Life at Eventually Cottage

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T20:05:00.001-05:00

Hey chickies! I hope Santa was good to all of you!

I know it's been a while since I've checked in with all of you on my lil' old neglected blog! I'd like to make a comeback if you'll let me...please???

Anyway, this is how we roll here at Eventually Cottage! I thought you'd get a chuckle out of this pic!

Hugs!

It's been a long time friends!

2011-11-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Hey there, chickies!

It's been a long time since I've posted...I'm hanging my head in shame. Sometimes life just gets in the way, ya know?

Anyway, how have you all been doing?

Things here at Eventually Cottage have been crazy! We adopted another rescue kitty, Sammi, a couple of weeks ago! She's the sweetest!

Stay tuned, because I've got lots of fun holiday stuff coming up!

Nutrisystem, week 1- my experience

2011-09-26T14:03:00.000-04:00

FYI- I am journaling this mainly for myself, but I am hoping that it may help some of you out there as well.

A week ago this past Saturday, I began the Nutrisystem program of weight loss.

I have struggled with my weight all of my adult life. It began with depression after the birth of my son, seventeen years ago. The weight just started piling on. I'm not going to say that I embraced this extra weight...not at all! Did I try to do something about it? Mildly.

I rode the wave of weight gain for a couple of years. I was young, and wight gain sorta came along with motherhood, right? Remember, I was young.

In the 2-3 years following my son's birth, my family seemed to experience one tragic loss after another. I lost my Grandfather to lung cancer when I was 6 months pregnant with my daughter...11 days after she was born, my Grandmother had a massive heart attack...when my baby was 3 weeks old, my dear Grandmother passed away from what I've always beleived was a broken heart...when baby girl was 5 months old, my Uncle who was a firefighter was killed in the line of duty. All of this combined with more depression after my daughter's birth led to more weight gain.

In the years since, I have tried just about every plan going. Always experiencing some weight loss. Some good some not so great. Each time I failed at a program, I gained more weight back.

2 years ago, I was finally diagnosed with chronic depression and acute anxiety disorder and was put on medication to control it. I have slowly started getting my life back on track. Culminating in my decision to finally live a healthy lifestyle and get rid of this weight that has been dragging me down.

Nutrisystem seemed like a good choice for me with my crazy schedule. I can just grab what I need an go. No need to worry about counting points, or calories. They've done it all for me!

In the little over a week on the program, I have lost 10 lbs. This weight loss is not typical.

How is the food? Well, I'm not going to lie to you...some of it is pretty gross. Not all of it, but some of it. I have been happy with the breakfast choices so far. They are very tasty, and paired with yogurt and a piece of fruit, they keep my full. The lunches leave a little to be desired. The first lunch I tried was the chicken salad, the look and the texture of it alone was just about more than I could take. I quickly edited my shippment for next month so that I didn't get any more of this whatever it was. Most of the lunch selections that I chose were soups. They aren't so bad, and paired with a protien and some veggies, they also keep me full. Most of the dinners are pretty good, there are only a couple that I have not been happy with. There are even desserts to end your day with. Most of the desserts are pretty good. They even have cheese doodles! Just don't go expecting the bright orange loveliness that you had as a child...hee hee!

All in all, I'd say that I am happy with my experience on the program so far. I'm looking forward to how life can be once I'm not carrying around this extra wieght! I'm saying goodbye to each and every pound as it falls off, because I am bound and determined to never see that number again!

Wish me luck!

Hugs!

Do you like me???

2011-09-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

On FACEBOOK that is! Hee hee!

Did you know that Eventually Cottage has a FB fan page?

No??? Well stop by for a special coupon code for new fans!

Also, I'll be giving away a special gift for the top referrer to the page!

Martha Stewart Paints...{love}

2011-09-15T04:56:00.007-04:00

Hey chickies!

Have you all heard about Martha Stewart's new line of craft paints??? No??? Oh my gosh! You have GOT to get to Michaels and check it out! I swear I hear angels singing when I enter that isle! No, really! I swear!

This awesome craft paint is good for any surface and for indoor or outdoor!

Photo courtesy of dollarstorecrafts.com

I knew that I wanted to do a "hot" pink canvas with a black chandelier, so I picked up Martha Stewart Goji Berry. It's a beautiful berry pink.

While I was at Michaels, I also picked up some adorable chunky 6"x6" canvases. I've been wanting to get some of these canvases for a while, but they are really EXPENSIVE! But today they had a 4 pack of them for what they usually sell just one for! SCORE!

I used a sponge brush and slapped some of my Goji Berry paint onto the canvas. I didn't really care too much if it was a little light in some spots because I knew I was going to sand the entire piece when I was done. Oh...don't forget to paint your chunky sides!

Once my canvas was dry, I took the chandelier stencil that I printed with my Silhouette and placed it on my canvas. I made sure I had it down there good, I didn't want paint paint sneaking under the stencil.

Now that I had my stencil on, I took a sponge brush and just brushed the black paint on. Again, no need to be perfect!

Important- wait for your black paint to dry thoroughly before you remove the stencil!

With everything nice and dry, I took some sandpaper and sanded the entire piece. I sanded it lightly in some spots and heavy in other spots like the edges.

I sprayed some clear coat on to protect my piece and then added some rhinestones for extra bling.

I love love love the way the finished piece turned out! It almost looks like faded, worn pink jeans!

{love}

I added this piece to my Etsy shop this afternoon and I'm sure it won't last long! If you're interested in it, email me at dawn{dot}fergusonrinaldi{at}yahoo{dot}com. It's $14.00 plus $6.00 shipping!

Later gators!!! xoxo

Back to School SALE!

2011-09-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

The kiddos are BACK TO SCHOOL...It's MOM time!

20% off purchases from my Etsy shop...coupon code THEKIDSAREGONE

Also, I am now proudly "sponsoring" my girl, TheSoChickChick! Go check her out...see her button on the side...yup...over there!

Have a great holiday weekend!

Kitchen Table Re-do....maybe

2011-08-31T10:57:00.001-04:00

Hey guys!

Happy "Hump" Day! I hope your week is going well so far.

Last year I showed you the new high top table that we bought when we re-did our kitchen.

It looked like this...

Well now, it's looking a little...let's just say...worn. It's where it all goes down! It's where I craft when I don't feel like being in the workshop...it's where I fold laundry...it's where little doggie claws scratch when they are begging for whatever...oh and it's where we have the occasional meal! Hee hee!

Needless to say, it's a little knicked and scratched...and might just be itching for a makeover!

So...here's my inspiration...

Photo courtesy of Donna @Funky Junk Ineriors...{love} her!
I was thinking of maybe stencilling Rinaldi Cafe on it and the year we were married.

What do ya think?

Hurricane Irene and a new sign!

2011-08-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

Well, it seems as though we've been spared Hurricane Irene's wrath here in NY. She came in huffing and puffing and threatening to blow our house down, but I guess NY was just too much for poor Irene to handle! Hahaha!

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those along the East Coast who were not as lucky as we were. Sending hugs!

Anyway, I added a new sign to my shop the other day...

What do you think?

I used a vector that I purchased from My Vinyl Designer. I posted a pic of it on their FB page and when they saw it they asked if they could add it to the gallery on the site. Ummmm...YEAH! In return for me letting them use my pic, they gave me a gift certificate to use on their site to bu more vector designs. Woo hoo!!!

I hope you guys are doing well and having a great Sunday!

Hugs!

Custom Grandchildren Sign

2011-08-26T02:32:00.000-04:00

Hey chickies!

I've been keeping myself busy...and out of trouble...hee hee...with a ton of custom orders!

I really like the way this one came out so I thought I'd share it with my girls! It's a surprise gift for a customer's parents...so don't let the cat out of the bag k?

What do you think?

In other news...I ordered some of this temporary tattoo paper from Silhouette yesterday.

