There are times...

...when a few simple words

are all that's needed

to pull you through.

And maybe just a few hours of working with your hands

using some pretty raw materials that make ya feel good,

and completing a simple task from start to finish

can make the big stuff, the scary stuff, seem not so big and not so scary.

So if you find yourself today feeling overwhelmed, scared, helpless, even hopeless

maybe take some time to do some handiwork

using things that you love

to create a space where peace can reign just a little in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

Let simple words and simple crafts bring solace from the storm.

(edited to add that this post is linking to creative little daisy's impromptu quick craft linky and Funky Junk's Pennant party)

Easy Gift Wrap...Burlap wine sleeve.

My friend Clara has been at it again. 

You know, my amazing friend who throws parties that rival Martha herself, as well as decorates, organizes, cooks and gardens better than any blogger out there?

(see This Post, This Post, and This Post to refresh your memory)

(look at her all barefoot and cute)

Tonight I felt like I'd stepped into a Country Living spread as we enjoyed a festive evening celebrating Clara and her Hubby Herb's 40th anniversary surrounded by the beauty of her late summer gardens, good friends and good food and drink.  

I'll do up a post with pictures from that tomorrow, 

but I wanted to show you real quick how I wrapped up their gift.

Easy Peasy Burlap wine sleeve.  

Just cut a long strip of fabric 29.5" x 6.5", sew up both long sides, turn right side out and voila.  Pop the bottle in there, turn down the top and add something to tie around the neck.

I happened to have a crocheted flower from the scrapbook store that I hotglued to the fold down collar. 

 I braided some jute twine, and added a wee wooden letter from Hobby Blobby that I quickly stained before threading it onto the twine.

I thought it turned out kinda cute, if I don't say so myself.  :)

You could easily use linen or cotton...leave the edges unfinished and use a grosgrain or satin ribbon instead of jute twine.  And how cute would a vintage brooch look pinned to the collar?  Or a small bloom tucked into the tie.  Or add some blingy beads to the hanging-downy threads. Lots of room for creativity and a great opportunity to use up stuff from your cra(p)ft room stores.  Not that I did that or anything. 

And do you notice that gOrGeOuS hutch in the background? 

 I'm pretty stoked to show that to you soon too.

(edited to add I linked this up to creative little daisy's impromptu linky for quick crafts)

What I'm working on. All. The. Time.

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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So let me just say right up front that I'm a spaz when it comes to decorating projects. 

 I can't do just one project, or just one room at a time.  

I can't just do all the painting, all the sewing, all the organizing from start to finish. 

 That's just not how I roll.  

(living room got a new coat of paint, therefore furniture must be moved around. Ya know.)

So here is just a smidgen of the plethora of projects in the works.  

Please pray for my family as they don't have a place to sit and can't find anything, including their mom/wife.  

My poor dog thinks we're moving and hides on my bed dawn til dusk.

School Room/Office.  Actually almost ready for the big reveal!

 Sewed up a new shade...still needs some finishing touches though....

Organizing homeschool books on the shelves...

Gotta make labels for these...

Cra(p)ft Room.  Not even close, but at least I'm getting started on the furniture.  Finally.

Picked out and purchased wall paint and fabric too.

Dresser started as this as of this morning....

covered with citrusstrip crap and plastic so it won't dry out before I scrape the 3 layers of paint off..

See that there antique hutch back yonder?  I did the drunk person technique on it today.

(Love those old details! It'll look marvey with my crafting/sewing stuff tucked inside.)

Master Bedroom.  Getting a complete makeover.  Again not quite ready for a reveal, but I'll show ya a few things I've been working on....The walls still need painted, and a couple more things painted/sewn.

 $5 desk-about-to-be-turned-vanity...

Painted the nightstand next to it as well.  Need to sew up the stool cover as well as the closet drapes...

(how attractive)

This desk got a new paint job and I need to put these on...

Front Hall.  Repainted, including trim.  It was a mess, and I wanted it to match the office/schoolroom. The paint is an old Ralph Lauren color called Canvas Natural.  LOVE it.  Perfect warm neutral.

Other randomness.  Anyone else throw yards of fabric around the house looking for that perfect spot?

(used some of this in my master bedroom for awhile, but it will now reside in the family room)

These beauties got repainted heirloom white.  I'll show 'em to ya when I reveal the upstairs rec room.

(such an attractive chapel chair.  Eegads.)

