The Apple Street Cottage

With all the talk about Coronavirus and Social Distancing, Rosie was sure to pick up on it.  Her first concern was she was going to get it.  When I explained to her that she didn't have lungs so there were no worries, she got very quiet.  I guess it took a bit to process that one!  But, I reassured her that she was safe.  Her next thought?  She wanted to help.  Let's face it, she doesn't have lungs and she also doesn't have arms, legs, hands....you get the picture.   But, I humored her and dug out a set of old scrubs from the early '80s when I worked at a hospital.  She immediately informed me they were an ugly and would not be wearing them until I found a way to make them pretty. Have I mentioned she can be a handful??? And maybe a bit of a fashionista? I gave her a pretty scarf and that seemed to satisfy her. You'll also notice that she has a face mask.  It's one of the old cheap ones I used to use for woodwork and sanding.  Please don't tell h

Welcome back to the Cottage.  I hope you are all well and ready to hear another story about how I found two pieces of furniture.  A friend once told me I always have the craziest stories, but, hey, that's how I roll.  Are you ready??? Last Fall, at about 11:00 pm I was perusing one of the local garage sale sites when a post came up that said, "Two dressers $15 each." I immediately commented and messaged the woman to tell her I was interested and would like the measurements.  She answered right away telling me she would have to let me know in the morning since the two pieces were out in her barn.   I went to bed wondering if I'd hear from her at all, because people can be flakey on those garage sale sites.  But, sometimes, you have to have faith. The next morning, she messaged me with measurements.  I explained that I probably could only fit one of them in my car, but would still like to see them.  She asked me where I lived and when I told her, she said that she and

Spring is starting to tease us around here.  The snow has melted and we've had a few days with warmer temperatures.  The other day I actually sat on the back porch in shirtsleeves and read my book.  Today, I wore my winter coat.  Spring is fickle like that!    In spite of it all, it's time for a little 'this & that' so let's get started.    Let's rewind to Christmas. I wanted to give my husband something handmade.  Since he's a guitar player and he also builds electric guitars, I decided it was time for me to build one from reclaimed wood. I grabbed one of his guitars when he wasn't around and traced it for a pattern.  Several pieces of pallet wood were pulled out and rearranged until I had the look I wanted.  A little work with the jigsaw and I ended up with this: Here's a close-up of the headstock: Because it was the dead of winter, I was not able to put a finish on it....you can only do so much 'stinky stuff' inside!  He lo

Say hello to the updated powder room.  It's a  challenging space and my goal was to brighten it up on a budget.  The room is approximately 5' x 7'(and I'm rounding up), has no windows, and contains the washer and dryer.    The entire project cost me about $35.  Are you ready to see how I did it?   Let's get started... Behold the 1980's oak: Here's a separate shot of the vanity.  It was tough to get the whole area in one photo since the room is so small. I decided not to paint the walls since the dryer is stacked on top of the washer.  See them right next to the vanity? In order to get them out for painting, I'd have to take the door to the room off it's hinges and move it.  I wanted this to be an easy makeover, so I opted to paint the medicine cabinet and the vanity.   Off came the hinges, knobs, shelf pegs, and pulls.  The pulls were being replaced, but everything else was spray painted.     Did you notice there are only seven s