Quintessentially American Part Deux

This is a side view of this Tudor style cottage. I just adore this home!

This home is for sale now and yes I do love it so. I could so see me here but I could never leave my dear neighbors nor could Grace leave her beloved school and friends there!

Another lovely gem for sale...

This is a house we actually looked at to buy a few years ago. Sadly it had some huge issues that could not be easily conquered and with Bill away (at the time, working in Virginia), it did not seem feasible. The new owners had their work cut out for them but it seems they have been tending so well to this sweet place.

Not long ago I posted about some of my favorite homes in the Dayton area...quintessentially American places that just ooze charm and a warm welcome. You might remember (If anyone actually reads this blog anymore! *laugh*) that post

found by clicking here! I so enjoy taking little drives each week...you know. The ones in which you can think and perhaps clear your head?

And driving down the tree lined streets of the older neighborhoods is such a joy for me.

I hope you too enjoy seeing these bungalows & cottages, the smaller homes that call to my heart, along with me.

I still have to share some of my High School reunion highlights & our Dayton's Bi~Annual Restaurant Week fun with you but may I ask a little favor? For those of you who pray, for those of you who can offer a good thought, please think about some members of my extended family that need your help. Prayers for help in a marriage and for a new job would be much appreciated.

It has been a worrisome and tearful time for me of late but I DO believe in the power of prayer and of positive thinking, especially when many are on the same page!

Thank you all so much....

Have a sweet and safe weekend dear friends!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

Time For A Holiday...

"The Holiday" is a genuine *feel good* movie. It is charming and filled with magical moments, happy tears, sweet revelations. Tender and funny, it is a film that does not disappoint. Now, all of this aside, and as much as I adore the film, I am in LOVE with one of the film's sets. I could watch the movie over and over for it alone. You can have "Amanda's" (Cameron Diaz) enormous, state of the art California mansion. Just let me have "Iris'" (Kate Winslet) quaint English cottage. The mansion leaves me chilled and uneasy. Give me the warmth and coziness of the cottage.

I have been able to find a few stills of this precious house, both of it's exterior and interior, all which were created for this film alone. Although it looks as if it has been standing for centuries, the cottage was, in fact, built for the film!

I have found almost everything written about love to be true. Shakespeare said, "Journeys end in lovers meetings." What an extraordinary thought.

~Iris in The Holiday

I hope you enjoy these glimpses into one of my true *dream* homes...

Ahhhh....now I am off to do a little cottage *dreaming*!

I hope your Sunday is warm and filled with smiles. I will be back tomorrow with a few pictures and stories of our *birthday* filled weekend! Thank youf or the sweet birthday wishes to my 2 precious celebrants!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

Cluttered?

Tiny. Minuscule. Full to the brim. Stuffed? Overdone. Uh huh. I know that these terms were used when we tried to sell our house a year ago. Bill was working in Virginia and we had decided to go there and join him. I say this with all sincerity, thank goodness it did NOT sell! A few months after that difficult decision TO move was made, Bill was offered the job here and we are all thrilled that we would stay put. Rabbit Run Cottage remained in our family as it should be. So, some say our home is cluttered. Hmmm....I say "cozy". Okay, so I would love to have a few more square feet in the living room but hey. It's ours, it keeps us warm and dry, safe and sheltered and I love it. The living room couch is down filled and so soft to sink into. The perfect spot for movie viewing and cuddling. And we are surrounded with things that mean so much to us. Treasures bright home from our travels and from the many places where we have lived. Each item contains a story patiently awaiting an audience. We have bathrooms and a kitchen in which to cook and beds in which to sleep. What else could we possibly need? I have a list 436 miles long of things that I want to add to this home or change about this sweet place. Still, it IS home in every sense of the word. Children run in and out of the back door, banging it each time they enter and leave. Dogs drool and cats shed. Friends leave muddy footprints in the foyer and husbands toss their coats across the kitchen table. Sometimes those lovely sofa pillows are used to further the fine art of fort constructing and trampoline practice. Showers have been given for new babies and brides. Birthday parties have been thrown for the very young and the, well, not so young. This cottage has listened to gales of laughter and sharp cries of sorrow. Sweet words of love and grumpy morning quarrels. Baby's wails and dogs that howl. Newspapers have been strewn about, lamp shades knocked askew. Puppy nose prints have been left on the windows along with little girl's condensation art. Stray weeds pop up in the yard and grass pushes it's way into the brick walk cracks. Dishwashers have overflowed and bathroom drains clogged. Our home has smelled of cinnamon, cabbage, pizza baking, coffee brewing and fresh paint. It has weathered a tornado, flooding rains, high winds, blizzards, jungle heat and arctic cold. It is, in short, a home. In every sense of the word.

Oh Ireland...

