~ How I spent my summer vacation ~

Hello Ladies! It feels like it's been forever since I did a post or had a chance to visit you all...I'm back from my little summer getaway and what better place to share our summer cottage than here. Well it's not really mine, lol, but my great friend Sandra needed a puppy sitter while she went away and with my parents up visiting this summer, we needed a place to share quality time and feel like we were away. Northport , NY is only one town away, but right on the water and it's such a quaint little village so the timing was perfect. I grew up in this area, but it's amazing how relaxing and tranquil any place can be when you decide to focus on making it a vacation spot. Plus I loved the idea of not loosing any travel time, a 10 minute car ride and we were there. I also made the decision to not leave the town at all, no coming back home to get the mail or shop in my usual places here, but instead, stay in the Norman Rockwell existence with a new set of eyes :) Vacation eyes :) So come for a little tour of one of my favorite towns....

As soon as my girlfriend moved into this house, I knew she had found a little jewel. It oozes charm in every way. I've spent many girlfriend get togethers here and had already worn out the front porch chair before this summer :) But being here and knowing I didn't have to leave for a week was a real treat!

Little Bella, she's the reason for my stay, and she entertained us every day with her puppy ways and adorable demeanor. Awww, is she so cute?!

I love this great little kitchen, it's packed with fabulous details and charm! I used the grill a lot, but also did my fair share of steaming seafood and enjoying some cooking in here too..


The perfect accessory to any cottage :) A gorgeous claw foot tub!

The living room looking into the kitchen area....

Nooks and cranny's were everywhere!


A sweet kitchen shelf unit, simple and elegant...

The details in her home are amazing , even down to the door knobs! I have to get some of these, they are just gorgeous in person!
This room below was my Moms room for the week, I adore the red polka dot sheets and fluffy bedding!


This bedroom has always been a favorite of mine ( below ), again, the bedding was so luxurious and yet the simple cottage decor just makes you relax and feel right at home. I adore this room for many reasons, I love that the breeze blows right in and it's so pretty and charming!

Lets walk outside the front door and take a walk downtown Northport....


The weather was so gorgeous, I felt so lucky the whole week to wake up to the warm sun, the scent of flowers and that sweet salty air when you're close to the water , nothing beats that! And what a perfect view the park has too!

Sailing anyone? ....

Or, perhaps some yachting ? a lunch or sunset Cruise?

The town has always made me feel like I've stepped back in time, but yet what's so great about it is, for the nostalgia you can enter into it's many cafes and still get a malted milk shake or an egg cream :) But you can also go to the next store and get a fabulous pair of trendy sandals and browse the beautiful boutiques too!

Every little town needs a General store too....The one below has that great hardware store smell, I just love it :)

Pretty little antique shops too!



And best of all, little pockets of bistro dining and courtyards away from it all...

It's a great little town for that unusual gift, I wanted to take this bike home, it's actually a planter, how cute would it be filled with pots of hydrangeas or daisy's ?!

Well that's it, I'm finished with my " how I spent my summer vacation" essay :) Ohhhh, it feels so great to be out of school :)! I'll leave you with this last picture, it's a flag that the village made out of flowers on the entrance to the dock area, cute idea!

I hope you all are enjoying a beautiful summer!! and finding your own spots to vacation in or at least get away for a bit to rejuvenate and relax! I've missed seeing your new blog posts, so now I'm off to go visit and catch up with you all!

Happy Summer!

Hugs, Cynthia xo

~ Happy 4th of July ~

I'm stopping in to wish you all a wonderful 4th of July!

I'll be heading out today to spend some vacation time at a nice cozy cottage in Northport , NY. It's Just a town away , but a nice little waterside village and a week away from routine and responsibility :)! I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful summer too! Have a wonderful week ladies!

Hugs and appreciation!

~ Cynthia ~

~ Homemade ~

Hello Ladies! I have to first say, thank you so much for your sweet and funny letters to my Mom from the previous post! My parents are coming up for a visit tomorrow and will be here for about a month, so I can't wait to show her your little pleas for my china :) She told me she couldn't bring any on the plane, lol, so hopefully that means the rest can be shipped when she gets back home :) Now on to the new post... We have had rain here for what seems like 60 days, and so instead of gardening and playing outside this past weekend, I spent the time baking and cleaning and getting ready for company. My middle Son Kyle is graduating High School and so this coming weekend I'm throwing him a party to celebrate. One of the items on the menu is homemade bread :) I find this recipe so easy and most of the work is "waiting" for it to rise, lol, so I got a lot of cleaning done in between and also spent an hour reading through my new magazines too. Just click on the pictures to make them bigger and you can copy the recipe if you'd like, it's delicious, so Enjoy!

~ The recipe comes from my Vintage Pillsbury cookbook, circa 1963 ~

The smell of homemade bread is amazing! I found the trick is using scalding milk, and soaking the yeast in warm water first too. Just as the recipe implies :)

And of course, kneading is everything, I use my palms and really get in there for about 10 minutes!

