Red, White and Blue Inspiration

Red, white and blue- it is everywhere at the cabin...

...the small hutch I repainted...

...the dresser drawers we repainted too..

 Even on the porch:  our rocking chairs...

...and the girls' rocking chairs and side table too

But where did all this red, white and blue inspiration come from?

I am so glad you asked.

Part of the answer is, I was trying to create a "man" retreat for Mr. Cabin. He built the cabin with his bare hands so he kinda deserved it. Plus, bless his poor soul, he is ordinarily drowning in a sea of cottage white and pink at home with two little girls. The cabin style is the polar opposite of the cottage look we have at home and it was important to me that our home-away-from-home look and feel different.

The second part of the answer is this piece that inspired it all.

Two years ago, during our Fourth of July cabin trip, I found the antique store score I am most proud of to date. Tucked deep in the back of the store, nestled beneath piles of other furniture was this wonderful truck. Even though it was dusty and dirty I immediately feel in love with it's distressed red, white and blue. After I put the trunk in the trunk and drove it back to camp, Mr. Cabin liked it just as much as I did. The rest is cabin color scheme history. 

Mr. Cabin re-lined the inside of the trunk with cedar so now its a great spot

 to store extra blankets and linens.

Hope you enjoy your red, white and blue wherever it may be.

 Happy Independence Day!

Censational Girl's Stars and Stripes Party

Linking to these parties...

Hydrangea Happy

Four summers ago, when the girls were born we planted two trees in our garden to commemorate their birth. While we were at the nursery, I also purchased the hydrangea I had been wanting for quite some time. It's blooms were always beautiful but not plentiful enough for me to cut to bring some inside. Finally, there are tons of blooms this year and I have gone a little "Hydrangea Happy!"  I am putting them everywhere...

...The Dining Room

...The Fireplace Mantel

...The Office

...and there are still more than enough left in the garden.

Have a lovely weekend,


Linking to these parties...

Flea Market Finds

I got a special treat this weekend and was able to escape for a few hours to go to my favorite flea market.
First big find was this table: wheeled, red and ready to be the perfect little resting spot for a cup of coffee on the porch.

Next find was the two vintage milk bottles.

Great vase for our fresh picked daisies.

And last but certainly not least, this metal headboard.

Now originally I had planned on putting it in the loft on one side of the window, painting it red and then continuing to search for another headboard for the other side.. but it didn't fit.

So I tried it on the opposite wall.

Not only does it fit fine but now I am thinking that maybe I shouldn't paint it at all. What do you think? Does the color work as is?

Cabin Bathroom

This is a nursery dresser that has been passed around my family for years. Originally, I think it was my aunt's, however somehow it made it's way to my house. We weren't really using it though and I thought it could be a great piece at the cabin if I repainted it. I was hesitant though because I thought all the little nursery paintings were just darling and I didn't want to ruin them.

Solution- beadboard. We had some left over from the cottage kitchen and we didn't have to buy too much more. Mr. Cabin was able to cover up the cute little characters just in case I ever want to restore it to its original condition.

The new and improved dresser is another combination of denim blue, red and ivory.

I think it has a very fun "campy" vibe now.

The rest of the room we filled with our growing collection of tin signs.

For curtains, I drapped two shades of blue bandanas over the curtain rod.

I'm really looking forward to adding more tin signs as time goes on and completing our "rustic fun" look.

 Linking up to these great parties...

Lavender Love

The other evening just before sunset, I was able to steal a couple of rare, quiet moments watching a bee flit from lavender blossom to lavender blossom. The little guy even allowed me to take his portrait, although he refused to sit still...too busy to steal a couple quiet moments for himself  I suppose.

The lavender swayed in the breeze and the smell was intoxicating.

So I clipped a few to savor inside.

I think the smell is even better inside the kitchen.

Link Parties

Playset Re-do Preview

Last year, we made the difficult decision to have a gigantic, noble oak tree cut down in our backyard. Feel free to read all about the saga.  It was heartbreaking.

Searching for the silver lining in the cloud, we thought about how we could use the space. We had already planted new trees in different parts of the garden so this space was free. It was enough area for the playset we thought we would never be able to fit in our yard. So this spring, a year after the tree was cut down, we were ready to build one,  only to discover we still had roots. Lots and lots of roots. Massive roots that we were chipping away at for weeks- I kid you not.

Finally we needed to bring in one of these guys again...

..my poor pavers.

But at long last, most of the roots were gone and we could begin building the playset.

 Luckily our neighbors were getting rid of the playset their grandchildren had outgrown.

"Of course we'll take it!"

However, Mr. Cabin could not leave good enough alone.

Oh no- not when you can re-hab, re-furbish and build it bigger and better!

Mr. Cabin: The canvas roof is ripped and torn maybe instead of replacing it with new canvas I can build a solid roof instead. What do you think? 

Me: That's a great idea, but can we build something that has a little character. Maybe a little cupola on top or something?

Mr. Cabin: Character? For a playset? Are you serious?

Me: Well why not?

And so with that Mr. Cabin began his super-secret building plot.

For an entire day, I was convinced he was building me a planter box.

On the ground this box he was building looked exactly like a planter box!

What it was....was a whole new level- a ladder to a lookout tower. 

A little more than what I expected when I asked him to add a little character!

No problem re-enacting Rapunzel at our house now.

The best part of the lookout is the roof. He jigsawed out stars all around three sides and on the fourth side...

a giant "S" for their shared first initial.

Even the view from inside is pretty cool.

As I write this Mr. Cabin is still in the backyard painting various parts and there is a ton of mulching and landscaping to be done. But until its done, I thought you might enjoy a little playset sneak peek!

Going to show off some of my man's work again at some of these Link Parties.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Pleasures of the Cabin Porch

Right now we are in the midst of a couple of weekends where we won't be able to escape to the cabin. Luckily, they are all good reasons- family birthday parties and fun celebrations. We have been trying to take advantage of that extra weekend time home at the cottage to get some more projects done- a swingset for the girls, some more landscaping.

So while we are checking things off our 'cottage to- do list", I am also trying to tackle a few projects for the cabin as well, one of them being our porch.

I have two Adirondack rocking chairs just waiting for their cherry red paint.  Here are a few inspirational photos I have found of other cabin porches.  I'd take a cup of coffee on any one of these anyday. They are holding me over until I can get to mine.

Country Living

Jean Allsopp, Whisper Creek Cottage

Better Homes and Gardens

Southern Living

Link Parties