Lilly Cottage

I went for a walk and I saw...

I went for a walk and I saw...lots and lots of lovely things.. in attempt to kick start a new year full of exercise, fresh air and lots of energy, I went for a walk this morning and actually took my camera! It was a little later than I planned and the sun had a fair bit of bite in it but it was lovely.

I am planning to walk again this evening but the wind has picked up quite a bit so it might just be a beside the water walk rather than a walk on the beach..that sand stings when it hits you!

It is wonderful the things you see when you stop and take it all in instead of busily rushing around. Now that Christmas is over and I have had a few days of laying low, it is time to pick up the pace a little bit and do some more creating.

Yes indeed my walking plan is going brilliantly...pity about the 6 huge boxes of chocolates I keep trying to hide so I can't find them...I found the Maltesers this afternoon...yummo but sooo wrong for you...I think the problem may be that I am the one hiding them...hehehe.

Kiss Noises Linda

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Well that is what Santa would say, but it is still Christmas Eve morning here and we have a lot to do before we get to say good night tonight.

It is raining heavily here and has been since last night...still the forecast is for a sunny day tomorrow and if so there will be some beach cricket to be played, if it is raining it is a win win situation for me as I have a captive audience of 15 and board games..like party Pictionary and charades, I even have a pass the parcel...and they all have to play..that is the Christmas Spirit..hehe.

Off to open up Lilly Cottage on Bribie Island this morning from 9am to 2pm for anyone who wants to brave the weather...thinking the displays might be a bit internal today...but we have sparkly party lights so that is OK, everything looks better with sparkly lights.

I would like to wish everyone a very safe and happy Christmas season, I apologise for the lack of hand written cards this year and am thinking up a whole new range of New Years cards...I might have a better chance of getting some of those out, I have a year.

May you enjoy spending time with family and friends no matter what the weather or how clean the house is, it is the people who are important.

Kiss Noises Linda

 

Crawling around on the floor at Bribie!

Honestly the things I do and the strange places I find myself sometimes all in the name of Art. Well at least for a good photo.

In an attempt to take a photo of something on the same level as the table I found myself crouching then kneeling on the floor...and you know the perspective is pretty cool from down there.

I really like these photos, might have to crawl around on the floor some more from the other side next time...now if you do happen to see me in this position.....could you help me up? lol.

Kiss Noises Linda

Lilly Cottage and the Olive Grove.

**** Warning lots and lots of gorgeous photos..grab a cuppa********

Now I really should have done this post weeks ago but I also should give up chocolate and coffee, so it didn't happen.

Now the lovely Lisa from Olive Grove Primitives and I have been having quite a few creative days over the past few months where we get together and do a new technique or just play with some of the pretty supplies we have acquired...as you do.

Lisa was then bringing her pretty creations along with some gorgeous stock from her past shop 'Inn Country' and setting up on the verandah of Lilly Cottage.

That took a lot of setting up and and packing up as you can image so the solution to the problem was the lovely Lisa is now a permanent resident of Coutts Cottage ( where Lilly Cottage is based) in the room we had as our Childrens room.

Her room is completely gorgeous and it looks so different to what was there before but somehow the rooms just compliment and blend smoothly into one another.

Lisa is open Sundays with the markets 8am-1.30pm and also has her own website ( or two) plus a blog...busy woman.

These pictures are all of her displays and creations, so swoonworthy...you need to pay her a visit I am thinking!

Woohoo and Welcome to my little corner of the woods Lisa,

Kiss Noises Linda

Pretty in Petrie.

You know it is Summer when you are setting up the cottage for Sundays trade at Old Petrie Town , it is 6.30am and the sun has been up for hours and it already has some bite to it. The weather has been so unpredictable this week and the hot and sunny morning turned into a thunderstorm at lunchtime. Before then however this is what the display looked like.

You have to kiss a lot of toads before you meet your handsome prince.

Lucky we have our sweet little verandah and the rooms in the cottage as even with the rain we still look great ( she says modestly).

Kiss Noises Linda 

Bright and Happy Christmas Decorating.

(Gorgeous Reindeer canvas by Kerryanne English Woodberry designs part of our Christmas decorating).

For the last few years...make that about 9 years or so I have given up the idea of having a totally co-ordinated Christmas decorating theme. Not that I am complaining as this has been replaced with a family Christmas decorating theme, with Playgroup/Preschool/School decorations and eager little hands intent on decorating their way. I have been know when the children where young enough to be fooled, redecorated the tree after they went to bed, that only lasted a year..two at the most they are pretty cluey my children.

