flower shop and the owner Bridget is the obvious reason why. Her shop is filled with unique gifts, cards, wonderful antiqued wire objects, and of course, flowers. I brought Bridget some vases I had in the basement to use for arrangements in the shop. Bridget thanked me a million times over first by giving me a generous supply of cabochons and then a bouquet of flowers "past their prime." {really?}


The flowers in the girlie office. Even a peony!


The cabochons (which I kept calling "capuchins")


Not a cabochon.


My eight-year old helped me sort them out.


I told him, imagine someone just gave you a whole stack of Pokèmon cards. He understood my excitement.


Click to enlarge



If you know anyone in or near Rhode Island, please tell them to visit the greenery.

Have a lovely Monday!

xo

hooray for the red, white & blue!

* * * Wishing everyone a happy Fourth of July! * * *

I bought this today at Whole Foods. I totally dig the chippy pot!

This is sort of stars-and-stripes ~ cottage style!
(Inspired by the sparkling creativity at the Tales from an OC Cottage blog)

Hoping to make some time for my Etsy shop in the midst of the holiday weekend.

Have a happy, festive and safe holiday weekend and
a happy Pink Saturday, too!

xo

mixed berries tablescape

Since school vacation started for my boys, it has been sunny just 1 day. So the other rainy afternoon when the boys began to play with the Wii, I knew I had an opportunity to create a tablescape that had been in my mind. The sun even made a brief appearance for my photo shoot.


Once again many Target finds are making an appearance. The strawberry dishes are from the Summer seasonal section about 2 years ago; the striped table runner; the faux hydrangeas; our little pals the s&p birdies; the paper napkins. The cake plate is from Crate & Barrel.


I am almost embarrassed to tell you about the berry tablecloth. Um ... It's a sheet! I gathered and tied it at each corner. (Don't worry -- no pillow case napkins -- yet!)


Keeping with the berry theme (this drink is quite delish).




Again, having fun mixing patterns together.

Please visit the gracious Between Naps on the Porch blog to see all of the wonderful tablescapes created this week.


Well, one benefit of many rainy days is that my plate garden flowers are still living. Dare I say "flourishing?"


Looks like more rain in the forecast. Next opportunity I hope to post some new things at my Etsy shop. Wii shall see!

xo

file under: swoon

Photo credit: Amazon.com

I have a hunch that most of you will understand why I had to buy this lovely set of file folders. One side is a lovely robin's egg blue and the flipside is a wonderful pale pink. I found these at TJ Maxx while wandering through the paper goods (a favorite section).

Another knock-out paper product from Punch Studio.

xo

b is for . . .

B is for Buttercup & Roses
This beautiful photo recently showed-up as a thumbnail on my blog roll for Buttercup & Roses. GASP! Look how dreamy. If I ever had a little shop this would be among my inspiration photos for sure. Even the name is adorable and when reading owner/blogger Jennifer's profile, I am so impressed that she is just 25 years old. (I was a late bloomer. Gosh, at 25 I was back at college working on my English degree. TMI?)

~ b ~

B is for Banana Bread
My boys and I love banana bread. I actually don't care for buttery baked goods (despite the photo I found) so I was happy to find this recipe. I have made a few small adjustments (ah, tinkering) to the original. Easy to throw together and quite delish with a cup of coffee. I think I shall give it a cute name . . .


cottage banana bread
(Original version: Lower Fat Banana Bread II found at Allrecipes.com)
Photo credit: BHG.com

Ingredients
2 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup applesauce (or 1 little Motts cup)
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
A little brown sugar and cinnamon

Directions
Preheat over to 325º. Spray a bread pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas, milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla.
Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Mix just until blended.
Pour half of the batter into your bread pan and then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon (how much is up to you); pour the remaining batter over. (Also yummy with a little more sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon on the very top, too.)
Bake in preheated pan until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. About 1 hour.
Let cool and enjoy.


Bread packaging ideas from Martha Stewart. Even a can!

B is for Have a Beautiful Day

xo