An Old Fashioned Luncheon....

Oh the sun is out, the wind is filled with that wonderful clean smell of autumn... and I had invited my old aunt, my gran and my ma over for a luncheon. Open face sandwiches (a Norwegian speciality ;) and the all time winner Victorian Spunge... sprinkled with lots of laughs, smiles and chatter.
It's a good way to spend a sunday for sure....Here is my gran, aunt Inger and Lilo :) Enjoying the There are some of my blogg-readers asking me about my colour codes in the house... So here they are.
The kitchen walls are painted in a 40shine S0515-G40Y Lady oilbased. It is a warm pistachio green that reminds me of old green interior wall colour. It goes perfectly with teals, turqouises and other old greens. The chairs are painted with Lady oilbased "Lavender", code 3010-G10Y. Yet another old colour used in kitchens and furniture. It's the same used on my diningroom chairs and my tv cabinet. The livingroom walls are a very crisp, light green... I call it "cucumber green", as my idea was the inside of a sliced cucumber for that fresh summery feel. The code is: S0507-G40Y. It too goes REALLY well with teals, turqouise and greens. And fits my Figgjo collection perfectly too! Which is why I actually chose it... ha ha!!!
There you all are :)
Have a great Sunday everyone ;)

Weekend Flowers!

This first week back at work has been incredibly busy. I have to work extra, and on my one day off I managed to invite and old aunt and gran over for coffee and cake...

and to top it off I also agreed to help the O-man with his horses and the stable. As he is away this weekend...

yupp... and the house was filthy...

so thank goodness for my amazing mum... who came over and cleaned the entire cottage for me while I was at work. Ahhhh... the smell of brewing coffee and clean floors when you come home from saturday work! hurray for ma!!!I bought fresh flowers for tomorrow... and tried my best to take a decent picture of the livingroom shelves... which... didnt work very well... hmm... I must try again in the daylight tomorrow....

Okay... it's stable-duty time... and then off to bed for an early rise tomorrow... :) Have a good night everyone!

ONE OF A KIND

Have you ever had a great decorating idea? And figured you found new use for something old... without copying or getting the inspiration elsewhere...

I have... plenty of times... I write them down in a book of mine...

but then... some weeks later or months... you visit a blog that did JUST what you had thought of... all by yourself... ha ha!!! Sometimes I wish Idid them first, so it didnt seem like "copying" all the time... but hey, I guess it just means we are all a bunch of really creative girls :) And thank goodness for that!

(Picture borrowed from weheartit.com)

I am featured at Nib! They posted my before and after photos of my house. There are 4 rooms 99% done, which was completed in 4 months... It's been still for a while now, untill I find some money. Next on the tackle-list is my buildt in library, hallway and guestroom.
98% of the furniture is hand-me-downs, fleamarket finds or salvage... painted and cared for untill they shine for all they are worth... unless of course they were amazingly worn and beautiful...
I cheap, green (in every sense) interior! I am proud of that!

Tomorrow I'll try and post some new stuff done in the livingroom, among other fleamarket treasures!

Ta ta!

Catastrophy!!!!

So... it has been one of those weekends...

Saturday was amazing... me, ma and Lilo went to the fleamarket, then to the antiques shop and later took a dip in the lake! Just a wonderful day! And then I painted my new shelves and basically just had a great time.

Sunday arrived and ma, me and Lilo went to see my grand aunt Gerd. She lives in the US during winter, and moves back to her old farm here in Norway during summer. The farm is about 3 hours from me, so we had a fairly long drive there. Once we arrived we had just enough time for cake and coffee before dad phones. His voice is all shaky and we realize something is wrong...

and not just alittle... my parents barn has burned to the ground! Oh my gosh!!! We cant belive it, so even if we had planned a whole day there at the farm... we had to go right away...when we finally arrive home, there is a sad sad sight waiting for us... No more beautiful old barn... just a pile of blackened wood...Thank goodness there were no animals in there. We used to have chicks and bunnies in there, but now they live in a separate building... The only things that got lost in the fire, that cannot be replaced was a few family antiques. An old bed from my great great grandmother among other things. Everything else was thing one can easily replace. And we were inscured. Sigh.. but very sad still...

The main house also got some damage due to the heat. The side that was facing the barn had bubbeling paint and all the windows are cracked. So it need to be fixed up...

A sad day at the Feldmann's family house for sure... but we will fix it all back! :)

What I found at the fleamarket and other happy things will be shown here later :) in a different post!

Autumn Closing In...