My plan is to make some football helmet tattoos for hubby's pee-wee football team with their jersey numbers on them...can't wait!

Hugs!

Thinking outside the box- tiles

2011-08-24T14:05:00.000-04:00

Hey Chickies!

I hope you're having a great week! I know I am! Our family welcomed another little man on Monday morning! My baby brother, his wife and their daughter, Maddy, welcomed Thomas Gregory!

I love this little guy!

K, back on subject...

Lately, I've been making a lot of coasters out of 4"x4" travertine tiles. They are sooo fun to make! I'll be giving a lot of them as holiday gifts this year!

So...if it's ok to use travertine tiles for coasters instead of just floors and backsplashes...why not signs???

Y'all know how much I love me some signs!!!

So...I used the same concept and method as I do for my coasters, adding a couple little something specials and made these...

They make the sweetest little accents! You can put them on an easel or on a shelf with your favorite photos.

Wanna try making your own?

You will need:
4"x4" travertine tiles
scrapbook paper of your choice
Mod Podge
sponge brushes (for application of ModPodge)
vinyl text of your choice
burlap (for rosebud...optional)

Don't forget to come back and show me what you came up with!

Hugs!

Puppy Ring Bearer

2011-08-23T17:07:00.002-04:00

Oh my gosh how stinkin' cute is this????

I was Etsy "window shopping" and came across this adorable-ness!

Visit The Back Porch Shoppe for more details.

Have a great day!!!

Sweet Little Run Down Camper...

2011-08-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday morning chickies!

So...I have this crazy little dream of finding a sweet little run down camper that needs to be completely gutted.

You're totally laughing at me right now aren't you? That's ok, 'cuz hubby and the kiddos think I'm completely off my rocker with this one too! Hee hee!

Hear me out a minute though...k?

I have a vision of taking said sweet little run down camper and turning it into something like this...

Still think I'm nutso???? Yeah didn't think so...wink wink!

But how stinkin' fabulous is this???? I found this little gem on Pinterest. Would you not loooove to spend the weekend cuddled up in this baby???

K...gotta go...hunting for a run down camper. Hee hee!

Hugs!

What makes me tick?

2011-08-03T10:04:00.001-04:00

What makes me tick?

These beautiful faces!

They are my biggest fans, my support system, my EVERYTHING!

So what or who makes you tick?

Hugs!

Cool Image Transfer Technique!

2011-08-02T01:04:00.002-04:00

Hey guys!

I was perusing Pinterest the other day...shocker...and found this great tutorial on image transferring.

Check out Laurie at Heaven's Walk for the complete tutorial.

I can't wait to try this out on some items for my upcoming craft show!

Hugs!

Red, white, and beachy

2011-08-01T04:41:00.013-04:00

Hey guys!

I'm still in beach mode...having trouble returning to reality! I hope you guys had a great week!

I took a quick minute (or hour) to check out what's new on Pinterest.

I found this beautiful red and white bedroom that I can just imagine in a sweet little beach cottage!

The picture is courtesy of The Brabourne Farm, isn't it lovely?

Also, you may have noticed that Eventually Cottage has started to morph into somewhat of a crafy blog rather than the home decorating blog that it began life as. I've found that over the past year or so, my interests have begun to shift more towards crafting.

I hope that you will stick with me for tons of crafty fun, tutorials, and a sprinkling of home decorating and life at Eventually Cottage. Without you guys, this blog would be nothing...and I lurve you!!!! xoxo

Hugs!

Gone to the BEACH!!!

2011-07-23T02:38:00.001-04:00

Hey guys!

We will be leaving today for a week at the BEACH! Woo hoo!

Any orders placed in my Etsy shop between 7/23 and 7/30 will be delayed 5-7 days...sorry.

To make up for any inconvenience, please feel free to use the coupon code VACATION for 10% off your order.

Thanks for your patience! See ya next week!

Hugs!

My super famous taco dip!

2011-07-22T07:45:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

Yesterday I mentioned on Twitter that I made my super famous taco dip for my coworkers...and I may have hinted that I would share the recipe with you guys in time for your weekend bbq's.

Well...here it is!

First, let me preface this by saying that by "famous" I mean that peeps are always asking me to bring it to parties and bbq's...not that I make it for celebs or have been on the Nate show for it...hee hee!

Now...let's get down to business...

You will need:
(2) bricks of cream cheese (softened)
(1) 16 oz. container of sour cream
(1) small jar of salsa (I use mild)
(1) small can of sliced black olives
(1) envelope of Ortega taco seasoning
shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together in a bowl: the cream cheese, the sour cream, and the taco seasoning.

Once blended, spread in an rectangular baking dish.

Spread the salsa on top of the cream cheese mixture.

Spread the shredded cheddar cheese generously over the salsa and cream cheese mixture.

Garnish your dip with the sliced black olives.

That's it! Serve your dip with some tortilla chips (I like to use the "Scoops" type) and enjoy!

Hugs!

Fireworks

2011-07-21T08:13:00.000-04:00

Mornin' ladies!

Last week our little town had their 89th Annual Italian Festival! What's that you ask? It's a mixture of an old fashioned carnival with tons of rides and games for the kiddos, unbelievable food (including zeppoles), and great music!

We are lucky enough to live only about a half a block from the fair grounds. We are able to visit the festival, grab some grub, and head back home to sit on the deck and listen to the live music from the grandstand.

Sunday night was the last night of the festival and then always finish it off with an amazing fireworks display. They set up the fireworks on the beach at the end of our street. We always have our family and friends over for dessert and drinks in the yard and a front row seat for the show...

How amazing is that view???? I took it with my phone sitting in my comfy lawn chair in the backyard! Hee hee!

Hugs!

Mini White Board

2011-07-20T06:00:00.004-04:00

Morning, chickies!

I came up with the idea for a small white board recently and I kinda like the way it turned out!

You will need:

6"x6"x3/4" piece of mdf (sand the edges smooth)
4 14"x4 1/4" ceramic tile (white)
white spray paint, plus another color of your choice
spray matte clear coat
a small vinyl "flourish"
coordinating ribbon
small hooks (2)
sanding block (fine)
Gorilla Glue wood glue

After sanding the edges of my mdf smooth, I spray painted it white and let it dry in the sun for a few hours.

Next I decided where I wanted to place my little flourish. I chose the bottom right corner.

With my vinyl secured to the mdf, I took some spray paint in a soft celery color and sprayed the top of the piece (it's not that imporant to paint the edges because you're going to sand them later anyway and I never paint the back unless it's requested).

Let this dry throroughly. Once it's completely dry,gently remove your vinyl. Now, take your sanding block and lightly sand the face of your piece until you get the desired "shabby" look. Once you have the look you want, give it an even coat of your matte clear coat.

Once dry, apply your Gorilla Glue to the back of the tile (don't apply it too close to the edges or it may seep out from the sides). Apply your tile to the center of your mdf and allow to dry

Once your piece has dried overnight, take your small hooks and apply them to the top of your piece. Here's a hint for you- start the hole for your hook with an exacto knife. Be sure not to tighten your hooks too much or you will split the mdf.

K...you're almost done!!!

Now, take your coordinating ribbon and tie one end to each of your hooks. Take your scissors and give each end of the ribbon a nice clean cut.

That's it! You're done!

How stinkin' easy was that...and how adorable is your new mini white board????????

Have a great day guys!

Hugs!

New York Yankees Sign

2011-07-18T21:45:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

I haven't posted since June 28th? Really??? Wow! I really suck don't I????

Any-hoo...I want to share with you guys a sign that I did for my bff's Dad recently. When my friend, Shawn asked me to do a baseball diamond sign for her Dad, I knew that I was up for the challenge!

Shawn's Dad is a baseball memorabilia dealer and a HUGE NY Yankee fan!

Here's what I came up with...

