LIFE AT THE COTTAGE

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Time Travel Thursday #77 & Talented Time Travelers #76


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 77th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

Now if you're anything like me, you hate to say goodbye to Christmas
each year.  I love almost everything about this wonderful holiday. 

So...
perhaps you will indulge me with a few more
 Christmas features for 2011.   ; )


Mary @ Sweet Little Bluebird came up with the cutest ideas for creating
 holiday art from scrapbooking supplies and frames.

Stop by for a visit to see more of her adorable creations...
AND welcome her to Blogland.


I love to decorate with vintage deer at Christmas—not so much for the
ties to the holiday, but because of the presence of the real deal
around my farm year round.

And I must say, I do love the pose of this one found by


It was the perfect counterpart in the terrific vignette Jane created with
this rusty vintage bowl filled with fantastic old ornaments.


Isn't this a sweet little hot chocolate station?
Though the concept is a familiar one, Sherry @ Pondered Primed Perfected designed
the festive holiday tray herself, AND she shared her how-tos, as well.


Now show us what you've been up to lately!


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Time Travel Thursday #76 & Talented Time Travelers #75


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 76th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

Well, I promised I would give you a double feature this week, and
I aim to deliver!  So let's revisit some of our talented time travelers
from the last two weeks.

Sometimes you have to play around a bit to
get just the look you want from your decorations.

Susan @ Compulsive in Texas had a good thing goin' with her handmade
sign but decided to keep tweaking her mantelscape...until
it was "screaming Christmas"!


Kirsty @ Coral and Coast decorated her lovely holiday table with a
"nod to nautical."  Even her dog, Harley, made a contribution—the faux
driftwood in the center—to this pretty tablescape.


When I visited BJ @ Sweet Nothings, I was a bit taken back by her serene
 silver and white decorations.  Now there wasn't a thing wrong with
them, mind you.  They were absolutely gorgeous!  But I've come to know BJ
as a "colorful" person—in both her decorating and personality.

True to nature, she didn't disappoint.  Further into the post, I
discovered the pretty pops of color I've come to
expect from this sweet—and colorful—lady.


Seeing these festive, frosted Christmas lights made me smile. 
I hope they will bring the same response from you.   ; ) 

Want to know how to create this special effect? 
Visit Snowflakes and Dragonflies for the how-tos.


I dare say, there is nary a one of you who has never heard of 
Rice Krispie treats.  But have you EVER
seen them in such a fun shape?!

Trish @ Sweetology comes up with the absolute cutest
treats around!


Now that she's three-years-old, I'm on the lookout for simple craft ideas
to explore with my precious granddaughter when she visits.

This glittery snowflake—made by Kimberly @ Creating Home—is
something that will be fun to work on as we're
creating memories for a lifetime.


Are you still scrambling for a few last minute gifts?  Want a
decorative item that you can make and use beyond Christmas?

This super simple project from Andrea @ The Cottage Market
 might just be your answer.


Having been a serious recycler for many, many years, I'm always
looking for ways to reuse rather than dispose of.

But I must admit, I would never have thought to reuse the material that
Myric @ Petites Passions used to create this
sweet little tree.


Did you ever participate in a sleepover when you were younger? 
Well, Delightful Deets shared snippets from a Snugglerama—a grownup version—that 
made me want to gather a bunch of my gal pals and relive my youth.

Maybe I should just have my own Snugglerama right here at
The Brambleberry Cottage next summer...and invite all of you. 

Watcha think?   ; )

OK, show us your craftiness for this week!

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Time Travel Thursday #75 & Talented Time Travelers #74


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 75th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

But first, I have a confession to make.  I'm afraid I've been a very
bad girl.  I spent too much time Christmas shopping today and didn't get home in time to
get the post together, to feature any of last week's talented time travelers.

Does that mean I'll be put on the naughty list?

I promise...
 I'll make it up to you by doing a double feature next week.  OK?

Now show everyone how good you've been this week.   ; )


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Time Travel Thursday #74 & Talented Time Travelers #73


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 74th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

First...
let's peek at some of the great ideas shared by a handful of our
talented time travelers, during last week's party.


Just hear those sleigh bells jingling
ring, ting, tingling too...

Sorry!  I got a little sidetracked.   ; )

But, if you want to create your own vintage-style sleigh bells, be sure
to visit Amanda @ The Ivy Cottage.  She has a totally terrific tutorial
for making a set you can use to accompany you
on your sleigh ride this Christmas.


Do you have a special little person in your life,
who loves to pretend?  I know I do.

And this adorable, interactive fire station, created by Jessica
 @ Utah County Mom, would be just the thing for
hours of fantasy fun.

Jessica sells these in her Etsy shop, but she was
also gracious enough to share her tutorial.


Not only do I love, love, love giving presents, but I thoroughly
enjoy embellishing the packages.

This darling candy cane ornament, created by
Coleen @ Crafty and Cooking Momma, couldn't be any
sweeter...or simpler to make.

It would be such a cute addition to any gift.


OK, now show us what you've got for this week!


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.