cottage – Page 27 – Karla's Cottage

Explorations

By Karla Nathan / February 27, 2014

It's been a long, long, coooooold winter. But before the last big blast of unrelenting cold, we had a break, one beautiful day not only above freezing, but NICE. Sunshiny and warm. Springlike! So nice that Sugarwings and I stepped outside to take a peek at the sunshine and never went back in the house. We were still wearing jammies and didn't even care.

We decided to explore the back part of our land, we have about 10 acres, but only use about a third of it. The rest is hard to get to. requiring us to cross a couple of creeks and I don't like battling the weeds and underbrush during the summer growing season. In the winter, the brush has all died back and it's possible to walk through the woods without getting all tangled up but it's usually too cold for me to want to check it out.

But on this warm, winter day we could also walk right across the frozen creeks. It was an odd feeling to be outside on a day toasty enough to not need a jacket, but still walking on solid ice.

In the first photo, you can see the log that makes the bridge over the creek, which is how we usually cross. I'm not a fan of it, so was glad to slip and slide across the ice instead of dangling over the water on that log. As a person with no sense of balance at all, walking on ice isn't easy, but it's easier than clinging to that dead tree and scooting along it an inch at a time.

Sugarwings found lots of club houses out there. Here is a ring of trees on a hill that we are sure that the fairies planted just for us to play in.

Now that we have a John Deere Gator, my husband has major plans to drive across the creek, harvest firewood to bring back, and also clear some trails. I hope that we'll be spending more time back there as the seasons turn, now that we will have better access.

I love that we "reclaimed" part of our land to create our Fairy Berry Trail. Especially as the girls get older. They will enjoy exploring out there.

It would feel good to have use of the whole property. Sometimes there have been years when we haven't even crossed the creek to visit our own land.

The winner of a copy of Where Women Create is

Pallas.

Please send me your address, Pallas, and I'll get it out in the mail. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to enter. I enjoyed your comments.

Hearts,flowers, and rosemary

cottage, flowers, Valentine's Day, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / January 31, 2014

Beth came over last week for a craft day. It had been WAY too long, because we were just now exchanging Christmas gifts!

She gifted me with this great, Victorian coffee pot, to use as a vase. I can't wait to fill it with roses, but since I'm going on a trip, I settled for a handful of dried rosemary. Because I don't think my husband would even notice or appreciate it, if I bought fresh flowers for the dining room before I went out of town. I'll wait and treat myself when I get back, because I know I will be very appreciative of them.

And I love it that my hands smelled like rosemary all day after cutting it, even though the plant has been out in the garden, dried and dead through all kinds of weather. It still smells wonderful. The only problem is that I can't stop thinking about making a pizza with rosemary and provolone…

This pot is perfect! Just the right amount of tarnished, beaten-up-ed-ness.

Beth and Karla hadn't been to a craft day in much too long. I need to make time to do this sort of thing, it's good for the soul to laugh with friends while creating.

Beth was working on stitched hearts for Laurie's swap.

Hers were so pretty that I wanted to make one too. But mine is glued, not sewn. I used some of the fabric she had given to me along with the perfectly tarnished coffee pot.

Dang, I wish I'd had time to join the swap! This is going to be a nice one. I'm looking forward to seeing the results on friends' blogs.

What a year, wowzers!

cottage, Dew Drop, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, guncles, magazine pictures or articles, Nathan Family Fairy Food Forest, parties, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 1, 2014

For 2014's shiny new beginning, I thought I'd look back at 2013's biggest events for me, and show you some of my favorite photos.

Sugarwings starting first grade was major stepping stone in our lives last year.

In my mind, I always picture her like this. Darn the calendar! The pages flip too fast.

I think the biggest event of 2013 for Dewdrop was the day she received this "fincess" dress. She has hardly taken it off since October.

(we love that she calls 'princess' 'fincess', because her brother is named, Fin)

Of course, starting a sustainable food forest with a fairy playground on our land was a HUGE move.

