Exciting News!

Now that she has officially launched her newest work, I can finally

share my exciting news with you.  I have the honor of being one of nine women

featured in this wonderful new book by best-selling author, Cindy Adkins!

If you've had the privilege of reading any of Cindy's previous works, or

if you're familiar with her blog, Whimsical Musings, you know Cindy's

writing style to be quite engaging and informative.

She is a sweet and multi-talented woman who eagerly

encourages all whom she comes in contact with—myself included.

I have no doubt, you will enjoy reading anything Cindy writes!

Want to see the lineup of bloggers in her new book...

Women: 

Blogging Can Give You Wings?

Sonia Crouse, Karen Valentine, Pat Winter, Debra Germain,

Nicole Germain-Perez, Soraya Julian, Debbie Manno, Sharon Hughes...

and yours truly   ; )

You may already be familiar with these wonderful women, if not,

I encourage you to stop by and say hello.

To preview Cindy's book on Amazon, just click the button in my sidebar.

Hugs to all!

Time Travel Thursday #81 & Talented Time Travelers #80

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 81st Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,

and most creative projects? Great!

First...

 travel back in time with me to last week, and take a peek at some of the wonderful

 things shared by a few of our talented time travelers.

How would you like breakfast served in bed?  Is there anyone

out there who wouldn't want to be pampered by such a pretty presentation?

Cindy @ Beaux R'eves not only styled this lovely vignette, she dolled

up a plain-jane tray especially for such occasions.

I always enjoy home tours, don't you?  This is an area of a home office 

and craft room shared at last week's party by Smallgood Hearth.

Besides being a bit partial to the image of my home state on her wall,

it was fun to see some of the other decorating elements in

this room—a croquet mallet wall hanger and a moose named Morty, to name a few.   ; )

If you've never reworked a painted piece of furniture

because you didn't know where to start, be sure to visit Hani @ Craftionary

for a step-by-step how-to presented by guest blogger Jen Lossing

@ The Consigner Designer.

Sometimes we have to just sit on a project for awhile until inspiration hits.

When Linda @ Random Creativity spotted this adorable image

she knew it was the key to her muffet's tuffet.

Want proof that paint can magically transform even the ugliest duckling

 in the pond?  Visit Deidre @ Simply Simplisticated

and become a believer!

OK, now go ahead and strut your stuff!

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO

THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.



Rainy Days and Mondays ALWAYS Get Me Down

Well...

that's not totally accurate.  It's more like, rainy days that seem to have no end

AND frigid winter temps that force me to stay inside 

make me...

Let's just say, winter and cold weather DO NOT agree with me at all.

But then, that's a little tidbit I shared with you...

 right from the start.

And I also happen to be someone who likes color—something greatly

lacking during these dismal winter days.

It's no accident that I still have a fall banner at the top of my blog.  It makes me

smile to see all those warm, sunny colors up there.

Alas, the trees have all shed their gorgeous autumnal apparel

and have left an ocean of brown, crackly leaves upon the forest floor.

The raindrops hang from their now-bare branches...

like glistening miniature ornaments.

It has been raining here for days, and, at times, the fog has settled so

densely upon the surrounding hills...

that they take on the appearance of an Impressionist painting—

though lacking the color 

The landscape that only a short while ago teemed with abundant plant life

now feels lifeless and dull.

Even the field grasses, which during fall were a delightful, golden hue,

have grown pale in this intense cold.

As I walked around the farm—in my wellies and layered

clothing—I was struck with just how quickly the color

has seemed to drain from my surroundings.

Another good reason to just stay indoors

and hibernate for a few more weeks, I thought...

until I caught a glimpse of this sight!

The daffodils are suddenly beginning to spring up beneath the trees—

their beautiful green leaves dotting the landscape with life...

AND color. 

 

That's one of the reasons that daffodils are my very favorite flower. 

At the point when the earth seems so gloomy and barren, these

little bursts of sunshine shoot up...

displaying their golden splendor.

In a few days, I'll be able to venture outside and pluck a handful

of these beauties to brighten up the inside of the cottage.

