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:
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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. 










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


 





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.





 


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


Black Toile




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.



 



 
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?
 




 
 
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.
 



 
 
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:



 

Planning Our New Cottage and Cottage Style Magazine

It's been too many days since my last post; a writing commitment had me stuck with my nose in MS Word.  Now that the work is finished and submitted, I can get back to what I like most. . . spending time here with you.

Captain Dennis has been working on plans for our new cottage.  Prior to his retirement to pursue art full-time, he was a successful architect, so I know he'll do a smashing job with the design.  It's fun to collaborate with him. 


I've been Googling, pinning, collecting and printing inspiration like a mad woman.  Every time I mention something I'd like to have in our cottage to Captain, he answers, "Show me a photo."  I'm wondering if I might need to take out a loan for printer ink.

One thing I know for certain, there's more than enough inspiration via all the fabulous home and garden blogs I read.  Speaking of which, I was thrilled to see Jennifer Grey's home featured in the Spring/Summer issue of Cottage Style magazine.





If you haven't discovered Jennifer's blog The Old Painted Cottage, you're missing out.  She's a remarkable woman with dynamite taste.  I love her style, and always look forward to her Cottage of the Month feature.

I'll be sharing more about our new home in the days ahead.  I should tell you that it will be a true cottage in the sense that it will be small, and a single story.  Bigger than our last home of 640 sf. The plan's current version is about 860 sf. 

What are you working on this week?

Joyfully yours,

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.
French Pair of Hoop Arm Chairs
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.
 

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