The Lettered Cottage

Guest Post by Kim from Dear Daisy Cottage

2009-11-10T21:40:00.002-06:00

Hey there! As Kevin and I continue to construct and consult the day away today, we thought it would be fun to invite one of our favorite bloggers to write a guest post for us.
So today's special guest is Kim, from Dear Daisy Cottage.
Kim owns a sunny little cottage in Florida, and has decorated it with the most delightful finds and furniture.

Dear Daisy Cottage is one of the first blogs I ever had the pleasure of stumbling across. It's such a fun place to visit! Kim's down-to-earth, fun-loving personality shines through with every post and the photos of her home will make your heart skip 2 beats. It's breathtaking!
I disagree with Disney....I think Kim's house is the happiest place on earth!
Kim is such a huge source of inspiration for me, in so many ways.

So without further ado....heeeeeeeeeeeere's Kim!

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Don’t Hold Back

Hi Everyone!

My name is Kim and I write the blog Dear Daisy Cottage and I am SO excited and honored to be a guest blogger here on The Lettered Cottage! I absolutely adore our Layla and I am a huge fan of hers. It is truly amazing AND so inspiring, isn't it, everything that she and Kevin have achieved for their home with their combined talents and creative vision? And let's not forget perseverance! Layla and Kevin have embraced their home 100% by defining their personal style and by staying true to their spirit - such a wonderful accomplishment and such an inspiration to us all.

So when Layla sweetly asked if I would like to be a guest blogger, I happily said yes and then of course I began to ponder about what to share. Should I bake something and share the recipe? Should I share about a thrifting find? Our decorating styles and cottages are a little bit different, as you will see, and I admit I worried that I would disappoint you with all of my color and knick-knacks! And that is when I remembered my own advice that I often give when asked about how to go about decorating a home ...

Don’t hold back.

So with that mindset, I am sharing a few photos of our living room that has been decorated with thrift store and yard sale finds and with lots and lots of love.

Now of course this look isn’t for everyone and it is probably one of those situations where you either hate it or love it. I mean I even use fake flowers!

;-)

And yes I do love it – as far from perfect that it is - because it is ME. I didn’t hold back when decorating Daisy Cottage. I decided to embrace our home with my whole heart and decorate it with little things and the colors that make me happy. Thankfully my family loves it too and of course I couldn’t have had this dream-come-true home without MY Kevin and all of his support.

So thank you very much for taking a peek into our cottage and for letting me share a little of it with you. And like Layla and Kevin have so brilliantly exemplified - I hope that you, too, don’t hold back when decorating your home AND your life.

Be true to you.

Fill your home with every thing and every color that you love and try not to worry about all of the rules. If you decorate this way, your home will be positively beautiful. How could it not be? After all, it would be a reflection of you.

Love,

Kim

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Thank you Kim! Your post was so sweet (you made us blush!) and we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and beautiful photos with us over here at TLC!

Kevin and Layla

Guest Bathroom Reno - Day 9

2009-11-09T20:45:00.011-06:00

First off, I want to thank those who left us encouraging comments on our last post. I created this journal to document our life experiences (the good, the bad and the broke!) and those comments really made a difference in our day. We'll be praying for those who said they were going through similar situations. "Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock." ~Author Unknown

Also, I got a few emails from some folks who thought we were going to stop blogging, so I wanted to take second to clarify. We are definitely not going to stop blogging! It's one of our absolute favorite things to do. We look forward to sharing ideas and experiences here as long as the world wide web will have us! :-)

Okay, now let's talk transformation!

Here's how the room looked twelve days ago...

In case you're just tuning in, as you can see, our guest bathroom was previously painted neon lavender. Then last month, the day before our Halloweenie Roast, Kevin slapped on a coat of Sherwin Williams' "Rice Grain". We didn't want to confuse our guests and make them think they had accidentally entered the haunted house down the street. ;-) We'll probably repaint the room before it's all over. Just not sure what color yet.

Here is a photo of how the vanity area looks today...

We removed all the cabinetry, to create space for a farmhouse table we're going to use as a vanity. On each side of where the farmhouse table will sit, Kevin's constructing built-in shelving units that will hold towels, baskets and other bathroom-related accessories.

Neither of us are professional carpenters, so this reno has been a little intimidating. It's definitely a learning process. Today's lesson taught us that we don't like the look of 24" deep built-ins.
So tomorrow Kevin will take those babies back outside and cut them down to a more shallow depth. We're thinking more like 12" deep.
Wonder what tomorrow's lesson will teach us?
As long as it doesn't involve figuring out that 12" is too shallow, we'll be okay.
:-)

Layla

Carolyn's Family Room Redesign

2009-11-07T20:15:00.020-06:00

Hello! I thought I'd share one of my consultations today, since the guest bathroom won't be ready for another close up 'til tomorrow.

A while back I got a letter from Carolyn. She purchased one of my Photo Consultations and wanted my advice on how to re-work her family room using items she already had. She was looking for some fresh, easy-to-implement ideas to help pretty up the place pronto!

Here's an except from the letter she sent me....

Dear Layla,

I think I've arrived at a furniture arrangement that I'm happy with, but that leaves me with a HUGE blank wall. And for the life of me, I can't figure out what to do with it.

Most of the pieces in the room are inherited (sofa, hutch, sofa table, large chest, mirror). I'm a huge fan of using what has been in our families. That's how I ended up with a blue sofa, and a chair & ottoman that are mostly green. (we bought the chair/ottoman before inheriting the sofa) I've tried to pull the blue throughout the room, and it's ok- but I think some color on the walls would really help. And perhaps either new window treatments or something to spiff up of the current ones would help as well. I threw together the things in the hutch using items I already had. I'm also open to suggestions here.

Carolyn

So keeping all of her requests in mind, I emailed her a slew of suggestions and put together the following photo drawing for her to use as inspiration to get her creative (re-design) juices flowing...

(hover your mouse back and forth over the photo to see my suggestions)

A few days after I sent my email to her, she sent me this updated photo of the room:

She said she plans to continue to add things to the room over time, but boy did she do a great job of shopping the house in a hurry, eh? :-)

I asked Carolyn if she would send me some more updated photos of the room so I could share her "Before's and Now's" here on our blog. She said yes, and was sweet enough to send over the ones shown below.

In my consultation, I suggested she try swapping the large chest that was up against the wall between the windows with the smaller-scale table behind the sofa. Considering the width of the back of the sofa, and the width of the wall space between the two windows, I thought it might be nice to switch the two pieces.

BEFORE:

NOW:

I also thought she might try placing a large mirror over the fireplace and a grouping of smaller, framed prints above the piece of furniture to the left of the fireplace.
Carolyn made the switcheroo, and here's how it looks now...

Over on the other side of the room, for a little contrast, I suggested that she use a bunch of lighter-colored items inside the dark wood, corner hutch. I also suggested that she try using some books as "lifts" to create more visual interest. Lastly, I suggested using baskets to add some texture and offer a little hidden storage. (I keep extra light bulbs, candles and small extension cords in the baskets in our living room!) Here's what Carolyn came up with...

BEFORE:

NOW:

I love that she was able to incorporate things from around her home into what turned out to be a dashing little display of accessories here. I also like how she staggered similar-shaped/colored items from one side of each shelf to another.

(Click on this photo to see what I mean)

Here are some more shots of the room that Carolyn sent me...

Before, the large chest between the two windows felt a little too big...

Now, the drop leaf table feels just right!

She used a collection of things she found around the house on top of it...

She decked out the top of the large chest, shown here in its new location, with a variety of recycled goodies too...

She even already had a monogrammed white pillow to use on the side chair, just like in my drawing!

I also had the pleasure of helping Carolyn with her kitchen, so if you'd like to read/see more about that room, stop by her blog, "Lettuce Be Glad".

