Hello everyone!
Blogging....
I came across a great post today, that I found very inspiring!
I really found this post to be so helpful...
The post is titled
Christina also has a great blog!
Have a great day!
Maria
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
My dream kitchen
Sophie Dahl
I have been wanting to share this cute story that Jackie posted about the gorgeous
click on the link above if you would like to see more of my dream kitchen
Jackie has a very sweet blog. She comes up with the most inspirational posts. Her posts are always the perfect combination of home interiors and fashion. Jackie is also an incredibly sweet person.
Just a warning you might get lost when you go over to
She is one talented and creative girl!
Thank you Jackie for being you!
Take Care,
Maria
Sunday, April 25, 2010
We have a winner for the Minted.com Stationary Giveaway
Hello Girls!
How are you? I hope you all had a great weekend!
We finally have a winner for the Giveaway!
I want to thank Minted.com for sponsoring such a generous giveaway!
This is such a great company to order stationary from!
I want to thank everyone who participated in this giveaway!
I really appreciate everyone who entered my giveaway!
Thank you to all of you who spread the word about this giveaway with your blog, facebook, and twitter accounts.
You guys are the BEST!
Entries closed Saturday, April 24th at 9:00 p.m. P.S.T.
The magic number via Random.Org, is #114
Would love to know how to embed this to my blog, if you know how to, please let me know!
Congratulations Mrs. O, author of the blog,
Mrs O has a really cute blog!
I want to thank everyone for all of your comments on my bedroom. Okay I am a little nervous to show you what I changed. Just to let you know it will be a couple of weeks before it will be able to be photographed. It kind of involves my husband and I won't be able to show you photos of it until he gets it done. I will keep you updated on how quickly he is working!
Also the cute little tag to the left, was made by Ness, author of the blog Marley & Lockyer.
It is made out of clay and has a french script stamped into it. LOVE this little tag! I use it for everything!
This week I will be sharing with all of you some special items that I have received in the mail lately.
Hope you all have a great week!
Take Care,
Maria
Thursday, April 22, 2010
I have a special guest poster today ladies~ The Queen of Coastal Chic
Hello everyone!
I have a special guest poster today!
She lives in a sweet little cottage by the sea, in Sydney Australia.
I think you would all agree with me Sarah is the Queen of Coastal Chic!
These images of Sarah in her little black dress remind me of what you would see in an Anthropolgie Magazine!
Love this girl!
Miss Sarah was kind enough to pack her bags and come to California for the day!
Thanks Sarah!
I hope you all enjoy the interview I did with Sarah!
She let me ask her any question I wanted.
So I asked her a few questions!
Okay maybe a lot!
You are going to love all of the photos Sarah shot for this post!
So get ready to be inspired....
What inspired you to start a blog?
I started a blog to record the goings on at our cottage and as a way for me to compare the before and afters I was working on day by day...I never had any idea it would become a great part of my day!
I love how you write! Have you always been a great writer?
I used to love writing at school and though I haven't written too much since having a busy family life, I now find the writing as part of my blog a very good way to switch off at the end of the day. I read a lot which I think is the key to being able to express yourself.
When are you going to write a book?
Hmm, let's just say there's a lot going on behind the scenes :-)
What was your decorating style like when you lived in England?
My decorating style was a bit more English Chintzy Vintage...with lots of colourful floral fabrics, still with a very white and neutral background and old vintage furniture and a good dose of old English Country style in there too....
Who is your favorite designer?
I don't really have one! I am interested to see what designers do but I often feel that it is so far removed from the reality of my day to day life...
Do you have a favorite design book?
I love eye candy coffee table books about the home. I love Amy Butler's Midwest Modern, though her style if very different to mine and love to dip into Emily Chalmer's books
What is a typical day like at the Beach Cottage??
My typical day is probably like any other mother to active kiddos, it often starts very early with sport training, then off to drop them at school, then for a coffee with some friends and I try most mornings to walk by the sea...once back at the cottage I clear up from the chaos of the morning and do a few chores...make some tea, turn on the computer, reply to emails, sort out blog stuff...I normally have a number of projects on the go or something to paint so about lunchtime is when I might do that. From two thirty until about 8pm I spend time with the kids, ferry them around and get everything ready for the next day...at about eight o clock I try to go out and sit on the deck with a drink...and I nearly always head to the tub with a book...Mr BC and I quite often venture out for a late-night stroll, I love the feel of this time of day, the stillness, the stars....the day, always ends with a cup of tea, tucked up in bed...