When it was in full bloom, and veggies were popping up everywhere, it was the prettiest garden I've ever seen. And to know that this is only the first year, of a lifetime plan, fills me with excitement.

The year began with a longed for trip to Hawaii with my husband's sister, Terry and her husband. It was the first of many visits with her. I had a GREAT year of trips and visits with family and friends.

Wow, I'd say it was a record setting year for sistering. My sisters came here to see me twice, and I went to Indy to see them.

I got to visit darling Guncles, seeing my little bro, Randy FOUR times.

Starting with the pure fabulousness of going to Karen Hillman's Cozy Cottage to teach a class as a surprise birthday gift for her friend.

I got to introduce Fabulous Karen to Fabulous Randy, and it all led to a Fabulous Black Velvet Christmas party in Jacksonville.

And seriously, I probably didn't say the word fabulous enough, that word was written just for Karen and Randy. It should never be used to describe anything else, it belongs to them.

I saw Terry again in California when I taught at Kim's Enchanted Affaire, where I met up with good friends that I love like family too.

Painting the mural for the event was a biggie, I loved working on it so much, that I really put myself into it, and every day that I painted was like a little trip to a fairy tale forest. After the workshop, Kim mailed it back to me and it is now chopped up and stapled in the fairy girls' room

Before it was sliced up, I also used it at Birdsong 3.

Which was another big highlight of my year. Oh my, sooooo many nice people came to play at the cottage. I can't wait for BS4. Yep, 4, I can't believe it is coming up. I'd better get to planning, huh?

After the CA trip, I went to Disneyland with Terry. Then, for the Hippy Chick's college graduation, we took her and Sugarwings to Disneyworld in Florida. It was a Disney-rific year.

But I have to say that one of the best things I did all year, or maybe in the last ten years, was to take a summer off to be with the kids.

We went to zoos, parks, carnivals, boating, beaches, all sort of things.

We played dress up.

We blew bubbles.

We had craft days. Lots of craft days.

We invented a new game, called "Hoppity Hearts". It is a bit like Hopscotch without the boring squares.

Summer spilled over into fall, and we kept on playing. We saw the Renfest twice.

Even Uncle Ryan came along, just two weeks after his heart attack. His illness was the bad spot of the year, but I have to say, it brought us closer together.

I also got to see good friends again in October on a trip to Georgia. (and yes, that same shirt I'm wearing has been in three other of these photos,I'm surprised it isn't in more. Looks like I got as much use from that shirt as I did from the Enchanted Forest mural)

It was also a year of parties and more classes. I had a small, Valentine workshop in the studio.

And then another group of friends came by for a Christmas ornament making workshop.

I was in a few publications too. My Tiffany's mural from Kim's Affaire at Tiffany's the year before was in Mingle. I wasn't named as the artist, but I still think it counts, don't you?

And it was so special to me to see my Birdsong projects in Jewelry Affaire. I was in that one earlier in the year for another project too.

Fifi came out to shoot my cottage for Romantic Country.

And my pal, Carol was here to shoot the studio for Where Women Create.

I must have made hundreds of little birdcages prepping for two classes and an online class I have offered.

And I even did some redos on the house this year. I made new slip covers for the sofa and pillows for the bedroom. Spiffed up, repainted, rearranged rooms, and recovered a wall.

Yep, 2013 was one for the record books.

No wonder I'm tired…

What an improvement!

cottage, family, redos

By Karla Nathan / December 20, 2013

Not too long ago, the handle of the kitchen sink faucet broke off in my hand. The sink wasn't even that old, maybe 8-9 years or so.Luckily, I have a very handy son, who was able to replace it for me.

A small redo can be just as messy as a big one, I had to clear the counter and remove everything under the sink, and all those bottles, jars, canisters and other things were piled up on the dining table. So, while he was at it, I had him go ahead and replace the sink too.

AND the bathroom sink, AND ucky looking faucet in there too!