I'm so honored everytime someone allows me the opportunity of collaborating with them on their personal spaces. This particular consultation really spoke the re-purposer in me. When Carolyn first contacted me, I could immediately relate to her request to work with a lot of the things she already owned. Re-doing our house on an almost non-existent budget has become a way of life since Kevin and I left our small, but stable, paychecks to chase our dreams last year. We knew it was risky, but we were compelled to follow our hearts nonetheless.
Since then, a few things have worked out, and a few things have not. And let's just say the things that have not have made life...uh....interesting around these parts as far as finances go. (You may have noticed that Kevin is now at home more than he is on the road touring, and you will soon notice that Lettered Cottage Home will be closing it's virtual doors.)
The honest truth is, without our Sponsors, a handful of new clients, and our True Value gift card, there may not be a whole lot to even blog about. It's not fun to think about, but like they say, sometimes the going gets tough. If you are going through something similar, and I know there are a lot of people out there who are, our hearts go out to you. For me, writing about our experiences here at TLC has been very therapeutic this past year. There's nothing like having a great group of great online friends with similar interests to bond with! :-) So we'll continue to blog our little hearts out, and share as many shoestring budget-friendly decorating tips and tricks as we can think of along the way. Our hope is to inspire, and to be inspired in the process.

Hey! Speaking of inspiration, stay tuned for some updated photos of the guest bathroom tomorrow. The built-in shelves are coming along great, and with a little bit of (okay, maybe a lot-tle bit of) caulk, our guests will never know they weren't built by a professional! Ha! :-)

Layla

Wanna hang plates on your wall like Carolyn did? Check out these incredible invisible plate hangers from dischangers.com!

Guest Bathroom Reno - Day 5

2009-11-05T22:09:00.028-06:00

Thankfully, it was fairly easy for Kevin to sand all the sticky off the plywood floor in the bathroom the other night...

He went through quite a few pieces of sandpaper...

...but he was striking poses on our smooth, clean floor in no time...

:-)

The next morning, Kevin took a trip to True Value in Montgomery to pick up some of the stuff we'd need to finish the floor.

He came home with two gallons of paint, some green painters tape and a chalk line.

I chose "Sea Salt" and "Alabaster" as the main colors in this room. They're Sherwin Williams colors, but the folks at True Value were happy to color match them for us.

Kev went ahead and primed the floor...

...but then we decided he should probably get crackin' on the built-in's first, before we paint the checkerboard pattern on the floor. We're going to use a few coats of non-yellowing poly on top of our checkers to protect it from wear-and-tear and from any water that may hit it, but it makes more sense to do the bulk of the work first because of the amount of drying time each coat of paint and poly will require.

We want to clad the entire ceiling of the room in beadboard panelling. We'll paint it with semi-gloss paint so that it can handle the moisture factor this room may experience if anyone ever actually bathes in here. It's been two years and it's only been used a few times so far, but if we decide to sell the house at some point, we want to make sure it's good to go for the people who may want to use it more than we do.
So last night, we attached the first piece of panelling to the ceiling above the vanity area...

But because we always forget to hook it up to the charger, our battery-powered screwdriver died within minutes of driving in the fourth screw.
We let it charge overnight last night, so today we'll attach the other piece of panelling and Kevin will start building the shelves that will flank the farmhouse table that our sink is going to go in.

Here's a short video we filmed to document the first step of what is sure to be a lengthy process.
(I'll apologize in advance for the spooky lighting. We had to use a lamp because we had to shut the power off in this room so that we could take down the light fixture where we attached the panelling.)

Someday, when we're old and gray, I'm sure we'll look back at this virtual journal of ours and say, "what were we thinking"?!
But like they say, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away."
And since moving into this place, we've certainly had enough "moments" (a.k.a WORK) to consistently leave us out of breath!
And like Kevin says, "hanging panelling on the ceiling, ain't no joke"! <:-P

Happy Weekend!

Layla

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Coastal Living - November 2009

2009-11-04T10:31:00.015-06:00

We received our November issue of Coastal Living magazine in the mail yesterday and I could hardly wait to sit down and soak it all up last night.

A quick glance at the table of contents revealed that this issue would include some of my favorite things- food, travel, decorating and Heather Chadduck.

Imagine my surprise when I flipped to the article Heather produced on page 28 and saw this old photo of the two of us working together on a tablescape...

Okay, okay! So I photoshopped myself into the picture. A girl can dream right? ;-)

In all seriousness, you have to check out "Seaside Style". Heather created three different beach-inspired tablescapes that are perfect for the upcoming holidays. In one setting, she used coral bush. And because of the photo of it on page 30, I am now obsessed with the stuff.
Don't even get me started on the driftwood garland and giant recycled glass marbles on the first page of the article. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Thankfully, they included the web addresses and phone numbers of the stores where you can find all of the items she used. Areohome.com here I come!

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On page 37, I enjoyed reading about Coastal Livings Idea House 2009, located in the community of Seawatch in Sunset Harbor, North Carolina.

The interiors of the Idea Home were created by designer Philip Sides. He used "creative color combos and sit-down-and-stay-a-while furniture arrangements" throughout.
The house is simply stunning, but reading his name brought back some crazy memories.
Last year, before I started doing virtual design consultations full time, I must have sent out over 50 resumes to everyone and their brother. One of Kevin's tours had fallen through, so we needed to find ourselves some jobs fast. I didn't blog about any of the scary stuff that was going on in our world at that time, but let me just say that we spent many a night laying in bed, flinching every time we heard a noise because we thought the repo man was in our driveway. And keeping our utilities on became almost as hard as keeping our minds off the looming reality that we may lose our house.
Anywho...I really wanted to land a job in the interior design field, but would have been happy with anything at the time. Well, long story short- no one called me in for an interview or even responded to my letter/resume except for Philip Sides. And even though he was writing to tell me he couldn't hire anyone at that time, his courtesy was so greatly appreciated and his letter probably had something to do with the creation of my design business shortly thereafter.
It's crazy how small this world can seem sometimes!

Back to the Idea Home...
Here's a link to a video tour of it.
You may need to throw on a bib before you watch it. :-)

If you're lucky enough to live close to the house, you can purchase tickets to tour it here:

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The November issue also contains information on the 10 Best Seaside Hideaways in Mexico. Check this one out:

Photographer: Tria Giovan

Can you say paradise? This is the Palapa Room at Verana, in Costa Alegre. If you're looking for seclusion, this is definitely the place to go. To reach the resort you take a 30-minute taxi ride from Puerto Vallarta to Boca de Tomatlán. Then a 30-minute boat ride, then a walk through a village, and then up a path to a seaside cliff. Sound exhausting? No worries―a mule will haul all of your luggage. :-)

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"Family Ties" (on page 76) was an absolute delight to read as well.
Sherry Bilsing and her husband, Mark Graham, worked with designer Jackie Terrell to create a home filled with "vintage finds, a modest dose of color and kid-friendly style".

SO many elements in this photo on page 77 made me swoon...

Photographer: Dominique Vorillon

I love the clean-lined wainscoting. So crisp and fresh!
I love their use of casual, striped slipcovers on the normally "seriously-upholstered" wingbacks.
I love the little wood-topped stools, lined up in a row, underneath the windows.
I love the shade of green on the pottery sitting on the mantle.
I love all the textures. The wood floor, the charcoal-colored tile on the fireplace, the thick, plush rug, the Ikea basket filled with logs. They're all so scrumptious!
I love the vintage school poster hanging on the wall. The matting around it matches the wall color perfectly! I wonder which came first? The mat or the paint? :-)

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I could go on and on about this issue of Coastal Living, but I don't want to spoil too much. If you don't have a subscription, you can also visit their website to read some of the stories featured this month.