I started with a 10"x10" piece of pine. I sanded is nice and smooth and gave it a few coats of Rustoleum 2x spray paint in Navy blue. I really like to use this spray paint in a satin finish. For some reason, the HD only had it in a Gloss finish. Oh well...adapt and overcome right???

I searched net for a NY symbol like the one used for the Yankees. I had to import it, re-size it, and cut it using my old Craft Robo software, because for some reason I can't cut some things using my Silhouette software. Wierd right? Anyone know what's up with that???

I asked (ok begged) Price Charming to help me with this next step...hee hee! I needed to cut straight lines and cut the bases out of my white vinyl. I just don't have the patience for straight lines...I don't know what that's all about!

Here's my cutie patootie hard at work...

Gotta love that man!

Lastly, I took some silver vinyl and cut out "New York Yankees" using a script font that looked like the one they use in the real logo.

So what do you think?

Baby Feet Sign

2011-06-28T08:46:00.000-04:00

Good morning ladies!

How's your Tuesday morning going?

About 2 weeks ago, my cousin and his wife welcomed their 1st child, a sweet little boy named Sean.

If you've been with me for a while, you know that I love to add a personal touch to every gift I give.

So...here's what I came up with for baby Sean...

I started with a 24"x6" piece of premium pine that the guys at Home Depot cut for me...thanks HD guys!

I sanded my board nice and smooth and added a couple coats of Rustoleum Spa Blue. After that was dry, I added a couple of coats of Rustoleum Espresso. Once everything was thoroughly dry, I sanded the edges to expose the blue paint.

I printed out the words, "Our family has grown by two feet" and the baby's birth info on my Silhouette SD using some baby blue vinyl. I made sure that I sized the text so that there would be sufficient room on the right side for Sean's footprints.

After a couple of coats of spray sealer and a saw toothed hanger on the back, my sign was ready for gift giving!

I also included a small bottle of baby blue acrylic craft paint and a sponge brush in a cute little bag and tied it onto the sign.

Cute, right?

Home of the Brave Sign

2011-06-20T06:25:00.007-04:00

Hey chickies!

If you've been with my for a while you know that we are a family of volunteer firefighters. Hubby and I belong to the same volunteer fire company. I actually started with this company at 14!!! When I met Prince Charming, he belonged to a fire company in a neighboring town and came to join me after we met. Our 17 year old son is now a junior firefighter in our company too.

Last year, hubby was named Volunteer Firefighter of the Year for the Hudson Valley region of New York! He pulled an unconscious man from the third floor of a burning building. I couldn't be prouder of my brave Prince!

This led me to one of my latest signs, which I created in honor of my Prince and gave to him for his birthday a few weeks ago.

I picked a 1x6 board at Home Depot and had the guy there cut it down to 24" pieces. Did you know they did that? I didn't until recently either! It makes my life so much easier!!! Thanks HD guy!!!!

Once I got it home, I sanded the edges really good. I painted it Colonial Red by Rustoleum (one of my favs).

I cut my vinyl using my Silhouette. I found a maltese cross fire emblem gsd file with a Google search.

I let my sign dry and then applied the vinyl.

A friend saw the sign and asked me if I could make one for her Dad for Father's Day. Her Dad's fire company has green engines, so I painted his sign green to match.

I hope he loved it!

I am offering these signs in my Etsy shop if you have a firefighter in your life that you'd like to honor.

Have a great Monday!

Hugs!

Sharing Some Etsy Love!

2011-06-14T16:26:00.000-04:00

Hey chickies!

Last week, I found the cutest Etsy shop...My Personalized T-Shirt!

I ordered a t-shirt for my niece, Maddy, that looks like this one...

...and a onesie for her soon-to-be baby brother, that looks like this one...

They came in the mail today and they are waaayyyy cuter than I had even imagined! So cute that I couldn't even keep them in my hot little hands long enough to take pics for you guys....hee hee! I had to run right over to my Sister-in-law's office and show them to her! She loved them...of course!

Can't wait to see the kiddos in their new shirts!

Chalkboard Countdown Sign

2011-06-13T08:04:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning chickies! I hope you had a great weekend!

Prince Charming and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary yesterday! I can't believe it's been 18 years, it seriously feels like it was just yesterday! Ahh! We had a really nice dinner for two at his favorite restaurant.

Last week I got a request for a very special countdown sign that my customer will give as a gift for a couple of kiddos to countdown until their Daddy comes home from being deployed.

As soon as I got the request, my head started spinning with ideas. I was sooo excited!

Here's what I came up with...

I took an 11"x11" piece of pine and painted it Rustoleum Oregano, which kinda resembles a military green. I used a 6"x6" piece of 1/4" mdf and painted it with chalkboard paint.

I added the lettering in black vinyl and finished it all off with a "holder" for chalk...which btw is nothing more than a cabinet handle turned upside down!

I think it looks really cute! So cute that I decided to offer it in my Etsy shop! As a big thanks for our military families, I'm offering 10% off on the purchase of each of these signs! Coupon code: BIGTHANKS

Have a great day chickies!

Hugs!

Have you PINNED lately?

2011-06-10T14:59:00.003-04:00

Hey gang!

How is everybody doing?

I apologize for not being around lately...as I hide my head in shame.

I have no excuse...just being a slacker! Hee hee!

Anyway...George's last day as a Junior in High School is today...yikes! Josie has one more week of finals and then she graduates from 8th grade! Double yikes!!!! It's amazing how fast they've grown...and yet I'm still 21! Amazing right? Wink wink!

So...as I mentioned in my last post...a hundred million years ago...I had gotten tix to take Josie, her bff, and my niece to a musical festival that a local radio station was having. The festival was this past weekend and it was sooo much fun!

I got to see Jordan Knight from NKOTB in concert for the first time since I was 15!!! I know that was only like 6 years ago but still...hee hee! The girls didn't quite share my excitement over his appearance, but there were plenty of other acts for them to enjoy!

And...in other news...I've recently developed a new online obsession! PINTEREST!!!!

Oh my goodness do I LURVE this site! If you are ever lacking inspiration...I know that never happens to you creative chickies, but in case it ever does...head on over and check out Pinterest! You can find any sort of awesomeness you can ever imagine!

I've described to my hubby...although I doubt he was paying attention...as an online bullletin board where you can pin up anything that suits your fancy on a board for other peeps to enjoy. It's so much fun!

K...gotta go PIN...talk to you chickies later!

Hugs!

NKOTB...One of them anyway...

2011-05-19T16:59:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

I'm taking a quick break from the monsoons outside my window here in NY. Ugh!

In a couple of weeks I will be taking Josie and her friend to a concert nearby. The concert will be featuring several top selling artists. The girls are very excited!

I, however, am soooo excited to see just one of these artists. I've seen him once before...when I was 15 years old!

Who is he???? Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block!!!!

Yup, I am one of those "30 somethings" that was a mere teenager when NKTOB were at the very top of their game!

BTW, I had this poster hanging up right above my bed...I think I ripped it from the centerfold of Teen Beat magazine. Oh yeah...I also had the matching bed sheets...and t-shirt...and trapper keeper (remember those?)...but that's between you and me k?

I was one of those millions of 15 yr old girls who stood on their chairs at the concerts and screamed until I could scream no more!

Now, I get to take my teenager to see Jordan! Hopefully this time I refrain from standing on my chair and screaming! Hee hee!

Busy Bee

2011-05-18T04:36:00.003-04:00

So now that I'm finally feeling a little better, I've been a busy little bee getting my inventory up in my Etsy shop.

Stop by and see what's happening!

Use Coupon Code: LUVEVENTUALLYCOTTAGE for FREE shipping only for visitors of Life at Eventually Cottage.

I've been MIA!

2011-05-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! I hope you're having a great week!

Sorry I've been MIA this week. What started out as allergies quickly moved into an upper respiratory infection and left me doing not much more than resting.

Now, I've got a lot of catching up to do!

