Tuesday, August 23, 2011

On A Working Holiday....

I am at Marabou Ranch outside of Steamboat Springs Colorado........on a working holiday. I am busy but sit here every chance I get because I love this chair....



My favorite favorite rocking chair!!!!
http://www.marabouranch.com/ 

Steamboat Magazine wrote a story about the project Anna and I did at Marabou Ranch  last year. I took so many  funny photos and some great ones but never had time to post them. I am here now but cant work this computer to load my one million photos.
. Colorado is beautiful, Steamboat is wonderful and Marabou Ranch is off the charts. The article is linked on the Press button on my web site.
Bellamy painted some awesome paintings for the project.( she is part cowgirl) I bought some funky funky pieces in Savannah and I had the chance to do what I love on the Elk River 20 minutes outside of Steamboat .
 I could have been a cowgirl/ or maybe I was an indian in another life. I love nature and the earth and I love the difference between the ocean and the mountains. This project was a chance for major " nest building" while the cattle  and horses watched us thru the windows and the white owl scared Anna as it flew from its spot on the rafters of the porch late one night as we were hurrying to complete this project.
My favorite favorite thing was the rocking chair that bought for $400.00 dollars (that had a $1200.00 price tag). My friend and favorite upholsterer,Larry Davis ( Davis Upholstery) in Savannah Georgia) cover it in a  cowhide that  I bought years ago and has been savings for ME. When it was  done, it was all I could do to put it on the truck bound for Steamboat.

Back in town on Sunday with so many photos for my blog.

Friday, August 19, 2011

TIMELESS BEACH COTTAGE BEAUTIFUL.........................

I love old beach houses. They are timeless and ageless. My birthday is drawing near and I want to be timeless and ageless .
 Age is an attitude...so I may be in luck.
 I have a positive attitude and an open mind. I work very hard but my work is not work to me...
There is a "better that good" chance that I will be moving soon. I have to go to Colorado next week on business and the following week I will be moving from "A Bohemian Cottage" .
There is change in the air and I am preparing for my next adventure.
I have a bit of sadness as I always do.... . But my next project is just sitting there calling my name....


Back to the blog....
This amazing place is defintely "timeless beach cottage beautiful".


high ceiling and everything painted the same color


Sinks in the bedrooms.  ...old and beautiful. I wish they still made these.

The bedrooms all have sinks and the rooms flow into each other

the sinks only have cold water..back to the basics.

this sink is metal and my most favorite. love the base and details

lots of old "walk through" windows . There was no air conditioning ... Only the magical ocean air swirling around and cooling the rooms. YUMMY YUMMY!!!!!!!

12 foot porches with a view of the Atlantic Ocean

Note: wide porches are important. Don't let anyone talk you out of your wide porch...and they definitely will try.

See the ship on the horizon
This old raised cottage has air conditioning now  and is rented through http://www.tybeecottages.com/




 I ran across this photograph of another old Tybee Cottage taken by the most talented and wonderful Richard Leo Johnson.http://www.atlanticarchives.com/ As a photographer he  has captured so many of my projects. Once I showed a magazine scout a great cottage I had done, she did not seem very interested but when Richard sent scouting shots that he had taken she  wanted it for her magazine. Is he GREAT or what!!
note:
 the old sink (cold water only)



Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The truth about "Favorite Blouse Blue"

I was contacted about the Jane Coslick Cottage Collection Colors  
and  so I will begin with the color I named.. Favorite Blouse Blue.
 I was working on Fish Camp Cottage at the time and  needed a color for the exterior. The place was a mess and I had HGTV coming to shoot an episode of Dream Builders. They were going to shoot the site (dumpster and workmen) but it looked awful. What was a girl to do?
It is like when you try TOO  hard.. it never works......
..... Like when you "have to have" a dress for a special occasion... you can never find one.
I had to give this pitiful place something  great......
I thought it was beautiful but I was definitely in the minority on this one. I tried samples of colors but nothing was feeling just right.
I owned a blue/periwinkle linen blouse that people were always saying, " You look great " every time I wore it. If it could help me , I knew it could help my cottage.
I took the blouse to the paint store and ask them to match the  color in exterior semigloss paint. I added the colors of the blooming landscape as accent colors and Fish Camp Cottage came to life.
Fish Camp Cottage was my home for 8 wonderful years.  It made the cover of Cottage Living Magazine and shown like a star for the article. It was a magical little spot if ever there was one.
The new owner have changed the interiors but the outside still remains Favorite Blouse Blue.
It is now a rental through Mermaid Cottages for the new owners.http://www.mermaidcottages.com/












Saturday, August 13, 2011

Saturday Colors .....

