...a laundry day fete

...welcome!

do any of you dear ones,

enjoy doing laundry??

if so,

grab your baskets of freshness ~

you're invited to the

laundry day fete!!

if not,

won't you join us anyway

and maybe ~

just maybe

by the end of this post

you will!!!

~

....aaahhhhhhhhhh

a warm, sunny morning

...a fresh basket full of wet, beautiful sheets,

...simply fabulous!!

this is one of the things that we did during our visit to the cottage farmhouse

...put up a clothes line!!!

I have one in Neveda ~

and have enjoyed the process

 sooooo very much that I suggested to my mom

that maybe she would too :)

she immediately agreed

and so

we ordered this kit from the

Clothes Line Shop

this is also the kit that I use and absolutely love it

and would recommend to any of you "on the line"

(tee,hee... ~ I just couldn't resist!)

 about a clothes line for your very own. 

You can stand in one place

and pin your laundry on and move it down

and voila!

more empty clothesline,

ready for your next piece o` laundry :)

and I know what you're thinking

...ohh,

moooorre work

~ yeah ~

sign me up...

but!

dear ones

drying your clothes is already a necessary task

so why not do it in a way ~

that it will actually GIVE back to YOU!!

yes,

it's true!!

read on...

as you reach your hand down into the basket

that you have carried out with a joyful intent,

and pin the wet fabric onto the line

you sometimes catch a breeze

and when the coolness of the laundry

 brushes up against your skin,

it is wonderfull!

you begin to relish the quiet, alone time

~ to think...

...to sing in your heart ~

to plan a tasty dinner menu

...to be still

and just

be!

to find joy in the simplest form  

and once you start ~

it calls to you...

and suddenly

you wake up every morning

actually anticipating...

this joy!! 

go ahead...

daydream!!!

it IS summertime!

slow down

and find a fresh ~ renewed you...

smoothed out from the fresh air :)

who says that the laundry should

be the only thing sun kissed?!!!

it is very satisfying to know that

you will also save on energy!

ie...

a few more $$'s goes into your apron pocket

and who wouldn't appreciate that

I ask you?? 

maybe purchase a few lavender plants with your small windfall (tee,heee)

and place them nearby your clothes line for

 a natural dryer sheet, if you will

that can also be cut for a bouquet

to tuck in between

your clothes here and there.

see ~

even more benefits :)

come on ~

give it a try,

and see if it doesn't

add to your joy meter!!

now,

let's celebrate this joy!! 

this vintage, wooden ironing board

can be used as our table

because,

another benefit of a clothes line is

...less wrinkles

hence,

less ironing!!

aheem ~

more give back :)

now add a linen, ruffley ironing board cover...

~ some pretty pinwheel sandwiches,

fresh organic cherries...

a lacey bottle of cold sparkling water

a beautiful sunny day

and you have ~

...farmhouse romance!!

where simplicity meets elegance

so...

what do you think??

are you enjoying the laundry day fete?

~

would you give, laundry on the line, a try?

I'd love to hear all about your laundry days

...won't you drop me "a line"

HA!!!

(last one...pinky swear promise!!)

...you can find me over here

enjoying a pinwheel or two ~

and daydreaming about what shape that cloud is...

okay...and maybe I'll have just one more party pinwheel

before I fold the

 crisp,

lavender scented laundry!!

...the chicken chapel at the cottage farmhouse

...the chicken chapel

(part three)

hello!!

~ this,

dear readers,

 is the

chicken chapel!!!

it still needs the cedar shingle sides put on

and

a tumbled stone paver floor will be going in the rest of this chapel area

but

isn't it lovely??!!

 see all the pretty roses planted around it

...rose trees

and when the rose petals drop

and cover the ground

and fresh laundry is hanging on the clothes line

~ it is a romantic farmhouse picture!!!

what chicken wouldn't love living here I ask you?!

oh...

the chickens

right...

you would like to see the chickens,

yes?

well then,

the oh-so-lovely Julianna

will give us the tour!

...good morning lovely ones...

hello Lily!

she

 is

ALWAYS

the first to hop out!!!

she just loves her chicken garden!!!

but

Pitch on the other hand...

needs

a little coaxing!

here Pitchy, Pitchy!!!

she never wants to leave her eggs

...eeerrrr

well

~

what I mean to say

is

EGG

early on,

it seems as though there was some type of chicken competition about the

" sitting of the eggs "

curious really

but my mothers solution was to give Pitch a fake one

HA!!

so whenever you visit them for eggs

there will always be two under Pitch!!

that is why we always have to coax her out!!

and then

shut the door really fast ~

or she will just run right back in to sit on her eggs!!

geesh ~

such a mother hen!!!

(tee,hee)

aaahhhhh...

 perfect in your hand

warm,

smooth,

beautiful egg...

truely a gift from these silkie chickens!!

  

...now it's time for breakfast

yyuuuuuummmmmmm!!

my mom desires her beloved chickens to lay organic eggs

so

organic practices were adopted from top to bottom

at this cottage farmhouse

~ inside and out ~

so naturally speaking

 everything fed to the chickens

is

 organic!

whhheeewww!!

did you get all that?!

...now Pitch is off for a bath!

she does love her dirt baths!!

and that scalloped brick edged square behind her

is their spot for just that!

it is sooo much fun to watch them

as they cover themselves in dirt

and you're thinking thing like

oh, what a mess!!

and

how is all that dirt ever going to come off?!

but then

they shake it all off

and magically deliciously,

they are beautiful and shiny again!!

...oh how very lovely you both look!!

: )

this is Julie's favorite part...

holding them and telling them just how beautiful they are

they really,really enjoy being adored!!

...don't we all???!!!

mother has held and kissed them

and told them this

 from the very start

because she wanted happy, healthy chickens

and they love and adore her right back!!

