One Year Anniversary and A Giveaway.

Well I made it!  I have had some bumps along the way but as of Sunday A Full Cottage turned one.

So it is time to have a giveaway!  So with out further ado.

There are 14 items in the giveaway, one for each month that I have been blogging.  Just to make it a little more interesting I decided to have each item represent a different month and tell you why I chose it.

First up January.

A Mary Engelbreit  magnetic memo board with four magnets.  I chose this because I always think of January as the month to ORGANIZE!

For February a collection of Bath and Body works because who doesn’t LOVE (he he) to be pampered.

 

In March I start to really get spring fever and need to get some fresh flowers into the house so here is a pretty blue vase.  I also like to collect vintage pottery and I love the shape of this one.

This gorgeous vintage postcard of Versailles makes me think of the all the flowers that those April showers will bring.

For May MORE flowers on this small vintage plate/ashtray.

June is when we really get to start enjoying the outdoors around here so some floating citrus candles.

July we have sea shell napkin rings  we want to do beachy things and take all our meals out in the backyard. 

Here is a collection of shells for August the last time for the year that we are able to go to the beach.

September is my hubby’s birthday and he likes blue so a set of vintage doilies.

This candle reminds me of fall.  It is representing October.

I love to have my girlfriends over in November for coffee and I think that these bird mugs would be just perfect for some pre-holiday hospitality.

I love to decorate with vintage sheet music for Christmas and New years so here is a music book from 1928.

 

You get the whole booklet.  All 80 pages!

Again for January mending is on the menu so some vintage buttons.

Which brings us to this month February.  A book that I love Rachel Ashwell’s the Shabby Chic Collection.  This book is gently used, but a great source of inspiration.

I could just look at these pictures all day!

 

So if you would like to be included in this giveaway here are the “rules”.

1. For one chance go back through the archives and leave me a comment on which post was your favorite and why.

2. For a second chance become a follower of A Full Cottage and leave a comment.  If you are already a follower leave a comment letting me know.

3. For a third chance blog about my giveaway and leave me a  comment that you have done so.

4. Bonus leave a comment on any post published AFTER today for a fourth chance.  Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you did.

 

This drawing of 14 things in 14 months will be open till the end of the day on February 14th.  I will draw at random on February 15th.

I’m so excited, bye bye computer problems!

Do to many many computer problems over the last couple of months I have pretty been MIA.  Our computer had several viruses and just before Christmas(of course) it got really bad.  Then our monitor died.   Since we do most of our Christmas shopping online this just would not do.  So $72.90 for the computer guys to get rid of the viruses and $100 dollars for a new monitor later…….we still could not import pictures!!!!

Then a couple of days ago I was cleaning out our  entry closet that we hardly use and …….. I always tell my kids it is so good to clean because you find things that you didn’t even know that you owned.  Well I found the box that our camera came in and in it was a usb cord that you can hook to the computer to down load pictures.  As I said you find things you didn’t even know that you had!  We had never used the cord before we just stuck the SD card into the computer.
This really made my day!!  I was just giddy with excitement.  So now I can POST.    Who wants to read a blog with know pictures?  Not Me!
That brings me to my latest project.  I have wanted something different to put above my large antique cabinet that we have in the living room.  We use this to  hold some of the kids toys.


Here is how it looked before Christmas before I got the garland up.  I hated it!
Well last week I was at the Salvation Army and found this.

Isn’t it just perfect?  Well not exactly yet.

First I Modge Podged white tissue paper over the insects.  I then painted the whole basket in grey acrylic paint.  I had tried to just paint over the insects but that didn’t work.  They had a little relief to them and they were shiny.

This is after the first coat.

I then went over the whole thing with white paint.  No I did not bother to paint the bottom or the inside.  This is a very high cabinet and I am very lazy and impatient.  If I ever decide to lower it I will cross that bridge when  I come to it.

I then used my favorite color and stenciled our wedding anniversary on each of the “plates”.  The “8” is how it looked after I got done.  This was much to bright and new looking for my taste.  So I was going to go over the whole “plate” with watered down brown paint ( I had glaze on had but it was buried in the basement and well you know, lazy and impatient).  This is how it looked on the five when I got done.  That was a little to distressed.  So on the number “2” I just brushed the number and then wiped it off.  Ahhh much better.  Then I lightly added the brown and wiped it off on the rest of the basket.

