cottage – Page 25 – Karla's Cottage

Decorating chain reactions, one little change leads to another- Part 2

By Karla Nathan / February 1, 2015

Recently, we'd switched our TV cabinets around, this one that used to be in the bedroom was moved to the living room.

This old bookshelf that I redid had been in the living room, but we wanted a bigger TV in the bedroom, where we watch most shows, so we did a switcheroo.

Problem was- our new bed with the drawers underneath was taller than our old bed. And I couldn't see the TV (or at least anything below the top of anyone's head) from my side of the bed.

My darling, and talented son, built a box to raise it up. And remember the stained glass piece from my friend that I hung over the bed? She also had made the one leaning against the wall in the photo for me, it was on a narrow cabinet that I was taking out of the guest room (another re-shuffling is going on there).

What are the odds that it fit the box exactly??? Yep! Pure luck, it is ideal for the base of the cabinet!!!

I'm keeping extra blankets and another set of sheets in that cubby hole now.

And I can watch TV from my side of the bed.

There is a blind over the TV for when I don't want to see the big black screen. But honestly, I rarely shut it. I'm such a television junkie, the set is always on.

I don't know what I'd do without my boy, all these little redos have kept him busy. We had some changes in the laundry room too, moving the dryer, getting a new washer, adding shelves. An electrician took care of moving the outlet, and set the dryer up. But when my son saw it, he said it was too low to vent directly outdoors, and built a box (from scrap lumber saved from ripping out the deck last year) to set it on to raise it up high enough so that the vent can be straight through the wall and not have to zig zag up and over the baseboard.

Not all redos are pretty, I used white duct tape over the old deck wood instead of painting. It worked so well, I did the same trick over laundry room shelves my son made for me too. (the left corner under the shelf) And while I wasn't going to do too much to gussy up this master closet/laundry room, I did tack up a curtain over the water hook ups and some of the ugliest parts. I could paint the conduit the electricians had to use to run the power to the dryer… nah. It's a closet, this is fine.

My son is very busy right now with two other carpentry jobs, so I'm waiting for him to finish those before he lays the floor in the guest room. I'll have pictures from the chain reaction of decorating that redo has caused soon too.

Or if you'd rather see them in person? Come and visit me at Birdsong 5!

(I promise I won't make you take a tour of the duct tape projects in the closet)

Decorating chain reactions, one little change leads to another- Part 1

cottage, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Hand Painted Furniture

By Karla Nathan / January 30, 2015

Have you ever noticed that one little change means a chain reaction of other changes?

The new bed was great, I really did love it once it was painted. It saves space, it is cottagey-cute, and it has a cozy mattress.

But, not only did we no longer need the bedside dresser, the drawers udner the bed were blocked by it.

And all of my bedding was too long, and life is too short to tuck the bedspread under the mattress all the way every morning. But why have drawers if there is a blanket covering them up and you have to move it every time you want to open a drawer?

Plus, this head board was lower than the last one and the wall looked very blank.

I had this piece of stained glass made by a friend framed to hang over the bed, and that took care of the blank wall.

I found a white quilt and shams on sale at Target that fit exactly without tucking in under the mattress.

And best of all, I thought of using shelves on the wall in place of end tables. (they aren't lopsided, that is just a camera angle)

This smaller one is from Hobby Lobby, it is black metal and I painted it with leftover paint from the bed. We screwed the power strip up under it to plug in the lamp and my iPad chargers. The outlets are nicely hidden unless you are looking up from the floor.

For the other side, I needed a bigger shelf and couldn't find what I wanted. Till I noticed this old, broken drop leaf table out in the garage. My son took off the leaves, added iron brackets, and it was just what we needed for the wall space.

I've been really happy with both. And what a perfect fit! The two shelves, plus the bed are the exact size to fit the space. Wow, what luck.

But there was one more change chain reaction yet to fix….

A Cottage Bedroom Makeover, brand new dark oak gets lightened up, or why I will never use chalk paint again

cottage, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Hand Painted Furniture

By Karla Nathan / January 28, 2015

We needed a new mattress. So, headed to Nebraska Furniture Mart to test a few out. While there, my husband spotted a bed filled with drawers underneath and he had to have it.