Then you end up with this silky smooth ball of dough and even that has a wonderful scent too! The little picture above on the right is the first rise, a slightly damp towel covering the finished dough is another great tip for rising!
~ Then you wait, and wait and wait :) then you wait again :) ~

I passed the time cleaning and then sat down to the new summer reads! Country Living Magazine and of course Victoria too! I think this is one of the prettiest issues yet from Victoria! Go grab your July issues if you haven't already! Victoria features Maryjanes Farm in this issue and the eye candy is fabulous and fresh! And the recipes from Country living are sure to be a big part of Kyles Graduation party too!

Then I did a little more waiting , lol, until the pretty dough had been turned and risen a few more times, it was ready to bake!
Can you smell it? I sure hope so , because you all deserve a nice big piece!

Baking bread wouldn't be complete for me if I couldn't store it in something pretty :) A few years back I went on a quest for some Vintage European bread bags, this one below was a great find on eBay and I just adore the colors. I believe it's Swedish or German for " Fresh Bread" ??, but if anyone knows for sure, let me know if I'm right or wrong :) I am on the hunt for an Italian or French one now :)

They even look pretty and fit right in with the aprons when not being used for Bread!

I let the loaves peek through for the picture, but if you pull the ties closed the linen will keep the bread fresher a bit longer! Of course, homemade bread doesn't usually last too long in my house , but it looks sweet on a table when you have guests or for a party too!

~ Fresh bread is best warm right out of the oven with fresh butter and jam preserves too! Enjoy! ~

I hope you all have a deliciously sweet week ahead! I am praying for a sunny day for Kyles graduation BBQ here! keep your fingers crossed for me! Thank you so much for always being such sweet friends, I hope the summer is finding you all blessed and content!

With appreciation and Hugs,

~ Cynthia ~

~ New Pretties ~

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful week! It's been another busy one here at the Cottage :) First off, I finally finished transferring my old web page into a new blog, I'd love if you all gave it a peek and let me know what you think. I tried to keep it simple and bare with me because the items that were in the shop portion still have to be stocked again. But I'll get there soon :) Feel free to add the button above to your side bar so you can check in for new sales and items coming soon! Thank you all for your support and comments on the little change I made!

Now on to another note, I received another goody box from Mom again, wow, she really must have an over-stocked basement, because this time I really made out on her desire to "clean out and downsize", lol. I have adored this china since I was a little girl and she always promised me I could have it, well, lol, it's 40 plus years later and I finally can say I have my Royal Albert China :) Thank you Mom, you're slow, but your the bestest!
Along with my china , came so many mementos she thought I'd love too. And she was right. I'm saving some for another post, but along with their wedding picture ( above ) she also dropped in everything she had saved from her honeymoon 57 years ago. If you click on the picture above you can see the American Express Bill for their honeymoon in Bermuda ! Back then, that was a lot of money, but I couldn't help but giggle at the total, I couldn't find many places to go on that price anymore if I tried :)

~ My love for all things elegant and cottagey really makes this china a welcome addition to my collections ~

Now I just need her to send me up all the dinner plates and silverware she had that went with it, and I'll be a very happy girl :) Hint Hint Mom, I would love another box soon! :)

I don't even think they make china with this much 14kt gold trim anymore, so I'll be sure to keep it out of the dishwasher!
Even though this china has such an elegant look to it, I can't help but use the delivery of it as a chance to line my kitchen hutch with it and play again re-doing the shelves. Ok the hints are getting relentless Mom, so here's one more. I really want to take a wide shot photo of the kitchen hutch with all the rest of the serving for 12, it would fill my entire hutch and look so pretty! Don't you girls agree? if so, tell my Mom in a comment that she simply has to part with all the rest soon! The china will be much happier here , out of the box from the Georgia basement, and it will come to life again in my Cottage Royal Albert home...lol

Oh I hope she got the hint! :)

Wishing you all have a beautiful pink and fuchsia day! Or at least that's what I'm calling my day :)

Stop by the new site when you get a minute, I hope you enjoy the visit! and now it's time to visit all of you without a "to-do list" in front of me for the first time in 2 weeks :)

Happy Day and Hugs,

~ Cynthia ~

~ Website Update ~

~ Everything but the kitchen sink ~

( 6/14/09 ...Update...: Just a quick note, if you try and view the Cottage Shop blog, it will come up "invite only", that's not true :) Its just the only way I can work on it without having you see the mess before it's done :) I didn't realize that blogger had that feature till after I did this post. I will do a post about it being ready soon... )

Well, lol, that was my dream at least....to have my website be a one stop shopping site for everything that makes a house a home. But , this is proving a little more difficult than I thought :) I had started the other site ( Cynthia's Cottage Design. com ) awhile back and sold out of most of the items fairly quickly, I thought it would be manageable to keep up with stocking the shelves, but I also have clients homes in our area to Design, so between work and family and trying to keep it all together, I was in over my head so to speak :) I know you've all been there too, the place where you realize you have to cut back on your schedule to keep that happiness factor going :) So I wanted to take a minute to let you know that I closed my website and have decided to switch to using another blogger page to open a smaller version, I will still feature the online consultations and accessories for sale , but in a simpler fashion this time... I have a few older posts with links to my old website, so hopefully I can correct those and link them to the new Cynthia's Cottage Design Shop on blogger. I'll be working on it a bit over the next week and I'll be sure to let you all know when it's up and running, in the meantime, if you peek in don't mind the renovations, you all know how messy things can look before we pretty them up :) ps: My blog here will remain the same and I'll provide buttons for the cottage shop when it opens too!

