Happy New Year

As 2010 comes to a close, I simply want to say …
Thank You!

It has been almost a year since I started blogging!

I’ve had the blessing to meet many new people online that I would have never had the pleasure of meeting any other way!

I have been comforted, encouraged and touched in so many ways…

There has been laughter, tears and success!

I have been part of your joy, pain and sorrow, from afar!

I have a sisterhood that started in the mind of one special person who had the courage to follow that dream and it did become a reality…a huge success!

Every visit that I have made to others and every visit that is made to me holds a special place in my heart!

So as this year comes to a close…

If you have had a year full of good fortune, may it continue…

If you have had a year full of sorrow, may you find peace and joy…

If you have had a year full of misfortune in any way, may good fortune find you…

For 2011…May your Dreams come true

May you Succeed in whatever you do

Find Love, Peace and Happiness

Share your talents with someone,

And never quit Creating…

Blessing to you all from Terrie at Porter Place Cottage!

Getting Ready for the New Year!

This year I have been a slacker!  I wanted to post more on my blog, wanted to do more in my house, the list just goes on and on...But I can only do so much!  This year has been a lots of trails and tribulations...laughter and tears!  Not having a job, trying to over come health issues and work on financial issues has been a bit mind boggling...to say the least.  But 2010 is almost over!  I am looking forward to the next year! 


I am going to do more, make more time for the small things, not worry so much about the things I can not control (oh I wish this where true...I've always been a big worrier)!  But with the New Year will bring a new adventure for me...I can not wait! 


With that, I have decided to share a few long overdue pictures of my Christmas tree and a few little decorations in my living room!  I hope you enjoy...

My Livingroom Coffee Table...

this is an old kitchen table that I cut the legs off of!  I love the patina!

My front entry! 

Another picture of the front entry...

Christmas Tree in the Livingroom!  The only tree I put up this year, usually have one in the familyroom also!

My country tablescape in my Diningroom.  I love these snowmen!

Well, I hope you loved taking a little peek at my Christmas Decorations!  I hope everyone's Christmas was Merry!

Friends...

FRIENDS...
I just have to say that getting older was not at all what I thought it was going to be!


With the remarkable age of technology, I have come to find friends from my youth, friends from school, girl scouts and more…What a true joy it has been to get back in touch with them!


With that I must say that…I love that the women in my life right now...


For today, they are in my life because I love and adore them!


I don't have time for anything else!


I have met some truly amazing women over the years…some of them are here in town with me, some are in other cities and states…some are in another country…


Some I talk to only a few times a year and we both know how much we mean to each other.


Some I just have to think of them and smile.


Some have made my life so full of joy and laughter!


Some have brought tears.


I am THANKFUL that we all have different gifts, talents and strengths.


I love that I spend an hour talking to them or only 5 minutes…they are true friends, they are genuine and real.


Some friendships have lasted years some only months.


I have had amazing friendships and others that were not.


The one thing I know is that every friend that I have been blessed to know has made me a better person in some way.


Maybe not fun at the time...but I have always come out on the other side a wiser person.


So...to Shawn…we became “sisters” at an early age, from early morning paper routes to Christmas and boys we shared so much, I was sad when you left and rejoiced when we found each other again!


To Jen, Margie, Kelli and Chris...the 80s were great for hair...we may be the reason that the ozone has holes however!


To Pam...Thank you for being my friend in a new school, the transition that could have been so uncomfortable was so amazing.


To Kim...thank you for all the times we stayed late at your store, joked about Dave and shared stories of our families and friends…I wished those days were still here, I miss them (and you) the most!


To Renee...thank you for knowing the beginning and middle....I hope you will still know the ending.


To Sherry...thank you for all the BAD things we have done together. Those have been some of the most fun times of my life! I know that you would never judge me. I love you for that.


To Dorothy...thank you for all the walks and times shared with our “little girls”. Family time, game time…it really doesn’t matter…My time with you will ALWAYS be one of the most precious in my life.


To Dyanne...thank you for all of the time spent together, with our families from dinners to traveling and more! The pleasure has been mine…


So, to all the amazing women I have met...you are the most incredible, encouraging and strong women I have ever met! This is just a small list of those women, there are so many more that have touched me in different areas of my life, without each and everyone of them, I would NOT be who I am today!

I received this via email from a friend and asked her if I could use it, but of course make changes to make sure it "fit" my friends and life...she said yes...but she received it from someone else so with that...I do not know the original author but what a GREAT thing to honor our FRIENDS (and a special Thank You for coming up with it)!

Terrie

~Hello~

Wow!  It feels like a long time since I last posted (and it has been)!  I have been so busy, this month has flown by.  Too many things going on.  We have the bathroom that we are still working on...in the midst of the bathroom work, I decided it was a good time to redo the living room a little.  Since our son took our furniture (the room was virtually empty) anyway...what a good time to paint!  It is now all painted and I am deciding on furniture, this could take months (just ask my daughter)! 