Hooray! 

Just what I need to cheer me up on a rainy Monday!   ; )

Time Travel Thursday #80 & Talented Time Travelers #79

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 80th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,

and most creative projects? Great!

Let's check out some of the creativity shared by

last week's talented time travelers first.

I love rust—well, if it's decorative rust we're talkin' about, of course!

With a lot of imagination and a little patience, John @ The Frugal Tree

was able to spring into action making this

rusty relic into a decorative delight.

Heidi @ the mindful nest shared a number of beautiful images

she's using for inspiration to create a relaxing retreat

 for her master suite.

And she has chosen the gorgeous colors

of her bridal bouquet as a decorative springboard.

Isn't this skirted ottoman/coffee table fabulous?!

It was just one of the many treasures that tickled my fancy

when I visited Betsy @ Betsy Speert's Blog.

You already know how much I love ironstone.  Needless to say,

I was quite excited with this pretty project shared

by Mitzi @ Mitzi's Miscellany.

I have an assortment of ironstone platters on hand, and I even

have some brass stencils.  And now, thanks to Mitzi,

I'll be adding typography to a few.

How do you remedy a cramped kitchen with too

little counter space...

with a magical makeover, of course!

Raquel @ Raquel English transformed an old dresser

 into a much needed island.

Way to go, Raquel—function AND good looks.  ; )

Now, are you talented travelers ready to impress us this week?

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO

THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Time Travel Thursday #79 & Talented Time Travelers #78

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 79th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,

and most creative projects? Great!

First, let's take a quick peek at some of the creative projects shared by

last week's talented time travelers.

I absolutely love seeing a beautiful bedroom come together,

don't you?  J @ Design OCD shared several top projects from 2011—

including some of the design elements from this gorgeous bedroom.

Now; are you ready to strut your stuff this week?   ; )

We're having a major storm—which usually means NO Internet.  So I'm posting the party link early, in case we loose service.  But I'll keep adding features as I can.

Meet the Competition

Last night, I revealed to you that The Yankee has a new love.

And I thought you might just be interested in a few

of the nitty-gritty details.

But...

in order to fully understand how this pair came to be,

you'll have to travel back in time with me—

to the beginning of this little tale.

Some time ago, darling daughter called to inform me that she had a very special 

surprise for me.  Knowing that I had wanted a Yorkshire Terrier

 since my high school days, she had eagerly accepted the offer to adopt the

six-year-old little ball of fur shown above...

just for me.

However, as it happened, the week that she made this commitment was the

very week I had committed to keep my then-two-year-old granddaughter—

her daughter—for five days.

Needless to say, a frightened little pooch being thrust into a strange environment,

coupled with the boundless energy of a rambunctious two-year-old,

is anything but an ideal situation.

There was only one solution! 

I spent five days keeping  precious granddaughter

occupied, while The Yankee spent that entire time pretty much holding

and consoling the pitiful three and a half pound pooch. 

So...

who do you think my dog bonded with?

From that point on, the two of them have been inseparable.

Whether it's hiking around the woods of our farm, napping on the sofa,

or snacking in the kitchen...

where you find one, you are sure to spot the other.

And where does that leave me?

Replaced...

 by the most adorable, teeny, toy Yorkie!

Meet Mozart—my competition!   ; )

I've Been Replaced!

There is absolutely no denying it. 

The Yankee has a new love!

After all these years...

I now have some real competition for his affections!

He tells me there is nothing to be concerned about...

and that I will always be number one in his life.

But I see the look of mutual adoration in their eyes!

It appears I might just have to learn how to play second fiddle.

I guess it's a good thing I'm musically inclined!   ; )

Time Travel Thursday #78 & Talented Time Travelers #77

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 78th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,

and most creative projects? Great!

Well, here we are in a brand new year!

 

Looking back at all the incredible projects accomplished by you 

talented time travelers revealed that you were quite the

 busy little elves in 2011.   ; )

I had such a difficult time choosing which projects to feature;

you all were so amazingly creative last year.

