G'day bloggers! I had an eventful weekend to say the least, ending with a 3 hour trip to the hospital with Mr Teenage Beach Cottage. He's safe and sound though shell socked and very bruised after a nasty accident involving scateboards and concrete. Need I say more. Boys and their toys eh…
Anyway I did get around to giving this old ladder a whitewash. While out treasure searching recently I came across two of these vintage wooden ladders…not so easy to come by and then I find two at once. So delicious. I love them for display and thought this one might look quite nice in the ensuite.
Hmmm, now the ensuite, when we renovated it was not an ensuite at all, it was the original main bathroom to the original part of the cottage, however we don't believe it had actually been in use for years. So we blocked up the original door and put in a door into our bedroom. We didn't really plan this enough, at the time we were making 500 hundred decisions a day on what to do and what not to do. I *wish wish wish we had put a bath in, because it's tucked far enough away to mean it makes a good sanctuary from the stresses of the day and is a good hiding place from the kids.
So I've literally done nothing decor-wise in there – it is very plain, white tiles, white paint, white vanity, you get the picture, no fittings to the walls, I wanted those left clear, hence towels piled up on the floor with no place to live…it certainly needed a bit of depth and some texture so I thought a ladder would give me just that, stacked with towels and the odd shell or two.
I painted it using my usual Beach Cottage method though added just a touch of water to my paint rather than making a very watery mix as I wanted it to look quite white with just a hint of wood showing through. Then I sanded the edges with two different types of sandpaper…
I stacked up my towels, yes aren't I sooooo slovenly to have been keeping them piled on the floor, and added the old painted fishing basket to keep my cleaning products in
I'm so pleased with it, I feel like it looks so much better and I am sooooo pleased I didn't plunge ahead and buy the rather nice, rather pricey shelf-cum-ladder-affair that I recently saw in a rather lovely shop…
Oh and talking of shops and buying things I went to the beachy boutique today and oooh yeah they had some new lines in. So how about a Beach Cottage Giveaway?
I couldn't resist some of the napery so I gave myself a little treat – well ya know I do* have my bloggy friends to keep happy don't I? *wink…but also I decided it's time for a little bit of fun round here, what with all the doom and gloom about money and swines and flu left right and centre, so I bought two sets (actually I bought three) one for you and one for me.
I'll be posting the goodies on Thursday with a tablescape but I'll be drawing the winner from all comments, all week from Monday 04 through Sunday 10th.
Simple little rules, who wants those complicated ones? Here's how you can win
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" />
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
The ladder really works. Hope you’ve all recovered from the hospital trip! I’ve added your button plus the text ‘a great blog with a great giveaway’ to my blog, because I would really like to enter your giveaway! Thanks for adding a bit of fun to a gloomy day.
I’m going to do a 100th post giveaway, which must be coming up quite soon (I need to check my post counter!) It will have a Franco/Scottish theme, as those are the two countries where I spend my time…
Hope the kiddo is mending quickly so you can concentrate on painting all everything white.
Thanks for the tip on watering down the paint to get a good weathered look. Having seen the $$$$ version of ladders at the upmarket shops got to say yours is looking much more authentic.
Hi there! What another lovely idea of you and you are to generous! I’d love to have this in my bathroom aswell…it will always remember me of you and your lovely blog ánd of dear ol’Australia! Which I hopefully will visit in the very near future! But I guess sending it to the Netherlands will be to costly.. but I will give it a go anyhow!
Oh my gosh, how i love that idea. I wonder if a ladder would fit in my bathroom. I doubt it, but I’ll check.
My teenage son had emergency surgery on Friday, so I’m feelin’ your pain in that regard.
I just recently found your blog and love looking at the decorating ideas. Wish I’d found you when we moved into our beach cottage, but you’re definitely making me think about the direction I’d like to take my decorating. I already added you to my blogroll, does that count?
I’m sure you must get tired of me–the same comment every time–”I love your white”! It’s hard for me to believe boys live in all the wonderful whiteness (let alone rowdy scateboarding ones!). Your ladder is a great find and looks perfect!
