Monday Sleepyness

I love my mondays off work. When ever I work a saturday, I get the following monday off. So while everyone else is sweating and stressing around, I find myself a nice cup of java, and I curl up on the couch! 

There's sun outside, and later on I will get in my car, drive down to the ponies and take a walk with them. I fin my energy is comming back with every ray of sun that peeks though the clouds. It smells like spring! Even if it is  month early...

I dream of easter, of bunnies and chickens, of eggs and family fun.... Easter will be alot different for me this year, if all goes according to plan. I have some rough weeks ahead of me now, but I have to say I look upon it with sunshine in my heart... I willl get back to you on this. When I have digested it myself first..

This morning Hokus made me scream...again. He has, over the past few days, broken quite a few of my favorite things. He is just so destructive lately, unfortunatly I cant have him outside while I'm at work, which means he really only gets to play outside during the weekends. And all his pent up energy is serioulsy taking a toll on my decor here at the cottage... I have said this before, but really it's the truth; who needs kids when you can have cats?!? They are just as much a mess-maker... *giggles*

As you can see, all my furries are enjoying that warming sun. I just adore this time of year, when you really start to FEEL the warmth the sun gives.

I hope you are all enjoying the spring as well. Sorry for not being overly active in bloglandia this past month, but other things have simply been on my mind!

Ticking towards spring

Sorry for the hiatus! What can I say, I haven't been isnpired enough to blog about my Cottage. Maybe becuase it's been looking dismal and war-zone-like for some time now. I have spent free time with Pixie instead of tidying up here at home. But today me and the cats (esp Hokus... he has been very helpful!) has washed and cleaned every surface in the house! yay for us! I am not enjoying a glass of very well deserved wine! Hopefully I shall photograph alittle tomorrow :)

untill then all I can offer you is this, taken while cleaning. I love these tulips, they have the perfect spring colours.

I have to have them in my window, unless I want Hulder to snap off all their heads... she's a mean kitty that black one!

I am counting the days untill spring now, are you? I have invested in loads of baulbs to force indoors, and I enjoy every drop of meltings now I hear! Soon my friends, SOON!

Life in the Winter

I am still alive, allthough I have been batteling a viral pneumonia for 4 weeks now. Not to worry, I am back at work, but still get easily out of breath. Which is a pain, especially when it's so damn cold. It is freezing here at the Cottage these days. Me and the cats huddle up in bed together, there's nothing like three warm furries when the cold it biting at your window. When I go into the mudroom you can see the frost in my breath!!! Imagine that! So with all of this, there has been no excess energy to blog or take photos. 

Untill today that is....

And I did make a NEW blog. One for Pixie alone. I wanted a place where I could keep my memories, update on shows and progress without littering my Vinnord blog full of equine extravaganza! So if you enjoy reading about my babygirl pony, please head on over to Jahrs Faerydae Pixie's blog.

I also have news on the kittens. Pokus traveled to his new home, then returned. The lady that had him also had more cats and Pokus did not like this at all. When he arrived back to me, his brother and mum took him back without hesitation. But becuase Pokus was such a timid soul I decided that he should have a home where he could be complete king and ruler. I found him another home like this, and he is now thriving! I am so happy for him, but I do miss him.

Little Hokus is ruling the cottage though. He is such a rascal! I swear he comes up with new ideas to torment me every day! He climbs up my leg with surprising speed, climbes the curtains, eats ALL my plants, plays with my displays and this morning he shredded an entire loo-roll to pieces! Life certainly is NOT boring around here!

But I have to admit, he is so darn cute I cant stay angry at him for long! How could anybody resist that face?

 My biggest decorating feat. this month is my newly dressed fridge. I was tired of seeing the white door riddled with old stickers... so I dressed it in pretty paper. It's not glued on, but rather stuck on with my new favorite... magnetic tape! Oh yes!!! I love it. And when I am tired of THIS I can just make a new one! Inexpensive and super easy...

Now if only Hokus would stop ripping it apart! 

See you soon!

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!)