Now, he is NOT a shopper. We almost ended our marriage once at that same furniture store over a recliner. It is now and forever known as the Crying Chair. Long story, but basically, he hates to shop. He walks in, glances about, buys stuff, and leaves as fast as he can.

He prefers letting me make choices 99% of the time.

When shopping for a mattress, though, he had to go along and approve the fit. and we discussed that it had been a good life together, and if Nebraska Furniture Store succeeded in ending our marriage like it tried to do before, we knew that we'd at least had almost 30 years of happiness together.

Bravely, we decided that we could face the challenge. It was a quick trip for a mattress, right?

Then, he spotted this bed. When he does shop, and sees something he likes, he never hesitates, or looks around. He likes it, he buys it. And when he saw this bed filled with storage options, he thought it would streamline our lives.

I thought it was DARK. And too new. But figured, hey, it's his house too. I wasn't going to let the Crying Chair incident repeat itself. We bought the bed.

I repainted it within minutes of its arrival to our home. And found these great handles (at Hobby Lobby) to replace the heavy ones that came with the drawers.

Everyone raves about chalk paint, so I thought I'd give it a try. Hobby Lobby now carries this brand, it is $8 for a little bitty jar, but I made multiple trips with a 40% off coupon to get enough to tackle the job.

I'd heard that you don't have to prime, it covers well, uses very little paint, and is easy to sand through to see the previous layers of paint.

Hmmm….

Well, yes, I was able to paint without priming. (But a coat of primer and a coat of paint is an equal amount of work as two coats of chalk paint, and cheaper)

But- the coverage was not good. I had to go buy more paint. It took much more than I had planned.

And- I took a lot of care, layering colors, thinking I could sand through them for a varied look. Nope, when I sanded, I hit wood. You could not see the layers of colors underneath. I had to dry brush the colors over the white to get the look I wanted, after doing all those layers, and sanding.

Also, chalk paint simply must be sealed. You either wax it or use a sealer like Polycrylic. And I don't think everyone realizes that wax is not permanent. Just like on floors, it wears off, you need to re-wax. So, I chose the Polycrylic top coat (water based).

If I'd used a bonding primer, painted it gloss white, and drybrushed acrylic craft paint over that, it would have cost much less, I wouldn't have to seal it, and it wouldn't have taken as long.

For the exact same look. Oh well, I'd been wanting to give chalk paint a try. I won't be spending that much on paint again. And I like the bed now, so all is well. Lesson learned, and it still looks pretty.

My Handsome Husband also made another purchase that day. After buying the oak bed, and walking out, he saw this velvet bench and said it would be ideal for the dogs to be able to use to get up and down with.

I think I might just have to take him shopping more often, whether he enjoys it or not. He is pretty good at it! I love the new bed and bench, (after they got lightened up).

I'll show you details of the rest of the room next time. We had to come up with a plan for bedside tables, because what we already had blocked the drawers on the new bed.

Cottage Garden Fence

cottage, Dew Drop, family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / January 11, 2015

Way, way back, before the cold snap hit here in November, my son built us a new fence.

I had some very specific needs for it:

*The gate had to be on a spring, and swing closed so the grand fairies didn't let the dorkies out.*

*The gate had to be very lightweight, and it had to open easily, so those fairies could get in and out by themselves.*

*IT HAD TO BE PRETTY!!!!!!!!!! And if it looked like it belonged on a fairy tale cottage, that would be a big plus.*

The gate is under the deck off my husband's office, right outside my studio door. Here is a photo in process, where my son started wrapping vines around the posts. The top photo shows all the vines twisted into place. I plan on planting Clematis at the base of it, to fill in even more.

The metal filigree panel at the very top, under the deck, is a vintage one I had hanging around. The ones built into the fence and gate are from Hobby Lobby, and were on sale for 50% off. I love my son's idea for building them in.

The area outside of my studio is where the girls play most of the time. So, their Daddy made the fence feel like a play area instead of a barrier. He cut hearts into the wood so they could peek through.

And he drilled holes to pound marbles into, to give the space some sparkle. There are plans to add a lot more marbles later on, but while finishing up the fence, we were hit by a huge wave of cold air.

