There is a lot of wood here in the mountain cabin.  The walls are original heart pine, old worn wood floors, there are wood beams on the living area ceilings and many of the bedrooms and hallways have wood ceilings.  Someone once asked if I was going to paint the wood . . . umm No!  I love it and it's actually one of the things that drew me to this cabin more than any other.  I didn't want our place in the mountains to look like it could belong in the city or at the beach or in France...but to look and feel like a mountain cabin.

When planning the kitchen, knotty river birch was chosen for the cabinetry and purchased at a local saw mill.  The goal was texture and character, but I wanted to break things up a bit since there is already so much wood in the cabin.  How to do this?  I wasn't quite sure, but one day while antiquing with a friend I saw this wall cupboard and thought it would add just the right touch.   

The Collected Cabin

The current remodel work here at the mountain cabin is taking a l-o-n-g time.  This phase is the last of the interior spaces to be done and once finished we will have a master bedroom, master bathroom and laundry area. The end of June our contractor committed to having this complete within four weeks, so I committed to being here full-time ... but they didn't get it finished.  Never ending!

Even though the dining room and most every corner of the cabin has been filled with beds, end tables, dressers, and other things for the new areas, I've been adding touches of fall.  I was enjoying the soft glow of the morning sun streaming in through the window, so I snapped these pictures.  

Simplicity

When I shared about early mornings in the kitchen and making coffee by the light of yummy scented candles and the soft flickering shadows from my antique hurricane, there was something I didn't mention.

Thistle.

Nestled between the candle and hurricane...it most likely went unnoticed.

Early Morning in the Kitchen

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

A Week Away...

We are on vacation and celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in the Smoky Mountains!  Please join me next week for Amaze Me Monday.

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...

Stuff for the Mountain Cabin Fixer Upper & Red Tole Lamp

Last December, after we closed on our place in the mountains, the search was on.  Knowing we had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living area, dining area, and a kitchen that would need to be furnished with everything from floor coverings to silverware...I got busy.  The last thing I wanted to do after the renovation is complete is to begin the search for furnishings, so I've been going to local antique shops, thrift stores and on FB yard sale sites, looking for everything from kitchen supplies to furniture that would go with the cabin feel I am going for and fit within my tiny budget.  I have learned that looking in advance ensures you find things you need for a much better price than having to make a quick purchase. 

Before we get to all the stuff, I want to show you the pink daylilies blooming just above the creek in the mountains.  I think they are beautiful with their bright yellow center and ruffly edges.

Birds Gone Bald

Spring and songbirds go hand in hand.  Choosing a mate, gathering nesting materials and laying eggs, they are all a pleasure to see and hear, and Cardinals are especially beautiful.

I believe it was last fall when I first saw one.  A bird that looked like a scary, prehistoric creature, sitting on my bird feeder.

Quilly?

You already know this about me, but in case you forgot, I am drawn to 18th and 19th century primitive and colonial style furnishings.  Much of it I can't afford, but I'm drawn to it nonetheless.  The fabrics, hooked rugs, metals fashioned by blacksmiths, artwork and furnishing from this time period are all quality made, most by hand and all with attention to detail.  They are well worn and by this time they have a history all their own.  Some of the primitives are just that...primitive...but the maker used the best materials he had and fashioned them by hand. There were Dutch, English, and many other influences during this time and each came with their own bit of sophistication, even in the most primitive of pieces.

From the paint colors, the textiles, furniture and lighting, right down to the crock on the chest, to me this room is perfect.  It is warm, inviting, classic, most likely there is an heirloom or two, and all of it has been collected over time.  Usually in homes like this there are many collections.  Collections of china, pottery, trinkets of this sort or that, and possibly the hunter has a catch or two mounted on the wall. 

A Steal of a Deal and a Touch Up for Fall

It had been a while,

and my car must have known it,

because I was in the parking lot before I even knew what was happening.

Wordless Wednesday

Silver Dish Turned Candle Holder in the Guest Room

It all started while searching for a few things to use in the guest room.

I was out and about,
searching for a little of this and that,
when I spotted a small silver serving dish missing the glass insert.

Priced at just a few bucks, I knew just what to use it for.

