My Favorite Christmas Memory

Merry Christmas, Cottage Friends!

Can you believe there are only 8 more days until Christmas Day? Whoa! How did that happen?

I'm delighted to share that Cheryl at Homespun Devotions invited me to participate in her blog series "Your Favorite Christmas Memories."



If you're familiar with Homespun Devotions, then you know what a sweetheart Cheryl is. She truly is a woman who lives out her faith with grace and love. 

If you'd like to read my story,  here's the link: "A Rocky Mountain Christmas." 

You'll also discover wonderful Christmas stories from other writers when you visit Homespun Devotions, including Cheryl's "Christmas from the Dumpster." It's a beautiful memory from her childhood.

Once again, I'm keeping Christmas decorating simple in our home. A little faux tree sits on our side table.




My homemade Christmas pillows nestle on the loveseat, and my first stab at quilting -- a little sampler from 2014 -- peeks out of the side table shelf.



And then there's our annual Christmas tradition a red poinsettia . It sits on the dining table on top of the Swedish weaving tablecloth I blogged about here



The poinsettia really deserves to be in a pretty basket, but yours truly just hasn't had time to tend to that. We're super busy at Pier 1 right now and the last thing I want to do when I have a free day is go shopping. This homebody just wants to relax at home (between laundry and housecleaning). 

I hope you're enjoying some downtime during this busy season. For Dennis and myself it comes down to keeping our focus on Jesus, whose birth we celebrate.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'
"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Rejoice!

Nancy



Give Thanks


"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,
For His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever;"
Psalm 136:1-3


Prayer: "In Everything, Give Thanks" 

Poet Unknown

For all that God in mercy sends -
For health and children, home and friends;
For comfort in the time of need,
For every kindly word and deed,
For happy talks and holy thoughts;
For guidance in our daily walk -
In everything give thanks!

For beauty in this world of ours,
For verdant grass and lovely flowers,
For song of birds, for horn of bees,
For the refreshing summer breeze,
For hill and plain, for streams and wood,
For the great ocean's mighty flood -
In everything give thanks!

For the sweet sleep which comes with night,
For the returning morning's light,
For the bright sun that shines on high,
For the stars glittering in the sky -
For these and everything we see,
O Lord our hearts we lift to thee;
In everything give thanks!


God bless you, my friends!

Nancy

Living Room Reveal

Happy Monday, Cottage Friends.

It's a peaceful fall day here in Texas. I was surprised to open the bedroom window this morning and feel a chill. It's 62 as a I write this, with an expected high of 78 degrees today. 

Lovely.

Since we last met I've been working on furnishing our living room. Between my work schedule and personal obligations, it's been slow going. I'm far enough along now, though, to give you a glimpse of my progress. 



All of the upholstered seating is from Pier 1; as is the area rug, the farmhouse console table that holds the TV, and the lamp and pillows. 



I'm so thankful to God for my Pier 1 job. With the great sales or my employee discount I've been able to put together a beautiful room. Of course, having an accomplished artist for a husband doesn't hurt either. His stunning artwork brings life to our home.



On my list of items needed to complete the living room is a lamp for the table between the two chairs, as well as more decorative accessories.



They're the icing on the cake and the piece of decorating that truly personalizes a room and makes it "yours".

Near the living room window, which is quite large, I've created what I call a "garden room". We've owned the wicker chairs for awhile. The bench is a new addition from Pier 1.



Since the front door opens up into this room, I wanted to create a separation so that guests don't walk right into the living room. I've always had a thing about that. I don't like it. Not sure why, but I just don't. So, I decided to create two "rooms".


Now when guests enter our home the first thing they see is this cozy, casual sitting area. It's a space where Dennis and I can sit, drink coffee, and enjoy the sunshine from the window. I've begun growing plants here and will continue to add more as time goes on. 

I'm not doing much in the way of fall decorating. Right now I need to budget my money for necessities, and get the basics. Seasonal decorating will come later when I have more disposable income. :)

I love my Pier 1 job, and have taken on more responsibility as a Sales Leader. Dennis is busy painting and connecting with other artists, so my job gives me the opportunity to get out of the house and meet people. I like that.