Anyway, here is a little project I have been working on for the living room.  I had a mirror and shelf on a wall and decided that when I took everything down to paint, the mirror would get a little redo also.

Again, I got a little ahead of myself and forgot to take a picture of the mirror on the wall before but here is what it looked like to start with...(oh my, my desk is so messy!)...

Here is the finished project hanging on the wall.  I am deciding on using the shelf again or not...I am going to repurpose a table that I have and place against the wall.  We will see if the shelf is going to be too much!  Sorry for the bad pictures...since my computer is still broken I am using JB's and I can't load my pictures right (so I have to use my phone then email them).  Maybe this weekend...I will have better pictures! 

In the meantime, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and I will be doing my first giveaway and unveiling the biggest  project I have been so busy with!  Look for details of my giveaway late next week!

Terrie 

~Fall Findings Cigar Box Swap~

I am finally able to post my Fall Findings Swap.  My swap partner was Caleen from Caleenrae's Creative Journey .  This was my first ever swap and was I surprised at the great stuff Caleen sent me.  Let's take a look...

Dollies, how did she know I love them!

Handmade pumpkins, so cute!

Caleen made me several different Brooches, I love them...

Oh, my Cigar Box, so pretty!

A fan, antique plate and vintage jewelry

Scarf, lace, Halloween Cat and Cookie Cutters (I will use them at Thanksgiving)

A little handmade Burlap Bag...filled with goodies....

Caleen made my day!  I loved every thing in my swap box.  There was so much that I felt like I won the swap Lotto!  Thanks so much Caleen!  And thanks to Karen from Some Days Are Diamonds for hosting this wonderful event! 

Now on to a little news...as I told you before...we are in the middle of a bathroom remodel.  I will be posting pictures soon!  This remodel job was like opening a can of worms.  There was mold on the wall behind the tub, under the vanity and on the sub floor.  So it has turned into a full blown, down to the studs redo.  Ugh, poor Mr. B.  He has more than his work cut out for him.  On top of that, yesterday my computer lost it's mind (so to speak...hehe).  although I wasn't laughing one little bit!  That cost Mr. B more work (he is our computer guy too)!  He gave me his computer until he can get to mine (boy this is different, nothing is the same!).  Then as he was so hard at work today getting his hooked up for me in my office, the network came crashing down (I think it must have missed a day of blogging and was protesting)!  He now has a temp. patch on the network and is probably pulling his hair out somewhere right about now!  I owe him BIG!! 
I am also working on another "little" project, it's a surprise though...One more week and the BIG reveal!

Happy Halloween to everyone...See you soon!

~New Love~

I have finally been able to sit down and reflect on the past month!  So much has happened, not all good and certainly not all bad!  It has been for sure a very weird month though!  Home projects, struggles, moving of my son and so much more...one of the hardest is the loss of two friendships.  For the past 4 years there has been a constant struggle with one of my best friends (imagine, friends since 8th grade and we are almost 50)!  I think I have finally come to the determination that sometimes...you just have to let go.  I am certainly not perfect in the end result in the friendship but I am just at a point where with my life letting go is easier than the fight!  Right, wrong or indifferent that's how it is for now!  I don't need to go into detail, but just sayin...friendships take work...hard work on both sides!  Maybe some day they can heal, but for now...I'm letting go...Well, now that this is off my chest, let's get on to some happier more upbeat stuff!

I have been working on a swap...My first one... I'm so excited!  Working on the scary bathroom (pictures to come) and now the family room.  Wow, I should do one thing at a time!  

Also, as the headline reads...I have a new LOVE!  Well, maybe not so new but I will show you.... 

 Boots for the Cure...You can find them here!

These little hotties can be found here!

These beauties can be found here!

Bird Inlay, such work and craftsmanship...find them here...

Purple...so sweet...can be found here!

 Both of these saaaweete numbers can be found here!

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I have always loved cowboy boots!  Now back in the day (oh man am I aging myself!) we didn't have hot little numbers like these...and I am in LOVE (am I getting too old to wear these??)!  Enjoy browsing for your new pair of boots!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!



~I'm getting a New Bathroom~

Yippee...JB is finally getting around to remodeling the main floor bathroom.  It's been fun looking at so many pictures of different bathrooms out there!  One thing I have come to question...does no one live in a regular size home with regular size bathrooms?  Every pictures out there is so beautiful (some make me drool)...but they are all so big.  While I know that many steal space from another room or build one...that's not an option for us!  We simply have the space we have and have to make it work for us!  We start demo Saturday (I can't wait)! 

Here are some inspiration photos I just love and there are so many more (my heart goes pitter- patter)...this will be a week of bathrooms....