Thank you to the staff at Coastal Living for putting out yet another great issue!
And congratulations to the Editor-in-Chief, Lindsay Beirman, on the purchase of his new, bouncing baby boat, "Buttercup"! The story on page 12 about it was really fun to read. :-)

Layla

To read other Coastal Living reviews, visit these great blogs:

Coastal Nest
Completely Coastal
Beach Vintage

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Guest Bathroom Reno - Day 2

2009-11-02T10:36:00.012-06:00

Whether your a weekend warrior or a full-time fix and flipper, you're undoubtedly aware that renovation jobs rarely go as planned.
Our guest bathroom reno is proving to be no different.

A couple of days ago we decided we wanted to paint a checkerboard pattern on the floor. But once we realized that the tiles on the floor were of the peel-n-stick variety, and not the click-n-lock kind, we were forced to rethink our plan. We could take a chance and remove the plywood to expose the original hardwood flooring- but that would involve removing the tub and toilet which is way more than we had planned to take on right now. And what if the hardwoods were in really bad condition? Then we'd have to re-install the plywood and that sounds about as fun as a punch in the face.
We had to come up with a game plan that would cost under $25. Here's what we decided to do...

Looks like we'll be able to start taping off our checkerboard pattern soon after all!
I'm sure it will be a mathematical nightmare, but we're up for the challenge and we can't wait to get it finished so that Kevin can begin working on the vanity area.

Have a terrific Tuesday!
Layla

Check out the Lettered Cottage Art Giveaway at

And this one at Seens From The Backs Of My Eyelids

Guest Bathroom - Let the Demolition Begin!

2009-11-01T21:33:00.011-06:00

As soon as the Halloweenie Roast dust had settled, Kevin and I convened in our guest bathroom to discuss exactly what we should do with the 'lectric lavender reno-gone-wrong we inherited when we bought the house.

Do you remember the post I did about it a while back?

In case you missed it, you can click on these gnarly "before" photos to read all about it:

Today, in true Lettered Couple style- we decided to start ripping things apart the second we finalized our plans for the room.

Here's a short video that Kevin filmed while removing the cabinets, countertop and peel-n-stick floor tiles. (The "stick" on the bottom of the tiles actually got a little revenge on him in the end!)

We hope to have the vanity side of the room complete by end of the month. Among other things, our plans include an old farmhouse-style table flanked by built-in, floor-to-ceiling bookcase-style shelving. (Holy hyphen-filled sentence Batman)

It's bound to be a wild ride, as neither of us has ever renovated a bathroom or constructed built-in shelving (heck- we hadn't even used power tools 'til a couple of years ago!), but I have faith that Kev can pull it off.

The question is, can he put it back together! ;-) (hardy har har)

Have a marvelous Monday y'all, and thank you for the encouraging comments you left us last week. They were day-makers and we appreciate you taking the time to leave them. :-)

Layla

PS...I added Ever's name next to his parents names in our Halloweenie Roast poll. So if you'd like to vote for him and his sweet little shark suit you may have to visit TheLetteredCottage.net and hit "refresh".

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Halloweenie Roast 2009 photos

2009-10-31T21:00:00.012-05:00

Happy Halloween!

We hope you and yours are having a terrific holiday weekend!
Did you dress up this year?
If you did, and you'd like to share your pics, email us at Mr.LetteredCottage@gmail.com. We'd love to see your costumes!

We haven't dressed up in a few years, but we had so much fun putting our outfits together this year. Here we are in our pirate get-ups:

I think we snarled "Argh!" and "Ahoy, Matey!" a million times throughout the night. (Aw, heck, I'll be honest- we've been snarling ever since we bought the things!)
You'll notice I wasn't quite sure what to do with my hand in the photos. Meanwhile, Kevin had a cool, skull-covered dagger to add to his whole pirate persona. I knew I should have bought that hook to wear over my hand!

I ended up spending more time taking photos at the party than I did shooting video. It was just too hard to play hostess, take pictures and make our guests uncomfortable by shoving a video camera in their face- so I opted to just play hostess and take pictures. ;-)

Here are the creative (and kooky) costumes our guests showed up in...

First up, Shannon and Travis. Shannon had on the cutest little Minnie Mouse costume and her boyfriend (whom we had never met before this night) was dressed up as Michael Phelps. Boy did our jaws drop when he came strolling in!

I don't know who is more brave, Travis for dressing up as Michael Phelps or Shannon for going out in public with him! :-)

My "Lettered Cottage Home" partner, Sarah, dressed up as Progressive Insurance spokesperson "Flo"...

Her resemblance to the popular Progressive personality was incredible!

And this is Sarah's husband, Jason.

Jason and Kevin are bandmates. (He plays drums) His Sham-Wow! dude costume had us intentionally spilling things all night. :-)

This is our old boss Josh and his wife, Aubrie:

Josh used to play bass in Kevin and Jason's band, but now he co-owns one of the most popular photography studios in the state. (You can check out his work at New South Art and Kim Box Photography) He was nervous about sporting the super-small girls gym shorts his wife thought were a necessary part of his costume, but once he got a load of Travis' Speed-o, his worried mind was quickly put at ease. :-)

Aubrie and I both met our husbands while we were working together for a company that was providing tour support to their band. Aubrie and I lived in California at the time, but after meeting our sweet Southern suitors we quickly made the switch from sunny So.Cal to sweet home Alabama! Josh and Aubrie welcomed their first baby into the world this past July. His name is Ever, and his snuggly little shark suit provided the inspiration for their swimmer-themed costumes...

I love the tiny triangular teeth that frame his adorable face. :-)

Unfortunately for us, Ever didn't come to the party- but I bet his Grammie and Great Grammie had a ball babysitting him!

Next up is Kevin's friend, Jason Rash, who dressed up as a wounded hospital patient.

He used to work as a real estate agent (he represented us at the closing on this house), but now he works full-time as a personal trainer. The back side of his costume had everyone in stitches. (no pun intended)

Jason's wife, Brooke, showed up right as the party was winding down. She had another party to go to before she could make it to ours. We were so glad she came by, even if it was a little later.

Here are our friends Nick, Shannon and their little boy Dominic.

Their awesome Amish-themed costumes worked so well with Nick's newly-grown beard. :-)
And little Dominick was an absolute delight.

He has such a sunny little personality!
(Maybe we should get a Dominic too?) ;-)

And last but not least, our neighbors Jessica and Eric from the Half Note Cottage on the left side of our house, and Josette and Peter, who live in the Tudor-style home on the right side of our house, finally got to meet each other.

Jessica and Eric came straight from work, so they didn't have costumes on, but Peter came as an old, beach-combing man- complete with a metal detector and a trucker cap covered in bird droppings. Josette was decked out as a gypsy, and really got into the part by acting like she was going to go through everyones purses when they came in the house. It was hilarious!

And there ya have it!
Now we'd like your help choosing the winning costume(s). The poll is located in the left sidebar of our blog, just below the Sponsor section.
The winners(s) of the contest will receive a $25 gift card to Cracker Barrel.
Voting will start today and end next Saturday, November 7th.

Thanks for helping us decide, and don't eat too much candy!
:-)

Kevin and Layla

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The LC on TV

2009-10-30T10:00:00.008-05:00

Research has proven that writing down your goals, and your plans to achieve them, is the best way to ensure that you accomplish them.
Kevin and I started writing down our goals in January 2008, and we continually make sure to carve out time to modify them as necessary.
Earlier this week, we made a "run for the border" to take some time to talk about our goals. On this particular day I guess you could say we wanted to think outside the bun. :-)

We shared one side of a booth, and had a meeting of the minds over cheap burritos and nachos & cheese. We discussed everything from how the heck we've gotten to this point in our lives, to where the heck we see ourselves going next.

It was a nice little excursion, and I enjoyed each layer of our conversation as much as the seven that filled my delicious burrito.

