The Cottage Revolution

Girlified

This week I’m at home, taking the week away from work. It’s just me and the dog from 9 to 5 each day, and I think that with the absence of Regan I’ve somehow embraced girly things on a pretty impressive level.

It all started with the garage curtains. Our garage is more a playhouse than anything else. It’s small and sweet. Fitting our car in it can be a challenge some days, but we make it work. If I were to indulge my every whim, I’d transform it into my own little backyard getaway, inspired by this dreamy Victorian-inspired cottage in the Catskills. Some day maybe I’ll have my own little Victorian playhouse, but today I’m still practical and we need a place to park. Instead of altering the garage in any way, I humored myself and made sweet little curtains to replace the brown fabric nailed to the window, encrusted with spider webs and egg sacks.

Up close you can see how unsteady my sewing machine is. Its light frame bounces with every stitch, creating wonky lines, but it does the trick.

Inspired by these light, airy curtains I moved inside and created a jewelry holder. Using an old frame I picked up at Goodwill and some framing hooks and wire from the basement, I made a nifty little jewelry rack in about 1/2 hour (it was inspired by the necklaces displayed in this post from the now quiet Ruffles and Stuff blog). It’s hanging on the wall of my sewing room which is easily becoming overwhelmingly girly. My next step might be to make a sign to hang on the door that says, “No boys allowed.”

Even without a sign keeping boys out, I have a feeling that the bunting I made from scraps and hung yesterday will do the trick.

I mean, come on. First it was the beads on shirts. Then it was ruffles. Now it’s calico bunting on the walls. This girl can not be contained.

I think my style might be changing. Or maybe it’s just a phase. Do you find your style changing with age? Or do you just see it change from season to season? Help me rationalize this growing love I have for all thing pink and flowery. Not that it’s bad, it’s just surprising.

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Claire

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Comments

4 responses to “Girlified”

  1. amanita80 Avatar
    amanita80

    Oh! The jewelry holder turned out perfect! Great cheap frame. Yay Goodwill!

    In terms of whether or not my style or taste has changed. In clothes it most certainly has. You wouldn’t catch me dead in a pair of black spandex pants today. In design and decorating in general…not a ton, oddly enough.

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  2. maryannk Avatar
    maryannk

    Oooh, I know what you mean. There is just something very heart-pleasing to me about making stuff out of flowered calico, especially if it’s merely decorative. I think if I had my way, our house would look like the Anthropologie catalogue… but alas, even though my taste has not changed, living with Frank is his granny’s old house is not a recipe for adding my feminine touch. 🙂 Maybe one day when we start fresh.

    Great use of the word “wonky” by the way. 🙂

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  3. Kristi Avatar
    Kristi

    I love how you made the jewelry rack. You are so clever and talented. I’m also glad you were able to take the week off and discover your girly side again. I would have to say that my style has definitely changed over the years especially in terms of clothes and my living environment. I’m still waiting for the day when James and I have a house of our own. It would be great to have a fresh canvas to work with and create our own style together. At least I have some time to figure out what I ultimately what my style to be. Sometimes I go in one direction and the next day, I feel like something else. Now a Victorian inspired cottage would definitely be something!

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  4. Patti Avatar
    Patti

    What happened to tom-boyish Claire? There was always a little girliness hiding in there, I”m glad you let her out! Like Kristi, my “style” changes on a daily basis, just like my career ambitions, and my motivation. Can college-dorm/sloppy garage sale be a style?

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