Is there anything that peaks your anticipation more than seeing party tents going up?

The big ones. Colorful ones. White ones. Ones with fringe. Ones with curtains or even tassels.

I love to see a party tent…it means that a celebration is getting ready to happen, or is in the midst. I just love to celebrate. Whenever I see one of those big tents….I always want to stop in and find out what is being celebrated. I love the octagon ones that are covered in brightly-colored elaborate fabric, and have tassels hanging around the edges. I also love the big, snow-white ones. They are incredible with lights strung underneath. Just magical.

Well, yesterday a big, white tent went up in our yard. It pretty much covers the whole backyard. And, of course, has white lights zig-zagging down the entire length.

This weekend we are celebrating No. 1 Son’s graduation. Twelve years of hard work….graduating with highest honors, and my utmost respect. He’s one of the coolest teens I know.

It was so much fun seeing the big tent go up…..even though I’m the one that has planned and orchestrated the upcoming celebration it was almost like I was on the outside…looking in…anticipating. I love to anticipate a celebration.

I wonder if God feels the same way. All the lovely things he is preparing for us….anticipating a most wonderful celebration. Even though He is the party planner……I feel assured that His anticipation is incredible.

What is something that when you see it, it fills you with wonderful anticipation of a coming celebration?

{If you have a spare second….I’d love your prayers for wonderful weather on Saturday. =)  We have some special things planned that will need nice weather. Thanks, y’all!}

Small or great….I hope you have a wonderful celebration this weekend~

daune

All pictures can be found here.

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This is THAT room that I have the hardest time getting good photographs. But, I just realized that I have never shared our cottage living room here on the blog.

It’s a room that definitely gets lived in……actually, ALL of our rooms get lived in—daily! We enjoy movie nights, Bible studies, great fellowship, and fun in this room.  Our cottage is an Acadian cottage…or French cottage. It has a very open floor plan downstairs….the entryway and living room are all one big space. So, this is the room that you walk into when you walk through our front door. I love the high, cathedral ceilings and the openness of this area {hard to see in these pictures}. It is great for parties and get-togethers. Our stairs are in the center of this area and you can walk around them in a circle….creating a great flow for parties.

In the spring and summer when the fireplace is not in use, we fill it with vintage book bundles…so we aren’t left with a big, black hole all season.

Here are the links to some of the projects that have been shared from this room over the past couple of years:

Living Room Redo

Photo Tree

French Linen Table

Mantels Through the Year

Cottage Front Door {Interior Redo}

Curtains As Doors

DIY Faux Grain Sack Pillows

Burlap Curtains

Trouser Hangers

Blessing Tree

Family Mission Statement Banner

I hope you are having a wonderful week……what have you been up to this week?

Blessings~

daune

Sharing with:  Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Uncommon Designs, The Shabby Creek Cottage

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We are gearing up for No. 1 Son’s big graduation party this weekend….and I can’t wait!  We have some special stuff planned and are looking forward to honoring him.

As I have been sprucing up the yard and getting things ready….I realized that the pansies were starting to wither here in Eastern NC. It was time to replace them.  Once it gets warm {we are already in the 80′s here} pansies don’t fair so well.

I didn’t want to waste the wonderful blooms….so I made some fun little bouquets to put around the house and then we used the rest for our salads.

Did you know that pansies are edible flowers?

I run into a lot of people that don’t realize that.

There are actually a lot of flowers that are edible…..

and add so much to salads and other dishes.

We love to add pansies to our salads in the spring.

They add a peppery punch…and look real purty, too.

 Some other flowers that we enjoy eating?

Nasturtiums, day lilies, chive flowers….

Here’s a neat chart of edible flowers that lists

their flavors and the best way to use them.

Are there any flowers that you enjoy adding to your salads and other dishes?

Have a great day~

daune

Sharing with:  Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Uncommon Designs, The Shabby Creek Cottage

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It’s hard to believe that summer is almost here!  I’m not quite sure who is more ready….me or our three kids! {We homeschool….and I think it’s me!} heehee

Over the years we have given our kids this simple questionnaire each May…..it’s always been fun to see what they would like to do with us; as well as, something new that they would like to learn how to do.  Summer is a great time to learn something new, or have a new experience…….

