G'day sweet bloggers, how the devil are y'all?
I love days when there is a breeze blowing in my yard, especially a coastal one, where I can just spend that mind-numbing time loading laundry and ironing the results. Purlease, lovely bloggers, do not get me wrong, I do not love chores, by any manner of means but the smell of clean, ironed clothes has gotta be the best reward for hours of work in the trudge of domesticity, surely?
It was one of those days today, I cannot tell you how long it took me to clear up after those other four and for sure those Beach Cottage kiddos seem to grow laundry, but oh what a fantabulous Autumnal day for it to blow in the air. As I pegged, it reminded me of the first few weeks in the Beach Cottage, where it was, if not, exciting, certainly chaotic. And all of a sudden we had no washing line. Of course we had a dryer, but euuuh, I live in the lucky country, where, people, you don't, for most of the year consider shoving your laundry in a dryer. Unless you are an environmental sadist.
Sooooo, I forced Mr BC to erect (dont' you just love that word?) a makeshift line, seeing as those lovely sweet previous owners of the Beach Cottage obviously never washed their clothes or took the washing line holes with them. Result was a piece of string (ok, I will admit, it was a rather rustic piece of string) strung between two orange trees.
I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, I mean, ya know, I have an ORANGE TREE, in fact I have two, and if, like me, you are not from lands where you can walk right on into your yard and pick an orange, this, as my kiddos would say, is quite an awesome thing.
But funny, that string line is still there, between the oranges and more, I still use that string line, even though we have a real, proper, in the ground line now. But I like the string one, it's kinda shabby, it gets full sun and my whites get a natural bleaching. Napisan eat your heart out.
Later, after the monotony of housework, I thought stuff the squeezed-for-time-thing and decided on a quick half hour on the beach before all the other kiddo duties of the day.
And this, for me, it seems is the easiest route to success in all the other areas – the kids, the husbands, the dinner, the housework – taking time-out to zone-out and enjoy the beauty very-much-in-evidence and often-sadly-taken-for-granted, all around me.
And it always surprises me how this re-charges me, it works for me. So I grabbed a bag, a hat and headed down the beach, just a short trip, kicking back and letting go…
I'd love to know what you do, to, ya know, zip on out of your day for a bit, because I'll try it, for sure…
…and don't forget there is a Beach Cottage Giveaway this week, postingt the wares tomorrw, all you have to do is leave a comment, pretty simple, or see below for more ways to win…
Don't forget the Giveaway – I'll be posting the goodies tomorrow, ooooh ye-eah, oooh ye-eah, with a tablescape, but I'll be drawing the winner from all comments, all week from Monday 04 through Sunday 10th.
And here's what to do if you wanna win…
Simple little rules, who wants those complicated ones?
1. Just leave a comment and that's it (just remember to leave your email!)
2. If you link to me from your blog I'll double all your comments all week – you can just do a regular old link or copy the code below and add it to the html section so you get the Beach Cottage button.
<href=
http://abeachcottage.com><img alt="swing by the Beach Cottage Giveaway" src=http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10/abeachcottage/beachbutton.jpg border="0" />
3. Tweet on Twitter about this giveaway (just let me know, http://twitter.com/abeachcottage so I can triple-up your entries)
4. Subscribe to my feed, just click on subscribe at the top of the page or click here and I'll add you soooo many times…just shoot me an email at abeachcottageblog@gmail.com with one of the secret little words…oooh yeah gotta love me a bit of espionage
blogged for Rhoda's Yard Event over at Southern Hospitality - head on over and start clicking!
the wonderful Outdoor Wednesday, which I am enjoying every week…
and because taking time out is good for me, Works for Me at We Are That Family
Lovely post and photos again, Sarah. I live near the ocean too and love to hang washing on the line. I hate using the dryer – all that energy, crushed clothes, extra ironing! My orange tree is laden this year – it’s just a matter of beating the possums to them as they ripen.
Oh goodness, I would have a fit and fall right in it if I had actual lemons on a tree right in my own yard! Clothes hanging in the breeze. Can’t get any cozier than that. I’m going to try and put your little button in my sidebar, just cause you know how much I like you. But I’m not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. So we’ll see if I can figure it out, Sarah!
Brenda
The romantic side of me has always wanted a clothesline. I’m thinking of putting one up after we get a fence and deck built. I’m not sure I’ll be brave enough to put actual clothes on it, but our all-white sheets and towels would be perfect
Clotheslines are NOT mainstream around here.
Hello,
I find your blog to be so delightful, I too love to have my clothes hung outside to dry. Thank you for sharing . Sue
*Watch it, oh-so-talented-photographer!!! Yer giving “household duties” a beauuuutiful name!!!! Stunning pics~ so glad you shared!
Many thanks!!! Linda in AZ*
Girl, you have some GORGEOUS laundry!!!!!
Oh, and those tiny roses peeping out of the straw bag – - – how lovely is THAT!?!
the photos are lovely! white (very cool) clothes against the darker gray of the fence and the color of the oranges. all fabulous.