My boy was here working, his tools were out, and the kitchen was pretty much wrecked for the day anyway. It was a good time to go for it and replace it all at once.

With the well water we have, there is no amount of scrubbing that will keep the build up away. So, things age fast around here.

(funny, out in the studio, I spend a lot of time patina-ing and distressing stuff to make it look older, but I'm not as fond of my appliances and such getting old and distressed)

I went for a deeper sink, and it is wonderful. I also upgraded the spigot. So, the costs were blossoming….

But so worth it! Adam did a great job, and while we spent a bit on materials, he did all the work on the "love donation" fee schedule, so that balanced the costs.

I think I'm going to like the dark, rich color of the new faucet too. It looks good with the dark floors in the kitchen.

Seems like I spend a lot of time at that sink, washing, chopping, cleaning. And it's soooo nice to have it all new and improved. Thanks, son!!

Holiday Home decor temptations

cottage, family, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 8, 2013

This season, I was a tad bit worried about the Christmas decorations staying where I put them.

Between the dogs and the Grand Fairies, I doubted that any of it stood a chance of surviving till Christmas, since it went up so early.

But the little girls have been ideal. Dewdrop is enamoured of it all, yet doesn't mess with it.

Much…

I think the trick to keeping little fingers off the vintage and hand made pieces that I want to use, but not have destroyed, was to give them their very own tree.

Sugarwings and I started this tradition when she was tiny. I gave her a pink tree and a basket full of decorations to put on, take off, play with, do as she pleased.

Now, Dewdrop is enjoying the tree along with her. And is pretty good about not getting into the other decor.

I also think it helps that I make a big deal out of the way the house is decorated and pick them up to show them individual things and talk about them. The Grand Fairies feel included, and enjoy the pretties around the cottage, I want them to feel like our home is fixed up for all of us, not that it is just a big pile of Grammie NO NOs.

Kind of like what we do in the studio. The girls have their own tables, and cabinets full of art supplies that belong to them. They have learned to, well kind of, keep curious fingers out of my supplies. I like to show them what I am working on and tell them about it, but I am also trying to teach them to respect my things and to use their own.

Of course, Dewdrop is barely 3, and Sugarwings has an ongoing story happening in her head that requires lots of interesting props to act out… so, it's a challenge and a gamble to set out precious things within their reach.

But worth it. If something breaks here and there (which it has), it's only stuff. I hope that I am showing them how good it is for the soul to have the peace and calm that pretty surroundings can bring to you.

And it means a lot to me to have our home all Christmassed up.

I think they like it too.

Now, if I can only convince the Twin Terrier Terrors that none of it is meant for them. Those dogs are infatuated with it all.

Wish us luck!

Reunited

cottage, family

By Karla Nathan / November 24, 2013

Years ago, my Sissy used to make teddy bears. Really, really cute ones. She made all sorts of them and had an agent who sold them for her. But she gave some to family too, and when my boys were just little guys, she made them each one. (I've added the foof, the bears were just plain for the boys, of course)

Now that my sons are adults, and one is a father, the bears have been passed along to the grand fairies. But one has been missing for months. I've looked high and low for it, but it was no where to be found. Who knew what those girls could have done with it? Both kids are busy bees around here, hauling crap from their toy stash to various parts of the house or yard, or even out to the woods.

That bear could have been anywhere, including their mom's house or car.

Then, I decided to give my closet a fall cleaning and reorganize it. (this is my new coat from Victorian Trading!)

When our boys grew up and moved out, we did the smartest remodel project ever. We used an empty bedroom to expand our closet and bathroom, then moved the laundry room right into our closet. Perfect for a couple of empty nesters. We could take clothes right out of the dryer, and turn around and put them on a shelf or hanger. We no longer needed laundry baskets or even a chest of drawers. All of our things stayed right in the same room. It was great!

Till we started having people move in with us. Over the years, we have hosted many, many, many long term guests. Some for weeks, some months, some for years.

