For the Love of a Bird Plate!!!

*Remember those fabulous red bird plates I posted about several months ago. Well...they did find their way to my Christmas table settings!
I love them, Enjoy!

Post-Christmas Pics

Just thought I would share with everyone some pics from the 504 cottage! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to 2009!

The front door of the 504 Cottage

Some fabulous Adirondack chairs made by the shop class at the high school I teach at!

The 504 Cottage. I love this house!

My sweet little Christmas Tree.

One of my most prized possessions! My 'Willow Tree' Nativity set - what makes it so special is that my mom and my husband have stocked me with each piece! I love the simplicity of this Nativity!

Be Blessed!

Meagan

Christmas at the Govenor's Mansion

The husband and I went to the Governor's Mansion in Montgomery, AL on Monday night. Each year the Governor (Bob Riley) and his wife (Patsy Riley) open their home up a few nights in December to the public. The decorations are just fabulous! Of course I was also noticing fabric on furniture, crown molding, and beautifully restored wood floors! Enjoy the pics! We only snapped a few because sadly our camera died before we left. Have a Merry Christmas (Alabama style!)

The "Black and White" Room was decorated by Pasty Riley herself! It was stated that this is the Governor and First Lady's favorite room to spend time in!

If you live near or are ever in the area during the Christmas Holiday's you should check out the tours! The mansion is beautiful. There is also a sister house next door to the mansion, the Hill House, that First Lady, Patsy Riley, has raised money to restore and has fully restored! It is gorgeous!

Blessings,

Meg

A little Christmas Spirit...

Wow...Can you believe it is already December 5th?! Just thought I would share some great Christmas decor ideas! I love this time of year because there is so much that you can do with all of your Christmas decorations. Try to use what you have - just think about it with a new satin ribbon or some great "charlie brown lights." I hope everyone has a great weekend. The husband and I will be in Birmingham, Alabama to shoot a wedding! Enjoy the cold weather and the Reason for the Season!

Blessings,

Meagan

All pictures found in Country Living.

It has been a while...

Where have I been.....
I have been everywhere. We have been so busy here at the 504 cottage. Christmas photo shoots, Thanksgiving dinners, decorating for Christmas, and shooting an out of town wedding (and by out of town I mean 8 hours from my cottage)! Although I have enjoyed every minute of being busy, I sure love coming home with nothing to do! Among all this my sweet husband braved Black Friday with me! We did not start at 3:30 a.m. - we are not the stand in line kinda people, but we did find some great deals later on during the madness of the day. With that said, I have to get on my soap box for just a moment. I feel like we have created a monster with the Black Friday, find the best Christmas Gift thing. My husband and I were listening to the radio on friday while in route to our next shopping destination when we heard some startling news - a man was trampled at a Wal-Mart during the rush of Black Friday Bargain Hunting, two men got in an argument which ended up in one getting shot - we have created a monster! I was talking with my mom about all of this and told her that my goal is to get back to the true meaning of Christmas! I told her I could care less about the gifts and would not be saddened if we did not exchange gifts at all - all I wanted was for all of my family to be together and enjoy our time together! Enjoy what the Lord has given us - the gift of life and each other. I feel we should begin to take back Christmas and remember the real reason we celebrate all month long - the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus! (Actually something we should celebrate all year long). And remember, is it really worth a human life to get $200 off of a flat screen t.v.? With that said, I pray that you find the real meaning during this month of December and carry it with you all year long! Enjoy time with your family this month and all year long - cherish it because we are not promised tomorrow!

Blessings,

Meagan

Benches, Lighting, and New Best Friends...

It has been a while since my last post...

We have been so busy at the 504 cottage.
Just thought I would share with you a fabulous little cottage bench (in red of course) that my decorator and new best friend, Molly, emailed me! (She owns a great interior design business, Henderson and Rigoloso - Drapes and Design in Tuscaloosa, AL). It is from overstock.com, which, by the way, is a great website to order fun stuff off of! I just ordered an amazing light fixture from them (I will post that pic also). The greatest thing about overstock.com is that shipping is only $2.95 for anything (even a large piece of furniture! Hope everyone is having a great week!

The Red Bench that I love and will have to convince my husband that it is a necessity for the 504 cottage!

The light fixture that I ordered for my living room!

I will post a pic when it gets hung in the living room.

Blessings,

Meagan

Fun at the dinner table...

On my quest to find "yummy" place settings and fun plates, I ran across Pier 1 Imports website. I rarely walk through the doors of this store just because there in not one close to where I live. When I found the "Red Bird Plate" in magazine I was reading, I immediately began to search the Pier 1 website for more fabulous finds! I am really into reds (along with yellow's and navy's) so all this red dinnerware was bringing a huge smile to my face! I hope you enjoy!






(This has to be my favorite plate right now, LOVE IT!)






(These may not be your style, but you have to admit...they are fun!)






(To me, This is cottage dinnerware at it's best!)






(This fabulous bowl would make a great, simple centerpiece for any table!)




(And if all these things weren't fun enough, these stemless glasses are fantastic, what a great way to keep up with your glass! These would make great "place cards" also!



I hope you have enjoyed some of my Pier 1 findings. I just might have to wander into a Pier 1 Imports in the near future. Maybe if I am good enough, some of these fabulous items will end up under my Christmas tree (a subtle hint to the husband).



Have a great Veteran's Day - I will sure enjoy my day off from work and will continue to be thankful for the many veterans that have secured my freedoms in this amazing country!



xo, Meagan

Trick-or-Treat...a few days late...

I know it is a few days late (well a week to be exact), but I wanted to share with you what greeted trick-or-treaters as they walked up to my house. My husband and I love Halloween. We just love pumpkin carving, handing out candy, and especially seeing pint sized trick-or-treaters adorned in their favorite costumes!



Hope you enjoy!


My Husband's fantastic carving skills!


My "favorite place" (my cottage) before the sun set.






After the sun set...




Some close friends of ours brought their precious kiddo's by to visit for a moment and to dip into the candy basket!

Have a great Friday!

xo, Meagan

A love of Chalkboards...

I know, I know...two posts in one day...somebody stop me!

I just wanted to show everyone one of my "loves."

A while back, I traveled home to visit my family and when I returned my wonderful, loving, handsome husband had made me this. It is in our little "computer nook."

I just love it! I hope you do to! Let me know what your "loves" are...

xo, Meagan

(If you are wondering about the WR Photgraphy at the top of the picture, my husband is a photographer...check him out here.)

Fabulous Thanksgiving Tables

I recently received my November issue of Country Living in the mail. I was hoping to find some great Thanksgiving table-scapes, but did not run across any in the magazine. So, I set out on an adventure with "Google" to find some and I did! I found some on Country Living.com! Did not even think to check the website when none were in the magazine...
Right now I am loving burlap and hope to use some as part of my table decor. Let me know if you have any great ideas for a fabulous Thanksgiving table!

Enjoy, Meagan





















And how about this burlap with these precious tiny dots. I love this as a place card idea!

Love these candles wrapped in the "Give Thanks"

All pictures from Country Living.

Check back...

Just wanted to update...
It has been a few days since my last post, but check back this afternoon for a new post.
I will have some pictures of my cottage home decorated for trick-or-treaters!
I hope all is having a great Monday, just think we are one day closer to Friday!
Thanks to all who read my silly little blog :)

-Meagan

A collection for a dainty girl...

Every since I was a little girl, I have had a love for antique aprons. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was about 9 years old. My dad and I were walking around an antique store, while my mother was inspecting a piece of antique furniture. We passed by a stack of linens. In that stack was a dainty little pink antique apron - as a 9 year old it if was pink, I was sold. My dad bought me my first apron that day and since then I have acquired about 40 antique aprons. All are different in style and color. I just love them! I am trying to think of innovative ways to use them in my cottage home! I have hung some in the guest bedroom, but would like any suggestions on ways to use them in my home! I hope you have a collection you love as much as I love my aprons!

Welcome to My Cottage

As some of you might already know, my husband and I bought a 1940's cottage home in our small southern town. We love our home and I love the fact that I officially own a cottage! (Or at least it is cottage to me, if you don't think it is...don't burst my bubble!) We also love living in the historic district of our community! Like many who buy older homes, we have an incredibly long list of "to-do's" or more like..."Wes...here is my idea....now you do it!" We have gradually began to work it little by little (trying to pay cash as we go). We have redone the bathroom (our house is only 2 bedrooms, 1 bath) - are working on the kitchen, and working on the outside. We are focusing on the extreme needs first and going from there. For those of you that have "been there done that" I would love your words of wisdom! I am also struggling with what color to paint the house, so any suggestions would be welcomed! I want my house to stand out on our little street, but I don't want people to drive by and think the circus came to town. I am posting a picture of my favorite place (my cottage)...you let me know what you think!

Also just thought I would throw a few pumpkin pictures out there...This is my absolute favorite time of year - these cute little guys sit on my front porch steps!

The air is cooler and I have been able to use my fireplace...I am one happy girl!

Happy Fall!!!

Pumpkin Bread...

Recently I have been dedicated to making some great pumpkin breads! I love this time of year because you get an excuse to bake all kinds of goodies (and to sample all that you bake!).

I ran across this pumpkin bread recipe courtesy of a church friend.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups sugar

31/2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup oil

1 cup pumpkin

1 cup chopped pecans

4 eggs

Mix all ingredients by hand. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Fill each pan half full. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour. To retain flavor and moisture, place bread in air-tight container as soon as removed from pan. For freezing, wrap loaf immediately in Handi-wrap and then foil.

Just a side note - I made this recipe into muffins for a get together I had at my house. Let me know if you enjoy this bread as much as I do!

Happy Fall!!!

Feeling a little Fun...

Just thought I would show everyone a few of my obsessions lately. They can change from week to week but this one has been going strong for a couple of months now. I love a great arm chair in a fabric that is unique and crazy. A great arm chair can brighten up any room. Pair it with a neutral sofa and there you have it. I am also in love with roman shades for the moment! Using some great fabric, a roman shade can be a great accent to any room!

Let me know what you think of these...

(Both are found at IKEA!)

And here is some great fabric from IKEA that could be used to make fabulous curtains or roman shades. ( I just love solid stripes!)

Go CHHS!

Let's give a great big "Great Job" to those Charles Henderson High Trojans!

They defeated Eufalua last night (Friday 10-24) to earn a coveted spot in the playoffs!

Go Trojans!

(Pics Taken by the Famous Wes Roberts of Wes Roberts Photography)

A Photographers Wife

That's me...The Photographers Wife. My husband owns a photography business (Wes Roberts Photography). Let me just put this out there...for those of you who might think how glamorous and exciting this might be...well it is kinda the opposite. It is the typical "everyone has great pictures except for us" kinda thing. With that said, he is fabulous at what he does! He truly has a God-given talent and is using it to honor Him! We are currently in the process of opening up a studio in downtown Troy, Alabama. We love owning a business is this great small southern town. We have made great connections here and love the fact that many people here are beginning to appreciate creative, quality photography. For those of you that don't know, Wes is not your typical photographer. He has a great love for the photo journalism style of shooting. He loves shooting outdoors with interesting architectural details or an interesting piece of furniture. He does shoot many weddings along with baby, children's and family portraits. (I sure make him sound great don't I?!) And...lets not leave myself out...you can just call me the "Official Wedding Dress Fluffer." Yep, that's what I do...fluff the wedding dress and shoot the occasional pictures or two. Behind every great photographer is well me! You can check out his website here. Obviously, I am very proud of him because he is not afraid to follow his call and his dream!



Here is a small sample of his work...