It was the weirdest thing, one minute, it was a beautiful fall day…. the next, a huge whirlwind of leaves blew over us, bringing temperatures about 10 degrees lower. From one minute to the next, the temps dropped. And then kept dropping. So, we were done working outdoors for a while.

At first, I was worried about the kitties, and wondered if a new fence would pen them in. Nope, they love it and spend a good part of the day running around on the top of it.

And now, our entire courtyard is fenced in. The place looks like a maze, with so many partitions and gates, but the dogs and chickens love it. There is a fence in the front yard, with a doggie door for the little fuzzballs. Then, there is a huge chicken run. And the side yard is fenced. Now the courtyard. All the gates can be opened to connect them, or only select areas can be left closed off. And then, there are extra gates big enough to drive a truck or 4 wheeler through if jobs need to be done in that part of the yard. And a gate that can connect our yard to the neighbor's yard so their dogs can come and play with our dogs.

It's kind of weird. But that is how my whole house is built too. All customized just to fit our needs. We will never be able to sell this odd conglomeration of mazes, doors, hallways, gates, fences. We are stuck here forever.

We don't mind though. We all kind of like it here.

January whites

cottage

By Karla Nathan / January 3, 2015

It is good to be home again, and to have my home de-Christmassed. As much as I LOVE having it all foofed and shiny for the holidays, once they are over, I want the stuff gone, gone, gone. And I kind of like to keep things slightly spared down for January. I guess it is all the time cooped up in the cold weather, I start to feel overwhelmed if there is too much going on in the decor.

When Spring comes, or when I start hoping it is coming, I'll get out the floral curtains, cushion covers, and set out vases full of flowers.

But for now, it is all about extra, soft blankets piled on the sofa, and simplicity.

Hmmm, maybe that could be my word for 2015? Nope, I couldn't do simplicity all year.

By the way, Happy New Year!

Around the cottage in December

cottage, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2014

Before I decked the halls, we did a mini makeover. This wardrobe had been in the bedroom, but my husband never liked it there because when the doors were open to see the TV, they were in his way.

So, we moved the tvs and their cabinets from room to room. Once we did this, I felt that the space next to the cabinet was too empty, so I brought in a column from the studio, and another from the bedroom. both fit nicely behind the door when it is open and one even peeks over the top.

I also made a trip to KC's new IKea and got white, netting curtain panels, $2.99 for a package of two. I bought four sets to replace my lace curtains that were so old they finally shredded (but are now considered craft supplies!!). I love the fullness of having panels of netting on each window (and the price).

I was happy to have the perfect spot for a winter wonderland forest of trees on giant cabinet.

And I like the way the columms look from the dining room.

I wasn't as happy with the tv cabinet that got moved to the bedroom, because it held the television too low to see from my side of the bed. But my son is going to build up a box to set it on. I'll have some pictures of that when it is complete.

(by the way, if you ever have to do a switch-a-roo with tvs, I suggest taking a photo of all the wiring on the back so that it is easier to hook them back up again. With satellite boxes, DVD players and who knows what, all those wires are confusing. My son did a great job with it all, including drilling bigger holes into the back of the vintage cabinet to fit cords through, when the new box didn't fit where the old one was)

Here is a photo of the kitchen from our luncheon during my craft party/workshop. I've been thinking about painting my kitchen white, but I am liking the warm creams when I see this picture. I might have to rethink my plan…. But then, I do love the idea of bright white with some pale blue. Everything I own will still match.

That is what is nice about having so much neutral stuff, it goes with anything, I can mix and match pieces from one room into another, and a quick coat of paint can freshen up a look without changing anything else in the room.

The centerpieces were mismatched, matt white pottery vases from garage sales, filled with branches I cut from the yard, a $2 bundle of mark down roses from the grocery store, and poinsettias I cut from a plant I bought. I love to use the poinsettia blooms as cut flowers in water, instead of leaving them on the plants. They hold up well, and stay fresh for over a week.

And for one $6 plant, I got enough flowers to add to these four vases, plus plenty were still on the plant, so it will look nice as is. Until I'm ready to pluck them off and replace these blooms as they wilt. The branches should last the whole season.

