Bird Nest Cottage

Welcome to Bird Nest Cottage.  We bought this house new in South Carolina 18 years ago in October.  We didn't have any grass or trees.  Just a barren lot out in a small country development.  We definitely had our problems with the SC red clay.  My husband thought they should give new residents of SC a pick and a chain when the buy their first property.  The pick is to dig a hole for the mailbox and the chain is to pull out all the plants you put too close together and then have to yank out.  It's taken lots of time and lots of hard physical labor but we've got a little haven on a hill now. 

Next year the house will take on a whole new look.  We're planning to tear off the vinyl and install Hardi plank (cement board siding) in...........are you ready...........RED.  I can't wait!  What do you think?   

We don't use our front porch much in the summer.  It's a great place to have a cup of tea in the morning but when the temperature goes to 95 degrees, we're on the screened porch in the back of the house, inside or in the pool.

I'll take you on a tour of the backyard soon.  It's our bird sanctuary.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

Old Country Hutch?

This hutch is about 22 years old and it was a Christmas gift my husband made for me before we were married.  Originally it was stained, but about two years ago, I decided to paint it black.  The plans were ordered from an old "Country Living" magazine back in the 70's.      

It houses bowls from my paternal grandmother's china, a teapot that was my mother's, my cup and saucer collection from elementary school, my maternal grandparents clock, my Spode turneen, along with other treasures.

It also has my teapot lamp from Hobby Lobby.  Yes, I'm strictly a tea drinker.  No yucky coffee for me.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

New Drapes

Well, I finally have drapes in my living room and I love them.  Granted they weren't the cheapest (Ballards), but I had a 10% off coupon, only one window to buy for and they are lined.  I had been pricing fabric and there is no way I could have made them for what they cost.  The fabric matches the paint exactly, too.  It has literally taken me months to decide on these.  What do you think?      

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

Chloe

There's nothing like a pretty pink dress, bare feet and some chips and salsa to make a girl feel great on a warm summer day.

Thanks for reading,

Gretchen

 

My love of decorating...

I was crazy about moving furniture around, even when I was very young.  One of my brothers was two years younger than me and one three years younger.  I could usually talk them into anything.  Once, when they were about 6 & 7, I dressed them up in my clothes (including dresses, hats, gloves and purses) and set up a tea party in the back yard.  My mother even took pictures.

I grew up in a big farmhouse with 6 bedrooms.  We each had our own bedrooms.  I thought nothing of moving one of my brothers furniture to another bedroom if I got the urge to rearrange things.  Sometimes they would leave for the evening from one room and come home to all their furniture and clothes moved into another room.  They never complained.  I probably moved them dozens of times over those years.   No wonder the were such great guys.    One of them passed away of melanoma a couple of years ago and the other one is just as sweet today as he was then.

Now, I still love to rearrange rooms of furniture.  My husband doesn't care as long as I don't move our bed.  He does hate all the nail holes I put in the walls, but I usually try to fill them with toothpaste to try to hide them.

Was anyone else moving furniture around like I did?