Ah...would any of you like to join me in renting this little place for a week? Such a grand cottage in which to spend St. Patrick's Day. Sweet Roosky Cottage, just 1/2 hour from Sligo and Donegal. Any takers? Ah...*sigh*

Christmas Eye Candy

Okay Bunnies...hop on over to The Old Painted Cottage! Their pick for cottage of the month, December edition, is none other than our dear blog friend, Pat! If you have yet to see Pat's beautiful home, or met this special lady, this would make the perfect time to get acquainted! She has so much talent and has created a home that is both elegant and stunning, warm and cozy. Congratulations on being chosen Pat! Then hop over to see Pat's blog, Back Porch Musings. You are in for a treat!

My Cottage Fairy

Isn't this just wonderful! Our blog friend, Donna, at The Decorated House (Link is found just to the right) made this delightfully sweet cottage fairy! It now graces my dining room cabinet. I love it...and send my hugs and thanks to dear Donna for creating such a precious treasure!

A Weekend Cottage Getaway

Here's the plan, we will rent one of these cottages in the United Kingdom and Ireland and all of us will just have the best time...we will count the sheep in the pastures, paint watercolors, read historical romances, take long walks along the paths seductively scented by honeysuckle....any of you game? Wow, wouldn't this be heavenly? So, for just now, I must dream but taking a peek inside some of these cottages was almost like a weekend in the English countryside.... ....almost!

Just click on this link and enjoy a little daydream.... http://www.countrycottagesonline.com/Cottages_in_Oxfordshire.htm

Decorating Cottage Style

One of my favorite books....

It's not what you DON'T have, it's what you do with what you DO Have! ~Designer Kitty Bartholomew

This is one of my favorite decorating books and helped lead me into decorating my home "cottage style" in a BIG way!

~~~~~~~~~~

America's early settlers didn't have much in the way of creature comforts. Their homes featured walls and floors of fresh-cut wood, few windows, and little ornamentation.

Items pleasant to see and touch were brought in: fabrics, furniture, and small items. The rough-and-rugged surroundings made these items all the sweeter. Cottage style is rooted in the decor of these humble homes.

