2009 February | Real Life Beach Decor, Coastal Living & Nautical Decorating Ideas - A Beach Cottage

The Bushfires & Me

4:15 pm Byabeachcottage

Hello girls. I'm sorry if you didn't know that I am in a different state to those of the bushfires. I am here and safe, thanks for the messages.

I've kept myself busy here at the Beach Cottage, working on projects and doing a whole load of thinking, over and over about those people in Victoria who have lost it all…as I broke from my work for coffee and a well-thumbed copy of Country Living I wondered what is it all about?

As I sat there thinking about those Victorians and their plight, I reflected on home & our new life in the sun – it may be a tatty old cottage, it might not be right on the beach, on the wrong side of town and it may be full of my nostalgic meanderings and romantic notions but in all its imperfections I'm so grateful to have our home - it's allowed us to change direction and start a new life in a very special country by the sea.

What and just how must those people be feeling about their home right now?

What do you think & what can you say when we've just heard that a majority of these fires were deliberately set & what there is left is being looted. The PM this morning was asked for his personal opinion of these people, he said that as far as he was concerned he hoped they rot in jail.

Australians are amazing – the rallying together and gathering support sums up what is great about it here.

What the victims need now is money. You can donate, and if you are from overseas, I believe that you can donate internationally, here at the Red Cross website.

I'll be back tomorrow.

Filed UnderUncategorized 15 Comments

Vintage Door Before and After Part One + A Winner!

6:41 pm Byabeachcottage

I'd had an old door on the Beach Cottage Most Wanted List for quite some time, then suddenly a few months ago, I came across two in the same week, funny how it works like that sometimes…the other one Mr Beach Cottage passed on the bus to work one morning, he told me how he'd seen it on the front lawn of someone elses's little cottage with a 'FREE' sign on it and it was still there on his way home so off he went and collected it…anyway that one is really nice with glass inlays, and cleaning up this one has me all inspired to dig the other one out and get going on that.

Do you like how it cleaned up? I'm really REALLY pleased with it. I had the idea that old vintagey doors leaning about in the new part of the cottage that has revolting aluminium windows, might make it a bit more, ya know, oldie. So yesterday I spent a while cleaning it up. I love how it turned out, real-life chips, peeling and bumps but I'm thinkint it might be nice with a fresh, white coat of paint but on the other hand as I scrubbed I quite like the way the dirt and dust gave it a muted feel. Now I don't know where it will end up in the cottage (I just took the photo on the deck) but I'm thinking in Part Two, I'll use the staple gun to attach a piece of beachy stripe white and blue fabric to the panel…

This one we found at a garage sale, I can't remember quite what this lady had but I know she was a post-war immigrant from Bulgaria, her and her husband had built their house, brick by brick with their own hands. An interesting story and just the sort I like to have when out thrifting, oh-so-much better than buying something from a faceless person at the mall don't ya think?

Sadly, she had made the classic garage sale mistake of over-pricing many of the items - we had arrived there later in the day and there was still quite a bit left, all laid out and priced up. I always think it strange when people have been sitting with something in their garage for like 20 odd years, cluttering up the place, clearly they don't want it and then they put a high ticket on it as if someone else will pay alot for the junk they don't want.

plus Renee of Cottage Lifestyle won the Beach Cottage Giveaway, how exciting! I really enjoyed that and was wondering if anyone might like to see giveaways a little bit more regularly on here? I'm always coming across great things…let me know what you think

Filed Underbeach cottage makeovers, thrifted finds for the cottage 33 Comments

A Beach Cottage Turbo Tablescape

7:18 pm Byabeachcottage

G'day girlies. How do you like my latest table? I haven't entertained for a while but last weekend we had a little birthday supper for another English gal, so I thought some vintage style and nostalgic teacups would be a trifle nice…

The flowers were from Mr Beach Cottage and unbeknown to him tied in beautifully with what I had vaguely put together in the back of my mind and the little sprinkles I picked out of one of those revolting little cheap kiddies birthday packs, I love how it turned out…

I keep entertaining very very simple, my brain power can't take anything more than that, it's enough to get over the hurdle of actually inviting someone over. I am not one for elaborate shows of all day slaving in the kitchen – most often we have people over at the weekend when I am out for sporting activities all day and therefore have little or no time to prepare for it. I love to see a well-dressed table though and I don't always like it formal like this, a cafe-style lunch table is probably my favourite of all. I think though that table dressing is easily achieved, ten minutes of foofing around with the table in your undies belies you having flown through the door not long before, smelly soccer kids in tow and seriously needing a beer…

I like entertaining food to be easy to make and abundant, with a kinda cosy homey feel (no it doesn't have to be white) and for this supper I served easy shop-bought nibbles from the deli and then chicken with cream, mustard and tarragon – an idea from the fabulous Nigel Slater (one of my all-time fave cookery writers), a green salad, and a country loaf, followed by a classic cheeseboard, and then for those who liked French Apple Pie (one of my only desserts – I am happy to make this without placing any demands on my limited baking skills). And in this case because I was positively bursting to use my Noritake teacups, we replaced coffee with Assam tea…

You can find lovely dressed tables this beautiful Thursday over at Susans blog. A place where you'll find your draw dropping at the eye candy that is Tablescaping..

Filed Underthrifted finds for the cottage 40 Comments

A Day in the Beach Cottage Life

1:15 pm Byabeachcottage

G'day, how you all doing? It's hot here, I know a whole heap of you are freezing so I won't tell you I am staying indoors to keep cool not warm.

I thought I'd show you a glimpse of my day, I took my camera with me and snapped little things of interest – now I have to be honest and tell you that this post came to be because someone (with no name or blog) sent me an email saying that they didn't believe I lived in Australia, by the sea, or in a cottage. Hmmm. How bizarre.

So my day went like this – coffee on the beach with the little Beach Cottage kiddos before school, walk by the ocean, quick swim, , shopping for fish, preparing dinner, dusting shelves, baking for the lunches, blah blah blah. Typical life of a late 30's mother of three…one that honestly does live in an Australian cottage somewhere near the sea…

Oh and swing by tomorrow, I've got a super little vintage tablescape to show you…I was really pleased how it turned out and I'll try and get the giveaway drawn tonight so I'll have a winner

Filed Underjust a beach cottage life 38 Comments