I decided to take a walk in the twilight... the wind was picking up, the birds were all silent... there was a heavy, dark sky... and it was tracking me... I constantly felt the tickle of rain in my neck as I walked on... pushing myself over that last hill, before heading into the wellknow road to my house... the warm, cozy cottage, casting off a warm glow there at the journey's end... It was magical... Nothing like a brisk walk in the twilight, just before night slips her dark cover over the world, and the story skies made it better... rain drops on the leaves, the wind in the trees... are music to my ears... the shiny road and glittering puddles, the most precious of paintings... and the friends that you meet... I met Mr. Toad, Mrs Toad and lill Toad jr. too... And I am a little scared of toads... but they hopped on their merry way and didnt bother me today. I got in under my roof just before the rain really hit... and got my breath back, sitting down on the bench on the porch... smelling the rain-heavy air, cleansing both mind and body!

ahhh... Autumn is most certainly in the air... these comming weeks and months will be the best Mother Earth has to offer... At least thats what I think...And now, well deserved, with droplets of rain still clung in my hair, I enjoy my autumn decorated table with a hot cup of Russian Earl Gray in my grasp!Life is good... life is really really good!
Today's photos are from my sister's creative eye! She snaps the best! We did a mini-tour of my surroundings... and here are some more shots.

Me and my sister found this cute fellow at the garden shop... we couldnt just leave him there, so he came home with me... And is now guarding the barrel pond :)

Special black & White cows in the field... arent they amazing? I love cows... I miss milking duty...

Mama's chicken coop... I love them! Next season I plan on having my own...
I hope you all have a really great week still!!!

a trip to the library & housewarming

me and the O-man was driving around doing errands yesterday and in between I managed a trip to the library... which I hardly ever do anymore, mostly becuase I enjoy buying my books... But I never buy books on interior, they are too expencive, and I mostly enjoy looking at the pictures :p

So I borrowed a bag full!The book that got me most excited was one filled with pictures of the swiss-style houses... old farm buildings with their amazong woodwork. Next summer I plan on spicing my own cottage up with these and make it seem like a mini-farmhouse :) :)
Dad has apparently always wanted to do fancy woodwork, so together we shall... I have also promised the O-man a roadtrip to take photos for inspiration... (we enjoy roadtrips looking at fabulous houses)

The O-man is currently on his way to the international welsh show in Holland... lucky bastard... and I am stuck here... I sure hope he has some good times for me as well :)

I had my housewarming this saturday and I got some really amazing gifts :) People really have learned my style from knowing me, and/or reading my blog... Amazing stuff... I am so blessed to have such a bunch of brilliant friends around me!

This lantern was a gift from Cecile, Odd Arne and their daughter Ophelia Marie (isnt that the lovliest of names for a girl? Siiigh). She was worried I had one allready, but I didnt have this type and I told her I can never get enough lanterns! Ha ha... She also got me incredible tealight glasses, that I have put in my bedroom... pictures to come later...

This cruet set was a gift from my friend Kari and her man Thomas. I love the rusted, romatic look :) :)
I got this from Karin... it was decorated with flowers and candles and stuff... but for some reason I couldnt help playing with it and redecorate! And I forgot to take a picture of how beautiful it was to begin with! Sigh!!! I suck!!! But believe me, it was gorgeous! Now all the little bits and pieces of it are scattered around my house...
I got more stuff as well, but I want to divide it up so I can show you later :)
I also got a package in the mail saturday, containing my last ebay treasure. I turquoise shoe shine box... isnt it brilliantly distressed, old and wonderdul?!?? I love it... I am not sure if this is it's final resting spot... I imagine I will move it around the house for more ideas... but I like it like this right now!
I still have a week left of my vacation... and I am enjoying every second of it... today I am having another lazy day, soaking up sun on my porch and crusing the blogs :)

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Hum-di-dum

This week just wooshed away... I have allready been a week off work... and only one more week to go... sigh... why do days go by so fast? I try hard to sloooow down, but it seems life isnt willing to play that game with me...But I have enjoyed myself...
Our dear former exchange student Kathi went home yesterday. Which was sad, but we know we will see her soon again... she's like a boomrang that girl... you throw her out and bam! she returns... time and time again :) Thank goodness...

To replace her we had a new one come in. Her name i Lioba, and she's from Germany. She seems great, and I imagine we will have lots of laughs together... She seems to fit in with my very crazy and very loud family well! You do have to be a bit crazy to survive the Feldmanns I tell you... we're simply not like everyone else... And I wouldnt want us to be either... ha ha...
Yesterday and today was spent cleaning the place up. All that is left now is the bedroom and I'll just do that tomorrow... everything else looks perfect... for however long...
Todays pictures are just random shots from the cottage. I got this napkin holder at Kid... It just fit my diningroom perfectly... and with something pretty like that I can have napkins showing all the time.. :) They used to be hiding in a drawer... I hope you all are still enjoying august... :) I think it's a beautiful month... and I am loving it for all its worth!

tadaa!

TV cabinet makeover!

