Visiting France in the gazebo

One weekend our friends came up to the cottage after returning from a trip to Europe.

They brought us a bottle of wine from France and we decided to have breakfast out in the gazebo.

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was warm, and the birds were singing.

We sipped on fine red wine from France and ate salmon, different cheeses, olives, breads and of coarse chocolate, as we watched the canoes paddle down the river in front of us.

Cottage Berries For Your Christmas Liqueur

In the summer time when you pick fresh raspberries at the cottage, you can make a delicious liqueur that will be ready in time to serve with your Christmas Dinner desserts.

Here is the recipe for Berry Liqueur:

2 cups of fresh picked berries ( raspberries, blueberries etc.)

1 cup sugar

1 26 0z. bottle of Alcool

Combine all ingredients into glass bottle with sealed lid and allow to sit untouched until about

2 weeks before Christmas.

Strain berries and reserve them to add to your favorite desserts e.g. over ice cream.The berries will have lost all their color but will be very delicious anyway.

Pour the liquid from the berries into small sterilized bottles and seal.

Your liqueur is ready to drink.

What's at the cottage?: Refinish a Claw Foot Bath Tub

What's at the cottage?: Refinish a Claw Foot Bath Tub

Refinish a Claw Foot Bath Tub

You can refinish an old worn bath tub with a " bath tub refinishing kit" available at most building centers. Its as easy as painting a wall. The kit comes with complete instructions, you just have to make sure to follow the steps given and use a sponge stick brush to apply.

The tub will look new again.

What's at the cottage?: Ideas Using A Scroll Saw

What's at the cottage?: Ideas Using A Scroll Saw

A dresser is not what it used to be

This dresser is a vanity for the bathroom at the cottage.

A new sink and taps were installed.

A hole was cut in the top of the dresser and the drawers were shortened to fit around the

plumbing.

A bathroom vanity with a sink and mirror, and drawers for towels.

Ideas Using A Sroll Saw

This is the next project I made with my scroll saw.

Ideas Using A Scroll Saw

We have owned our cottage for about 10 years now

and one of the first things I wanted to do, was to learn how to use

a scroll saw, so for my birthday present that year I got a scroll saw, and taught myself how to use it.If you sew at all, it is a lot like a sewing machine, with a foot peddle and when you guide the wood through the blade, it is a lot like guiding the fabric under the needle on the sewing machine.

Our cottage is a two story log cottage.When we purchased it, it was basically just a shell so there was a lot of work to be done. I wanted to have a nice railing going up to the second level. The following are pictures of how it turned out. I decided to go with a maple leaf pattern, but you could use any pattern. My husband built the corner unit, and before it was assembled I did the maple leaf pattern in it and also cut out the knobs for the cabinet in the same leaf pattern.

CAPTIVATING PHOTOS

Scenery on the road to the cottage

Tables with flare

This is a terricotta tiled table.

Tile adhesive is used to secure the tiles to the table top.

Then a tile grout is applied between the tiles.

A decorative wood trim is applied around the edges to conceal the tiles and the table was

painted to match the colors of the tile.

Here is the finished product.

The instructions for doing this table are as follows.

1. Sand table and prime. Then paint in color of choice.

2.Depending on the size of your table, center the checkerboard

by measuring the size of the board at 16"x 16

3.Don't forget to paint a border around your board, so the board doesn't

appear to be floating. I used a double border for color and interest.

4.Each square is 2"x 2" and I found that painting them individually caused less bleeding

of paint. Also use painters tape, and make sure it is pressed down securely.

5.When table is finished, coat with a clear sealer.

I'd like to show you how to take an old table and make it new and useful.

Checkers anyone?

Perfect for the cottage!!