Have a glass of Pumpkin Bubble Tea

( Click here for recipe )

I want to thank Brian for bringing potluck this morning.While we are waiting for the rest of the party to arrive. Please enjoy a glass of Pumpkin Bubble Tea. As I told you in a previous post. This is yummy-licious! Bubble Tea is very popular in Asia and some cities in the United States. For those of you who would like more information, leave me your email address and I will forward all of the information for supplies and this delicious recipe. This is a drink you will want to try. It is sipped through a super large straw and the whole experience is to "die for". (photography by Brian Steele)
Brian Steele

OH MY GOSH!

Looks like we better be hurrying. Here is Brian and Caden getting their pumpkin ready for the blog. Brian, who is a self taught chef has created a special drink for the party. "Pumpkin Bubble Tea", it is so yummy-licious, Don't know what bubble tea is? Be sure to be at the party. Where has the time gone? I need a good witch to stop by and give a helping hand. Yes, I know, tomorrow is the 1st of October. I look forward to seeing you here. I will close for now. I have to go cut and glue and glitter to get ready for my guests.

Fall is officially in full swing!

Okay, I admit it I am so excited I am about to bust my buttons. I have been so busy getting ready for the Halloween Blog Party that I can barely think about anything else. It is like cooking and cleaning and decorating before the in-laws come over. It is kind of like that. I spent today gathering new ideas for the blogs and taking pics to share with everyone and making sure that all of the people that want to participate are ready with their projects. I love parties! I can't wait until we start this month long celebration, but I will. LOL Just a bit of nervous teasing. I will post more during the "party" about the cool places I have been visiting. Hope to see you all there. Deb

You are Invited

Celebrating Fall

Okay I can't hold it in any more! I am letting the cat out of the bag, so to speak. I won't be posting a lot this week because I am getting ready to have a Halloween Blog Party. I will spend this week preparing for this event. Be sure to leave a comment so that I have your name and email. We are "cooking" up some fun ideas. My kitchen table is a mess with all of the supplies I am gathering. I hope to have many of you stop back for this event.

More Photos from Farmers Market

Changing of the Seasons

Well I think that I am going to have to face the facts. The seasons are changing here in Utah. I tried to just enjoy the change without thinking about it, but it has crept up on me. I see the changes in the photos we have been taking lately. I think I will get a cup of tea, relax and enjoy a beautiful fall evening.

I have a few more pics I want to share with you from Farmer's Market. When I look at them they make me think about cooking. The mushrooms and the squash make me feel that perhaps trying some new recipes are in order. I enjoy cooking with the new harvest vegetables. If any of you have a new recipe that you want to share, drop me a note. Especially for the mushrooms.

Farmer's Market-The Petal Pusher

The Farmer's Market in downtown Salt Lake City is so much fun to visit. It absolutely awakens most of your senses. Beautiful visions of produce and products. Ethnic food smells and music from the mood inspiring musicians, make this a great place to spend Saturday morning. Some of the finest crafts, photography, art and handmade products are there inticing shoppers. I met a very nice lady who allowed me to take pics. She was gracious enough to share visions of her handmade products with us. Thanks again Kari. Kari's business card is shown if you are interested in any of her dried flower arrangements. For more information on Kari's beautiful items contact her husband by email focuspokus@msn.com

Craft Vendor from Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market

Farmer's Market Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah

Farmer's Market Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah

It is a tradition for me during the summer and fall months to attend the Downtown Farmer's Market in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is so fun to listen to the music being played by the street musicians and to sample the wares of the vendors. There is something there for everyone. Handmade soap, fresh flowers, honey, jams, jellies and a variety of fruits and vegtables. Many of the varieties of fruits and vegtables are organically grown and some are labeled as heirloom varieties. There are artisan breads and many ethnic food vendors. Arts and crafts booths round out the vendor list. There really aren't words to describe the sights and smells of the early morning Farmer's Market. If you don't live in the Salt Lake City metro area, you may consider checking out a farmer's market in your area. Be sure to get there early for the best selection and be prepared to stick around for the entertainment.