~~~~~~~~~~

Decidedly simple, cottages have always evoked a get-away-from-it-all feeling-a place of childhood dreams and special family memories. From those cozy nooks and corners in the bedroom to the sunny window seat in the living room, cottages are quaint yet functional, a virtual doll house on a large scale. Just what I love about this style. I once had someone say to me, "Your house looks just like a Barbie House. Small and Cutesy." Believe me, they did NOT mean it as a compliment! You can imagine their surprise when I answered, "Thank you! That is just what I was going for!" Okay, so that was a sarcastic answer to a sarcastic comment but I think you know what I meant! I like small. I really am not aiming for "cute" but there are far worse things someone could say about my house!

~~~~~~~~~~

The cottage-style living room invites you to slouch on the couch, put your feet up and sit for awhile, read a book, take a nap. Furnishings are relaxed and unpretentious. A style that suits me totally. I am about as unpretentious as you can get. As you know, elegant surroundings with ME in them would be laughable! If you are going for a cottage look, the first thing you need to do is to pick your favorite cottage-style decorating plan. Choose what makes you feel happy and comfortable! It is all about an easy going and casual life style. It could be in the realm of Shabby Chic, Southwestern, Rustic, Country French, Americana, Contemporary or English Country/Victorian. That is entirely up to you. Your cottage style can even be a combination of many styles. For example, you may wish to combine Southwestern with Contemporary; or even, Shabby Chic with English Country/Victorian. Whatever cottage style you choose to live with, make sure that your decision completely comes from your heart! When it comes from your heart, there is no way you can go wrong! ~~~~~~~~~~

Sofas should be relaxed in attitude, such as an overstuffed style with a homey fabric like a floral, an awning or pillow tick stripe, or a nubby cotton. Look for big rolled arms and a cushioned back. Just the sort to sink into with a huge bowl of popcorn and watch a movie.

Look for easy chairs that are in the same general style but don't match - cottage style is eclectic.

That is what I like best about this way of decorating! I was eclectic long before I even knew what this word meant!

Make the sofa and chairs more comfy by adding pillows, possibly in vintage-look fabrics such as a 1940s floral, salvaged quilt pieces or old-style cotton chenille.

Make sure the coffee table invites you to put your feet up. Try to find an old kitchen table that you can cut down - or even a chicken coop to which you add a glass top. How about an old trunk?

Dress the windows simply or leave them bare - you want lots of light in a cottage-style room. Choose simple unlined curtains, sweet valances. Also look for plain white wood or matchstick blinds if you must cover them. Shutters also make a wonderful cottage statement.

Accent artfully with the things you collect and love. Favorite books, heirloom jewelry, old family photos, and other mementos express who you are and can have a place in your decorating scheme. Composing like items in groups tells a story and adds to their overall impact within a room.

Hang old-style pictures in old-style frames. Look for quilts and plates to hang on walls, too. ~~~~~~~~~~

Top tables with folk art sculpture and casual flower arrangements. Use dried flowers and potted plants in the room, and try to keep the containers humble. Bring the outdoors in with garden furniture and ornaments. Wire plant stands, metal garden chairs, tole-painted trays, and botanical prints are often inexpensive, easy-to-find elements that mix well in a cottage room. Plain pitchers overflowing with bouquets of flowers increase the feeling of garden abundance. Whether from your own garden or purchased from your local supermarket or farmers' market, flowers add life to any space. Add candlelight, a simple yet elegant way to put romance in a cottage room. Include crystal candle holders for more sparkle. Use candles scented with florals or spices for another delightful sensation.

Choose your paint colors by your choice of cottage style. If you have selected English Country as your mode, you might want to use colors such as: rosy pink, hunter green, and leathery brown. These colors, when combined with the proper accessories and some chintzy fabrics and aged leather, will help translate the wonderful English cutting gardens of the countryside and the dark, earthy colors of a gentleman's library. Maybe, you have decided upon a Shabby Chic cottage. The pastel colors of celadon green, ice blue, bashful pink, and creamy white will romantically compliment all the roughest textures of iron and ever so gently peeled paint furniture that you will want to include. Maybe you wish your cottage to encompass the true Americana Cottage style of patriotic and simple colors of red, white, and blue mixed with dark, primitive wood furniture, and plenty of whimsical folk art and antique collectibles.

Personally I love the darker, richer colors. Reds, golds, browns and blues. I also love dark oak, pine and cherry. But I also love a home done with a lighter hand. Just go visit Bethy's blog and see her truly lovely home! ~~~~~~~~~~

Because cottage style is humble in nature, it can be executed on a budget. Don't feel you must have new pieces; you can make finds at flea markets, tag sales, thrift shops and secondhand stores. These are often the best sources for wonderful cottage style finds! Just check out Kim at Daisy Cottage or Cindy at Romantic Home. Their blogs can be accessed by clicking on their names at the right of this page! Both of these ladies have the most delectable homes and much of their decor was purchased via thrift shops and flea markets! Pay them a visit, their homes are glorious! ~~~~~~~~~~

Also visit Pat's home, Andrea's, Donna's, Rhoda's, Allie's....we all have slightly different color schemes and our homes vary in size and style but their houses all bear the mark of someone who truly loves their spaces, has the knack for arranging their treasures and lives to create a warm, happy nest. I can easily relate to anyone who is a true Nester! What I lack in house size and money to do what I wish, I make up for in desire! Oh but my wish list is looooong.

And look at the wonderful homes and gardens that Pea, Betty Jo, Cherry, Rosemary, Chris, Teresa, Andi, Jolene, Tammy, Sharon Kay, Leona, Terri, Sheila, Deb, Sheila, Kate, and so many other blog friends have created and shared with us in their blogs! If I have forgotten to add your name here, I will make it up to you I promise! ~~~~~~~~~~ The bottom line is this, your home has to suit YOU and your family. Not the neighbors, not the lady on the 3rd street over from the elementary school, not the in laws. Not me, not the other bloggers. It belongs to you. Make it yours...in any style that makes your heart sing. When you walk in the door after a hard day, your home should say, "Hey! I missed you! Sit down and relax." Okay, so not LITERALLY you know...ahem...but I digress...be comfortable in your spaces. Be surrounded by the things you love. Be *at home*....*at home*.

Hugs!

To Be In Ireland...

God grant a blessing on this tower and cottage

And on my heirs, if all remain unspoiled,

No table or chair or stool not simple enough

For shepherd lads in Galilee; and grant

That I myself for portions of the year

May handle nothing and set eyes on nothing

But what the great and passionate have used

Throughout so many varying centuries

We take it for the norm; yet should I dream

Sinbad the sailor's brought a painted chest,

Or image, from beyond the Loadstone Mountain,

That dream is a norm; and should some limb of the Devil

Destroy the view by cutting down an ash

That shades the road, or setting up a cottage

Planned in a government office, shorten his life,

Manacle his soul upon the Red Sea bottom.

~William Butler Yeats

It Is Very Late But....

So, how did we decide on the name for our home? I just knew that upon my first visit to the site, a name would pop into my head. The perfect name for our home!

We were living near St. Louis at the time it was being built and drove over several times during the 5 month process. The first visit was during the Winter and it was so cold and blustery the day we chose to make that initial trip. There had been a lot of rain and snow that week and, what would eventually be our small back yard & garden, was a sea of gray, undulating mud.

It all looked rather depressing and nothing at all like the home I had long awaited.

As we *tight rope walked* the wooden planks from the garage through the flowing torrents of ooze, 3 small brown rabbits darted by us as quick...as quick...well, as quick as a bunny!

Bill turned to me and said, "There! Who loves a little rabbit more than you? And look at them run around here! That has to be a GOOD sign right?". Rabbits....Running....Right by my future cottage....um....well. It *could* have been called, "Oozing, Gray and Depressing Mess Cottage", "I Am Freezing My Ample Tushie Off And This All Looks Horrible Cottage" or the ever popular, "How will this gross, disgusting muddy crap ever be a sweet little English garden Bill? Huh? HUH??? Cottage". In the end, "Rabbit Run Cottage" won out. Thankfully! Can you imagine how expensive a slate welcome sign with that

last title on it would have cost?