In the middle of the table is just a large bowl of glittered pine cones. I figure I have so much going on with holiday decor around the house, I need to keep things simple here and there.

A Holiday Party for my Bookclub and some JOY

cottage, Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 16, 2014

"Merry" used to be my favorite word this time of year.

But now, I kind of like "JOY."

It is this silly elf's middle name and that has made it my favorite seasonal word.

Plus, we could all use all the joy we can get.

I hadn't planned on Sugarwings being here for book club, but her daddy had a chance to go camping with his buddies. (Even though it was going to be EIGHTEEN DEGREES THAT NIGHT!!!!!!)

So, I picked her up after school, and we ran some errands, then came home to foof up the house for the party. She was glad to help, but I was worried about her being on her own all evening while I entertained.

She had no problem with it and was excited to dress up like an elf to greet the guests (she is all about the costume, no matter what the occasion is)

I set up a table of crafts in my bedroom in front of a TV full of holiday shows to watch on the DVR. First of all, she never gets to craft in the bedroom in front of the TV, and take food in there too. Double forbidden fun.

Of course, there was some hot cocoa spilled on the chair, but hey, why use slip covers if you don't plan on pulling them off to wash them?

I guess these photos are pretty similar to the previous post, showing the dining room all set up for a party. But since this is an evening gathering and that was a luncheon, maybe they are different enough to show?

I love to use lots of twinkly lights when I have a party. The ones on the table are wrapped on gold branches and are battery operated. (bought on clearance after Christmas last year, 75% off)

I've added lots of layers of table clothes, and some lights under the table too. This time, I have vintage curtains as a table skirt and the string of lights show more. Usually, I have a regular table cloth draped to the floor, and get a softer glow. But this look is kind of fun too.

I chose the wine for the pretty labels. And it was good, too, and very affordable. It's nice to find a tasty wine under ten bucks.

I kept the food simple, like brie sprinkled with rosemary and wrapped in puff pastry, with a side of fig jelly and crackers. That is one of the easiest things to ever make, but sure looks special.

Another trick I have for elevating an ordinary dish is to, well, elevate the dish.

Here, I've set a compote of chicken salad on a plate, and set that on a cake plate, making three levels.

This compote full of dip makes this veggie tray more interesting than it would've been if I'd had it served on an actual tray. And lining the bowl with ruffly kale made it prettier too.

The three vases of flowers (left over from my last party) are also on different levels. I turned a bowl upside down to set one vase on to lift it up.

The cheesecake is a regular cheesecake, but I added a hand full of chopped pecans to the graham cracker crust, and then mixed in some of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Carmel Sauce into the batter. When it was done baking, I drizzled a little more on top.

One thing I should have done was to take some leaves out of the table, but I can't do it by myself and my husband was out of town. There is too much space between the dishes. since it was a small gathering, I didn't have a ton of food out, and it was spread out a bit too much to look its best. But that is just nit picking, huh? I doubt if my friends were gossiping about how much space I'd left between bowls…

For party favors, I made tiny, glittered books out of vintage papers. I'll have a mini how-to coming up soon if you want to make some yourself.

An early start to the decking of the halls, yay!

cottage, fairies, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 10, 2014

I was so happy to get my home decorated before Thanksgiving.

(For the big dinner itself, I had white pumpkin center pieces, so I did tip a hat toward the current holiday too) Our Elf on the Shelf made her first appearance on Thanksgiving day, and was part of the centerpiece.

I'm using a fairy from my Birdsong class for Santa's spy this year and we've been finding her everywhere since she got to work. Some mornings, she is just creepily watching Sugarwings sleep and is waiting on the pillow when she wakes up. Those are the mornings when Grammie forgot to pose her somewhere cute and hurriedly plopped her down.

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one. Ours sure was, and no one seemed to mind that I'd jumped the gun and got the Christmas stuff out. Personally, I was relieved that I'd got that off my list of things to do.

First of all, I had a lot going on and time was at a premium. Second of all, I've had a bad case of sinusitis and asthmatic bronchitis keeping me in slow gear and I needed the extra time.

But honestly?

I just couldn't wait!

Those boxes of sparkly things were calling out to me from the closet. I had to set them free and let them shine!