Hope you're enjoying the fall season. Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,

Nancy



Castles, Crowns and Cottages

I can't recall how or when I first discovered Anita Pelayo Rivera's blog Castles, Crowns and Cottages. Only that I've been following her now for several years -- perhaps more than that -- and have been immeasurably blessed by her person and her incredible talent that spans so many areas. She is a French teacher by profession, a harpist, a dancer, a poet and a photographer. This is the short list. There are so many more gifts that this beautiful soul possesses. 

anita pelayo rivera les dames d'abord

Anita posts frequently on Instragram at les_dames_dabord, however there are times when she graces the world with a blog post, and it's in those special moments where she combines her stunning photography with her poetry, and often a musical piece, that my heart rejoices. In a harsh and crude world where serenity and pure romance are in short supply, Anita gives us a lovely sanctuary that renews our weary spirits. I am grateful that Anita is in the world, and that I have the honor of calling this amazing woman my friend.

I hope you'll visit her gorgeous blog. You will not be disappointed. Here's the link. And here's the link to her Instagram page, too.

Hugs,

Nancy

Buy a Chair, Get a Job

If you've been following this latest chapter in our Texas journey, you know that I'm in the process of furnishing our new-to-us apartment. 

The first thing on my must-have list was  a dining table, which I blogged about here.

Next on the list was living room furniture. I had a vague idea of what I wanted. It needed to be comfortable, have a vintage look, fit my love of cottage style, and have a reasonable price tag. I looked at several local furniture stores, with no luck. Then I remembered I had seen a chair I liked at Pier 1 in Kerrville about six months ago. I thought I might find it, or something like it, at our local Pier 1. 

Dennis and I went to Pier 1 and within a few minutes of walking in the door I found the chair I wanted. On sale, with an additional special markdown for that particular store. Well, okay, then!



I love the details on this chair. Overstuffed and tufted, with nailhead trim and turned legs. It's described as blue-striped on the seat and arms, however the blue is more of a seafoam green. The back and seamed side panels are a gray blue.



Never mind the blue painter's tape on the floor. That's where the matching ottoman will go. (More about that later.) Dennis and I have measured out and taped the furniture placement in the living room to make sure everything fits.





Now here's where things get really interesting. While the sales associate was taking care of everything, I chatted with the assistant manager. One thing led to another and I asked her if they ever hire. She said they actually were in the process of hiring, and she suggested I go online and fill-out an application. I did, they interviewed me and I got the job. So for the past month I've been working part-time, and that's kept me pretty busy and slow to post here at A Joyful Cottage. 

One of the perks of working for Pier 1 is that I get a nice employee discount, which is really helping with the expense of furnishing our home. I ordered the matching ottoman and loveseat, and they should arrive this week. I also ordered a gray velvet wing chair for Dennis, which I think will be a nice addition to the pinstriped pieces. 

I've been working on the bedroom, too, and hope to soon be far enough along to show it to you. 

I'm really enjoying my new job. I mean, really, working in a home decor shop is a dream come true for me. Helping other people choose items for their home doesn't even feel like work. 

"And my God will supply every need of yours
 according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." 
Philippians 4:19


Hugs,

Nancy



Bathroom Storage Reveal

Welcome Cottage Friends,

We've been in our new to us home for just over a month now and every day I thank God for bringing us here. Although it's a rental, I feel like it's home. I am content.


Thanks so much to all of you who left sweet, encouraging comments on my last two posts. I'm so blessed to have you in my life. You are my friends -- many of you have been with me even before I began blogging at A Joyful Cottage, way back in the days when I had my first blog Joyful Altitude. I still marvel at the fact that you've stuck with me through all the changes in my life. God bless you all.


Okay, at the end of my last post I promised to share with you Project #2 at A Joyful Cottage -- the makeover of this piece.



Before

First, a little background. 


We have a very nice bathroom with double sinks and mirrors, two drawers in the vanity, and a large medicine cabinet over the commode. 



Realtor Photo

I've never had a bathroom with two sinks and wondered how we would utilize them. As I started to organize our bathroom I began to see the wisdom in this set-up. If I gave Dennis the medicine cabinet for his stuff (and believe me he has a lot of stuff), he could use the sink on the right side and have good access to everything he needed (plus, he's tall and the cabinet is mounted a bit high for my 5'5" frame). That left two drawers that I could use for my things. Hmmm, but I wanted to use the other sink on the left, and the drawers would not be handy.


But wait!


There's that open space under the vanity to the left of my sink. . .





