Thoughts from Alice W.

Red Cottage Wares Antique Shop

At the end of our street there is a charming antique shop called "Red Cottage Wares" that Josh and I frequent often. It is one of my favorite things about living on this road.

It looks small from the outside but holds tons of lovely treasures inside.

On Saturday our town of Mumford had a huge 125th anniversary parade for the Mumford Fire Department. We took Hazel down to see it, but because it was so hot and because she didn't seem too interested, we walked across the road to check out the lawn sale the shop was having.

I love so many pieces they have. We purchased the dresser in this post awhile back from there along with a few other items since we have lived here.

These chippy green chairs and old cupboard caught my attention immediately...

as did this bird cage...

The best thing I saw that day was an antique iron crib in a perfect shade of mustard yellow. Wish I had somewhere to put it!

But...alas...our house is too small.

They have lots of antique baby items and toys that always seem to catch my eye...

They have lots of chippy and rustic pieces as well. Along with many items perfect for farmhouse decorating...

Lots of lovely finds for the porch or garden too...

So, if you happen to find yourself in the Mumford/Caledonia area, be sure to stop into Red Cottage Wares. You won't be disappointed!

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I also wanted to mention that I am now offering advertising on my blog! After many requests per email about it, I decided to give it a go. So, if you are interested in sponsoring my blog and getting a little more traffic to your own blog, website or Etsy shop, just send me an email at alicewingerden@gmail.com.

You can read all the details here:

Advertise with Alice W.

Till next time...

a taste of winter in April

We woke to a world covered in snow on this late April day.

And it keeps on coming.

Since it was a mild winter, I wasn't too bothered by it, but instead tried to find the beauty in it all.

Just like all of my other days lately...striving to find the beauty in them.

Some days are harder than others, but most days...I can see the sun shining even when the sky is gray.

Wishing you many blessings...

 

"The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us." 

Psalm 118:27

 

Till next time...

summer garden...

It's hard to believe that it has been so long since my last post. Time sure is flying by around here.

Joshua and I are staying very busy preparing for the arrival of Baby {Girl} W. 

We recently held a yard sale to clear things out and make some money, which turned out to be a great success!

We are actually already excited to do it again next year.

But, lest you think I am ahead of the game, allow me to correct you...there is still so much to do around here!

I get emailed and facebooked quite frequently about the status of our nursery, and while I wish I could say I have been working on it, it just isn't so.

The room that is to be our daughter's room is still our bedroom and will remain so until I clear out the master bedroom

{currently my "hoarding room"...aka art studio}.

Being now 7 months pregnant makes it difficult to get a lot done in terms of clearing out and organizing, so it has been a slow process.

I do assure all of you waiting on me, however, that I will definitely share the progress here...

Once there is any progress to share of course!

Today, I thought I would share some summer 'garden' pics with you...

Mind you, I did nothing with planting...all of our beautiful blooms simply appeared one day and I am enjoying them! 

Still in love with my sweet Mary that came with our house...

Josh brought home this cute wicker bench just the other day, and for now it is residing on our front porch...

We ended up donating much of the leftovers from our yard sale to a local church for their upcoming sale, and while we were dropping it off,

I couldn't resist rummaging through what they were throwing out...

We stumbled upon about 6 or 7 boxes of these old Atlas canning jars.

I love to use these for vases, art studio storage, you name it...

Since we acquired so many, some will likely find their way to my Etsy shop one of these days.

My next big project of the summer is preparing for my upcoming baby shower which we will be having on July 9th.

My sister and mother are planning it with me, and I have LOTS of ideas brewing.

Can't wait to share pics with all of you after the festivities!

I hope that all of you are enjoying a safe and relaxing summer thus far...and staying cool!

Till next time...

P.S. I also recently had the privilege of being featured in an article written by Josh's cousin for our local city paper...click here to check it out!

autumn romance...

It's beginning to look a lot like fall around here.

The leaves are changing drastically by the day, and there is a definite chill in the air. It has only been in the forties this week so we have already started utilizing our pellet stove. It certainly keeps the house cozy and warm.

Joshua and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary on Friday, October 1st, and since we just made the biggest purchase of our lives, we are trying to stick to a tight budget.

But that does not mean there is a lack of romance here.

We just have to go about it a little more creatively...