An empty nester laundry room isn't quite the same when your nest is over flowing, not empty.

But, back to the long, lost, little pink bear. (yes, my son has always had a fondness for pink, I'm glad he ended up with two, tiny, pink loving daughters)

The fuzzy pink bear turned up during the laundry room reorg!

Way, way, back in the corner, squished under a cabinet, she was hiding out! I squealed when I found her.

(please do not ask how often I clean behind or under things. You don't want to hear that, just know that I was quite brave to reach my arm under the cabinet to explore what was lurking under it)

To celebrate the bear's reunion, I cleaned them both up and brought them out to the studio to hang out for a while, before they are once again cuddled up by the two grand fairies and drug into games of hide and seek and who knows what else.

A Gnats and Brats Wicked Weekend

Chandeliers, cottage, family

By Karla Nathan / October 27, 2013

While my sisses were visiting, we had a couple of big days out. We saw Gravity in the 3D Imax (wow), shopped, shopped, and shopped a bit more…

…had a last minute idea to go see Wicked, and were able to get three of the last seats available for opening night. (not the best seats, but we enjoyed the play. Bobbie was the only one who hadn't seen it before, too bad we were so high up, she still hasn't really seen it)…

Sissy brought us all matching bittersweet orange scarves to wear and we were proud to look like triplets all weekend.

…and we ate way, way too much good food. I think the best meal was at the Nicklaus Golf Club. My husband was working there that day and we met him for lunch. Their food is always yummerific.

For the rest of the time Bobbie Sue and Sissy were here, I had the little grand fairies to care for, so our adventures had to include the girls.

Beth came by and joined us for a craft day.

Which was nice, because I hardly ever get to spend time with her any more.

And we had a Renfest day with both girls and our Hippy Chick.

But a lot of the time, was just hanging out around the kitchen table. Drinking coffee, talking, and swatting gnats. I had a trap made for the gnats, by filling a glass with an orange segment, covered in vinegar, with Saran Wrap over it. Then, I used a toothpick to punch holes in the wrap, so that gnats could get into the cup. They are attracted to the scents, and get in through the holes, but can't smell their way back out again. It works pretty well, but we had way too many flying beasts for this to catch them all.

With little girls running around under foot and bugs buzzing our heads, I started calling this our Gnats and Brats Weekend.

I finally told my sisters that I wasn't going to treat them like company any more and I hung up a fly strip from the chandelier. (classy)

And the fly strip wasn't getting all the pests either. I put the vinegar trap under the fly strip, so the smell would draw them in, and then the ones that didn't go into the cup would get caught on the strip. To get them closer to the strip, I had to stack a kid's chair on the island with a salad spinner on top of it.

I'd thought about using a crystal bowl upside down instead of a salad spinner, thinking that would look nicer, then I realized that nothing would make this look nicer.

This was a nasty, bug encrusted fly trap in the middle of my kitchen.

It reminded me of the time I was reminiscing with two very dear, old friends. We were talking about how far we'd come in our lives from our Trailer Trash roots. (my sister hates it when I say I'm trailer trash, because she thinks Mom and Dad would spin in their graves to hear it, both worked hard to provide a good home for us. But the truth is, long after Sissy grew up and moved out, I lived in a trailer with Mom, and after that, I kind of lived in a succession of one trailer after another for a few years)

But back to my friends….

We had grown up together, and supported each other through our parents' divorces, and had all had some rough times that we faced together.

So, we were congratulating ourselves on leaving the land of trailer parks behind, and being proud of each other for living in homes without wheels now. (I've lived in a total of 5 mobile homes myself, and was lucky to have a roof over my head and wheels under my feet at the time)

And then, Sandy said, "Wait, Debbie lived in a really nice double wide, does that still count?" (Sandy and I had some crappy trailers to our name)

And we all burst out laughing, remembering how much nicer Debbie's trailer was than ours, but still knowing that yes, a trailer is a trailer.

