The Beach Cottage - Mini Challenge

I love color. My walls are saturated in bright colors: yellow, green, red and even pink. I lean towards rich and warm furnishings that are comfortable and inviting. But there is a part of me that longs for crisp white walls and windows framed with lengths of lightweight fabrics in soft hues of blue and grey, rippling with a salt scented breeze...furniture that is pale and simple with overstuffed cushions and low tables showcasing large vases overflowing with huge tropical blooms in oranges and pinks...ah, yes, the beach and all its exotic and intoxicating beauty.

The Beach Cottage is all about pretty things, a simple lifestyle, and a gentle attitude. With gifts, jewelry, art & home decor, made with love by happy hands (& supplies for yours) there is much to see. What I love most about this shop is the colors. Just browsing left me feeling refreshed and rested. Everything is soft and soothing, yet colorful...just like walking along the beach...blues and whites and greys with touches of pinks and yellows and greens. There is something new and slightly unexpected in each listing. This is an ecclectic shop done with a cohesiveness that is surprising and enticing. Be sure to checkout her other shop, Coconut Cafe for more fun supplies and vintage finds as well her blog to see what is swimming in her mind.

Q&A with The Beach Cottage
A Little About You:
What is your favorite morning beverage?
pineapple/orange juice

Do you prefer cats or dogs?
I like kitties, but I'm definitely a dog person, esp little ones.

What is next to your computer right now?
A small piece of driftwood shaped like a fish that I picked up on a beach in St. Croix, my checkbook & a diet coke.? Almost everything's electronic now, but I keep my checkbook handy in case I can talk someone into selling something they didn't intend to part with.

Do you like your handwriting?
It depends because it changes with my mood (literally looks like a different person wrote it). If I concentrate on my sweet mama, my handwriting looks almost like hers; ditto for several others close to me. My own script's a little backhanded (unusual for a right handeder; have been told it's because I'm introspective). Years ago I was very good at calligraphy & learned that the trick to good handwriting is to "don't write". The trick is drawing. If you draw each letter, your handwriting's nicer. These days I'm being feeling lazy & my writing's become scribbly & haphazard. Wow, I had a lot to say about handwriting, maybe it's more important to me than I realized?

Would you bungee jump?
No. Period. No.

If you could meet one historical figure, who would it be and what would ask him/her?
I'd like to meet Ginger Rogers ("Teach me to dance!") & John Wayne ("Can I just sit in your lap & hug you for awhile") If you meant someone who had a larger impact on the world, I definitely Ghandi. I'd ask for tips on self discipline.

A Little About Your Mini Scrapbook:
What prompted you to join the Mini Scrapbook Challenge?
The albums snagged me, they're so small & well made. But mostly because it was a nice thing for you to do & I'm drawn to nice. Also it intrigued me that you were willing to give up control, no rules. That's hard to do; most people, most of the time, want to be The Boss.

When you first saw the album, what did you think you would do with it?
Nothing, truly. It's so perfect & pretty I hated to mess with it.

3. What did you end up doing with it?
Since the challenge was "Scrappiest Scrapper", I decided to be true to that & use only scraps I already had. The little papers & shapes were already cut, the images already stamped & colored. Even the little word "notes" was sitting in my scrap box. I didn't buy anything or cut anything (except your business card). All I did was glue.

Is there a theme to your album? Why/why not?
I abandoned the 3 themes I had in mind & decided just to do a little book of backgrounds. I hope someone else will enjoy pasting their own words or pics in it.

Now that you have worked with one, would you want to do another one?
Sure! They'd make great gifts, wouldn't they? It's fun to see what the other participants did, what inspired them.

What would you do differently next time?
Technique, I don't know. But I'd like to do a little time machine. That's all I'm saying about that.

A Little About Your Art/Craft:
When did you first start crafting? Why?
Stringing buttons or making pine straw necklaces maybe I had a very creative grandmother & she kept my little mind busy & my hands out of trouble.

What is your favorite material/technique?
That depends on when you ask me. I've dabbled in a lot of things over the years... probably not what you're looking for, but my answer is "composition". I like vignettes. I straighten pictures in waiting rooms & arrange the magazines, slightly move the chairs. It's not about perfection (I prefer imperfection), it's about creating visual interest.

What are your favorite colors to work with?
White. White is my favorite. I'm inspired by wispy, dreamy, light faded greys, creams & blues & caramels (for relaxing) & bright, tropicals in smaller amounts (for cheerfulness). I opted for the brights for this project.

Are you good with written instructions, or do you need pictures?
Instructions are usually too much or too little information OR from a perspective I can't grasp. I tend to get bored & scan them, leading to mistakes. (I'm also terrible at giving instructions, I use way too many words.) I'm very visual, learning better from pictures or better yet, from watching.

If you could learn one new technique, what would it be? Why?
Sewing! If I could do it well & have several sets of slipcovers for my furniture using pale, cotton quilts in pale prints & of course, lots of white. And I'd make simple tops & pants that slip on & off. Easy, breezy, beautiful.

If you could give one piece of advice to a young person first starting out, what would it be?
First starting out crafting: Color outside the lines. Squint your eyes. Look at the big picture AND the little one. Advice in general (not just crafting): laugh at yourself, step away from the computer & get lots of fresh air.