tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60604206700776167502024-03-18T23:07:11.629-04:00 Cottage and BroomeCottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-56984184279629551462014-04-09T14:32:00.002-04:002014-04-09T14:32:38.069-04:00Spring Crocuses
Spring has finally arrived in southern Michigan, about a month late but it arrived. The temps finally hit the low 60's this week. The crocuses have popped, they are such beautiful little gems. I seems to have less of them this year, I think the winter heaved some of the bulbs up and were gobbled up by the squirrels and chipmunks. It just felt good to be outside working in the garden.
Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-59205645964441375742014-03-25T14:34:00.001-04:002014-03-25T14:34:46.420-04:00Winter Garden vs. Summer Garden
This really does seem to be the never ending winter. I walked outside today in the snow yet again. Up at the cottage in northern Michigan the cold and snow is still in full force. I'm longing for my garden up there and for winter to be over. Thought I'd share some winter garden pictures and the garden that I hope survived this winter.
You can see the top of my garden bench sticking out, it Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-78983164519394555952014-03-07T11:06:00.005-05:002014-03-08T10:17:24.986-05:00Vintage Crochet Shirt
Sometimes decorating ideas start from a small or unusual item. I this case mine started with a vintage hanger. When I was in Arizona last month I had a chance to visit a wonderful antique show called Sweet Salvage. I picked up this great wire hanger, once home the question was, what to do with the hanger besides hang it in the closet?????
I remembered I had a crocheted shirt that Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-44156113532801311912014-02-27T14:37:00.000-05:002014-03-05T17:20:44.917-05:00Frozen Lake Michigan
We recently went up to the cottage in Northern Michigan to see what a 100 inches of snow looked like and to see the very frozen Lake Michigan. This winter the Great Lakes are 90 percent frozen for the first time in over 50 years. It seemed so strange to see the lake that hosts so many summer activities frozen for miles and miles. People are walking out on the lake near the Charlevoix Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-33020534195501500332014-02-11T10:37:00.000-05:002014-02-12T11:51:25.266-05:00Vintage Valentines and a Before and After
I love the little vintage Valentines they have such a sweetness to them. I can't resist the cards when I run across them at vintage stores. I have some of my collection displayed in a holder that I found at a thrift shop and made over.
I found this at a thrift shop for $3.00, it is not old but a vintage style. Notice the ugly tan knobs on the right, half of them were missing so a Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-2920738526976364982014-02-03T18:01:00.002-05:002014-02-03T18:01:28.599-05:00Arizona Botanical Gardens
I just returned from a trip to Arizona, the land of blue skies, sunshine and warm weather. While there a had a chance to go to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I love visiting there when in Arizona, the gardens are so different from I'm used to in the midwest. That is the wonderful thing about traveling, experiencing something different! The Botanical Garden was featuring an installationCottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-45848452343662992702014-01-16T01:47:00.000-05:002014-01-16T01:47:17.483-05:00Perfect Winter Activity - KnittingWhat to do on cold snowy days, knit, knit, knit! I'm not the best knitter in the world but I like the process, I find knitting relaxing and rather meditative. My sister is a beautiful knitter, making sweaters that actual fit the intended recipient. Several years ago she make me a beautiful icelandic style sweater that I keep up at the cottage and wear on cold days.
Every year my sister Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-77625625578954198812014-01-07T15:12:00.001-05:002014-01-09T21:34:29.782-05:00Bread Baking and Freezing Weather
What to do when your car won't start because it was 13 degrees below zero this morning, bake bread! First can I complain about the weather? During the holidays we were in northern Michigan at the cottage, there was 2 feet of snow and zero temps. We came home from the cottage early because a major storm was hitting back down state and we wanted to get home. Now at home there is more than 2 feet Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-14220830950726728242013-12-23T13:46:00.001-05:002013-12-23T14:38:18.495-05:00Santa Says Ho, Ho, Ho
I looked up from my holiday activities and realized I had not done a blog post this month! I guess sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.
Well the presents are bought and wrapped, decorations are up, cookies are baked and I'm doing my last bit of baking today. I'm trying out a new peppermint cake recipe, I hope it turns out, it's always a gamble with a new recipe.
I thought I share Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-29294252589429478332013-11-25T10:05:00.002-05:002013-11-25T10:05:57.144-05:00Get Your Turkey On
Halloween whizzed by and I never got my decorations up. I'm not letting that happen for Thanksgiving, my turkeys are on full display. Well one of the turkeys might really be a pheasant but I think he fits in quite nicely dressed up with some jewels.
I like to display my vintage postcards in a wire fan for all to enjoy.
Just a few more days and we will all beCottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-53540798838685687062013-10-31T11:12:00.001-04:002013-10-31T14:14:03.094-04:00Last October Roses
Last week up at the cottage I did a marathon garden clean up. But before I started I picked the last of the fall roses. Fall roses are a little more raggedy than mid summer roses but certainly just as sweet.
Notice my tricky photography…. I managed to keep myself out of the mirror and captured the bouquet of hydrangeas on the back wall. Sometimes you just get lucky!
Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-19479232960390232932013-10-24T11:51:00.000-04:002013-10-24T11:51:08.211-04:00Table Redo, Sometimes Pink is Best
I was on another little blogging break while we made a second trip to the east coast in 10 day. Family events are wonderful but I just wish they had been spread out a little bit. We have also been busy cleaning up our yard at the cottage and getting everything put away before the snow starts to fly. I guess we finished just in time too because northern Michigan received several Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-62872033886357854692013-10-01T22:12:00.000-04:002013-10-01T22:12:44.220-04:00Busy Life - Still Life
We have been missing in action…..life has been busy and blogging was on a back burner.