Hugs!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T06:17:00.004-04:00

Motherhood is by far the most challenging yet most rewarding job I could ever ask for!

I love being Momma to my Georgie and Josie...even at their teenage worst! Hee hee!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Momma's and Momma's to be's out there!

xoxo

Moms Rock!

2011-05-06T17:48:00.003-04:00

Hey there ladies!!!

In honor of Mother's Day... I am offering 20% off all purchases in my Etsy shop through Sunday!

Coupon code: MOMSROCK

Hugs!

My Gift For Mom!

2011-05-04T13:47:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

Sorry for being MIA for a few days...things have been a little crazy.

Today I want to share with you guys a special gift that I made for my Mom for Mother's Day.

As some of you may know, we lost my younger brother to Lymphoma almost 4 years ago. It was a terrible time for our family to go through.

So...I wanted to create something special for my...something in remembrance of my brother in Heaven.

This is what I came up with...

I apologize for the quality of the pic...I took it with my Blackberry cuz my camera is acting up...grr!

So what do you think? I think she'll like it!

What have you created for Mom this Mother's Day?

Hugs!

Window Shopping!

2011-04-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

I've been Etsy Window Shopping again...at work...shhh!

I've fallen madly in love with fabric roses lately...and this shop just blew me away!

Rosebud Lips makes the most beautiful bridal bouquets and accessories using fabric roses!

Profits from sales go to a wonderful charity!

Stop by and see all of the gorgeousness!

Hugs!

What's Your Niche?

2011-04-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

Yesterday, I was reading along with an @crafterminds Twitter conversation regarding blog niches.

I learned a lot from what my fellow bloggers had to say...but it also scared the heebie jeebies outta me!

What the heck is my "niche"????

The name of my blog obviously is Life at Eventually Cottage...cuz I blog about my life.

I blog about all of the things that make Eventually Cottage a home to me. My family, my adventures in making our house a home, my love of crafting and frugal home decorating.

So is my niche crafting?

Is my niche frugal decorating?

I don't know! That's what's freaking me out!!!

I blog because I love to share things and hopefully inspire some of you with my projects.

My "followers" are truly like real life friends to me...when you stop by and visit me here I want you to feel like you are sitting down and having a cup of coffee with me or hanging with me on the deck with a big glass of lemonade.

When I first starting blogging, it felt sort of uncomfortable to me. I wasn't sure how much of myself I should inject into my posts. Would people be turned off if I wrote like I really talk or should I be more formal? Anyway, over the past probably year or so I've begun feeling more comfortable in my own skin. I am a real person, and I hope that comes across in my posts.

I don't have the opportunity to blog everyday, although I wish I did. There are some weeks when I get a post of up everyday. There are some weeks that I only get a couple of posts up a week. That's just me, I can't force myself to do things. If I post, it's because I was really feeling it...ya know?

Now, there are some bloggers who put up awesome posts everyday of the week...Rockstars in my eyes! You go girls! It's just not me.

I've seen many bloggers who have multiple blogs for different interests. That's great! As long as it works for them. Hey the more blogs the merrier, right? I've tried using a different blog for my crafts. It just didn't feel right for me.

Anyway, I have to do what feels right for me. Life at Eventually Cottage feels right to me. I hope you come by because you enjoy crafts, frugal decorating...and me...even though I don't exactly fit into a specific "niche".

Thanks for letting me ramble on!

Luv u guys!

Hugs!

Dinner Choices Plate

2011-04-22T08:23:00.002-04:00

Good morning ladies!

In addition to chalkboards, I am very into everything square shaped! Does that make me a "square"? Hee hee!

Any-hoo...I picked up this great square plate at WalMart a few weeks ago. It just screamed project to me!

I knew that I wanted to use it on my kitchen counter so I looked in my vinyl files and found this saying:

...LOVE IT!

A subtle reminder to my kiddos that I'm not running a diner! Hee hee!

I printed the saying in black vinyl using my Silhouette and placed it on my plate.

What? It's crooked? Umm yeah, I know...whatev...Lol! I love it anyway!

Want the vinyl? Let me know and I'll send it out to you. $5/ free shipping!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Happy Easter- Free shipping!

2011-04-21T10:36:00.000-04:00

Good morning!

Happy Easter...a little early!

FREE shipping now through Monday from my Etsy shop!

Use Coupon Code: EASTER

Hugs!

Chalkboard Crazy!

2011-04-20T08:20:00.001-04:00

My Etsy shop has gone chalkboard crazy!

New items listed!

French Burlap Chalkboard

$12/ plus $5 shipping

French Script Chalkboard

$12/ plus $5 shipping

Chalkboard Gift Tags!

Set of 4

$10/ plus $2 shipping

As you can tell, I'm addicted to everything chalkboard right now! Stay tuned for more chalkboards in the shop!!!

Hugs!

Don't Forget to Laugh!

2011-04-19T08:43:00.000-04:00

Don't ya just love a good laugh???

Me too!

A while ago I found the cutest set of decorative blocks at Marshalls. They spelled out LAUGH! I thought they would look adorable on my entry table with a bunch of framed family pics.

However, the dogs thought they made a tastier snack! Here's what's left of my cute blocks. Sniff sniff ) :

So...I decided to make a little sign to replace my dearly departed blocks.

I started with a 4"x12" piece of mdf and spray painted it Heirloom White...my fav!

Once the paint was dry, I sanded all of the edges to give it a distressed appearance.

I found some really gorgeous papers last time I was at Hobby Lobby and combined two of the patterns for my sign.

I Mod Podged the papers onto my mdf.

Once the Mod Podge was dry, I sanded the excess paper off the edges of the sign.

Next, I took my Jim Holz Distress Ink in Soot and a foam paint brush...

...and applied the ink to the edges of the sign.

I printed out LAUGH on my Silhouette, and removed the inside of the letters instead of leaving the letters on the backing. You can see what I'm talking about here...

Now I applied some transfer tape to the vinyl "stencil". I used an old gift card to rub or burnish the transfer tape onto the vinyl.

Next, I appplied the "stencil" where I wanted it on my sign.

I used some black acrylic paint and another foam paint brush and applied my black paint to the stencil.

Wait until your paint is dry to remove the vinyl "stencil"...I am imptatient and removed the vinyl immediately whice explains the messiness of the black paint...

No worries, though. Once I sanded the entire piece to make it look more distressed, you hardly notice my oopsies!

To finish off my sign, I added a burlap rose that I made and some rhinestones for sparkle.

Here's my finished sign!

I think I might add some black ribbon and hang it from the drawer of my entry table, but I don't have anymore right now. I think it looks cute sitting on top of the table for now!

Oh, and you may have noticed that I've been playing around with new backgrounds and headers over the past few days. I'm finally happy with the way things are looking! What do you think?

Background and header courtesy of The Graphics Fairy!

Hugs!

Window Shopping

2011-04-17T21:34:00.000-04:00

I was doing a little Etsy window shopping while I was at work today...shhh!

Hee hee!

I found this cute little Queen Bee from The French Nest Co.

Queen Bee that I am, I think I'm going to have to get this little guy for myself!

Hugs!

Chalkboard Coasters

2011-04-14T07:13:00.002-04:00

Ok, so remember my new fav vinyl?

I made some cute chalkboard coasters with it. Yay!

And...I've done a little tutorial for you guys with it!

I started with 4"x4" travertine tiles from Home Depot. They will be very dusty from being in the store, so make sure you clean them off really good.

Next, I used my Silhouette to cut cute frames from the chalkboard vinyl. I resized the frames to just under 4" so that they fit comfortably on the tiles.

FYI- I only used the inside of the frames for the coasters.

I bought this vinyl from a supplier on Etsy and it's thicker than I had anticipated. So, you will have to change your Silhouette setting to Silhouette Printable Magnet Sheet ( I don't know why I chose this setting, but it seemed like it would be thick like the chalkboard vinyl...and it worked!).

