Home Keeping: New Bedding

 Long time readers of my blog know of my love of Waverly's 'Harbor House Sonata' pattern that was made for Target about 20 years ago. I bought it when we had a full sized bed and used it until we bought our king sized bed a few years ago.  I surprised myself because I love change but I never felt the need or desire to change from this pattern.

When we bought our king sized bed, I searched ebay for the longest time hoping to find a king set for sale, but I could only find the shams.

This past weekend I thought I'd look again and there was a gently used king sized comforter and pillow shams!  I sent the link to Tim who was in Tennessee with our daughter's family.

He sent me a reply text a bit later saying it was on it's way! I am thrilled!  I've used a different comforter set and it was alright but I never loved it. The look that the Waverly pattern gives is just right for me!

It is arriving this week, hopefully! Happy Mother's Day to me!

Cozy Winter Bedroom

 There is nothing I like better in the winter than to climb into a warm and cozy bed at night!  The key for me is in the layering for warmth, but also of texture and interest.

The first three photos are from my own bedroom in the past few years, and then ideas from Pinterest.

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In each of the photos you can see layers of bedding, differing patterns, lots of pillows, quilts, comforters.  All of them, regardless of style, say cozy to me.

What is says cozy to you?  

ps - if you are a regular commenter here and would like to talk about the electi*n, leave me a comment.  In the comment leave me your email address so that I can respond to you. I have some thoughts but will not be putting them on the blog at this time. Thanks!  If I don't recognize you as a regular commenter, then I will not respond to you.

Happy Autumn!

 It's officially Autumn! Hurray!

The weather here has been delightful; chilly mornings and evenings with warm days.  I'm kind of surprised. September is often a hot month in Pennsylvania.

I really need to cut back the garden, but I'm going to let the morning glories go as long as they can.  They've been so beautiful in the garden in late summer, early autumn.

I worked on transitioning my spring/summer dishes to my autumn/winter dishes.  What? You don't have different seasonal dishes? {grin} In the A/W I use my Johnson Bros Friendly Village dishes.  I bought mine new a few years ago.  They are not the collectible ones, but being inexpensive allows me to have the pattern I like, and the ability to have seasonal dishes. {grin}

I'm loving the look of this throw blanket

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It is in a favorite color of mine for Autumn, and it looks plush and cozy.  It comes in many colors.

I'm looking for flannel sheets for my California King bed, and I'm getting a duvet and insert.  I just have a coverlet on our bed and with the temperature changing I want to layer my bed in coziness.  

Do you have any favorite brands?  Of course if I could find a comforter to match my old pattern from Waverly in a king size I'd buy that and be happy! I keep looking at Ebay but so far no luck.  

This floral pattern is my all time favorite.  But it fit our double bed and got worn out in the many years I used it.  Its a soft gold background with reds, greens, taupes, and some pinks in the florals.

Waverly Harbor House Norfolk Rose Sonata are the search terms.  Ebay only has pillow shams right now.  One day maybe I'll find it!

Kyle and I will go and buy pumpkins and mums maybe tomorrow.  I'm going to go big with my outdoor display this year.  By big I mean big mums, and big pumpkins.  I want them to have an impact.

Have you decorated yet?

Friday we host the teens from our co-op for a campfire, s'mores and games.  I'm happy to host these great young people, and to be able to share hospitality again!

I'm rambling now and need to get a move on!

Happy Tuesday friends! The best season of the year is here!

Home Keeping: Dreaming Of A New Bed

I've been lobbying for a new bed for several years.  Our current bed is a full size bed that we've had since before Rachel was born!  It fit perfectly in our old house, which had been built in the 1930's, with small bedrooms.  It was comfortable, and we loved it.

When we bought our cottage, the previous owners had added on an enormous master suite.  When we looked at this house, the owners had a huge king size bed, a huge wardrobe, dresser, couch and more in this room.

We have our full size bed in here and it looks so small in this space.  And its old.  We have been able to keep using this bed because we added a memory foam topper.  We are both beginning to feel stiff and sore in the mornings, and I think its time for a new bed.

I really like memory foam beds that I've slept on, and would like to do some kind of memory foam bed for us.  We also need a proper headboard and foundation.

I like these from Wayfair, and I think they are well priced.

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I also would like new bedding.  I still haven't replaced by poor, beloved Waverly comforter set that wore out after 10 years of use.  We've loved the red and yellow/gold tones of the set, but can't find anything that we love in those same colors.

So I am thinking of going with white bedding, and then adding color in through a throw blanket, euro shams, and other accent pillows.  That way I could do navy and white in summer, I could do reds in winter, etc.

I'd be happy to hear your recommendations on beds, bedding, and mattresses.  Now, to set some funds aside for this change and convince Tim that it's time!

EBAY Has My Comforter!

You can see it here.  It looks like its in good shape, but it's gently used.

So I'm not sure.

Plus, do I want the same thing I've had for 10+ years?

I've been checking out Kohl's online, and Country Curtains.  The Red Buffalo Check is dreamy, but a bit out of my budget at the moment!

Tim and I were just talking and he thinks something different than what we've had would be nice.

So the search continues....

Needed: New Bedding

I bought my comforter set over 10 years ago, and I still love it.

Which is pretty surprising for me - the one who loves to change things up in the house! However the time has come to replace it.  It was worn thin in spots and has actually worn some holes in a few places.

Tim and I still like these colors together - the background on it is a pale gold, and the reverse side of the comforter is solid in the pale gold.  I've been looking for bedding online, and at stores and just haven't seen anything I like yet.