I have been working entirely to hard so I decide to "stop and smell the roses" or in this case..... smell the salt water.
 Aj's Dockside  restaurant on Tybee Island is now renting kayaks and paddle boards along with serving  great food , great music and great sunsets. It is a special place on our quirky little island .

I have watched all the kayaks and paddles boards and life jackets being delivered over the past several weeks (like Christmas in August) I  love all the bright colors as they contrast with the docks and the salt water.Color is everywhere I look and I am all about the color!!! I took these photos today  and tomorrow I might try  paddle boarding...............  I know full well I will probably fall right off the beautiful yellow board. Oh well. no harm in trying.




these are the wider paddle boards..my speed for certain!!!!


two of the new kayaks

sit on top  kayaks....ready to try it?

the regular paddle boards and bright kayaks and and the great colors of the dockside restaurant


this view is looking out toward the Atlantic Ocean and Little Tybee Island on the right


I love the bright yellow AJ's stickers on the orange kayaks

getting ready for paddle boarders

the paddles and leashes(so when you fall your board stays close by)


tides out in this shot...all the colors are wonderful. even a.Pink dock house... LOVE IT!!!

Kayaking is fun and a great workout

Friday, August 5, 2011

One Great Day to Share.........................

It was a very hot day and I rode out to a project to see what treasures could be moved to a wonderful( but tired) old beach house ..some serious fluffing needed..nothing "new" allowed.
I was "picking" some unused pieces to paint and take to the Tybee House.
We search under over  around and through the amazing old home..It was great....
 There was even an old wooden boat( under the house) that I am still pondering!!!!!
Long story short...it was a great experience and I will never forget this day.



SHARING.............
how beautiful are the details
the front


the back porch

And could I have planned out this day any better?....................... Definitely not!
The power and beauty of the water................
what began as a "JOB" turned out to be a very special moment in time!!!!!!!




This tree took my breathe away( and I knew who planted it).... When it cools off let's all go plant a tree.!

octopus limbs.......

..................and I'm in heaven!!!!


as we are leaving I see the old fence and gates

old brick and wrougth iron

how cool is this OLD brick post

OLD brick fences.. how wonderful
I am celebrating the OLD!( because this month I will be!!!!) 
I was raised to appreciate people and things.
 It is not about having money or what money can buy but is about taking a look around you and appreciating what you have .
 I think the blog does just that .It is sharing what we love about our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ps. the next generation can stripe the paint

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

INSPIRATION FOR MY FURNITURE LINE

In my line of work I find wonderful pieces of furniture and fall in love with them....when they are "one of a kind"..end of story.
 A year or so ago , I decide to contact my very talented friends Chris Walker and Glenn Wilson to reproduce some of the pieces. Not copy..but create a legacy to all of the things I have loved and left behind on projects and in the cottages and houses that I have restored and sold. I become very attached to my "finds" and find sometimes it is very difficult to let go of them.
 I have been so busy working that I have not had much time  to devote to this fun task. Every time I walk into my house I see the prototypes we have created and  I am INSPIRED to continue with our plan of beautiful new/old things.
The cottages I have done on Tybee Island will always be a source of inspiration. Hours of work and planning go carefully into each one.
They  begin in a pitiful and neglected state and  become magical pieces of art for clients to love and enjoy.
                SEA BISCUIT COTTAGE / color inspiration

                                  




                           LUSCIOUS LITTLE COTTAGE/ color inspiration




THE ORIGINAL DRESSER/ inspiration
and color inspiration




       BOHEMIAN DRESSER IN    "STYLE ME TURQUOISE"from my color collection..........................
                      
http://janecoslick.myshopify.com/collections/art/products/bellamys-oyster  The art!!!!I can't live without it...............



     WITH THE ADDITTION OF BEAUTIFULFRENCH KNOBS   (A BIT BOHEMIAN,I THINK)

The color of the dresser came from a turquoise throw pillow that I had match. I am alway styling something ...thus the name" Style me turquoise"



The color of the chest is Sea biscuit named after 'Sea biscuit cottage'  ..not to be confused with Luscious Little cottage pink named after the LLC.(the Luscious Little Cottage)














  THE INSPIRATION...............
  A SMALL OLD CHEST I BOUGHT FROM A FRIEND





PALM COTTAGE.... THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NAME OF THE CHEST



BOHEMIAN COTTAGE
INSPIRATION FOR THE NAME OF THE DRESSER

ps: My Dad always said "Rome wasn't built in a day" and I can't find more than 24 hours in a day no matter how hard I look !!!!!!