When they were young…..they would get so excited to get the Summer Questionnaire!  I think one our daughters started planning her answers months in advance. ha!

In case you have children….or grandchildren….here it is…….

Cottage in the Oaks_Kids Summer Questionnaire

Just click on the title for the pdf that you can print.

Over the years it has been so neat to get insight into what each child wanted to do with each one of us…and hear why.  I think we looked forward to getting them as much as they looked forward to filling them out. It’s just three simple questions…..but opened the window to so many special times.

Is there something fun that your family does each year to plan some summer fun…other than vacations and cookouts? {Boy! I love vacations and cookouts! They’re my favorite!}

Have a great Tuesday~

daune

Sharing with:  Tip Junkie, Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Uncommon Designs, The Shabby Creek Cottage

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I hope all of you wonderful mothers had a fabulous day yesterday!  It was beautiful here and I had a great day with my family. We spent most of the day outside in the garden…..one of my favorite places to be.

Last Tuesday I shared with you guys that I did a show/webinar for HomeTalk with three other lovely ladies about using unique items as planters. It was called “Think Outside the Pot – Creative Planter Ideas”. We had so much fun….and if you missed it, you can go here and view it anytime you wish.

Here at our cottage our philosophy is ‘if it will hold dirt…it can be a planter’! We use all kinds of things to plant flowers, herbs, etc.  In fact…..for this upcoming weekend’s graduation party for No. 1 Son I planted some of his favorite plants in his very first pair of rain boots. They are so fun…and teeny! {I’ll share more about that later……}

I thought I would share some of the fun ideas that were a part of the show…..there were many more, so be sure to check out the show form even more ideas.

Kelly at Eclectically Vintage shared her wonderful Dresser Planter. I just love this…this speaks my garden language…….it’s even my favorite French blue.

Jane at Cottage at the Crossroads shared her fun Topsy Turvy Planter How-To. She did a great tutorial of how to put this together!

Tammy at Deja Vue Designs shared her Tricycle Planter…this was her husband’s tricycle when he was little….isn’t that neat?

A few of things that I shared were the Chicken Feeder Planters…..

Wheelbarrow Gardens…..

Milk Crate Herb Garden……

and there were many more fun ideas that we shared.  Be sure to head on over to these great blogs and find out the how-to’s…..they have wonderful gardening ideas! Love ‘em!

I hope your week is off to a wonderful start….we’re having fun here getting ready for a big weekend! Can’t wait!

Blessings~

daune

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I haven’t done a ’25 Things’ post in a long time….so, in honor of Mother’s Day, I give you……

25 Things ::: Mother’s Day Version!

“25 Things” are some of my favorite posts….if you’d like to read the others, here they are:

25 Things

25 Things {No. 2}

25 Things ::: Atlanta Version

OK,,,,,, here we go……….

25 Things ::: Mother’s Day Version

{Things I have learned as a mom……..}

1.  You can make chores more fun by pretending to be Cinderella.

2.  Dads catch baseballs, Moms catch vomit.

3. There is no sleep in sleepover.

4.  If you want to get carried….fall asleep in the back of the car.

5.  When you hear the smoke detector….breakfast is probably not too far behind.

6.  All projects are due on the same day: TOMORROW.

7.  Check for dog poop before you roll down the hill.

8. Hell hath no fury like a teenager on a bad hair day.

9. One day when your kids are getting ready to graduate you will find a petrified french fry under the car seat…..and get teary-eyed.

10.  In-laws teach kids stuff. Weird stuff. Bad stuff.

11. It’s not a good idea to jump off the shed with cardboard wings.

12. If the flowers you draw don’t look like anyone else’s…..that’s good.

13.  No one will ever put you in time-out, no matter how badly you want to go.

14.  Your definition of clean changes dramatically after having children.

15. Your capacity to love will astound you.

16.  Once you have a child, time passes 400x faster. True story.

17. You will teach the basics of logic:  ”Because I said so, that’s why!”

18. You will become great at teaching endurance: “We will sit here until you eat all the broccoli.”

19.  Only in motherhood will you experience the strange sensation of wanting to strangle someone that you’re willing to die for.

