Monday, June 25, 2007

SUMMER WEEKENDS


One of the most important skills needed to be a writer, tele-commuter or freelancer (three terms that sum up my career) is the ability to make a schedule and stick to it.

Since getting started on Cozy Waterside Cottages, my personal routine is to work on the house chapters during the week and think about, brainstorm, write and edit the introductory material on ‘What Is Waterside Style’ and ‘Ways To Get It’ on the weekends.

Of course, weekends aren’t ALL work. Having time off to have a life is why I decided to be a freelancer in the first place. So this weekend, in between time spent writing about the importance of decorating with handmade coastal crafts, I got out my hot glue gun.

Precipitated by the need to disguise a crack in a hurricane glass that blew off my outdoor table, I ended up making a set of 4 hurricanes embellished with shells and sea glass. The original idea ran in one of my magazines several years ago.

It didn’t take more than an hour or so to from start to finish and since I was still in “personal time” mode, I decided that more shellcraft was in order. This time I made a wreath. I plan to give it as a hostess gift when I visit my friend's beach house in August.

One of the elements that make a cottage cozy is the illusion that the décor is a bit impromptu. Even if done by an interior designer, it’s the urchins plopped in an antique bowl, accents crafted from beachcombing finds or popsicle stick frame made by a child and proudly displayed that put the “cozy into the cottage.”

Speaking of shells, Suzanne Brown’s new book called Summer: A User’s Guide has suggestions for How To Use All Those Shells, as well as instructions on how to tie a beach towel pillow and make flowery flip flops.

When I first got a copy of the book, I thought it was sort of silly; then a few minutes before guests arrived for a backyard bbq, I put it out on a table as a sort of decorative statement. (I thought the cover was pretty.)

Everyone flipped through it and in the following week, I found myself dipping into it again and again. While many of the ideas make you think “Gee, I haven’t done that in years.” It is a gentle reminder not to overlook the simple pleasures associated with summer.

3 comments:

Cindy said...

Those hurricanes look beautiful. I love that color of sea glass.

I'm going to check out that book. It looks great!

jlnatc@yahoo.com said...

Where did the duvet cover come from in the bedroom pic? I NEED it.

Barbara Jacksier said...

The duvet and pillows were handcrafted in Scandinavia by the staff of one of their craft magazines.I'm afraid there isn't a source. Sorry.