Here is how it looked before wiping. 
Then here it is all done.

I rubbed kinda hard on the numbers so that they would have a worn look.

Much much better!  Now I don’t know if I like the ribbon!  What do you think?

I'm linking to:

"Sunday Favorites" at Happy to Design

Happy New Year!!

Source: The Graphics Fairy
I am so excited for this new year to begin.  We had many blessings in 2010 and I’m looking to make 2011 even better with the gifts that God has given me.
Some of my goals for the new year are:

1. set up a better menu plan.
2. declutter
3. reorganize home idea notebook
4. finish the living room redo
5. reestablish weekly schedule
6. put away $50. a week into savings
7. set up better budget
8. pay down debit!!!!!
9. be more intentional
10. blog more often.

I have many more but this is what I would like to start with.  The living room redo and decluttering are going hand in hand right now.  That is also where I have started with the home idea notebook.   I am very excited about this.  This will be the first time that we have done this from top to bottom, on a very strict budget of course.  Speaking of the living room redo……..I was a very lucky winner of a $50 gift card to Pier 1 from  Nesting Place.  I went on line and found a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $50. or more.  My mom an d I went shopping and I found the new curtains for my redo!




This picture so does not do them justice!!  They are so beautiful.  The blue looks slightly lighter in person.  This is also my color palette and one of my husbands few requests.  He wanted curtains with red in them.  Just a side note but notice how I did not take him shopping with me!  Just saying.
Back to the curtains.  Well they were $39.95 each panel(why anybody would only want one is beyond me)but I needed two.  So that would have been 79.90 but with my gift card and coupon I paid only 19.90!!!!!  Not that you couldn’t have done the math but is looks so cool going down like that.  Thanks Nester!
Also some very exciting news for me.  I have reached 50 51 followers!!  I can barely even believe it. You are all so wonderful and I always look so forward to your comments. Look for a giveaway to come very soon.  I have been gathering things that I thought that you might like.   Thank You so very much for all that you do.
May all of you have a blessed new year!!

Linking to http://www.thenester.com/2011/01/2011-home-goals.html Nesting Place

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, The Christmas Addition!

I am late to the party, but still wanted to join in.  I love vignettes and have really enjoyed looking at all of yours!  So I thought that I would link to the party over at Rhonda's.

However with a toddler and pre-schooler in addition to the other children I am only able to decorate during naps.  I also use nap time to have an uninterrupted lunch and get caught up on paper work.  As a result I have A LOT of decorating left to do.

On a side note we were finally able to import pictures by moving the SD card side to side! UGH.

So here is a peek at what I have done so far.  I have already tweaked it a little (I know it is a sickness) since I took these photos but the camera batteries died, we are all out of AA and I have not wanted to brave Wal-Mart for just batteries.

Well this is how this area looked back in June.  I had change it a little since then(remember sickness).

Well here is how it looked two days ago.  I added another blue ball to the jar with the “snow”and  replaced the flowers in the vase with red and blue balls.

Starting with the top left: the tall milk glass vase and red beady stuff was already there(the blue beady stuff came from Wal-Mart around Halloween when the Christmas stuff first came out) as was the small blue vase and it’s red beady stuff and the clear vase with the mercury glass beads(they were just on the other side)  I shopped the house and found the scalloped blue planter, I candle was on clearance at AC More and I glittered it myself with fabulous Martha Stewart glitter in turquoise.  I had the little silver tray in my stash and moved the milk glass compote and decorative paper ball that I made from the bottom shelf.  The picture of my son also came from another spot in the house.  You may remember when I picked up that little planter last summer from here.  The tree I made using the tutorial from the fabulous Stephanie Lynn at Under The Table and Dreaming.  Everything for the tree came from my stash.

Now on to the bottom shelf starting on the left: the blue glass basket was in our dining room, it was my grandmothers.  I simply added red Christmas ornaments that we had.  The books were already there.  The tray was also already there.  I “borrowed” the statue of Mary from the étagère on the other side of the living room (sorry I couldn’t resist).  I had the little jar in my stash and I bought the “snow” a couple of months ago for .10 cents a bag.  They were brand new bags.  The urn with the blue ornaments came from the thrift store last week.  It was only a dollar!  I love it!  The ornaments were also a dollar and came from the same trip to the thrift store.  Everything else I had and just moved in from another area.

I do have couple of other areas finished, but you will have to wait to see them!

