About Me

June 9, 2014

A Corner of our Cottage ....

Hi everyone!

I've seen this idea on a few great blogs and thought it would be a fun way to capture our current home before we move to our new one. Photographing a "corner" of our cottage weekly and presenting each here on my blog. You might find it a bit boring but part of the purpose of my blog is to have a place to visually remember these wonderful days in our life. 


The "corner" I chose today is in our living room. In such a small space, there is a lot of history here! I started with a long shot and will now zoom in on a few special things. It's a cold, rainy, windy and dark day, so please forgive me for the lack of brightness in the pictures. A shadow here and there too! I couldn't even try to enhance these photos if I wanted to as our photo editing program wasn't up and running today. 


We had searched for a number of years to find a piano lamp that was different than the typical brassy ones with a dark green shade. Found this one at the thrift store for a very small sum. Lovely light at night and a soft pewter like finish. The small bunny on a wire chair was from the antique mall and her dress is just the right colors for this room. And a little lace doily under the lamp for a finishing touch.


In the actual corner is the china cabinet that my grandmother received as a wedding gift from her parents. She was born in 1917 and my dad was born in 1942, with his older brother born in 1937, so I'm guessing they were married around 1934 to 1936. Making this wonderful piece at least 78 to 80 years old. It holds a few pieces of her precious china and some other items that belonged to her. I'm forever grateful for being gifted this beautiful antique that the other members of our family did not want after she died. Knowing my husband and I cherish old treasures, they asked us if we wanted her furniture and we are so thankful we said yes, as it was all going to go to the thrift shop if we didn't take it! The gown is a beautiful satin Christening dress with incredible lace detail. A favorite find that we love and hang with pride and keep for future babies.


Our Moses Basket for our babies, all grown up now but saved for our grand babies. Inside, a sweet teddy bear my kids gifted to their dad one Father's Day and our two little bears, representing our youngest son and daughter, from a dear friend, who has also experienced loss and understood our need to have our empty arms filled. Our teddies are well loved, held often and lovingly kept in this special basket that holds memory and meaning.


We are all musicians but our youngest son is the gifted one in the family. He bought this Celtic Harp years ago and its magical when he plays it. However, when he and his young family moved out to the West Coast, he gifted it to us for safe keeping. Their new home is so tiny, just one little bedroom, a kitchen, bath and living room. Not a square inch left for anything extra, so we were happy to become the caretakers of such a beautiful piece. Just wish we could play it like he does!


The last shot of the "corner" features the old wood table that belonged to my husband's grandfather. We chalk painted it a lighter shade than our walls and I love the contrast, subtle but there. On the table is one of two matching lamps that we picked up at the Antique Mall on our very first visit there several years ago. We paid $15 for both lamps and they give off a lovely glow in the evening. Sitting beside the lamp is a ceramic Angel picture that I'd like to hang up but haven't yet decided which wall it should go on. And underneath, in the book storage space is a collection of art books and a vintage edition of Tom Sawyer, the name of the play that brought my husband and I together more than 30 years ago. 

So there you have a "corner" of our cottage. A quiet place at the end of a busy day. A favorite spot to reflect and recoup our souls and our energy. 

Do you have a favorite spot in your home 
that you covet and cherish?

2 comments:

Lorrie said...

Lovely little corner of your home. How wonderful to have the cabinet belonging to your grandmother. A real sense of history. The Moses basket is so sweet.

Chy said...

Thanks Lorrie. It's such an honor to have this cabinet. I remember it so well when I was a child and visited my grandparents for dinner. I love that it sits beautifully in the corner and has plate rails inside. I often wonder what my grandmother was thinking as she'd put her china away after our family dinners!

We love our Moses basket. So many memories in something so simple.