Island bliss

Loving these prints for Little Guy's room (since he continues to be Hawaii-obsessed -- can't fault him there). They have a distinct vintage flair and perfectly capture the slow-paced, worry-free bliss of a true Maui vacation.

From Etsy shops LupenGrainne and LifeInFrame

Oh buoy

I happened across these the other night. Smitten.

Instant Love: Ticking Blanket

Our trusty white denim duvet cover purchased YEARS ago from Eddie Bauer Home (remember when EB had a home store?) is just not going to make it much longer. It keeps tearing along the top, even after a last-ditch repair attempt. Sadly I haven't been able to find anything I like as much (it's quite heavy which means it doesn't need ironing and looks pretty good with very little maintenance - just how we like things!) but today this fabulous ticking blanket made in Maine got my heart racing. It suddenly occurred to me that I could easily get an inexpensive white cotton duvet cover (two, even, for ease of rotation) and then dress most of the bed with this most perfect blanket. Apparently it gets better and better with washing and wear. These days we are all about low-maintenance, hard-wearing, and beautiful, so it seems this would fit the bill!

Island house

This summer rec home on an island in the Netherlands is breathtaking isn't it? The saturated brown/black exterior with the crisp white and all that glass ... I find it mesmerizing. Such a dreamy setting, too.

It was constructed in 2011 and the shower, kitchen, etc. are built-in/concealed quite efficiently within the tall cabinetry. A whole section of the exterior opens up to enjoy the lake and views in summer.

Stunning.

(via 2by4 architects)

Dear Santa...

Can't resist sharing a few items on my list this year, starting with these chairs for the little guy. If you're gonna have a little kid's table and chair set in your great room, it deserves to be stylish, does it not? I super love these. They totally stack together, too. Hoping one of these days I'll come upon a vintage pair for a song since they aren't currently sold in the US.

Also this stonewashed linen shower curtain. Beautiful, simple, modern. Huge bonus: comes in Extra Long! The Fog color is perfect.

Modern 3-tier stand. I love the idea of mixing this playful piece with more classic and rustic serving pieces. Alas it's out of stock till next year. That makes it tough on Santa.

House numbers. Oh, yes, the search is still going...I have a very specific vision and really don't want to settle. These ones are great (and a steal!) but this company doesn't ship to the US. Hmmm it seems my list is not easy!

Oh, Brook Farm General Store. It's always something with you...like these stripey baskets. How do you know??

Can't wait to show you what Santa's going to bring the little guy this year (I mean, I have an idea that is....we'll see if he delivers :)

Holiday project #1: Fun with Paperwhites

So we're hoping to tackle a handful of decorating projects this Christmas. So far, so good with the first two (yes, we've tackled TWO so far!)  I've always loved paperwhites and with a little research discovered they're quite simple to "grow" indoors. We purchased a few bulbs from our local nursery and set them up in individual canning jars with some rocks we collected from the beach just down the hill from our house. Ideally you stick a bunch of bulbs together in the same container so they grow in a nice, full, bunch. However I had this notion of setting them up in the jars, and there isn't much room. We'll see how we do. It's an experiment. I just adore the jar trio though. We got them all assembled mid-month, so they should be blooming around the middle of December. Can you believe we were that organized? :)

Modern Cottage birthday

Over the Labor Day weekend, the little guy turned one so we threw him a bash in the front yard. Fortunately lots of his friends were in town for the holiday so it was a great crowd up on the porch and spilling into the lawn. We kept things simple and pretty with the only real 'theme' being about those relaxing final days of summer...

The food was simple: Fresh squeezed lemonade, delicious turkey sandwiches made by a local shop,  fruit skewers, peanut butter sandwiches (no crusts, of course), and a quinoa salad with tomato and cucumber. Oh, and for dessert: cupcakes!

And we couldn't resist these when we noticed them in the beer aisle... the light blue label was perfect. Good thing they tasted good, too.

Party favors included adorable handmade paper pinwheels found on Etsy, balloons tied with cotton cording, and white beach balls. We figured the little ones would need something to entertain themselves during the party, and thought the beach balls would fit the venue perfectly. It was hilarious to watch the kiddos walk up the front steps, immediately catch sight of the balls scattered across the lawn, and make a beeline toward them to begin gleefully kicking them around the yard.

All in all it was a fantastic party and the little man had a blast!

(Lovely photography by Kristine)

Modern Cottage picnic

It's been ages since we went on a picnic, but this past Mother's Day, we did just that! It was a gorgeous sunny day and so nice to just relax on a blanket by the lake with some yummy snacks.

It got me wanting to have more picnic afternoons, and these items would be so perfect...

