Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger

 Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger is a feature done each Saturday that introduces you to a blogger you may already know or a new blogger for you to get to know. This feature gives you a peak into the personal life of the blogger.  Getting to know the special person behind the beautiful blog.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland so enjoy getting to know these talented bloggers each Saturday.

Magali from Little White House on The Sea Side

January 31st

Happy Saturday Everyone.  This week I am really excited to introduce you to a blogger from France.  Ohhhhhh I love when we all get to meet our international bloggers up close and personal.  So enjoy getting to know Magali from Brittany France.  You are going to love getting to know her.  Then hop over and visit her cute blog and see all the great reno's she is doing to her fabulous 100 year old seaside cottage.  

Junk Chic Cottage Saturday Spotlight Feature

Hi there!

I'm Cottage. I'm located on the North Coast of Brittany, France and I'm about a hundred years old.

Me, on closing day

Several families have lived under my roof since I was built. A few years ago, my owners decided to put me on the market: they wanted a house that would be bigger, more modern... I was very worried: who would want to love me? 

My Kitchen window as re-designed by Petite Blonde

You might wonder why I was so worried because from the outside I'm rather charming, don't you think? Well, the inside was an entirely different story... No Cottage charm there... You might even wonder how I got my name of Cottage... 

Dining-room as left by previous owners.

Then on the first Monday after Easter came a Petite Blonde to visit me... She had a hard time trying not to laugh at my owners when she saw the garish colours they chose for my walls - there wasn't two walls the same colour - the very weird choice they had made for each very small room... And she kept asking questions like "is the chimney flue still in the wall?" or "are the beams still under that drywall ceiling?". My owners rolled their eyes and didn't know what to answer... And I had no idea why those questions were of any importance.

Bedroom as left by previous owners.

It turned out Petite Blonde - aka as Magali, aka as the blogger behind The Little White House On The Seaside blog - bought me. Little did I know when she arrived with her cat and her books that we were embarking on a several year journey to reveal my inner Cottage charm.

Dining-room today, still a work in progress...

Many of her readers think that renovating an old Cottage in France is a dream, but we've had a few nightmares along the way: from a complete flood of the first floor when a very old water pipe broke in the hands of a very dumb plumber to a few gaz leaks... 

Living-room today, still a work in progress...

But overall, it's been an amazing experience where Petite Blonde and I have learnt to know each others. You see she's a modern girl and I'm an old Cottage, so when we have choices to make, renovation and decoration wise, it sometimes takes long discussions, transcripted on the blog,  and we each have to compromise. 

In case you have no idea what you can find on her our blog, here's a little sample...

Petite Blonde shows you the details of all the transformation I'm going through. 2014 was a big year and my kitchen went from ugly and impractical to charming and efficient.

Kitchen on Closing Day

Kitchen Today - after four years of hard work and love

Truth be told, Petite Blonde lives on a teacher's salary and everything that adorns me is thrifted: she might inspire you with her very cheap finds.

Vintage French Coffee Grinder lamp she found for a steal (click for details)

Also because of that teacher's salary, she tries to do as many things as possible on her own: she'll explain how to make me (or your own home) prettier on a budget and with very limited DIY skills. Don't tell her I said so but she's the clumsiest Petite Blonde ever.

Faux wainscoating surronding the kitchen window (click on picture to see how)

She loves when I'm filled with wonderful baking or cooking smells and she shares her always easy recipes.

White chocolate chip and glacé cherry cookies (recipe here)

I'm located in a beautiful  area and Petite Blonde will also take you places around : she's the best at finding funny historical stories about the towns she visits. You'll get an idea by clicking here. 

If you'd like to see more of me, please visit The Little White House On The Seaside.

A huge thank you to Kris for allowing me to tell you a little about my owner,

Thank you Magali for sharing yourself with all of us.  Love that you had your sweet cottage speak about you too :).  It was so great to get to know you and to dream of where you live.  Oh la la to live in France and in a 100 year old seaside cottage.  Heaven I say!  

Thank you Mon Amie

Kris

Dishwasher Up Date

I have received so many comments and emails on my dishwasher face lift.  I have tried to answer all the emails but some are a no reply so I thought I would update the information on how exactly we did the dishwasher facelift.

I am so excited so many of you loved this project and want to do it to your own dishwashers.  It was one of the easiest projects Terry and I have done so here we go.

This is the front of the dishwasher.  We took off that handle that was held on by two bolts to the front of the dishwasher.

Once that was removed.

Terry measured the front of the dishwasher and then cut a thin piece of wood that would fit over the front of the dishwasher.

We then painted the piece of wood white and then attached the chippy frames I had onto the piece of wood with wood staples and a staple gun.

Then we attached the white wood new front  to  the stainless steel front of the dishwasher with two sided tape to hold it in place.

Then Terry put a spacer between the wood front and the new chippy stair rail and the then bolted the stair rail into the holes already in the dishwasher from where the old handle hung.

