The Apple Street Cottage

Since selling the Cottage and moving, I no longer have my gardens to share, but, have no fear, I've found some beautiful Spring Daffodils to share with you. While taking a walk around the back yard of our new place, a flash of yellow caught my eye further back, under the trees. There were a few bunches scattered around, all with several buds and flowers.  I have no idea how they got there since this area was completely overgrown.  After grabbing a pair of scissors, I cut some to bring a bouquet inside to enjoy.   They must be magical daffodils because they look white in photos taken indoors!  Here are a couple of more shots: Either way, I was thrilled to find a little bit of Spring to bring inside to enjoy! I hope Spring is in full-bloom at your house.  Have a wonderful week and, as always, thank you for stopping by the Cottage! Linking to: Happiness is Homemade Silver Pennies Sunday That DIY Party Dishing It & Digging It...

If you've been looking for an hors d'oeuvre recipe that's easy and delicious, have I got the recipe for you!  This one has been in my recipe book since my kids were small and it's always a hit - even with the kids!  Take a look: Now, before you think, "This looks complicated" and leave, hear me out.  This is all you need: Basil Pesto - just a few spoonfuls A tube of puff pastry - I use croissants 6 thin slices of Swiss Cheese 6 thin slices of ham That's it! Here's what you do: *Smack that tube of croissants on the edge of the counter and roll them out.  Pinch the edges together so you have a rectangle of pastry on the counter.  *Spread a few spoonfuls of pesto over the pastry. *Lay the 6 slices of ham and cheese over the pesto. *Grab one edge and roll the whole thing until it's  a log.  If you want to get fancy, roll one side to the middle, then the opposite side to meet the first roll. *Slice (with a serrated ...

Today is all about a little 'find' I made at the Cottage.  Tucked in the back of a cabinet were these little glass cups: I knew exactly what they were because I saw them under my grandparent's furniture legs when I was a little girl.  They are called 'furniture coasters' or, sometimes they are called 'casters'. They were used to protect floors and were very popular at one time.   Hazel Atlas was a popular brand of coasters and I'm guessing these were made by them.  You can see the 'H' etched in the base: These coasters were certainly used - notice the scratches - but, were not abused - no chips or cracks.   They needed a new life, so they became tealight holders!  A tealight fits perfectly inside. Did I mention the glow of the flame shows off the beautiful green glass? So, the next time you're in a thrift store and see these, grab a few.  You'll have some new tealight holders!   What have you repurposed lately?...

I'm back again with my very last pallet wood project.  I had 8 scraps left and put them together to make this: These were the scraps leftover from all of my projects: After cutting them to size and sanding them, I used the dry-brush and stain technique to finish them.  Click HERE for details on that technique. After each board was finished, I started nailing the shelf together. All in all, it was a pretty easy project.  It's not hanging on the wall yet....you know, selling the Cottage, moving, etc., but it will be soon!  So for the purposes of this blog post, I staged it on some cloth-covered boxes. Classy, huh?? How about a close-up? Or two? So, that's how I used the last of the pallet wood.  Stay tuned for more projects, though, just not with pallet wood! Thanks for dropping by.  Enjoy your week and come back again soon! Linking to: Saturday Shuffle Snickerdoodle Bouquet of Talent Sunday's Best That ...