Daisy Cottage

Good Morning!

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Monday!

xo,

Kim

Just The Way They Are

It was a hot and muggy yard sale morning ... and as our hair became frizzier and frizzier by the minute due to the humidity, my sister and I kept stumbling upon painted cottagy furniture that HAD to come home with us. The popular price tag of the day was $3 for EACH of these pieces and they were found at different sales! Isn't that fun? I love them just the way they are...

This will be a hectic week as Daisy Cottage will be getting a new GREEN roof ... but I'll try to share a few pictures of these painted goodies after I get them all cleaned up and introduce them to their new home.  :-)

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Edited to add this picture of the freshly scrubbed table with its' new accessories. I just quickly put this together this morning and I'm sure I'll be playing around with it some more. Oh and see the sweet "Coffee" cannister on the bottom shelf? Dear Teresa sent me a WHOLE box of cannisters that go with my vintagy green salt and pepper shakers! Wasn't that incredibly nice of her? Thank you again Teresa - I love them! And they will be used in lots of places, including here - in the dining room! 

Thrift Heaven

Whew! Now THAT was wonderful! I'm back from our little getaway and we had SO much fun!! Thank you all for your sweet comments below! If you haven't treated yourself yet to a summer escape, please try to do so... even if it is only for a couple of hours or a couple of days. You deserve it! Shannon is doing great and my sis and I really enjoyed spending time with her - we laughed and laughed and I'm sure, well I KNOW, that we made silly spectacles of ourselves everywhere we went. Isn't that what "girl time" is all about? And let me tell you... her college town is a HAVEN for thrift shops! My heart filled with pride as Shannon thrifted right along beside us like a true pro. Not one suburban mall did we visit! She really fell in love with an adorable shop called, "The Other Side" and her mommy and aunt spoiled her as we bought her some funky sunglasses, jewelry, and a really cool retro dress. Unfortunately, it seems that I didn't take any pictures of those, but I managed to snap a few of the shop and the others that we visited, because, OF COURSE, I took you all along with me ...

We visited several Goodwills and I almost bought a small green teapot fountain but decided to leave it behind... this particular Goodwill had a wonderful selection of books -

We stumbled upon a sweet "Mom and Pop" shop that was filled to the ceiling with lots of goodies... can you see the green suitcases up there on the shelf?

Now you know I so wanted to bring this aqua cutie home, but it was priced too high..

   

Happily though, I spotted these teeny tiny red heart knitting needles and they were one of the thrifted treasures that I brought home to Daisy Cottage..

We left the shop above and as we headed off to our next thrifting destination we suddenly realized that we were obviously driving down the WRONG side of the road as VERY big trucks were coming right at us! Ooops!  We made THAT correction quickly and came upon this unexpected haven that was to our right and our hearts started doing that pitter patter of thrifting anticipation...

What a cute place this was - lots of painted furniture and vintagy things including sinks and bathtubs. This is on my "must go back and visit with a U-Haul list". Our last thrift shop that we visited was through this gate .....

More tempting treasures to see and ponder over.....

I LOVED the fabrics used for these sweet curtains...

and I really, really, really, wish I could have bought this... wouldn't this be wonderful nestled in a garden?  It was the perfect shade of green... sigh....

So, lucky for me, my daughter's college town is a true HAVEN for thrifting treasures! Even luckier, she and I can share this love for all things shabby, eclectic, and vintage TOGETHER. What more could a mother ask for???     ;-)

A Little Road Trip

My sister and I are taking a little road trip to see my baby and to spend some "quality girl time" together for the rest of the week! I am sooooooooooooooo excited! In the meantime, I'll be missing all of you and will look forward to sharing again next week! xo, Kim 

Sunlit Mints

It was that time of day again, when the sweet rays of the late Florida sun were shining through our old front door and magically turning simple things, such as these mints, into a visual delight.

Something as simple as this silk flower resting in the green pot, became special, even if for a moment, because of the sun's golden touch...

And as the late afternoon rays seemed to dance through the room all too quickly, I was grateful, once again, that I was there to see and enjoy nature's gift of comforting light.

   

A Medley Of Things

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that the days are simply FLYING by? Remember when we were children and it seemed to take FOREVER to get to Christmas? Now the days, weeks, and months feel like they are always rolling FULL speed ahead -  and it WILL be Christmas before we know it!

Speaking of "rolling" - I am so thrilled with this yard sale find..

It has the same awesome aqua hue as my hubby's favorite wheelbarrow! This cart will be perfect for us to transport our picnics and blankets and what-not down to the lake for the local fireworks and annual Christmas parade. I LOVE the wheels, don't you?

I also picked up some more creamy beads from a yard sale and so OF COURSE I had to dress up this dish a bit -

And THEN I bought this shabby white stool for $3 at the same yard sale and I spent five minutes recovering the seat with this fun red fabric that I got for 50 cents from a local women's shelter thrift shop -

Well, that's my medley of things for today. I better go and get something done around here before THIS precious day rolls on by too!

Catchin' Some Rays

and enjoying these HOT summer days...............

Was It Just A Dream?

because so many of you have been asking over the past months .....

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This was Daisy Cottage on the morning of September 15th, 2006... all ready for her big debut to be styled and photographed for "Cottage Style" magazine! Her porch would soon be graced with the oh-so-very-talented footsteps of Fifi and Dan and his assistant, Katherine, as they arrived to spend the day creating their magic that was slated to appear in the future glossy Spring or Summer editions of a magazine that we all so LOVED to read. Oh it was exciting and fascinating to watch these artists in action, and such a dream come true. But was it "just a dream"? And did my cottagy-soul-sister, Tina, have the same one in January when their magic graced her cottage doorstep too?

Noooooooo - it wasn't JUST a dream. It was MORE than a dream. It was the experience of a lifetime and one that we will never forget and hold dear in our hearts. Unfortunately, it seems, there will be NO more issues of "Cottage Style" magazine. Sigh. So you won't see our homes there. Harris Publications publishes several other magazines, one being "Romantic Country", so IF you should stumble upon any pictures of Daisy or Cherry Hill Cottage, please let us know! And in the meantime, you know where to find us... living a dream EVERY DAY in our cottages and happily sharing a little bit of it with YOU.

Remember?

Do you remember when I introduced you to Fifi? She now has a blog of her own and it is truly DELIGHTFUL. When you have the chance, please visit her adorable cottage and make sure you see ALL of the photos of her home, her garden, and her crafts. You will be so glad that you did!  I promise!  Tell her I sent you!  ;-)

A Toast

Here's a toast to YOU!

Thank you SO much for all of your wonderful comments AND suggestions about the kitchen cabinets! Definitely some black knobs are in order! I wish you ALL could stop by tonight for a glass of wine and some pasta salad! The least that I can do is share the pasta salad recipe with you. This is a staple here at Daisy Cottage and I think you'll like it too. You can also add cherry tomatoes for taste AND color!

Pasta Salad

1 head of broccoli florets

1 bunch of green scallions, diced

4-6 fresh garlic cloves, minced and chopped

fresh parsley to taste

fresh basil to taste

freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 bag of penne pasta

Kosher salt

Lightly coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil. Heat the oil to medium high and when hot, add your broccoli, scallions, garlic cloves, parsley and basil. Stir constantly about 4-6 minutes until broccoli appears to be tender (but not mushy). Remove from heat and set aside.

Boil your pasta 'till al dente and drain. Add your broccoli mixture to the pasta. Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt and fresh parmesan cheese to taste. Stir until the parmesan cheese is all nice and melted in. Serve with your favorite glass of wine and some warm bread! Thank you friends!   xo, Kim