Lettered Cottage Home Winners!

A while back, to celebrate the grand opening of Lettered Cottage Home Sarah and I decided to give away one of our large Parisian cake stands, and one of our small Parisian cake stands.

Here they are, in all their creamy, crackly loveliness....

(small)

(large)

Check out these close up shots...I love the finish on them...




Now that we've got them photographed, it's time to announce the winners!
Drumroll please.....................................................................

The winner of the large pedestal is Aura of Aura Joon
The winner of the small pedestal is Wendy at The Shabby Nest

Congratulations ladies!
Please contact Sarah at LCHome@live.com so that she can send you your pretty pedestals pronto!

This post was brought to you by:

Trendy Home Decor Wall Decals

Ga Ga for Galvanized

I just can't get enough of galvanized accessories! We carry these galvanized pedestals at LetteredCottageHome.com and I just had to get myself a set to use here at the Lettered Cottage.

They come in three different sizes...







...and we also carry three different sized glass cloches that you can use on top of them to really dress them up. (The glass cloche in the photo above is not one of the ones we carry)

I couldn't wait to get done shooting these photos so that I could gobble up some of the chocolate-covered strawberries Sarah made...



(Diet? What diet? Chocolate is fat free, right?)



When I'm not using them to display delicious pastries, they look just as great on the kitchen counter filled with artificial (or real) fruit and veggies.
(I can also see a pile of pretty soaps, seashells or coral, candles and maybe a bird nest on them in a bathroom as well!)

When it gets a little closer to Halloween, I'm really going to have fun with them. Among other things, I'd like to use some small white pumpkins or gourds on them, and who knows, maybe I'll even incorporate a little hay into our tablescape. I'm kinda crazy like that. :-) Mr. LC never knows what I'm going to be dragging through the door next!

In other news, I was confined to my office yesterday, while Kevin worked on the house with a couple of fine young gentlemen out in the Living and Dining rooms. You're not going to believe your eyes when you see what they did! As soon as the job is finished, I'll share all the before and afters. It's amazing what 3 grown men can accomplish in just 8 hours. At one point, I ventured out to offer them some of those chocolate-covered strawberries and proceeded to trip (backwards) over an old board and landed squarely on my bottom. That's when I noticed the sharp, old nail connecting the bottom of my foot to the board. Oh yeah, it went in about a half an inch. All the way through my flip flop and up into my foot. So needless to say, I'm limping around today, and anticipating a giant bruise on my backside. These things are bound to happen when you buy a fixer upper I guess.
Blood, check. Sweat, check. Tears, check.

Layla :-)

LetteredCottageHome.com Orders

Hey everyone! Thanks to those of you who have purchased items from LetteredCottageHome.com. We truly appreciate your business!

Unfortunately, we've had some issues with Paypal.
For those who placed an order with us, and have not yet received it, we may not have received your order because it never actually went through.
Check your Paypal account to see if your payment did, in fact, go through. If it didn't and you haven't received your order- you'll need to contact Sarah at LCHome@live.com to have her re-invoice you and make sure you receive your items.

So sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully this didn't happen to too many people, and Paypal will get this glitch straightened out soon!

Reader Letter - Herb Crates

Hi Layla,

I have been reading your blog for some time now. I came across it when I was researching black painted kitchen cabinets. I haven't yet taken the plunge, but have enjoyed reading your blog. I absolutely loved what you did with the nesting crates and was so excited to hear Sarah had them for sale through her Etsy store "Whitewash Sundries"!

I've attached a few pics of what I've done with them.
Right now they are filled with platters, napkins and plates that we frequently use. I know that it will be so much fun to find different things to fill them with throughout the year and the changing seasons.

Colleen
Moorestown, NJ

LetteredCottageHome.com

Greetings from TLC!

How many of you remember when I was talking about launching a company called "Lettered Olive"? Well, that was before my design consultation business started to keep me so busy that I didn't think I'd ever get to launch it! Since last fall, I've had the opportunity to answer questions, create inspiration and design room plans for folks all over the globe, and while the work load is heavy, I really feel like for the first time in my life, I'm finally doing what I was born to do.

(My first virtual design consultation!)

It took me 34 years to figure it out, and I made many expensive mistakes along the way. (I quit the Commercial & Technical Art program at Southcentral Technical College in Minnesota to attend a Music Business Management program at the Art Institute of Atlanta? What was I thinking!! Still paying for that one.) Either way, I hope that now my parents can finally find some comfort in knowing that I seem to have figured out what I want to be when I grow up. To be honest, it feels more like IT actually figured out ME. Almost like my inner designer just finally snatched away the reigns and said, "Alright Missy, it's showtime! Hang on for the ride, it's gonna be bumpy for a bit!" :-) But my inner designer isn't the only one responsible for motivating me.