As I was planning my gnat entrapment, and trying to dress it up, I figured you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. A fly trap is every bit as ucky hanging from a chandy as it is from a bare bulb. A double wide is a trailer, even if it is a nice trailer.

And you can take the girl out of the trailer, but you can't take the trailer out of the girl. I'm glad I had years of poverty in my past, years that taught me to appreciate what I have, years that taught me to scrounge, save, and be creative, look for deals, do it myself. Years that make me a practical person who knows that gnats are better stuck to goo than dive bombing your company.

Painted Fairies

cottage, Dew Drop, family

By Karla Nathan / September 19, 2013

Silly me. I keep paint out in the garden for the fairies to help themselves to anytime they like. It's washable paint, but sometimes the messes are still unwelcome.

But cute. Unless it's time to go somewhere or get dinner on the table.

We spend so much time outdoors that they are either covered in mud, water or some sort of mess, so why not paint?

Magazine Clean

cottage, family, magazine pictures or articles

By Karla Nathan / September 1, 2013

Before Fifi came to take photos for Romantic Country, I had to clean and spiff up. Like I mentioned before, I knew not to try to pre-style the place, but it still had to be clean, arranged, and ready.

Not all the rooms were shot, so I thought I'd show you the photos I took of my sparkly, clean house instead of wasting all that work!!

I guess it wasn't exactly wasted, I enjoyed the peace and quiet of banning my family and having a clean cottage for about 24 hours.

And yes, I really did BAN them. I packed a picnic breakfast and fresh clothes for the little girls and sent them with their dad to sleep in the office!

The house was oddly quiet, and spookily spotless.

I even banned the dorkies. Those poor pupeesh couldn't believe they were being kept out.

My husband was out of town on business, which worked out well. He wouldn't have put up with any banning. And while he is adorable, he might be the messiest of them all.

The girls weren't all that happy with it either, and everyone gladly came in to clutter up and make it all more homey and real as soon as Fifi and Mark pulled out of the driveway.

I admire people who can keep their homes up to this standard of tidiness, but I don't know how they manage it.

Of course, having tiny fairy girls tromping about doesn't always lead to chaos, it just seems that way sometimes.

But the kind of chaos they create is so much more fun than cleaning house!

I do try to keep things picked up, and the little sprites know to leave my "pretties" to an eyes only, no fingers exploration.

Most of the time.

They know they can pull out all their dress up clothes for a fashion show, or empty all the crayons and markers onto their table, or bring in their latest pretty rocks or bugs found outside, and Grammy will enjoy seeing the newest creation or them all dressed up.

Sometimes, I have to draw the line about bugs, though.

Sugarwings and Dewdrop leave to go to their mommies and I if I'm not too worn to a frazzle from all the goings ons, I'll shovel out the mess when they are away.

But even then, my house rarely looks this good! I'm glad I have some photos to prove it can happen.

See, not a juice bottle, dirty sock, or naked Barbie anywhere.

Which reminds me, why do all the dolls have to be stripped? Even poor Ariel gets her tail snapped off if it is removable. There isn't a doll that we own that is wearing anything. Although, sometimes Dewdrop will take off her own panties and put them on a doll.

Which is a bit weird.

While it's nice to have a day of tidy living, I miss the clutter that comes from family. Sometimes when the girls leave, I purposely walk around a pink shoe in the middle of the floor instead of picking it up. Because it reminds me that soon, a little girl will be back to fill that shoe.

When they first leave, my husband and I will take a deep sigh of relief for the quiet. Then, an hour or so goes by and one of us mentions some funny thing one of them had said or done. In another hour, we start to wonder how long it will be till we get to see them and laugh with them again.

Someday, too soon, they will be busy with friends, college, jobs, and finding a true love. My house will be clean and I'll miss those naked Barbies and forgotten socks.

Who am I kidding? My house will never be perfectly clean!! I'll still have dogs bringing in sticks, tracking in mud, and leaving toys all around. And remember that adorable, but messy husband I mentioned? I can't imagine our dining room table will magically lose it's collection of crossword puzzles saved from the newspaper, or the half empty coffee cup on it!

