by Trenda
Hang up your bunting, unfurl your flags and pull out all your red, white and blue … it’s almost America’s 242nd birthday! I love getting ready for the 4th of July and this tablescape seemed to come together effortlessly as I went around the house picking up an assortment of lake-y, picnic items and all things red, white and blue.
The focal point of this tablescape is vintage minnow bucket that Richard found for me on one of our antique-ing excursions. Some time ago, I told him I was looking a for a minnow bucket though I had a certain “look” in mind for that bucket. I wanted an antique bucket with good coloring and with graphics that were still readable, but I didn’t want it to look all “beat up” so I could use it for arrangements. I was amazed when months after I mentioned it to him, he came to me smiling with this perfect gift in hand, complete with both the bucket and the minnow strainer and with the added bonus of a little rust to enhance the patina! Now, that my friends is a gift more romantic to me than a bouquet of roses! ❤
Falls City The Angler’s Choice …
These woodland ferns are from our own backyard and are particularly gorgeous this year and so lush, they almost come up to my waist! They add color and “mood” and look charming tucked inside the minnow bucket.
A blue and white buffalo check throw is bold and sassy and looks like the perfect tablecloth for a 4th of July picnic or BBQ. Cobalt blue fish plates add to the lake theme and match perfectly with blue stemware, a special gift our son and daughter bought for me with their “pooled” allowances, many years ago. ❤
These cute clear glass bowls, shaped liked fish were another antique find and are stacked next to a chunky star filled with some red, white, and table glitz! (:
The metal rowboat is a great caddy for all accoutrements needed for a meal … star shaped dessert plates, straws, cutlery, plastic tumblers, and red, white and blue fans to stir up a little breeze in hot Texas weather.
A lake sign in vivid red ties the tablescape all together … HOOKED ON THE LAKE!
Thinking today of all our military men, women and their families. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made and given for our freedom and for our Country. ❤
Have a wonderful weekend from the “dawn’s early light” until the “twilight’s last gleaming.”
From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda
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On the other side of the kitchen, Richard removed the doors from these cabinets so I could display my collection of antique green and white dishes and other cherished pieces. The dishes are a mixture of patterns … Currier and Ives “The Old Curiosity Shop” … Old Colonial Homestead … and Green and White transferware from England but they’re lovely “mixed together” all in the same shades of greens.
Gazing beyond the window at blue skies and spring blossoms, and inside … lace-y tree branches reflected on my grandmother’s glass-topped table … a dreamy place to work!
Instructions for dying Graham Cracker Crumbs
I love using cabin and lodge decor in our cottage. According to the dictionary, another synonym for cabin is cottage.
“Cabins are of many kinds …”
“There’s always the possibility of magic …”
“Everybody feels at home right away. A cabin’s furnishings are simple, often treasured family hand-me-downs. Its sleeping lofts, tucked under the eaves, evoke memories of childhood. Its fireplace or wood stove provides physical and emotional warmth.”
A peek inside our own cottage/cabin walls. Tartan plaid walls topped with crests and a trio of Loon Duck plates “nest” on the walls of our home on the lake. Lots of wood, books and collections exude that cabin-y feeling.
The mirrored cubby in our German “schrank” which loosely translated means cabinet, holds another collection of “treasured family hand-me-downs” from the years we lived in Germany … a German music box, crystal decanters and mugs, pottery, a stein from Oktoberfest, hand painted glasses, a wooden “Smoker” and a special gift from our landlord and friend; a decorative piece that says “Stammtisch” which denotes a table reserved for the regulars.
“In a cabin retreat, pleasure overcomes duty for a little while.” ~ Bill Holm
A rustic blend of frames imbibes that “cabin” feeling … “Home Sweet Home”
In this bedroom the Adirondack decor, warm colors, and the quilted bedding adds cabin charm. A little tree “glows a welcome” and stays up all year decorated cabin-style … wooden bobbers, lures, hand-carved canoes, fish stringers, and twinkle lights adorn it’s boughs.
Cabin decor … Boat Rentals 1/2 Mile
A desk with lots of cubby’s and glimpses of “the outdoors” is tucked away in a little nook, perfect for writing or musing.
A sweet reminder of our own little fisherman.<3
Warm woods and shelves always add cottage and cabin charm.
A little twilight and cottage glow …
Then, what better way is there to add a bit of cabin coziness to a home than to have a Honey Bun Cake baking in the oven; the smells alone conjure up cabin luxury at it’s best! This recipe is an old standby adapted from a favorite Betty Crocker recipe. Our rainy, cool, foggy day in February seemed the perfect time to get out my mixing bowl. Just as the last of our day was slipping away, the fog lifted and the rain stopped in time for a beautiful sunset!
Hope your last days of February are warm and cozy in your own “version of the ten-foot thatched hut.”(: Last blog on “all things winter!” In 2 days, it will be MARCH and the season for all things SPRING … sunshine and shamrocks … bunny’s and The Lamb! 
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