Ok, so it’s a little late for my Cottage Musings for February but better late than never, right?  I can only claim vacation brain as an excuse for not getting this post out sooner. I spent a few days at Disney World last week and I’ve had a hard time getting my brain to focus on work again.

Walt Disney World is one of my fave places to visit and we had the most gorgeous weather. We’ve visited many times over the years and I don’t ever remember having perfect weather like we just had. I’m already dreaming about our next visit.

Cinderella's castle at dusk in Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

The Tree of Life and beautiful blue sky at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom

Ok, back to reality…and back to work.

Before we talk about what we’re working on in the cottage, let’s look back at what we accomplished last month.

Projects

We covered a lot of ground in February, as far as projects go. Our small powder room and closet projects were finally revealed (here and here). Yay!…

looking in the doorway of tiny powder room with shiplap on the walls

…and I introduced you all to our new tiny home away from home, The Nest (here).

A gray enclosed landscape trailer with 2 windows and a door

What We’re Working On

The powder room and closet may be done but the rest of the guest bedroom is a mess. We’re still working on fixing holes and prepping the walls and trim for paint. I’m also trying to figure out how I want to use the room. We’ve lived here almost 2 years and no one has ever spent a night in there. With limited space it just doesn’t make sense to have it set up as a guest bedroom. I’ll keep you posted on what I decide.

damaged wall in blue bedroom with holes and spackle

We’ve finally started working on The Nest. I said that the bed would be the first project but we thought it was a better idea to do the ceiling first. If you follow me on Instagram and check out my stories, I’ve been sharing snippets of what we’re working on.

rear doors in a landscape trailer and insulation and wood supports in ceiling

Decorating The Cottage

It may not feel like it outside but the calendar says that spring is near. We all know what that means, right? Spring decorating! I’m having fun adding spring to the cottage. You’ll get to see some of it next week when I share it for a Spring Blog Hop.

I’m also working on a few easy spring crafts that I’ll be sharing soon.

daffodils in glass bottles sitting in the setting sunlight

What Caught My Eye

You know that I’m all about DIY so I’m loving my friend Cristina’s (Remodelando la Casa) awesome plate rack that she built.

I can’t get enough of all of the beautiful spring inspiration out there now and Kim’s (Savvy Southern Style) guest bedroom is at the top of the list. You’ve got to check out this gorgeous room.

Don’t Forget!

For some of us in the US, it’s a welcome sign that spring is near….springing ahead or turning your clock ahead one hour. It may mean that we lose an hour of sleep but we gain that precious extra hour of daylight. Yes!

Happy weekend friends!

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A thank you is in order but the first thing I need to do is to apologize.

I wanted to write this post last week but I was still trying to figure out how I felt about what happened after I posted my Cottage Musings for October, and to find the words to respond. Properly.

Blogging is really a solitary business. It’s just you and your computer (and your thoughts, of course). You write a post and have no idea who is going to read it or how it will be received.

An apology and a thank you

When I sat down to write my last Musings post, I do what I always do. There’s a general idea floating around in my head of what I want to discuss, but I’m never really sure until I start typing. That’s just what happened last week. It had been a particularly rough month with the blog and the week before was brutal. I just started writing the Musings and it just felt like the right time to share.

Apology and a thank you

Now, just know that writing out your feelings for anyone and everyone to read is not an easy thing to do, and not something I do often. I just felt like I needed to be honest with what I was going through.

I try to bring my “A” game to every post and project that I do and I was afraid that what I was going through would show in my work. To me, that’s not acceptable, and not what you come here for, so I just wanted to fill you in. If anything, I was hoping it would help me to stop obsessing about the bad feelings I had about blogging so I could let it go and move on.

I hit publish and never expected such a huge response. I was hoping someone would start a convo about makeup but I didn’t expect what you gave me.

The comments and emails started coming immediately, and haven’t stopped. How could I not know you all would be there…ready to pick me up with your words of encouragement? Asking me to keep blogging but telling me to do what’s right for me.

I can’t tell you what all of your support means to me. It’s done so much more for me than you’ll know.

So let’s get to the big question…

No, I’m not giving up the blog. I love my job and the community we’ve created together. I’m sorry if it sounded like I was quitting. Yes, the thought had gone through my mind but I’ve worked too hard to let it go now.

I’m still not loving certain aspects of blogging but I’m trying to focus on the parts that I still enjoy.

Your comments and emails did that for me. Showed me that there’s plenty of good in blogging. The reason I’m doing this to begin with…for myself and for you.

Corny I know, but hey…I’ve already put it all out there, I might as well go all the way. 😉

Thank you! ♥

Now I’m ready to get back to work. There’s a ton of projects calling my name. 🙂

An apology and a thank youA little sidenote:

Reading all of the comments did spark one conversation about the blog. In particular, why I worry about page views and why so many ads. All great questions and not something I’ve ever discussed on the blog before. Maybe I’ll do a post where I discuss all of the moving parts, like ads, page views, hours spent on posts and projects. I just wasn’t sure you would be interested. Please know that if you ever have any questions about the blog, you can comment or send me an email (for a private response). I am always happy to share.

