Completed Bathroom?

    I received a lovely little note in my inbox yesterday that said "Missie are you okay? I have enjoyed reading your blog so much...it is a delight. Please tell me you are just busy painting the house all white?"
    Well, I have been very busy! Truthfully the real reason is that I have this bathroom that needed finishing touches that I just couldn't see posting about until it was completely & utterly done.
    I won't lie...there are still a few things that I need to do. Repaint the door but to do that I want to take it off lay it flat & actually do it properly. Yes, I said properly! That means I need some half way decent weather so I can take it out into the garage to paint. Currently, it is just waaaay too cold! Not only for the paint but for me to be out in the garage painting. Yes, I admit it I am wussy when it comes to cold! I said I liked the beautiful white of the snow...not that I want to actually live in the cold. Hello!!


     So now with before pictures of my bathroom. Alright, they really aren't true before pictures since they were an "OOPS!" I started to paint & wanted to take pictures of the bathroom for comparison.

 Old vanity repurposed from an old sewing machine cabinet

Valentine's day shower curtain...I know corny but love to decorate for Valentine's Day as much as Christmas.

Dark picture...sorry amateur photographer that I am.

      Really, it was a cute bathroom & these pictures don't do it justice but like I said I had already started clearing it out for painting.

In Progress

      So finally after nearly a week of painting, replacing flooring & the vanity here is the finished product....

LOVE the shower curtain! Yes, it's one that I have had but it looks much prettier now.

Hubby built a new frame & sliding frame to replace the old metal cabinet

Granite counter top & light that moved from my bedroom...makes perfect nightlight.

Can you believe I had this vanity in the garage in a box for 5 years!!

Moved this from my bedroom to use for towel rack. Made from old shed from my grandparents property & antique silver spoons hooks.

Weathered bench from Hubby's grandma.

All three colors in one shot

Repainted trim...It is Tuxedo Black by Valspar

Same light fixture just cleaned up

Another lovely find from Hubby's grandma

A fresh coat of paint is all this needed

Hubby's Grandma's china platter & green vintage glass canisters hold bath necessities.

Vanity cabinet & new flooring

Grey flooring also from my garage!

What do you think?

      So there you have it....the completed bathroom. I say complete but PLEASE realize once you come to my house it may be slightly different. I am sure I will tweak a few things.

It has begun...

In my last few posts I told you about the epiphany I had while undoing the Christmas decor & the lovely snowfall we had..

The one where I wanted to coat the entire house in a coat of white...

Well...

You know this is a much bigger undertaking than it actually sounded.

But...

I've started.

Thanks to my sweet friends who left comments saying they loved my house the way it was.

But I can't leave well enough alone...

I have painted the main bathroom.

And since we have a lovely vanity with sink sitting in the garage all boxed up for...do I dare say?
5 years! Yes, five years! We decided it should finally come in.

Well, that means the previous floor doesn't match. So out with the old & in with the new.

Back soon with before and after photos of bathroom and then to start on the kitchen!

Dreaming of a White ...Everything!

       My style has always been I love this, I love that, ooh, I LOVE & WANT that! Throw it all together & it will work. For the most part, I believe it always has. Honeybee Cottage (along with our previous homes) has been a constantly evolving, changing... almost living thing. I have used my ingenuity, creativity & love of a great vintage "treasures" to decorate.

        With my recent confession of dreaming in white I have shocked, dumbfounded & totally confused my family & friends. They seem to associate white with sterile, bland, stiff, stuffy & well, just plain boring! "White is everything you are not!" exclaimed one of my closest friends. Hubby's comment was "You're just not feeling well...go lay down & it will pass." What is it that they see that I don't?

         White is easy, breezy, light, airy, elegant, classic & anything but boring. Don't we all love White weddings? White picket fences? 

The iconic White picket fence 

      White can be cozy:

White can be colorful:

White can be Dreamy:

I think the people that think of white as cold do so because they believe a white room must be neat & uniform, void of color. I don't own anything boring. I would like to see the pieces that I value, cherish & love stand out in the room. Plus, I  use lots of fluffy cushions, honey colored oak antiques, vintage items & distressed finishes — so my belief is that I  will get that easy breezy feeling, but with warmth. 

Besides, it's just paint! 

I will be sure to take before, during & after photos of this transformation.

Color, Color Everywhere

  Honeybee Cottage overflows with color. Color not only feeds the eye but has both physiological & psychological components. There are some people that give little thought to the way a room color influences their mood...I, on the other hand, know better & have been known to change the paint in a room because it doesn't invoke in me the "feeling" that I am looking for.
     I love sage green...had the perfect green. I couldn't wait to use it. I painted my main bathroom this lovely green. I liked it. It didn't scare me a bit...but for some reason while soaking in a nice warm bubble bath, I began to think of painting it. Wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't come to this realization within a week of painting it! 

Benjamin Moore~ Seedling (AF-450)

     So off to the paint store I went. My bathroom became "Crushed Berries". I have had it this vibrant shade for a couple years now. Adore it!     
    The colors I have chosen for the walls of Honeybee Cottage are reminiscent of food: Death by Chocolate in the living room, Cafe' Latte in the t.v room, Raspberry Truffle in the dining room, Crushed Berries in main bathroom, Blueberry in the kitchen, Persimmon on my mud porch. These are all colors that I love...risky,daring, energetic & emotional, which is why I am sure that I adore them & chose them. They each evoked something in me. Hunger?
     For years, scientists & others have found evidence suggested that different color palettes could evoke different emotions, effectively programming our minds each time we enter a space. Which is why restaurants, health facilities all use different schemes.  

