The cabin is a special place.  On the drive up, it is truly amazing, how we feel the weight of the world lifting and peace settling in.  Once there, with the beauty that surrounds and the sound of the rushing creeks, it is always such a calm and relaxing place to be.

Inside the cabin, there is a small window of time when the sunlight streams in.  A little in the morning and a bit in late afternoon.  I love those times as the sun dances through the lace covered windows, it is brighter and the extra warmth...especially in the winter.  But mostly it's a bit dark inside, so on comes the lamp light, oil lamps and the flicker of candles.  This was taken in the morning, just as the sun was coming in the front windows.

Antique Oil Lamp for the Cabin Guest Room

I've been in the mountains during this latest phase of the cabin renovation and since there is so much of the cabin I haven't shared with you, I wanted to start with this antique lamp.  In the cabin there are two bedrooms; one with three twin beds and one with a queen bed.  When this phase of the renovation is complete there will also be a master bedroom.

While searching for cabin furnishings I wanted to find things that were rustic and with character, so I was happy to find this antique kerosene oil tank turned into a lamp.

Early Morning in the Kitchen

The weather outside is dreary, but inside it is peaceful and quiet on this early Tuesday morning.

Fall Home Tour 2017

Possibly I should change the title of this post to "Ready for Fall."  You may remember I've been shopping for our cabin fixer-upper.  For the past year I've been acquiring furniture, bedding, kitchen supplies, and so forth, so we will be ready to move in when all the work is finished.  With that, our house is filled to the brim.  The living room is full, the downstairs guest room is full and things are spilling over into great room...it looks like a hoarder lives here!  Even so, I've decorated for fall and the main rooms we live in are ready for the season...so come on in!

Two Treasures ~ An Outing with Mom

Mom and I try to spend at least one day a week with each other.  We'll go to lunch, then shopping or to the grocery store, or whatever we feel like doing on any given day.  We usually come up with our plan while eating our lunch.  

On this day after lunch, we found ourselves at a resale shop and this is how the story goes...

Antique Horse Weathervane in the Kitchen

As I turned the corner my eyes landed on that amazing antique weathervane and it was love at first sight.  I've always had a thing for them, old copper weathervanes.  My preference would be one with a horse or rooster, but truth is, I like them all.  For years I've wanted one but they've always been out of my reach, cost wise, and this one?  Located on top of a cupboard, I had to ask one of the sales people to get it down so we could find the price and I had my fingers, toes and maybe even my eyeballs crossed in hopes that this one would be in my price range.  It took two people, one to steady the ladder and one to handle the weathervane.  It was large, the stand was at least 40" tall, and one of the feet on the base was broken, but wow...what a beauty.  Once down where I could reach, I quickly leaned over to turn the tag and sure enough...my heart sank.  There was no way I could pay that.

Adding Sparkle in the Dining Room

Having a formal dining room and living room at the front of the house is nice.

When someone drops by, these rooms help the rest of the house appear to be clean and tidy because they aren't used often.  Unlike the family room, which most days has loads of clean laundry on the sofa needing to be folded or waiting to be taken upstairs and put away, or this and that strewn about.  At least the front of the house is pulled together.

Equestrian and Burlap in the Family Room

We used to call this the great room.

Previously there were two rooms where we could watch tv and entertain guests.  Just steps from each other, one room was the den and the other was this larger room with lots of windows, a fireplace and an exit door to the back deck, so we called it the great room which was fitting at the time.  We didn't use this room often because most of our leisure time was spent in the den.

A couple of years ago we began remodeling and combined our former den and tiny kitchen to make our new kitchen and keeping room. The great room was updated too.  We had already removed the popcorn ceiling and during the renovation we removed the old carpet and replaced it with hardwood flooring and the dark paneling was painted.  We now spend most of our leisure time in this room since our old den is now part of the new kitchen.

