The Apple Street Cottage

You know how it goes, September, October & November roll around and Christmas ideas are everywhere !  So much that it can get a bit overwhelming.  Join me in July for ideas that you can make (or at least get started) before the holiday rush takes over.    Mark your calendar.  The fun begins next Saturday!    To My Email Subscribers:  Beginning July 1, 2021 the Blogger subscription service will be turned off.  Therefore, you will no longer receive emails when a new post is published at The Apple Street Cottage. I offer you the alternative of  Bloglovin' .  If you subscribe to The Apple Street Cottage there, you will receive emails when a new post is published.  You can go to my Home page, click the 3 little lines at the top right and you will see the box for following. I hope you will use this alternative and I look forward to seeing all of you at The Cottage!

It's been a while since I've written a 'This & That' post, so I guess it's time.  Welcome back to the Cottage.  It's early summer, winter is over (finally), it's warming up, and I can be outside!  That means my garden is growing and yard sale season is upon us.  Let's have a look..... Everything is coming up roses! There just isn't anything else to say about this rose except.....I sn't she a beauty? A double Painted Daisy had to get into the act!  I'm hoping they will bloom a second time this season.  I had no luck last year so fingers crossed for this year. My Donald Wyman Lilac bush finished blooming about a week ago.  The fragrance on the back porch was heavenly ! The sage has doubled in size from last year.  I will have to start harvesting it soon along with the dill and basil.  They will be used fresh and will also be dried.  Once you start growing your own, there's just no going back to the grocery store variety. The vegetables...

 It's summer around here and that means   BBQ's  and summer parties.  W elcome back to 10 on the 10th.  A group of bloggers sharing ideas and inspiration for under $10.  This month our theme is 'July 4th/Summer' and I've created  the perfect way to 'dress' a bottle of wine.   Whether you're bringing the Hostess a gift or you've been asked to bring some wine to the party, it always looks better when it's 'dressed-up' a bit.  Here's what you need: An old pair of jeans, a pocket, rubber band, ribbon, a flag, and a bottle of wine.   Start by cutting off one of the legs from your jeans.  I cut mine a little longer than the wine bottle. Turn the leg inside out and run a stitch across the cut end.   Sit the seam flat on a table and stitch either end.  It makes the bottom of the bag neater. Turn the bag right side out and decide on the placement of the pocket.  I used Aleen's Tacky glue to attach it. The basic ...

  I'm so excited to write this post.  Why, you ask?   Because I've been asked to collaborate with Photowall for the second time.  In June of 2020 I shared the result of our first collaboration, a beautiful canvas called The Artist's Wife at Skagen  and I remember thinking 'I hope they ask me to do this again' since I absolutely LOVE that canvas.  Fast-forward one year and I'm back with another beautiful canvas to share with you!   Recently Emily, from Photowall contacted me asking if I would be interested in collaborating again.  Of course, I said yes and was able to choose wallpaper, a canvas, or a poster.  Since I loved the first one so much, I chose another canvas. With thousands of options, there is something for everyone.  I wanted one that looked like a painting and narrowed my search to 'Flower Arrangements' and immediately fell in love with 'Country Florals Neutral'. I placed my order on a Friday evening and my canva...

Yes, my friends I have another silverware box to share with you.  This one is a bit smaller than the others (10" x 10") which means a new repurpose.  Due to it's smaller size, I thought it would make the perfect jewelry box!  What do you think? Clearly, it didn't start out this pretty so let's talk about how it began.  It was a small box containing some random stainless flatware. It wasn't anything special and I bought it for a dollar. Upon closer inspection, I discovered it wasn't even real wood.   There was the thinnest layer of veneer on the top and after two swipes with sandpaper, I went right through it. Paint was the choice for this box.  I painted it a light green and stenciled a design on the top. I know it looks gray.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the true color.  But the magical part was the interior.  I lined the interior of this box the same way I did the other two. If you would like details on that process, you...