20.  You are responsible for making sure your child knows their origin: “You were not born in a barn!”

21.  When you lay your head on their little chest and hear their heartbeat…you’ll swear to do everything possible to protect them.

22. Motherhood is discovering a you that you didn’t know existed.

23.  When you are worried you will do better research than the FBI.

24. There will come a day when you will miss getting homemade Mother’s Day presents.

25. Labor is the easy part.

To all you wonderful mothers out there……..may you have a wonderful Mother’s Day! I hope your weekend is full of blessings and fun times with the ones you mother……..

Blessings~

daune

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This has been a tough week. If I shared all the fires that have had to be put out and craziness….you would think my life was a sitcom. {Even though I haven’t gotten to sit or be ‘com’ hahahaha!} Oh my gosh….I’m loopy.

So, I needed a laugh…..and I thought I would send some to you…….

{You can find all the fun pics above on my Pinterest board here.}

{And this last set of pics can be found here.}

May you have a day filled with laughter……..

daune

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I’m thinking desserts today; and with the beautiful weather arriving and all the wonderful fresh berries I’m seeing in the market—I’ve been excited to pull out the recipe of one of our family’s favorite treats:  FRUIT PIZZA!  Enjoy!

FRUIT PIZZA

1 roll of sugar cookie dough (homemade or prepackaged)

8 oz. package of cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

16 oz. of Cool Whip

Your choice of fruits—-you can’t go wrong here!  Bananas, berries, nuts, kiwi, etc.

______

Press out cookie dough onto a pizza pan or pizza stone and bake according to package directions, or until done.  You should have have a giant sugar cookie!

Blend cream cheese, sugar, and Cool Whip together and spread onto your giant cookie. {You can use the fat free varieties of these and it will be just as good!}

Spread and layer your fruit.  Cut with a pizza cutter and enjoy!

Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy~

daune

Sharing with:  Tip Junkie, Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Uncommon Designs, The Shabby Creek Cottage

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We love to open our home to others; so, over the years, we have several things that we like to do to prepare for guests that will be staying with us overnight.  I thought I would share a few…..

I want our home to be a wonderful experience for anyone that stays here…I know I have had some not so pleasant experiences as a guest.  You know when you have been anticipated….and it makes all the difference in the world.  There are a few places that I know I will not visit ever again. Regardless of what anyone may say….there was no ‘welcome’ or ‘so glad you are here’ atmosphere. I would never want anyone feeling that way after staying here at our cottage…so, I’ve put together a few things that I think help to create a welcoming and gracious atmosphere for guests. Our homes are very powerful places of ministry….just with the environment and atmosphere, no need for words.

1. Clear clutter..especially on front porches and entryways.

2. Make sure there are no burned out lights…especially in the rooms that your guests will be using.

3. Dust…dirt stinks.

4. Brings me to my next one….give your home the sniff test. If you have pets….bathe and clean them.  After cleaning well, light a candle or put out pot pourri. {Once again…dirt stinks. Even lighting a candle will not cover up dirt…so clean first!}

{The cleaning products that you use can help out with this tremendously!  I love Mrs. Meyers and The Good Home Co. Not only do they clean well…..but everything smells amazing!}

Here’s a great cleaning plan from Better Homes & Gardens:

5.  Vacuum…thoroughly. {I’ll say it just one more time. Dirt stinks. }

6.  Take out trash…even if you cannot smell it….others can.

7.  Scrub bathrooms really well….especially whichever one your guests will be using.

8.  Remove personal items from the bathroom and make sure there is extra toilet paper and fluffy towels available to them. A robe hanging in the bathroom is a great addition for guests.