Vacation time is the best time to catch up on little projects... My first was this corner cabinet that mum has had for ages. Now that dad has decided the flatscreen goes ON the wall, they had no need for it. I have been wanting it for just about as long as mum has had it... so I wasnt hard to ask if I could take it off their hands... of course, it didnt look like much when I got it... But it was a diamond in the rough!I decided to paint it in sage green. The same shade I used in my diningroom & kitchen for details and chairs. Replaced the knobs with porcelain ones... and voila!!! A PRetty pretty pretty cabinet for my livingroom... sooo much better than the pinewood rubbish that was there before!Obviously the tv corner is never a interior bloggers choice of subject to show.... but I am being brave here... ha ha... I see now that I need to do something with all those wires in the back...
But all in all... not so bad I think...
There are a few more project needed to be tackled... but thats all fun... I am pretty pleased that I allready tackled this one... so early on in my time off... ha ha

Today I played turist in my own town... Took Kathi, or "return foreign exchange student" (She stayed here 3 years ago, but comes back to work and stay with us every summer... we call her our bounce back). And our new foreign exchange student, Leoba, to the Kitthelsen museum, and then to old Haugfoss. It rained off and on, but mainly we had great weather. When I arrived home later, being dead tired... probably due to me and the O man staying up intill 6am in the morning finnishing a baginbox of wine... mum was there to have coffee with me...
All in all a lovely day... one to remember...
but now I am tired.. and it'ss time for bed! :) :)


Have a brilliant wednesday tomorrow!

Prefect beginning....

My first day of vacation... no more work for over two weeks!!! Bliss bliss bliss... and what a great start to my time off... My best friend and I sat up untill 2am drinking wine on my porch,... Before we went to bed, no alarm clocks to wake us... just the gentle purring of the cats as it neared breakfast time... We then had coffee on the porch, I did some reading and Ole palyed solitaire... before heading back to his farm and make pancakes for lunch with his sister...

Ahhh... And the heat has finally came back. I sure hope it lasts a alittle while...

I am not going anywhere this vacation, but I have a list of things that shall be tackled and done here at home... Actually, right now, I couldnt dream of a better way to spend my time...

I will hopefully

-read two book on my list
- paint the tv cabinet
- paint two of my gran's lamps
- paint shelves for the bathroom
- put up said shelf and some hooks
- paint words on my livingroom wall
- get the shelves in the livingroom made, painted and hung.
- have my house-warming party
- and just drink lots of wine and coffee and see friends....

and enjoy my beautiful, wonderful, magical cottage!

I have allready painted first layer on the tv cabinet... started doing it outside, but there are so many seeds in the air, I completely gaveup... There has always got to be a brisk wind when I want to paint outside... sigh...

I also experimented with my can of turquoise varnish ;) Pic's to come....

I feel so stress free!!! With my can of cider in my hand... listening to Tori Amos...

Concidering the lettering on the wall... I dont know what qoute I want... It has to be something either latin, english or norwegian... but what?! Any ideas? Mine is: "Dragonfly Cottage... the magic is in the laughter" or "my life is seasoned with alittle Hocus Pocus"
I kind of want something to do with witches, magic or nature... coffee, friends and joy... ANY ideas will be great!

NExt year I might have to (or want to...) paint the exterior of my house. For many a time I wanted a white house with gray trimmings and a turquoise door... But becuase I have a timber cottage, and I am adding some decorating details to the exterior work... I am now thinking the very old tarblack with white combination... and of course the turquoise door... What do you think? I am afraid the cottage might loose some of its personality and charm if it's painted all white... and tarblack is a gorgeous colour for old houses... All the detailing and framework would be white...

becuase I didnt have any of my own photos to show, today's post is sprinkled with stuff from online... Things I just love. If you recognize any of these photos as your own, or someone else's blogs. Please let me know and I will remove them of course... they are simply from my file of inspirational pics from all over the net... so I dont know where I got them all, but never mean to steal any ;)

Have a brilliant weekend!

Forgotten Teaparty...

I woke up to rain on the roof, and an autumn chill in the air... hazy gray light... good to know you're off work today and can pull your duvet closer, and spend time cuddelig the purring cat that is licking your nose good morning...
the plan was to clean house, but pouring rain just doesnt kick start my cleaning mood... it does however trigger my "get a cup of tea and wrap myself in a blanket" mood. Which is what I did...

eventually I did pull it together enough to take the car out and get something at the gardeners... becuase I did have an idea I just couldnt wait with... Once again I am incredibly thankful for the roofted porch!!! BEing outside without being all wet... is great!

A new feature in my garden is this teatable.... an abandoned tea party... left for nature to reclaim...

I will add more to it later I imagine... moss among other types of greens....

I made all the photos look alittle vintage today... was in that artistic mood :)

I hope you all have a brilliant monday... whether it be rain or sun, work or play :) Apriciate the moments!

New layout and coffee...

I'm visiting Mille... I havent been her for, a year, I think..... so it's great comming around, relaxing and just being... After some wine last night in the garden hammock and a great breakfast with massive amounts of coffee, we've been hanging out just blogging and chatting.... So I made a new layout, in the same style as last time, but with some changes...

Here is Huldra, exploring my two new urns, which I bought on sale and got incredibly cheap!!!... ha ha

Tomorrow my plan is to clean house... all day... sigh... but it needs to be done...