Last Blooms of Summer

A recent road trip yielded some beautiful end of summer photos. These pictures are courtesy of my sweet daughter Courtney Crabtree Photography.

Visit my Cottage Boutique Blog

Finishing up Projects

Be sure to visit my other blog, Cottage Boutique. There are more fun Cottage images to enjoy. Many of the items will be offered in my Etsy shop soon. I would love to hear what you think so please leave a comment. We will get back to the fall stuff next week. http://debscottageboutique.blogspot.com/

Labor Day

Today has been a quiet, thoughtful day. The thought of friends and fellow Americans facing another possible devastating storm in the Gulf of Mexico has caused our family to really pause and think about the things that are important in our lives. Over the past few years I have heard of more disaster than I have throughout my lifetime. The memory of Hurricane Katrina is still so painful to think about, that we are checking the news often to see what the situation is with our friends in the Gulf. Please know that our prayers are with them and we will continue to carry a prayer in our hearts for their safety.

Last Flowers of Summer

I think we may be looking at the last flowers of the summer. Last night we had a storm move in and the mountains above us are topped with new snow. The last snow on the mountain was gone by the Fourth of July. That gave us two months without snow on the mountains. Hum, I think we may see an early winter. I am planning all of my fall projects. I think I should be scheduling them before we see snow here in the valley. The great photos are by Courtney Crabtree, my wonderful talented daughter. Thanks for stopping by.

Fall Vintage Art Prints

Today was what we call an Indian Summer day, not yet fall but not really summer anymore. I spent the morning going to flea markets and garage sales. These two little lithographs were my flea market find. They had my name all over them. They are so wonderful to look at and the feel of the old paper is almost magical. I will post these prints in a few days in my Etsy shop. They will be available for sale soon.

Fall Mosaic

I found this wonderful mosaic in Flickr. I was amazed at the beautiful selection that was chosen by this Elisa Bett. Click on the posting title to visit the Flickr link. Thank you to Elisa Bett for making this wonderful mosaic available for our viewing enjoyment.

Passing of a literary icon, Tasha Tudor

I have recently found that a wonderful woman I have always admired has passed away. Tasha Tudor passed away two weeks ago. She is a well know children's author and illustrator. I am posting her book Pumpkin Moonshine in her memory..
If you are not familiar with her work, a web search will give you a beautiful insight into her life and her incredible talents.http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/

http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/

Click on the above link to visit her website.

Two Hour Nature Crafts

 

Summer is coming to an end and now is a great time to gather flowers for drying. Seed pod, decorative grasses, pine cones, these are items that you may want to gather now so that you will have them available for floral arrangements, embellinshing gifts and holiday decorating.

I and three of my good friends designed the projects in this book to give you ideas on how to use the wonderful end of summer bounty. I hope you are considering gathering a few of those last beauties to use in your craft and decorating projects.

This book is available through Barnes and Noble (see the link in the left sidebar of this blog) as well other websites and Ebay. Two Hour Nature Crafts by Mackenzie Kate (that was the name we used for this series of books)

Make It Your Own

It has now been about 6 months since I first started blogging. I have learned so much not only about blogging but more about what I have to offer to my readers. Thanks so much to those of you who have visited a few times and welcome to those who are visiting for the first time.

I have a background in decorating, designing and art. I have taught a lot of classes through the years and have had many how-to books published. Often people will ask me for decorating advice or project advice. This has given me an opportunity to talk one on one with people. There is one thing that comes to my mind when I talk to people and that it whatever you are doing "Make it your own"!

The internet is a great source for ideas, so are magazines as well as cable television program. If you haven't already started doing this, here is a great idea for creating a beautifully decorated home. When you see an idea, bookmark it, take a picture or if possible tear the picture out of the magazine then file it into a binder. Continue doing this and it won't be long until you have begun to recognize what your style is, the colors that you are attracted to and the overall look and feel that you want in your home. Use those pictures and ideas as a guideline. Then "Make it your own"!