Once we arrived back at the house, I immediately went to my computer. I had an email from the CBN television network in my inbox. One of their producers asked if we'd be interested in filming two decorating episodes for the show "The 700 Club". (If you've never seen the show, you can find it on the ABC Family Channel, and a slew of other channels, from 10:00-11:00 am.) Of course we said yes! yes! yes!, so they're flying us to Virginia Beach on the 6th of December to shoot for a few days.

The first segment we're doing is a complete master bedroom makeover. On day one, we'll shop for everything we'll need to re-do the room. Day two, cameras will capture us in action, re-doing the room from start to finish. Day three will be the live reveal of the room. (Yeah, I said live.) <:-O

It's like Design Star, without the judges and crazy restrictions. No shopping at a pet store for this challenge! We'll be given a $1500 budget to work with and we'll be allowed to shop at whichever stores/shops tickle our fancy. I guess I better start doing some research on great places to shop around Virginia Beach!

After we're done shooting the room makeover segment, we'll head to the CBN studio to film the Christmas segment. We're so excited about the whole deal- we can barely sit still and we're talking a mile a minute about our ideas for the room we haven't even seen yet. :-)

Stay tuned for photos of the Halloweenie Roast sometime this weekend.
Remember- you're responsible for choosing the winning costume, so make sure you come back and cast your vote!

Have a happy Halloween!
Layla :-)

House Tour - Union Springs, AL

2009-10-28T23:03:00.012-05:00

Earlier this month, we took a trip to Union Springs, Alabama.
It's a small, laid-back town located about an hour and a half southeast of where we live. Century-old Victorian homes line many of the streets around town, and the ones that are for sale are priced incredibly low because of the towns proximity to the nearest large city (it's a 30 minute drive) and because they are in need of lots and lots of love.

Fun Facts about Union Springs:

Population: 2,989
Elevation: 522 feet
Antique houses: Tons
Number of seconds it took for us to fall head over heels in love with the house in the video you're about to see: One!

Isn't she beautiful? I swear to you, I've had two dreams about her since our visit!
:-)

Here's how the ad for the house reads:

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"Victorian House with lots of extras!
Columned porch with porch swing, columned entrance open to extra wide foyer, 5 mantles and hardwood floors throughout. Extra tall pocket doors and original wainscoting in the Dining Room. Large butlers pantry with built-in china cabinet, clawfoot tub in bathroom, irrigation system, magnolia and fruit trees.

Just needs a little TLC!
Sold "AS IS" but owner is willing to renovate more with price adjustment.
Fantastic Opportunity!"

$55,000

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Here are some photos we took while strolling around the house...

What do you think? "The Lettered Cottage B&B"?
After all, the ad does say it "just needs is a little T(he) L(ettered) C(ottage)!"
;-)

K & L

Guest Bathroom Door Re-do

2009-10-27T08:35:00.023-05:00

Remember this guy? We started blogging about it here, and today I'm going to cover the second half of our first True Value project.

We used an etched glass kit (the material comes on a roll) on the insides of both pieces of plexi. You can't see through it at all, so it gives 100% privacy while still allowing the light from the bathroom to shine through into the hallway. It's a really pretty effect at night! After that, I mitered some decorative wood moulding and attached it to the plexi using epoxy, I started filling in all the gaps with stainable/paintable wood filler.

Here's a close up of the wood filler after it had dried. It's amazing how it has the ability to make the moulding look like it was always a part of the door. (And hide all my imperfect cuts. Shhh!)

The door knob was preventing the door from laying flat while the epoxy dried, so I set it on top of four paint cans.

The next thing I did was tape off the door knob and plexi glass.

I was so proud of my tape job on the knob I actually made Layla come outside and have a looksie. I probably took 7 or 8 pictures of this bad boy, but Layla thought it would be a little excessive to post more than one. :-)

After the tape was in place it was prime time! I used some gray-tinted primer that we had left over from a previous project.

Finally, I painted the door Benjamin Moore's "Fieldstone". Once it was dry, Layla came out and did her thing with her little electric sander.

We picked up some poly the last time we were at True Value. I gave the door a coat to seal and protect it.

We could hardly wait to get it into the house and on the guest bathroom doorway. It's been really uncomfortable for our guests to go to the bathroom for the past few weeks, so we were eager to give them their privacy back.

(I kid, I kid!)

Here it is today, happily hanging in the hallway...

We changed out the mirror over the linen press with one that we were previously using in the kitchen. We like the way its curves contrast with the straight lines of the wood planks on the wall behind it. (Not to mention, we've got plans for the rectangular gray one inside the bathroom now- more on that to come!)

Move your mouse back and forth over the image below to see the before and after.

We did a different technique on the inside of the bathroom door, which we'll blog about as we start to renovate the guest bathroom. We're super pleased with how our first True Value project turned out and can't believe we almost threw this old beauty away at one point. Silly wabbits!

We're gearing up for our 2009 Halloweenie Roast this Friday. It's a costume party and we'll be counting on you guys to choose a winner next week. Even though Layla and I aren't eligible to win the prize because we're hosting the contest, that didn't stop us from really getting into picking out our costumes! We'll be shooting video and taking plenty of photos to capture all the craziness. It should be a blast and we're really looking forward to hanging out with our friends!

Have a great Halloween week,
Kevin

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We are one of five bloggers selected by True Value to work on their DIY Blog Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program, as well as our posts about our experiences. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY projects. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

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Check out the Lettered Cottage Home Zinc Placecards Giveaway at Made 2 Create!

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This post brought to you by...

Kimm at Reinvented

True Value Leafblower Giveaway Winner

2009-10-26T12:48:00.007-05:00

Random.org chose commenter #56 as the winner of the E-Max Leafblower

Congratulations Jacci of Home For The Better!

Jacci and her husband Sam are fixing up a split-level ranch home alongside their four awesome kids that they affectionately refer to as, "SweetP, Shug, Punkin and Little Dude". :-)

The intro on Jacci's blog reads,

"In December 2008, our young family of 6 moved into a new house that wasn't very new. Instead, it was a 1983 split-level with pearlescent toilet seats and dark wood paneling.

After unpacking and settling in for the first two months, we put a coat of primer up on the kitchen walls. That was the first week of March 2009. This blog is a journal of everything we've been doing since, plus the design ideas and inspiration that help keep things fun..."

And trust me when I tell you that her blog is so much fun to read!

When you get a chance, stop by her blog and say hello!

Now if you'll excuse us, we've got a bathroom door to hang and take pictures of finally!

Kevin and Layla :-)

PS...Jacci, drop me a line at LaylaPalmer@aol.com so that we can hook you up with your new toy soon!

A Sunday Stroll to Small Town, Alabama

2009-10-24T07:22:00.003-05:00

Happy Sunday to you! :-)

I'm meeting some of Kevin's relatives for the first time today.

They live in a small, country town in the types of houses you see in movies like "Gone with the Wind". Wrap-around porches, wind-planked floor boards and tall walls lined with tall, old wavy glass windows.

When Kevin's "Mama Gustie" passed away, one of his relatives moved her old house from the town we're visiting today, to another. Apparently, it cost just $3000 to pick it up and move it to its current location. (Does that mean Kevin and I could buy an antique house someday for really, really cheap and move it to a lot we love? Hmmmm.....)

A tall, old, tumble-down home that whispers stories of days gone by is the type of inspiration we dream about. The kind that sits where silence is only broken by birdsong and the squeak of a porch swing. The kind that just needs a little love and laughter for it to feel alive again.

Someday, when our work is done here, we'll begin our search for "the one".
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream, right? ;-)

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I thought I'd share this video about a sweet, simple couple from Texas today.

"For Dick Cain, a West Texas sunset is money in the bank.
For Bonnie, a happy home is all the insurance she will ever need."

Although Kevin and I don't want to live quite that far from civilization, we are inspired by their love for each other and their ability to find happiness in simplicity. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Layla

True Value Giveaway #1

2009-10-23T13:00:00.020-05:00

This giveaway has now ended.
We'll be back soon to announce the winners name!