In light of the state of the world, a bedding set it truly 'first world problems' I know, and I hesitated to even post this.  But I was wondering if you have any recommendations for me.  Places you like to shop for bedding, online or in person.  Department stores?  Specialty shops?  

Help a girl, will you?

Quick Bedroom Make-Over

One of the quickest ways to freshen up your bedroom is to change out your bedding.

The key is to use a neutral color for the base, then you can mix and match the rest.

  When I took the flannel sheets off the bed last month, I wanted to refresh the look in our bedroom, so I went with this look which is something I did last summer.

Yesterday, I changed it out to this

 This comforter and shams are long time favorites of mine. 

 As you can see I have a whole new look but the foundation is basically the same.  I changed to all white sheets and pillowcases, changed the shams and put the comforter on the end of the bed.

 The colors make me happy and what really works is the combination of textures.

This cottage look makes my heart sing.

This is a simple way to get a whole new look in your room, or simply to freshen up your look for spring.

These photos were taken in natural light.  In the early morning, this northwest room gets diffused, not direct sunlight.

Home Keeping: Flannel Sheets

With our days sunny and warm, and the nights chilly, its time to bring out the flannel sheets.  I have left the coverlet on for now, but as autumn comes and deepens the comforter will be brought out and I put the coverlet away for until summer.

I enjoy this annual changing from cotton sheets to the flannel ones. How about you?

Home Keeping: Freshening Up

Remember my post about changing the bed linens?  You can read that here if you want.

In that post I talked about changing the comforter for a lightweight white quilt for spring/summer.  I am loving it.  Vee asked me if I was staying with my red and yellow, and I, of course said, "Yes!"  After all red is my signature color in my home.

You know what's coming, right?  I have been falling in love with another color for sometime.  I look good in this color and Tim looks even better in this color.  Any guesses?  Well, I won't keep in you suspense - it's Navy.  

I love this color, too.  I had been looking at navy things online, and dreaming of a wee change in my bedroom for the summer.  I recently became aware of an online bedding company called "Parachute."  They have great looking bedding and the home page greeted me with "Navy Is The New Neutral."  I kid you not!  

I was out shopping with Rachel last week and found just what I had been dreaming of.

 I found a sale and bought two pillow shams, two pillow cases, and a top sheet.  I tossed a red pillow on the bed, as the white one seemed small and lost.

 The shams have nice pattern on them.

I love the navy with the white.

Tim mentioned too, how the navy pulled the blue tones out of the painting that is over our bed.

So that is how I am lightening up my bedroom for summer.  Navy blue - it's a classic color and it looks great with my yellow walls and with the touches of red in my room.  

Its perfect, and both Tim and I are enjoying the change.  What about you?  Do you make changes for the warmer months?  How do you lighten up your rooms?

Home Keeping: Making The Bed

I've mentioned before my love for a pretty bed.  I just love the way my bedroom looks when the bed is made.

Today, I put new sheets on the bed.  A red plaid flannel set purchased at Target.  I turned my floral comforter over to the solid side, and added an extra top sheet, as I love that white lace ruffle on it.  It is part of a Shabby Chic sheet set purchased at Target a few years ago.  In fact, all of my bedding in this photo was purchased at Target.  I've had the comforter set which is by Waverly for at least seven years and I still love it!

 I love to mix patterns.  This is so easy to do.  Just chose fabrics in the same color family and change up the sizes of the patterns.  Easy Peasy.

 The white pillow case matches the white cotton top sheet.

 Isn't it pretty?

Sigh…I am in love with this look.

 Surprisingly this can be a controversial subject.  So, just for the record, I am not writing this post to pass judgement on anyone who chooses to not make their bed.  But I am going to ask - are you a bed maker or a non bed maker?  Confession time!

What My Day Looks Like

I thought I would share what a day in my life looks like.  

Today is unusual because my van is getting the a/c charged at our favorite garage and so I needed to drive my husband in to work, and we dropped the van off on the way.

When I got up this morning, I made my bed - today is a sheets and comforter folded back kind of day - I am airing the bedding.  The pillows are all standing up nice and perky.  I have a three pillows at each place on our bed, and today I have two with red pillowcases, two white with lace trim, and two with pillowshams that match my comforter.  The feather pillow that Tim sleeps on is in front of all of these and is in a homespun red check pillowcase I made.  I also have a red floral pillow and a white battenburg lace pillow in front of all the pillows.  It sounds like a lot but it only takes a minute or less to put on and take off the bed, and they make me happy!

Here is an older photo of the bed but this is very similar to how I have it these days.

When I got home from taking Tim to work, I went out to my front garden, and cut two of my hydrangea and an armful of feverfew.

They are so beautiful!  I have the hydrangea on the piano and the feverfew by the sink.  Since I spend quite a bit of my day in the kitchen at the sink, I want to have pretty things to look at!  

In a few minutes I will leave to take Rachel and Emily into the store and then at noon I will drop Lindsay at her job at the theatre.

In between these trips out I am 

- working on stuff for the online store - still working out bugs and things....

- directing kids in their chores

- cleaning the bathrooms

- mopping floors

I also am getting the urge to rearrange a room - so it might be my room or the living room, and that may not happen today!  

I don't have to cook dinner tonight because Kay has it all planned - chicken has been marinating overnight.

Later I will go and pick Tim and the girls up from work and we will spend time together having dinner, doing dishes, talking...maybe we will watch a movie.

So what are you doing today?