To change your Silhouette settings:
- go to the Send to Silhouette icon on the tool bar
- #3 Current Settings
- Click on Change Settings
- Scroll down until you find the setting you need
- Click on Send to Silhouette

Now that you've printed out your vinyl, you are ready to apply it to your tile!

I usually use transfer paper to apply my vinyl, but with this project I thought it was easier not to.

I just estimated where the center of my tile was and placed the vinyl. Easy peasy!

To finish them off, I added small self-adhesive cork circles to the bottom of each tile in all four corners so that they don't scratch the furniture. I forgot to take a pic of this step....sorry. I got the cork circles at The Dollar Tree.

That's it! You have an adorable set of coasters either for you or as a gift!

Want to do-it-yourself, but don't have a Silhouette? No problem, I can send you the vinyl frames for $6.00...free shipping!

If you'd like to purchase a finished set of the coasters, they will be listed in my Etsy shop for $12.00 + $5.00 shipping.

I'm linking up to the Weekend WrapUp Linky Party at Tater Tots and Jello.

And...I'm so excited...my friend, Amanda, from Serenity Now has featured my coasters in her Weekend Bloggy Reading Linky Party!!!! Ahhh!!!! Thanks, Amanda!!!

Hugs!

Can You Fall In Love With A Chair?

2011-04-13T20:14:00.001-04:00

Oh my goodness! I think I have fallen in love with this chair!

Here's a closeup of the gorgeous fabric!

I took these pictures at my local Marshalls...and yes, I was getting all kinds of sideways glances! Hee hee!

Try as I might, there was no way I could talk Prince Charming into letting me have it....boo hoo!

Hugs!

Why Girl Scout Cookies Are Evil

2011-04-12T06:50:00.000-04:00

Why are Girl Scout cookies evil...

...because of their coconut-y, caramel-y, chocolate yumminess!

Darn them! Hee hee!
Hugs!

Spring!

2011-04-11T16:53:00.001-04:00

To celebrate that fact that it is FINALLY beginning to feel like Spring here in NY, I'm offering 20% off any purchase in my Etsy shop through Saturday April 16th only.

Use coupon code: SPRING1

Did you know that you can now find me on Twitter? @eventuallydawn

Hugs!

French Script Candles

2011-04-11T07:08:00.000-04:00

Remember the gorgeous candles I talked about here?

Well...I did order them and was sooo excited when they came in the mail today!

They totally didn't disappoint...they are beautiful!

Do I know what they say...umm NOPE! But they are still gorgeous!

They just might be part of a mantel re-haul in our family room...stay tuned!

In the meantime, go visit Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

Hugs!

Sunday Strawberry Yumminess!

2011-04-10T09:24:00.000-04:00

Good Sunday morning!!!!

We had yummy strawberry pancakes for breakfast here at Eventually Cottage!

I looove fresh strawberries!

P.S. these aren't the actual pancakes we had...cuz my pancakes are rather ungly! Hee hee!

Have a great day!

Itty Bitty Chalkboard Frame

2011-04-09T09:31:00.004-04:00

I got some chalkboard vinyl in the mail today and I couldn't wait to create with it!!!

I took this little 3.5"x5" frame, and cut some burlap to fit in the frame.

Then I took what might possibly be my new fav vinyl and cut a cute frame to fit on the glass.

Next I got to work making roses out of burlap and some black and white polka dot ribbon. This was the first time I tried to do this and I have the hot glue gun burns to prove it! I won't gross you out with pics of those! Hee hee!

I added a little rhinestone to the center of the burlap rose for sparkle.

So what do ya think? Cute right???

I'm linking up to Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors!

And Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative!

Hugs!

"Happy Accidents"

2011-04-08T13:40:00.000-04:00

Remember Bob Ross from the Joy of Painting? Loved him!!!!

He always used to say, "We don't have mistakes here, we just have happy accidents."

Well, I thought I'd share with you one of my MANY "happy accidents"! Hee hee!

I handpainted this sign...and...because I'm left handed...the paint constantly gets on my hand and then I tend to get it everywhere! Grrr!

Please excuse the mess I made of our breakfast room table...I'm always making a mess out of it...and never hear the end of it! Hee hee!

So...I brought out my new Ryobi sander...and "aged" the sign a bit.

Now...pefect!

See...no mistakes here! (yeah right)

Now...there's some news behind this blue sign...my sweet little niece, Maddy...

...is going to have a baby brother in August!!!! Woo hoo!!!!

Hugs!

Family Room Stairway Before and After- Revisited

2011-04-05T18:31:00.000-04:00

Hey ladies!

Sarah, the Thrifty Decor Chick is hosting her monthly Before and After Party!

After checking out the before and after of her bedroom fireplace, I was inspired to revisit my fav before and after here at Eventually Cottage (also because there hasn't been much before and after-ing going on here lately...grr).

Some of you will be seeing this again, but for some of you it will be brand spankin' new! Hee hee!

Ok, so ever since we bought our home a little over 6 years ago, I've wanted to take down the wall in our family room and expose our stairway.

We put if off for years because...well...it was a huge job!!!! And soooo messy!

I'm so glad we did it though!

Ok, on with the pics!

Here is what the wall looked like before...

And here is what it looks like after!

Much better!!!!

This chair quickly became Maya's fav sleeping spot. Aww!

Candle Holders!

2011-04-02T11:53:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday!

I just listed some beautiful candle holders here!

I'll be adding more later, but get 'em while they last!

GRANNY!

2011-04-01T21:16:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! I hope you had a great week!!!!

My Mom had her second knee replacement surgery on Tuesday. She did great, but had a bad reaction to the anesthesia so she hasn't been feeling too great.

Anyway, I found these great vases with tulip bulbs in them at Stop & Shop...different, right????

I thought the bright yellow tulips would brighten up Mom's hospital room.

I wanted to add a little something more to it, though. Something special for Mom.

Soo...I added this vinyl decal to the vase.

My kiddos call my mother, Granny JoAnny, and it makes her crack up everytime they do!!!

Tie a pretty polka dot ribbon and you have a ready made SMILE!

Have a great weekend!

Wild Fleur de Lis

2011-03-28T07:04:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a little walk on the wild side! Hee hee!

I picked up a 5"x7" frame at Wallyworld for $3.00.

I added some leopard scrapbook paper, and a black vinyl fleur de lis.

I finished it all off with some pretty black Swarovski crystals.

Pretty, right?

Window Shopping!

2011-03-26T12:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday ladies!

I've been doing some Etsy window shopping this morning (while I should be doing laundry and finishing up some custom orders...oops).

I was looking around one of my fav shops, the Shabby Chic Cottage...oh my goodness she has the most amazing items there!

I think I'm totally gonna have to get this table runner!

And definitely these candles!

Pretty Posies and a Dollar Tree Candle Holder

2011-03-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

I am sooo craving Springtime! I can't wait for the colors, the scents, the warmth!

I picked up these pretty posies at the grocery store today. Aren't they gorgeous?

I trimmed them and put them in this candle holder that I made out of 2 Dollar Tree candle holders!

I wish I had taken some before pics, but I started with a glass taper holder and a glass pillar candle holder.

I glued them both together with some Gorilla Glue.

I printed out a black chandelier decal in vinyl and added that tot he front of the candle holder.

Pretty, right?

Have a great day!

Hugs!

I can dream, right?

2011-03-05T07:35:00.000-05:00

If I had my way, my home would be decorated in beautiful whites, creams and beiges.

Look at this picture courtesy of http://www.dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/.

So dreamy, right?

However, with 2 black doggies and the mud that comes along with them...maybe not such a good idea!

Have a great weekend!

Hugs!

Seriously???

2011-02-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

So I was walking around Hobby Lobby last weekend and saw the ca-utest little picture frames!

They came in blue or pink and said, "Love at first sight" and had a spot for you to put your baby's ultrasound picture!

