My $2 Rustic Stool and French Script Bottle

Happy Monday Cottage Friends!

I've got some fun things to show you today. 

Captain and I went to our first garage sale of the season on Friday, where I found this very rustic stool for $2.

If rustic and primitive is not your thing, I understand.  It's not for everyone.  But I get excited when I find something like this. 

I love the fact that someone made it out of whatever they had on hand.  And that it has authentic aged patina, and gnarly edges around the top.

I love that when I asked the man who sold it to me where he found it, he looked at me in an odd way and said, "Oh, it was just sittin' around in my shop."  Honestly, I think he thought I was a cup and saucer short of a full place setting for wanting his old beat up stool.

I bought these two old books for $3 each.   (If you know me at all, you know I have a thing for antique and vintage books.)  They were both published in the mid 1800's.  The top one is in Spanish.

The stool told me it needed French accents too, so I placed my little French inspired pitcher with flowers next to the books.  And I was pleased.

Saturday I attended the monthly Ladies Craft Day at our church.  I had asked one of my friends to show me how to decoupage a bottle like the one she had given me last month.  (I know it's ridiculous that I've never done decoupage before, but it's just not something I was terribly interested in doing until now.)

I had it in mind to do something in a French script.  Pinterest turned out to be a good source for free printable French script.

And this is what I made.

 

The script print out I used had a colored background that gave it an aged appearance.  Mod Podge caused colors to bleed, which actually created a pastel patina I really like.  So, in this case an accident is a good thing.

 

To give my French bottle more character, I glued skinny twine around the top.

 

 

This glass Eiffel Tower was a gift from Robin, the friend who taught me to decoupage.  She presented it to me after church on Sunday.  Isn't she sweet?

 

 

And this is how everything looks together on my stool.  The little vintage hand embroidered doily was a recent 50 cent thrift store find.

 

My word for 2014 is "create", and I feel like I hit the mark with this endeavor.  

 

What do you think?

 



 

I'm sharing at these lovely parties:

Inspired Sunday at Sunday View

Link It Or Lump It

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Share Your Cup at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Inspire Me Wednesday at MamaBuzz
Wake Up Wednesday at Sew Crafty Angel
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
What we Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow Pond

Homemaking Party at Hope In Every Season

We Call It Olde Linkup at We Call it Junkin

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life
The Scoop at Stone Gable
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Shabbilicious Friday at Shabby Art Boutique
Link Party at Redoux
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Craft Frenzy Friday at Craft Dictator
Be Inspired at Common Ground

Girl Meets toile de Jouy- 16 Master Bedrooms Featuring Toile

Hello Cottage Friends,

My calendar says spring has arrived. 

Although it still feels more like winter than spring here, I'm enjoying the longer days and hints of green I see.

Gathering ideas for our new cottage is enjoyable, too.  I like toile, and hope to use it somewhere.  Perhaps in the master bedroom.

I hope you don't mind if I share some photos I found with you.  It's always fun to look, right?

Red Toile



Horchow: Sherry Kline Home Collection "French Country" Bed Linens and Houndstooth Quilt Sets

1.  Vibrant red and ivory French Country.  This appeals to my love of mixing patterns.

 

Horchow: French Laundry Home "Bird" Bed Linens

 2.  Subdued French Laundry.  Grain sack, ticking and toile.  Very pleasing. 












Brighton Red Toile

3. English Country.  Scalloped edges and ticking.  A nice light and airy look.


 

Traditional Bedroom by Washington Interior Designers & Decorators Sroka Design, Inc.

4.  Here toile takes a back seat to the bold red door and throw.  I think I'm more in love with that fireplace than anything else.

 

Mediterranean Bedroom by Scottsdale Architects & Designers Higgins Architects

5. French Country Estate.  The bench's buffalo check and toile definitely make a statement. 


Black Toile

Farmhouse Bedroom

6. Colonial Williamsburg.  Formal, structured -- a safe use of toile.  No surprises for anyone who's a true traditionalist.  I love that chair, by the way.

Ethan Allen Lisette

7.  Toile with a Celtic twist.  Now this is different -- in a good way.  Tailored and fun at the same time.  The pillows punch it up. 


Neutral Toile

Horchow:  Country House Bedding.  Sherry Kline Home Collection.

8.  Taupe and white always look right together. And, oh those gorgeous needlepoint pheasant pillows. 

Horchow:  Spa Toile Bed Linens

9.  Nearly neutral.  Just a touch of soft blue in this toile.  So serene.



 

Traditional Bedroom

 

10.  I'm not a big wallpaper fan, but I love the café au lait shams with the white. The headboard is fabulous.

 

Blue

 

 

Horchow:"Country Manor" Bedding. Sherry Kline Collection

 
11.  Classic blue and white.  Does it ever really go out of style?
 

 

Traditional Bedroom by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Anthony Baratta LLC

 

12.  If you can't get enough of blue and white toile, then this could be the bedroom of your dreams.  Just don't ask me to come and hang the wallpaper.