Good afternoon!

Yesterday morning, we woke up extra early so that we could take a another trip to our favorite True Value store. The store is about 40 minutes from our house, and since I usually work on design consultations from mid-morning to late in the evening, we wanted to make sure I could get back in time for me to get in a full days worth of work in.

Because our second True Value DIY Blog Squad project is going to be an outdoor project, we've had exterior design on the brain a lot lately. As I type, our yard is completely covered in leaves, and our 5-year old rake actually looks nervous, standing in the corner of our storage area under the house. Unfortunately I don't think we're allowed to purchase a leaf blower for ourselves (our DIY Squad mission is to tackle projects), but that doesn't mean we can't spend some of the money True Value gave us on YOU, right? :-)

So our October True Value giveaway will be this fantastic electric leaf blower/vacuum made by E-Max:

Here's a short video we shot yesterday morning while picking it out.
(It will give you a sneak peek at the decor items we'll be giving away in November too!)

To enter to win the E-Max Leaf Blower/Vacuum leave a comment on this post, and tell us why you'd like to win it! (we love your stories!)

The giveaway starts today (Friday, October 23rd, 2009) and will end on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at noon, Central Time. We'll choose a winner using Random.org on Monday afternoon- so make sure to come back to see if you've won!

Good luck!

Kevin will be back soon with a post about our bathroom door project. He's in the home stretch, and you're never going to believe how this DIY story ends!

Bear hugs,
Layla :-)

PS- Don't forget to enter True Values "DIY Drama Contest" for a chance to win $5,000 to spend at your local store too!

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We are one of five bloggers selected by True Value to work on their DIY Blog Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program, as well as our posts about our experiences. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY projects. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

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This post was brought to you by...

Feather Your Nest

Coastal Living - October 2009

2009-10-22T15:30:00.002-05:00

Hello!

Kevin and I have been invited to write a monthly review for Coastal Living magazine, and we are absolutely thrilled about the opportunity! With so many magazines going out of business lately, and because Coastal Living is one of our all-time favorites, we're going to do whatever we can to help spread the word about this amazing and informative magazine.

The first issue we have the pleasure of blogging about is their October 2009 issue.

When we received our copy in the mail, our eyes were immediately drawn to the bold orange letters across the bottom of the cover that read, "ideas to steal!". Upon further inspection, we learned that the aforementioned ideas could be found on page 35 in an article titled, "12 Rooms, Hundreds of Ideas". Now normally I read a magazine from front to back, but this article was way too intriguing- I had to start there! :-)
The article focused on Coastal Livings 2009 Idea Cottage located in I'On, South Carolina. The photography was phenomenal, (I particularly loved the photo of the kitchen on page 38) and it was such a delight to read about the eco-friendly, classic Lowcountry cottage that truly exemplifies beach-chic charm.

Photo: Tria Giovan

Another article Kevin and I really enjoyed can be found on page 84. It's called "The Boy Who Sailed Around The World". I read the whole thing aloud to Kevin one night. By the time we had reached the articles end, we were inspired to the gills by a courageous 17-year-old boy named Zac. He circumnavigated the globe, alone in his boat, in just over a years time. Can you imagine?! It was a fantastic story and, again, the photography was breathtaking. They even included some very interesting shots that Zac took himself while on his voyage.

Check out this video Zac posted on YouTube:

What an amazing kid, eh?

"A Cure for the Common Condo", on page 90, was also a great read. Writer Melissa Bigner describes how designer Phoebe Howard conquered a washed-out palette and a down-and-out vibe by performing reconstructive surgery, and injecting a heavy dose of wallpaper, fabric, and paint to create an awe-inspiring home. The condo sits seaside in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which is near Jacksonville.

Photo: Dominique Vorillon

Coastal Living's Heather Chadduck styled the rooms in the condo for this article, and I always get excited when I discover that she played a part in creating the look. She is my absolute favorite! I would love to assist her on a shoot sometime. Heather- if you're reading...

:-)

And because my mom's husband (Randy) is a nationally-recognized home brewer- we also enjoyed reading "October Feast" on page 100. The owners of Savannah's "Moon River Brewing Company" shared their favorite Fall-inspired menu, and named which frothy companions would best suit each dish. Their crab salad recipe made my mouth water, and Kevin thought their suggestion to pair it with a Belgian Wheat Beer sounded delicious!

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Although we've only highlighted a few stories in the October issue here today, there isn't one article in this issue that we didn't enjoy reading. We look forward to receiving and reviewing the November issue of Coastal Living. From the looks of their website, we'll get to tour another awesome Idea House and peek into Martha Stewart's beach bag too! :-)

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Wanna read more Coastal Living reviews?
Check out Lisa's review at Coastal Nest, Maya's review at Completely Coastal, Simone's review at Beach Vintage

This post brought to you by...

Tales from an OC Cottage

Red Letter Words Winner

2009-10-22T12:17:00.005-05:00

The winner of the Red Letter Words giveaway is....

Melissa of Four the Girls!

Melissa lives in New England with her husband (and best friend) Scott. They've got three beautiful daughters and they're smack dab in the middle of renovating their gorgeous, old two-story home. Melissa just started blogging this past summer, and her blog is absolutely delightful, so stop by and welcome her to Blogland if you get a chance!

I love this photo of her husband and daugters cooking in the kitchen they're re-doing...

Too cute!

Congratulations Melissa, and thanks to everyone who took the time to enter.
We'll be back later today with another post, and Kevin is desperately trying to finish the bathroom door project so that we can blog about it tomorrow. If not, we'll do another giveaway to give him an extra day! :-)

Layla

Holiday Greeting Cards from TLC

2009-10-21T12:01:00.004-05:00

Greetings!

As October winds down, Kevin and I have already started to think about the type of Christmas card we'll send our families and friends this year.

This is the card we sent out last year:

That's the ocean in Pensacola, Florida we're gazing at. Watching it move is intoxicating. Like blue-green glass, reflecting God.

So yesterday Kevin took some time to come up with some ideas, and he had so much fun creating them we thought we'd make them available here on our blog as well!

All of our cards feature our "Lettered Cottage Art" photography, and can be personalized with your names.

You can choose between 5x7 FOLDED, or 5x7 FLAT cards.

The FOLDED cards are $59.99 per box of 25 cards. ($2.40 per card)
The FLAT cards are $39.99 per box of 25 cards. ($1.60 per card)

Your cards can be printed on the following types of cardstock-

Standard Semi-Gloss (smooth, semi-shiny finish)
Art Watercolor (textured like watercolor paper, but heavier in weight)
Art Linen (textured much like linen fabric is)

If you're interested in ordering, please read all the way to the bottom of this post so that you'll know exactly what information we'll need from you.

Here is our selection of horizontally-oriented cards...

"Starfish Season"

Kevin took this picture right in our backyard. While rummaging around an abandoned house near my Mom's place earlier this year, we found the white, chippy old door and thought it would be the perfect backdrop for our starfish.

(message on the front reads: "The joy of brightening others lives, bearing each others burdens, easing each others loads and filling each others hearts with generous gifts becomes the magic of the season")

To order this card, click on the "add to cart" button below. Choose whether you'd like a FOLDED or FLAT card, then specify which INSIDE or BACK you'd like to use in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section once you're logged in to Paypal.

"Starfish Christmas"

(message on the front reads: "Love came down at Christmas. Love all lovely, love divine; Love was born at Christmas, stars and angels gave the sign")

To order this card, click the "add to cart" button below. Choose whether you'd like a FOLDED or FLAT card, then specify which INSIDE or BACK you'd like to use in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section once you're logged in to Paypal.

Our "Starfish" cards can be personalized on the front and the inside or back (depending if you choose the FLAT or the FOLDED style). Scroll down to view the three message options available for the inside or back of this card.