From top: Martha Stewart melamine dishware, waterproof blanket from Etsy, cooler and flatware from Crate and Barrel, and a tasty-looking turkey caprese sandwich recipe also from Martha. Now I just need to hunt down a great beach umbrella!

A little re-do

Awhile back, we plucked a footed silver bowl with a gorgeous blue-green interior from our favorite antiques gallery. It served us well and was right at home in our last house, which was a bit more formal than our current house. It's been living on our salvaged steel coffee table atop an oversized white tray (you can see just a bit of it here) since we moved in. As of late, I swear this bowl seems to tarnish overnight, and I want clean, shiny silver...who has time to polish silver? It also started to feel too delicate and, well, formal. I don't know why it only just occurred to me to re-style the tray - but I suddenly wanted to do something more relaxed and a little bit farmhouse. Rocks instantly popped into my mind...smooth, grey, tonal rocks. So, we as a family stepped out into our yard yesterday afternoon (it was such a beautiful day!) and hand-picked some rocks out of our landscaping. The husband even sweetly washed them off for me outside and set them to dry on the front patio. Then he brought them in and I happily loaded them into a little corrugated galvi tub. I am so pleased with the clean, simple, casual look which feels both beachy and farmhouse. What could be better?

Stripey tray love...

I've been so good this post-holiday about refraining from shopping online sales (I always love a great bargain in those clearance sections of my favorite websites after Christmas :) ... however I let down my guard for just a second (almost literally - in between baby and work duties!) to see what was new at West Elm and came across this pretty and fresh striped tray. One of my good friends (who happens to be a longtime professional stylist) used something similar in a photo shoot once as a desk accessory and I thought it was so beautiful and unexpected... so when I saw this it spoke to me. Well-suited for the bath of course, as they intend, but I think it could be beautiful almost anywhere you need something to act as art or to corral smaller objects. And, it is on sale. Need I say more?  Looking forward to your arrival, pretty striped tray!

Instant summer

I find this photograph at once energizing and peaceful...and maybe even a tiny bit nostalgic (like I just have this feeling there's a tire swing nearby :) It makes me long for summer! The beauty in this vibrantly-hued old boat and the way the sun looks spotty and faceted in the trees in the background.... love it.

(Available from cleverthursday on Etsy).

Weathered wood

Weathered wood is one of the great components of Modern Cottage design - ideally weathered to a soft silvery grey or even a greyish brown, it adds warmth and texture as well as a rustic flavor which really honors the cottage aesthetic and casual/comfortable style that goes along with it. Weathered wood furniture and accents pieces can often be found inexpensively at antique shops. Sometimes it is an unusual piece and half the fun is cooking up a creative way to repurpose it for modern living! The key to incorporating this material into a Modern Cottage space is to go for pieces that are clean-lined and very simple in their shape and construction. Above, a versatile bench-slash-coffee table and and an old bulb crate we used as wall art. Below, a pair of rickety old folding chairs (major score by the husband more than ten years ago); a bin to catch desktop items; our fabulous driftwood sphere.

 

P.S. the wooden bin was a score from the holiday clearance section of World Market a few years ago - though we had to look past the terrible sparkly pinecones and plastic greenery that were stapled to the front. Once we determined they would be easy to remove with the help of some pliers, we took it home (and promptly back to it's pure and simple state :)

Ready to recharge

Feeling a bit short on sleep this week. Wondering if we could magically transport ourselves to Santorini Greece...just long enough for a snooze in those smooth white sheets with the ocean air coming in. And maybe a lounge in the sun. And a delicious breakfast in that breezy dining room with perfectly-hued blue trim. Looks beyond blissful, doesn't it?

(images via Mr & Mrs Smith)

Etsy addiction

I can't seem to keep away from Etsy. There's just too much great stuff! It used to be that we'd happily venture out to a huge local arts and crafts fair held over three days each summer, and on the occasion we missed it because we were out of town, I'd feel a twinge of disappointment. but with Etsy, the "fair" goes year round, 24 hours a day! Plus I can search through all the various types of wares with the click of a mouse which is so much more efficient than walking for miles past booth after booth. I'll still go to the local fair, but until then, I just can't resist checking out fabulous one of a kind creations anytime the mood strikes.

At the moment, I'm really enamoured with this photography by Irene Suchocki. Her prints have a hint of whimsy and magic built into them which make them almost mesmerizing.

These pillows made from old trench coats are hilarious. And actually quite masculine/utilitarian for a pillow, which makes them totally unique and unexpected.

I am also in love with this teeny tiny woolly penguin. Sweetest! This one is my fave but sadly it sold mere seconds after I discovered it (Although, what would I do with a teeny tiny woolly penguin?). Still, it's remained safely in my 'Favorites' ever since. Not to worry, there are lots of other little friends in this shop who are also very sweet. (The mafia penguin family for one makes me smile).