I hope you all have a fabulous day and thank you so much for all your support and friendship always!

Blessings,

~ Cynthia ~

~ Alfresco ~

Hi Girls! Come dine with me alfresco style! What a beautiful weekend it was, the sun was out , the evenings long and the cool breeze now and then made the 80 degrees feel like 75, just perfect! Summer is almost here!...eating outside, bbq's, and late nights by the outdoor fire place with the kids making S'mores, yummy! I also love squeezing in those girls nights when the food is more gourmet and the wine flows , and the eating doesn't include hot dogs and hamburgers :) Which was the idea behind this post...I made a table cloth out of one of my favorite farmhouse patterns and it became a great backdrop for all things delicious!

I like to put a few unusual things on the outdoor table to give it that cozy feel, and for me, that's bringing a bit of the inside, to the outside. Just grab a few of your favorite indoor things and bring them outside for a fresh look. I couldn't decide between the old "women harvesting" painting or the "french chicken" painting, so I brought both out and after a few minutes pondering , I chose the french chicken one :) I thought the girls might feel guilty about enjoying a meal while staring at women working in the field :) or maybe they would appreciate the meal knowing that someone worked so hard to bring it to the table?? lol, ok, that is just too much thought put into something, so that's why I opted for the french chicken :)

~ If I have a busy patterned table cloth, I try and keep the china basic and simple, but of course a little pop of color helps to pull it together, so for the 2nd course I used the blue and white china... ~

If you're wondering why the tea cup in the middle ?, I'll show you a great way to fill it with a delicious soup at the end of the post ...and the tea cup makes for a nice portion size in the summer :)

As you all know Inspiration is everywhere, I get tons of it from all the wonderful blogs out there and also from fabulous magazines . But , I also get Inspiration from those gorgeous catalogs the mail man drops off :) This is the summer issue of Williams Sonoma ( below ) and this particular color scheme was picked partly by the farmhouse print on my table cloth , and also from the "All American" feel that this summer issue has!

~ Before I set a table, I lay out a bunch of things and play a bit ....seeing which pieces and colors "speak" to me :) ~

Then it's time to set it all up and start cooking! I love serving chilled soups as a first course, they are so fresh and filled with garden goodies that delight the senses. This one below is a chilled vegetable soup, perfect in a small tea cup so my guests don't get too full, too early :)

One of my all time favorites is this one below...Cucumber-Avocado soup! and what a sweet way to serve it too... The good thing about cold soups is, you can prepare them ahead of time, set them out in ice and ladle them in when you are ready ...

~ If you click on the picture below , it will enlarge enough to get this delicious recipe!~

~ Happy Dining alfresco ~

A nice Summer menu: ~ Chilled soup and crusty french bread~ Clams on the half shell ~ Goat cheese salad with grilled chicken and fresh beets ~( serve with iced tea and fresh mint, or a nicely chilled Pino Grigio ) Simple and delicious!

Before I go, I had to let you know, My sweet and talented friend Elyse over at " Cottage" is having a gorgeous give-away!, so stop on over and see her pretties! But mind you, I want to win them! :) Aren't they so cottage perfect!?!

I hope you all enjoy a wonderfully delicious and beautiful week ahead!

Much love and Thanks,

~ Cynthia ~

~ Give-Away winner ~

Well first you'll have to bare with me for a minute :)...I was completely overwhelmed by all your kind and wonderful words!! I enjoy these give-aways so much because it gives me a chance to show you all how much you mean to me. But with that, I ended up wanting to give away something to each and every one of you! I mean that! It seems that even though I'm hosting a give-away, it's really me who is getting the best gift of all! I got to peek into so many blogs that I haven't seen before and that was such a treat! You are all such inspiring and wonderful women! I want to Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this wonderful world of blogging! And my answer to my own question is, like many of yours," blogging is simply the neatest thing since sliced bread :)"! Homemade of course :) Each blog is so unique and that homemade comment I just made isn't far from the truth, every blog is "home made" and the stories and people in them , are works of art! So before I type who won the draw, I want to say a Big THANK YOU to all who entered, I am so lucky to have such wonderful bloggettes as friends, both old and new!!