It was meant to be used for a vanity stool, however it's in an awkward space right next to the bathroom door and, besides, although I think true vanity tables are terribly romantic, this set up doesn't match that vision. 


But what if I converted this space into usable storage? Could I find a little chest of drawers, or something else, to fit in that small space? There are space restrictions because of the way the bathroom was remodeled to accommodate the undermount sinks (which I love, by the way). So, I needed something no bigger than 20"Wx28"H. The depth was not a problem.


Was it possible I could bag something that would fit? I love a challenge, I'm patient, and I have an active imagination. The game was afoot!


One day while browsing through a resale shop in town I spied the black shelf unit in the corner of a dealer's booth. I got out my measuring tape and was delighted to find it was 

19.5"Wx28"H. It was being used as a display piece for milk glass. No price. I spoke to the woman in charge and she called the dealer and asked if she would sell it. "Yes, for $20," well within my $40 budget. So, I paid the nice lady and Dennis loaded the shelf into our car. All the way home  I imagined it painted white with baskets to hold my toiletries and other personal items. Similar to this. . .


Source





















I already had paint left-over from the dining table project, so no money spent there. The baskets took more time to find than the shelf unit did. They had too look good, be big enough to hold my stuff yet small enough to fit on the petite shelves, and to stay under budget they needed a price tag of no more than $10 each. I first found some light gray baskets at Lowes at my price point that I thought would work, but when I added them to the shelf I thought "Nah". They just didn't do it.


Then I found two white Broyhill baskets at TJ Maxx for $12.99 each and I knew they would be perfect. Since I didn't have to buy paint and the baskets were so right for my vision, I was happy to go over my budget by a few dollars.


And here is my bath storage reveal. 



After

I'm so happy with the way my bathroom storage unit turned out. It looks good, holds everything I need, and at $46 total it was way less expensive than any ready made piece I found. There's a space between the right side of the shelves and the cabinet that I'd like to fill with something. I'm still mulling over ideas.


Oh, and on a side note, there's a large empty space in the back of the storage unit that I'm using to store travel totes. If I need to get to them I can just take out the bottom basket, reach in and pull out the totes. (As nature abhors a vacuum, so does this space-maximizing girl.)


Are you wondering how I'm using the two remaining drawers in the bathroom? Well, it just so happens the bottom drawer perfectly holds 12 rolls of our favorite toilet tissue, and the drawer above it is available for overflow items that we both use. 

I just love it when an ideas takes wings and flies.


Happy Independence Day to all my American friends.


Joyful hugs,

Nancy 
















Dining Table and Chairs - Check!

Hi Cottage Friends,

Thanks for joining me today. 

There's no end to the many decor projects I have on my list in this, our latest home. When we left Oregon for Texas we sold everything except some clothing, Dennis's artwork and supplies, and personal things individual to each of us. It was a great decluttering project, however now comes the challenge of creating a comfortable, welcoming cottage on a budget. (So many ideas. . .so little money.) 

As I mentioned in my last post, we brought a few things from the apartment we had rented the past year, including these two Duxbury dining arm chairs we discovered in a resale shop. Great lines and very comfortable. They had just been painted white before we bought them.





We used them with a table that we didn't really like all that much, so when we began preparations to move we gave the table away, figuring we'd find another table to replace it. One that we'd like much better. 

And so the hunt was on for a 48" round table, which I felt would work perfectly in our small dining area. Of course it had to be cottage style, and reasonably priced (translation: "pretty cheap"). There are plenty of resale, vintage and antique stores around us, so I was pretty sure we'd find something in a short amount of time. Turns out my hunch was correct.

In the back of an antique/vintage/used furniture store we found a rather odd dining set. The four chairs were way too big for the table, and everything was painted a dull brownish, tannish color that did nothing for the set. The table held promise though, so we talked to the person on duty and asked him to find out if we could buy just the table. He called us later that day and said the woman who was selling the set said she'd sell us the table for $75. We said "okay" and the deal was done. We were able to take the table apart and fit it into our Subaru Forrester, which saved us a delivery charge. So far, so good.

After we got the table home I set to work on a makeover. 

Of course you know I was already into the project before I remembered to take a before photo. I did manage to get these two before I went too far.

See what I mean about the colors? These photos are not touched up. The top really did look exactly like that before I started sanding. 




I think the woman who did this was going for a contrast look with an attempt to antique the tannish top with the darker brownish paint used on the base to somehow tie it in. Or maybe not. I really have no idea what she was thinking.




