Happy Easter....

Happy Easter!

I love this holiday!

It is always such a spiritually

 renewing time of year for me.

I am sharing my last few Easter

touches around the cottage.....

He is risen!

Have a wonderful Easter!

bunnies in the kitchen.....

A few more bunnies popping up

around the cottage....

My vintage rabbits....

One is paper mache,

and one is a chalk figure.

They hang out in the kitchen.

Making sure all is well this Easter,

but not taking up too much valuable space.

Aren't they so sweet?

Easter is such a precious time for me.

Both in the sweet decor that comes with this time of year,

and in the true meaning of Easter.

hippity-hoppity touches.....

Easter is just around the corner,

so I have added some little

bunny touches

 around the house......

a grassy moss bunny....

and a woodland bunny under a cloche....

I've got a few more Easter touches

to share tomorrow.

It is hard to believe

that it is already time for Easter!

St. Patrick's Day breakfast....

Here is a little head start on pinch proofing your St. Patty's Day morning.
Can you believe it is just around the corner?

{all pictures via pinterest}

On March 17th when all turns green for St. Patrick’s Day be pinch proof and at the ready with out pulling out the plastic green leprechaun hats this year. Here are a few examples of how to do just that with what most of us have: little time, little space, and a little budget.

Oh, the luck….

How easy is this? A breakfast cereal that all kids love dedicated to just this holiday, Lucky Charms! Take advantage of the ready made St. Patrick ’s Day breakfast, because let’s be honest, not all of us are lucky enough to have the time to whip up a big breakfast before we are racing out the door.

Next up, the milk, treat your self to a pack of Starbucks single serve coffees from the grocery, which is kind of like a pot of gold in and of itself to us busy moms. When empty {a day later in this house} clean the label off with warm soapy water and goo gone, add some milk with a few drops of green food coloring, mix together and drop a straw in. Wah-law, a breakfast fit for any lucky lad with little prep or money spent.

To personalize things and go just a pinch over the top of the Rainbow,

Print a note off of your computer letting them know how special they are.

You can serve the note up at breakfast or as a little surprise in their lunchbox or backpack.

Rainbow pancakes with a pot (ok, cup) o’syrup on the side…

Luckily, St. Patty’s day falls on Saturday this year. So, another great breakfast for those with the time to spare is the flap jack stack. Your family will think you are so talented when you whip up this super easy and surprisingly fast feast. {Given that you don’t burn them like I usually do, and then they all end up looking the same shade of brown, which I then call dark gold}

They are so simple to make. Just prepare your favorite pancake batter. Divide into several small bowls, add the food coloring, mix, and prepare as usual. Pour some syrup in a small bowl served up beside the stack. And there you have it. A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Not to mention, everything you need you probably already had in your pantry.

Not every holiday has to be over the top in order to celebrate it. Not many of us have the time or the budget to allow it. However, it is always so much fun to create memories and traditions with our families, and sometimes the “little things” end up feeling like the biggest. After all, aren’t we the luckiest of all to have someone we love enough to serve breakfast to? {Or in my case, someone’s who love me enough to eat the breakfast that I try serve up.}

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

More free printables...

the fourth of July is just around the corner.

which is kind of a shock to me.

 that was fast.

i think the snaps... pops... whatever you want to call them,

have always been my favorite.

just when you think you're all out,

you find one laying on the ground that hadn't yet snapped.

are you having a fourth of July get-together?

would you like a fun little handout for your guests?

I've found two different projects for those snaps

thanks to eighteen25 blog.

first project... toppers

download toppers here

[one] fill a snack size Ziploc bag with three bags of snaps.
[two] trim a black sheet of card stock to 4.5" x 7", then fold in half so that it measures 2.25" x 7".
[three] staple that onto the top of your filled Ziploc bag.
[four] cut out your 2" x 6" topper and attach to the front of your black card stock.

second project... tags

download tags here

[one] trim a black sheet of card stock just a tad smaller than your four pack box of snaps (found at wal-mart).
[two] trim a black patterned paper about a 1/4" smaller than your black sheet.
[three] trim a piece of red card stock about 3" x 3".
[four] attach the papers and your 3" tag to the snaps box.

(credits: the red star digital paper used on the tags and topper came from HERE)

Happy Independence Day!

4th of July free printables....

DIY 4th of July!

FREE PRINTABLES!

 

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a project with all of you and the coming holiday seemed like the perfect opportunity to get crafty. Hopefully this set will make your 4th of July just a bit more festive! This downloadable PDF includes sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers and straw tags. Simply print, cut, tape and voila – instant party!

