About Me

Welcome to Daisy Cottage!

Daisy Cottage is a 1922, dream come true, cottage/bungalow located in beautiful central Florida. It is home to Kim, her hubby, son and daughter, along with two very spoiled dogs.

Kim, author of the "Dear Daisy Cottage" blog and a freelance writer for several shelter magazines, loves to decorate and enjoys the art of making a house into a home. Writing, designing, thrifting, old houses, and all things vintage, are just a few of her many passions.

Kim happily shares her interests with her readers, hoping that in sharing her adventures she will inspire them in some small way to not only dare to dream but to persevere.

FIRST ENTRY
September 19, 2006
"Cottage Dream"

The late August afternoon that we stumbled upon an old cottage bungalow for sale was when my "somewhere over the rainbow" dream came true. A For Sale sign was planted in the tiny front yard and I asked my husband to pull into the driveway. Our teenage daughter was with us and as we got out of the car, our eyes saw a huge front porch with a white swing beckoning quietly for us to try it out. We did, and that in a nutshell, was all it took for my heart to fall in love with the faded yellow cottage. For you see, I had been living in a house just like this one, only in my dreams. The very next day, we threw caution to the wind and after offering full price, it was ours, quirks and all! We finally had bought our "dream home". Let the packing begin!

Now, eleven months later, as I sit here in my comfy chair and write this, I feel the urge to still pinch myself to see if my dream really has come true! Every morning I wake up, sip my first cup of coffee and feel so thankful that we have been given this chance to be "caretakers" of this sweet 84 year old house. We have now affectionately dubbed her "Daisy Cottage" for the happy, unpretentious flower that greets each day with a new bloom. This is the attitude that we want to have while living our days here within these old plaster walls.

It took us some time to finally arrive here, however. Twenty-six years to be exact! First there were apartments, then starter homes, and babies. We were happy being a family in our ranch-style home for the last 14 years. We were always remodeling and working on projects. That home will forever hold a special place in my heart as it was where our children truly grew up. But my dream never went away. Years went by and my book and magazine collection featuring lovely cottages and old houses grew by the basketfuls. My car seemed to know its' way by heart to the historic district as I'd drive by one cute old house after another, all the while envying the lucky homeowners who were living there. Their friendly porches with pots of happy flowers and welcoming front doors were perfect to me. And now the cottage-life dream has become our reality!

We've been spending our time so far painting and planting, cleaning and decorating. I love to scour the thrift shops and often wake up early on Saturday mornings to hit the yard sales. My little white VW "bug" gets packed to the brim with cottage treasures for our home. Ceramic roosters perch on kitchen cabinets and vintage curtains hang in the sun-drenched windows. Various collections, none of monetary value only heart value, fill our rooms. This cottage seemed ready for lots of fun, spunky color and I happily tried to oblige.

We chose the boldest, happiest yellow paint for the outside of Daisy Cottage and planted our own gerber daisies. Two white rocking chairs don our front porch and provide the perfect place to sit for quiet evening chats. Neighbors pass by. Birds bathe in the bird bath and squirrels help themselves to our trees. It is like heaven and life is good. Our "empty nest" is right around the corner as our daughter graduates this year, but I hope that our cottage blessing will see us through that bittersweet time. And as the song goes - "the dreams that you dare to dream REALLY do come true."
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SEPTEMBER 19, 2007
"Dear Daisy Cottage"

Dear Daisy Cottage,

Not only did my dream come true when we found you, but you have been everything that I could ever hope for in a home. I have felt welcomed from the very first time that we stepped over your worn threshold. You have been the loving haven that I knew you would be. Your gently creaking floors with the slope that has now become endearing, discreetly remind us that we are not the first family to call you "home". I often wonder about Zoe, your very first lady, and what she was like in 1922. Was she as happy here, when you were newly built and everything was brand new? Were you her dream home too? Did she layer your walls with wallpaper and decorate you from head to toe? Did she prefer soft, sweet hues and furnishings, or have a passion for color like me? Did she miss her children as they left her nest and the safety of your shelter? Did you protect her as she weathered the storms in her life, over the 40 years that she called you home? Somehow I feel, no, I know, that you did. She was able to be with you for such a long time. Oh the joys and tender moments she must have celebrated under your roof! I am so glad that you were here for her, her family, and the other families that have called you home since your birth. Thank you dear house for accepting OUR family and never making us feel like we don't belong to you. Thank you for responding to our whims and whimsy with patience and strength. Thank you for sitting here on our street, proudly waiting for us to return whenever we leave you behind. Most of all, thank you dear Daisy Cottage, for allowing ME to share YOU with our guests for the past year with my blog. They have so sweetly arrived on your porch from near and far, and have always been kind and gracious. Each and every one. They are our true treasures, they are our friends, and they will always be a part of you and me and our little Daisy Cottage family. Thank you, my dream come true, and you know how much I love you!

Kim