Played around with vignettes in my spare time.  Remember the mirror?

It looked like this before:

 and now it sits on my antique walnut dresser in my living/reading room.

Everyday I start popping around from painting to organizing to decorating to sewing.  Keeps it interesting.  My daughter is moving into a smaller place, so lots of stuff I'd given her came back, and I got inspired again.  Plus I'm still cleaning out, paring down, weighing my likes and loves.  :)  

I think the school room will be done this week, and I'll do a full post on it.  We start school in a couple weeks, so it needs to be ready to go.

The (sorta) Reveal of the Cottage Back Porch.

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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I was gonna wait till I had every little thing done on the back porch, but there's so many good parties goin' on that I figured I'd show you the psuedo-finished product.  If you want to see 'befores', click HERE.

Anyway, here's where I'm partying:


 Blue Cricket Designs Show and Tell
Maggie at The White Farmhouse Inspire Me
Domestically Speaking Power or Paint Party
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors Gitter Done!
Creative Itch Sew Cute Tuesday
My Backyard Eden Make it Yours Day

Fireflies and Jellybeans
Mustard Seed Creations Furniture Feature Friday
Fingerprints on the Fridge Feature Yourself Friday
A Few of My Favorite Things Favorite Things Friday

Show and Tell Fridays at My Romantic Home

In the Fun Lane Fresh Coat Fridays
The Inspired Room Inspired By 
Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrapup 
Under the Table and Dreaming Sunday Showcase 
Imperfectly Perfect Style Feature Saturday
So ya ready?  Of course there's more pictures than strictly needed to get my point across, but hey, what can I say?  I'm pretty impressed with myself, even though it ain't done.

So, remember this gem I picked up for like $20 bucks last fall?

That I made over into this, using paint, drop cloths for the cushions and skirt, and some favorite fabric from my stash for the new pillows?

Well, now she's gotten her second makeover so she'll fit on my porch....repainted with new pillow slips:

Then there was this chair, which was pinched from craigslist last summer with a nasty paint job and no cushions....I had painted her glossy chocolate, then glossy olive green, finally settling on a satin army green, the same color as the extrerior of my house.  Then bought some clearanced outdoor cushions and sewed up a cover for them and added a fun pillow slipped in coordinating fabric:

 See how SAH-WEET this side of the porch looks now?  That side table was a 25 cent garage sale steal that I sprayed with Heirloom White and added the vintage pillowcase for another touch of cottagey-goodness:

Next is a vintage wrought iron table set I got also picked up on craigslist....she got a new coat of Heirloom White and I used the coordinating stripe fabric to make covers for the chairs (flowers courtesty of hubs...everyone say awwwwwww):

Loves her curliques!

Here's the pleating idea I got from Kelly....

Simple ties on the back allow them to be lifted up so my boys wet bums from the pool can sit on the vinyl seats underneath:

And I must show off the 15 cent embroidered runner and milkglass pieces I picked up last week at the Salvation Army thrift store.  Mmmm Mmmmm good:

Lastly is this reproduction dry sink I got from my mama.  It has been a myriad of colors before this warm white.  I added the skirt to hide pool chemicals, bug spray, grass-stained mowing shows and the like:

I like the slight pooling of the drop cloth edging, but for practicality I will prolly need to shorten it eventurally.  If you look close, you can see the 'frame' around the switch plate...that's the dark green/gray wall color pre-four coats of exterior semi-gloss....and obviously the new plate is smaller than the nasty yellowed one that was there previously.  Like I said, a few finishing touches are still needed!

The 'peace sign' is the one I made for this room  (Which is soon getting another makeover this fall):

I'm pretty pleased with how it's coming together.  I've picked out a deep turquoise for the cement floor, which will happen as soon as the weather turns.  I also have some pretties to fix up and hang, including the coolest lantern fixture to replace the weeny fixture now trying hard to pull it's weight on the ceiling.  I'm also sorely tempted to paint the jute rug in a harlequin pattern.  But other projects are in the throes already...I swear I'm as bad as the dog in 'Up'...SQUIRREL!  My attention is so easily swayed to the next thing.....

Thanks for taking the tour.....Looking at the pictures helps me see what other things need done, so this has been a great exercise for me.  So what say you?  Have I reached cottage porch nirvana?

PS...I am preparing my trip report for those awaiting news of The Coop Keeper and her most excellent digs.