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It feels like I just got done writing September’s musings and here we are at the end of October already. We’ve got a lot to cover, including a confession, so let’s get right into our Cottage Musings for October.

Projects 

It seemed like it was an “all fall” month at the cottage. We started out the month with a full week of Fall home tours. (you can see our fall home tour here) So many beautiful homes were shared. I hope they inspired you to decorate your home for fall. 

I also shared our fall front porch with 5 tips for creating a welcoming outdoor space. (you can read about it here)

A fall front porch for this month's cottage musings for October 

Our last fall project was an easy fall centerpiece with a thrifted antique mirror. (read more about it here)

An easy DIY fall centerpiece for this month's cottage musings for October.

I was able to sneak in an update on the guest bedroom closet with new wallpaper. I’m loving the way it turned out. (check it out here)

A new closet and wall paper in this month's cottage musings for October.

What We’re Working On

Of course we’re working on the powder room, and getting oh-so-close to finishing it. I’m also thinking ahead to Christmas. I’ll be decorating the cottage and, hopefully, doing a few easy holiday crafts. It’s definitely going to be a crazy, busy 2 months. 

What I’m Loving

I usually try to pick out few new tops in the fall but, sadly, I haven’t found any that I like. I did replenish some of my makeup, though. I don’t wear a lot in the summer because it’s just too hot. When fall comes around though, I like to try a few new products. I’ve just gotten this new eyeshadow (affiliate link), a new concealer and eyeliner. Once I give them a good go, I’ll let you know how I feel about them. I’m pretty picky (I know…shocker) so it takes a lot for me to stick with something. 

What We’re Watching

We’ve actually been too busy to watch a lot of tv. I’m a huge sports nut so I still try to catch the football games and I’ve been enjoying the playoffs and World Series. There are a few shows that I’d like to catch but they’ll have to wait until baseball is over. 

A Little Teaser

I have been keeping a little secret and I’m almost ready to share. It’s something that the hubs and I have been talking about, and wanting to do, for a long time. I’m hoping to share it with you all in the coming weeks.

What’s On My Mind

Hmmm…talking about DIY is so much easier than talking about my feelings. 😉

Ok…no beating around the bush. Let’s just get it out. 

Blogging has been a tough road for me lately. I’ve been doing this for 4 1/2 years now and, although I have my ups and downs with it, this has been an especially difficult time. I got into this for the love of DIY and home decor but the business side has been kicking my butt lately. There are page views to keep up, social media, learning photography, gaining readers and then losing them… So much to worry about, which has left me feeling discouraged. My goal was never to become rich and famous blogging. I just wanted to share my love of DIY and help with our household expenses and the cost of my projects. It sounds easy enough but it’s definitely been a tough road. 

The idea to stop blogging has definitely crossed my mind. I’m not ready to give up and take that step, but it has occupied my thoughts.  

I don’t want to whine about how tough I have it because I know I’m so fortunate to be doing what I love. I am beyond lucky to have such a supportive husband and I feel blessed to have all of you come and visit me every time I post and leave me such awesome comments. I have always been honest with you and wanted you to know what’s been going on in my world.

Phew…I’m so glad to finally get that off my chest.

Thank you all, as always, for listening…and reading. ♥

Pretty fall flowers for Cottage musings for October

If you want to check out our past musings, you can see September (here), August (here), and July (here).

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January has come and gone and I, for one, am glad to see February. It’s been a rough few weeks in the old homestead but we’re looking forward to sunnier, and hopefully warmer days. 

Besides the sad family news we got last month and my vicious bout with bronchitis, there have been some bright spots to look back on. 

1.  I started painting the dining room after Christmas, and it’s still not done, but I did finish something in this space, and I’ll be sharing it next time.

cottage musings

2.  Our teeny, tiny bathroom is still not done, because I can’t decide exactly what I want to do. This beautiful bathroom has given me tons of ideas though.

cottage musings

Kirsten Marie Inc.

3. We don’t get hooked on a lot of tv shows, but the hubs and I are loving This Is Us. 

Anyone else addicted to it?

cottage musings

4. It’s all about comfort for me this winter and I’ve been living in some of my favorite things…these cozy socks (affiliate link), flannel shirts and these awesome boots (affiliate link).

5. I’ve been reading a lot about Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) lately. If you’ve not heard of it, Hygge is a Danish word that is a feeling or mood that comes from taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary and every day moments more meaningful, beautiful or special. Roughly translated it means coziness. Personally, I don’t subscribe to “words of the year” or labels in decorating so I’ll just stick with “cozy”. 

cottage musingsHave you heard of Hygge? What do you think about it?

cottage musings

6. I was recently interviewed by Wayfair for their website and answered a series of questions about our Illinois kitchen remodel. It was fun looking back at the projects we did to pull it together. You can read the interview here (scroll to the bottom for the post). 

Galley kitchen remodel on a budget. www.chatfieldcourt.com

7. Just a quick thank you for all of the emails and comments we got after the recent passing of my MIL. The hubs and I read every one and appreciate your kind words and condolences during this difficult time. Thank you again…it meant so much to both of us. ♥

Hope you have a great week!

 

 

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