We’re recovering from yesterday’s terrible weather. It rained all day long, which quickly turned to ice, black ice for those drivers who were unaware that the innocent looking rain was becoming dangerous. The result was terrible for many people: multiple car accidents, cars spinning out on roads and freeways, the eventual closure of the Thruway. Don had a gig north of us which he had to cancel. It was just too, too dangerous to drive. So we were stuck in the house all day while we tried to make Scoutie’s little corral safe by salting everything in sight. It was simply horrible. Today will be all about salting the driveway so we can get to the grocery store. I’m sick of this icy winter.

Nesting Mode continues, so I hope you don’t mind if I indulge in some more Scenes from the Cottage? Today we’re checking out the living room. I didn’t capture every detail, but there are plenty of photos elsewhere on the blog if you want to see more.

The living room and the kitchen are essentially one big room. There are lots of windows, so sunlight floods each room.

As Is, remember, so we have dark corners, rumpled sofas, and a dog.

I threw in an older photo of the parakeet lamp because I forgot to take a picture of it the day I shot these photos.

I’ve had the loveseat since I lived in Boston, so that would make it about 23 years old. Like the sofa in the den, it’s had several slipcovers. The yellow chair was purchased new several years ago, as were the rugs.  The red chair was a $50 purchase from a San Diego antique shop. The wood chair was purchased at a local vintage shop right after we moved in here. It’s surprisingly comfortable.

The large white cabinet was found for $100 at auction. I love it, love it, love it.

The piano was my grandmother’s. The coffee table was refinished by our friend Rob when we lived in San Diego and we got it for a song.

You know all about the dollhouse.

The desk was free; found on the street and ‘reimagined.’

Once again, there’s lots of McCoy pottery scattered around the room, on tables, on the piano, under the dollhouse, on top of the white cabinet, on the sideboard. In fact, many of the colors I use in the living room and kitchen were inspired by the sherbet colors of McCoy.

The wooden ship was given to my dad by my mom.

The quilt on the floor was found at auction. It’s on the floor entirely for Scoutie’s comfort.

The lithograph of the Aquitania was a big find last year – a bit of a splurge for two normally frugal people. We bought it from a local antique shop. Words cannot express how much we love it.

The parakeet lamp was a birthday gift from Don.

The pillow on the red chair was a gift from Judy.

Monty the Cow was purchased right after we moved East. We love him. We’ve been known to move him from room to room so that he can see everything going on in the house.

I had a canvas print made of the Lamb With The Party Hat (this blog’s logo) and Don insisted, much to my delight, that we hang it in the living room.

The small print in the green frame is a postcard of a print that Don saw in a local gallery. The original print below it is a Norman Rockwell. We found it several years ago in the Berkshires.

The clock was found across the river in an antique shop (the same one where we recently found the Maxfield Parrish). We fell in love with it and put it on layaway. It was an anniversary present to each other.

The Hymns board was found in a local antique shop several years ago. I had to have it.

The fringed lampshade was found in California at Christie Repasy’s shop.

The dog comes with the house. She’s priceless.

You know that feeling when you walk in the door and you can’t help smiling? That’s what happens with this room. The living room makes me happy.

If you have questions about anything else, feel free to ask in the comments section.

Happy Monday.