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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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!
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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To make the woodland centerpiece I took the plastic covering off of 2 blocks of floral foam and hot glued them into the bottom of a woven basket I had. Then I began filling the basket with a collection of grasses, cattails, pine cone floral stems, pheasant feathers and birch twigs I had “amassed” over the years. The tallest part of any arrangement should be in the center, so after anchoring my tallest pieces I began “fanning down” both sides from the center of the arrangement, inserting my filler into the florist foam. The last addition and focal point I added to the arrangement was a metal art piece … a copper stag among metal fir trees. 
For my place settings I used pieces of vintage Hull and Pfaltzgraff pottery, a treasure that Richard found and bought for me at an auction he went to with his brother, Bob. The dishes are a sweet remembrance for both of us since Bob passed away this past October. ❤ The pattern on this stoneware is known as “Brown Drip” pattern, a favorite of both the Hull and Pfaltzgraff Stoneware Companies during the 1930’s.
These simple, rustic napkin rings are made using mini-grapevine wreaths. I downloaded my free 
I love these darling little bean pots and keep collecting them whenever I see them at antique stores. 
They look charming holding BBQ beans for autumn wiener roasts … filled with 
Crystal glasses and little goblets from Germany are etched with grapevines and are rimmed in gold and have golden bases. I love the look of the fragile crystal contrasting with the heavy pottery and the comparison makes the crystal seem even more delicate. 
And this hand painted canoe makes a darling caddy for sweeteners!
A mixture of metals … the copper stag and the goldware add gleam to all the forest browns, moss greens and the deep brown dishes. For a final touch of coziness, I added this little lamp that looks like it was made for my woodland tablescape! The golden lampshade matches the carved canoe and also highlights the goldware and golden goblets while the dark silhouettes of the spruce trees and moose on the lamp shade adds more “depth” to my rustic theme.
You know how I love using every day objects in unusual ways?! I pulled Richard’s cashmere muffler from the closet and thought it made the perfect table runner for my woodland tablescape! The softness of the muffler contrasted with the rough basket centerpiece and it’s color … the same browns and moss-green colors found in the forest!
Juxtaposition/definition by Merriam-Webster: the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. Hmmm … crystal next to pottery, textured, woven centerpiece sitting atop soft, luxurious cashmere, and rustic grapevines mixed with elegant goldware??? I love juxtaposition decorating! (:
After our second Bald Eagle flew off, our “Blue, Super Moon” was just begin to rise and it was gorgeous! I couldn’t help but think of the scripture I had just read that morning …“Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.” Psalms 104:1-3
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“I’ll have a blue Christmas without you …”
“Here we come a-wassailing …”
“Daddy, how does this thing fly?”
“And a hundred other where’s and whys …”
“When you look down in those trusting eyes that look to you, you realize …”
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why? The nearest thing to Heaven is a child
Oh, I hope you enjoyed seeing our Christmas at Cottage Green and I hope you had a wonderful, blessed Christmas filled with moments that will warm your heart throughout the year. Our grand daughter told me, “Grandma, I’m sad Christmas is over” … I’m sad Christmas is over, too, but I promised God I am keeping Christmas in my heart, all year long! ❤
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I bought a package of these little boxes at Hobby Lobby on the party aisle where the crepe paper and favor bags are. They are called Gable boxes and they come 12 to a package for only $3.99. (Download the Hobby Lobby App to get 40 percent off on one regular priced, that can be used each time you shop at Hobby Lobby!) Using my Recollection tag die-cutter, I punched out tags from stock card in a variety of Spring colors and stamped them with bird nests, “For You” and a filigree frame (I wrote each guest’s name inside the frame) and used my hole puncher to punch a hole in each colored tag. Then, I filled each favor box with a fine sparkly shredded grass, nestled in some individually wrapped chocolates, tied a ribbon around each box and added a “set” of tags (1 of each … a bird nest tag, a “For You” tag and a filigree frame with the guest’s name on it) and tied them on to the ribbon of each favor.
“Tra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May!” Vanessa Redgrave sang in the Broadway musical, CAMELOT. The charming but now archaic definition of lusty, according to Merriam-Webster is merry and joyous. Looking out our open screen door to blue skies and hearing the birds joyously “tra-la’ing” as they go merrily about picking up choice “bits and pieces” to line and feather their nests, it is definitely “the lusty month of May!” The month of May is filled with promise, celebrations and events. One of the preparations I enjoy the most before any holiday or get together is getting the table ready and “dressed” for the occasion. Look at these darling place cards I made with matching grapevine napkin rings; perfect for a woodland theme Bridal shower, a Spring Tea Party or Mother’s Day Brunch!
All right, we’re off! First stop … The Secret Garden. The first time our daughter saw this forgotten garden she was only 9 years old. In excitement she breathlessly told me, “Mommy, I found the Secret Garden!” (: We’ve called it “The Secret Garden” ever since. ❤ These yellow roses rambling over a beautiful wrought iron fence are the more common variety of the Lady Banks Rose … and still reflect the hands that once planted and cared for them.
Gorgeous grape-like clusters of Wisteria dangle from the tangled vines within “The Secret Garden.”
Azalea Majestic’s bright magenta buds, blossoms and green foliage contrast beautifully with the texture of the rough landscaping bark.
It’s time to head home. Hope you are enjoying some beautiful weather where you are, even if it is only February! If you are still in the “throes of winter” … I hope these pictures will remind you that Spring is “right around the corner” and soon you will be seeing “adorably lovely Robins” showing off in your own backyard! (:
Cottage Green on the Lake 