Saturday, June 28, 2014

Building a Raised Garden Bed + Cottage Life Vlog

Hello, my bloggy friends!
Since I've got lots of things to share with you,I decided to go ahead and post another episode of daily life here at Cairn Cottage. So, keep reading and scrolling down...
First of all, I wanted to share some pictures of the new raised garden beds that Ken built recently. We had several raised garden beds at our previous house and have been wanting to build some here at Cairn Cottage, but our space is limited, so it's been a bit of a challenge to come up with something to fit our property. Ken is a bit of an inventor and loves to re-cycle old items. When we moved here, we downsized quite a bit and one item that we had in storage for years was an old waterbed frame. Of course, since waterbeds aren't as popular now, selling it to make a profit would be pretty pointless. Then, Ken got his creative inventor juices cooking and came up with the idea to use the waterbed frame to make our raised garden. How creative is that!!?
So, we went to work...we wanted a raised bed that was narrow and long, to make it easier to reach all the vegetable plants. So, Ken cut the bed in half and attached the long side-board to the frame again.

 Here, I'm helping Ken hold the board up, as he attaches the corners.

 Reinforcing all the corners of the frame.

Finding just the right spot for the raised bed.

Now, comes the "fun"(hardest) part...after marking the dimensions in the grass, digging up the sod. (Great workout, especially on a hot, humid day!)

Our (first) completed garden...tomatoes and a few hot pepper plants.

A few days later, Ken decided he wanted more hot pepper plants...so he planted them in this large barrel.

Then, I decided I wanted some sweet peppers, too! Oh, my....we just kept adding....Ken built another smaller raised bed!


Our final garden, view of the lake!

 Our first peppers.

The tomatoes are looking good, too!

 View from our cottage window. Can't wait till we get some fresh ripe veggies!! next year I'd like to add green beans...Oh, boy!! Poor Ken!!

Another fun thing I want to share with you today is the awesome news that I officially have my own Youtube channel, at Ann K(Cairn Cottage Life)

I have posted a few videos and will be adding more videos to my channel in the future. Most of them will be about life at Cairn Cottage, but I may add other home videos, as well. Feel free to subscribe to my channel to get any new updates. Today, though, I wanted to open my door a little and share what life is like for me and my hubby at the lake...
On this particular day, we were working on multiple home projects...one being the raised garden box that I described above. I also purchased a weathered sign at an antique shop and was refurbishing it to put by our front door. I hope to share some pics of that later on, too. Hope you enjoy...

Don't you just love our little furry friends, Jet and Cheyenne!?!
Hope your weekend is relaxing and fun!!
Wishing you

Ann
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” Spanish Proverb
Any Link Goes Party @ Bacon Time With The Hungry Hungry Hypo 
Serenity Saturday @ Serenity You
Say G'Day Saturday @ Natasha In Oz
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Get Schooled Saturday @ Too Much Time On My Hands
Share It One More Time @ One More Time Events
That DIY Party @ DIY Show Off
So Darn Crafty Party @ Sew Many Ways
Think Pink Party @ Flamingo Toes
DIY Sunday Showcase Linky Party @ VMG206
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Friday, June 27, 2014

Weekend of Boating and Fishing

A few weeks ago, my hubby and I got to spend all day out in our boat on the lake...
It was such a beautiful day that I decided to share some pictures here from that relaxing excursion.

Fishing fun!




A beautiful sunset!








Crescent Moon!


Have a great weekend! May you have 

Ann
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” Spanish Proverb

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Friday, June 20, 2014

Bathroom Makeover

Hello!
How are all my creative, stylish, decorating-minded bloggy friends doing today? Well, as you may well know, I've been away from my blog for quite a while, as the projects and lake activities have definitely kept me busy. But, today I want to share some great pics and catch you all up on what's been happening at "Cairn Cottage." Plus, I am so excited to share my new blog look...hope you enjoy!

 One big project we completed this spring was redecorating our 2nd bathroom.(Sorry, I didn't get any before pics. but to give you an idea of how much we did...this bathroom had the bare essentials starting out. No paint, no trim, no decor, nothing on the walls.)
Here is the entrance to the bathroom,

Another view of the doorway from inside the bathroom.

Lavatory and mirror. To the left, photos of the beach and water in black and white...not mine(purchased at Kohl's at a 50% sale.) 