The large blue cursive initial on the front will display the first letter of your last name. When ordering this card, be sure to include what letter you'd like to use on the front of the card in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section when checking out.

List the names you like for us to print on the inside or back of the card in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section as well.

(Double check your spelling!) :-)

(Message and names will be listed on the inside if you choose the FOLDED style- and on the back, if you choose the FLAT style)

"Red Door"

I shot this photo in Charleston, South Carolina while visiting the seaside city this summer with my Mom. All the architectural details and painted woods were so delightful!

To order this card, click on the "add to cart" button below. Choose whether you'd like a FOLDED or FLAT card, then specify which INSIDE or BACK you'd like to use in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section once you're logged in to Paypal.

"True Spirit"

Kevin captured this beautiful image while we were out walking one morning. We are so drawn to images of nature. This gorgeous green specimen reminded us of stars.

To order this card, click on the "add to cart" button below. Choose whether you'd like a FOLDED or FLAT card, then specify which INSIDE or BACK you'd like to use in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section once you're logged in to Paypal.

Here are the messages you can choose from to use on the inside or back of any of the horizontally-oriented card fronts above.

Inside #1:

Inside #2:

Inside #3:

When ordering, be sure to specify which card inside (i.e. "INSIDE #2) you would like to use on the inside of your card. Also, don't forget to list the names you'd like to use across the bottom. (Double check your spelling before you hit the send button!) :-)

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Here are our vertically-oriented cards...

This pretty red mailbox was on the front of an extremely old home in Charleston, South Carolina. I snapped this photo of it while strolling down the cobblestone streets with my Mom last June. In "real life" the mailbox actually displays the word "POST", but with some creative photoshop work, you can choose between "Merry Christmas" or "Seasons Greetings"!

"Merry Mail"

To order this card, click on the "add to cart" button below. Choose whether you'd like a FOLDED or FLAT card, then specify which INSIDE or BACK you'd like to use in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section once you're logged in to Paypal.

"Greetings Mail"

To order this card, click on the "add to cart" button below. Choose whether you'd like a FOLDED or FLAT card, then specify which INSIDE or BACK you'd like to use in the "message to seller" or "order notes" section once you're logged in to Paypal.

Here are the messages you can choose between to use on the inside or back of your vertically-oriented card...

Vertical #1:

Vertical #2:

Again, when ordering, be sure to specify which card inside or back (i.e. "VERTICAL #1) you would like to use- and don't forget to list the names you'd like to use across the bottom. (Double check your spelling before you hit the send button!) :-)

Card messages and fonts are not customizable.

Shipping is $4.95 per box of 25 cards.

We will be taking orders between October 21st and November 15th to ensure delivery by December 1st.

Last but not least, be sure to specify which type of cardstock you'd like in your order notes:

STANDARD SEMI-GLOSS
ART LINEN
ART WATERCOLOR

Thanks for looking, and let us know if you have any questions at Mr.LetteredCottage@gmail.com!

Red Letter Words Giveaway

2009-10-20T12:01:00.002-05:00

This giveaway has now ended! We'll be back soon to announce the winner! :-)

Dee from Red Letter Words creates some of the most beautiful faith-inspired art on the web.

She believes "art should be personal and meaningful".
Her motivational works of "heart" each display a sweet, simple phrase meant to inspire and encourage. Dee says, "I think that everybody needs to be reminded just how much God loves them and cares for them."

Today, Dee is giving one of our readers her "Let Your Dreams Set Sail" canvases.

Isn't it lovely!? I think Kevin and I definitely need to get one of these too!

You can read more about the "Let Your Dreams Set Sail" canvas
here.

And make sure you stop by her blog too!

To win the "Let Your Dreams Set Sail" canvas, leave a comment on this post. Be sure to include your first name, or a link to your blog so that we can contact you if you win! The giveaway starts today (Tuesday, October 20, 2009) and ends at noon on Thursday. (October 22nd, 2009) Don't forget to check back with us on Thursday afternoon to see if you have won!

Thank you Dee, and good luck readers!

Kevin and Layla

True Value DIY Blog Squad - Project One

2009-10-19T10:57:00.003-05:00

We're so excited to blog about our first True Value DIY Blog Squad project!

A while back we blogged about wanting to use an old door on our guest bathroom. Well, fortunately for us, we just happened to have an old solid wood one out back that fit perfectly! It was original to the house (it used to be on the reading room), but it was covered in three layers of paint and didn't have the frosted glass window in it that we had envisioned...

So we set out to our favorite True Value hardware store and picked up a jug of Citristrip Stripping Gel: (try saying that 3 times fast)

We also got a scraper to remove the paint residue as it loosened:

And we even got some paint stripper "after wash", to clean up the mess:

Of course we also got some hardcore rubber gloves:

Safety first!

Once we arrived back at the house, we set the door on top of a table out back, and applied the Citristrip with a paintbrush:

Within a few minutes, it started to eat through the old paint:

We even put some Citristrip on the original doorknob, hoping to restore it too:

After a few hours (an Auburn football game to be exact), the top layer of paint had really bubbled up:

We started to remove the loosened paint with our scraper:

After we had removed the entire top coat of paint, we repeated the process two more times to take off the two layers underneath. After lots and lots of scraping, it was amazing to see the gorgeous raw wood that had previously been covered up:

Here's our pretty, old door all clean up thanks to our bottle of Citristrip Paint Stripper After Wash:

Once it was dry, we sanded it down a little, to really make sure the surface was good and clean:

Next, we drew guide lines on the top panel of the door so that we could cut out the opening where we wanted to add frosted glass:

The reason we left an inch all the way around, is so that our plexi glass would have a place to rest against and adhere to. (This will eventually be covered by decorative moulding)

Using a spade drill bit, we made a hole so that we could give our jig saw a place to start:

Ta da! Here it is all cut out:

Next, we laid down our pre-cut piece of high-quality plexi glass to check the fit:

We got the plexi glass from a friend, but our True Value does sell and custom cut it, as well as lots of other things too:

We used 5 minute epoxy to hold the plexi in place:

Here's a close up shot of how it looks. The epoxy dries clear:

For additional privacy, we're going to add a second piece of plexi glass to the other side of the door as well. Once their both frosted, you won't be able to see through them at all, but the light will shine through and illuminate the hallway. Pretty, pretty!

Our next post will cover adding the decorative moulding and preparing the wood for stain, as well as staining the door a pretty "Special Walnut" color.

We're really having fun with this project, and can't wait to see how it looks in the hallway! We want to thank True Value for allowing us this opportunity, and if you haven't entered their DIY Drama Contest, head on over right now for a chance to win $5,000 to spend at your local True Value!

Good luck!
Kevin and Layla

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We were one of five bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program and our DIY projects as well as our posts about our experiences. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY projects. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

"I'm a Flea Marketeer" Linky Party

2009-10-18T22:25:00.008-05:00

It's show-and-tell time over at the Flea Market Style blog!

Make sure to visit their fantastic blog to join their "I'm a Flea Marketeer" blog link party. I just joined by posting a link to one of my favorite flea market finds- our antique schoolhouse table. I'm excited to see what everyone else posts!
The gracious gang at Flea Market Style are also giving away this awesome bag, made from recycled coffee bean sacks, to one lucky flea marketeer:

So if you've got a great flea market find you'd like to share, head on over to the Flea Market Style blog to join the party today!

Layla

Nest Shoot - Behind the Scenes

2009-10-17T16:36:00.028-05:00

Greetings!
I promised some behind-the-scenes photos of our shoot with The Nest magazine, so here they are!

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The excitement all started last Tuesday. Our prop stylist (Alistair) shipped us a bunch of Fed Ex boxes full of accessories...

He and his assistant Don didn't really remove many of our own accessories, they just added some things here and there. It was amazing to watch them work. They were so sweet, and they even left a bunch of stuff for us to keep!

