Mar/April issue

[Chyna]

So what do you think? I think the editors see what we've been talking about in here and go from there on what to put in the next issue. ;) I found the article on cottage plants very helpful, actually the entire issue was more outdoors stuff this time. Did they do any interiors? Hmm I'll have to go back and look now. :p

Come on girls we spent an entire month talking about how it was going wrong, now it is changing again lets not stop our critiques.

[Chyna]

Am I the only one who gets this magazine and liked/disliked it?

Like I mentioned before I really liked the 10 suggestions for a cottage garden and even found the article on the topiary garden interesting and useful for hedges and so forth. Don't tell Martha but CL beat her on the gardening issue. I can't even remember what all her's was about. Sad isn't it?:(

[Lucille1963]

Mine hasn't come in the mail yet. Hopefully it will come today, I'll need something to read while I am at the Chicago Blackhawks hockey game. :D

I did read Martha's Gardening issue and enjoyed parts of it. If found the article on clemitis quite interesting.

[Chyna]

I was torn on that article on the clematis. There was an article in our local newspaper and it made it out to being difficult to grow here but then I see in Martha she makes it out to just be easier as all get out. I should try it someday on my stick arch, just haven't got the guts to yet. :o

I can't believe you haven't got yours yet. Mine came in the mail last week, wonder if yours got lost or something.:eek: Now that is a travesty!

[rubyslippers]

Hello all,

I am a "new" member to these boards; however, I have already been posting quite a bit because this feels like a "homey" place. To be very honest, until I bought myself a to-me-from-me subscription to Cottage Living, the only other magazines that come in the door are Cooking Light & Newsweek (my husband gets Sporting News? ... I toss it on the table and rarely glance at it ... sad.) Side note, I do not really read "Martha" ... it has nothing to do with anything political AT ALL ... Martha just always seems complicated to me while Cottage Living feels a little easier and more realistic. (Though I do wish the issues were a little thicker if I'm not going to get one every month.)

Anyway, I finally subscribed to Cottage Living because I was tired of scrounging for it in the stores. It took me awhile to realize it was an every other month kind of magazine, so I didn't understand why I felt like I could never find an issue. My husband and I currently live in a very cute small historic southern town. We currently rent because the housing market is slower-here. The cottages (and rambling farmhouses) that have already been rennovated sell for a pretty-penny. (More than a young couple in their 30's can really spend). I believe the "Labor of Love" article was one of the best things I have read in awhile. I would have liked to have seen even more pictures of the sledge-hammering parties (and maybe a few more notes on the frustrations of the process) ... these stories are usually told in hindsight with very few people crying because it will never be finished or because they are living off cheerios because they do not have a functioning kitchen. So, a little more "in the process" stuff would be lovely.

So, I guess I subscribed to cottage living because it is "my" style. Maybe it reminds me of my grandmother's old Arts & Crafts Bungalow ... I don't really know. I think that is something for the editors to keep in mind ... there are dreamers out here who are not going to be able to financially build one of these house-plans from scratch (though they are beautiful).

With all of that said, I obviously fell in love with the moonflower article in this issue ... see rambling post in gardening. Plus, I died laughing when I turned to page 19 because I internally groaned (they used the truck-tarp ottoman from Anthropologie as the coffee table) ... I am on a quest for an ottoman these days, so, I sadly know them by name. I also loved the fact that that picture had books piled-up under the coffee-table ottoman. That is how people REALLY live ... thanks for illustrating that fact.

So, I am enjoying my subscritpion. Sure, every article will not meet all of our needs; but, we can borrow little ideas that make our real homes "homey" as well. I am becoming more and more fascinated with the sort of people this magazine attracts ... I guess we all want a little something "different" for our homes.

Thanks for listening ... I know this was a long post.

Bye,

Jenny

[jmr483]

I believe that not all the issues are for two months. I thought this issue was just for March. It's such a great magazine, I wish it was 12 issues a year!!

I thought the article about moonflowers was especially interesting because it seems so easy... seems even a novice gardener like myself could accomplish this.

[dedavis]

That truck tarp ottoman caused my eyebrows to lift into my hairline...can't believe people would pay money for that. My cats could do that to a piece of furniture for free.

That said, I always look forward to the magazine. I'm interested in design trends and I like that CL shows a variety. I'm glad they're showing regional differences in cottages. It's fun to see how cottages around the country are adapted to climate and local building materials. I like the articles about how gardens are integrated with the house. It's frustrating to see all these great places after they're fixed up...makes me impatient that I don't have the time and money to make sweeping changes with my place. I have to remember that home is a work in progress.

I've read every issue and something that baffles me is the frequent references to shoes. Shoe storage, shoes as a special treat, pointy-toed shoes with jeans. Is this an inside joke? Being from the rural Northwest (and having extra wide feet), I'm all about boots and Birkenstocks and bare feet. What is it with the shoes?

[Chyna]

Can't say I've ever noticed anything about shoes. will have to go back and look. :cool:

That would be a great article to see a cottage in the middle of the project, sort of a This Old House kind of thing but in a smaller scale. I think they come out 10 a year or I'd be raving mad waiting every other month. I wish they were thicker too but then we'd start getting too much filler.

