Views Around My Home....

Just a peek around my home....

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude....

I sit here this morning thinking about many things.  It's been a while since I've updated Kaufman's Cottage mostly because I'm not sure of what to post.  From the very beginning I've felt strongly about being an encourager of homemakers.  We have a VERY important job to do!  I pray that if you are feeling discouraged about your role in the home that God will lead you to my post.  Don't think for a minute that it's just a coincidence...that's how He works sometimes!

I wanted to do a year end review for 2013.  Better late than never right?  I wholeheartedly believe this:

Are you struggling with discontentment?  Don't feel alone!  From time to time we all do.  I've found the best way to combat that is to simply look for things to be thankful for.  A home?  Someone to love?  Food to eat?  Clothes to wear?  A book to read?  A God to worship?  If you look hard enough, I guarantee you can find something to be thankful for and that my friends is victory over discontentment! 

2013 was a tough year with deaths in the family, broken relationships, unfair expectations and a whole lot more but I've got SO much to be thankful for!  If you are reading this, then you are a part of that as well.  So thank you!  Here are some random highlight's from 2013...

Front Porch Modification...

Garden August 2013...

Random Cards from 2013...



Trunk or Treat October 2013...

A Quick Fall Wreath...

Christmas 2013...

Our Best Friends....

Chris and I December 2013...

What are you most thankful for today?

Many Blessings,

Melissa

An Updated Studio....

 

It's been a while since I've updated any changes we've made on our little house.  For now, I'll leave you with a few photos from my studio....

You can see what the room looked like when we bought the house by clicking on the Before and After tab at the top of the blog!

Gift from a Friend...

 

Thank you for the beautiful gift sweet friend!

It's Easter Time!

As promised, I'm posting the Easter banner and eggs I covered for some of my Easter decor this year. I decided to stick with monochromatic tones that went well with the house because the colors are so warm.....goodness knows we need it since it's only 46 degrees and snowed in some parts of our area this morning!


For the banner I used a Sizzix Pennant Die from Stampin' Up!, stamped the letters and hand cut them out before attaching them to the pennants. It was a little tedious and time consuming but I like how it turned out. As for the eggs, I just tore designer paper into strips and mod-podged them to some plastic eggs. So the total cost for both projects was $0! I love those kinds of projects!


And instead of feeling sorry for myself because I don't have a beautiful mantle to decorate for holidays and seasons, I decided I could use our table under the big mirror in place of one. Hey, a girls got to use what she has right?

Thanks for stopping by!



Linking to:

Kristen's Creations

Dear Lillie

The Ribbon Wreath.....

It's FINALLY done!

I've been wanting to create a ribbon wreath for a long, long time and after following Erin's tutorial and a whole lot of procrastination, it's finally complete and hung up.....



I realize that you are not getting a full on shot of it but I'm still in my pajamas and didn't want to take away from the wreath by making you look at me in my jammies...so please forgive me!



Even with all of the finger burns it was well worth the effort! :)

Have a good weekend!

A little of this and a little of that....

Good morning everyone...

It's been a busy month around here and it's taking a toll on Kaufman's Cottage in blogland! Here's a sneak peek on what we've been working on.....




So far we are coming in right on budget and I'm loving the warmth it's adding to my kitchen. I'm editing out a few things in hopes of making the kitchen appear a little larger than what it actually is and will be sure to share the end result as soon as it's finished.

In the mean time, I'm also working on a few card ideas that I'll pass along some time this week. I hope you can come back then!

Master Bedroom Before and After....

It's been quite some time since I've shared any before and afters of our home. If you've been a reader for any length of time you already know that we bought the house in very poor condition in 2008. You can see more photos of it's progress by clicking on the Before and Afters tab located at the top of the blog. Ready?





















As with all of the other posts, I've tried to capture the same angle of the before and after shots in order for you to see things from a similar perspective. And while it's the smaller of the two rooms in the house, we have never regretted choosing this one for our room.

Thanks for stopping by....have a great weekend!