I used the random generator to pick the winner, and for everyone that did a post about it, I assigned another number to. It was a lot of work assigning the additional numbers , but the best kind of work ever! I got to visit your blogs all week and see such wonderful new ones! I can't wait visit again and stop in and say HI!

soooooo, drum roll please :)...... Congratulations to:

Kathleen Grace , From Kathy's Cottage!!

If you all haven't seen Kathy's Cottage yet, head on over now and say HI, she is such a sweetie and her blog is gorgeous too!! Congrats Kathy!!

Thank you all so much , for all your support , and for making my first year filled with so many wonderful and inspiring experiences! I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead and many blessings!

Hugs and Gratitude,

~ Cynthia ~

~ Give - Away ~

(Just a little update ( 6/4/09 ) You have until 3pm eastern time on June 5th to enter )
Happy One year anniversary of Blogging to me :) ...I can't believe it's been one year since I found this wonderful world of blogging! What better way to celebrate it , than with all of you incredible bloggers who stop by for visits and offer your friendship and inspiration to me on a weekly basis! I feel so blessed to have found this unique venture into a place that gives me such an outlet for creativity , and to be able to share journeys with all of you too! So ...I'm hosting a give away to show my appreciation and gratitude! Thank you sooooo much , to all of you! I wish I could pop a gift into every one's mail box at once , because each and every person I've met , has somehow touched me in one way or another...

The Give Away consists of: A beautiful basket with an image of art work by Diane Knotts. A pink toile china plate ( yes, lol, I bought two of these knowing I'd be having a give away and kept one for myself ) a Cynthia's Cottage handmade Country Living image sign, Blue and white smaller china plate with red gingham bow for hanging, a sweet Vintage Apron from the 50's, and a handmade table cloth made of linen ( or table scarf ) embroidered in a fabulous red with a hint of black. Size: 33" x 33"....perfectly Vintage too :) All ready to get packaged up and delivered to the lucky winners doorstep!

The only rules for the Give -away are... that you leave a comment and tell me your favorite part about blogging. If you mention the give-away on your blog I'll enter you 2 x. If you do a post on it with a picture from this post, I'll enter you 3 x. Anyone can enter and have a chance to win all the goodies... If you don't have a blog, just be sure to leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you win! I'll be drawing the names from the random generator on June 5th! Good luck to everyone!

~ You can click on any picture to get an up close view of each item ~

I hope you all are having a wonderful week! and thanks again for all your sweet comments on my previous post! I am so blessed to be connected to such wonderful woman and such creativity! I've had a busy few weeks, ( computer crashes, work, family , and getting ready for my middle Son's graduation ) but I look so forward to stopping by your blogs and catching up!

Thank you so much for helping to make this first year one fabulously fun , creative and inspirational journey !!

Wishing you luck , and many blessings!

Much Love,

~ Cynthia ~

~ This and That ~

A Little bit of this and a little bit of that... A trip to Home Goods did me well, come to think of it , I never walk out empty handed. Not once. The pink ceramic bowl jumped out at me, lol, so of course I knew it was meant to be :) and such a cutie for $3.99. For that price, I couldn't say No. After all, that's the price of a fancy coffee and it would be all gone now. But this little bowl will be with me for every girls night, every Al fresco dinner party, and anything else I conjure up. And I won't limit it to Olives either, maybe some honey pretzels, some dip, anything ! The table underneath it was $8.99, another little wow that made it home too , and now it lives on my deck :)

Just as I love going to Home Goods, I also love when my Mom sends me up a Goody Box ( as I call them ) from Ga. She always had such special things and now that they've scaled down somewhat I get the hand- me- downs. I love each and every thing she sends, she just knows me that way :) Most things she sends I can remember seeing as a child or remember each party or occasion when she'd use them, but these linens below were a nice surprise! I hadn't remembered these and when she said my Grandmother made them, I was extra happy. I wish I could embroider, but it's not a talent of mine :) It takes too long and I'm an instant gratification girl :) But thankfully, now I can appreciate her talents and love them just the same! They match my decor and I just love the colors, a pop of Red is always something that does my decor good :)

She also sent the blue and white table skirt ( below ) which was custom made about 30 years ago for a guest room and seeing it at home here now , I think it was meant to be as I had been looking to cover the table with a blue and white fabric, so it was perfect timing! Thanks Mom!

~ they are very happy here ~

~ Another bit of this and that ~ A $2.99 plate from Home Goods, I fell in love with the soft pink toile!

Opps, lol, looks like I misplaced a picture, her Goody Box also included these matching napkins!

~ More this and that ~ Home Goods dish towel... If it has a Cherry, It's coming home with me :)

~ I adore the rick- rack too! ~

A visit to my friend Amy's house led me to this chicken butter dish (below) from Italy, I just loved it so much I had to take a picture of it. I told her if it's missing one day, It was me :) If anyone ever sees one like this , I'll send you a bonus surprise as a finders fee ! :) I just LOVE it ! And btw, Amy , if you're reading this, you better put it away when I come over, you just never know what I'll take home with me, I carry a big purse :) lol

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful week ahead! Thank you so much for all your comments on my Suburban Cottage, you are so sweet and I read each and every comment and think you are all the best!!