    Recently, with my oldest daughter's departure to college, I decided that hubby & I needed to take back the large downstairs bedroom & our youngest daughter should into the smaller room we had. This flip flop of rooms is not completely unusual at Honeybee Cottage. It has been pointed out by many that rearranging furniture may be my true hobby.
       So that meant that the Tiffany blue walls that my daughter's enjoyed, no matter how lovely did not match my bedding. Paint being cheaper than new bedding meant new paint! I haven't tired of the Gunmetal Grey that hubby & I had in our room. I have actually used it for years. In our previous home, all of the walls were this elegant grey. Now just to budget for it & find the time. 
       I knew I wasn't about to do it during December with Christmas. January proved to be busier than anticipated now it's February. Time to get busy. 
        Except....I have been dreaming of WHITE!?!?!

  How will this dream end?
    

      
      

    

Happy Birthday Miss Bee!

       ‎20 years ago yesterday a beautiful baby girl was born, we named her after my favorite English authors & poets the Bronte sisters...think Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre. And the female version of my husband's middle name Alan, her name Bronte Alana. We truly felt blessed with her arrival since we had several scares during my pregnancy. Labor and delivery was quick & fairly easy. She was healthy had all ten fingers & toes. Dark hair, big eyes.. A true beauty. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have first a son, then a daughter...it was just how I had imagined it to be.

She has the most amazing smile!

    I discovered though that things don't always remain as you imagine! She was definitely different than my son. She went from crawling to running! There was no real walking time. She always seemed to be going somewhere fast & important, reminiscent of the White Rabbit of Alice in Wonderland.

    There was a time that we couldn't get her out of a dress. Which really was fine by me...both my mother-in-law & I truly enjoyed buying dresses for this little princess of ours. Let me also say that she ruined plenty of those dresses! She was outside playing rougher than any of the neighborhood kids...climbing trees, riding bikes, throwing rocks and just plain getting dirty!  I remember one neighbor lady, who had two boys of her own say to me "She looks so sweet & innocent ...until you get to know her!" WHAT?! She later clarified her answer by explaining that she always was so "girly" looking with her dresses & hair bows but had this strong will & confidence about her that let the boys (who were all older) know she wasn't going to take any of their shenanigans.

Look how sweet! Christmas 2005...oh how they grow!

       She has always been a GREAT kid! Intelligent, confident, full of laughter & a beautiful spirit. Yesterday, was the first birthday that we didn't get to spend together. There was no special dinner of her choice or cake at Honeybee Cottage. My mother's heart ached but my head told me that she is pursuing her dream, her goals & there is no way that I would take that away from her..ever. That's the toughest part of motherhood for me...not always having them with me...it was a wake up call for me. I became fully aware yesterday that she is on her path to adulthood.

       She has always dreamt of becoming a mermaid! Silly, I know, but I encouraged it by telling her she could be anything she imagined or wanted to be. Now my beautiful girl is on her way to becoming her version of that dream...studying to be a Marine Biologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

      I was once asked if I ever wonder what it would be like to not have as many children...five kids is a lot. Honestly, no I don't. Each of my children has given me something. They provide me as much joy, sense of pride & accomplishment than anything I have ever done in my life.. they are the best part of me. I truly couldn't imagine ever having less.

All lined up by age: Laban, Gillian (my niece & child of the heart), Bronte, Zane, Simone & Kiernan

      Without her, I would have missed some of life's greatest mysteries.  She is an exceptional person.Whom I am proud to call my daughter. My wish for her is that she realizes all her talents & dreams. To never compromise for anyone else; follow her own star (even if it is a sea star). People see her beauty, her selfless spirit, her grace, the way she owns her own life – and are awed. She has a wonderful sense of idealism, a voice that drives her, & a promise of achievements yet to come. She has the power to carry her dreams & talents to fruition. She inspires me. She has the desire to make the world a better place & I have no doubt that she will. She already has. Her Dad & I  see her determination & ability to be truly successful & happy in any & all endeavors. She is one of my greatest sources of pride & hope for the future.

 Happy Birthday Miss.Bee.

 Love you always,

XOXO~Mom

The Pursuit of Happiness

Dear Honeybee Cottage,
  
         In this day & age, the days, weeks, months & seasons seem to fly past me at a breakneck speed. The simple pleasures that I once celebrated as a child now seem to often get overlooked. I was reminded of this recently when we experienced winter's first snowflake...then what seemed to be a deluge of snow. It was a glorious sight! There is something to be said about the glory of all that white! 

Blanket of white on my lilac tree

        In my Grandparents time, the four seasons were linked with traditions and certain activities. The seasons were savored & celebrated for what each had to offer:

Arrival of Autumn gold

Dezi (our Scottish Terrier) in Winter's first snow

Sprouting of spring daffodils

Sipping lemonade on a hot summer's day

 So I have declared that my wish for each of us is to step off the dreary highway of today's accelerated life & to find happier moments with our family & friends. 

The highway doesn't look as dreary from here

I realize that at the end of a long grueling week that it is often hard to know how or where to begin...let alone muster the energy to do it!

Miss. Emma (my English Bulldog) 

   Hopefully, this is where we help each other out. I love traditions & am going to share my seasonal traditions with you (as I hope you will yours). My belief is that family traditions, no matter how simple, are what creates the cement that holds families together. There is nothing more joyful than four generations (or more) sitting down sharing memories & swapping stories. These are the ties that bind.
          Grab a cup of tea & come back often to join me in the pursuit of happiness & life's simple pleasures.