Around 11:30 p.m. that night, Kevin wanted to vacuum the Dining Room one more time before we hit the hay. Well, he was rushing a little too quickly at one point and proceeded to accidentally knock over one of our houseplants...

Good thing he had the vacuum handy. :-)

Then, on Wednesday night, (after the crew had come over to check out our place) Kevin began installing an oil-rubbed bronze handle set that one of our readers was kind enough to send us for our new front door...

The only way we could make it work on our door was to use it backwards (so the doorknob faces outside, and the big handle part is inside the house), but like Kevin said while he was installing it, "whaddaya gonna do?". We actually like seeing the fancier side of the handle set anyway, so it kind of worked out in the end.

Thursday morning Kevin and I didn't realize Panera Bread was catering our big day OR that we were allowed to eat it, so right before Kara (make up) and Missie (wardrobe) showed up, Kevin made a run to Hardees to get a couple of biscuits for us...

Missie and Kara pulled into the driveway about the same time Kevin was getting back, so as you can see, we didn't really have a chance to eat much of them before the festivities began. :-)

We invited them into our blank slate master bedroom and while Kara set up her make up area, Missie began going through the wardrobe case David's crew brought from New York. It's amazing how many clothes and shoes they fit into that thing!

(Psst...that's Kevin's gold record in the background!) :-)

Also tucked inside the wardrobe case were a few bags full of jewelry for me to wear...

Here is a photo of some of the clothes they sent for us to wear...

Among other things, I wore that cuddly-looking sweater in the middle of the rack for one set up, and the bright green one in front of it in another. I never would have picked a sweater that color, but Missie paired it with an eggplant-colored tank and some dark J.Crew jeans and it really did look neat when it was all put together. Eggplant and pea soup- who knew!?

Here is a photo of some of Kara's make up...

It looked so pretty all laid out like that! It really made me want to buy more makeup. I hardly ever wear the stuff though, and I certainly don't need another expensive obsession. Fixing up this house is expensive enough! :-)

These next few photos show one of my favorite parts of the whole day. It was amazing to have my hair and makeup done by Kara!

Here's me in one of my favorite "woobies" they sent...

(that's one of David's assistants, Christina, on the laptop in the background)

I think Kevin even enjoyed getting pampered...

...even if it did make him feel a little like a "surrogate" robot. :-)

(Don't worry, for some reason we didn't look like robots in the photos David shot) :-)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the house, the work table in our office was quickly getting covered in things they didn't want to use in any of the shots...

Alistair gave us the bran and orange colored fabric on top of this stack...

It's huge, and all the sides are hemmed, so I may use it as a table cloth during our Halloweenie Roast!

He was also kind enough to leave us the two chunky, ivory-colored West Elm candles in this shot...

The silver cake stand you see in the background was a gift from Kim at Twice Remembered. Thank you Kim- sorry it didn't make it into the shoot!

Can you believe the price tag on this throw blanket I found in the guest bedroom?

I love the bird napkin in this shot...

And check out these fabrics and dishtowels I found laying on top of the dryer in the laundry room. I'm not sure if they used any of them in the kitchen set up or not, but they looked so pretty all piled up...

I think some of these bowls did end up around the house throughout the day though...

It seems like they used bowls in every single room, and it really inspired me to incorporate more of them throughout the house.

In addition to the items I mentioned above, Alistair also left us some Anthropologie bowls, glasses and votive holders. He also left us an awesome piece of robins egg blue striped fabric (they used it as a tablecloth in the dining room), a huge zinc cake stand, handfuls of tea lights and taper candles and even some vintage kitchen items he purchased at a flea market here in Prattville. He was such an inspiration. He had the best English accent, and I could have just listened to him speak all day. When he said I should, "start hosting flea market tours" like his good friend Eddie Ross, I thought I was going to die! What a dream to hear someone as talented as him say that to little ol' me!
(By the way, Eddie's "Halloween Block Party" is airing on HGTV tomorrow night at 8/7 central!)

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And that's all we can show until the magazine comes out!
We hope you enjoyed our sneak peek! :-)

We'll be back tomorrow with our first True Value DIY Squad project!
Layla

PS- To those who subscribe, the Winter issue of The Nest should arrive around December 28th.
And to those who have inquired, The Nest is a subscription-only magazine, and is not available in stores or on newsstands. Subscriptions are $14.99. To order, visit this link! (The Nest is a division of "The Knot" magazine)

Nest Shoot - Day Two & Three

2009-10-16T14:38:00.018-05:00

Good evening!

Yesterday morning my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. and I was up and in the shower within minutes! Washing, blow drying and styling my hair is an hour and a half ordeal, and even though I knew they were sending a hair stylist, I wanted to make sure my hair was in good shape for her when she arrived.
Kevin got up around 6:30, and made a bee line to the litter box. He wanted to remove the "gift" that our cat left us during the night. Kevin's obsessed with keeping the litter box clean, and I have to admit, I am totally cool with his need for a good-smelling house. Of course it only took him about 45 minutes to get ready, so we were both good to go when Missy Crawford (wardrobe) and Cara Ramos (hair & makeup) knocked on our front door.

Missie currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama, but spent many years in New York before meeting her Memphis-based husband and moving to the South. She was a tiny, extremely fit woman and with a big, infectious personality. She made us all laugh and feel comfortable, and everybody loved her.
Since we'll be featured in the Winter issue of The Nest, they sent a lot of big, cuddly sweaters and things that would layer together well. Missie called the sweaters "woobies", and it made me smile every time she said it. :-) There were lots of things to choose from, but she was dying to dig through our closets to see if we had anything that would work as well. I assured her she wouldn't find anything in them that could compete with the designer labels and bags full of J.Crew clothing they had sent from New York. But I guess she really wanted to see for herself, because at one point while Kevin and I were being photographed in the Dining Room, she went ahead and looked through my closet anyway. I came in the bedroom when we were done shooting and she said, "I thought you said you didn't have any clothes?!" She had a few of my tops and a couple pairs of my jeans laid out on our bed. She asked me to quickly try them on so she could see if they would work. Long story, short- at one point, (late in the day) David ended up shooting me in a shirt I bought at Walmart for $9.99! Meanwhile, the gorgeous, dangly earrings flown in from New York that I wore with it cost $136. :-)

Anywho...after Missie and David agreed on what my first outfit for the day should be, Kara quickly ushered me onto her makeup stool and got to work on waking up my face. Kara was a super friendly, tall, beautiful Brazilian girl. She sported a tight John Deere green colored v-neck sweater, and had her long shiny black hair pulled through a matching John Deere baseball cap. Kara currently lives in Atlanta, but was born and raised in Connecticut. These days she's mainly working as Lady Gaga's makeup artist, but she's worked for all kinds of celebs from Cindy Crawford to John Legend to Norah Jones. After about 60 seconds on her stool, I know why she's so popular with the stars. I kid you not, Kara made it look like I had been awake for hours and hours. What she did with those brushes and make up of hers was extraordinary!

After they were done with me, they went to work on Kevin. Missie and David were so happy with how my outfit looked on me, they pretty much based Kevin's entire first look on mine. I think he must have changed his clothes fifty times before they finally settled on a pair of dark blue J.Crew jeans, some navy-colored sneakers, and a sage-colored button down shirt layered on top of a t-shirt.
Then, before we were whisked off to our first set up, Kara evened out his skin tone by applying some bronzing powder to his face. She even darkened up his eyebrows a bit, just to make his eyes pop a little more. He said he felt like one of the "surrogates" in that new Bruce Willis movie. :-)

Shooting was tedious and time-consuming because everything has to be just right at all times. Lighting, wardrobe, makeup, furniture, accessories- you name it. Everything was accounted for and every time David stopped shooting to review his images, two or three people swarmed around us to straighten things, reapply makeup and hairspray, and adjust our clothing. At one point, when I was starting to feel a little woozy from not eating enough breakfast, Missie even swooped in with a plate full of chopped up fruit the folks at Panera Bread had delivered. I hid the plate in one of the shots, so I'll have to tell you where it is once our issue is out. :-) It was a fascinating process, and our muscles and joints are definitely feeling sore today because of it!