Now that I finished those window boxes, it's back to the deck and patio for some finishing touches for the warm season ahead! The Country Living photo below has me inspired!

~ Have a Beautiful week ahead Ladies!! ~

Love and appreciation!

~ Cynthia ~

~ The Suburban Cottage ~

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments and ideas on my last post! I was having a window box dilemma, lol. I guess that's a good dilemma to have in the scheme of life though, so I didn't worry too much that I'd find something to work on my windows :) I couldn't decide between Iron and wood :) And above all else, I also couldn't think about buying the custom ones or even ready made ones at that hefty $100 ( each ) price tag either. Soooooo, lol, what do you do when you can't find something? Design them yourself... How hard can it be to make a box?? lol, well, that's how every idea starts, then there's reality :) After a few cus words and many revisions, I came up with a look. And now they are done, yippee! and for two of them, the total was $22.00, not bad! You'll have to excuse the small foliage in them for now, that is something only God will control, the flowers are small, but I'm excited to see the annuals I selected at least double or triple in size soon! As you can see below, I went with Wood :) I didn't think I should attempt "Iron forging" last weekend , that seemed out of my realm of capabilities, lol...


Yes, it was just a box, but then the small moldings and a bit of lattice helped customize them further, what do you think? Not bad, huh?
I've been asked more than a few times, what kind of house do I live in? Well, it's not a Cottage in the woods, nor a Farm House, nor a Mansion, it's just an average Suburban split level home on a pretty street filled with kids, nice neighbors and good friends. I think what you do with your abode is what gives it character, after all, they are all just boxes too, and with them, we add moldings, plantings, secret little spots of pretty, pathways, gardens and dress them up to suit our style and desires. So they start out pretty much like the window boxes, ready to be finished and loved. To grow into something more. Hopefully like my flower boxes will too, lol. If you click on the photo below and make it bigger, you can see my 2 dogs, Sierra at the Door, and up in the window is Holly, lol.... Watching Melanie get on the school bus and Mom taking pictures :)


Here's a little picture tour of my Cottage, gardens and all...you can click on the pics to make them bigger if you like! Some are from last year , as you can see the blooms are" late summer", lol... But the one above was from this week. I'd like the next project to be adding Slate to the steps above, I already have it picked out, I think it will make the steps look so much better.

The mosaic below shows one of my favorite spots besides my upper deck ( the one with the 2 Adirondack chairs and fire pit ). It's one of those little nooks in my backyard that if that fireplace could talk, it would write a book. lol. It's a favorite spot for Girl Chat , and it's also seen many S'mores fall into it too :)

I hope you all enjoyed a few pics of Home for me, before you leave, grab some appetizers and a glass of ice tea too! ( they are almost all gone, so hurry, lol )That's my favorite thing to do in my Yard, entertain and mingle with family and friends, that's what really makes a house a Home, or lol, .....a Cottage....whatever your fancy :)


I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day last weekend!.... and Thanks so much for stopping by! Blessings for a wonderful week ahead and a gorgeous weekend too!

Love and Appreciation,

~ Cynthia ~

~ The Spring Pantry of Goodies ~

What a busy Spring it's been! Hello sweeties! I've been busy as a bee, and while we've had a fairly wet Spring so far, things seem to be popping up everywhere! Green, Green, Green! Now a little Sunshine would be nice to make all the flowers bright and happy. I'm excited for the transition into Summer too! A few things have caught my fancy and what better place to share them than here. That fabulous Picnic basket above is from a site I just adore: Canning Pantry. If you're new to canning and preserving, or even if you're a seasoned expert, you will just love their goods and the site is so full of informative tips on getting it all just right! My Berry bushes are looking so good this year, so while the rain has been a lot, I know the bounty is right around the corner!

Speaking of Berries, I was surfing the Internet for some new Summer recipes and came upon this wonderful site, I just love the visuals and the Inspiration I get from how they entertain! Blackberry Farm is just simply Beautiful! Not to mention they have the most amazing Farm/Spa vacation packages too, I won't be getting there any time soon, lol, but a girl can dream! Look at this dreamy blueberry tart below, yummy!

Just to get Inspired I ordered this wonderful book from the Joy of Cooking. Again, Even if you're new to the idea of Canning, or if it's something you do every year, you will love this book! I'm so excited to get my copy, it is normally over and around $100+ , but I found it on Amazon for a quarter of that!
On to a few more projects and goodies :) ...I know you all are like me, and just adore Country Living magazine! Well, I keep almost every copy I get, and once in awhile, I take them out by the stack and glance through them all over again. Some of the issues are so beautiful that I wish I could frame all the images and decorate a wall with them. While I like that idea, lol, I would have no wall space left then :) So I took a few of my favorite issues this weekend and created Wall Signs using just my Favorites, then distressed the edges, added a bit of glass glitter and made a few pieces of wall art. Now I can see my favorite issues on my Kitchen wall every day! You gotta love decoupage, what another great way to "preserve" :)


~ The one I made this weekend came from the April issue of Country Living, a favorite for sure! ~

~ another view ~

~ Just a little bit of glitter too ~ hehe

Ok , so I'm sure place mats can be elegant and fancy or made from 100 year old hand made lace, and even beautiful silk from the Orient. BUT they can be fun too! I just got these from my sweet friend Bekah! As most of you know, I adore farm images. I have my coveted rooster collection, cream ware, and a few cows here and there too. But these take the cake . I smile when I see them :) Lol, My teenagers tell me I've gone a bit too far, but a little extra kitchen art is fun now and then !