9. We keep a basket of stuff just for guests…..sample bottles of shampoo, hairspray, mouthwash, shower gels, disposable razors, toothbrushes, hair clips, soap…..this makes people feel at home, especially if they have forgotten something.  We keep this basket in a closet until its needed. {You can collect many of these samples when you travel, etc. Or just stock up on razors/toothbrushes, etc. at the dollar store.}

10.  Make sure the bed is made with fresh, clean sheets…..extra blankets are nice, too.

11. Put out some current magazines on the nightstand for them to enjoy if they’d like to…..

12.  It’s also fun to have a little basket of snacks, water bottles, etc. in the bedroom they will be staying in…..and fresh flowers are always a wonderful addition to any room. =)

{A great list of how to prepare for guests can be found here.}

13.  Make sure when your guests arrive that they know where all the necessities are if they need them.

14. Once your guests arrive you are not preparing anymore…..you need to focus on them. Enjoying them, laughing, talking, fellowshipping. They need to be the focus…..not a perfect home or a detailed  plan.  You’ve prepared….now just enjoy.

Here’s a fun article about preparing for overnight guests from Pottery Barn…of course, they are plugging some of their great items, but the suggestions are wonderful and will bring things to mind that you may not usually think about. You certainly don’t need to do all of these…just pick out some fun suggestions.  I love the one about a ‘Hot Chocolate Station’…for the summer a Lemonade Station or Izze Station would be fun. {We do that for just us…even without guests!}

Here’s some more great ideas….from Fabulous Home Blog….

It is an honor to have guests in your home…..and a great way to serve others.

Keep in mind that the ones that live in your home are the most special ‘guests’ of all….we want to remember to show hospitality to the most precious people in our homes. Almost all of the suggestions above will make your family feel special…even when no one else is staying the night.

The atmosphere of your home will create the most powerful memories for your family.

+++++++++

Do you have a lot of guests? What is your favorite way to prepare for overnight guests?

Blessings~

daune

Sharing with:  Tip Junkie, Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Uncommon Designs, The Shabby Creek Cottage

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I have a passion for excellence. Not power….but excellence. There is a difference, a world of difference. It is the spirit behind the passion that can go either way.

I love this excerpt from Max Lucado’s book, The Applause of Heaven…..I thought I would share it with you. I think it’s great encouragement to start the week….to keep in mind as we go about our days.

A Passion for Excellence, by Max Lucado

Remember playing “King of the Mountain” as a kid? The object of the game is to get high on the heap and stay there.  You push, claw, and climb until you get to the top. And once you get there, you fight to hold your position. Don’t even think about sitting down. Forget enjoying the view. Slack for even one minute, and you’ll be slapped down to the bottom of the hill. And then you’ll have to start all over again.

As grown-ups we still play “King of the Mountain,” but now the stakes are higher.

The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed. I might point out the difference between a passion for excellence and a passion for power. The desire for excellence is a gift from God, much needed in our society. It is characterized by respect for quality and a yearning to use God’s gifts in a way that pleases Him. Recall the words of Antonio Stradivari, the 17th-century violin maker whose name in its Latin form, Stradivarius, has become synonymous with excellence:

“When any master holds ‘twixt chin and hand a violin of mine, he will be glad that Stradivari lived, made violins and made them of the best…If my hand slacked I should rob God—since He is the fullest good … But He could not make Antonio Stradivari’s violins without Antonio.”

He was right. God could not make Stradivarius violins without Antonio Stradivari. Certain gifts were given to that craftsman that no other violin maker possessed.

In the same vein, there are certain things you can do that no one else can. Perhaps it is parenting, or constructing houses, or encouraging the discouraged. There are things that only you can do, and you are alive to do them. In the great orchestra of life, you have an instrument and a song, and you owe God to play them both sublimely.

But, there is a canyon of difference between doing your best to glorify God and doing whatever it takes to glorify yourself. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. The quest for power is childish.

Happy Monday, Friends~

daune

PS  If you haven’t already….be sure to head on over and RSVP for the show tomorrow, “Think Outside the Pot – Creative Planter Ideas”.  I’d love for you guys to join me!  Click below to RSVP and register to win a set of 6 vintage blue Ball jars!

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