Love the ladder…like how it narrows as it goes up. Seems to be perfect for your bathroom. I have posted your giveaway on my sidebar and will mention it in tomorrow’s post.
Hi Sarah -
Hope your son is ok – I feel your pain as I too have spent countless hours with my surfer boy in the emergency room. I’m new to blogging and commenting and all this but I love your beach cottage! Just found you and Thank You for inspiring me to get a few things done that I’ve been meaning to do for a few years. I gathered up my courage – dragged my dining room table outside (by myself – sheer determination) and painted the dark brown top white, distressed it, dragged it back in & I am so thrilled – shoulda done it years ago. Thanks also for showing me that little tea lights are charming set out on their own – I’ll be following you…
Marsha
The ladder is so pretty. I love antique ladders, and what a cute idea to use one in the bathroom as a towel shelf. If only I had enough space in my bathroom!
Love that ladder. I’m making one today out of an old ladder worn with age left in this house I bought. Great blog too, I’m adding a button. I raised three boys and have been to the ER with the skateboard thing too! Gotta luv ‘em!
Just stumbled on your blog from another, and it’s lovely! I love the ladder idea, wish I had room in my bathroom for one. I will continue to follow your renovations.
I’ve been longing for one of those ladders for the longest time! I love it! But you know I wouldn’t be able to help myself, Sarah. I’d have to load it down with quilts!
Brenda
Oh, I absolutely LOVE this! A vintage ladder is also on my most wanted list.
Hope Mr. Teenage BC is feeling better. My hubby actually used to skateboard up until fairly recently….he last little *accident* pretty much woke him up and made him realize that he isn’t as young as he used to be.
I love how the ladder turned out. Great way to display your towels & such. Glad to hear your son is OK. Three hour trip to hospital isn’t all that bad. Here it is at least an 8 hour ordeal.
Hi, please add me to your giveaway. I follow your blog and just love it…well, we are almost neighbours..lol..why wouldn’t I? i love the ladder.. such a nice effect..have been looking for one for ages. Have a nice day. Marilyn from Lavender Cottage.
I love the white. It somehow looks warm in your place. I appreciate the giveaway and would love to win but I don’t know that you would want to send this to Canada. The postage would be pretty high. I gave away a couple cookbooks one time and the postage to the US from Canada was more than what I paid for the cookbooks.
G'day! I'm Sarah, I live in a tatty old cottage, near the sea in Australia with a battered old deck & a big old fig tree out the back...stripped wooden floors, old sash windows & a jumble of vintage furniture. [Read More …]
G’day ladies, oooh have I got a good Beach Cottage recipe for you or have I got a good recipe for you. Â Well it’s actually not Beach Cottage, I cannot claim that… So, a couple of months ago I met up with a couple of blogging friends, AllConsuming and Mrs W for a lil [...]
G'day ladies, let's have a Too Easy Beach Cottage recipe yeah? Â The original place for Too Easy Recipes on the web ;-)
So, after my last salad went down a storm in my inbox, that's here if you missed it, I had to do this one seeing as I make it most weeks.
There is a problem with this salad and kiddos though...it looks, well, it looks, kinda yucky...but once they try it, they'll ask if and when they are next having it....at least that's what happens in this ratty old cottage...but I must interject here that my kiddos are 'good eaters'? ...they didn't get a choice in that ;-)
Now, stop, don't start running and hitting that next on your blog reading list, pulses are your best friend in the Too Easy Dump & Go kitchen for the busy mum, or busy anyone for that matter...that reminds me I must blog the garlic canneloni Go To for when you forgot to do dinner, feel like a bath but have three ravenous young Beach Cottage Kiddos on your hands...another day.
I am almost embarrassed to tell you how easy this is, we have it so much that I always have a couple, make that six, cans of lentils around and a jar of goat's cheese in the fridge...the great thing about this is that it's all too easy to get ready in just a few minutes, but it looks, tastes and seems like you did oh so very much more than that.
You can obviously too change it up a bit depending on what you have to hand in your kitchen, and I must say that is how I settled on this version...because one day when I made it I didn't have enough Parsley in the garden and so I chucked in some basil too, and liked the Summer feel it added.