~ A little more kitchen Cow ~
( the little cow on the shelf below is actually about 60 years old, it was a gift from Mom )

I have been so busy this month, that I barely had any time to re-stock my Pantry shelves ( as I call them, lol ) in my little shop, but I have a few things left before I bring in some new items. This Sign below is perfect for that Cottage Kitchen, so head on over to the Cottage Shop if you'd like a little gift for Mom or yourself! Wow, I can't believe Mothers Day is this weekend! How time flies!

I also came upon a another site I wanted to share with you, it's really a treat for all you Farm Chic loving collectors , I am in love with the clock below ( lemonade ) and just adore these bottles too!

They have such wonderful things and I know you'll love a peek too!
~ Farmhouse Wares ~

Well, its back outside for me now, The house just got finished being painted a Cottage Grey with Country White shutters, so my next chore is to find some fabulous Window Boxes! ( Pics to come soon! )I've found a few nice boxes so far, but if anyone has a great link for some, I'd love the tip!

Besides my Window Boxes and some other projects, I'm determined to create a more softer , elegant, but yet Country Cozy patio too! So getting some flowing curtains and a few decorative accessories to make "girls night on the patio" cozier, is another fun chore ahead! I was so inspired by the photo below, so we'll see how close I can come to it :)

I have a few windows that the picture above doesn't have, so while I'm doing window boxes for the front of the house, I think these below would look great on the back of the house. I'm also looking into the wrought iron ones , so I haven't decided yet :) But what a pretty Spring grouping of flowers!

I hope you all are having fun getting your homes ready for this pretty season too! I can't wait to see what you've all been up to! I'm heading off for some more blog surfing later today, because before I know it, the Sun will be shinning again and calling my name :)


I hope you all are having a wonderful week! Thanks so much for stopping by!

~ Enjoy your Sunshine and Blessings ~

Big Hugs!!

~ Cynthia ~

~ The Vintage Kitchen ~

Lol, I'll start this post off by saying I never fully got the hang of Windows Live Writer, it was fun, but I have a few things I still need to figure out, so being a creature of habit, I'm back to the blogger way of posting for now. I'll just admire the posts of those who've mastered it and give it a try another day. On to new news :) Last week I was contacted by Vintage Indie to do an interview, I have to say, that is the first time I was asked to talk about myself in an interview form and I was so honored! If you don't already know this fabulous site, Head on over to Gabreial's Vintage Indie, it is full of information and such an inspiring online magazine! Thanks so much for thinking of me Gabreial !! When she asked me what my favorite room was in my house, I took no time to answer, definitely the Kitchen. I got to talk about my 2 favorite things, my kitchen and my love of Vintage. The above picture is another piece in my kitchen that rarely gets photographed due to it's "behind closed doors mess", but the interview and even the picture below inspired me to clean it up and leave the doors open. It's actually an old Pie Safe, but now it has a new use :) It's holding my growing collection of cream and white pottery.

I was inspired by this photo above from Country Living. I love lots of color in my home, but in certain areas I like to use just one color for a "simple" effect. While I don't have a collection of depression glass or any colored glass ( yet, lol ) I did start with the white and creams, so that's a beginning :)


I love to decorate the inside AND backs of my hutches, even on the doors I've been known to hang things too! It doesn't just have to be the shelves that you line with pieces, think outside the box! Literally :)

In the spirit of the Vintage Kitchen, I couldn't forget about all the things that I love that have that label attached to them. For me, it's all about the small things, Vintage bowls, cookbooks, kitchen tools etc, anything that is from another era or takes me back in time is a Good Thing :)

I have many Vintage Pyrex bowls, containers, dishes etc, but These are my favorite. Simple , and such a soft blue too ...
I've always had a "thing" for Vintage ads and often include them in posts here , but now I've started a collection with the intent to frame them in my kitchen!. I think it would be such a conversation piece and so much fun to see every day instead of keeping them stacked in a drawer not to be seen. I am starting to buy more these days that feature appliances. Lol, I just find them so sweet and fun to look at! Btw, look at all that red meat below!? wow :) ....I don't know about you, but mines filled with chicken now :)

