Jingle, Jingle, Jingle...can you hear those...um...fireworks ring? Clearly that's not right, but along with this weekend's Independence Day festivities, I'll be celebrating a little more Christmas in July. This time, I'm not planning my decor. Nope, I'm making my holiday craft list and gathering supplies, while they're plentiful.

July, July, July, my favorite summer month. Filled with hazy, hot and humid beach days. Late night pool swims. Backyard barbeques, fireflies, fireworks. And Christmas!

I haven't shared a recipe here in a long time, because let's face it. Cooking is not my strong suit. Oh sure, I've been able to master a few of the dishes outlined in my mom's old notebook. However, overall, I stick to the basics. And if there's a way to cut corners, even better.

When the sun is shining and the weather is warm, yard sales just seem to pop up on every block in my area. The weekends are full of them. Of course, I have no willpower when it comes to second hand treasures, so I basically stop at every one. And head straight to the table with the kitchen supplies.

When I pictured my dream house, complete with a charming cottage style kitchen, the idea of having a built in desk area never entered my mind. It definitely didn't scream 1920's beach cottage. However, when we moved in here and expanded the kitchen we were left with an awkward hallway kind of space where the old kitchen lived. The latest desk area decor.

You know that old saying about how things come in threes? Well, despite all the other meanings and sometimes negative connotations, I'm a firm believer that when it pertains to design, three is a magic number. There's something about the repetition that just ties a room together. And brings a calm, cohesive feeling to a space. So when it came time to pick a new fabric to cover the glass cabinet doors above the desk in my kitchen, for summer, I went for the familiar. Oh, not at first. No, no. Apparently, taking the easy road when it comes to decor is not my specialty .  I have to hem and haw about things. I need to gather 100 swatches, pin them up, reject them and then revisit them. Over and over again. It's funny, I never used to be this way, I always seemed to know exactly what I wanted, before I even started the redecorating process. Now, not so much.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still all about those quick and easy DIYs , but these days it takes me longer to commit....

Well, hello friends! It’s been quite a while hasn’t it? I wish I could tell you that I was off sailing the seven seas. Or I'd moved to a tropical island where I've been enjoying sun, sand and spectacular views….but the truth is I’ve just been home. Spring outside my kitchen window. And the only views I’ve been enjoying are the ones around my tiny cottage. It’s actually pretty funny. When I started blogging, 12 years ago, I was in the thick of raising children and taking care of my mother. It was a very busy season of life .