A Fantastic Day!

Yesterday was the yearly New Years Show. Even though I've been feeling ill and tired I have a bunch of wonderful friends that pulled together and helped me show Pixie, even when I was wondering if I should. Not feeling well and all... so all I really had to do was put her on the trailer and friends took care of the rest.

I had very low hopes for her as the show went on. The judge was pretty strict and few ponies got gold, most got silver and a few even got bronze. So I was getting to understand I would get my first Bronze (Pixie has only ever gotten silvers)... but oh well, she was here, I might as well show her.

I am so happy I did. She was on fire. She flew around the ring in the most fantastic trot I have ever seen her do. She was shiny and sparkely with white socks and lots of charm in her eye. She wond GOLD and was class winner, and was qualifed for the youngstock champion ring.... Once again she excelled and won this, bringing her to the best in show final. I was over the moon. My itty bitty girl was amazing. In the best in show ring she managed to be picked as Reserve Best in Show, leaving alot of the adult ponies behind. I was nearly in tears and the applause she got was heartwarming!

Here she is with her ribbons :) My little darling!

I'm still floating on happiness by the way!

Pain and paints

Sorry I have been kind of missing in action lately. I'm off from work with some wicked virus that leaves me out of breath from simple stuff like vacuuming... I am about to hit the wall :)

I dont have any new cottage photos, mainly because the cottage looks alittle like a war zone (anyone feel the same some times?!)....

I would like to brag some more though... ha ha.. .someone sweet has featured my mudroom :) 

Kelly from Eclectic Vintage has a Vinnord Feature, read it here: Exceptionally Eclectic #5

Thank you so much to all of you who decide to feature me for whatever reason... I love you all!!! 

So, seeing as I am pretty much stranded at the sofa I pulled out my old watercolors... it has been nerly 2 years since I did anything artsy except for decorating.... I wanted initially, to make a realistic watercolour of Pixie, my welsh... but I cant do realistic at all.. so my whimsical style brought out something else instead. You can still see Pixie there, and keep in mind I am so out of practice. I could tell you a million faults with this... but instead I am just gonna say... I LIKE IT!

I use mainly watercolours over a sketch, but also some coloured penicls and acrylic (for the whites)... 

It was so much fun, I decided to do anotherone today, and I did her sire, the welsh cob stallion Marcello

HE is much lighter in real life, but hey... maybe next time. I have also added a very dark blue-gray background to him... that I kind of regret now... but *sigh* no way back... He is all watercolour with just a tiiiny little acrylic for the absolute pure whites.... 

So much fun!!! I loose so many hours though. As soon as I start I cant stop and sit there painting and drawing for ages....  When I SHOULD be organizing stuff instead... oh well...

Win win win

I am entering a contest for the best interior photograph to win a camera... of course it is a bit silly that the best photo wins a new camera... becuase well... you cant take really good potos with an old one like mine... And someone with a much better camera will surly win :p

But i am giving it a shot anyhow, and I ave told Eva to enter as well... se takes the best pics of Vinnord after all :)

The contest is held at the blog Fabelaktig

 

One of my all time favorites. My dragonfly in the bedroom.

Spring contained in a teapot :)

this is a simple photo, but I like the clean background and the hanging keys just adds so much more chic-ness :)

 

Some of my favorite things... books and coffee.

Some may say it's over exposed, but the light in this is what I like most.

 

My all time favorite photo of my dining room.

There is just something about this that I really like.

Another one I really like because of the light.

One of my favorite xmas shots ever :)

I could enter with as many as I liked :) Uhm... maybe I went a bit overboard... ha ha...

Wish me luck though.

well that's Pinterest-ing...

As some of you allready know, I am a pinterest addict. If I start, I cant stop... simple as that. Pinterest is a haven for us decor maniacs, DIY's fools and dreamers.... 