Hey Rex what about a how-to section? For those of you who are new we've suggested that several times over. maybe if we apply enough pressure they'll cave. :D

[administrator]

Good suggestion. What kind of how to would you like to see? More of the light renovation kind of things such as installing beaded-board or making a garden path, or decorating how tos like picking paint colors or room lighting?

[cheapdiva]

Rex and CL staff -

I would like to see an in-depth how to piece each issue; how to change a light fixture, the best way to attach beadboard to walls, how to change your kitchen/bath faucet. Maybe a woman who is handy doing these things so we all know we can do these things. I love seeing the before and after shots of homes but how about filling us in on the realities of tackling some of these projects? I often feel like either 1) these home owners are very skilled DIYers (and how did they get that way?) or 2) they can afford to pay someone a king's ransom to get the work done.

If you read these boards, you see many of us are trying to tackle these jobs ourselves. I love CL and the homes featured but always wonder how much money you have to have to accomplish getting the look so many of these owners end up with. I know things are going to cost different amounts due to various regions in the country, but a ball park would be nice.

[Lisa S]

Personally, I'm interested in:

How to match prints within the same room. I'm having a heck of a time with curtains to go in the rooms that have strong Oriental rugs.

Ideas about how to add details to decorating. I'm always impressed with the details that professional decorators put in a room.

Before and after lighting. I know lighting is crucial to a room, but I'd like to SEE the difference.

Exterior painting ideas. Maybe a feature showing the exteriors of cottages across the country.

[Chyna]

I think interior light renovations would be great! Since you mentioned beadboard I just want to comment from my experience, unless you want the next homeowner to hunt you down and beat you with one of the boards don't use glue on sheetrock.:mad: The nails would have held it up just fine.:rolleyes:

How-to for the gardening I would say should be within the articles themselves. When someone is talking about putting in a footpath a short how-to would be great, it could even be featured here on board if there is no room in the magazine itself.:cool:

Lisa S

I would suggest going with one of the background colors in the rug, they wouldn't be fighting with the rug then since they are already a background color. JMHO

[rubyslippers]

I am currently "cottage-hunting" ... I believe the comments I am going to make are true of any house-hunter. Even if you can handle the mortgage, some of the rennovations are just scary. I am a big-time-do-it-myself-gal, so, I do not get scared-off easily by projects. I do however get scared-off by dollar signs. So, I would love to see a "Do-it-Yourself / How-to-Make-it-Liveable-Until-You-Can-Fix-it" kind of thing. Let me give you an example, I know of a cottage on the market in my area that I love overall. Unfortunately, the dominant bathroom has seafoam green tiles and post-art-deco PINK sinks and counter-tops. I have tried to fathom putting up funky paisley Pottery Barn or Anthropologie shower-curtains ... hanging crazy mirrors in the room ... bringing in cherry blossoms in funky white milk-glass vases ... maybe hunting down a jadeite light-fixture. I don't know what the heck I would do with that room because if I can swing the mortgage, etc., I am going to have to live with the bathroom for awhile. I have even put in tile with my Dad before ... hard work ... but do-able ... but the dollar signs scare me. So, I would love to see the "UGLY ROOMS" people are living with and how they have "managed" them while awaiting the magic day they could rip everything out. I also think an across the board concern has to do with a lot of "bad" wood-paneling. I end up with an ethical wood-paneling issue many times ... I do not want to feel like I am living in the 1970's; however, the thought of "painting" REAL wood feels like I would be doing something wrong. I would like to learn how to strip or stain or something (wood walls or floors) ... especially when they are too dark and the room must be lightened without going straight for the paint. Thanks for listening. I guess the pages just do not always have to be "pretty" in my mind's eye ... the ugly part lets me know I'm not alone in trying to harvest something truly unique.

[Lisa S]

Thanks for the suggestion. I kinda wanted to expand skills by picking another pattern. I love patterns together when it's done right. I actually DID pick something and I'm having someone with decent sewing skills make faux Roman shades for me. I just not convinced I made a good choice. She was supposed to come over today with the finished product, but we're too sick to be seen. Now I have to wait until Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

[Lisa S]

RubySlippers ~ I love your idea.

[jmr483]

Yeah, Rubyslippers, that is an awesome idea. So true to how people really live.

[Lucille1963]

Unfortunately, the dominant bathroom has seafoam green tiles and post-art-deco PINK sinks and counter-tops.

You have just described my dream bathroom!! :D :D

I still haven't received my issue yet!

[Chyna]

I think your issue is lost Nic, can't see it taking longer to get Chicago than to MT.

I like the seafoam and pink bathroom too! This kills me to suggest but you can paint over the tiles. The type of paint all depends on what kind of tile it is. I think I'd embrace the deco-ness of it and go that route. Or paint the walls a pale seafoam (may I suggest Sea glass by Behr) and then go sea/ocean type of accessories. I'm thinking more along the lines of inner shell not lots of plastic fish even though that could be cute too. :p

I do like that idea. Find an ugly room and show how a few changes can make it nice. Kind of like Room to Sell but the owner is actually staying not selling. :D