While our cat spent the entire day in Kevin's closet, our dog Maximus spent most of the day next door at our neighbors. David wanted him to be in a few shots though, so we brought him over and, surprisingly enough, he ended up having his own little personal photo shoot! We were so happy that he was calm and that he did so well. The crew joked that he was a little superstar. :-) I really hope one of his shots makes it into the magazine. He's such a huge part of our lives here at TLC, and it would be neat to have him immortalized on the pages of The Nest magazine!

We weren't aware that a videographer from The Nest was coming to shoot footage of our day, so we were really surprised when a camera man named "Artem" came through our door. He explained that he would be shooting throughout the day, and that when we weren't needed by the photographer, we'd be shooting scenes with him in various areas of the house. I'm almost glad they didn't tell us he was coming, because it didn't give me time to be nervous and over think what I was going to say! I believe the video will be shown on TheNest.com at some point, so if you're interested in seeing the tour of our home and other behind-the-scenes footage, make sure to check out our video when it posts!

We didn't have much downtime throughout our twelve and a half hour "work" day, because someone always seemed to need us for something, but we did snap some behind-the-scenes shots ourselves (of things that we are allowed to show), and we'll be posting those here tomorrow so you can see too!

This morning the crew came back over and picked up all of their equipment, and we got to exchange good-byes. We'll never forget our experience with David, Alistair, Don, Missie, Kara, Olivier, Christina and Artem. It was truly a dream come true!

We also want to thank Jason and Sarah for watching Max on day one, and Eric and Jessica for watching Max on day two. We also want to thank Keith for loaning us an expensive, much-needed accessory for the living room set up, Shannon at Capitol Filmworks for hurriedly printing us some black and white images for the frames in our guest bedroom, Josette for loaning us an ironing board, Mary for sending us the perfect oil-rubbed bronze handle set for our front door, and Dunn's Florist for quickly special ordering the biggest bunch of hydrangea I've ever seen!
Last, but not least, thank you guys for rooting us on this past week. We definitely needed the encouragement, and your comments were comforting and inspiring as always. It was so much fun to be able to share our experience with you!

We never imagined anyone would make such a fuss over our little fixer upper, (especially in its current state!) and we feel so blessed that the folks at The Nest magazine are interested in sharing our story. We can hardly wait to get our issue in the mail in December!

For now, I'm off to bed to catch up on some much needed zzzz's!

Layla

PS...Our issue will be released around December 28th.
Also, for those who have asked, "The Nest" is a subscription-only magazine, and is not available in stores or on newsstands. "The Nest" is a division of "The Knot" magazine. To order a subscription, visit this link!

Nest Shoot - Day One

2009-10-14T20:01:00.007-05:00

Hello!

I'm happy to report that we finished our to-do lists last night around midnight and we were up in time to make ourselves look presentable (yes, I brushed) this morning too.
:-)

At about 10 a.m., Alistair and Don (prop stylist extraordinaires) began sprinkling our house with all sorts of colorful, textural, patterned goodies. It was such a treat to see them work their magic, room by room. The tablecloth they used on the Dining Room table is amazing, and I'm IN LOVE with the bowls that are now sitting alongside my white ones in our open cabinets in the kitchen.

David, the photographer (and his assistants) also came by this afternoon to begin preparing for tomorrows shoot. They discussed which rooms they'll shoot, and in which order they'll shoot them, etc. First up, the kitchen! And thanks to some fab new accessories, our herb crates will look a little different than how you've previously seen them:

I can't wait to see how the new accessories photograph. The whole process is so intriguing to me!

We'll be tweeting throughout the day tomorrow, so if you're interested in hearing about our day- check us out on Twitter!

Layla

PS...For those who have asked, the herb crates in the photo above are available on our Lettered Cottage Home site!

Also, we've been taking tons of photos, but we're only allowed to certain ones here on our blog until after our issue comes out. We'll be sure to post all of them here on our blog after we get our copy in the mail though! Our issue will be released around December 28th, and for those who have asked, "The Nest" is a subscription-only magazine, and is not available in stores or on newsstands. "The Nest" is a division of "The Knot" magazine. To order a subscription, visit this link!

The Nest magazine is coming to TLC!

2009-10-13T08:52:00.014-05:00

If you've noticed the accelerated pace at which Mr. LC and I have been working on projects around here lately, I need to let you know that we normally don't work quite this fast. We've got some exciting news to share with you today...

The Nest magazine is coming to photograph us and our house for their Winter issue this week!

The crew flies in today, and they'll be over to scope out the situation tomorrow. The shoot will take place on Thursday and Kevin and I will collapse and finally exhale on Friday. :-)

This opportunity is thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Yes, it is at the top of my "wish list". I've dreamed about this experience for years, and can't believe it's actually about to happen. BUT, I always thought it would happen in a home that I was DONE with. Not a half-done fixer upper that doesn't even have one entire room done yet! Not to mention, we haven't even touched the outside of the house yet. (Crap, gotta change the subject before my temple starts twitching again. Does that happen to anyone else? The temple-twitching-when-you-get-stressed-out thing? Just wondering if that's normal.)

For real though, I know everything will work out. With a Prop Stylist Alistair Turnbull, photographer David A. Land, and a crew of hair, makeup, wardrobe folks, I'm confident they'll be able to get some shots that will knock our socks off.

Last week the Nest asked us to send in photos of outfits we liked, so that the wardrobe person would know what kind of clothes to ship in. This was one of the many photos I sent in:

And this was one that Kevin sent in:

(That David Beckham sure is a looker isn't he?) :-)

After so many days of being dirty and dressing as down as you can possibly imagine, it will be neat to have someone make us look like humans again!

So I guess after we finish our to-do lists today (mine is about 26 items long), we'll attempt to get cleaned up and ready for the big day tomorrow. (It's going to be tough though...I've got everything from wood glue and Kilz under my nails, to dust-filled pores on my nose. Can you say Biore'?)

Alright...that's all I have time to type for now. Kevin is outside mowing the grass right now (thank goodness it FINALLY stopped raining long enough for him to do it. Oh yeah, it's supposed to rain the whole time the crew is here.)
:-(
I'm off to frost the glass on our new/old bathroom door in the hallway then I'll attempt to tackle the other 25 items on my list. Wish us luck!

Layla :-)

PS...Our issue will be released around December 28th!
Also, for those who have asked, "The Nest" is a subscription-only magazine, and is not available in stores or on newsstands. "The Nest" is a division of "The Knot" magazine. To order a subscription, visit this link!

EngLady Necklace Giveaway Winners!

2009-10-12T12:21:00.007-05:00

Commenter #477 is the winner of the Oak Leaf and Pearl necklace-

Joseph said...
Wow! Tough to choose. I'd love either, but think I would go for the oak leaf . . .

Fingers crossed!
Momsy

October 12, 2009 5:25 AM

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And Commenter #310 is the winner of the Fleur-de-Lis & Coin Pearl necklace-

Bryan, Jen, Noah and Kiki too! said...
I'd love the Fleur-de-Lis & Coin Pearl Necklace, it's beautiful! :) Thanks guys, what a pretty giveaway!

October 10, 2009 9:23 PM

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Congratulations to you both!

Please contact kat@englady.com to redeem your beautiful prizes!

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PS- If you didn't win, but would like to purchase one of Kat's necklaces, just enter THE LETTERED COTTAGE in the "message to the seller" box when checking out at her Etsy store. You'll receive 10% off your order plus Free Shipping through October 31st!

(Kat will refund the discounts to you upon notification of your purchase)