Your day at the beach looked so relaxing! What do I do to recharge? Drink some tea, have a treat, a glass of wine, read a magazine…all those little things make such a difference!
Carrie
I miss having a clothes line. Had one in Oregon and California. Area we live in know does not allow it. You have a wonderful blog.
yay! another giveaway.. thank you! I love hanging out the washing. I’m actually a bit OCD about it and have to have matching pegs in each section of the line…
Just came across your blog and it is absolutely adorable! Wonderful pictures and Ideas!!
Hava a great day!
T
I have girlfriends who love the ‘hung out in the fresh air’ laundry smell but try as I might I just can’t care about it! I know to achieve this it requires me to have to hang it up in the first place and I am far to lazy to walk out to the back yard…..racks in the laundry are about as much as I can handle!! Might I say though, that your photo’s could almost entice me to make the effort…..especially if I had a couple of those beautiful cami’s to hang on my clothes line. Anyway being such a beautiful day here I had better get out on that balcony and finish painting and sanding those chairs and they are not going to do it themselves!!
Seriously you need to send your pics in to a mag…..soooo gorgeous. cherry
Hi again… I think I have used my dryine maybe twice in a year…I just love the fresh smells and feel..I know what you mean. Marilyn xoxo
Isn’t the country a great place to live! I live in the midwest US & my favorite place to go for a time out is through the trail in our woods to our point on the lake. DH has made sure I have a bench to sit on there – a very rustic homemade one carved with our initials by himself! I bring our lab with us & she either lays in the sun at my feet or goes swimming on a hot day. I go as often as I can; in the winter with snow & ice out or even on rainy windy days.
Taking time like this works for me too. I love your special spot. I could never get tired of the ocean. Jen
Beautiful post and I will link you up on my sidebar! Hope I win…
I love these pictures! The orange tree reminds me of way back when I was a child and we lived in Australia…I still can remember the smell of the blossoms and orange…everyday it was a feast! I also can remember us having a treehouse in the peach tree and the soft warm peaches when we plucked them….I MISS THOSE DAYS!!!! I wish I could go back for only one day! To feel and smell my childhood in Australia!! God how I miss it!! That’s why I’m sooooo glad I found your blog…It’s become my shelter where I can daydream of long gone & ‘better days’. Guess I’ll never get over the fact that my parents moved back to Holland. After we’d gotten back, I was very unhappy and noone knew why, until the doctor heard about our abrubt move: she has experienced a trauma, he said…and God knows how right he was! When I see and read your posts, it is as if I’m there! Thank you for posting!
Love your clothes line! It reminds me of simplier days when I was a girl! No cares or worries, just had to hang the laundry and I was off. I can feel the sun of my face and the cool breeze just looking at your pictures.
Beautiful pictures, Sarah! Any excuse to do the chores outdoors works for me! I am happy you got to go to the beach to recharge your batteries. Lately for me, I just have to ride it out!
Please include me in your give~away. I am having one too!
xoxo
Jane
Beautifully captured, ALMOST makes me want to iron (well, not really), and sure enough makes me drool over the orange trees and sand!
I wish I could hang my clothes on a line. But, my stupid dogs would ruin that for me.
Hi !
I love to hang out laundry too ! I don’t have a citrus tree but do have the Rocky Mountains in my background. I love the smell and the laundry gets done alot quicker !Have a great weekend !
Hugs ~ Kammy
I’m so jealous of these beach pics! We wanted to go but it is probably going to rain tomorrow, ugh!
Gotta just love the smell of laundrey when it comes off the line, Ive done 5 loads today!!!!! thank god for sunny Autumn days.
Oh forgot to mention in my last comment I have also subscribed to you, yippeee more entries huh
Don’t forget to have a great day… hope you are pampered.
Lyn xxx
something real special about clothes blowing dry on a line, love the smell.
lyn…
I’ve had a wonderful time peeking around..I’ll be back, for sure!
Blessings,
Spencer
Your blog is so wonderful. Like a breath of fresh air. (Salty air. Tee hee) I can hear the waves. Everything is beautiful. Ü
Love clotheslines…and yours is lovely. Can I take one of those pretty lace trimmed cami’s and put it on? tee hee. Love to wear pretty things too.
Are those white roses in your beach tote? I notice in your tablescapes that you mostly have flowers. Do you normally just pick them up from the florist? Are they a typical gift from your husband? Or do you have a garden/friend with a garden?
I just found your blog. I’ve goteen so many ideas! Wow!!!!
mj.coward@gmail.com
I subscribed in Google Reader!
mj.coward@gmail.com
I can just imagine how wonderful sheets and pillowcases would smell being dried by an ocean breeze, wonder if there’s a candle with that smell.
Love this blog. The content is great. Nice pics.
Deirdre Gonzales
What’s a beach house without a clothesline?
Great pictures. I dry my things on clothes drying racks. I am in the middle of the country I like the fresh air smell of my laundry. But your blog made me fantasize about how great it would be to have that sea side smell on my clothes. Then I could smell like vacation even while at work.