A Day of Small Things

Happy Thanksgiving!
What makes me grateful this Thanksgiving day -- a day we set aside
to reflect on our blessings and say what we are thankful for?
For me, it's the small things. 

I wake up slowly as weak November sunlight peaks through the bedroom's linen curtains.  

I am most thankful for this easy early morning time since retiring. 

No more blaring alarm clocks to shatter my dreams. 

Only a little white dog belly-crawling up through the blankets to lick me awake with wet dog kissies.

Having time to leisurely enjoy a hot cup of coffee while browsing through a favorite magazine
makes me happy. I've always loved reading magazines to start my day. 

I even have time to grind fresh coffee beans -- what a difference from the weak coffee machine
in the employee lounge. Ahh. Retirement. Yes, definitely thankful for that.

How to spend my day, this special day of gratitude? 

Here in Denver, we have a traditional Thanksgiving race called the Turkey Trot
where everyone runs around Washington Park before the big holiday dinner.
Calorie burning in advance of the feast.

We cheer the racers on and enjoy their creative costumes.

Walking home, we smell fireplaces burning in the crisp air. Gray smoke curls up into the 

darkening sky. Inside, our gas fireplace provides warmth, convenience and a cozy feel.

Thanksgiving dinner is a simple affair. 

As a vegetarian, I try a new pasta recipe and Ron makes pumpkin pies, my favorite. 

This is one day when we actually use our dining table to eat on. 

I appreciate all the holiday touches and wonder why we don't do this more often.

Time to nest. This holiday gives me time to think about the onset of winter.
Moving indoors, re-reading a favorite book or watching old black and white movies.

Turning inward as the days grow shorter and the light slants low through my windows.

Christmas is tapping on my door.
Soon I will get out our holiday decorations and, this year, I vow to keep it simple.
Okay, more simple than last year. 

Evening is a time for quiet reflection and remembering Thanksgivings past. 

I miss my family and friends who have moved on.

I'm thankful for the good man and my little dog who share my life. 

As this day ends, we watch a gorgeous sunset over the mountains and count our blessings.

The Denver Post, our first newspaper, proudly proclaimed as its slogan in 1859: 

"Tis' a blessing to live in Colorado." 

Got that right! So much to be thankful for on this day of small things.

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French Country Cottage

A Day of Holiday Shopping

Sometimes holiday inspiration can be no further away than your local antique store or market. 

Shop owners are masters of staging and we can always pick up a few creative ideas from them. 

Even if you don't buy anything, the colorful displays are sure to inspire some clever ideas

and get you in the holiday mood. 

We just visited the Old House Vintage Market in Loveland, Colorado 

and saw lots of wonderful holiday goodies.

I may have to include some of these pretties in my letter to Santa.

After a nice lunch, we drove across town to peek in a couple of our favorite antique stores

where we ooh'ed and ahh'ed at their holiday displays. 

With Christmas just around the corner, this fun day was just the ticket 

to get the creative holiday juices flowing. 

It's not too early to start thinking about holiday gifts and decor. 

Have you been naughty or nice this year?

Oh, and Santa dear, I really loved those rooster pillows!

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French Country Cottage

French Country: A Touch of Bleu in the Foyer

I still love my neutral palette of creams and whites, but when I discovered 

a chippy blue window frame in the alley, I decided to incorporate it into my foyer design.

Here's a "before" picture without the touch of blue.

What a difference that little bit of blue makes!

The window frame leaning against the wall 

makes a pretty backdrop for my straw-covered bottles.

And the bleu really pops!

In a sea of neutrals, blue draws the eye and amps up a space.

 This color makes me think of a beautiful blue sky or a soothing indigo ocean.

I scrounged around until I found the perfect old blue book -- 

"David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens to add to the grouping.

I think the rusty orange berries and the spicy orange candle are a nice contrast to the blue
(and they're Denver Bronco colors!).

Blue and orange are opposite each other on the color wheel,
making them striking complementary colors.

What does the color blue mean to you?
For me, blue inspires calmness and a sense of serenity.

It symbolizes freedom. optimism and new beginnings -- a perfect color
to incorporate into my foyer as we look forward to a new year of possibilities.

This blue-framed house blessing is a special greeting in the foyer.
I just love it.

In case you can't read it, it says:

Peace abide beneath thy rooftree
Cheer along its rafters ring,
Joy and mirth and laughter gather
Neath thy firelights flickering.
Hope illumine all the shadows
with a radiance divine,
And the arms of love forever
Shelter thee and thine.

I hear designers are proclaiming blue is having a moment now.
I guess that means the style gurus think it's the current must-have color.

I know it's always been one of my favorite colors even though I don't have a lot of it in my home.
But I do think a touch of bleu is just right.

Happy November everyone and let's remember
to honor our veterans on Veterans' Day, November 11th. ! 

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A New Arrangement

If you're like me, you probably have a closet or storage space that holds accessories you don't
use all the time. Christmas decorations, faux fall leaves and gourds, silk summer flowers. 

Isn't it fun to shop your own "home store" to create new arrangements without spending a dime?

When the itch hits me, which is does with seasonal regularity, 

I like to change things up and design new arrangements.

Look at things you already have with a fresh eye.
This wire basket had previously held a stack of wash cloths in the bathroom. 

Now it contains old books, a brown glass bottle, and a striped croquet ball in the guest room.

I brought this outdoor urn into the dining room and
added some faux boxwood to extend the summer season. 

Accessories are the easiest way to craft new looks, and you don't even have to move
heavy furniture (although I like to do that too, just ask Ron)!

I needed something to balance the furniture on each side of the dining room mantel 

so Ron moved the sewing machine base from the front porch for me. Perfect!

Infusing a few new finds can give your old arrangement a fresh look. I found this unique
galvanized milk jug and mason jar candle at an antique store while visiting Ohio recently.
Mixing in a wooden bowl from the dining room filled with pine cones and walnuts
adds warmth and brings the outside in. 

These green bottles and jars look completely different when they are all displayed together. 

Like one of our Colorado magpies, I'm always attracted to bright shiny objects!

Switching out vintage books and a pair of opera glasses for a bird's nest 

under this old glass cloche was an easy makeover. 

I also use the cloche at Christmas to hold a holiday arrangement. 

I've been incorporating a horsey feel to the guest room so I rescued my toy horse from the attic. 

He usually makes an appearance at Christmas giving stuffed teddy bears a ride under the tree
but he looks great under this tall window. 

It seemed like the perfect time to move my black velvet riding helmet to the nightstand shelf.

The simple addition of Edgar, the raven, (named after Edgar Allen Poe) 

added a moody dimension to my foyer display. 

I'd been thinking about trying my hand at creating a gallery wall in my stairway.

I used pictures I already had, either in storage or hanging elsewhere, that had a similar feel. 

I laid a stair-step arrangement out on the floor first then measured and marked spots for nails. 

The verdict? From bland to beautiful!
(And there's plenty of space to add to the gallery in the future.)

And finally, a new arrangement on the dining table brings a touch of romance to the room
with a fall centerpiece of candles, autumn leaves, pine cones and nuts.

I found the pretty toile tablecloth at a yard sale.

The two champagne glasses have a funny provinance . . . when we moved into this house, we discovered these glasses tucked into the rafters of the basement where a teenage boy had hidden
them along with his poor report cards! We always think of him whenever we use them. 

So, are you ready for a new arrangement?
Have fun and good luck!

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My Thrift Store Addiction, French Country Cottage