Changes in the Guest Room

It is cold here in North Carolina.  Yesterday we had a little sleet and snow, today it is sunny and in the mid 40's, however tomorrow is when the fun is to begin.  The forecast for Friday is 28 degrees with freezing rain and Saturday 37 degrees with s-n-o-w.  I hope so!  I would like at least one good snow this winter.  I understand that might seem a bit silly to those of you who live with that white stuff all winter long; but we don't get a good snow often so it's a treat when we do!

Enough about the weather, let's get on to the changes in the guest room...

Colonial Farmhouse Guest Room Reveal

It's been fun pulling the guest room together and it's finally finished!

I wanted this room to feel warm and cozy with colonial farmhouse touches.  I also wanted to furnish it by shopping the house; spending as little as possible by using what I already have and hoping it comes together well.

I didn't paint the room or purchase curtains.  The walls were already a pale yellow with red drapes hanging, so that was my starting point; bright walls and curtains in my favorite color...red!

Guest Room Progress

The guest room, turned office, is being turned back to a guest room again.

I want this room to feel warm and cozy, so I'm adding colonial farmhouse style furnishings and accessories.  There's been a lot of progress since I shared the Guest Room Sneak Peek with you;
the cupboard is finished and a few new finds have been added too!

Five Chickens in the Keeping Room

No more blank walls!

I have been searching for months to find artwork for the keeping room.

At first I thought a long and narrow canvas would be the way to go.

A painting of a cow or cotton field; something farmsey (should be a word!) since the keeping room has a farmhouse style.

After searching on etsy and visiting local shops, I finally found it!

Scattered about in a consignment shop were five antique prints that spoke to me, so home they came!

Ironstone Find and Hydrangea

It's always fun spending the day with a good friend,

strolling through antique shops,

and enjoying lunch at a quaint small town diner.

Such was the day when I came across my newest find, this ironstone soup tureen with ladle.

Hanging Antique Plates and Preserving History

For a while now I've been looking for some plates to hang on each side of the living room mirror,

but wasn't having much luck.  The plates I came across were too big, the wrong colors, all the same pattern, or too pricey.

Then,
waiting for me at the antique shop just up the road,
were six plates with the perfect pattern and size for the spot.

New Find ~ Blue Onion in the Kitchen

I don't take it for granted.

Having a husband that actually enjoys strolling through antique shops with his wife is a blessing and I'm so thankful.

While we were out last Saturday I spied some blue and white.

Ironstone ~ It Never Hurts to Ask!

One of my favorite places to look for antiques is a little shop just down the road.

For a good while now I've had my eye on the one and only ironstone piece in the shop, a soup tureen.

Decorating with Collections ~ One Thing Leads to Another

It is true.
We decorate our homes with pieces that speak to us.

It was a bit of a surprise, discovering a collection of pups while straightening up some cupboards.
A fun surprise while doing early spring cleaning,
finding one here and another there,
to realize I had a collection of pups of many different types and styles.

Pieces found over time,
not intentional,
they had spoken to me and is how this collection came to be.

With my new found collection, I decided to use some of them.

The Staffordshire pitcher was added to the table by the couch here.

One thing always leads to another.
I brought this pothos plant in from the kitchen, moving it to the marble top table in the great room.
I love the vivid green in this blue and white transferware pitcher,
something bright and cheerful on these dreary days of winter.

Staffordshire Pup Pitcher ~ Changes in the Great Room

I've been straightening up some cupboards, early spring cleaning I guess you could say.
That's when I realized a number of pups that I have collected over time,
so I decided to change things up in the great room.

One of the pups I came across was this Staffordshire pitcher

and that's when all the changes started.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Winter months can be a bit dreary

so I've been adding a little life here and there.

Decorating the Fireplace Mantel & Hearth

The fireplace is even more of a focal point this time of year
as we light the fire for added warmth on these cold days of winter.

I've been wanting to do something different on the fireplace in the great room
and found it easier to begin with a clean slate,
so I cleared everything off.