Having a Vintage inspired kitchen can mean so many different things to different people, it depends on what era warms your heart. It could just be the simplicity of an older kitchen that moves you, or the old fixtures, or even just adding some vintage art can evoke the same feeling too. For me, it's a mix of many things, a little from this era, a little from another, some of Moms things, some of Grandmas and some new.....Mix em all up , add your favorite color's , and your there.... This one below from Country Living is a real favorite of mine! A little of everything :)

Speaking of Vintage, do you all remember Betsy McCall? Oh My Word, I used to wait by the mailbox for my Mothers monthly issue so that she could give me my paper doll of the month !! :) what excitement it was playing with her! I was reminded of this when I went to peek in on a new friends blog, My Vintage Blankie. Amy just did the cutest post about Paper dolls and sewing patterns! She is just getting the hang of blogging and I'm sure would love some of you to stop in and welcome her. Her Designs have also been featured in magazines too, they are so sweet!
On to some "new" looking Vintage pieces now... I wanted to share this with you if you haven't already seen it...I have always loved mixing in the new with the old so I was so happy to get this issue of the Pottery Barn catalog! They seem to have incorporated so many fabulous vintage inspired items in this Spring/Summer issue! I've put some photo's below of some of their collection, I'll be shopping there again this summer to pick up some more red for the outside and inside, what pretties! Unfortunately these fabulous trays are sold out, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will get more in! aren't they adorable?! I love the Coca-Cola one :)

~ Vintage perfect.... I adore the bottle holder below ~

~ The rugs are so sweet and so are all the fixings on the table too! Id also love a round table on a covered porch, how Fab! ~
These dishes below are just so simple and sweet!, Hmmmmm.. do I need more dishes? nope, but when I do, I'll know where to go :) Creamy butter yellow, Oh I love them!

Before I end this post, I have to share one more thing, and it's a biggy! :) I was doing an Image search on Goggle the other day and came upon this Artist that blew me away. Her work is so beautiful! I typed in "Vintage Kitchen" and this one below popped up, well, I just had to get a better look :) Her name is Janet Hill, of Janet Hill Studio and she is so talented! I think her images portray such a simplicity and yet evoke such a nostalgic feeling. She does paintings of Women and so many Home images too. Kitchens, baths, bedrooms, LR's, etc. She sells the Print versions on her Etsy, and I've just added her to my "wish list"! I had so many favorites I didn't know where to start, but I will start collecting soon! I can just picture these hanging in my kitchen, or her others in different rooms too!

~ I just adore how simple and sweet they are, just like Moms kitchen was! I even remember the radio being in Moms kitchen too! Your talents are amazing Janet! Thank you for capturing such thoughts and feelings and gracing us with images that bring out that Vintage feeling in us too!

Well Ladies, it's time to go clean up the yard from all the rain we had, but Thanks so much for stopping by ! I hope you enjoy a wonderful week and hopefully all of you are enjoying an Inspiring Spring too!

Much Love and Blessings to you!

~ Cynthia ~

~ Spring Day ~

4:45pm :)…..Good Afternoon everyone! Forgive me while I play :) I have no idea what I’m doing, lol, but I spent most of the day enjoying this gorgeous weather we are having and the rest of it , trying out this new ( to me, lol ) Windows live Writer. Thanks to my sweet friend Cheryl over at Cottage Farm Villa! Thanks Cheryl, I’m giving it a whirl!

5:30pm….45 minutes later ……This was so much fun!, after almost an hour I still have no clue, lol! But the next time I have a few minutes and it’s not so Gorgeous out, I will play again! Try it out girls! at Windows Live Writer!

I hope you are all having as Beautiful a day as we are in New York today!! Opps, sorry, lol, as you can see I still have some kinks to work out ( small text) ….. Enjoy! Hugs, ~ Cynthia ~

~ Popping in and out ~

Hello ladies!! Oh it feels like forever since I've blogged! After finally finishing some things inside my own home and then getting the outside ready for the new Season, I thought I'd have some time to enjoy it all myself. But not yet :) ...I have been so busy getting all my clients house's ready for the Spring Summer season and I've been knee deep in work, So I haven't had too much free time lately. I always feel so blessed to work for myself and to do something I love doing , but it sure gets tough at this time of year. Soooo, I'm just popping in to say Hello to everyone and hoping you don't forget about me ! Hopefully I'll be more caught up enough soon to enjoy this wonderful weather we are having and enjoy this pretty Spring that feels just about here for real now :) And....not wiped out exhausted at 5pm, lol, so I can also come visit you too! I see so many updates with such pretties ( !! ) and I long for a day off soon to indulge in some browsing and inspirations! I am excited about a few new homes I've been working on and as soon as things are finished , I've been given the Ok to show them here! One is a Vintage inspired complete remodel, every detail from soup to nuts , baths to bedroom, to kitchen is authentic 1940's but with twists of the updated Cottage look I love, so that will be fun to photograph and share! I'm also working on so many others that I know you will love, so I hope to have some "afters" to show you soon! This picture below is a new set of signs that I've designed to replenish my little Shop with. Thank you to all of you who have shopped with me! I promise to re-stock more soon!