Magazine clean just isn't real. It's a fun fantasy for a day, but that is about as long as I could live in it.

PS-Leave a comment on this post, if you would like to enter my two giveaways. I'm away at the moment, but will draw names after Labor Day weekend

A couple of customized furniture painting tricks

cottage, Dew Drop, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Hand Painted Furniture

By Karla Nathan / August 25, 2013

Sugarwings' mom has recently graduated from nursing school, is working at a Big Girl Job as an RN, and moved into a Big Girl house. As a birthday gift, I thought she might enjoy a custom piece of furniture, something nice and solid, kind of a start on Big Girl furnishings.

I bought it a few years back as a tan colored cabinet from Nebraska Furniture Co. I rarely buy new pieces, but I think I've mentioned before that for TVs, it's hard to find the right cabinet to fit them and their components if you don't buy something made for a television.

I repainted it white with roses when I got it.

When we got a different TV, I had to find something else and was able to customize an old book shelf to fit our flat screen.

The original telly wasn't bad, we only replaced it so we could get something bigger to see from the kitchen. So, we offered it to our Hippy Chick for her new place. Trouble is, the roses on the cabinet we had it in didn't suit her at all.

So, I thought I'd surprise her with a new look on it for her birthday. These knobs from Hobby Lobby were the inspiration for the redo.

Dewdrop helped chose them, she is a big fan of going to Wobby Blobby, as she was calling it. There was a slight argument when she thought we should get the pink knobs, and she doesn't like losing arguments at all.

But in the end, I convinced her that Auntie Cake, (aka Hippy Chick) would like rainbows.

Since I was the person who painted the cabinet before, I knew that I'd primed the factory finish and used latex paint on it, and another few coats of more latex paint would adhere just fine. So, no bonding primer. Although I did use Behr's paint and primer in one simply because red is such a horrid color to work with. It doesn't cover well and takes a lot of coats. By using the primer/paint mix, I cut down on a few applications. It still needed three coats plus touch ups.

The main body was painted cherry red, satin. Then I painted each square and frame around it a different bright color.

At that point, it was beginning to look like Rainbow Brite vomited all over a preschool.

Very primary colored and very bright.

So, I washed each square and frame with a different shade.

The wash coat of color was brushed on heavy in the corners of the squares, and was wiped into the center with a damp rag. It was dry brushed onto the frames.

(light blue over green, red over orange, orange over yellow, purple over dark blue, etc, a nice mix up)

The base of the cabinet took almost a quart of interior paint. For the accents, I used 2 oz bottles of acrylic craft paint.

The finish on the craft paint is flat and the red paint is satin. I could have covered the accents with a satin clear coat, but I liked the contrast in textures.

The interior was left as is, except for the interior of the doors. When the TV is on, those will show.

I think the faux finished gave the cabinet the appropriate, custom look I was going for, instead of just blocks of bright colors.

You can tell by the floor that I have done a tad of painting out here… I used to paint furniture practically daily.

Often, like with this table that was sitting in the garage, I'd use a poly top coat mixed with walnut stain. I think it leaves an attractive finish.

But for the rainbow cabinet, I left it as it was, no walnut aging affect. Hippy Chick likes her colors vivid.

Here is the shelf of the black table. It's a bit dirty from the garage, but I think you can still see the walnut top coat. To do this, I used Minwax stain/poly that comes premixed. I'd pour about 1 cup into a bowl, add 1/4 of paint thinnner, and slip on some gloves. Then brush the mixture on the piece, and wipe off with an old, soft, dry tee shirt scrap.

Work on one section at a time, and wipe off gently. It looks really pretty over solid black, too. This trick riches up the color and gives it a custom feel. Just like adding the faux finish to the rainbow colors turned a preschool looking palette into colors that would suit a Big Girl piece of furniture.