How stinkin' cute is that????

So, I knew that I had to come up with my own design to add to my line...

...and for the new little niece or nephew that will me making their arrival this summer! Yay!!!!

Yesterday, I took advantage of the nice weather we were having here in NY and went outside to spray paint a couple of frames.

Then, we went to my brother's house in the afternoon to celebrate my Mom's birthday...

...and I forgot all about the frames being outside drying...

...and it poured rain all night!

Fabulous!

Oh well, back to work today.

Have a great one!

Hugs!

Marley & Lockyer

2011-02-26T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hey there chickies!

Have you visited Marley & Lockyer lately?

No???

Oh my gosh! You have got to get over there!

There's an awesome giveaway going on over there to celebrate the coming of the Autumn season in Australia.

I absolutely LOVE the beautifullly adorable tags she makes! "Like" Marley and Lockyer on Facebook and you'll get to see more beautiful tags like these:

Have a great weekend!

Hugs!

Last Chance!!!

2011-02-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

My Giveaway ends tomorrow!

Check out the details below!

Good luck!

Giveaway Time!!!!!!!!

2011-02-18T14:29:00.001-05:00

As promised earlier this week, I've got a cutie patootie giveaway for you guys!!!!

I meant to get it posted ealier this week, but...well...life got in the way yet again! Hee hee!

Any-hoo...I want to give one of you lucky duckies this pretty sign...handcrafted by ME!!!

And... a set of three pretty labels...1,2 &3...again handcrafted by ME!!! Add them to jars, vases, basket, anything!

Whats the catch?

Stop over at my new creative blog http://www.eventuallycottage.blogspot.com/.

Become a follower of my new blog: 1 entry

Blog about my giveaway and link back to the new blog: 2 more entries!!!!!

Leave me a comment on the new blog...NOT HERE...for each entry you deserve! (1 comment for each entry, please)

That's it! Now get goin'! Hee hee!

A winner will be chosen on Wednesday, 2/23!

Good luck!

Hugs!

A New Home...

2011-02-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

...sorta!

You may have noticed recently that I've been sharing a lot of my new creations with you.

For some reason it just hasn't sat well with me. I was torn between sharing my creations with you and keeping this blog for what I originally meant it for...life here at Eventually Cottage and our adventures turning this cottage into our home.

So...I have created a brand new blog meant just for sharing with you! It will give you an easy way to view the items that I have to offer, and an easy way for you to contact me for custom pieces.

As this new blog grows, I hope it will become more interactive (I have a few things up my sleeve).

There isn't much up on there yet, but there will be before you know it. I hope you'll stop over, check it out in the coming days, and maybe become a follower.

Check back every day, because there may be a cute little giveaway coming your way when you least expect it! Wink, wink!

Thanks so much for your support! You guys are the greatest!

Hugs!

Teenagers and Web Cams

2011-02-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

So, apparently the hot thing with teenagers is web cams.

I purchased a new laptop for the kiddos to use the other day. One of the first questions out of Josie's mouth was whether or not she could use the web cam.

She said she would only use it to communicate with her friends, but I have an uneasy feeling about it.

We are always hearing horror stories about young girls and web cams. I'm really scared.

What are your feelings on this?

Our Family Sign

2011-02-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

How stinkin' cute is this sign????

It would be the perfect gift for a new family!

View the face choices and email me at dawn.fergusonrinaldi@yahoo.com with the item number that coincides with the face of your choice and the name you would like for that face. Please be sure to list the faces and names in the order you would like them to appear on your sign.

Sign can be done in the red seen above or black, both with white vinyl.
Completed sign is $20.

Always Kiss Me Goodnight

2011-02-01T01:26:00.000-05:00

Always kiss me goodnight with beautiful scrollwork

Vinyl is approximately 28"x7"

$20.00

$5.00 for shipping

Laundry...

2011-01-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

Add some whimsy to the tedious chore of laundry by adding this cute vinyl wall art to your laudry area!

Vinyl is approximately 7"x30"
$20
$5 for shipping

Shovel out your fire hydrants

2011-01-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

A lot of the country has been experiencing a bear of a winter! I know we have been having snow storm after snow storm!

I many areas, the fire hydrants are covered with 5-6 ft of snow!

Help out your local fire department and in turn your neighborhood and be sure to shovel the snow from around any hydrants near your home.

It could be a matter of life and death.

Double Love

2011-01-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

This layered black and white vinyl art would look beautiful on any wall in your home!

Vinyl is approximately 8.5"x30"
$20.00
$6.00 for shipping

Damask

2011-01-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

Damask is so hot in home decor right now!

Give your walls the look of handpainted damask with easy to apply vinyl!

Vinyl is approximately 8.5"x10"
$12.00
$6.00 for shipping

Sparkle

2011-01-29T21:29:00.000-05:00

Spruce up more frames and add some sparkle to your home decor!

Vinyl fits a 5"x7" frame
$5.00 for vinyl only
$2.00 for shipping

Romance

2011-01-29T21:26:00.000-05:00

Spruce up an old picture frame or a simple Dollar Store frame and add some romance to your decor at the same time!

This is a simple black painted picture frame from The Dollar Tree. I sanded it a bit because I love the mix of the rustic frame and the elegant vinyl. I also added some pretty scrapbook paper in the frame.

Vinyl fits a 5"x7" frame.
$5.00 for the vinyl only.
$2.00 for shipping.

Kiddos Birthday Lunch!

2011-01-24T19:33:00.000-05:00

Both of my kiddos have January birthdays!

My sweet little Josie turned 14 on the 23rd...I CANNOT believe she's 14 already!

My Georgie will be 17 on the 29th! Don't even ask me how I feel about that! Sniff sniff...please pass the Kleenex!

We had the family over on Saturday for a birthday lunch. We had soo much fun!

My niece Maddy loved her cupcake!

Maddy and her Daddy watching the "wow wows" in the yard!

The kiddos blew out their candles with help from Maddy!

Happy Birthday my little loves!!!! <3

xoxo

2011-01-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

Sorry I've been gone so long, things have been busy here!

We are nearing the finish line with our bedroom re-do...finally! Hee hee!

I LOVE the way our "headboard" turned out!

Stay tuned for pics soon!

I did want to take a minute to show you guys some of the vinyl I did for the walls. I love the way they turned out!

This is the quote that I put above the headboard...aww!

This damask design I used in a couple of spots.

I absolutely LOVE the way this layered one turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stay warm!

Back in the swing of things...sorta.

2011-01-03T04:19:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful and happy New Year!

As for me, I was working the night shift.... boo hoo. Hee hee!

I sooo look forward to seeing what 2011 has in store for me!

I've been really trying to get back in the swing of things and get some fresh new items done for my Etsy shop. It hasn't been easy with this darn broken wrist! Hee hee!

I did finally get around to putting two new items up today. I created some of these for my last Craft Show and just never got around to listing them!

They are handpainted and very French inspired! I can personalized them by putting a first or last name in place of Dream or Wish.

What do you think?

Blizzard!

2010-12-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

We had such a fun couple of days with family!!!

Today, however, I am snuggled up in the cottage nursing my broken wrist and watching the blizzard outside my window!

We are expecting about 2 feet of snow by the end of tomorrow. Ugh!

Oh...and you read that right...the bad luck here continues! I broke my left wrist (and I'm left handed) in Monday morning!

I was taking Cody boy out for a walk with the leash naturally in my left hand. As I opened the front door, Cody caught sight of a squirrel and took off like a shot!!! Dragging me into the door jam in the process!

And...to make matters worse...Cody and Abby took off up the street...with me and my broken wrist chasing after them!

Could be worse, right?

Hugs!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

From all of us at Eventually Cottage to all of yours...we wish you a Merry Christmas!

Custom Order Love!

2010-12-16T13:48:00.000-05:00

Wanted to take a minute and show you guys one of the custom orders that I did as a result of the Holiday Craft Show I did last week.

