BLONDIE TAKES A LITTLE VACATION!!

Oh!!! Do I wish I looked this good!! Look at that little sarong! I definitely would need a bigger sarong. And the beach ball...Much bigger to hide behind!! In any event, I'm off for a wee vacation in Michigan. Some leisurely days at the cottage, floating on a raft, napping in the Summerhouse with the dogs and sitting under the palm trees (plants), reading a book. One of my very favorite things to do is take the boat out with The Husband to the far end of the lake where there is no traffic (and there really isn't any during the week) and we just drift, no anchor. He fishes and I read and it is so quiet and peaceful. The only time the silence is broken is when he catches a fish and that rarely happens.

We are going to get away for 3 days and travel up the coast of Lake Michigan to a little resort town called Ludington. This is the Bed & Breakfast I chose to stay at. It is right smack in town around all the shopping and restaurants and just a short walk to the beaches, which are supposed to be just pristine. Oh, I can't wait to collect shells now that I've decided to give the cottage a bit of a coastal look!

I am boarding Milo and Layla for the first time. I found a nice place called Whispering Pines which is on 23 acres in the country. The owners actually enjoy playing with the dogs in a fenced in yard and they live on the property so they get 24 hour care. I think my little pups are going to have a little vacation of their own!

I promised to show a bit more of the kitchen even though it is not completed. What I really want you to see is a custom made wall of cabinets that Resident Carpenter and I designed.

This is what you see if you are seated at the bar/counter that divides the kitchen from the great room. I wanted my refrigerator enclosed. I kept my appliances as they were perfectly good and of course, white. All of the cabinets are done in Painted Turtle by Behr. These cabinets and cupboards make up a half octagonal shape on this wall. Not only did I want storage space, I wanted to display some things as well.

This side cabinet opens up on the top and the bottom...

The next set of cabinets have two glass panes that open in the middle and although I don't have the shelves or trim in, I will be able to use this upper cabinet for display. RC put a piece of the tin ceiling in for the back and I don't like it. I don't know what I will do with it, paint it for sure, but what color?

Now you can see that the whole door opens up into a cabinet!! How cool is this?? It is like a hidden door!. My hardware is not on yet, I chose brushed nickel knobs and pulls to match my sink faucet and knobs. Isn't this ingenious? Well, this is all that I am going to show for now because there is so much more work to do and I would rather have you all see it when it is completed. Let me know what you think!

I mentioned that I finally pulled out my new front porch furniture and The Husband assembled all but for the coffee table. I found these cushions on Overstock.com and they came in a set of three for about $60.00. After looking everywhere for cushions that I liked, in the right size and at a reasonable price, I think I hit the jackpot. I love them!! Now look at the pillows...

I found these at that mansion/flower shop/antique store in White Pigeon last weekend. There were pillows EVERYWHERE!! They were all handmade by a 90 year old woman. Boy, does she have her groove or what??! Zillions of colors and patterns. I bought a neck roll for my bed that has pearls and crystals and all sorts of bling. Handmade and only $23.00!! The pillows at Target cost more! She IS good!! And you know I am going to the big sale there on the 6th. Whoo Hoo! I am renting a U~Haul!!

They match my furniture cushions perfectly!

And I leave you with a parting shot of the day lily's that I have planted around this front porch. They even match the furniture. This was a happy accident, I was simply looking for pink.

So off we go tonight. I am doing a ton of laundry (again) and running some errands, but otherwise I am ready!! Happy dance!! And wherever Blondie goes, so does the laptop so I will be in touch and post some pic's.

Have a great weekend! :-)

xoxo

Jane