Spring in the Kitchen

Yes...shelves again : ) If you're a frequent reader here this is probably a familiar sight to you. But maybe some of my newest readers haven't seen our kitchen shelves just yet. And I did style them for spring so I couldn't help but share : )

My spring bulbs found a home in a white tureen. I love pops of green on white...one of my favorite combos!

I'm thinking of having a cushion made for the church pew. Either in a blue striped grain sack or in blue ticking...what do you think? It may not be in our kitchen in our next house though, so maybe I should wait?

I'm not sure if I'll ever tire of white kitchenware...it's so versatile. You don't have to do an all-white look like this. You could use it as a backdrop for brighter colors, do dramatic black and white, natural woods...the possibilities are endless!

Antique street signs = one of my favorite things. I have several at the shop right now that I definitely did not want to part with.

The antique butter knife was tied onto a package of something I ordered from Etsy. What a sweet touch. Its ornate details are beautiful.

Maybe someday I'll have something to style other than shelves : ) 

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Spring Bulbs

It feels like spring outside right now...

It didn't a few days ago, though. So I went to the store to see if I could find any spring flowers to brighten things up a bit. Actually, I went especially looking for Cyclamen, but the only white ones they had were droopy...and expensive. These hyacinths were not droopy, or expensive, so into the cart they went.

Now I have spring bulbs, almost balmy temperatures and a wicked winter cold. Hmmm...

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Winter Light

One thing I love about this time of year is the winter light. It seems so crisp and brilliant even though it's bitter and chilly outside. And winter light is especially lovely on bright, clean interiors. I don't know if these images were taken in winter or not, but they all seem to represent the light-washed feeling that adds so much life during the winter months.

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This room feels crisp yet cozy with the pops of red and the fun framed print.

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I absolutely love this desk...wouldn't you love to write Christmas thank you notes wrapped in a blanket at this little secretary?

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Winter hyacinths are the perfect finishing touch to this lovely farmhouse kitchen by Nancy Fishelson.

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Sunny windows makes this neutral space to come to life.

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The light in this photo reminds me a lot of the light that comes in our own little apartment. I love the mix of whites and textures.

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Wouldn't you love to do laundry in this space? Light everywhere would make sorting and folding so much more enjoyable!

What do you love about winter? Or are you just longing for spring?

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Sweet Touches

Cupid has visited the shop and we're ready for Valentine's Day! I have always loved this holiday, and I think just a few simple touches are the perfect way to celebrate.

I love these tin man's hearts, outfitted with wire and ready to hang anywhere. ($8 each)

They would be especially cute with pink or red ribbon tied on, though I didn't have any on hand. Still, they're simple and sweet and the perfect nod to the day of love.

These zinc prize ribbons aren't exactly Valentine-specific, but I absolutely love them! You can write on them with chalk or leave them as-is for a quirky addition to any display. I also think they'd be so cute at a birthday party! ($16 each)

I love velvet ribbon. All the ribbon we used at our wedding was thick gray velvet ribbon, and there's just nothing else like it. These spools of rose colored ribbon are 10.5 yards each, and so pretty for displaying on their own, or for tying packages and projects. ($19 each)

These little hearts are cast iron and perfectly petite. They would make darling paper weights, and look so cute sprinkled across a table top or displayed in a bowl. ($4.25 each)

All these items and much more are available this week at The Cottage Collective (Wichita, KS). How are you decorating for Valentine's Day? 

{live beautifully}

Courtney

PS- I wanted to say a huge thank you to Jennifer Rizzo for choosing my home as a top-12 finalist in her Holiday Housewalk competition. All of the finalist homes are gorgeous, so please pay them a visit!

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Sunday

{photo via my instagram}

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday! I'm planning to put some delicious soup in the crock pot after church, give the house a thorough cleaning, and maybe get a nap in. Winter days always make me want to stay in and just enjoy being at home, wrapped in warm hoodies and cozy blankets.

And best of all, the third season of Downton Abbey begins tonight! I cannot wait!

What are your Sunday plans?

{live beautifully}
Courtney

Winter in the Shop

When I was still on Christmas vacation I got to take a junking trip to find new goodies for the shop, as well as spend some time restocking/restyling the store during the day. Since it's so rare for me to not be there in the dead of night, I of course had to take some pictures of how everything turned out. I think it's a really fun mix right now!

I love the layout right now, though it changes weekly. This one is a different configuration than normal because of the huge church pew, and I love how it turned out.

Love the patina on this old door I found at a flea market

This hutch is gorgeous and has such pretty glass front doors for storage and display!

Do you love that huge wicker basket? I did the moment I saw it! I've never seen a basket/hamper that big but I knew I needed to bring it home...errr...to the shop when I found it.

Such a pretty white dresser with lovely details and hardware.

There's the twin to the arched window in my living room! I also have a twin to the left corbel (and wish I had one to the right : ) The zinc bunting banners (small and large) are a new part of my offerings at the shop and I'm a little in love with them. Aren't the leaded glass windows gorgeous?

Boxwood wreaths make everything prettier!

A grass green scale and moss topiary are right at home on a black dresser.

Another thing I'm having a terrible time parting with...gorgeous antique botanical prints in black frames. I dug these out of a very dirty, unheated junk shop and nearly kept them for myself. However after posting a picture on Instagram...they sold via comment in about 5 minutes : )

A divided, chippy mint green box is several feet long and perfect for displaying smaller items.

A cool old box, French mold and old mustard pot (nestled way down in there).

I always have scales on hand...can't get enough!

Scales and ironstone are the perfect pairing.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of The Cottage! If you're local, come see us! : ) 

{live beautifully}

Courtney

Simplicity

Happy 2013! I don't know about you, but I was craving a clean, simple aesthetic in our living room after the holidays. There's just something so soothing about clearing out the Christmas clutter for a fresh, simple look at the new year.

It didn't hurt that the White Issue of Country Living just arrived in the mail, providing endless inspiration for pared back, neutral spaces.

I was out on a junking trip this week and found this great arched window. Actually I found a pair, and the one I could make myself part with is for sale at The Cottage : ) The other side is a dark stained wood, and I like to think they were out of a charming old church.

The two white curtain panels were Christmas gifts to replace the oatmeal colored drapes that no longer matched the chairs. I love the smocked detailing and how light the fabric is (from World Market). I think it makes the room look a little lighter also.

One thing I didn't foresee about living in this house was just how often I would restyle these darn shelves in the living room. They've been through all sorts of reconfigurations, but I do think it has been a good exercise in practicing design. If you want to brush up on your decor skills...restyle shelves multiple times and see where you end up : )

This table can get busy quickly, but for now I wanted it to be simple. A painted basket filled with books, linens and greenery is just the look I was hoping for. The basket didn't sell after several months at the shop, so I took it home for now...if you look closely you can still see the tag : ) 

On the coffee table, I was again going for simple but with some fresh green to soften the winter blahs.

This just makes me smile : ) 

The light was so beautiful for this particular photo shoot...it was sunny but snowing out which flooded our apartment with winter light. I probably took too many photos but everything looked just right with all the creamy tones.

Have you put away the Christmas fluff yet? What look are you loving in the new year? 

Have a great week! 

{live beautifully}

Courtney