I've been making a lot of little ornaments too. But sadly, being sick and being busy, I haven't tried to sell them like I should. My shop didn't get much of an update beyond the kits that I made for others to create their own pretties.

This little shoe is one that Dewdrop wore as a baby.

This is the before shot of it. Cute as can be, but not exactly tree ready.

The first step was to paint it white, cover it in glitter, and stuff it, then embellish. I've done this with a few of Sugarwings's shoes too, I love seeing them on the tree.

The tree on my dining room buffet is filled with all hand made, or hand painted ornaments. More of the little pipe cleaner fairies, bird cages, and some family ornies or gifts.

This is from one of Beth's lessons in our Romantic White Christmas online class from a few years ago.

This is a deer I painted for my husband the year we were married.

And I've got some hand painted rose ornaments too. The sheet music star piece with Dewdrop's photo is made with vellum paper. I love the way the light shows through the vellum.

Here is a simple how-to for making these, if you are interested. Just scan sheet music and print on vellum to get this look with the project.

One thing I always do on my buffet, is to set out a mirror as a tray, or base for the holiday decor, add a string of lights onto the mirror, and then cover it with lace. The mirror reflects the lights and adds extra sparkle to the display.

And who doesn't need more sparkle???

PS- Kits from Romantic Cottage Christmas are available here and here.

Romantic Cottage Christmas,extra Kits, and Using the Good Stuff!

cottage, fairies, holiday decor, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / December 7, 2014

As you can see from this winter wonderland of fairies, when I plan a class, I make a TON of the pieces before I teach them. These fairies are from Birdsong 4. And not only was I trying to work out the kinks in the project before sharing the steps, I got hooked. I loved making them.

There were also plenty of sprites to add to the silver tree on the kitchen buffet. (on the right)

I tend to go over board with kit making too.

I whipped up dozens of holiday ornament kits for our small gathering, knowing that they would be great for gift giving and for adding to my online shops.

Our day in the studio was so much fun! I enjoyed having a reason to get the room into its full on holiday glory and then to spend time out there with nice people, listening to Christmas music, and making sparkly creations for our trees.

Here is one of the projects we made that day. If you'd like to make any of these ornies or fairies, the kits are available here and here.

We also made these stuffed, felted stocking with vintage lace.

These are from Shan and Rebecca.

Laurie's was Tiffany Blue. She was my inspiration for making up kits in that color too. (I also had red, white, and pink)

Beth added glittered ballerinas to hers and made one for each of her little nieces.

The kits contain everything you need to make the pretties, but I also had a big table full of extras.

With lots of little embellishments, wallpaper, ribbons, and lace.

Once we had finished the three kits, and had some lunch, we spent the afternoon "freestylin"

Everyone had plenty of supplies and inspiratins to make all sorts of pieces.

From tags, to garlands, to embellished little trees.

(once the glue dries on this one, it will be a glittery masterpiece)

I like the way Rebecca made this paper mache ornie into a mosaic of sparkling papers.

The third project for the day was, "On Gilded Wings" this angel on the left. ( Her skirt is netting I tore from a 1940s bride gown, included in all of the kits.)

One thing we talked about while we glued and glittered, was one of my favorite topics. No, not the grand fairies, although I probably blathered on too much about them, too.

No, we talked about Using the Good Stuff.

I can't emphathize enough, that a project worth your time is worth your best materials. Why save them for something better? Just by using the vintage bridal gown lace, or the soft, old flowers, you have made THIS project better.

I am a big believer in using the good stuff in every day life too. And that doesn't mean it is top of the line expensive stuff either. My china is from an auction for $10. My vintage napkins are from a toss away bag of stuff Beth didn't want. The vases are from garage sales.

And the layered tablecloths (which don't really show here) were hand made by my Great Aunt Caroline and my Great Grandma Nellie. Why keep those things in a drawer, never to be seen? I like to get them out and use them. I added sheet music and a vintage, new stock doily under each plate to protect the cloths, but I figured if they get spilled on, I can always soak out a stain. Or set a vase over the spot next time if can't get the spot out.

But stuck away in a drawer, never being enjoyed and used? That would be too sad.

I feel the same way about my stash of vintage supplies. Why would I buy them to use as supplies if I just decide to hoard them away and not enjoy them???

