Get S'More Love

My thoughts for the doing something sweet for the family for Valentine's Day went something like this.

If Valentine's Day = Love + Chocolate

and The Cabin = Love + Campfires

and Campfires = S'mores

and S'mores = Chocolate + Graham Crackers + Marshmallows

THEN ...Valentine's Day= S'Mores

I sincerely apologize to all my former math teachers for my horrific equations.

Math was never my best subject.

Nonetheless, they got me to the wonderful idea to create some type of s'more creation for Valentine's Day, when everyone wants s'more love.

It is still many months before we will be making actual s'mores before a campfire, so I love these twists on the traditional. Now it is just a matter of deciding which one to make.

S'more Sundae

Link to S'more Sundaes at Martha Stewart

S'more Cookies

Link to S'more Cookies at Martha Stewart

S'more Bownies

Link to S'More Brownie Recipe at Food Network

S'more Pie

Link to S'more Pie Recipe at Family Fun

Or...the really easy- no bake S'more treat!

I even found some cute crafts to make with the kids.

Oriental Trading

I hope you find a way to show your family s'more love on Valentine's Day too.

Excuse me now, I really need to go find a piece of chocolate. Fast.

Inspiration: Ferns

Today I read a wonderful  post by Melissa over at The Inspired Room Inspiration from Farmhouse Style: 10 Things I Love.  It showcased some of the same things I had been admiring too in the Pottery Barn catalog that came a few days ago. It got me thinking how similiar farmhouse and camp/cabin styles are. The lanterns, the time worn furniture, the cozy blankets and pillows- bringing the outdoors in. My wheels were starting to turn thinking of writing about it.  Then, lo and behold, in my mailbox today was another Pottery Barn- their smaller Bed and Bath catalog and on the cover was one of my favorite things. Ferns.
Ferns are all over the mountainside of our cabin. When we arrive, usually late at night, one of the first things I do is take a deep breath and inhale all of that wonderful fern goodness. That smell means relax- you are where you really want to be.
In the spring, we watch for the little fiddleheads popping through the leaf cover on the forest floor. In the summer,  I sit on the porch and watch the lacy fronds sway in the breeze. I have even tried to transplant a few into our cottage shade garden. Ferns are simple, elegant. A symbol of the forest to me.
Tucked in here and there among the trees, like we are tucked in, in the middle of our mountain.
 I am not sure that I would use all of these new fern "lovelies" from Pottery Barn. They are not exactly the vintage rustic style I am want to create for the space. But perhaps I can use them in our little cottage in the middle of suburbia-  a constant reminder of the cabin and the forest of ferns waiting for us there.

Country Living

Linkin' Love: Inspired Room

Wooden Wonders & Ode to Our Tree

I love wood.
That might be obvious because we did build a small log cabin. But I think wood is a thing of such beauty. A single piece of wood with its patterns of grain, knots and texture can be an exquisite masterpiece.Whether your style is cottage or cabin, coastal or contemporary- wood pieces in a home are beautiful. Traditionally we think of wood floors and furniture, but look at all of the wooden treasures below. What a wonderful way to add warmth and charm. A simple birch candle, a twig mirror, wooden wind chimes- a way to bring the outdoors in...even in the middle of the winter.

Wood Wonders by betweencottageandcabin on Polyvore.com

And because I am in the middle of my tribute to wood, I would also like to indulge a little and share the loss of one of my favorite pieces of wood, a majestic tree in our backyard.

This tree was a gigantic oak. Its roots rumpled all around the surface of the ground, and in those nooks and crannies I planted flowers and succulents. The path around the tree was one of my favorite parts of our garden.

Then last spring we discovered a hole at the base of the tree. We couldn't tell how big the hole really was but we knew it went down deep into the center of the tree. We were no longer sure how stable the tree was.  I started having nightmares during wind storms that the tree would fall and crush the house and us. Finally, we made the painful decision to have it cut down. Many of the people we called for estimates wouldn't even attempt the job because of the sheer size of the tree. Eventually, we did find a company willing to take the job. The day the tree came down I cried. I felt so terribly guilty for the loss of this noble giant.

In this photograph, you can get an idea of the size of the tree. The fence post next to it is seven feet tall.

Once the tree was cut we were able to investigate the hole. In the photo, Hubs is holding a standard size shovel. He was able to put it  into the hole and drop it about another five feet down. Knowing the depth of the hole, helped to ease the guilt I felt. For the safety of our family and our home, I  think we made the right decision. But I still look in the backyard where this beautiful tree once stood tall and proud and I mourn our loss.
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