I think of this as being a rather posh salad, not sure why, because it couldn't really be further from the truth...the great thing is that it works so well for an average run of the mill day, (when I did this for this blog post, it was a hot Sydney Sunday and I did it just simply to go with Rosemary & Garlic stuffed pork, you can see that pork here),
...but just as easily it works on a regular old Wednesday night when you have lost all enthusiasm for rustling up yet another meal, or indeed on Saturday night, when your friends are on their way over for dinner and you my friend, are in your new vintage inspired clawfoot bathtub (that's me in a few weeks time, k?) without any clothes on, a tipple and no idea what to cook for dinner...
I have a complicated and ever-changing relationship with goat's cheese...it never fails me in its performance and it never fails to impress me (you can find out a bit more on what I like in food here if you like) and I kinda collect it...because it's very easy to collect and has a fairly long fridge-life, I love trying out different ones and there's not many things I love more than goat's cheese on sourdough...but I think the best thing about it is not thinking about it exclusively in the toast/salad department...I've stuffed it in chicken and all sorts of things as a last minute and it's been fab.
But let's get down to the nitty gritty of this super salad that makes you look like an angel who has been on her knees all day scrubbing the front step when really you are in the digital world and spent most of ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, howdy, howdy howdy today for a Beach Cottage Too Easy recipe.
If you like cake, cream, sugar and chocolate, make this.
This is, rather than a recipe, a putting it together...as you know I am no dessert maker, but, I do make quite a few sweet things, because, somehow I have ended up with kiddos, who in their roles as offspring, believe that part of the deal, is that not only do I feed them a home-cooked meal with a few homegrown ingredients in there, yes, they also believe that dessert and not the kind that comes out of a packet is included too in this All-Inclusive Deal they call Parenthood.
So, this, for sure, is no culinary masterpiece, but if you are looking for something that is so very easy, dump-able, uses everyday ingredients and at the same time makes you look like you spent hours pulling things together plus tastes good....well, then this is for you.
Best though, you don't make this for yourself, if you have spent the most part of your week sitting on your derriere reading blogs...this my friend ain't low in the calories department...if, however, you are treating yourself to a delight in a mason jar, this is so for you.
I first had a version of this when at dinner back in Old Blighty with a girl, I once, in another life, caught the train up from our village to London with...she was a funny thing really...I am not quite sure how we got on...she was kinda prissy and a bit bothered by too much...I would run to the train flustered, having got up late, and she would have a spreadsheet on the train times, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, a few years later when we both had bambinos, I bumped into her again and we met up for playdates and dinner sometimes....this particular night, after a lovely meal she served up little bowls of creamy, cakey fruity stuff topped off with chocolate flake...it was delicious!
She didn't serve hers in little jars like this, hers were in a champagne glass and not quite so layered as these ones, plus she used tinned fruit not fresh or frozen.
Years later when said offspring kept requesting dessert, one day I wangled together somehow these from what was around in the fridge and they've been with us ever since.
Most likely, if you ever come here for dinner, and shock horror, you dont' bring the dessert with you, this, if you are lucky, will be what you will get.
Throw it all together, sprinkle a lil bit of chocolate on the top and the blog reading past-time you so rudely left in order to make this, is my friend, your oyster.
Beach Cottage Too Easy Layered Raspberry, Cream & Sponge Dessert
1 small maderia or butter cake or a pack of cupcakes (or of course make your own)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
8 tbsp fruit
1 x chocolate Flake or chocolate bar for grating
 1. beat the cream cheese  until it is soft
2. Â whip the cream until soft peaks form
3. combine & add the sugar through
4. cut your cake into portions
& layer into the bottom of your jar
5. add a tablespoon of fruit
Â
6. layer on top the cream combo
Â
7. repeat
8. grate chocolate or Flake on top
Â
*Beach Cottage Recipe Notes : this is just a guide really, you can use any cream that you have on hand...I have made this with clotted cream (don't even go there unless you want to seriously get these babies on your thighs), with double cream and I have even, in desperate times squirted in that, ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, well I thought it was time for some blogging tips here today, alongside a few nice flowers and shells ;-)Â
I was recently part of a blogger discussion group over at Kidspot and a couple of hours later had a few questions from girls who couldn't make it to the live chat, one was on my Facebook page and one via email, the Facebook one I will deal with in another Real Girl Blogging Tips post...the email one asked me what essentials do I think every blog needs?