What You’ll Need:

8.5 x 11″ 80lb white card stock (like this from Paper-Source)
8.5 x 11″ 80lb white text paper (like this from Paper-Source)
Color Printer
Paper Cutter
Double Sided Tape
Ruler
Standard Hole Punch
Sparklers
Straws
Matchbooks (found at my local grocery store)

Instructions:

1. Download the Matchbook and Straw Tags Template and print onto white text paper. Download the Sparkler Card Template and print onto white card stock. Print using the highest quality settings on your color printer to ensure that the patterns and text are clear.

2. Trim out all the shapes using scissors or a sharp blade and making sure to trim off all the black edges. Use a standard hole punch and punch where indicated to allow the straws to be thread through. Carefully trim out the small rectangles in the Sparkler Holders to weave the sparklers through.

3. Secure the wrap around the matchbooks with double sided tape, making sure not to cover up the striker strip. Crease the edges with your fingers or using a bone folder so that they are crisp. Thread the straw through the holes and position towards the top of the straw. Thread the sparklers through the slots.

I hope you all have a fantastic and joyful holiday! Cheers!

*For personal use only (non-commercial use). Thank you.

Printables thanks to twigandthistle!

4th of July inspiration...

I have pulled all the Independence day decorations down from

storage, and I am getting ready to turn the cottage into a patriotic paradise.

I wanted a little inspiration,

so I got online, and

I thought I would share with you what I found...

Old homes draped in flags and bunting

scream 4th of July to me....

I adore this paper banner above.

and this outdoor farm setting

with the American flag as a back drop is priceless...

And finally, all the lanterns with the American flag, perfection.

I am feeling the inspiration!

Off I go, to get busy...

Happy Valentine's Day!

May your day be filled with all the love

your heart can hold!

Valentine of Mine...

  I thought I would show you how 

I spread a little love around

the Covington Cottage

for Valentine's Day...

I don't do too terribly much,

but a little love

can sometimes go a long way...

If you know me,

then you know

I  LOVE, love.

I repeat,

I LOVE, LOVE!

I am always wanting to fix my single friends up.

I fancy myself a bit of a cupid if you will.

So it may seem strange for such a lover of love

not to go all out on the day of love.

But, I guess I just feel like

 love kind of

stands on its own.

I don't need to cover my house in lovey-dovey stuff

because it is covered in actual love by those who live in it....

everyday. 

Not just one day, but everyday.

Forever and Always!

Spreading a little Love...

"I have found the one whom my soul loves."

 -Song of Solomon 3:4

Valentine's Day is on it's way!

Wishing you all the lovey-dovey you can stand!

Mothers Day...

Happy Mother's Day to all you lovelies...

A picture of my mom holding me as a baby and her mother.

I could not have been blessed with a better mother.

I hope one day to be thought of like that by the girlies that made me a mom!

Thank you mom...

Cloche Encounters

I am a collector.

I love the thrill of the hunt, and I love new and creative ways to display my collections.

So, in my quest to marry my collections to displays I fell truly, madly, deeply in love with all that is cloche.

Here are just a few that make my heart skip a beat! Can you even imagine going to a tag sale in the french countryside, and walking up to this? Hows about a metal cloche?

If I had a green house, I think I would love the idea of green glass in my green house. Celebrating all that my green thumb could do! Alas, I do not have a green house, I do not have green glass, and I certainly do not have a green thumb.

I know it is not even near Christmas, and the last thing we want to think about is decorating for said holiday, but holy holiday this is a great grouping of cloches.

I love the idea of growing a garden and rushing out before a frost to cover my plants with my collection of cloches. Hey, wait a minute the cloche was not supposed to become a collection, but a way to display an existing collection. How did that happen? Oh yeah, I am a collector, and it is just part of my nature that can not possibly be helped.

How about a little funky modern to the mix!

Such a modern twist on an old faithful!

no need for words here....

Did I mention I collect old scales for my kitchen?

How about a little Asian twist on the cloche?

I am a shoppe keeper, so this just tickled my fancy as a great way to display the candles we sell.

So sweet when paired with a desert pedestal....

Did I mention that I collect old clocks?

I would love this on my dining table for Spring. Notice the mushrooms. A great alternative to the expected flower.I think this is my favorite of all.

LOVE this industrial look paired with the architectural pieces and again with my old clock collection.

I feel an office make-over coming on!