My husband, Kevin, has effortlessly contributed 6 years of inspiration. It started on March 13th, 2003, with a tiny wave from across a crowded room in Springfield, Missouri. Sure, I was instantly smitten, but I had no idea what an impact he would have on my life at that moment. Within the first year of our relationship he had single-handedly inspired, encouraged and helped me to create JustLaylaArt.com, an online gallery where I sold my pop art paintings.
I have vivid memories of the two of us sitting on the floor in our first home, stretching our own canvases, so that I could offer custom sizes to my clients.

And while I painted colorful cats, & dogs and cityscapes and country lakes- he was boxing up my finished works, to be shipped, so that I didn't have to put my brush down, and could take advantage of every second of daylight.



Daytime is still my favorite time to create, and six years later Kevin is still my main source of motivation. His approving smile is the ultimate confidence booster, and his open and genuine heart encourages me to become a better person every single day.

And then there's YOU. The witty, the talented, the sweet incomparable you. :-)
Even if this is your first time here, the fact that you took time out of your busy day to stop by and read this post is unbelievably flattering. If you're a regular reader of my blog, I love reading the comments you leave for me. Whether it's a friendly hello, or one that opens my eyes to fresh & fascinating new perspective- it's comforting to know that I've got a network of friends out there that I can not only count on, but also lean on, and be inspired by, 24/7.
Thank you SO MUCH.

Another person that has recently stepped into my picture in a positive way is my friend Sarah. You may remember her bedroom re-do I helped her with, and you may remember when I blogged about her extraordinary etched glassware available on Etsy.
A while back, on a road trip to a distant flea market, Sarah and I chatted about why I couldn't ever seem to find time to launch LetteredOlive.com, and about her desire to work from home so she could start planning a family. By the time we had reached the flea market, we both realized that, together, we might actually be able to accomplish our goals. "Lettered Olive" was the name my Mom and I were going to use, but not long after deciding on it, Mom discovered that she was actually happier creating her Shellboxes, than running an online home store.
So the name Sarah and I have decided to call our new venture is

"Lettered Cottage Home"

We'd like to welcome you to stop by and check us out anytime you're searching for a unique gift or something special for your home. The site is pretty basic right now, and it's not super full yet either, so expect to see it evolve quite a bit over the coming months and (hopefully) years. Sarah built it from scratch though, and I'm so impressed with what that girl can do when she puts her mind to it. (You should've seen the picture-perfect cake she decorated for me for my birthday this year!)

I'm especially excited to report (to all those who emailed me asking about them) that we are carrying the Herb Crates I used in my Kitchen. :-)



But my favorite part of our website is the "Flea Market Finds" section. Once or twice a month, we head out to various flea markets and antique stores in search of enchanting and inspired goodies to add to the site.

It is hard for me to think about parting with most of the things we collect, but the thought of something bringing as much joy to someone else, as it did to me is such a positive rush!



My only hopeful request is that if someone buys something from that section, they will send me a photo of where they used it. I love a happy ending. :-)

In honor of our Grand Opening, we're having two giveaways.
Leave a comment on this post, and be sure to include your email address for a chance to win our small Parisian Cake Stand. We haven't added this item to our store yet, and I don't have a photo of it yet, so you'll just have to take my word that it's adorable. :-)
To win the large Parisian Cake Stand, leave a comment with your email address and help us spread the word about Lettered Cottage Home by linking to it on your blog. (For everyone who takes the time to do this, we really appreciate your support!)

So there ya have it. Lettered Olive is now LetteredCottageHome.com, and its all because I'm surrounded by such an incredible support team.
I hope you enjoy browsing through our selection of wares, and that you'll stop by often to check out our delightful, new arrivals.

If you have any Lettered Cottage Home-related questions, you can find the ever-so-helpful Sarah at LCHome@live.com.

And just because I'm feeling a little mushy, after writing this post, I'll sign off today with an optimistic reminder...

We all have a dream inside of us. Once you've realized what yours is, be brave, and chase it with every fiber of your being. Don't let fear of the unknown, or an already busy schedule deter you. Decide what you want to represent, and commit yourself to your dream, just as you would commit yourself to making sure you eat each day, and sleep each night.
Our dreams allow us to feel the most alive.
Pursue your dream with the same sort of intensity and passion you would derive from experiencing the results of it coming true.

Layla :-)