That is why the tiny crystals on the Santa hats I made for my guests are vintage old stock from the 30s. And the felted wool is hand dyed. The trim is wool roving, not just dacron, and all of those ingredients make the piece just a little more special, even though it is a simple little, silly thing.

Another way to look at it, is that Using the Good Stuff is a gift to ourselves. Women tend to think of everyone else during the holidays. Maybe you need to stop and think of yourself, take the time to open your stash of special items, and make something wonderful for yourself or as a gift. The act of just using the Good Stuff is such a happy feeling, and making presents with your beloved goodies is even better.

This is the season to thing about sharing the bounty.

Don't be a Scrooge, hoarding it all away! Take that special button out of the glass jar, or cut away a hunk from the back of an old gown, or slice into that butter soft velvet and USE IT!

A mini redo, white on white

cottage, Hand Painted Furniture, Kitchen remodel

By Karla Nathan / October 19, 2014

Before I went on my trip, I had one night alone. Totally alone. No girls, no sons, my husband was out of town, I was on my own.

I thought about going to a movie. Instead I decided to paint the kitchen.

But I bought the world's worst paint and only got as far as the mud room part of the kitchen. Here is the after, pure white walls. I've always wanted a white on white room, but I usually tint everything ivory or tan, or cream.

Here is the before, see, the walls are tan, with a green ceiling. It's now white with a faded birds egg blue ceiling.

I used the same pure white to paint the cabinet/pantry door in that area.

Here is the before, ivory with a coffee colored wash over it, and a topiary painting. Some of the trim had broken off, that had been bothering me.

Once the trim was repainted, the missing pieces didn't show. I did the center in chalkboard paint (mix plaster of paris into any paint color to make some). I'd love to repaint all of the kitchen cabinets pure gloss white, I think I'm ready for all white cabinets. But first, I'll keep an eye on this area to see if I still like it after a while, or if I only like it now because I wanted a change.

The same chalkboard paint was used on the girls' table in hopes that they wouldn't redo my cabinet door for me. But they already have, as well as Dewdrop deciding the floor could be drawn on too. Not a big deal, it wipes off, but still a bit messy.

I think I'll paint their table back to normal, the chalkboard paint isn't the best choice for it. They use that table for play dough, making cupcakes, and all sorts of activities. A fresh coat of white might be better, and I'm already tired of the chalk dust.

High gloss pure white from Behr was what I used on the trim, cabinet, and kitchen table top (over bonding primer for the cabinet, since it was previously done in oil paint) I used the paint and primer in one, and have always LOVED Behr paint. But when I used the new, one coat paint and primer called Marquee in eggshell for the walls, I absolutely hated it. Instead of one coat, it took 5-6 for white to cover soft tan. Crazy! and exhausting. An afternoon's work turned into two days.

I love having my table redone in a clear clean white! But it was a little too bright, so I flicked some splatters of tan on it with a toothbrush before doing a clear, protective top coat.

This is the original painted surface on the table.

This is what it is now, white with speckles. I left the chairs and table legs as they were, it is only the table top that needed a freshening up.

I also painted the inset area behind the kitchen sink the same blue as the slanted ceiling in the mud room to the right.

Maybe I'll paint the kitchen walls pure white (eggshell) like the mudroom too, I really like it. But I will never, ever use that Marquee paint again. I'll go back to the regular Behr paint or even switch to Valspar.

When I paint, I don't tape off or use drop cloths, I've had a lot of practice, and with good paint, there aren't many drips. But the Marquee brand from Behr flew everywhere when I used a roller and dripped in huge blotches, ran down the wall and was a total wreck.

I only had time to paint one part of the kitchen instead of the whole room. Which I guess will give me a chance to decide if I want to repaint it all white or try something else when I get around to doing it again. Without Marquee. Or as I was calling it, Machiavellian.

And I had thought about trying the chalkboard markers for a tidier sketching experience. But from what I hear, they are hard to remove unless you are drawing on real slate chalkboards. Regular chalk is already looking messy on the door, so I might have to make some changes here too.

I could paint the bottom half white again, and just have the chalkboard part higher, so the smudging from little fingers is less.