A beautiful cozy kitchen...love the rug

 

This kitchen before it was redone was not much of a show-stopper, but it has great bones.  The large paned windows over the sink and the cute back door that bring in all the natural light. 

The kitchen has such great colors.  I like to call them happy colors.

Beautiful Delray Beach, Florida

If you are looking for a cottage style vacation that is walking distance to the beach you should stay at the Hartman House Bed and Breakfast.

The historic home has been remodeled into the home you see below.   My favorite part of the home was the amazing landscaping, our own private hammock, the orange mousse, and the innkeepers;  Benita and Jordan.  She prepared for us chocolate french toast, fresh squeezed juice, pumpkin bread, spinach souffle......, everything was so delicious.  Jordan gave us a private tour of the city in his golf cart.  They gave us great restaurant recommendations.  We ate at Lemongrass, the Office, Spot Coffee, and Kilwin's (try these if you go).  All of these were walking distance from the B&B.  We also rented Beach Cruisers to ride around town and to the farmer's market.

Hartman House Bed and Breakfast

Hartman House pool and grounds

Outside dining area

My Favorite Home in Delray

  All of these homes were walking distance from the B&B.  I love the different styles and of course the array of tropical plants.

Homes near the beach

  Beach Style with Bright Colors

 I found many just my style stores.  Island Home in West Palm Beach is one of the many stores I fell in love with.

This home was vacant so my husband and I peeked in the windows to get a better look. (I know you have all peeked in a for sale home at least once.)  It was charming;  old pine floors, glass doorknobs, fireplace, french doors, and of course a pool surrounded by Chicago pavers.

To the right you see a banyan tree surrounded by ferns.  These trees are so amazing the branches will twist and turn and sometimes grow back into the ground.

I found brown craft paper at the dollar store and I decided I am now a wrapping paper snob.  The brown paper seems to unify the presents.  I found a yard of lace at Savers.  It was only 2.99, a very inexpensive ribbon that I can cut any width.  The other presents I used old sheet music and some tree clippings from the yard.

Christmas at our house

I love the smell of a fresh Christmas tree.  When I go to the Christmas Tree Lot I tell them I only have $35.  Then I am directed to the weakest Christmas tree they have available.  I give them a sad face and ask, "do you have any damaged trees?"  So every year I get a damaged tree.  I manipulate some branches and put the least attractive angle against the wall.  I just can't pay $70 for something I am going to throw out in the street in a few weeks.  After I get my tree I ask for extra clippings that I use to decorate the porch and around the house.

This summer while we were on vacation I took a few pictures of some homes I really loved.  The beautiful wood door and the detail in the porch railing is my favorite part of the house.  This picture was taken in the summer, but couldn't you imagine how fun it would be to decorate this house for Christmas!  

Martha Stewart

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I 

wanted to share a few helpful Thanksgiving 

ideas. I love these placecards from Martha 

Stewart Living. I am going to use these for one

of my three tables.  If you would like to use 

these placecards just click on this link

thanksgiving clipart.

I have only roasted a handful of turkeys (don't 

tell my guests). The last recipe that I used was 

from Barefoot Contessa. Click here for the

recipe. 

My sister is looking for a new paint color for her family room.  

She has a dark leather couch and some light wood.  She 

also has a beautiful wool rug that has a bit of orange. 

 This photo above is from Martha Stewart Living.  The 

website did not mention the paint color, just that it was a 

grey brown.

  I also found this from dearlillie.blogspot.com.  This room 

has some dark and 

light with a touch of orange maybe taupe would look nice.

Thanksgiving courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids

Unfortunately, Halloween is over and I will need to take down all the decorations associated with the holiday.  I just received my Pottery Barn Kids catalog.  I thought this garland was so cute, but it is $49.  I think I will make my own version to replace the emptiness after the Halloween decor is gone.

Our family was able to visit some of our great friends this weekend. They had just purchased a 1960's split level.  I fell in love with their house.  One of the best features of this home, besides the floor plan, are the large picture windows.  The view from their kitchen is similiar to this picture of the mountains.
She asked me for some advice about what she could do with her home.  I have been looking online for her style which she said is more cottage.  So here it is modern cottage ideas for your new home! Courtney, I hope you like them and it gives you some inspiration.






Sara Richardson Design

Glass banister

Modern furniture mixed with cottage fabric

Straight lines with mirror and glass

Clean with cottage style backsplash

Modern fixtures cottage cabinet

Modern art and lamp with vintage pieces

Better Homes and Gardens

Modern light and chairs in a cottage style kitchen

Warm floors and white paint are cottage the filing cabinet is modern

Everything in this room looks cottage except the addition of the coffee table.

A set of  tables give this room its modern feel.  The plantation shutters still look modern in this mix of furniture.

Halloween

Simple white pumpkins from the grocery store are my favorite fall decoration and I don't even have to store them.  These oversized paper pom poms are from a wedding.  I was helping decorate a backyard for a Saturday wedding.  The budget for the decorations was $0.  The colors she chose were black and white.  I thought newspaper is black and white and free we could make Martha Stewart pom poms.  I asked if I could have them back after the wedding hoping to find a use for them for Halloween.  I hung them in my kitchen and linked them together with paper chains.  The cost of this project was less than $2.  Here is the link to the pom poms.

The new closet is complete!  I was able to throw out those awful closet doors. The backpacks and coats are getting putting away (most of the time).  The colors are a little crazy.  It reminds me of my Mom's kitchen from the 70's.  She had her appliances in the green color of the bench and an orange and brown wallpaper.  Complete with orange curtains with pom pom fringe.  Everything always comes back in style.  The paint was selected from HGTV's new line at sherwin williams.

Mudroom Inspiration

Martha Stewart Living always has the best ideas.  I love the look of this beachy mudroom.  Our house is filled with closet doors that glide back and forth.  They are awful, never install these doors in your home.  They break all the time and they are terrible for kids.  In our kitchen we have a closet that holds the trash can, vacuum, mop, broom, coats, mittens and backpacks.  After finding this photo, I have taken off the doors to the closet.  Relocated some of the cleaning items and added a bench and 5 hooks.  I am just waiting for my numbers to be printed and I will post the new closet space.  In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful image.

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Living