It’s hard to believe but somehow six months have come and gone and it is time once again for the spring edition of the One Room Challenge hosted by Linda at “Calling It Home”. This time I will be working on finishing the entryway and living room at Storybook Cottage. It truly is a bit of a challenge to try and complete a room design in just six short weeks. Particularly when you have just moved into a 30 year old that needs A LOT of work! But we’ve been so pleased with how our first ... View the Post

I wonder after a caterpillar has spun its cocoon and wrapped itself in the dark chrysalis, just waiting for transformative beauty, does it ever second guess itself? Chrysalis of the Orange-spotted tiger clearwing. I’ve been there. So many times. When it feels like eternity just waiting for transformation…or just some small bit of beauty to appear in life. Even worse is when you are stuck in the caterpillar phase refusing to change or accept.  Commander caterpillar Recently I’ve ... View the Post

My house is FULL of half finished projects. I wish I could just finish ONE room. There is pressure, both personal and professional, to just be done already. Because really, in blogland, if there is a choice between seeing a “work in progress” versus a glorious “AFTER” most people would choose the “AFTER”. A lot of real life has been occurring in our home. Some of which I have shared here and some of which I have kept private. So, there are days when I say to myself “Just breathe. Do the ... View the Post

By now you have probably heard that winter has even reached Texas. Not even a week before we had been enjoying weather in the high 70’s and signs of spring were present. Both the pansies and primroses seemed to take the plummeting temperatures in stride. The entire neighborhood looked like an enchanted fairyland. It was an adventure for this guy who doesn’t remember living in Germany, only the desert of Phoenix. He sweetly cleared the walk with a garden shovel so the fur boys could ... View the Post

Gilding has recently enjoyed a recurrence in popularity. You can find gilded agate in the form of bookends and coasters… As well as gilded mirrors, picture frames, tables and bookcases. Of course over time these pieces can get quite dusty. I cringed while researching this post as several sites recommended cleaning with a scrubbable cloth, moistened with water and then wiped across the surface to remove the dust. This is a mistake as you are sure to remove some the gilding. It will ... View the Post

The small entryway at Storybook Cottage measures just 6’ by 7’. This gives you an idea of the overall space. We so appreciate the generous baseboards… …and lovely crown molding. The walls were painted “Cottage White” by Behr. It is a warm cozy white. The ceilings and trim throughout the house are “Du Jour” by Valspar. A crisp, clean white. This was the light fixture that came with the house. As I said in a previous post this room receives very little natural light and the yellow ... View the Post