You talk about doing 350s on your blog, what are 350s? I haven't been brave enough to ask until now!
350's are the number of squats I do on the beach to try and lift my butt ;-))
What do you love most about Australia?
I love the seaside lifestyle that we have here in Australia, it is a magical way to live.
What do you miss most about living in England?
I miss Sunday Lunch in an old English pub, a half of warm beer and roast potatoes... after a long walk in the woods with the kids in wellies...
What is your favorite room in your cottage? & Why
I love the Sitting Room, it is small and cosy...and mainly white :-). My 10 year old comfy, squashy sofa is where I love to curl up at the end of the day with the windows open to the coastal breeze, the blinds up and a nice long drink.
What is you favorite find?
My favourite find is my old vintage door with the missing mirror that is perfectly aged, chipped and weathered.
Do you have something in your home that you can't live without?
Nope, though I guess white paint is up there as a must!
What is your ideal date with your husband??
my ideal date with my husband is a long stroll by the sea and a bite to eat in a little bistro, preferably a French one (even better one from Toulouse - tho' that bit isn't gonna happen 'round here lol!)... we like to do really simple things on date night and with the wonderful Australian scenery & climate we sometimes pack a picnic basket with a vintage tablecloth, cheese, bread and nibbles, an esky full of beer and set up on a picnic table down by the wharf...
How do you get Mr BC to go antiquing with you??
Well, I offer all sorts of varied incentives ;-)
Where is your favorite place to shop?
I love to shop in op-shops (Aussie thrift stores), I also love to browse Anthropologie and very soon will get my own shopping experience in there! I avoid the mall at all costs...
How has blogging had an impact on your life?
The main impact blogging has had on my life is it has made me recognise just how good life can be.. and I see life very differently from behind the lens of my trusty camera....blogging has made me see that my old cottage may be tatty and on the wrong side of town but it is the basis for a great lifestyle for my family...I love how blogging has made me see the potential for things...the wood floors, the old fig tree, the battered old deck..the sash windows..
Oh and of course, I have made some fantastic friends, who get my vintage speak, from allover the world!
all images are property of A Beach Cottage
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The before pictures~ My bedroom is in the process of getting a makeover!
Hello everyone!
Hope you are all having a great week!
I wanted to share a few BEFORE pictures of my bedroom.
I am currently in the process of changing this room around.
These are photographs from a couple of weeks ago.
I actually am not going to tell you what I changed just yet.
I found two items for a great deal, and
I actually had planned to use it in another room, well as soon as I got home with them, I knew they had to go in here( my bedroom).
So I thought I would share the before pictures, because I actually had intended on posting about my bedroom here soon.
So this was how my bedroom was arranged before the weekend trip to the coast.
You can be the judge and tell me if you like the before or the after photographs later on.
You might notice I have boots on my dresser. Well I love to use my boots as props. I figure if you are going to pay that much for something you my as well get two uses out of it. My kids don't quite understand my philosophy.
I have had this dresser for over 10 years. It is a 1950s American made, maple dresser that I sanded and painted white. It is made to look french. I also added glass knobs that I purchased off of ebay. It used to have a mirror attached.
I didn't like the mirror so I took it off.
I love this dresser it is very sturdy.
The best part is I bought it from a family friend for practically nothing.
This antique french basket is filled with lavender pillows that were made by my sister from vintage french linens. I have so many lavender pillows, I can't even tell you how many. I don't think you can ever have too many lavender pillows.
I even filled the anthropolgie linen bag (that they give you with your bill in it)
with lavender. It is the bag with the yellow string.
My light blue bedding came from Anthropologie. Well I haven't bought new bedding for our bedroom for years. I couldn't decide what I wanted. I have always thought I would end up buying a white duvet. Well last year I signed up to be an Anthro member (it is free) and you might be lucky and get something from them when your birthday rolls around. Well I did get lucky and got a 20% off card in the mail for my birthday from Anthropologie. So I went to Anthropolgie with intent to purchase some bedding.