Late Summer and a Little Surprise

Are you like me and have mixed emotions about the summer season coming to an end?

In the South the autumn season puts on quite a show as cooling temperatures usher in a turning of leaves that is absolutely beautiful; I just wish winter didn't follow so close behind.

We've been getting a little more rain here lately with a few quick shower here and there, but I'm still having to water every other day or so.  I do believe the azalea bushes are suffering the most; they have such a shallow root system and the leaves begin to droop if I'm not consistent in giving them a drink.

Though it's late summer and much in the garden has faded there is still beauty to enjoy, like the sweet autumn clematis growing on a trellis at the back of the garage.

Through the Kitchen Window

We are definitely in the dog days of summer!

If you've been hanging around here for any length of time you know I love nature.

During this hot and busy summer,

one of the joys while cooking and doing the dishes

are the views through the kitchen window.

I've shared some of them with you; beautiful songbirds and snakes ~ A Special Place 

and the hummingbirds are such fun to watch ~ Hummingbirds in Flight.

Many amazing sights, some happen too quickly to capture, but sometimes I get lucky...

Small Antique Chair Solution for Clutter

I've found that my new spot for reading is in the keeping room.

It's close to the coffee pot,

just beside the laundry room,

and is in the heart of our home, the kitchen,

so it's the perfect spot to pull up the footstool and cozy up with a book.

There's been one problem.

I'm one of those that doesn't finish a book before starting another

and have several daily devotionals that I read, so there's clutter!

There is always a stack of books, my journal and pens cluttering up the table.

I needed a solution for keeping my books close by without all the mess

and

that's

when

this

small

antique

chair

came

to

mind.

The Keeping Room Window ~ Hummingbirds in Flight

Through the farmhouse kitchen and keeping room windows are wonderful views of nature.

It dawned on me when sharing about all the activity taking place at the front window in Through the Kitchen Window ~ A Special Place, that I haven't shared about the activity seen through the other windows in the keeping room.

To the left of the fireplace is a glass paned door and to the right is a window, both overlooking the deck with lots happening just outside.

Damsels in the Garden

Rounding the side of the house is a shady area with lush green shrubbery,
pachysandra ground covering,
an old urn filled with hosta
and
a lot of activity!

There is fluttering,

flitting

and

flying,

as the broad winged damselflies do their dance.

They are beautiful and remind me of butterflies!

Displaying Tiny Collections

The girls in our family pack up and head to the beach for a week every Mother's Day.

My mother,

my two sisters and me,

my daughter and niece,

my aunt and cousin too.

All us girls at the beach, it's such a special tradition.

We play games, watch movies, tell stories, dance, eat and eat, laugh and laugh, go for runs, walk on the beach, lay out by the pool, hop on tubes to mosey down the lazy river pool...it is SO much fun!

This year Tropical Storm Ana came in for the first couple of days of our stay and thankfully when she left the skies were clear and the temperatures perfect for the rest of our week.

After the storm passed, my daughter and I went for a walk on the beach hoping to find some sharks teeth and pretty shells.  We didn't find any sharks teeth, but did find some of the tiniest seashells I have ever seen, so I brought them home.

These shells are tiny...

Through the Kitchen Window ~ A Special Place

It's often the littlest of things that bring us joy.
That special something that brightens our day, adds excitement, lifts the soul and makes us happy.

The word joy means:
A feeling of great happiness.
A source or cause of great happiness: something or someone that gives joy to someone.
Success in doing, finding, or getting something.

My old kitchen was tiny.
There were no windows and I stared at a wall while washing the dishes.
Since remodeling, it is pure joy taking in the views and having the sun stream in through the new kitchen window.

Even on a cloudy day it's bright in the kitchen.

Sometimes You Need a Little "Me" Time

Just after placing the Boston fern on a hook and giving it a spray of water, I headed back in the house.

Once in the kitchen I looked out the window and noticed a house finch landing on the fern.  She began bathing in the droplets of water; it was the sweetest thing to watch!

After her bath, she nestled herself into the fern as if to take a nap, so I headed for my camera.

A little bath.  Settling in for a nap.  So sweet.

Once back with my camera I took a few pictures of the sleeping finch, which seemed to be all alone.