Since we did not remove the  stainless steel front the dishwasher is insulated and the heat does not come through to the piece of wood so the two sided tape will hold.

Easy project and it is completely removable if need be and the old stainless steel handle can be reattached.  So it is all good.

Sorry I did not put all of this in my post.  So any of you interested in doing this very easy project to your dishwashers I hope this information will help.

Thank you for all your sweet comments on this project.  Hope if you were inspired by this you will try it on your own dishwasher.
It gives the dishwasher a little bit more personality.


Speaking of personality another blogger Sandy from For The Love of Whites sent me this picture she found of another blogger Maison Decor that painted her washer and dryer in pink polka dots.  Sweeeeeet and so so cute.
It is amazing what a little imagination and some paint can do to give your appliances some fun personality.  Come on you gotta love a pink polka dot washer and dryer!!!! Hey laundry happens and if you have to do it then might as well do it in something cute and fun right?!!!!! These would just make me smile every time I had to do laundry.

Have a wonderful week end.  Please come back on Saturday for Spotlight. We will be traveling across the pond.  I have an international blogger for you to meet and get to know. 

Kris

:)

Face Lift!!!!!

Here is the "face lift" I gave to my dishwasher!!!!!

Before:

I have a stainless steal dishwasher which was ok but I wanted to give her a face lift to make it blend more with my white cabinets.

Inspiration:

Sweet Victoria from Trois Petites Filles took her refrigerator and did this awesome faux french design to it.  You can see her post here.  

After:
Here is my idea of adding some bling to the Dishwasher front.  Everything is removable.  Terry took a piece of mdf wood and we added the vintage chippy frames and trim.  It is all hooked on where the old stainless steel handle was.  So everything is removable if I want it back to the stainless steel look.

The first time I met Susan from Must Love Junk she handed me this lovely chippy leg as a gift.  I remember her saying to me you will do something wonderful with this piece.  So happy I had this old chippy piece it fit perfectly where the old stainless steel handle was.

I think using the old framing I had and this chippy leg just gives this dishwasher a little lift and goes better with my french farmhouse kitchen.  I also love that it is all removable and no extra wholes needed.  This way if I ever want to change it again or back to the original stainless steel look I can do that easily.

So there you have it a new face lift for the dishwasher.  Watch out Stove and Refrigerator I am watching you lol!

Thanks Victoria for your great inspiration.  This was a fun and easy peasy project.
So what do you think?

Have a great Week!
Kris

Parties this Week:
Make it Pretty Monday
Wow us Wednesday
Show and Share

Inspire Me Tuesday
What's It Wednesday
Share your Cup Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Shabbilicious Friday
Feathered Nest Friday

Thank you's and a Give Away

Happy Sunday Everyone.

I want to say Thank you to all of you that took time to pray and leave your sweet comments to me about my mom's move this past week.

My mom is settled in her new apartment and when we left she told me it felt like home to her so that made my heart sing.

It is amazing to leave Chicago at 20 degrees and take a plane ride for 2.5 hours and arrive at 80 degrees.  To go from Winter to Summer in 2.5 hours is amazing to me.

Terry and I worked hard from sun up to sun down to get my mom moved from her home into the senior apartment.  We packed, cleaned, staged her home and moved and decorated like crazy this week.

I thank all of you for your special prayers for an easy transition for my mom and safe travels and success for Terry and I on this journey.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now for some special Thank you's and then on to my give away.

My sweet blogging friend Dawn from Creative Cabin sent me this beautiful valentine's pillow that she made for me.  It was so nice after a long hard week to come home yesterday and open this sweet pillow gifted to me.  My heart was full as I received this from Dawn.  Thank you Dawn I love it.
xxoo
Head over to Dawn's blog for a sweet no bake valentine treat she just posted about.
Yummo!

Now for the Give Away!!!! Yeah!!!! I think most of you know the talented Becky from Timewashed.  Well she has created these cute lavender filled heart sachets in these cute pots for valentines Day.  Becky gave me a special price for one so I could do a giveaway to all of you sweet followers of my blog.

She included some cute tags along with the pot so I can tie off the cute valentine to the winner.

I have gotten many special treats from Becky for each holiday.  I get so excited to see what special treasures she will create for  each holiday.

Here they are.  I had to have one for myself and I also did a special gift with the #3 for a special friend and I have the extra one for the give away.

So cute right?!!! They smell so great too.  When I opened the box it smelled like heaven.  Love the scent of Lavender.

So if you would like a chance to win one of these cute potted valentine sachets just leave me a comment!  That's it easy peasy!
I love you all and wish I had one to give each of you.  Thank you Becky for this sweet treasure for a give away to my special blogging friends.
Good Luck Everyone!

If you would like to give one of these or do not win one in this giveaway you can go to Becky's Etsy Shop and purchase one for yourself.  I tell ya they smell divine!
Have a wonderful start to the new week.
Big Hugs,
Kris :)