Designing Woman…..

Well first I must say, Dallas you disappointed me!!!!
When we arrived on Thursday night it was COLD and by
Friday it was SNOWING!!!  Needless to say, our team played
NO soccer games and this soccer momma hardly left the
Hilton Garden Inn in Ft. Worth!!!  No Wisteria visit for moi!
Hopefully I'll be back someday and am quite sure
my opinion will change.  Thank you for all the suggestions,
perhaps next time Mother Nature will cooperate.

**************

I know I have said it before, but having people hire me
to help them make their home prettier and more functional
still surprises me sometimes….I have to pinch myself that
I get to work independently in a creative field.  It truly fills
me up more that you will ever imagine.

And lately, work with local clients has kept me very
busy!  Right now I am working on MANY different styles
of homes and decor - from contemporary, transitional, neutral,
stately and traditional.  I have some brave souls and some
who prefer to play it safe….I am happy to accommodate it all!

I thought this week I would show you some recent
concept boards that I have worked on for a few local
clients - many times I do these to show a look or direction.
Some of the items are definite selections for the room,
others are more a representation.  Ultimately,  I always
want the client to trust me with styling the space so usually
the accessories are more representative.

Happy Monday to all! I hope the sun is shining where you are.

Our *holiday* cards and some {giveaway} love from Minted.com…..

I am not ashamed to admit that this year I sent 'Happy New Year' cards.

I did it for a number of reasons - first, I did not have a good

photo that everyone agreed was Christmas card worthy -

Mom's of small children, hear me now……enjoy the days

where YOU and you alone choose the photo YOU like best -

without hearing, "ooh, you CANNOT send THAT photo out, I 

look soooooo gross in that picture"…..

And the second and final reason I sent a New Year's card was 

that I just didn't have my sh*t together……And as the song goes, 

I 'let it go', 'let it go'……

Pictured above is the front of the card that was sent to our peeps on

approximately January 15th.  I love this photo of my girls because 

it sums up their personalities to a 'T'.  My 16 year old

is big hugger, lover, and overall touchy/feel-y girl - her sister, not 

so much…thus the pose!  My 16 year old got her braces off about

a week after this photo was taken…right in time for her

sister to get hers on…next week - cha$ching! 

While I love this photo, I sometimes long for the days when I got

to choose their outfits, hairstyles and had time for a proper

photo shoot…….ah, the good old days!

I was grateful for Minted.com and the fact they had SO

many great New Year's cards to choose from  for all us slackers!

******

As a HUGE fan of the all the 'minor' holidays - I have promised myself that I
am not going to be behind on my Valentine's Day preparations - In the past

I have order personalized Valentine-themed journals for my girls,
this year Minted has some beautiful options for Valentine's gifts, art and cards!

Minted has been a faithful partner of Forever*Cottage…..I am a HUGE
fan of all their products.  And to help YOU get a head start on your
Valentine's gifts, Minted has graciously offered to give TWO
Forever*Cottage readers a $75 credit to shop Minted!

To Enter:

* Go visit Minted and check out their fabulous
Valentine's Day products.  Then come back here and
let me know which ones are your favorites!

That's it!

I will close the comments on midnight on Sunday, Feb 1st
and announce the winners on Monday!

My Favorite Things 2014

First, thank you to Melissa from 320 Sycamore for including me in
her Favorite Things blog tour this year!  I loved doing this -
I even asked my family what they thought my favorite things were!
I wanted this list to be authentic….things I really love, use
and were a part of my life in 2014!

I have included some explanations and links if you
are interested in making MY favorites YOUR favorites!

Volcano Candles
These candles meet my 'candle standards' in many ways -
They smell good, are in a pretty container and are long lasting.
If you want your home to smell like an Anthropologie store, these are your candles!
I tend to burn a candle every day - I find it calming and it instantly cozies up any space.

BM Revere Pewter
I would define this neutral paint color as my 'go to' neutral.
Revere Pewter is painted on the walls of many satisfied 2014 clients, enough said.

iPhone 6 Plus
I recently upgraded my old iPhone 4 and chose the biggie, iPhone 6 Plus.
Despite my children's complete embarrassment and teasing….I love it.  Since I am 40ish,
my eyes have a hard time reading small print and this phone is a great help!

Ugg moccasins 
My days have been busier this year with my business and my
momma duties….when I come home after a long day, I switch into these fluffy
moccasins and instantly feel cozy and comfortable!  Uggs can be pricey but
last forever - totally worth the investment!

Hang and Level Tool
I hung many a gallery walls this year and I could not have
done it {without putting a million holes in my client's walls} without this tool.
It's an 'As seen on TV' product which cracks me up.