 Thank you so very much for being a special part of Time Travel Thursday.
I can't wait to see how brightly you stars shine in 2012! 

From perusing her blog, it appears that Holly and I have very similar tastes.

Her master bedroom makeover really got my attention—well, that and

the fabulous old door that leads to her basement.

You can visit Holly @ Down to Earth Style to see the recap

 of all her other wonderful 2011 achievements!

The vintage, green headboard that Tammi @ Eleventh House used to create

 this sweet shabby bench was a fortuitous find from her local thrift store.

As a matter of fact, Tammi's entire cottage is filled with such wonderful

thrifted things.  You really should go take a peek!

This cute coffee table—created by Deidre @ Simply Simplisticated—sang an

 entirely different tune in its former life as a beaten up old trunk.

Deidre graciously shared her step-by-step process of transforming

this ugly duckling to a lovely swan.

Isn't this just the most darling tooth fairy pillow?

Jen @ AT HOME IN THE northwest is the mastermind behind the design.

Pay Jen a visit to get all the details.

Now, are you ready to share your creativity for another year?   ; )

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO

THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Living on the Edge

WELL-HOUSE THROUGH THE SEASONS

I've mentioned to you several times that I live on the

edge of a national forest...way out in the country.

Recently, I came across some pictures

from when we bought our little farm six years ago. 

They might just give you a better understanding of how far out

 in the country we really are.

I've detailed where things are located, to help put areas

of the farm—shown in earlier posts—in their proper perspective.

The image above is an aerial view shot while flying

from the back of the property toward the front.

And this is a shot from front to back.

We dismantled a hundred-year-old barn from a

neighboring farm and reconstructed another barn and

chicken coop from the old wood—as indicated.

So...

does this help put things in perspective?   ; )

Country With Class

What is it about a new year that stirs up within us a desire for change? 

Afterall, change is what New Year's resolutions are all about, right? 

There are a number of things I've resolved to alter in my life

during 2012.  Some will require a great deal of effort, determination, and prayer

 on my part—others, not so much so.

I've decided to start with some of the simpler changes...like a new hairstyle.

The problem is, I just can't seem to lock in to the

direction I want to take.

Thankfully, I won't have to fret over where this transformation will take place.

Though I live in the country, and most of the neighboring towns are rural,

I'm blessed to have a friend—also my hairstylist—who happens to be 

the owner of the classiest salon around.

Kim is not only an incredibly talented stylist, she is also very artistic—
as reflected in the tastefully eclectic décor of her salon.

She has masterfully combined a variety of materials

and furnishings to create a chic, upscale vibe.

The salon is housed in a historic building that has donned many masks

over the years—the city jail and a hardware store, to name but a few. 

What is now the reception area was once a display window,

during the building's hardware store days.

Kim is not only a fantastic stylist, artist, and decorator, but she's

quite the DIYer to boot!

She and a friend spent a week—with very little rest—

renovating this fabulous old place.

They did everything from demolishing the walls that cloaked the

 gorgeous old bricks, to building the trendy stylists' stations.

Did you notice the contrasts of the refined decorative elements set

against the rustic backdrop?  Sound familiar?   ; )

The faux leather treatment on the wall—above the molding—and the corrugated metal 

below are more examples of Kim's handiwork.

AND...there are more unique wall treatments surrounding

the shampoo, manicure, and pedicure stations.

These lights are really a fun touch, don't you think?

Kim calls them her "chicken lights."  Indeed, their original purpose was to keep

baby chicks warm.  But with the addition of sparkling crystals, they impart 

an air of urban farmhouse chic.

And what about this unique bit of illumination hanging in the cantina?

Certainly not something you would expect in a small town.

I think Kim—a fellow farmgirl—has proven with 12 12 Salon

that you can have class...even in the country.

Linking to:

Angie's Knick of Time Tuesday; SJ's Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop;

Nita's Mod Mix Monday; Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday;

Kristin's Tuesday Treasures; Tammy's Anything Goes;

Angelina's Sew-Crafty Tuesday; Patti and Paula's What's It Wednesday