View of doorway and shower door at left. Behind the white closet door is the water heater and storage space.  

On the opposite end of the bathroom is a corner space for the commode. We had a frosted window put in when we replaced all the old windows in the bathroom...making it private. I love the commode storage cabinet I got at Menards. 

Added my tropical decor...fish purchased at Dollar Tree. Coral at Kohl's.

Area opposite the commode.

I put these decals (purchased at Hobby Lobby) up myself. It wasn't too difficult, as they had adhesive on the backs of them. They say, "Dream big, Believe in yourself, Imagine the possibilities."

This window looks out over the lake...so peaceful.

We also redecorated two rooms connected to this bathroom(all three rooms are located above our garage)...we currently are using them as a guest bedroom and exercise room. I'll be sharing those in a future post. 

Have a great weekend! See ya soon!!!

Ann
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” Spanish Proverb

 Linking over to these blog parties
Monday
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple  
Make it Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Making The World Cuter @ Making The World Cuter 
Sunday's Best @ My 1929 Charmer
DIY'ERS @ Home Coming 
Sunday Showcase Party @ By Stephanie Lynn
Creative Link Inspire @ The Crafty Blog Stalker
The Scoop Link Party @ The Everyday Home

Tuesday
Project Inspired Linky Party @ Cupcakes and Crinoline
Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home
Knick of Time Tuesday @ Knick of Time
The Inspiration Board Link Party @ Homework
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
From Dream to Reality @ The DIY Dreamer
Tweak It Tuesday @ Cozy Little House
The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life 
Tuesdays at Our Home @ Our Home Away From Home 

Wednesday 
Be Inspired Party @ Elizabeth & Co.
Before & After Wednesday @ The Dedicated House
Power Of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
Swing Into Spring Wednesday @ DIY by Design 
What We Accomplished Wednesday @ Green Willow Pond
Adorned From Above Party @ Adorned From Above
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Work It Wednesday's @ The Happy Housie
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants
Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters 
Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts
Party On The Porch @ The Shady Porch

Thursday
Under $100 Link Party @ Beyond The Picket Fence
Link Party Thursday @ Bloom Designs Online
Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch To Yours 
Throwback Thrusday @ Glitter Glue and Paint
Create It Thursday @ Lamberts Lately 
Show Me Extraordinary Thursday Party @ The 36th Avenue
Link'N Blogs @ Delineate Your Dwelling 
Wildly Original Wednesday @ I Gotta Create!
Thrifty Life Thursday @ Revisionary Life
Foodies & Crafties Soiree @ KiddieFoodies

Friday
What To Do Weekends @ Crafts A La Mode
Fabulously Creative Linky Party @ Jennifer Rizzo
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed
Frugal Friday @ Shabby Nest
Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground
Design It Friday @ Finding Fabulous
TGIF Linky Party @ A Peek Into My Paradise 
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Creativity Unleashed Link Party @ One Project Closer/The Better Half
Inspire Me Please @ Liz Marie Blog
Freedom Fridays @ My Turn For US 
Shabbilicious Friday Link Party @ Shabby Art Boutique
Junkin Joe @ The Cottage Market
Catch as Catch Can @ My Repurposed Life

Saturday
Any Link Goes Party @ Bacon Time With The Hungry Hungry Hypo 
Weekend WrapUp Party @ Tatertots and Jello 
Serenity Saturday @ Serenity You
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday
Get Schooled Saturday @ Too Much Time On My Hands
Share It One More Time @ One More Time Events
Inspiration Monday @ I Should Be Mopping The Floor
Sundae Scoop Weekend Wrap Up Party @ I love Nap Time 
That DIY Party @ DIY Show Off
So Darn Crafty Party @ Sew Many Ways
Think Pink Party @ Flamingo Toes
Sunday Show Off Linky Party @ Twigg Studios
DIY Sunday Showcase Linky Party @ VMG206
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Sunday, June 8, 2014

A message from Ann

A message from Ann
I had taken some time off from blogging, but will be sharing new posts very soon on the following:
-My cottage garden
-Bathroom remodel
-Lake life
-A Summer {What's In My Closet} Wardrobe Haul
-And much more!!

Make sure to stop back in the next couple of weeks!!

Ann
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” Spanish Proverb
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