 

 

 

 

 

Traditional Bedroom by Portland Interior Designers & Decorators Kate Byer Interior Design

13.  Lovely toile in a room where I'd have breakfast in bed.  I'll always appreciate four poster beds, even if I never own one.  Love that bench.
 



 

Traditional Bedroom by Cypress General Contractors Stillwater Builders

 

14.  Blue and white and elegant all over. 

 

 

 

 

Horchow:  Legacy Home "Lutece Cypress" Linens

15.  Luxurious blue and yellow.  Once upon a time I had a guest room in these colors.  I loved it.

 

Green
 

 

House to Home Designs.  Brighton Green Toile - The Colonial Collection

16.  Like a pretty garden.  It makes me want to plant something.

My friend Kim @ Exquisitely Unremarkable blogged about adding pink to her green bedroom.  I love the combination.

 

 

This is by no means an exhaustive look at toile. Simply a few examples of interest.  Toile is popular now, and is available in contemporary patterns, as well as traditional.

Do you like toile?

Just a reminder that the Every Room In The House party is still going in The Master Bedroom.  Link up your master bedroom ideas, or show off your own master bedroom now through the end of March (not toile required).  And visit the master bedroom posts of others who have joined the party.

Inspire and be inspired.

 

I'm sharing at these wonderful parties:

 

Tweak It Tuesday

French Country Cottage

Every Room In The House

 

Mixing Vintage and Modern

Hello Cottage Friends!

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope those of you who have been under the weather are feeling better.

 

Well, I have some exciting news. . .

 

We are officially in escrow on a lot, and we're planning to build our own cottage. 

 

Can you believe it? 

 

I'm pretty stunned, actually.  As plans unfold (no pun intended), I'll share more details with you.

 

For now let's talk about decorating a home with old and new; mixing vintage and modern pieces.  And by "modern" I mean:

 

belonging to present day:

relating or belonging to the present period in history.

 

 

Here's an example of what I'm talking about.

 

 

 

 

This is a section of our living room.  It's where I like to relax after a hard day of blogging, reading blogs, linking up, pinning. . .(it's dirty work, but someone has to do it).  Okay, ignore the oh-so-attractive red flashlight on the chest in the background.  Captain thinks we need it there in case we ever lose power.  I should have taken this shot over without the red intruder, but I didn't.  There, I've said it. 

 

I've shown my chair before, but let's take a closer look.

 

 

It's a recent purchase, manufactured by Lane in a custom fabric.  I chose this particular chair because it's extremely comfortable, it reclines, it was moderately priced, and in this fabric it looks less contemporary and more "vintage".

 

The style is reminiscent of these French hoop arm chairs from the 1930's.

Source: 1stDibs

 

 

I paired it with this end table. . .

 







 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which was a yard sale find. It came home in an atrocious coat of black paint, with that sassy green knob.  Some day I'll share the whole story of how I gave the table new life in Pumpkin Stem green. 

 

But I regress.

 

So, the fabric has a hint of green.

 

 

And khaki, and a beautiful deep berry.

 

Which leads me to the table top, where all the fun happens as I pick up colors from the fabric.

 

 

 

The base on the lamp (a Target purchase) matches the red in the fabric, and the wood of the chair arms.  It has the vintage look I love, and the pretty shade is in the same color family as the vintage painted tray that holds all my pretties. . .

 

 

 

Modern cut glass vase and tea light holder have vintage appeal, and hold berry accents.

 

 

 

 

And my vintage books repeat the colors in the chair fabric.  The bookends are new.

 

That's how my vintage and modern pieces play nice together.

 

 

Did you mix styles at all?  Or do you pretty much stick to one period?

 

 

P.S.  Don't forget to link up your master bedroom posts at Every Room In The House if you haven't yet done so.  We're partying in the Master Bedroom all month long.  Can't wait to see what you share.

 

I'm Sharing At These wonderful parties:

 

Tweak It Tuesday

French Country Cottage

 

 

Every Room In The House Party - #3

Hello Cottage Friends,

 

Welcome to the March edition of

Every Room In The House 

The month-long blog party where we link up to a theme room of the month.
 

This party is intended to inspire all of us who love to feather our nests -- one room at a time.
 

And think about it. . .this is a place where you'll find inspiration categorized by room. 

 

How easy is that when you want to find ideas specific to a particular room in your home now, or in the future?

 

 

 

This month we're partying in

The Master Bedroom 

(Hmm, that doesn't sound too good, does it? LOL)

Before we get the party started,
I want to thank all of you who linked up last month.  Not quite as many as last month, but ERITH is still a new kid on the block and it takes time to get a party going, right?