This year, Joshua suggested going out to dinner, but the day of, I decided to surprise him with a home cooked meal and a little autumn romance...

I found a box with some of my favorite items including antique lace and a crocheted runner, some vintage cameras and old glass bottles...

I went down in the {fully packed} basement to scrounge up some white sparkling lights to decorate the dining room and added a sheer lace curtain to the doorway...

Outside, I collected a bouquet of wild flowers...and some colorful leaves to scatter about the table...

I did notice a friend or two from outside decided to join us...but I made sure it was just Joshua and me come dinner time...

 

For dinner, we enjoyed penne pasta with feta turkey meatballs {a recipe I saw on the today show} and herbed mashed potatoes.

Joshua brought us home some wine and a beautiful fall bouquet filled with sunflowers and other lovely blooms.

We ate by candlelight ,and I read a few poems from an old book that I found...

It was a wonderful evening filled with romance, love and the beauty of fall...

Thanks to all of you who left us such wonderful anniversary wishes. I cherished each and every one.

Till next time...

 

Housewarming...

 

For some reason, I have longed to move into our first home in the beginning of autumn...

It just seemed like the perfect time.

Perhaps because it is my favorite season or because it is the season that, to me, represents making a home cozy and warm.

 

...preparing for winter, celebrating with family and friends, baking delicious desserts and comfort foods, decorating for the holidays and so on....

And here it is...the beginning of fall in my new home.

A longtime desire come true.

We were blessed this past weekend with lots of help from family and friends as we moved in...and some lovely gifts too...

My sister-in-law, Rebekeh, gave us a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from the farmer's market...

 

It has taken turns adding charm to our kitchen and dining room table.

This bouquet makes me smile each time I look at it.

Joshua brought us home our first white pumpkin of the season, which has been residing on our front porch, but I brought it in to show off our new gray floors to you.

Joshua finished the floors a few days before we moved in, and I am in love with them.

They really brighten the upstairs, and I can already feel it becoming our own...

 

{For those of you curious...the floors have painted in 'Filtered Shade', in a satin base for porches & floors, by Valspar}

My Uncle Larry and Aunt Be {pronounced with a short a sound - not "bee"} came to visit the day we moved in. They only live about 4 miles away and are thrilled to have family move so close. They have an enormous garden and brought us some lucious pears.

 

As well as fresh garlic, onions and shallots...

 

My sister-in-law, Erin, brought us a basket full of goodies...including these adorable 'Farm Fresh' items that will fit in perfect in my farmhouse kitchen...

 

She also gave us some fall cookie cutters in a box that read 'Bless this Home'...

 

I can't wait to use them!

My sister Angela also gave us some wonderful gifts including paintable ceiling tile wallpaper, that I now intend to use on the ceilings in both the kitchen and dining room {thanks for the inspiration Angela!}.

She also gave us a beautiful white porch light that I will share pics of as soon as we install it. The current one is very sad and plain looking, so it will be a huge improvement.

Since moving in, I am starting to realize the massive amounts of 'stuff' and collections that I have.

I have been scratching my head wondering where to find room for it all...

I have hoards of gold frames and mirrors...

 

and lots of old windows and doors...

Chairs that have been waiting for years to be painted, fixed and/or recovered...

 

This past summer, I found an amazing gray bed at a sale that was only $30. The woman selling it even dropped it off at our house for us...what a steal...

Not sure where it will end up, and I need a mattress for it...but I can't wait to find a home for it inside.

Much of our large furniture has been residing under our roofed back porch until I get it cleaned up and find space for it in here...in the meantime some has still gotten good use...

Renoir found himself the perfect spot to sit and watch the world {err...backyard} go by...

There is much to do ahead for him...I have managed to get the kitchen mostly organized and put away, as well as most of our clothing.

There are however, tons of boxes still to go through. The last time we moved was to a tiny ranch, and we kept most of our decorative items in storage the whole time, so this will be the first time I have seen them in about 9 months.

I am so excited to see what I will find that I have forgotten I even had...

I am striving now to live by the motto of only keeping in my home what I find beautiful or useful, however, so many of the items will likely find their way to my Etsy shop and website at some point...otherwise...you might just see our new home on an upcoming episode of Hoarders. ;)

Till next time...