I Stole: Not Really, But It Feels Like It

So I have a few steals to share with ya!

1st

 

Emily found these chairs for me for a whopping $9 for the PAIR.

Not sure when or what is going to happen to these or where they are going.

 But hey, for $4.50 each, how could you resist?

Any ideas or great inspiration pics?

2nd

This 60" oak table for $80

I haven't quite decided what to do with it yet.

Option A:

Limed oak finish

via

via

Option B:

Gray wash

via

Option C:

via

Paint it Benjamin Moore metallic veil cream

What is your pick? Do tell!

Oh, so I know I was a bad blogger and didn't blog yesterday, but head on over to My Crafty Home Life to see my guest post:)

The South Carolina Joggling Board Company

Meet Jammie Harris- Owner of The South Carolina Joggling Board Company.

And this, is his story.

"Standing on the shoulders of Sam Tinsley, I first built a joggling board for my brother as a house warming gift. And the word got out. Joggling boards originated in Scotland and were first documented in Aiken, South Carolina, over 300 years ago. They are more recently associated with Charleston, South Carolina, where they are most prominent.  

Although there are many silly stories about the origin of joggling boards, it is most likely that they were created out of necessity to keep children off of home construction sites. On these sites, large planks were placed on the ground to the foundation for workers to enter and exit the structure;these planks had a lot of give to them which attracted children who wanted to jump and spring on them. A long plank would therefore be moved off of the site on which the children could play. Eventually this idea took on its own life as a toy to be placed on covered porches."

Today, joggling boards are still popular on porches around the South. Jammie filled a need for them in the Florence area and those who are fortunate enough to have his pieces will be forever grateful. 

Not only does he make new boards, he repairs old ones as well. 

Many boards are passed down from generation to generation and although they last for almost a hundred years, they sometimes need repairs.

What a great family heirloom to have! 

Jammie doesn't stop at joggling boards. 

He offers a variety of handmade items.

One of my favorites; the framed tobacco leaves.  

These leaves are grown in the area, dried and then matted on linen. 

The frames are handmade and decorated with hand carved tobacco leaves.

Oyster roasts are very popular around here. 

Of course, you need the right table to serve guests from. 

Hand made oyster tables are the way to go.

With it being oyster season, every man (or woman) needs
 one of these for oyster roasts! 

I had such a great afternoon with you, Jammie. 

Thanks for showing me around your workshop.

This spring, I hope to add a little joggle to my porch too!

click here for more information on purchasing

Custom products are also available

What Would You Do?

With this window?

(Please excuse the blue tape and the giant stump that needs to be taken out:)

I'm not sure what to do either. 

You see, the stairs were apparently added after the house was built. 

The windows are new so we can't mount blinds inside.

 I have to do an outside mount. 

Decisions, decisions! 

So, what would you do? I need help!

Watching Paint Dry

So after we paint the entire house, we plan on tackling the kitchen next!

So excited.

I feel like I'm watching paint dry! I'm just not a very patient person!

And look at this gem I found.

I debating on whether or not to go ahead and order a couple.

At only $100, they're a steal!

Reminds me a little of the hicks pendant -without the $525 price tag.

What do you think?

SBCGSA Grilled Cheese with Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Can you guess what SBCGSA stands for? 

Don't scroll down!

Take a guess and leave it in a comment:)

Last night our meal was the bomb diggety. 

No Joke

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to make this genius creation but boy, am I glad a did!

The Recipes:

Sourdough, Brie, Chicken and Granny Smith Apple Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

2 slices sourdough bread

a few slices of brie

deli sliced buffalo chicken

granny smith apple, sliced thin

mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Directions:

•  heat pan over medium and spray with pam
• coat once slice of bread in a little bit of mayo- (trust me)
• put in pan to toast, flip once crusty
• layer (in this order) brie, apples, chicken
• cook on low until melted
• take this layer and put it on a plate
• coat another slice of bread and toast both sides
• put on top of other layer 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 

I honestly don't have a recipe but I'll let you know what I did!