21-Day Fix
I am not really overweight but last spring I was feeling
'soft' and really wanted to do something to tweak my eating.  I already exercise
regularly but felt like my eating could improve and I desperately needed some
discipline.  I joined Marta's group and did the 21-Day Fix.  I stuck with it and
ate NO flour and very little sugar for 21 days.  I have continued to really
eat very little flour and have definitely increased my fruit and vegetable intake.
My jeans are looser and more importantly, I feel better!

Noonday Jewelry
I don't remember when I first learned about Noonday,
but I have purchased pieces over the last couple years from my friend Paige and
wear them often…..This year, I hosted my first in-home Noonday party with
a local Noonday Ambassador and definitely increased the number of
pieces in my collection.  I love knowing that my jewelry is handcrafted by
artisans that receive a living wage in return for my purchases!  Noonday is
changing lives and bringing hope to impoverished countries all over the world,
that is something amazing that I am happy to be a part of!

Starbucks Green Tea Lemonade
This was included at the urging of my teenager……who describes my
love for this drink as an 'obsession'.  I can't help myself….
Admittedly, I drank many of these over the summer.

Beauty Aids
I am a pretty simple girl when it comes to beauty products.
I try to spend as little time as possible getting ready in the morning….
I love Smashbox's Camera Ready CC cream!  It evens out my skin and
gives it a healthy, dewy glow.  It's really forgiving an application is super easy.

I recently went pretty short with my hair but will never give up my
Kerastase products!  Now, these products are on the pricey side
but I have learned that better products are more concentrated so you
don't need to use as much in your hair.  I highlight my hair often and this
product leaves my hair looking healthy and smooth!

Now you can head to over to Elizabeth at Fresh Plate to see what
are her Favorite Things!

** Also - Melissa is hosting a link-up on Thursday and would like all
of you to post and link YOUR favorite things if you would like!
Please do - inquiring minds want to know!

MODERNBATH.COM…...

When modernbath.com contacted me and asked me to take a look at their

products, the timing could not have been better….My girls' bath could use some 

attention and updates so using the modernbath.com website, I was able to 

put together a inspiration board with some products that are not just beautiful

but really quality items that will stand the test of time and use!

Modernbath.com is a wonderful online resource for luxurious home
and bathroom products including bathroom vanities, bathroom faucets,
bathroom cabinets and mirrors, bathroom shower panels, and a variety of other
contemporary bathroom items at discounted prices.  Go check them out
if you are in need of any of those products for your bathroom projects!

vanity/toilet/storage cabinet/mirrors

Schoolhouse Electric

There are so many wonderful things about my hometown of Portland, Oregon -

we have great food, wine, beer, plenty of coffee,

parks, mountains, rivers, an eclectic/creative population…..

AND we are home to Schoolhouse Electric!  

I had the opportunity this week to visit their retail store and tour their manufacturing facility

in northwest Portland - it was SO fun to see how Schoolhouse's fixtures are

really handmade - such great care goes into making each and every

fixture!  And they make them ALL right here in Portland.

 As you can see, their facility is very in keeping with their products - in

fact, I even got to see the fourth floor where they shoot most of their 

products for their website and catalogs.  The painted brick, beams and industrial

feel serve as the perfect backdrop for product shots.

The retail space is SO inspiring and includes a coffee shop

and florist too!  Mixed in with their beautiful, vintage inspired lighting are

art prints, books, serving pieces, furniture, bedding, throw pillows, hardware,

gifts, shower curtains, aprons, tote bags etc….all with that

vintage/cool/hip Schoolhouse Electric vibe!

Schoolhouse just launched their spring line and there is SO
much goodness…….

I chose a few favorites but it was so hard to narrow it down!

How about that brass cabinet hardware?  Or that striped

duvet/sheet set?  And the lighting……..So good!

You can checkout Schoolhouse Electric online HERE!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Uncommon Goods { + a giveaway!}…….

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

In many ways I feel like yesterday was Christmas, yet this week is Easter - the
days seem to be whizzing on by (see yesterday's post)!  

Spring is really my favorite time of year, so
many special days - including my birthday, Easter and Mother's Day!

Uncommon Goods is a online retailer that features unique designs and
handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without
harm to animals or people.  I love that Uncommon Goods mission is to 
support artists and designers - half of what they sell is made by hand,
in the good ole USA!  I admire their commitment to the creative community!
Check out some of their wonderful gift ideas HERE.

When Uncommon Goods asked me to choose some of my
favorite Mother's Day gift items, I had no problem finding
lots of things I would love to receive from my peeps.
You can go HERE to see some of these items for yourself.

Uncommon Goods is offering ONE lucky Forever*Cottage
reader a $50 gift card to help YOU with your 
Mother's Day gift shopping!

To Enter:

* Go to Uncommon Goods and check out their site

* Come back here and let me know what gift from 
Uncommon Goods you would love to receive.

*Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
and let me know for an additional entry.

I will choose a winner on Wednesday, April 16th.
Enter by Tuesday, April 15th midnight PST.