Well I have been around here for a while now doing the blogging thing, so I should know this, yeah and I mused this on my walk by the sea this morning I thought well what do you only need?
...I think it is really very easy when blogging, whether or not you are blogging up there in the lofty heights of the Super Bloggers or you are just dipping your toe in the water, to get side-tracked by 101 million different things that are 'essential' to your blog and if you are someone like me who actually gets a thrill from reading blogging tips then you are in an even worse place because you will find yourself literally buzzing with these essential things to add/do/implement on your blog.
However, walking along, gulping down that brisk sea air today (no sunshine & clouds) I thought you actually don't need any of that professional blogging stuff to be successful...but there are a few things that are pretty much crucial ...and once I started to think about it I got it down to about 5 - these are the only things that you need to concentrate on...once you have read through take a look at some of the big girl's blogs...you'll see that actually they don't have bundles of stuff on their blogs...but they do have all of these...
So here are my top things that your blog must have
1. About Page
There are all sorts of About Pages out there, and if you search on it there are many different tips and ideas for what to have on yours
Whatever blogging platform you use, adding an About Me Page is easy, quick and simple and will do everything to grow your blog.
I like a long-ish About Page, I am inherently nosy and I like to know a bit more about the person but at the least you should have on it your name and where you are located. Â I also think a photo is good too...over the last year or so I think this has become more important in blogging - if you are hesitant about that as I was, you can try using sunglasses or a behind shot until you get comfortable.
There is nothing worse than stumbling upon a new blog and going to find out more to only be faced with a piddly little one liner About Me Page...well there is something worse, not having one at all!
2. Contact Page
The chances are someone, somewhere will want to contact you and you will be surprised what lands in your inbox once you put yourself out there on the world wide web with a blog.
Many bloggers also use this page to include details for PR's/brands that may want to contact them and some bloggers put their stats on there too.
A short, to the point and simple Contact Page works really well...whenever I have wanted to contact another blogger I am often very busy and have limited time so I don't want to hang around sifting through information looking for an email address, so concise and clear ...
G'day lovely Beach Cottage lovelies.
So, yeah, so on a roll people, so on a roll.Â
I feel kinda home accessory wired right now.
I am always telling people, if anyone ever listens, that blogging is all about passion, not that sort of passion, but about passion that makes one tick.
Things like this make me tick tick boom.
I love finding things that suit my budget and let me treat my home but look amazing too.
So without further adieu I introduce you, ladies of the beach, to the blue vintage glasses that I have been stroking for about a week or two now...
These glasses are from a little boutique I sometimes happen upon, this boutique sells also pet accessories, carpet cleaner, bras and compost...it's quite unique though.
And, thanks to my friend Marnie (she blogs over here, go take a look at her praying position, interesting), who just so happens to be one day having me over for a lil' Greek dinner, has let me in on the fact that we call Kmart....The KMart...with an accent ....as in 'I love The KMart'...just like her MIL does. Â Oh yeah. Â Love that.
So I have had my eye on reproduction vintage glass blue wine glasses and being trying to find real true vintage blue glasses for like ever.
Oh yes I have spied them in Frenchy boutiques, I have lusted after them in stores that I shouldn't even enter and I have put them back pretty quickly in those shops with the hand-written price tags. Â C'mon, you know the ones.
And, though all of the above have tempted me, muchly, really, even with my wardrobe stashing skills I just thought that, actually, I'd rather be saving that casherooni for our next trip overseas..
Hello The KMart.
Tick Tick Boom
Vintage style blue wine glasses.
