Busy as a Bee this October

I replaced a small busy oriental rug with this rag rug my neighbor gave me. It was much wider but had a long rip so I cut it to size following the rip to the end. So the left side in this photo is a finished edge as are the two ends but the right side is a raw edge. 

I was able to get a hall runner out of the cut off portion. I had to resize it to 30" wide and the ends were turned over and sewn on my sewing machine. I had to turn over one long edge and sew that too but I have one finished edge. 

A closer view of the hall runner added to the post.

This is my view from my sofa in front of the TV. The rugs don't match but I like the new look and the rag rug is much larger than the small rug i had in front of the sofa between the French doors and I think the room will be warmer this winter.

Here is another view showing my coffee table and more of the other rug in the room.

I took down the summer tab curtains in the sitting room on my lower level in front of the sliding glass doors. I had forgotten all about them and found them when looking in bins in the garage. They turned out to be 3 rows of the checked fabric too long and the linings had stretched too and were longer than the drapes. What a project. It wasn't hard but it took quite a while in my attic sewing room and I am so happy they came out perfectly.

Another view with them open. We had really cold weather last week when I was working on this sewing project but I resisted turning on the heat and it got mild again yesterday and I was able to open my upstairs windows again. 

This room will be warmer during the winter with the curtains closed. They look nice from the outside too now that the lining fabric has been shortened. So now you know a few things I have been doing around the house and I am pleased with all three projects. The upstairs hall runner is the third.

I have put the cover on the air conditioning unit and there is still more mowing to do to get the grass short enough the leaves will blow away. They are just beginning to fall from some trees but most trees are still green. Fall is a busy time of year, isn't it. The more you can do to prepare for winter, the better. Halloween decorations are popping up all over too. See you again soon with more tales from the cottage.

xo

 

Find Your Old Nutcracker to Open Screw Top Lids on Milk Cartons

I mentioned buying a nutcracker at a thrift shop recently and posted this photo on Instagram a day or two ago. The response has been overwhelming. So many people didn't realize the plastic tops have been reduced in height and there is no longer enough surface to get a good grip and unscrew them. When I saw this nutcracker I knew immediately it would work and it does. I could have used pliers but I only have one set and it's downstairs in my toolbox. Most of you will have a nutcracker in your junk drawer and won't have to buy one. I love giving new life to old things and this nutcracker now has an honored place in my kitchen silverware drawer. See my Instagram post HERE Now I know I'm not the only one with this problem. Trader Joe's private label milks have gone back to the old carton design with no plastic at all. You just rip open one of the sides and pour. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtwSeyhOnIG/

Just a random photo from one of my walks. Allium seed heads look like exploding fireworks, don't they? xo

Old Workbench as Kitchen Island

I have always loved old carpenter workbenches in a house. 

This one in a Steven Gambrel kitchen is wonderful.

I wouldn't change a thing. 

I am currently watching and thoroughly enjoying WYCLIFFE on Tubi.  "In a coastal English town, an exacting detective picks through clues while investigating a wide variety of crimes in his otherwise quiet community in Cornwall. This is a very different Cornwall from the village in Doc Martin. Starring Jack Shepherd, Helen Masters, Tim Wylton, Jimmy Yuill, and Adam Barker. Link on Tubi HERE. There are 5 seasons.

Repurposed Bath Accessories

I love this idea of using a cup for small brushes and a bowl for soap. There is another bowl in the blurred background for a sponge. A bathtub is one of the joys of life in my opinion so why not surround yourself with lovely things while you soak? via

Egg Gathering Basket, Repurposed

I adore this presentation of bath items in a wire egg gathering basket. This would be so perfect to leave in a guest's room or guest bath. I am mad for baskets and would love to have this one. via

DIY Twine Holder from Wooden Hanger

I am definitely going to make one of these today. Isn't this an absolutely brilliant idea? I have a closet full of vintage wooden hangers and a basket full of twine. Put them together and what have I got? A gorgeous twine holder that will cost me nothing. Found on Pinterest.

Diane Keaton Designs Rustic Residence for Herself

For the past few decades, Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton has spent much of her free time off set on a series of construction sites flipping houses. Who knew?

Inside you'll find distressed brick, chicken wire cabinetry, raw wooden beams, old chicken coops repurposed into pendant lights, shiplap-covered walls, subway tile, black french shower doors, and a plethora of antiques. I chose to feature the kitchen; click here to see the rest of the home she designed for herself with the help of Pinterest. The photos and article appeared in both Country Living and Wine Spectator Magazines.

Lily of the Valley Draperies in My Cottage

I am positive I have blogged about the draperies in my guest room/dressing room but I cannot find it. The doorway of this room is opposite the doorway into my hall bathroom. I don't have a master bath and I never wanted one in my cottage. You can stand in the hallway and look one way and see this room and turn your head and see the window in my bath with the curtains made from the leftover fabric. Now, here is the backstory. Years and years ago, when my mother was still alive, we attended a garage sale in the yard of a fabulous old house. I circled and circled the table piled high with old draperies made from the most beautiful fabric printed with a lily of the valley design. I held them up, showed them to my mom, put them back, and continued looking at all the other items that was for sale. Finally, I decided I had to have them and brought the two pairs of full-length lined window treatments home. I knew I could probably alter them to fit my two windows and I did. This is a more recent photo I posted on Instagram. They are perfect in this room and a wonderful memory of a day with my mother.

I couldn't find any old photos of the way the curtains used to look in my bathroom when they hung straight down. The black rods were like the ones above in my guest room. I did find this photo showing just the hems. I also found this photo showing some paperwhites with the fabric in the background.

Thank you for all of your comments about my car repair and your concern for my predicament while it was inoperable. I am thrilled to have it back in my driveway and today I have to do some major food shopping today and thankful I don't have to go car shopping. xo