But pinterest has one flaw, how to search for the best inspirations. It relies on descriptions. And we are not all good at just saying "chair - blue - shabby"... Nope instead we say "awesome !!! Love it" And so that picture is lost in searching. This is of course why I always just search boards, as these usually have a more descriptive title. 

BUT! I also search my own cottage, and hunt down those who have pinned me.... I love my home, and if I find others that do too, chances are they have pinned alot of great stuff that I will like! And then I am lost for hours! :) And I amazed at how many people pin my cottage <3 <3 <3 You make my heart sing!

(by the way, I would happily sell my soul for these windows!)

the BOYS!

Well the first week of 2012 is over, I am off this weekend and I will be spending it removing xmas from the cottage... it is time!

I have great news, I was featured on "Better After" by lovely Lindsey AND I was featured too at Stardust Decor & Style... WOW! Thank you so much. And all your comments are really blowing me away!!! REALLY!

I can tell that from these two features I have alot of new readers and followers!!! I hope you stay, and I hope I dont dissapoint you all.

Some of you had questions, I always reply to questions via mail (if you include it in the comment) or by commenting on your blog! So if you asked something, check your comments please!

Also, you requested and update on my boys, Hokus and Pokus... So I have some for you now... They are a handfull, really! Hokus keeps climbing the tree! All the way to the top, and Pokus' new favorite past time is removing decor from my table! Sigh... but I love them so much I just cant stay angry. Pokus will be going to his new home towards the end of January... I'm sure he'll have a good life there, but I will be a wreck of course.

 Pokus and Hokus... my wee boys!

And here... you see my new atlier addition! Yes... it's a bit messy... Alot of my naturalia curios are set there, these will however go in the library, eventually! I also keeps my paint, tools ect. I LOVE IT! It goes with my desk, which my sister gave me, and my chair...

Yeh, this picture isnt the greatest. It's too much mess on that table... Sorry. I will try and style better and call my sister back for a re-shoot. ha ha

See that strange three headed woman? I think she's called a Pachamama... or "mother earth". A friend of mine brought it back from the Andes. She is weird, but I love her!!! As I am pagan, it was the perfect gift!

I'll be back soon ;)

the year that was....

2011 is now old news... and what happend here at the cottage this year?

Lets take a walk throught it shall we....

January

a new years table was decorated.

I read 29 books in 2011, fewer than what I read in 2010...hmmm

My diningroom looked fresh without any christmas left overs

Febuary

I enjoyed fresh farm eggs from mum's chickens.

I was really into equestrian decor and inspiration for my mudroom/hallway

 

And we were so waiting for spring tofinally happen

March

I kept buying spring baulbs....

We made loads of muffins, in every flavour!

 I finally found the perfectly cute alarm clock.

April

My dining room wasa featured at HGTV... I felt super proud.

Easter happend....

we had guest from Germany that brought me gifts! :)

May

The hallway was finnished and decorated!

Pixie won Youngstock Champion as well as Reserve Best in Show at her 2nd show ever...

I fell in love with striped paper straws... :)

June

It was summer, but didnt feel alot like it... it was simply WET.

Finally painted my deck chair in light aqua, as well as alot of other things...

The stairs landing upstairs became my atlier

July

My sister graduated from 4 years of photography school!

I finally got a hold of the "Romantic Prarie Style" book... Loved it!

I dragged this huge cage back from the UK....

August

My Beswick Collection in the hallway grew...

Butterfly magnets....

A new wooden box for use as a table.

September

My home made message blackboard.

Pixie won some more ribbons.

And Pixie's stable git finnished.

October

Autumn arrived in full... and it was fleamarket time. I painted these from dark brown.

I attended an outdoors theatre, it was COLD.

 Got me some pretty new bowls...

November

I turned 30!!! Oh my!

Hokus arrived

And so did Pokus. My two kittens.

December

I decorated for Yule early in December.

Dad had a heartattack and survived.... and was through surgery and home before xmas!

Celebrated a quiet yule season with friends and family.

Hope to see you all still in 2012