Cottage gardens have their origins in the more functional gardens of old which incorporated vegetables and herbs added with flowers for decoration. It was an informal design with every square inch being used. Some have said it looked like “a vegetable garden taken over with flowers”. While I do love most of the elements of …
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I love garage sales! You never know what you will find. Here in the Pacific Northwest we can only shop at garage sales from June till about September. The rest of the time it’s just too cold and rainy. So I love to take advantage of the good weather to get out and see what …
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Here in the Pacific Northwest, warmer weather and summer are slow in coming. Although we have started to see a few warmer days and more sun which has me thinking ahead to being able to enjoy dining outdoors. Our last house had a wonderful deck out front and my husband and I enjoyed many meals …
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My very favorite home decor style is Cottage Style. It is very versatile and actually includes a number of different styles such as Country Cottage, French Country, Coastal or Beach, Shabby Chic and Romantic. There are certain characteristics common to all these styles and some that are peculiar to each. The main thing to remember, …
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What do fresh flowers, wicker furniture, comfortable couches with slipcovers, painted bead board and wood floors have in common? They are all part of a relaxed, comfortable, cozy, easy on the budget style of decorating called Cottage Style Decorating. I love Cottage Style because with this style there are no hard and fast rules. Anything …
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There are so many wonderful places to visit in the Pacific Northwest, but one of our favorites is Gig Harbor, Washington. During a heavy storm in 1840, Captain Charles Wilkes brought his small boat (a gig) into the harbor for protection. Later, with the publication of Wilkes 1841 Map of the Oregon Territory, he named …
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One thing I like about living in Washington is all the small, quaint towns, especially Sumner, which is only about 10 minutes from where I live. My husband and I enjoy driving over and looking through the antique and gift shops and then stopping for lunch at the cute little cafe in town. I thought …
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This time of year I start getting anxious for Spring. Winter is not my favorite season. It’s just too cold and dreary for my taste. So to cheer myself up, I was looking through pictures of some of my past Spring and Summer blooms and looking ahead to getting out in the garden again. I …
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I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but we had lived here for almost 13 years before we ever got around to visiting the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, WA. I’m glad we finally got around to going, it was amazing, although not what it is in the spring when the “Rhodys” are in …
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“Victoria” was one of the first things my husband purchased for me after we were married and it is still one of my most cherished possessions! I think the amazing attention to detail is what made me fall in love with the collectible porcelain figurines the first time I saw them. They were exquisite! I …
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