• roast a butternut squash
• caramalize a couple of onions
• add red pepper flakes, and  a couple bay leaves
• add a box of RR chicken stock
• add squash
• add some milk, fresh thyme, hot sauce, nutmeg
• puree
• S&P to taste
•  add a dollop of greek yogurt, parmesan cheese, and nutmeg

Both delish and pretty easy. So do me a favor, make this tonight and let me know your thoughts. If you don't pin it asap, you'll be glad you did!

In other news, we're making some progress on the house. 
I wish 
some 
was 
A LOT 
 but it's not. 

More on that tomorrow! And I need help. We have a dilemma in the dining room!

Henhurst Interiors: A Dining Room Design

I came across Phyllis' blog a few months ago and totally fell in love with her pictures and design inspiration! I'm so excited that she is here today to share with us her Dining Room Design plan for my new house. How lucky am I???

 

Without further ado, A Dining Room Design by Henhurst Interiors.

______________xoxo_______________

It is a great pleasure to be here today offering up some ideas for the dining room in Fletcher’s new house. Moving is incredibly stressful and there is so much to be done while settling into a new life, it can be hard to focus on specifics while sorting out the big picture. I was happy to be asked to fill in some focus on one room.

I started out by having a look at Fletcher’s Pinterest boards to get a sense of her personal style. The first thing I noticed is that we share very similar taste in design: we gravitate to neutral colors, linen, wood finishes and natural elements, but like magpies, sometimes seek a little shine. On Fletcher’s ‘Next House’ board I found the photo below designed by Tracery Interiors and published in Veranda, July/August 2012. I love the color palette and mix of textures.

The next dining room is the work of Steve who writes the blog An Urban Cottage. Steve is truly a visionary. His thoughtfully restored house has been the subject of a Better Homes and Gardens story (see it here) and his blog is a great design resource. I think this room perfectly illustrates a how a dining room can be multi-purpose. In a small house this is key. I can see reading and relaxing here when not actually dining. Also, Fletcher’s dining room has similar shelves on one wall.

An Urban Cottage

Angela of The Painted House, a stylish blog rich with creativity and inspiration, took the next photo at the Rosemary Beach, Florida Coastal Living Showhouse 2012.  I love the limed-oak finish of the table and the slipcovers on the chairs, both of which are very forgiving of dining mishaps so you can relax when you have guests for dinner. How beautiful are the plates which, with their imperfect edges, appear be hand thrown pottery and look like an art installation on the wall?

The Painted House

Below is a photo of Fletcher’s dining room from the real estate listing.

Fletcher’s tentative paint colors are: on the wall, Benjamin Moore Feather Down and the trim, Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan – ideal choices in my opinion!

The room is essentially square (the darker block of risers is the upper portion of the staircase, the area below it is open,) and I am an advocate of round tables in square dining rooms. The shape makes it easier to navigate around the table if the room is small and I find them conducive to convivial gatherings – round tables seem to encourage shared conversations.

Here are a few good examples courtesy of House Beautiful.

Barbara Westbrook

Abby Rizor

Myra Hoefer

Michael Smith

In the course of planning this guest post, Fletcher introduced me to Olioboard. It is a very easy platform to use for creating virtual storyboards. A great feature is that thousands of products are pre-loaded by participating companies (among them my adored OKA from the UK) and websites that feature several of my favorite manufacturers (Arteriors, Zentique, and Aiden Gray to name a few.) 

I put together a few boards in different styles (the first and last I would call Transitional, the second and third Swedish and French Country) to show Fletcher different options. I’ve used a lot of beige and linen, painted and limed-wood finishes, and starburst mirrors for shine. Forgive me for indulging my personal taste here; I encourage you to envision your own favorite colors and finishes, fabrics and textures, art and accessories.

In addition to a round table, I would recommend a chest to the left of the door to the kitchen in which to store table linens, candles, and maybe seasonal items.

I love hanging a chandelier in the dining room. Position your table before you hang the chandelier because you might not wind up having the table in the absolute center of the room. Also, make sure your chandelier is on a dimmer.

You can upload your own product images to Olioboard; here I added a favorite lantern from Brown in Houston. When you upload your own image you are prompted to add a website link, description and price so people who view your board can find the item online.

I am going to give you a word of warning…last Spring Mr. H threatened to stage a ‘Pinter-vention’ because of the hours I was logging online at Pinterest. Well, Olioboard is possibly more addictive. And the dangerous  part…after you have assembled all the things you love on a board, you can simply click on an item…and buy it.  Uh, oh.

