Facing the Music

I finally took the first step in furnishing our beach home!  It has taken me exactly one month to decide what I want our little cottage to "feel" like.  (Actually, I'm still not 100% sure that I know!)

I initially wanted to name it "The Pickle Palace" or "The Pickle Cottage", but decided to forfeit that in favor of a more suitable title.  My husband owns a Sleep Inn hotel and shouldn't we give it a little credit for our good fortune?  So, that being said, our second home will be named "Sleepin' Inn".

Cheesy?  Maybe, but aren't all beach homes supposed to have cheesy names?  Relax, folks- it's fun!

I had no idea how difficult it would be to take the first step in deciding on a design for the home.  I knew that it needed to feel cozy and inviting; a place where you can kick off your shoes and plop down on the sofa without giving a thought to tracking in sand or having to remove a hundred fancy pillows from the couch (and having to put them in a safe spot so the kids won't spill on them and the dog won't chew them to shreds!).

Hubs decided to enlist the assistance of an interior designer, I think mostly because that's what everyone else around here does and because we really don't have a lot of time these days to devote to decorating.  However, I don't like the limitations that using a designer presents.  They show up with several fabric swatches, a ton of books and a lot of overpriced frou-frou ideas that just aren't me.  I just wanted to say "Hey- I like your fabrics but I know there are a million more to choose from and I have to see them all!"  Sorry- that's just me!

And I don't need your uber-expensive sofa that my kids are gonna spill kool-aid on and the dog is going to shed on- just give me a slipcover for my old ugly plaid sofa and call it a day!  (Photos to come later!)

So, hubs and I took a little weekend trip to Wilmington.  There's a wonderful little consignment/antique/second hand shop there called The Ivy Cottage.  If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping in for a visit!

Anyhoo- The Ivy Cottage is filled with wonderful finds- old rugs, furniture, quilts, etc. and has blossomed into 3 buildings full of amazing treats!  I could honestly spend an entire day there- it's that much fun!

I found a million things that I would love to have, but we decided on a super long farm table (for the back porch) and a "hall tree" made of an old door, two bedposts and an old bench.  I will post pictures as soon as our laptop is back up (it died and my photos are on it!)

So, I am taking a cue from these two items and allowing them to set the stage for my upcoming performance.  Will I be able to choose linens, paint colors, lighting and furniture 1) on a budget; and 2) make it cohesive?

Stay tuned and watch as the disaster drama unfolds....