 

Thanks for hosting such a fun party Rhonda.

A Living Room Redo and Some Blog Love

 

Well about a month ago I decided that I wanted to rearrange my living room.  Of course that was meet by much protest from my husband.  If there is anything my husband hates it’s moving furniture!

Well anyway it has been in it’s current state for FOUR years.  It doesn’t look the same thankfully.  We have replaced almost everything!

Except for the chair you can barely see in the back left and the clock and pictures of the kids(although I painted the frames black last summer) in the center nothing else is the same with this room.

This is almost how the back corner looks today.  The stand with the albums is now in the basement.  Well the records are hidden stored in the living room.  The white étagère is slightly arranged differently on the top and second shelves.

 

This is what our coffee table looks like now and this carpet sits on top of the one in the old photo.

This is the top of one of the toy cabinets we now have.  It sits next to the TV armoire that replaced the awful, horrible, ugly entertainment center.  It would have been out of the picture to the right of it.  We have another on the other side that is slightly taller and more narrow.  This one was pine originally from Target and I bought it from Craigslist for $20. and just spray-painted it black.  The other is an antique that I picked up at the antique shop for $75.00 and I CAN’T FIND A PICTURE OF THAT OR THE BELOVED ARMOIRE!!!!

Anyway, on top of wanting to rearrange, we have never owned a new sofa.  We have either had them given to us or we have bought them used.  Since people generally get rid of their sofa’s when they are somewhat worn or they want way more than I am willing to spend for a used sofa, I have never had one that I really like.  My husband on the other hand doesn’t want to buy a new sofa until or man cubs are bigger and less bouncy.  I was not at all happy with that!

So after pouting a lot researching I found a sofa that was inexpensive and looks great!

 

It is the Ektorp sofa in Blekinge white from Ikea.  It is only $399.00 and is slipcovered.  The extra slipcovers are $49.00.  I wanted white so I could throw it in the wash with a little bleach.  I love it.  The only problem is that we are 4 hours from the nearest Ikea and they do not sell this online.  So I have also talked my husband into driving to get it.  We have a big Suburban with a hitch so we are just going to rent a U-Haul trailer when we get there.  We have also decided to make a little mini vacation out of this and spend the weekend in city.  NYC that is!  There is a Ikea in Brooklyn.  Well that is the part I am still trying to talk him into.  He wants to go to New Jersey or Pennsylvania to get it.  Jersey is closer but Pa is a little farther.

Now that I have over come that hurdle, I have been collecting ideas and “new” items to use for my re-do.

The first thing I have done is to plan.  I photo copied a room graph and furniture templates and cut them out.  I found the templates in the book The New Decorating Book by Better Homes and Gardens copyright 1997.  I got my book at the thrift store for $3.49 but you can find it here and here.  On a side note this book, even though it is 13 years old has lots of great ideas and timeless decorating.

Well last month The Nester had a wonderful series   31 Days To A Less Messy Nest.  This was a such a good series that I will be referring to it often.  Then on day six she had create a Gallery Wall.  I knew right away when I saw this it would be perfect for my re-do.  So I have begun to collect things that I thought would work well for my wall.

Then a couple of days ago I was visiting Miss Mustard Seed and she had a post Resetting a Room.  This post goes into detail about how to go about decorating when things don’t seam right.  I have bookmarked this post but will also be printing it to follow along step by step.  My favorite step being #3 “create a list of things you want to work on or change in the room.”

The other thing that I want to do or not do in the redo of the living room…say that three times fast….. is not spend any money, with the exception of the couch.  So I have been stalking  visiting your blogs for more ideas that would take advantage of what I already have.  One idea that I love is to make a pillow from a sweater.  I actually saw this on The Nate Berkus Show.  However when I saw this pillow at All Things Thrifty by Brooke  I knew that it was more in keeping with my style and would break up the starkness of the all white sofa.

Then there is this great idea from Allison at A Glimpse Inside.  I tried to link directly to the page but it wouldn’t let me.  You can find it at June 21, 2010 in the archives. 

We found shutters for $5.00 each at the Antique Store.  I wish I could show you a picture they are gorgeous!

The other things I want to do is paint some of our existing furniture.  Something like this piece from Miss Mustard Seed.

 

Well that’s what I have to start with.  I am hoping to get this started before Christmas although we have yet to decide when we are going to get the sofa.