...I find myself missing the chicken chapel

and as I post these pictures

I relish the quiet, peaceful moments spent with these very loving new friends!!

...it makes me desire a chicken chapel of my own

hhhhhmmmmmm

I wonder!

do you think they could stand the dry, desert heat??

probably

NOT!!

(so says Jim!!)

HA!!!!

..................

the next,

and final part to this series

is

a laundry day fete!!

until then ~

I hope you enjoyed your visit today

at the chicken chapel!!

...inside a cottage farmhouse (part two)

...welcome to the cottage farmhouse again dear ones!!

~

this is part two in the series

and oh what a doll house it is!!

this is the living/family room...

remember,

it's a cottage ~

let me begin with a basic "given" for every room:

a chandelier is in EVERY room

(even the tiny bathroom!!)

and each,

has a dimmer switch ~

an absolute must for just the right ambiance!

~

the original wainscoting is still on the walls complete with chair rails

~

 painted wooden floors

(so scandinavian!!)

she swears by the boat paint she uses

and trust me,

she knows about such things!!!

as she is constantly moving furniture around to suit each seasons light path!!

~

each room is painted in our most adored shades EVER

it took a very loooong time to discover them

and

many...

m

a

n

y

gallons later

~ but ~

 after just one swipe, 

and that glorious first look ~

 angels voices melodiously sang

"aaaaaahhhhhhh"'

(no lie!!)

and we knew it immediately that this was the color pallete for us

perfect...

 like a second skin!

I guess you could say that these are our signature paints

would you like to know what they are?

later!!

( `my bad!!)

~

do you see the feature wall?

it's the only one with the wallpaper on it...

it is vintage, handblocked paper wallpaper

and that is how we were able to stumble onto those perfect paint shades :)

~

here we have the dinning room...

the two window treatments allow for maximum natural light

~ while continuing that simple, elegant feel

they are made from a gorgeous shade of pink silk

and compliment the swirly stained glass windows

a window necklace is added for whimsy...

these windows look like one fabulous wedding cake to me!

she has a few beautiful antique pieces

that are sentimental,

sprinkled throughout her charming doll house cottage

and she simply adores little red riding hood

(or maybe the wolf!!)

~ moving on ~

 if you would,

notice every room has an armoire of sorts

because this old farmhouse originally had only one

yes,

I said ONE

closet in the entire house!

so

you see the need for creating a space for these armoires!!

next

we are off to the studio/bedroom area

this is where my mom creates

...and rests

as I said before

it IS a cottage

and although there is a second floor with two rooms

she likes being on this first floor

 

oh-so-lovely storage bins

filled with supplies

and a view from the window

what's not to love about roses everywhere??!

and a few pretties on the bookcase top

my favorite is the beriboned basket

it is made entirely out of french ribbons!!

 I loved making this

gathering all the yummy ribbons

creatively tying them on and filling it with pretties :)

~ now it is full of...Ribbons of course!!!

romantic farmstyle decorating

where simple elegance meets functionality!!

and now we have

the kitchen...

always a work in progress

and small,

but

lovely

...this is the dancing fairy chandie ~

see her shadow on the wall?

in the very earliest moments at sunrise

the ceiling looks like rainbow prisms are dancing from the sunlight

hence, why we call it the dancing fairy chandie!!

well my dears

that concludes this chapter of

 "inside a cottage farmhouse"

I hope you enjoyed your visit

~ next up in this series ~

(I'm just bursting at the seems to share it with you!!!)

is

the Chicken Chapel!!!!!!

you just gotta see it!!

so come back soon

~~ favoritest paint shades pallete ~~
Behr premium plus/in eggshell enamel finish
 * card # 210E bella pink/antique pearl/almond willow
I've used them all, a different shade in each room

Behr premium plus/ in semi-gloss enamel finish
 * card # 8075 polar bear
I use this on the trim

Behr premium plus/ in satin enamel finish
* card # W-B-720 oyster
I use this to paint furniture pieces

...the cottage farmhouse ~ (part one)

~ the cottage farmhouse ~

(part one)

I have been waiting to share with you,

photos from my visit

to mom's sweet cottage farmhouse.

I took Alot of them

and have decided to break them down into parts

(hence the part one!)

I will call this

the cottage ~ front view

 ~ so ~

 

Welcome...

from the moment your foot hits the lovely brick entrance

you get a sense of peace on this old farm land

and although,

once upon a time,

it was truely a working farm "farm"

in a wide open space,

over the years

(many, many years!!)

it has become

 this lovely cottage farmhouse

 in the suburbs...

my grandmother raised her babies here ~

and though she is no longer with us

 my mom now cultivates the love and happiness here...

roses spill out

all over the property ~

just calling to be snipped and brought inside for continual delight...

or perhaps,

slipped into a glass canning jar that has been tied off with a vintage lace ribbon

 for a simple but lovely bouquet 

...for anyone who may ask

as she frequently will have a passer byer stop and inquire

if they may have just a snippet

or two!

these are vintage hydrangeas

 that were started from bare root just three short seasons ago

their colors are simply amaaaazzzing

and everytime you look at them

they go and change their hue!

...just like a kaleidoscope

~

inside these natural green boundries

are many beautiful, seasonal flowers

such as the beloved peony bushes & lilac trees

...they are long done blooming

but they show spectacular in this secret garden!!  

...a swing is located under the front trees
to sit and read a tale
...or two...
as one may leisurely sip
 a fresh squeezed lemonade
...and dream....

....aaahhhhh
afternoon summer delights

don't get me wrong ~
there is MUCH work to be done
 at this (or any other) farmhouse

but for now
it's just nice to feel the breeze...
and be a small part of it :)







coming soon...
(part two)
...the inside is like a dollhouse!!!