I had sanded about a quarter of the table top with my palm sander before I discovered that the top is laminate with a wood trim. Huh? No!




Ugh. Double ugh. 

Everything was solid wood except for the top. My plan to stain the top dark walnut (and paint the base white) was now shattered. 

Note: This is the risk every DIY'er takes when making a bargain purchase, and it's a lesson learned. Always ask what's under the paint. "Is that laminate, or is it wood?" Because, honestly you can't always tell. In this case the underside of the top was wood and so I made an assumption (and you know what they say about the word "assume") it was all wood.

Fortunately, I'm not easily deterred. 

Enter Plan B. . .I'll just paint the whole table white. 

It took some effort to get the top smoothed out (cuz, no, I was not going to sand all those layers of paint to get down to the bare laminate), but eventually I finished the top, and sanded the base enough to smooth it out (because, really, the paint job was horrible). Also, fortunately, my preferred paint type is chalk paint and laminate receives chalk paint very well. 

So, yes, my bargain purchase turned out to be a real pain in the neck. But! It was worth it. Because look how it turned out.



Isn't it pretty? And, honestly, I'm glad I was forced to paint the top white instead of staining it. The all white looks so good with the gray walls.

Normally, I like to do a bit of distressing on my painted pieces, but this time I decided to forego it and let the table distress naturally with use. The chairs are already showing some wear around the edges of the arm and seat, and I like the way they look. 

So the dining room is coming along. It just needs some accessories. 

With Project #1 out of the way I was on to #2. Next time we meet I'll share my makeover of this piece. (Hint: baskets are involved.)




Joyful hugs,

Nancy




A Place to Call Home



Three weeks ago I imagined a much different home than the one we're in today. I thought I would be blogging about a little cottage we were planning to close on May 30. 

The Little Cottage that Wasn't

But that didn't materialize. The appraisal came in $32,000 under the contract price, and after much consideration Dennis and I decided to pull out of the deal. That left us with ten days to find a place to live, as we had to be out of our apartment by the end of the month.

Immediately we set to work to find another place to lease. Whether it would be a temporary or long term resolution to our housing need didn't seem to matter. We just knew we had to do something. And so we sought God's wisdom and set our feet in motion. I won't go into all the details of this move, only to say that God provided a home for us that fits our needs nicely, and we were able to move in June 1, right on schedule. 

Here are the realtor photos of our new nest: a two bedroom, one bath duplex with an attached two-car garage.


The home was upgraded two years ago. It's on a quiet cul-de-sac just outside the city (four hours from our previous residence).

The walls look dark in some of these photos, but they're really a light gray throughout the home. All the woodwork has been painted white. The tile is white, too. Living room and hallway are planked laminate, which I'm finding is really easy to care for.



Overall, I'm happy with the decor. I wouldn't have chosen the lighting the landlord chose, but that doesn't keep me from liking everything else, and honestly I don't spend my time fixated on the lights (or the popcorn ceiling, 'nuf said). There's so much more I do like, such as the kitchen.


Though the ceiling fans aren't stylish, I'm grateful they're there. I have discovered in a warm climate it's essential to have them.



I love this bathroom. The kitchen and bathroom were huge "selling" points for me.



Behind these double doors is the laundry center. We've already ordered a new washer and dryer, and they'll be delivered on Tuesday. After a year of lugging laundry baskets up and down a flight of stairs every week and traveling to and from a laundromat, I'm thrilled and thankful to once again have laundry appliances in our home. 



We'll be using the master bedroom as an office/study for Dennis, as it's right off a tiled room that will be his studio.



The studio has access to the garage, and to the side yard, which is private.


We have a bed, a few chairs, a small table, a floor lamp, and Dennis's office furniture. It didn't take me long to set up the kitchen because, frankly, I didn't have much to unpack. We sold everything when we left Oregon and I bought just a few things to get us by for the past year. It's pretty amazing how much one can do without. I really don't need all those gadgets to cook a good meal. (Someday I may write a post about that.) We've already begun the hunt for new furnishings, and have found some real bargains. 

So, although things haven't worked out the way we had planned, and my joyful cottage is now a duplex, God is still on His throne, He still loves us, and I have to believe that everything we've been through is for our good and for His glory. 


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding, 
in all your ways submit to Him,
    and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6

Joyful hugs,

Nancy