After Dark

After Dark by Pino

Several years ago I was on the local real estate tour of homes and came across a home that had this beautiful painting in it. It must have been at least a 36 x 48 inch giclee on canvas and it was amazingly beautiful. The depth and texture and the colors of this painting are so romantic and lovely. I have loved Pino's art ever since.

There is something so feminine and gorgeous about this painting and it reminds me of our sweet daughters, an elegant dining experience and an abundant life, not in a monetary sense, but just in life itself.


I keep this picture in our antique kitchen cabinet and really need to find a new place for it somewhere in our house as I am changing the color scheme and style of our kitchen and it just won't work in this room too much longer. It will be a challenge but never fear~I will figure it out because I love this painting! What artists do you enjoy? I love the impressionists and I would love to be tagging around with our daughter, Laura and her husband, Robert this weekend in Paris! Hopefully they will get to Musee d'Orsay in their adventures.

How do you incorporate things that don't quite go with your decor but that you just love and want to keep near to you, your heart and soul? Being eclectic in style is a good thing~it allows for a more interesting look and it truly lets your personality shine forth ~ but it can be tricky. What works for you?

Faye's Vintage Cottage

This is a cottage with million dollar views from every window. This view is out the kitchen window. The house in on a large piece of wooded property with a creek running through the backyard. It is a paradise for sure.

It is such a blessing to love the work you do. This little cottage is the epitome of why I love decorating living spaces so much. The cottage was actually built by my husband's grandfather over half century ago. For years his uncle owned the house next to the cottage and we would visit often.

When it was time for Uncle Bob to sell, a sweet young family bought it. They happened to be members of our church and so over the years, Jim and I have gotten to know them very well and love them a lot. The cottage has served many purposes over time, but now it is at it's best~a guest house and hideaway for Faye when no one is visiting. Last week she and I shopped and worked on the house to make it oh, so welcoming and fun. She did a post on the renovation and you can see it here. Double click on Faye's photos to see the details.

Somehow we both missed getting photos of the dining area in the kitchen. There is a round table with a white and navy tablecloth and a pretty blue and white floral centerpiece and four black chairs. They sit right in front of a bank of window with a patio view. Here a a few photos of room Faye has already shown you from different angles.

She has concealed her treadmill with a
lovely screen just to the right of the couch.

I love the little niche here in the bedroom!


This vantage point with a few more details added in.

Close up of the dresser top. Double click for close up.
The antique comb in the foreground and the sparkly purse
were a few of our finds.
The cobalt blue accessories are perfect in here.

This is a very restful room. The 2 million dollar house we decorated for sale last summer does not even come close to comparing to the coziness and charm of this little cottage. Thank you, Faye, for a wonderfully memorable experience and fun day together! Faye's husband, John, came home right as we were finishing and accused us of totally girlifying the cottage and turning it into a chick pad. Yup, we did it all right! Guilty as charged!

As we were finishing up I couldn't help wishing Jim's Grampa could see it today. The cottage has come full circle! Faye is a very lucky lady and I have to admit, I felt a little green with envy for such a lovely hideaway of her very own ~and right next door to her big house. What would you do with a great space like this one?