Do not come to my old place and think you might pick up one of these and smile with pleasure at their handblown quality, their weight, and be secretly jealous that my wine glasses cost more than your car...friend, that would not happen...these do not feel like that...indeed these in a funny way reminded me of my baby girl, she was a tiny little thing, with stick legs, the tinsssssssiest ankles and wrists you ever did see, she slept sideways in her cot wedged in between rolled up blankets and would only settle attached to Mr Beach Cottage or I or a (dirty) pj top of mine scrunched up under her nose...the first few times I picked her up to cuddle, being used to Honeymoon Baby who weighed in at 9lbs at birth and has never really stopped growing, I nearly threw her little bird-cum-rat down covered body over my shoulder.
These glasses are like that...be careful or you might lose your wine down the front of your shirt.
But oh baby, we are not talking picking up here, we are not talking quality, we are not talking house accessory snobbery.
Beach Cottage ladies, we are talking aesthetics.
And this is what I need in my cottage.
Blue vintage style glass, paired with coastal / nautical / beach stuff on my deck.
It's The KMart.
Tune in tomorrow, tomorrow, I have more budget foofing for your home, or maybe it will be the dress that wraps me up in supermarket-chic and makes me feel like me again.
Good Day to you my friends, wanna come hang out on my deck, talk house accessories, The KMart and drink some wine from blue glasses?
Sarah
Hi!
Oh…what a nice ladder!! Nice in the bathroom.
And you also have a nice blog!!
Smile from L-jo ;O)
The ladder is a very nice accent. Can’t wait to see the napery! I know already that it’s lovely, so please add my name to the hat!
How beautiful and soothing to look at,i just love the ladder.Take care.
The ladder really works. Hope you’ve all recovered from the hospital trip! I’ve added your button plus the text ‘a great blog with a great giveaway’ to my blog, because I would really like to enter your giveaway! Thanks for adding a bit of fun to a gloomy day.
I’m going to do a 100th post giveaway, which must be coming up quite soon (I need to check my post counter!) It will have a Franco/Scottish theme, as those are the two countries where I spend my time…
A very ‘chic’ touch…
Please do add my name…Betty @ Country Charm
Oh what a lovely idea popping a ladder in the bathroom, it looks so pretty.
Ooohhh count me in for the giveaway, what fun!
love
Alison
x
I love it.
I’ll say it again – - – I don’t know HOW you make all white “work” like that, but you certainly do and I love it.
What a lovely idea – so simple and yet so effective.
I think we may have a hospital trip coming up! I think YS has dislocated his thumb – I posted about it Friday – the swelling still hasn’t gone down.
Already linked to your blog
have been since I started my blog.
Hope the kiddo is mending quickly so you can concentrate on painting all everything white.
Thanks for the tip on watering down the paint to get a good weathered look. Having seen the $$$$ version of ladders at the upmarket shops got to say yours is looking much more authentic.
This is a great result. Thanks for sharing this idea.
How fabulous the ladder looks.
Mmmm…piled on the floor is good too!!
Boys will be boys. Glad he is ok.
Alison
Hi there! What another lovely idea of you and you are to generous! I’d love to have this in my bathroom aswell…it will always remember me of you and your lovely blog ánd of dear ol’Australia! Which I hopefully will visit in the very near future! But I guess sending it to the Netherlands will be to costly..
but I will give it a go anyhow! 
That’s a great towel shelf. I used to have one in dark blue with rope built in – very nautical looking.
Love it!
Wonderful idea for the ladder! What a great addition to your bathroom.
Oh my gosh, how i love that idea. I wonder if a ladder would fit in my bathroom. I doubt it, but I’ll check.
My teenage son had emergency surgery on Friday, so I’m feelin’ your pain in that regard.
OOOH…another oyster lover, it was the raspberry sauce that really gave it the oomph wasn’t it? ‘Course I’ll linky to you…be my pleasure,x
I just recently found your blog and love looking at the decorating ideas. Wish I’d found you when we moved into our beach cottage, but you’re definitely making me think about the direction I’d like to take my decorating. I already added you to my blogroll, does that count?
I’m sure you must get tired of me–the same comment every time–”I love your white”! It’s hard for me to believe boys live in all the wonderful whiteness (let alone rowdy scateboarding ones!). Your ladder is a great find and looks perfect!
That turned out so beautiful! Great job.
I put your button on my blog:
http://theartofrandomwillynillyness.blogspot.com/
Hi, you did a fantastic job in your bath. Looks just perfect.
