Northern Cottage: September 2010

JUNK is a {GOOD} four letter word

How can people not like JUNK?

Why is it some people ‘get it’ and others don’t?

My kids know that mama loves junk.

The other day, we passed by a junk yard (a true old car heap junkyard) and the kids yelled – ‘ MOM – STOP! It’s a whole yard of junk’ So we had a little lesson in the the types and levels of junk.

How do we define ‘junk?’

You all know the feeling. You arrive at a garage sale & there is GOOD junk – yippeee.

But sometimes, you stop and there truly is only junk (that doesn’t fit our bill of junk – think maybe old rubbermaid containers, broken toys, plastic xmas decorations?)

But then sometimes you get:

this little itsy bitsy ruffled baby slip

and this

and this

put them all together with some tucking here and there --

and for evening wear -

Other ~~piles of junk~~ - er – junk vignettes around the house

my succulents in an old wooden cheese box alongside a sifter with another succelent tucked inside…

and some rocks – just because

just a simple ladder with a huge plant hung from it –

beauty to me

my collection of vintage doorknobs in a vase

chalkboards

the little copper metal thing below is actually supposed to hang from the top of a door and a hanger can slip through the little outie portion for hanging a robe or something….I flipped it unside down & wrote with chalk for display instead

and then I moved it here

at my desk I’ve got a vintage muffin tin to hold office supplies and a flower frog for pens

at the kitchen window above the sink – some metal pots with plants and a street directional arrow sign – yum

love that sign

in my craft area – another muffin tin

and I love me some scrabble letters

jar oh jars

This is just a smattering…I have more – oh much more – TOO MUCH more.

I am feeling the need to edit more so we’ll see what changes that brings to the cottage.

The problem is I like all the things individually just not all of them all of the time. It’s kinda (not exactly) like deciding which of my babies to keep (well more like which puppies actually.)

ta-ta for now!

Chat soon -

NORTHERN COTTAGE

linking to:

Our Family Rules

I never seem to use my scrapbooking supplies much anymore…but I was inspired to create some reminder rules for the family…as we’re settling into the school year.

These are Good things to remember – for ALL of us
(not just the kiddos of course).

I took an old baking sheet (that way - this can be a magnet board too)

Sprayed the edges (don’t waste paint in the middle as it will be covered up) with some espresso spray paint – this freshened it right up.

Cut strips of coordinating paper

Added phrases that fit for our family with scrapbook letter stickers I had leftover (from 18 million other projects).

So I got to use up of some of the craft supplies - hooray (I think I will purge some of the supplies soon!)

Mod Podged it all down

And here we go:

p.s. Hubby asked if the rules apply to him too…..um – YES!

Chat soon -

NORTHERN COTTAGE

Linking to:

Get Your Craft On
Something I Whipped UP

Hope Studios

Laundry Room Blues

If you peruse my blog – you’ll notice I apparently have an affinity for touches of blue tempered with brown…..I don’t know anyone that doesn’t love at least hints of robin egg blue – do you?

Which brings me to our LAUNDRY ROOM

Our laundry room is - let’s say - in transition

It is also confused

Our laundry room is a

laundry room
spare bathroom
utility room
storage room

All wrapped up in a tiny space

We aren’t quite ready to give it a real overhaul so I’m trying to be inventive and make due with what we’ve got

There are some redeeming qualities of the space

Like - It is painted a nice comforting warm blue

Here’s the layout -

along one wall with have the throne, the laundry sink

and we’ve installed some cabinets for storage (extra soap, paper towels, etc etc.)

along the opposite wall we have the entry door into the room and then next to the door we have just enough room for the washer and dryer

On top of the dryer – I’ve place a BLUE metal tray to contain all the laundry supplies

** The dryer venting runs all the way up the back of the dryer to ceiling (you know those big metal tubes – not pretty!)

so I covered it up by placing a bookshelf on top of the dryer to cover the tube and provide extra storage. Then I covered the front of the bookshelf with a burlap bag for a curtain on a suspension rod

My fave part of the whole room is the large glass canister with laundry soap
with a metal scoop

Need to have a lamp in this little dark corner of my world

and a little metal garbage can for lint etc on top of the washer in a tray so it doesn’t tumble during the spin cycle.

And then we have this….

are you ready for some ugly?

I’ve brought in a screen that I’ve covered in linen

Which covers the guts of the room:

Hello – that is so so not pretty!

But the screen helps don’t you think?

I don’t think this color scheme would fit for my entire house but touches - oh yes!

Alongside my beloved coke crates for the purely lovely red/blue/brown combo – just hanging out on the front porch

I love how this color combo plays into autumn & the crispness of winter, as well.

I’m actually dreaming about this color with white snow background….ugh sort of….but for now enjoying the end of summer, the beginning of fall.

Winter shall be upon us soon enough.

Cheers -

NORTHERN COTTAGE

Linking to:

Someday Crafts - Laundry Room

and

Check out the blue and brown event over at Cottage Instincts

eclectic home design by flickr.com

Falling for {FALL}

Even though my very very most favorite season is without a doubt SUMMER…I do love the transition of the seasons. I love that it is still green and lush here and still warm enough.

But….I guess I’m getting done with summer.

I’m looking forward to jeans and sweaters, to pumpkins and fallen leaves and to crisp morning walks.

Here are some fall touches from around here-

I started off with some items here and there

but that was just the beginning

and then shuffled them around

I took an old crusty (crusty in the most beloved sense of the word!) tool box tote and piled it with various fall items….sticks, small watering cans, berries, a nest, etc., etc.