I love the shutters...our window is in our tub area so not sure if it will work but checking on some options!

Wainscoting...swooning over the stool and large basket...oh and the simple rope towel holder...

Love, love, love the table...no room in mine but a wide shelf over the toilet? (I'm thinking JB is gonna have a lot of work to do in this room)!

Again...the wainscoting...this time to add to the front of the tub...I seen Just Beachy did the same thing...beautiful

Tin ceiling...oh my................(slap me back to reality now, I LOVE it)!

There is nothing about this picture I don't love...Looking for a dresser now to go into the space for my sink!

The storage cupboards are to die for.

So serene,light and airy.

Find storage where you can!

Well, I can't wait to get started.  I will be posting pictures of before (oh, please don't judge) and after (hope it makes someone else's heart go pitter-patter).  Will keep you updated on the finished project!

~A Featured Blog~

The other day as I was wondering through blogland when low and behold I came across the most wonderful blog. My goal is to once a month feature a new blog that I am hoping no one has seen before and even if you have...then it will be a reintroduction!


This month let me introduce you to Kim, from Starshinechic. She has some of the most amazing ideas on her blog. I was so amazed at her Halloween posts from 2009, then I started looking forward...WOW! is all I can say. The ideas seem to flow out of her! Her thrifty Halloween for 2010 is just as incredible!

Here is a little sneak peek at her blog...

Her mantel...ready for spring and summer

All decked out for the 4th!

Halloween...

Her bedroom...what a beautiful looking bed...sorry Kim...makes me want to crawl right in!

Her pool...can I come over for a swim??

I hope you will stop by her blog and look around...Leave her comments or follow her...

Have a wonderful weekend...HUGS

Terrie

~Internal Battle~

I have an internal battle going…our house has a fairly large formal living room as you come in the front door (don’t most homes?). In the back off of the kitchen we have a very small family room (which happens to b 2 steps down from the main house). My battle…should I switch the 2 rooms? Our family room just seems too small right now! It is the main room we gather in when we have company (because of the TV and all the sports…the men like to watch)!


Is it weird to have your “formal living room” in the back of the house?? Does it even seem strange to you that I would have this battle?


I have been struggling with this dilemma for a week now! It was all prompted by my son…oh that boy! He is getting a new apartment and is taking our furniture in the family room. So on our quest to find new furniture the subject came up, switch the 2 rooms or leave it as is… Oh what to do……Any suggestions or comments on the big switch I would appreciate.


Well, that's it for today...BUT PLEASE come back tomorrow.  Iam going to feature a lovely blog that I found this week.  She has some amazing ideas!  See you tomorrow!

Terrie

~Back from a Little (ok...no)... R & R~

We went to Vegas!  How crazy are 4 old adults going with 3 21 year olds?  I felt like I had o be out of my mind for even thinking of it!  My baby girl turned 21 the end of August.  Her best friend turned 21 middle of August and our friends daughter 21 in April.  Try keeping up with all three of them in Vegas...I felt so out of shape and am still tired 2 days after coming home.  It was a blast though!  Wouldn't have traded being there with them for anything!  I will give you a peek at some of the photos we took.  All in all I think between us all there were over 1500 photos taken in 4 days!  I won't get crazy and show you all of them though!!

Ah, the three 21 year olds.  Christina, my beautiful daughter Ashley and Nikki at the fountain at the Flamingo!

Nikki and Ashley taken a picture of themselves!  We were at In-N-Out Burger.  Christina's favorite place to eat.

The Gardens at the Bellagio.  All decorated for Fall.

Huge Scarecrow at the gardens in the Bellagio.  He was so cute!  Gotta have him!

They had these big Pumpkins everywhere at the Bellagio...and yes they were real!

Ashley, my wonderful husband John and myself!

We had a wonderful time...see you all tomorrow!

~Is it TIME yet??~

I am growing very impatient. I WANT to decorate for Fall. The problem is we are leaving this week for a little Vegas getaway! While gone my son and Miss Latte (I've introduced her before) are staying at our house to watch our dogs. Now just my son being here would be no problem at all (oh wait...I guess I better refrain from that statement until I get back, he loves our yard so much...he's having a party...yikes). Miss Latte however... "houston we have a problem"! She has decided that she can now eat anything SHE wants! Gosh...that has included a bunch of my stuff, so I'm not decorating until we get home.

In the meantime, here is a little eye candy for me to drool over (guess I better change my shirt now...hehe)!

So simple yet so inviting!

Oh, the black crow just makes this display!

Trick or Treat anyone?

This is elegant!

My heart just skips a beat over this combination...doesn't yours?

I could just grab a seat and spend some time here!

Great centerpiece for any table...

Bittersweet, gourds, pumpkins and a wheel barrel...just gotta have this!

In love...inviting...

These would look great with a skeleton out front...ummmm...maybe???