Usually we have a little disagreement about including my treasured ornaments on the tree...they are not particularly fond of them it seems...this year however there has been a drastic change of events and we all decided on a new colour theme for the tree....woohoo! Together we went through the old decorations, donated some to charity, kept out a few to put on this years tree and packed the others up for another year and colour scheme.

We started out with hot pink and lime green and then added silver into the mix. Then there was the discovery of the box of vintage Santa ornaments so red was added into the mix as well.

The end result is bright and happy but does look ( like my brother would describe it) as though a rainbow threw up all over the tree....nice..not...but somehow fitting, hehehe.

Do you have a colour scheme or does your decorating at home just evolve?

Kiss Noises Linda

Upon my mantle.

Oh OK so I really don't have a Mantle as such but it sounded so much better than..'On top of my TV unit'...now doesn't it?

So I have found my mojo for a bit and thought I would share one of my favourite corners of Christmas decorating at my house. I have a lot of other photos for another post but this one needed a post of all its own and if I did have a mantle that is where this display would be.

Isn't she pretty? This little darling is an Olive Grove Primitives  creation and the lovely Lisa (the owner) is now in residence at Lilly Cottage (in Coutts Cottage) Old Petrie Town and I do have the most divine photos of her work to share soon..but for now this lovely girl is centre stage.

Kiss Noises Linda

What to write about? What to write about?

Does anyone else get this mental blank at the end of the year? I go like the clappers all year especially from August onwards and then hit that last expo or craft fair in November and the wind goes out of my sails. I was in fact cruising along quite nicely last week and had a heap of post titles flying around in my head but this week they are gone.

Maybe it is because school holidays have started and I have little chattery voices around me a lot more...that could be it...I also have to think up some fun things for them to do so that I can go and play at Lilly Cottage things and it is Christmas after all and you have to have fun Christmas things to do when you are on school holidays. Today they have had a great day decoarting Grandmas Christmas tree and making paper chains...they have loved making paper chains and made metres of them at Grandmas and have then continued making them at home for another couple of hours...yes couple of hours...remember how much fun it used to be when we made paper chains? Ahhh old fashioned decorating...or maybe we could call it vintage decorating and it might take off!

Maybe it is because the weather has been so bizarre, days of wind so fierce we had to push the door shut with our body weight to keep it shut, then rain and wind...my most hated weather combination...then tonight severe storm warnings with thunderstorm warnings for tomorrow ( Sunday) our biggest day for Lilly Cottage at Old Petrie Town...just means we will have to make the most of our verandahs and inside space..we can do that we are versatile and it is cosy in our little cottage.

The days just seem to whizz by and things you had half planned for the end of the year are now high priority because ...guess what? It IS the end of the year...gosh I don't remember a year going by so quickly before...

So if I can't find anything to say, instead of not saying anything like my Mother would suggest, I might have to post lots of pretty pictures and lots of links to all those things I am loving at this time of the year and hope that my creative mojo kicks in again soon.

At least I have no shortage of photos to show you...my poor laptop is struggling with the number of files in the photo section. I try to condense them and remove them but then I add some more and we are back to square one.

I don't think I will ever be bored I always have so much to do...

Back soon with some pretty pictures,

Kiss Noises Linda

I am a Christmas Poster girl!

Now that got your attention didn't it? Well it is true...I am a special ( some would say very special...though I don't think they would be saying it nicely) Guest Post(er) today on the Simply stunning Kerryannes, Shabby Art Boutiques, Simply Christmas Blog series.

Phfew that was a long sentence. So if you would love to hear my words of Christmas cheer, pop over and have a visit ( take your tea).

Thank you Kerryanne for hosting this fabulous event and letting me be a part of it again this year.

Kiss Noises Linda

Shabby English Rose at Lilly Cottage

Once a month I need to go into the city for an infusion as 'treatment' for my MS and rather than leave Lilly Cottage on Bribie Island shut, the lovely Deb from Shabby English Rose pops in and holds the fort for us.

 Usually she brings work with her to finish whilst she is there but I think she is yet to have actually finished anything whilst she is there..too busy chatting I think!

Deb has some of her beautiful work at both Lilly Cottage locations but I must say the people of Bribie love her work and it doesn't last very long on the shelves.

These are a few pictures of some of her work at Bribie, some similar pieces are still in stock and who knows what goodies she will bring and even better...display, today.

Have a lovely day,

Kiss Noises Linda