The sweet young girl that ordered it said that her fiance had taken a picture of a sign with this saying on it when he was away from her once.

She wanted to give this sign to him for Christmas this year.

Aww!

I'll be delivering this sign tomorrow... I know she will love it!

So Stinkin' Cute!

2010-12-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

I just had to show you guys this totally adorable bear that my friend, Beth, makes!

Beth is a real-life Army Wife! Lol!

Her and her hubby, Jay, are childhood friends of my Prince Charming. Shortly after the Prince and I were married, Jay enlisted in the Army. He has done 2 tours in Iraq and 2 in Afghanistan. They are now stateside... Yay!!!!

Beth makes these stinkin' cute bears out of genuine Army uniforms! If you look at the right foot of the bear you will see that she also includes a pic! How adorable!!!!

I'm trying to talk her into opening an Etsy shop... I'll keep you posted!

Christmas Mantle

2010-12-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

Hey there! I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season so far!

I have a confession to make...I just started my Christmas decorating today. Yikes... I'm totally hiding my head in shame! Hee hee!

However...I have finished my shopping!!!! Woo hoo!

This year, I decided to keep my decorating very simple. I chose to stick primarily with the colors that I naturally decorate in.

Nothing says simple more than this year's mantle shelf in our family room!

I kept the shelf to our regular decorating items and just added a little sparkle and leftover greens from our tree.

I love how sweet and simple everything looks with the sketch of my kiddos and our since passed Brady that my MIL gave us last year.

Maya is just exhausted from all of the decking of the halls! Hee hee!

Loving checking our what ya'll are doing in your homes!

Hugs!

Craft Show Update

2010-12-13T18:22:00.000-05:00

So, as I mentioned earlier I did a show last weekend.

What I didn't mention is that this wasn't just any show! This was a show that I have gone to for years as a customer, but never as a vedor.

I have wanted to do this show as a vendor for years, but it wasn't until this past year that I got up enough courage to apply.

So, about a month ago, I sent in my application and pics of some of my work and awaited the response. I got the response about 2 weeks ago... they liked me, they really like me! Hee hee!

Anyway, the Prince and I got there bright and early Saturday morning along with 70 other vendors. I can't explain how excited and nervous I was!

At 10:00, people started pouring in and I mean literally pouring in! Hundreds of them! I really thought I was going to throw up!

It wasn't long before I started making sales. The Prince and I were having a hard time keeping up, replacing items on the display.

I also got 2 custom orders, and I wasn't planning on taking custom orders!

Long story short, the items I thought would fly off the display didn't and the items that I wasn't sure about were the first to go!

Oddly enough, the holiday signs weren't very popular. Wierd! People loved my lovey dovey signs in all sizes!

And....I remembered my business cards this time! Woo hoo!!!!!

Here are a couple of pics of my display...

Hubby made a display for me to hang some signs out of an old window that I had picked up and was saving for a rainy day! It worked out perfectly!

The only thing I wished I had was a shelf or something to elevate some of my other items. Next time I guess.

I hope you had a great weekend!

Hugs!

Cottage Hill!

2010-12-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

Run over to Cottage Hill and check out the beautiful stockings that Lindy is giving away!

Hope for Candace

2010-12-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

Candace is the daughter of friends of our family.

She is a young mother of two, and is suffering with Stage IV Lymphoma.

As some of you may know, my dear brother passed away a little over 3 yrs ago from complications of Lymphoma. There was nothing more painful than watching what that disease did to my wonderful brother.

When I heard that there was a group of wonderful people trying to raise money to help Candace, I knew that I had to do something as well.

I designed this sign just for Candace. $10 from the purchase of this handpainted sign will go directly to help Candace with her medical expenses.

Please stop by my Etsy shop and help me help Candace.

Hugs.

I'm Back!

2010-11-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

We are getting back in the swing of things here at Eventually Cottage! Yay!

My son is still in quite a bit of pain. He certainly didn't injure his vocal chords, cuz he's doing more than his share of whining! Hee hee!!!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

I've been busy getting back to work on my Etsy Shop. I'm aslo doing a big Craft Fair this weekend. Stay tuned for updates on that!

Here's a sample of one of the handpainted signs that I listed tonight.

Who doesn't feel like their house is Grand Central Station sometimes? I personally think this sign would be perfect in our family room! Hee hee!

Stop over at the shop to see the brand spankin' new handpainted signs! There is one that would be perfect for anyone on your Holiday list!

Hugs!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sorry my wishes are late, but we have had an interesting couple of days!

Tuesday night, the four of us went out and had a very nice dinner. After dinner, my son decided he wanted to go for a bike ride with some friends.

So I decided to head out to the workshop and try to finish up some orders. Prince Charming comes out and says he needs to go and check on George because he fell and hurt his ankle. George is a typical 16 yr old boy, and gets bumps and bruises all the time. So I didn't think much of it.

Until about 10 minutes later, when one of George's friends came racing to the house with his bike. He was screaming, "Mamma Rinaldi, Mamma Rinaldi!!!!" That's what all of George's buddies call me. Lol!

I run out of the workshop and he tells me that George hurt his ankle really bad and that "Big Man" (that's what they call the Prince) needs me to come over there!

So, I run over to where George is, just about about a half a block from our house. I turned the corner and was not prepared to see all the red lights that awaited me!

As I got closer, George was laying on the ground with a group of kids surrounding him. The ambulance had just pulled up. I looked down at my boy's foot and it was literally just dangling there. Something ugly was trying to protrude from his skin. I almost got sick!

So...long story short... George was trying to do a trick on his bike that went terribly wrong. He was taken by ambulance to our county's Trauma Center. He was transferred to The Maria Ferreri Children's Hospital, which is one of the best hospitals in the country.

X-rays showed a broken tibula and fibula and a dislocated ankle. He had surgery very late Wednesday night to use plates and screws to put his bones back together.

Thankfully, he was able to get up, use crutches, and come home with us yesterday afternoon!

Woo hoo!

He's still in quite a bit of pain, and has taken over our family room so that he can be close to the bathroom. But I'm so glad to have him home, I wouldn't have it any other way!

Hugs!

Thrifty Decor Chick Rocks!!!

2010-11-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Well, if you know Sarah and her fantabulous blog you already know that she ROCKS!

But check out the giveaway she's doing right now!

Sarah, the Thrifty Decor Chick, is giving away a Silhouette craft cutter with all the trimmings! Hee hee!

I loves me some Silhouette!

Run, don't walk over and say hello to Sarah!

COUP of Loveliness!!!

2010-11-19T10:03:00.001-05:00

Oh how I would lurrrve to have a chicken coup!

Seriously...I'm sooo not kidding!

Prince Charming's cousin had one years ago and the thought of it made me soooo happy!

The Prince shot down the idea reeaal fast! **sad face**

Any- hoo... I found this beautiful blog today...Buckets of Burlap... and Becky's hubby built her the most adorable chicken coup!

Sigh...

Maybe someday.

BTW...my Mom is recovering very quickly from her knee replacement surgery! So quickly that she is coming home tomorrow... 4 days ahead of schedule!!!! Woo hoo!

Grr!

2010-11-17T11:44:00.000-05:00

I've been messing around with my blog this morning, trying to make it prettier.

I can't do what I want to do with Bloggers new templates!

Can anyone help me?

Thanks!

Goings on

2010-11-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

Things have been crazy here at the cottage!

The Prince and I have been working on re-doing our bedroom for the past couple of weeks. I can't believe I didn't mention that to you earlier!

Our Master bedroom is more like a loft space. It had this crazy wall up between the bedroom and the stairs. It never made sense to me, and I've wanted to open that wall up since before you bought the house!

Well... we finally did it!

We didn't take the whole wall down, cuz that would just be dangerous! We did open it up though. I'll get you some pics probably Monday.