Having said that, I did receive some really sweet comments and made some new cottage friends, and to me that's priceless. 
Thank you so much for your encouragement.
 

I'm excited to show you what was shared last month in

The Living Room

 

The top three viewed posts

Anne of Design Dreams by Anne
showed us how she transformed her dark living room into a light and inviting room in How I Made My Dark Living Room Bright .
I *heart* Anne's gallery wall.

 

Kim of Exquisitely Unremarkable shows us how to give store bought curtains a pretty custom look in Decorating Cheats ~ Embellishing Store Bought Curtains.
This is the kind of cheating I can get behind.
 

Penny at Penny's Vintage Home created a very pretty "fake wall" to solve the decorating dilemma in her romantic family room.  See how she did it at Ruffles and Lace Wall.  You'll be amazed.

Would you like more inspiration? 

I thought so.

Christine at Little Brags has distinctive taste.  See how she changed up her stylish family room  at  My Newest Crush - Furs and Cowhide.

Theresa at Little Putty Little Paint shows us her charming cottage/farmhouse style living room with Adding a Touch of Spring into My Home.

 

I'm drooling over Terry's French chair at Forever Decorating (don't you love her blog's name?).  She did a complete makeover with her It's All About the Details ~ Chair. She painted and reupholstered with incredible detail.  Check out this fabulous chair and note the French details on her fireplace mantel.  Très chic.

Speaking of mantels, two partiers made over their mantels, and I'm loving the results.

Marsha of From the Old Inkwell changed a very nice but fairly ordinary white builder's spec fireplace into a designer piece.  She shares it with us at Mantel Redo - Adding Character and Old Charm.

 

 

Blue and white is a favorite color combination of mine. Rhondi of Rose Colored Glasses created a one-of-a-kind mantelpiece with her broken blue and white china.   You've got to see this talented woman's work at

Mosaic Fireplace.

 

 

 

I never tire of seeing how others decorate the top of their mantel.  Mary Alice of Chateau Chic shared a most charming vignette with her February Mantel.  I'm seriously in love with this look.

Here's an idea that gets my seasonal change thoughts racing.  Judy of JBigg's Little Pieces made a winter slip cover for her ottoman.   See this accomplished seamstress' lovely creation at New Ottoman Cover in the Living Room.

Did I hear you say, "More furniture makeovers, please"?

 

I'm on it.

 

A French console  from Suzanne at The Painted Drawer.  She shares her fabulous makeover at Curvy Love.

 

 

 

 

Delia of Revived by Delia did her magic with this Beachy Sofa Table Redo.  Love the color.

 

Can you say "imagination"?  That's what Robin at Redo It Yourself Inspirations has plenty of, and she knows how to translate it into stunning reality.  Check out her thrift store tables redo tutorial at End Tables with Faux Leather Tops.

 

This next piece of furniture is exquisite. 

Julie of Love My Simple Home tells us that this chest was made in the Orient.  It is hand painted and hand carved, and was used in several different rooms before she moved it to her living room.

She shares more details at Pretty Painted Chest.

 

 

 

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to recognize a very sweet blogging friend, Jann Olson.  Jann makes her blogging home at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson.  I've been following Jann for awhile, I think she's one of the first home and garden blogs I discovered.  Not only does she have wonderful decorating, crafting and gardening skills -- to name just three -- she's a genuinely nice person.  Someone who lifts me up every time she visits.  She's kind and thoughtful, and I admire her so much.  Jann inspires me to be a better blogger, not to mention a better person.  She shared her oh-so-cottagey living room with us at Dreams Do Come True - Living Room Reveal.

 

 

 

A big, joyful "thank you" to all of you.  Everyone who participated in the party with links, and to all who dropped in to see what's happening and shared your thoughts. 
You all are the reasons I love to blog.

 

For more living room inspiration, please visit my recent post

35 Cottage Style Living Rooms That Inspire.

 

 

Now, if you were featured, please grab this button.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ajoyfulcottage.com" title="A Joyful Cottage"><img src="http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/ajoyfulcottage/Featured_zps2ef18a52.png" alt="A Joyful Cottage" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And let's start the March party.
 

Link up your Master Bedroom posts.  (Right now there's no limit.)
Room reveals, decorating, DIY,  furniture redos, thrift finds --
whatever relates to your Master Bedroom, we want to see it.

(I'm sorry, but if your post doesn't relate to The Master Bedroom, I will delete it.
That's only fair to others who follow the
guidelines don't you think?)

The party will be open all month.

Oh, and please, please remember to put a link in your post back to A Joyful Cottage.  Mucho necessary to be featured.

 

An InLinkz Link-up