Love the ladder…like how it narrows as it goes up. Seems to be perfect for your bathroom. I have posted your giveaway on my sidebar and will mention it in tomorrow’s post.
Renee
Cottagelifestyle@gmail.com
What a wonderful idea!! You have a beautiful home!
Hi Sarah -
Hope your son is ok – I feel your pain as I too have spent countless hours with my surfer boy in the emergency room. I’m new to blogging and commenting and all this but I love your beach cottage! Just found you and Thank You for inspiring me to get a few things done that I’ve been meaning to do for a few years. I gathered up my courage – dragged my dining room table outside (by myself – sheer determination) and painted the dark brown top white, distressed it, dragged it back in & I am so thrilled – shoulda done it years ago. Thanks also for showing me that little tea lights are charming set out on their own – I’ll be following you…
Marsha
After seeing how you paint baskets, I decided to give it a try this weekend. They look pretty good. Thanks!!
The ladder is so pretty. I love antique ladders, and what a cute idea to use one in the bathroom as a towel shelf. If only I had enough space in my bathroom!
Love that ladder. I’m making one today out of an old ladder worn with age left in this house I bought. Great blog too, I’m adding a button.
I raised three boys and have been to the ER with the skateboard thing too! Gotta luv ‘em!
Love the ladder. It looks very nice. Hope your son is feeling okay after his accident. I’ll link to you on twitter. I’m goodsoutherngal over there.
I just recently found your blog, and I love it. We have a lake house, but it is decorated very “beachy”.
What a clever idea. It give you great storage and looks gorgeous all at the same time. Love it. Hugs, Marty
Wow, I really love those whitewashed ladders. I’m going to have to keep my eyes peeled for one of those. How cute!
Just stumbled on your blog from another, and it’s lovely! I love the ladder idea, wish I had room in my bathroom for one. I will continue to follow your renovations.
I’ve been longing for one of those ladders for the longest time! I love it! But you know I wouldn’t be able to help myself, Sarah. I’d have to load it down with quilts!
Brenda
Oh, I absolutely LOVE this!
A vintage ladder is also on my most wanted list.
Hope Mr. Teenage BC is feeling better. My hubby actually used to skateboard up until fairly recently….he last little *accident* pretty much woke him up and made him realize that he isn’t as young as he used to be.
Hugs
Rachel
I just discovered your blog last night and it’s a delight for the soul and a feast for the eyes! Keep up the great work.
I love how the ladder turned out. Great way to display your towels & such. Glad to hear your son is OK. Three hour trip to hospital isn’t all that bad. Here it is at least an 8 hour ordeal.
Simply Perfect Sarah!!
Good the beachy son is OK
Hi, please add me to your giveaway. I follow your blog and just love it…well, we are almost neighbours..lol..why wouldn’t I? i love the ladder.. such a nice effect..have been looking for one for ages. Have a nice day. Marilyn from Lavender Cottage.
…oh..I almost forgot to tell you…I added your beachcottage logo to my blog
Marilyn
love the ladder and the bathroom! once again…can i come live with you?
Hi Sarah,
How fun that you’re having another drawing! I added your button to my sidebar. My email is: bsidethesea@hotmail.com
Thanks!
Brenda in San Diego
I love the white. It somehow looks warm in your place. I appreciate the giveaway and would love to win but I don’t know that you would want to send this to Canada. The postage would be pretty high. I gave away a couple cookbooks one time and the postage to the US from Canada was more than what I paid for the cookbooks.
I love the seashells displayed with your towels and linens!
I think your bath is just perfect. I love the crisp white on white…wonderful in a bath!
Ohh how exciting – thank you for another gorgeous giveaway.
Ladder looks great – I know they are so hard to find.
Jo
Ohh… I just found your Beautiful blog!!
Gorgeous photos… so fresh and clean
Love the ladder in the bathroom, and the basket to store supplies! So Glad your son’s accident wasn’t terribly serious. laurie
It looks lovely – serene, simple.
Please add my name to the hat~thanks!
Lovely pictures~
Love the ladder. Fun touch! Count me in (if USA counts)