We picked a really pretty bluish grey tone for the wall called, Shiloh. I can't wait to see it go up on the walls!

I've also been crazy busy doing custom orders for Eventually Cottage. I'll only be taking custom orders until 12/10 so that I have plenty of time to get them all done and shipped before Christmas.

And... to top it all off, my Mom had knee replacement surgery on Thursday! She's doing well now and was already up and walking around the halls a little yesterday with the help of a Physical Therapist!

Mom won't be very mobile in time for Thanksgiving so I will be preparing dinner with all the trimmings and bringing it to her home so that she won't have to travel.

Have a great weekend!

Pre-Holiday Sale!

2010-11-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

Eventually Cottage Signs and Gifts is offering buy 2 signs, get a 3rd at half price!!!!

For the month of November only!

The Holidays are quickly creeping up on us... personalized signs make great gifts!!!

I'm working on lots of new ideas, so check the shop often!

http://www.eventuallycottage.etsy.com/

NYC Marathon

2010-11-07T01:34:00.000-04:00

My sister-in-law's best friend is running in the NYC Marathon today!

She is running to raise money for the American Liver Foundation.

My sister-in-law and my Josie will be right there cheering her on!

Good luck, Noel! We are very proud of you!

Frugalicious Friday Giveaway!!!!

2010-11-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

I totally teased you guys yesterday (hee hee Robin), but here it is!

I'm offering the sign below as a giveaway at Finding Fabulous' Frugalicious Friday!

Say that three times fast... I dare ya! Hee hee!

This sign is 100% handpainted and rivals anything you will see in the most popular home decor magazines and catalogs! It is sanded, stained, and "aged to perfection"!

This particular sign is done in the year 1993, because that's the year that Prince Charming and I were married. However, it can be done in any year that you choose!

Head over and see the total fabulousness going on at Finding Fabulous!!!!

Sneaky Peeky!

2010-11-04T11:23:00.000-04:00

I'm giving you guys a sneak peek of the giveaway I will be doing at Finding Fabulous tomorrow!

Ooh La La!!!

2010-11-01T20:56:00.000-04:00

Check out the really adorable "french" inspired votive holders that One Crafty B*tch made using dollar store votives!
So cute, and tres chic!!!

Are You Ready?

2010-10-30T00:09:00.000-04:00

For Halloween, that is?

Well, Ellen Degeneres sure is!

How hilarious is that?????????

I don't know if any of you have caught "Jersey Shore" on MTV. Living on the East Coast and vacationing on the Jersey Shore every summer, I will admit that this show did become a "guilty pleasure" of mine!

Yikes, I don't know if I should be admitting that or not... but oh well!

Have a great weekend!

A Table With A Story

2010-10-29T05:05:00.000-04:00

You have got to head over to Funky Junk Interiors and check out the table that Donna created!

A friend of hers challenged her to create a table top with a "story". Wait until you read the story behind this totally adorable table!

Donna is even sweet enough to show all of us how she did it!

And...if you are lucky enough to live in her area, she's even giving classes on how to create items like this!!!!

I'm so drooling over this table!!!

Awesome Blogs!

2010-10-29T03:31:00.000-04:00

So, I recently decided to get serious about my Etsy shop. I love love love creating beautiful things... so why not make some extra cash for the fam, right?

I've started working with two awesomely fabulous bloggers recently!

I'm proud to announce that Eventually Cottage Signs and Gifts is advertising with Kara from Creations by Kara and Jane from Finding Fabulous!

I'll be offering a really great Giveaway at Finding Fabulous on Friday, 11/5! Be sure to check it out!

Stop by and show these gals some love!

Coat rack thingy...Lol!

2010-10-28T16:24:00.001-04:00

So Imentioned the other day that I was working on this hook coat rack type thingy. What exactly would you call it?

I needed to create something we could hang purses, leashes, and backpacks on when we enter the house.

I started with these totally cute hooks that I found at Hobby Lobby for 50% off!!! Woo hoo!

I knew that I wanted a very neutral type of look to go along with the look of the family room.

I painted a 24"x6" piece of 1/2" mdf in Rustoleum Ivory Silk.

I added these little wooden architectural thingys to either end of the mdf, also painted Ivory Silk.

Once it was dry, I sanded the edges of the mdf, and aged them using some Tim Holz Distress Ink in Maple Stain (my favorite!).

I added a little more of the ink on the rest of the piece to give it a more aged look.

Lastly, I added the hooks and WELLA!!!!

What do ya think?

I'm linking up to Frugalicious Friday over at Finding Fabulous!

Soooo stinkin' cute!!!!!!

2010-10-27T22:31:00.000-04:00

You simply MUST head over and see this totally adorable Halloween decoration that Andy created at Poppies at Play!!!!!!

I think I'm going to HAVE to try to "re-create" this!

Paranormal Activity 2- OMG!!!!

2010-10-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

Little Miss Josie has been "bullying" me for over a week now to take her to see Paranormal Activity 2. I kept blowing her off.

Why you ask?

Cuz the commercial for this movie alone scares the bejeebies outta me!!!!!

I couldn't admit that to Josie, of course!

So, after more "bullying" this weekend, I bit the bullet and took Josie and her bff to see the movie.

By the way, this is the first time that I have ever seen a scary movie in the theater.

Why you ask?

Cuz I scare VERY easily and didn't want to be embarrassed! Hee hee!

So anyhoooo...there I sit with a 13 yr old girl on either side of me. Trying to act brave. Hee hee!

Who do you think was the first one to let out a scream?

Josie?

The bff?

Nope!

Momma!!!!

Yup! That's right! And I let out several screams after that too!

Oh my goodness this is one scary movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just warnin' ya!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great week!!!!!!!

Where in the world?

2010-10-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

When you get a minute, check out this really cool blog http://locationcentral.blogspot.com/!

You can leave a comment and find other bloggers in your area!

Scroll down to your state and leave a comment.

Cool!

Firetruck Signs

2010-10-20T19:23:00.001-04:00

Hey there! I hope you are all doing well!

I wanted to catch you up on some things I've been working on here at the cottage.

These cutie patootie firetruck signs were a special request from the wife of one of my brother's co-workers. Her husband is a career firefighter with my brother and wanted these matching signs for her boy's rooms.

I fell so in love with these signs that I'm also offering them in my Etsy shop! Free shipping for my followers!!!

I also finished up this sign that was a custom order for one of my Etsy customers. I really love the way it turned out!

This sign is also listed in my Etsy shop if you're interested!

I'm working really cute hooks that I hope to be able to show you this weekend!

By the way... October is Fire Safety Month! Be sure to check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors! Also, take some time to stop by your local firestation with your little ones! The kids love to see the trucks!

Hugs!

Cutie Patootie Dog Tags!

2010-10-13T18:22:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon an Etsy shop, Poochy Couture, that creates and sell the cutest dog tags you could ever imagine!

We have been having a problem with little Cody jumping the fence and roaming the neighborhood. So when I knew I'd better get a new tag for him in case he gets lost.

When I saw this tag, it literally brought tears to my eyes.

You all know how we feel about rescue dogs and adoption here at Eventually Cottage. I personally had never seen a tag like this before and knew that I just had to get one for Cody.

When it came in, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. So I decided to order another one for Daisy.

While browsing the shop, I found this tag below.

Which I thought was perfect for Abby, the Princess of the cottage!!!

If you are a dog lover or know a dog lover, you MUST visit this shop! Don't forget that the holidays are right around the corner!

Hugs!

Frost tonight!

2010-10-09T20:36:00.001-04:00

All of you chickies in the North East, take in your plants tonight! We are expecting our first frpst of the season!

Brr!

Check it out!

2010-10-09T00:39:00.000-04:00

Hey all!

When you get a minute, check out the Set of 3 Chandelier Signs I just posted on my Etsy Shop!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/58481332/handcrafted-signs-set-of-3-chandelier

Let me know what ya think!