I have always liked this design.
I think it is a little bit modern and has a younger feel.
Part of me wanted something white and neutral, but then part of me wanted something a little different.
It is called the cirrus bedding and was on clearance. I am not sure if it still is!
I know what you are all thinking... What does the cowboy in the house think.
Well lets just say he loved it in the bag. He said he really liked the color.
He even liked it on the bed, that is when it was on the wrong side~the smooth side.
I wish I had a camera to capture his expression when he saw it put together properly.
He basically shook his head and said you have got to be kidding me!
NOPE... I wasn't kidding.
To break it up a bit, I added a vintage french monogrammed sheet, a grain sack and a comfy throw. This made a big difference in getting my husband's approval!
After all I do have his cowboy hat on display.
Kind of a compromise right???
I can't show you too much because it isn't finished.
Below is a sneak picture of what I brought home....
Can You guess what I changed???
To be continued...............
Please come back Friday night, I have a great guest who will be filling in for me.
I know you all love her as much as I do.
I wanted to remind you that you can still enter the Minted.com stationary giveaway.
Minted is sponsoring a Mother's Day stationary giveaway.
You have a chance to win a set of 50 beautiful personalized stationary from Minted.com.
a value of $92.00
They have beautiful stylish designs for every mother.
giveaway ends April 24th 9:00 p.m p.s.t.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Minted.com Giveaway~ in honor of Mother's Day
I'll be posting next week about where this lovely french document came from!
A Mother's Day Tribute!
A Special Giveaway
Minted is giving away one set of 50 free personalized stationary cards
to one lucky reader. The winner gets to choose their own design! There are a lot of wonderful designs to choose from!
A value of $92.00.
You will find the giveaway information at the bottom of the post!
Minted is a great stationary company. They carry stationary that can be customized for almost any event, weddings, baby showers, and anniversaries, just to name a few. You can create a one of a kind card for almost any holiday. They have many unique designs to choose from. You can choose a set of personalized stationary that has a beautiful graphic design, or one that has a place to add a photo of you and your child or someone special. You could also use their personalized stationary for your blog or etsy site. It would be a great personalized card to send out with an etsy order.
When designing your card you have many different fonts and colors to choose from. They let you customize your card to represent your own unique style. I love this about Minted.
One other thing that is unique about them is they have a design challenge. Are you a graphic designer waiting to be discovered? If so you might want to consider entering their design challenge. Their stationary designs are created from artists all around the world.
I used Minted to create my Christmas Cards last year. I was able to create a unique photo book with my own photos I had taken of my kids. I was very happy with the finished product. I look forward to using Minted this year to create my Christmas Cards.
I am a happy Minted.com Customer!
I took some pictures of a few great examples of Minted's personalized stationary!
You will notice some of the samples have a neat graphic design while others have a place to add a sweet personalized photo as well.
They have a wide range of colors and new designs to choose from.
I think their designs bring a fresh new look to stationary.
Their cards are printed on high quality card stock.
This design is my personal favorite
This is just a small sampling of what Minted has to offer, there are many more wonderful choices on their website!
Here is The giveaway Information
Minted. is giving away one set of 50 personalized stationary to one lucky reader in honor of Mother's Day. (A $92.00 Value)
The giveaway ends Saturday April 24th at 9:00 p.m. P.S.T.
Winner will be announced Sunday April 25th.
So here is what you need to do to enter the giveaway!
In order for each entry to count, you must leave a separate comment for each entry!
Random number will be used.
1. First you need to go and visit Minted. and choose which personalized card you would like to win. You need to come back to this post and leave a comment about which personalized card is your favorite and what you love about that particular design.
2. If you are a follower leave a separate comment for another entry
3. If you post about this giveaway on your blog leave a separate comment for an entry.
4. If you post this giveaway to your facebook page leave a separate comment for an entry.
5. If you tweet about this giveaway leave a separate comment for an entry.
Please make sure you have an email attached to your entry!
Good Luck Girls!