I had 4 weeks of back to back company visiting the cottage at the end of the summer and into the fall. I love visitors any time of the year but normally our visitors arrive early to mid-summer when the garden is prettier and the cottage a little more spiffy. So the late visitors Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-51306844939959501582013-08-19T12:13:00.000-04:002013-08-19T15:12:24.139-04:00Garden Before and After
Last week I mentioned I'd share the new garden area that I planted this year. I wanted to add more flowers to the side of the house, reduce the lawn a little more and add an arbor.
This is the arbor in the early spring before the garden was planted around it.
Before
This is the new addition and as you can see it is quite a difference.
This is the view coming from the front of the Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-38226339571965386952013-08-12T12:57:00.003-04:002013-08-12T15:13:26.458-04:00Backyard Relaxation
Summer is the perfect time for relaxing in the backyard. You just need a comfy spot, a cool drink and a pretty setting. My hubby the Cottage Guy claims I really never sit down for more than a few minutes. I pop up to pull a weed, deadhead a plant or water a drooping plant.
Here I'm all ready to sit down and flip thru my magazines, hum I forgot my ice tea, oh there is my camera Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-22043146047590439482013-08-03T17:16:00.000-04:002013-08-03T17:16:37.305-04:00Mid-Summer Lake Michigan Sunset
I can't believe it is mid-summer and I haven't posted any Lake Michigan sunsets pictures yet. I really never tire of walking the beach at sunset, everyday it is a different view and almost always beautiful. These were all snapped in one evening…...
At the height of the summer the sun doesn't set until 10:00 PM. We are at the very western edge of the eastern time zone. It makes Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-77647790176316409652013-07-29T16:13:00.000-04:002013-07-29T16:34:41.406-04:00Roses, Roses, Roses
Who does love roses? They are beautiful to look at and have a heavenly smell. They also come in lots of different shades of my favorite color, pink! I bought these rose bushes from the "Rose Lady" who used to specialize in sell roses of all kinds at the farmers markets in Michigan. Sadly she retired and no longer sell her beauties. I also did not record the names of these roses either, I wish ICottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-41953756198492930582013-07-21T11:08:00.001-04:002013-07-21T11:08:21.263-04:00Side Door Flowers
What is the old saying, backdoor visitors are the best or most welcomed? How about side door visitors? I love this side door with it's brick walkway and flowers lined on both sides. Here is a look at one side of the walkway.
A non flower eating bunny waits to greet you.
In the early summer I love to use pansies, violas and lobelia. Unfortunately I had a deer come up and eat Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-40744062654475895612013-07-12T23:32:00.003-04:002013-07-13T19:01:23.547-04:00Peonies
I had an unintended blogging break….. Sometimes life just takes priority over blogging. I did some heavy duty gardening and took some great pictures with the intent of posting right away. But then my computer had a little watering accident, I thought I might need a new laptop which was not on my list of new purchases this summer. Luckily a few days with the battery drying or airing Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-9144173116398967472013-06-12T23:32:00.001-04:002013-06-12T23:32:30.622-04:00Andrea's Hands
In reading this blog you may have noticed from my posts (despite how few and far between they are, sorry mom!) that I'm a bit of a jewelry fiend. Over the years I've not-so-slowly acquired a collection of handmade, vintage and brand new baubles. I love collecting jewelry, but as my collection grows I'm finding that I have to get more inventive with my storage for them as they've long outgrown Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-27372710654192606232013-06-05T14:02:00.002-04:002013-06-13T00:54:46.530-04:00Woodland Garden
I have been on a little blogging break while I was getting my garden planted at the cottage. Being back up at the cottage is great but warm temperatures have been slow in coming this year. The gardens are about 3 weeks behind normal, it is still really early spring in northern Michigan. I still have daffodils, bleeding hearts and primrose blooming. So I have been planting in Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-25012841172540535002013-05-12T23:06:00.002-04:002013-06-13T00:55:42.953-04:00A Trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Last week I went to visit my daughter and part-time blogging partner, Andrea in New York City. On my list of places to visit was the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens which are only a few blocks from Andrea's new digs in Brooklyn. I had tried to visit there another time but found out like the museums, the gardens were closed on Mondays. So this time we headed out on Sunday and the weather was just Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-22103079648516873382013-04-29T23:09:00.000-04:002013-04-30T10:53:56.800-04:00Mini Washi Tape Cabinet
Every craft room needs a stash of washi tape, the paper tape wonder from Japan. Then you need a place to stash your stash. I remembered I had this little cabinet tucked away in my closet, it would be perfect with a new coat of pink paint.
I removed the door and gave that tired blue cabinet a coat of pink Anne Sloan paint. The pink version is an improvement don't you think?
The Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-76755559505603825322013-04-16T22:29:00.001-04:002013-04-16T22:29:47.718-04:00Windowsill Succulents
I like to think of myself as relatively self-sufficent, being in my twenties and having lived on my own and all for years. But there are some things that I just need my Mom for - like help not killing my plants.
My kitchen windowsill had major potential to be really cute and filled with plants, which I attempted to do with some basil, dill and other cook-y type plants. But then I killed them Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060420670077616750.post-91220017204449579022013-04-07T18:18:00.000-04:002013-04-08T20:57:17.504-04:00Craft Cabinet Redo
One of the things I have worked on this winter was organizing my craft work space or studio. I've given myself permission to stock it or stuff it, is more like it, with things I love. I've tried to repurpose items I already have and one of those items was a stamp cabinet that has been in the basement of years. I decided to give it a makeover and move it up to my studio.
This is the cabinet, Cottage and Broomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197992828499503887noreply@blogger.com36