The personal touch is what takes a good idea and makes it a great idea. There is no greater place to showcase your talents, ideas and your good taste than your own home. Designers can give a customer guidelines for decorating, but it is really up to the homeowner to decide which of the ideas that most suit their needs and tastes.

If your are looking for ideas let's talk. I would love to be able to give you resources, guidelines and how-to hints. Leave me a note in the comments and I will answer and together we can create an enviroment that will express your great ideas.

A little about me

I have always loved anything that became more beautiful with age. Collecting and selling antiques has not only been a passion and pastime, it has also become a business. I like combining the old with the new to create homes that look comfortable as well as stylish. A well worn table may be just the item that gives a room a lived in look. I have a keen eye for color and design I shop not only trade shows,but local flea markets looking for those unique items that make it my own. My passion to help people create what they want in their lives inspired me to create Cottage in the Country, I want this to be a place where friends and family can feel right at home.

With a background in designing and interior decorating,I have learned that we each have out personal style. Many times I am asked by women “How did you do that”?or “How can I do that in my home”? I hope to be able to share some of my ideas with you as well as bringing wonderful, tempting products and ideas that you will want to have for yourself, to use for gifts or display in your own cottage.

I hope you will visit often. I have put together a creative team to help me bring new ideas that you can either re-create or purchase.

Thanks again for visiting and come back soon.

Late Summer Days

 

Celebrating the Fourth of July

It is so fun to see the how my friends and neighbors celebrate this holiday season. This photo of a red barn star reminds me of a story. Last summer we were out working in the yard one weekend and a couple looking into moving to Utah stopped and asked about the town and our neighborhood and then to my surprise they commented on how many houses had the big metal stars on their houses, garages or barns. They asked if it had anything to do with religion or a particular culture. I laughed while we are a peculiar people, the stars are used for ornamentation. They are used a lot on the local homes both inside and out. Good ideas really catch on here. LOL

Summertime

It is time to celebrate the warm days. Blogging is a little slow right now. The kids are home from school and everyday seems to be some adventure. I am loving it!

Insightful Nana

I just had a great visit with a friend I have had for many years. I wanted to introduce you to her she is a wise woman and wonderful friend. She has recently launched her new website Insightful Nana http://insightfulnana.com Stop by for a visit she always has clever ideas to share.
See my favorite places to visit for a direct link to Kathy's website. Today I got a great idea for saving time when putting on makeup.
Kathy's site has videos that you can watch for tips and ideas as well as articles of interest. I even learned about planting tomatoes. Thanks Kathy for a wonderful visit.

Drapes from Quilts

 

Lorie never seems to run out of ideas. Here is another great one. Lorie screwed drapery tie back ornaments above her windows. She stitched coordinating fabric tabs to the top of the quilts to tie the quilts to the tie back ornaments. She used berry garlands to tie back the drapes. The results are a quaint country look with a little extra insulation. Since the quilt was patchwork Lorie was able to tie the room together with coordinating fabrics, dishtowel, fabric napkins, flea market finds and spray paint. Thanks for letting us take a peak!

Visiting the Home of Lorie Lakey

Let's peek inside for some great flea market and do-it-yourself decorating ideas!

 

Another Great Spray Paint Idea

 

 

More Flea Market Decorating at the home of Lorie Lakey

 

It is amazing what you can do with a can of spray paint, flea market finds, a wicker basket and a few good ideas

 

Window Treatments from Napkins and Dishtowels

I have had a lot of visitors visiting my blog having linked from the web on this post I thought I would post it again for those of you who are visiting for the first time. Thanks for stopping by it is always a pleasure.

More Flea Market Stuff

 

I thought I would share with you more pics for the Star Mill. Summer is a great time to visit flea markets and garage sales. I am a little tore between my love for country and my more romantic side. I think the crystal chandelier could find a home with me.