Vacation

It was time for a vacation, I needed to hide away from the phone and rest.

My sweet girl and I went to visit my Mom and her sweet friend Allan in Southern British Columbia where everyday we woke up to this view.

We took time to smell the roses,

and enjoy nature.

Then we decided to shop!  We went to the US where I got to go to Target but there were only a few simply shabby chic duvets, that was it.  No window coverings (which I wanted), furniture, kitchen items or even pet bowls.  A disappointment.  But then we moved on to Kohl's - underwhelming but I added some Simply Vera Wang to my wardrobe.  We moved on to Ross then onto Michael's where I was shocked to find...... Christmas!!??

It seemed a little early to me as I stood there in shorts in August!

We went to some amazing antique stores (and some stinky dirty ones too) and I found an amazing vintage sweater.

There is not one bead missing. 

I have looked on ebay for years and the prices and condition of the sweaters was iffy so this was a great buy.

This vacation was perfect and gave me the escape I really needed.  

Cheers

Patricia



Derp

All over Blogland are beautiful elegant chalkboards.  I decided I need one. 

I took a mistake mirror (Aging it - didn't work ) in a beautiful frame and painted it, then painted on the mirror with flat black paint (cheaper than chalkboard paint).

I left it drying in the kitchen, and asked my sweet girl to ... leave it alone. She cannot and never has been able to resist a piece of empty paper anywhere, but one wall of her room is blackboard so I assumed this tiny bit of chalkboard would be left alone. 

I came home to this:

!!

Derp (I looked it up before I posted) means dumb. 

No crowns, or fleur de lis or fancy menu items on my chalkboard, nope, Spongebob. 

At least I got "love ya Ma".  $8000.00 worth of fertility drugs and I was Mommy for only a few years and then it got switched to Ma.  It's not what I wanted, but from my sweet girl it's lovely every time.

Maybe one day I will have an elegant chalkboard.

Cheers

Patricia



One year later

A year ago I started this blog with a 4mpeg camera (what was I thinking?) while sitting in a condo with brown walls. My original intent was to show that it doesn't matter where you live, you can live beautifully. I had to keep reminding myself of that since I was recently separated and left a 2500 sq foot house for a much smaller condo.

  I grew really comfortable with my new space and it confirmed for me it's not the money you spend, it's making a house your home.

For me it's usually as simple as paint.

Before

After with creamy white paint.

As I plodded along I got enormous encouragement from everyone who read and commented.  Thank you all.  I now love my house.  I have always loved a smaller home and it is filled with love and light, a white couch, good music and happiness.  It's all I  and my sweet girl need.


Ideas and influences  show up in the oddest place sometimes. When I was 11 or 12 I  watched The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford.  I saw it again this weekend and realized I had been inspired at a young age.  Daisy loved white roses, and Gatsby remembers being at her house and all her rooms were all white with silver.  This probably started me thinking as I watched in a 70's dream house with red carpet!  The sets were stunning and Robert Redford in a pink suit is a dream.

The women are badly played in the 70's version,  but Baz Luhrmann is re-doing it so I'm looking forward to grand white rooms with silver and white roses everywhere.  Watch the 70's version for amazing homes, chandeliers, white rooms and Robert Redford.

What is always interesting to me is how my top rated post is still, http://whitecottagechic.blogspot.com/2010/08/shabby-chic-bed.html .

My original post about about having a bed that I love.  My second post on the subject http://whitecottagechic.blogspot.com/2011/03/shabby-chic-bed-part-2.html  has created a question I need to answer.  How did I put a bedskirt on a Leirvik (Ikea) bed frame?  It does have a bar going down the centre which makes it awkward looking at the end of the bed.

I come in my bedroom and see the side of the bed with the bedskirt so I ignore the ugly bottom. 

I placed the bedskirt over a mattress pad which is placed over the rails and the bars.

(here is the ugly truth - looking down at all the beauty!)  If you have any questions on this let me know.

It's been a wonderful year, here's to the next.

Cheers - Patricia

A Crown

It started with a crown. 

I have been looking for a crown stamp for years.  Since 2007 to be exact.  I looked on ebay - $15.00 plus shipping to Canada = wayyyy to much $$ for a little stamp.  I have looked for years,.... yes years.   Every time I went into Michaels I checked the stamp department I could never find one.  Dissapointment every time. 

Yesterday....... A Crown!!!

Near the ground in a bin, low to the ground (think bottom bin) and it was recognizable to me.

Do you recognize it yet??

More "Treasures by Shabby Chic"at Michael's, this time feature a crown motif and a flowers.

 Cutest of all,

Facial Tissues!!  I have yet to open one but I probably will soon.

Note Cards:

with beautiful aqua envelopes and a bow. 

It was a delightful find.  I have one complaint though, I wish there was some some sort of notice when new product arrives.  I was just lucky to look down and find my crown.  I guess part of the fun is the find.

Oh yes, the crown was$1.50 and it was 20% off day(!)  It turns out after all these years it was worth waiting for.

Patricia

Better Late Than Never

It has been cold this year and rainy and as a result my peony's were late.  Better late than never when it's a peony.

They were extraordinary this year. 

I love the heartshaped petals. 

I purchased a double white peony and when it bloomed it was a single petal pink.  I hate false peony advertising!

I love the scent of a peony but no one seems to be able to replicate it in a perfume without it smelling fake.  If you know of a great one let me know. 

Patricia

Bedroom

I moved into a new room for my bedroom about 2 months ago and I finally finished it today.

Sometimes a large space is harder to decorate and this is large and awkward in places.

There is an area in the room which I treated as an office area.

This was my first ever foray into garage sales.  I traded an ugly pair of curtains for this, it's a fish tank holder.  I painted it, added a mirror to the top and glass to the bottom.  I have had it for about 15 years and it always works itself into a room (and looks good despite it's pedigree!).

My favourite Sid Dickens tiles, on top of a shelf that looks better on a table than on a wall.

I wasn't sure what to put above my bed, but the yard long Paul deLongpre won out.



I needed some Anthro pizazz to shake the room up a bit.  I found an amazing lampshade at winners that looked like Anthro without the high cost.

It's not crewel work, just the pattern so it wasn't so expensive.

I added a shelf with some treasures.

I added a few blue crystals to the chandelier which was in the room before me.

It's large which stumped me, but it's finally coming together. I know

 curtains would soften the space, I'm planning a trip to the states this summer and I think the Simply Shabby Chic drapes at Target will work. This room is soft, light and not cluttered which is what I always need in my bedroom.

I will keep working on it, but at least now it makes me smile.

Until next time,

Patricia

I will be sharing this with:  Fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com

Myromantichome.blogspot.com

Paperx2

I went to the mountains of British Columbia on the weekend and accomplished nothing, sorry I haven't posted in a while.

I forgot to show what I did  with the other Treasures by Shabby Chic wrapping paper (the first one can be found at http://whitecottagechic.blogspot.com/2011/06/shabby-chic-rescue.html )  The one I didn't use on the dresser.

I adore this pattern.

I know it is not for everyone, but for me it's wonderful.  On the way home from purchasing I realized the beige in the pattern was exactly the same colour as my cabinet.

I taped it on the back, which added some texture to the cabinet, which it needed.



There are only two patterns (that I could find) of this paper but I feel like I put both to great use. 

Dear Rachel Ashwell:  These patterns should be made into wallpaper so I can add them everywhere else!

Sincerely,

Patricia