This has been tons of fun, thank you so much Fletcher, and all best wishes for many happy years ahead in your new home!   xoxo, Phyllis

Many thanks to Steve at An Urban Cottage and to Angela at The Painted House for giving permission to have their photos used here.

Following C's: Fall Favorites

I've been reading Courtney's blog for a few months now and it's one of my daily reads! She is a wonderful photographer, mother to two precious boys, has a great sense of style and totally makes me want to be a mom like her! Make sure you check her out at Following C's!

____________xoxo____________

Hey everyone! I'm Courtney from Following C's and I'm so happy to be guest posting for Fletcher today! I ran across her blog several months ago and I've been a fan ever since:)  Very excited to step in today!

Fletcher asked me to share some cold weather favorites with you and I have *lots* of favorites this year. This is one of those seasons where everything seems to be pretty!

DV by Dolce Vita 'Lunna' cap toe flats - I love all the cap toes this year.  So cute and tons of styles to choose from!

Factory iPhone case - I'll take anything with a sassy animal print.

JCrew animal print wool scarf - I live in scarves in the fall and love this one.

ShopSosie Meridan necklace - Fun statement necklace to wear with basic white tee and jeans.

JCrew cabernet cords - Cords are nice and cozy and I love this pair.  It seems burgundy is all the rage this season and that's okay with me:)

JCrew school boy blazer - I love that blazers are back this year.  This one's pricey but such a classic.  I love that when I wear a blazer I don't need a bulky coat - lightweight but warm.

Gap supersoft crew - These tees are wonderful. Supersoft and easy to throw on with jeans and a scarf and coat.

Gap scarf - Scarves keep me cozy and this one has a punch of color.

Tory Burch 'Nadine' riding boots - A major splurge in my opinion but I live in boots when fall arrives and this pair is sooooo pretty.

Is everyone ready for it to get chilly?  I admit I am:) Thanks so much for having me Fletcher!  

My Crafty Home Life: A Man Cave Design

Today I'm excited to share with y'all Linda's plan for Eric's Man Cave. You see Linda is a serial DIYer and if you haven't checked out her blog you should. She will make you want to get your crafty on. What better room to save money and do DIY projects than a man cave?    _______________xoxo_______________
Hello High Cotton Style readers. I'm Linda, from the blog My Crafty Home Life

Fletcher is away on a top secret assignment. Actually, I'm not sure it is a secret at all...in fact, it is probably public knowledge? Well, regardless...I'm outing the information:
Fletcher is buying a home and joining many of us in the never-ending bank account draining, energy sucking land of HOME-OWNERSHIP! 

She has asked me to give you her my thoughts on a Man Cave for her boyfriend.

I will do this for her, but as usual, I am glad my husband does not know where I am today....because he is NEVER getting one in my our home.

Here is the photo of the room she sent me from the MLS

I am guessing that it is this portion of the upstairs. It is the obvious place, right?

That is the best I can do with blowing up the floor plan..sorry, but you get the drift. A 12 x 12 room with slanted ceilings on both walls, and a window at the back. 

Starting with the entrance to the hallway from the living area, I demolished the existing closet. 

Fletcher and Eric need more storage! Since she probably doesn't have a ton of cash lying around, I selected 2 of these Ikea closets. They will fit the 10 foot run perfectly.

A little hacking like adding some molding, better hardware, and bringing the bottom flush to the front, like I did with my Malm dressers....and this will look like a million bucks!
Now we move into the room. On the right and left side of the room, 

I would add bookshelves like these

Source

Apparently there are hardwood floors under the carpet...so, again...saving money
Paint them!

Source

A runner for the hall, and a solid high gloss color for the Man Cave

Add a cowhide rug

Next up, what would any Man Cave be without a television!
I am totally taking care of you, Mr. High Cotton Style..
Right here is where the television should go

If I calculated it right, you should be able to squeeze a 40" tv here....give or take. So, how about a pallet wall television mount

Source

The opposite window wall would get this treatment

Source

A couple of club chairs...and you're done. Or, he's done!
Good luck with your new home, Fletcher. I can't wait to see what you decide to do. If you lived closer, I would come and help you.