This was painted and embellished on top of a piece of Vintage barn siding, it's rough on the opposite side and shows all the old details too!


I'm planning on adding many new Designs soon too, so check back often and hopefully you'll find something you love!
This little collection of fabrics below is for a 1895 little cottage I'm designing, and it's right up my alley! So often with the homes I design, I end up wanting to live in them myself... but it is a pleasure to work with people who have the same appreciation for a look that I do, it makes it Design Heaven :)

Well, back to the grindstone, or actually maybe I should say Marble :) That's my chore for today, to find a marble counter top for the kitchen in the Cottage . As a Designer, I know this will be vulnerable to stains and such, but my client is like me, we feel it will just add to the character over the years, lol...

I've left you with a little POP :) this picture below is a my dwarf cherry blossom tree, just on the verge of popping open! There is Hope. :)

Wishing you all a Beautiful weekend!!

Much Love,

~ Cynthia ~

~ Weekend whirlwind ~

Howdy to all my sweet friends! First ladies, Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments on my "Cottage Before and After" post! You are all so kind and keep me motivated and inspired through each endeavor! After I spent that week on the inside of the house, it was time to head outside and get the Porch and backyard better ready for Spring. I had this old child's chair sitting out back for a couple of years, I'd use it to put a potted plant on, but I decided I wanted more color outside this year , so I gave it a rough coat of Sea Blue and added some embellishments to "fun it up" a bit. Now it sits proudly and happy on my back Porch :)

If you click on the picture it will show more of the detail up close. I love the little saying above the water view stamp, it says: "Lobsters on the Beach at Sunset", now that sounds delicious to me :)! Gotta love Susan Branch!

After a day of rearranging the back yard, I headed out to Target for some silly things, and of course, didn't intend on buying myself anything, but opps, I can't pass up a good Rooster Rug , perfect for under the sink :)

I am so Thankful to anyone who has found things they've loved and bought on my website! Thank you Ladies! I have to spend this next week restocking some things and therefor the other half of the weekend was spent designing some new signs and wall art. I get so inspired by Cookbooks and Vintage images, that I designed some new ones featuring domestic themes , recipes , and other embellishments to give them the feel I wanted. I envision them in someones kitchen giving them a daily dose of kitchen whimsy and art.

It helps to keep a collection of Vintage kitchen manuals , cookbooks, and also vintage magazines around so they can be added to create a certain authentic look to the pieces.

The first one below is a little tribute to baking Homemade Bread. The recipes were copied from an old Pillsbury Cookbook. I also added the recipe on the back for Homemade White Bread, it's on the front too, but in full detail on the back :)

~ A Little up close ( right side ) shot. The image of the apron clad woman is from a Vintage Kellogg's Ad. ~

You can click any picture to show the up close detail. This sign is still in need of some edge distressing, so it isn't finished yet. But it will be on the website within the week.

I keep gravitating towards a Vintage blue background color for the Signs, but I also did some with creamy white and a soft Vintage pink too. To see more theme based signs, just head over to my website. I have a few left!

This one below is a combination of Vintage , a little Mary Emmerling and a tad bit Gooseberry Patch , with a wonderful recipe also! I named it "Farmgirl Market"...Any image that makes me happy or cozy, usually makes it's way to my collection :)

~ Below is a close up of the center ~

Left side of the Sign ( below )... I had so much fun designing the layout too!

Right side of the Sign ( below )... I had also layered the sign at one point full of images, more like a busy collage altered art piece, but I missed seeing each image be fully visible, so I took this approach so that each one can be seen and yet add to the "Kitchen" theme.

There was one more element to my Weekend Whirlwind, and that was to get the seeds planted! I usually do this with my Daughter, but she was busy "tanning" out on the deck for this one :) lol, oh teenagers :) She was wonderfully helpful in so many areas this weekend that I decided to give her a break and let it slide :)

These are such a pleasure to do for me! I love the scent of potting soil :) and making sure each one has the best chance to become a future element to my recipes, makes it worth my while to give them the best start!

~ Before the seed there comes the thought of bloom ~ E. B. White


I've found that starting seeds on the window sill and then planting them after they get strong , works best for me. I've tried them from a "ground start" and I don't have very much luck that way :) Putting them in egg shells and setting them in a carton with a plate or plastic under it, really gives them a great start! They really bring me so much joy when I see the little sprouts come through!! I can't wait!

Well, after a long and busy weekend, I couldn't end it without Thanking sweet Elyse for sending me a Surprise! You are a such a sweetie! I love this Cottage Barn style Bird House and you will soon see him outside on my deck too! After the "April Showers " month :) Thanks kiddo! I adore him!!

Speaking of April showers , The weekend was lovely and the weather ? a Dream! Today , Mother nature reminded me it was April :) but also reminded me, she is deeper and sometimes more beautiful when she's being fed and rained upon. I love my daffodils :)


Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you all have a wonderful , beautiful ,and sunny week ahead!

With love and hugs,

~ Cynthia ~