 

Well I’m off to start planning and removing things.  Stay tuned for the progress.

Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Picasa

 

This post is as much for me as it anyone else.

  Although I do hope that others will read it. 

First of all I really hate to read blogs that are all

words.  I like a nice mix of words to picture

ratio.  This leads me to the perfectionism part of

post.  As I have said before our computer and our

camera are both acting up and I am unable to

import any new photos.  You may wonder what

that has to do with perfectionism.  Due to the fact

that my blog post won’t be “perfect” I fail to act at

all.  This leads into my second “p” procrastination

putting it off so long that it NEVER gets done.

 

 

Finally my third and very best “p”.  Picasa.  This is a photo editing software that is just amazing.

 

However I can’t show you because I can’t figure out how to get my pictures from my Picasa file to my Windows Live Writer.

 

But just to show you that I am working on overcoming my faults I am going to publish this any way, with a picture that I WANT to show you how I have made it over!  Did you follow that .

This is picture of me that my husband took when we went to an auction at a mansion.  Going was our anniversary and my birthday present back in 2009.  This house was amazing I wish we had taken more pictures!!!

 

Well hopefully I can get past my weaknesses and get in a few more blog posts.  Oh and if anyone knows what I am doing wrong PLEASE  let me know!

How our dining room bar came to be.

You may remember this picture of the bar in our dining room sitting where our microwave sat till I was able to move it to our kitchen.  Well in this post I thought that I could show a little more of the area and tell how this area came to be.

Neither me or my husband really drink all that much, but I love the way that a vintage bar looks.  So when we finally had a place to put one I decided to go for it.  This is how it looked when I first arranged it but I am currently tweaking it for the holidays.  I would show you pictures that are more current but the computer is sick :(

Anywho.,  this is still the basic set up.  We started with a cabinet that I picked up at an auction I attended the summer of 09 with my then 6 year old son.  We had a blast just the two of us.  We came home with a minivan FULL of furniture for about $200.00.  This particular cabinet was $60.00.  Here it is modeled by three year old Miss T.

   

Here is one that shows a little bit more of the cabinet:)

This is sold wood and I didn't do anything to it  except I had remove some cubbies that were on the back so the microwave would fit.  You can see the outlines on the back.  This piece is great, it has so much storage.  We keep out placemats that we use everyday in the drawer and misc. stuff  in the bottom.  Believe me when I say misc. that's what I mean.  There is our hot air popper in there the last of my microwave dishes that i have yet to move(yea that says July on the picture) there is some of my fabric stash, candles and much more.  I just love to store my junk behind closed doors!

Then I wanted some thing with some height so I grabbed one of the leaded windows that we had gotten at another auction earlier this past summer.  We won a lot of four windows for $80.   I just love these.  I have a plan of what I want to do with one more of these and will probably sell the other two on Craigslist.

I also added a lace runner from my stash.  I never pay more than .50 cents for one of these.

Next came one of my shutters this was .50 cents the picture was .25 cents and hat a very gold frame.  I used crackle medium on it then painted white acrylic paint over that and  made a vintage button wreath to go around it.

This mirror I swiped from my dresser.  I have owned it for at least 8 years and bought it originally for $2.00.

Here is a close up of the detail!

Oh and the mess on the dining room table.  And yes my arm!

Here she is all done and and a close up of the decanters.  The two in the middle were my grandparents and the two on the sides were from the thrift store one was $1.99 (the one on the left) and the other was $2.99. The large silver  tray was .50 cents at a yard sale and so were the two small ones.  The glass and the swizzle sticks as well  shot glasses were my grandparents.  The martini mixer was $1.00 at an estate sale this past summer and the vintage shaker was $1.00 from the thrift store.  The silver ice bucket was also from the thrift store.  It was bought two years ago in the winter it was $5.00 and I waited till it went on sale 1/2 off .  So I got it for $2.50. It sits on a cast iron stand that I got at the very end of an estate sale for $2.00. The vintage tags were $2.00 from a rummage sale.  The wine glasses were a wedding present.  The liquid is box wine that is so old I am actually afraid to even try to drink it.

I am looking forward to using this for Thanksgiving.  My mom and dad are coming down to spend the holiday with us and are staying overnight.  This will be the first time we have hosted Thanksgiving.  I am really excited and have already started planning!  Have you begun to make your plans too!  Will you be hosting?

 

Linking up to:

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses