I don't know about you guys,but I'm always window shopping online.I came across this site and it set my heart  aflutter.Just look at what I found.                                                                                                                               

 Do you want more? go here. Be prepared to stay a while.

Thrift Store Love

Well hello there, I love the thrift store, It's like an addiction...of course I justify it by telling myself its really great stuff, really cheap... but I think I may have reached the point  now where I need to slow my roll.I've got stuff in boxes and no where to put it...I'm skurd people, I was watching Enough Already with Peter Walsh on OWN. By the way are you as jazzed as I am that Oprah has her own  network...  anyway there was a man who's house was over run with the great  stuff  he  "collected". To him they were all great treasures...hmm  sounds a little too familiar. Maybe I'll slow it down a little....soon. In the meantime I'd like to share a few of my recent  finds. I tried to get all artsy with the photos to make up for my sad photography skills. Please be kind when you see my pics, I'm trying. Does anyone have a suggestion for  a lamp shade for the tall lamp that looks like  Capodimonte?

Milk glass

Pretty ceramic lamp with roses, I think the small one is milk glass

cool vintage scale

Candy Jar,pretty decanter, candle holder,says made in Italy on bottom. Sorry I cut off the lid top on the candy jar.

Design Inspiration

Someone recently asked me  how I chose the name of my blog...well the short answer is it was named for my favorite style of decorating shabby elegance and the pet name for my little house: home sweet cottage. When we first moved into our home I was heavily influenced by Rachel Ashwell and her shabby chic style. I still am... but it has evolved a little over the years. In the early days we had  white slip covers and  white wicker and disressed white wrought iron furniture.Add to the mix two puppies and adolescents ...lets just say I had to rethink my choices. Our house does not have a family room, so all family time was spent in the white living room.It wasn't working for me. I was working full time and was diagnosed with a chronic illness...so the upkeep was more than I could manage. Sooo I moved the white pieces to different rooms and bought dark furniture for the living room.Well, now my doggies are seniors and my girls are grown up , and I no longer work outside the home...so I'm slowly going back to the style that I love. I'm slipcovering and painting and stashing my thrift store finds.I'll post pictures of my progress soon,but right now my house is as dark as a cave, its impossible to get good pics with my ole point and shoot.Its funny how you just don't feel quite right when your home is not reflective of your style. Its just not me. In the meantime I thought I'd share some of my inspiration pictures.

My Favorite

                                            Photos from Horchow,Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn,Country Living

Learning Lessons

I try to use every bad event to learn and grow.After losing my dear friend I have begun to examine my own life. Where can I do better? What am I supposed to learn from this? Well I'm still working on the answer, but there are some things that have revealed themselves to me. I need to seize the moment, and stop putting things off until a better time, I need to believe in myself  and  be more confident.I need to be a better daughter, sister and friend. I need to hold those who are dear to me closer. Life is fragile and we all tend to think that we are guaranteed tomorrow.Well, I painfully know  what a flawed way of thinking that is. I have spent so much time in my life dreaming that I have sometimes forgotten to really live... no more. For example my home : I have a honey do list that never gets honey done.Leading to anger and frustration on my part.I'm letting go of the honey do list and renaming it the  I can do it myself  list...confidence and seizing the moment.If I dream of something no matter how big or small I will make a plan of action, implement it and get it done. Like I said I'm still working on the lessons.I'm sure more will reveal itself to me in time...but I feel like the best way to honor my friend and what we shared is to really really live and live as big as possible...for both of us.Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me such kind condolences.It means more to me than you can ever know.