Mimi Sue's Cottage

A home is much more than a house built of lumber, brick, or stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice, and respect. We are responsible for the homes we build. We must build wisely, for eternity is not a short voyage. There will be calm and wind, sunlight and shadows, joy and sorrow. But if we really try, our home can be a bit of heaven here on earth. Thomas S Monson







Monday, August 31, 2009

Heavy Shelves and Nesting

A couple of months ago I bought this adorable banner from ML over at the House of Whimsy. I wanted to display it in our bedroom. Isn't it cute? Little birds and cones and nests. So perfect.
Anyway, I found this shelf at a yard sale soon after the purchase. I bought little drawer pulls at the Hobby Lobby and attached them. It's been waiting for the mister ever since. We finally hung the shelf over the weekend. It is super heavy and it took both of us to hang the darn thing.


It's hanging over our dresser.


Here is a picture of the door that leads to the little patio outside our bedroom. That is the cheap blind we made a couple of weeks ago. I still need a valance and a lace curtain or something. Oh wait, I still need door and window trim! See that picture? That's Mimi and the Mister in 1973.



In 1973 it would have been way easier to hang that heavy shelf! Actually, in 1973 it was easier for us to do a lot of things.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Sunday Sayings

When the world says , "Give up", hope whispers, "Try it one more time".
Anonymous

Friday, August 28, 2009

The Tale of the Shed

We decided we needed a shed to house our extra junk and also because I love little out buildings that can be decorated and played in. So last winter the mister drew up a plan and last spring he got to work.


When people came to visit, sometimes the mister would take them out and let them work on the shed. Especially if they stayed for a week or more;).


We decided to install a french door on the side to let in some light and also because they're cute.
But the wall is shorter than a normal wall so the mister found a door at a salvage yard for $5.00 and a door for free at a window store, took the two apart and made one little door that's the perfect size for our shed.
Here he is installing the door. I don't think he cussed even once. Good job, honey!

We had many discussions about what color to paint the shed. We polled our neighbors, family, and friends. Almost everyone thought we should paint our shed red. We painted it yellow. It matches our house. Plus I have lots of red accessories that you wouldn't be able to see on a red shed.


It's not done. But it'll get through the winter.


It still needs a cupola. This weathervane will sit on top of the cupola.

And we'll install this old window. It goes up over the double doors on the front. I'm looking for another window for the back of the shed for ventilation. We may insulate it a little and put up something for interior walls. Not sure what yet. I'd like to paint the cement floor, maybe checkerboard. Lots of ideas.




It's gonna be so fun to play in next spring.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Gifted

Last week my friends Janis and Sue and I went to lunch and then to see the movie Julie and Julia. We enjoyed lunch and the movie very much. I met Janis through blogging almost a year ago (Grams) and Sue is a friend of Janis who doesn't have a blog but should. Anyway, whenever we get together they bring me presents. Aren't they the cutest? Sue vacationed in Illinois this summer and brought me back this adorable placemat. It looks really great on my round table with a bunch of sunflowers, don't you think? Janis made me this cute bracelet. She made it by flattening a spoon and using her metal letter punches for my name. Don't you love the heart charm? I love it so much.

I think making new friends through our blogs is one of the best things about blogging. I sure do love these cute girls. Thanks again Janis and Sue.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

We've had a busy summer here at Mimi's Cottage. Lots of fun company came to visit...


We've built a cute shed (this is how it looked about a month ago, can't find a newer picture)
The shed post later this week...
We've spent some time at Pineview Reservoir with family and friends...

We finished our powder room...
We planted our front lawn...
We planted most of the front yard...
We put up a few fences (we still have the backyard to do)...
So much done, so much still to do. The summer has just flown by. We were supposed to go to Yellowstone in August. What happened to August? School started on Monday. Time to start thinking about fall and all it's fun activities. Is it just me, or is time going by faster and faster?

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Powder Room

We have a little powder room in the hall between the garage and the kitchen. It's been in sad shape since we moved in almost two years ago. I'd put up the wallpaper and we were going to start on the beadboard but we had company coming and needed an extra potty and sink so we installed them and it's been sitting there half dressed ever since. We started with the tile floor...Then the beadboard...

Then the trim and the baseboard...

Reinstall the sink and potty..

Hang my collection of silhouettes (I collect silhouettes that have children and animals only)...



Hang a plate with them...

And ta da!


Our powder room is ready for business.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Have a Nice Breakfast

I was making french toast the other day and when I came back from throwing away the egg shells this is what I saw...
I'm easily entertained.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Sunday Sayings


"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being." Goethe


Friday, August 14, 2009

I Need Some Advice

One of our cute neighbors had an estate sale this week. Her husband passed away a couple of years ago and she is selling her big old victorian home and moving to an efficient condo. They were antique dealers for many years and their house was jam packed full of quality British antiques and other pieces. Most of the stuff was waaayyy beyond my budget but I did find this cute little high chair. Do you think it's a reproduction? I know it's not the original paint.
Love the enamel tray.
It's painted a limey green and has this bunny painted on the back rest. The color works OK in my house. The bunny has this funny expression on his face. Kind of like the characters in early cartoons.





Should I paint it? Should I live with it for awhile until it needs painting? What do you ladies think?


Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Rose Trellis

The mister was kind enough to make me this beautiful trellis for our climbing rose to climb. Thank you mister! Isn't he the best?

Monday, August 10, 2009

Window Boxes Then and Now

Remember when I got my wonderful window boxes? I planted them and I watered them, the sun shone down upon them, and I fed them with Miracle Gro.And look what happened...
When I look at them they make me so happy. Sigh.


Sunday, August 9, 2009

Sunday Sayings


"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough, we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." Margaret Nadauld

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Cute Cheap Blinds

I just love the look of these window blinds. This one is on the front door and I bought it at Blinds.com. It was about $75.00 with shipping. I needed one for our bedroom exterior door. Since we've been in this house for almost two years now, I thought I should take down the poster board that was in the window and put up something a little more permanent.I just love this look...


So I thought I might be able to make something a little less expensive. I looked all over the place and bought a plain jane straight across the bottom roller blind at Home Depot for $20.00.(They seemed the best quality for the money.) Of course it wasn't the right size so we brought it home and cut it the size we needed.

Of course it was way too long, so we cut it to the length we needed. All of this was done with the rotary cutter.

The very hard cardboard core was now too long so I had to get the mister to come and cut that.


He has waaayyy more strength in his hands than I do.


So now it's the correct width and length.
Then I measured the scallops and had to do some math. The mister was my math advisor too. (I help him spell, he helps me with math) Isn't he the greatest?



It got a little complicated. I think you could probably use a bowl or something and just eyeball it and get it pretty close. That's what I would do if I didn't have the mister around to help me.




The scallops were measured and drawn and then cut with scissors.



Are you still with me? Almost done. Then that stick that stiffens the end that you grab to open and close the blind had to be redone, because it was too long.


So I measured and folded it over and stitched it on my sewing machine. Now there's a place where the stick can be inserted.

Oh Mister, I need help cutting the stick! Aren't you glad you're retired so you can help me with my projects?


Now I need a little trim to finish off the edge. It was really curling so I stuck it down with masking tape.


And glued the trim on with a glue gun. Two yards $2.40 at Ben Franklin.
Ta Da! It's done.

Cute, no? If anyone knows where I can find a puller (a ring attached to a string that's attached to the blind) will you please let me know?



It was pretty easy. I'd definitely do it again. AND I saved more than $50.00 on the project.