Published in Country Sampler magazine 1 year ago!

I cannot believe it has been a year since my home, the Brayton Homestead, was published in Country Sampler Magazine! Boy does time fly. It seems like yesterday that Fifi O'Neil, the fantastic stylist and author of Prairie Style was here!

The house, built in 1796, has most of the original woodwork. These pictures are of one of the rooms, the bedroom, that was featured. The kitchen and sitting room were also in the magazine. Yes, I love pink, chenille and pillows!

Another wall in the bedroom has the original fireplace with  my favorite wood work in the house. Painting detailed woodwork in an off white shows off all the curves. I love mixing shades of pink and maroons with brown to keep the colors grounded. My favorite vintage leopard hats adorn the mantle along with an angel watercolor I painted. Symmetry on the mantle works here in a room that is off- centered with a door and a chaise lounge.

Thanks for coming to the Homestead. Hoping you enjoyed  pictures from Country Sampler Magazine!

Karen

thanks for visiting friends!

linking with:

My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia

Cozy Little House

Happy Labor Day

Have a wonderful Labor Day. 
This is my friend's front porch with flags and flowers! Annuals and perennials all mix beautifully. 
Here are more of my  favorite finds and photos of the week.

My companion at all times, Krumpet. 

One can never be down with him around. Look at that face! 

The painted checkerboard floor  I painted that was featured in 

Country Sampler article about my homestead.

See the left column top pic that was published.  

and this graphic from Graphics Fairy for labels that I am crazy about!

Cool enough evenings to light my outdoor fireplace, oh so fun, next time marshmallows! 
I have had it for years and it still works and makes the side stone patio look inviting.. 

New changes coming to my Brayton Cottage shop, here in rough form. Stay tuned to my new collection of skirts " BRAYTON HOMESTEAD COLLECTION"

Busy at work on my computer, using the Mona Lisa mouse pad made my friend  made me :she sells them on Etsy. 

Thank you for visiting the Homestead,

Karen

Snowman jars in the kitchen

Every year I put out the paper mache jars I created. Large glass carrots noses

in snow man heads covered in glitter.

The large jar hold all my cookie  cutters, so convenient.  When not holding deserts the cake plate

corals vintage check ornaments and my snow man ornaments. ( Smaller boxes on my Etsy shop)/

Greens and plaid ribbons adorn the mantle and table. Love Christmas decorations, don't you?

Hope you enjoyed my holiday kitchen decor,

thanks for visiting,

Karen

My Spring Homestead Table

My Spring brunch table, tea with a nest? My Mom and Dad's 25th anniversary coffee pot, now an antique is one of my favorite possession.

Bead springs make perfect egg holders, no the eggs are decorative only, but I guess your could polyurethane them. Um, my next project! Piled up vintage linens and burlap jumbled  are nest like too...

Raffia and lace everywhere!

Rustic and elegant materials just belong together!

Enjoy,

Karen

Ode to School Vacation week

This is my ODE TO SCHOOL VACATION week.

From my years of teaching art I fondly remember how much I loved the vacations! These are items past, present and those to be listed from my Brayton Cottage. To those  in the midst of it, enjoy...

Karen

Fall Weekend

HAPPY WEEKEND FRIENDS!

A perfect weekend to pick apples and pumpkins, bike ride , gather sunflowers or antique shopping .This photograph reminds me of Paris, does it to you?. Hope your weekend is perfect!

Karen

Office textures and views

Another section of my office, take a break for tea in leather chair and ottoman

sort papers in leopard binders atop a black cabinet...

closeup of items on shelving... 

favorite rug mounted on check wallpaper...

love textures and shades of brown at the homestead.

Karen

BLOG GIVEAWAY here at Brayton Homestead

To thank all my friends who come to the

 homestead

to visit and leave such lovely comments, I am having a scarf giveaway!

I offer these soft cotton and lace scarves 

in these pretty colors at my online shop

BRAYTON COTTAGE 

to enter the giveaway for the romantic creamy scarf 

1st-must become a follower of my blog

and leave a comment letting me know that you are 

or that you are already a follower.

 for a 2nd entry,

 post about it on your blog 

and leave me another comment to let me know.

 for a 3rd entry, visit my shop

BRAYTON COTTAGE

leave me an additional comment tell me which item you liked and why...

  

you can also visit my facebook page,

BRAYTON HOMESTEAD INTERIORS

and become a friend for a another entry,

be sure to leave a comment for each entry .

the giveaway ends on April 30th

good luck and thanks!

Linking with 

FADED CHARM.

Karen

Must get ready!

" I am so exhausted from delivering scarves from Brayton Cottage all over the world, 

how I will I ever recoup to deliver eggs?"

Well , do not rest now bunny, the Cottage just added more items...

and everyone is looking so pretty in their scarves...

You can not disapoint...

thanks Bunny,

 Karen

Happy Spring!

Easter is only 2 weeks ago, dare I say, "where did the time go?"

The time of year for renewal, the birds are back chirping and my roses planted along the stone wall look like they made it through the winter

Happy Spring!

Linking with:

KNICK of TIME

Karen

Time Change

Have you adjusted to the time change?

I changed mine at midnight Saturday. loved the glow in my living room so ran to get my  camera and started snapping pictures.

Ever since I started blogging I am always snapping pics. 

Ok, I was like that before too...

doll is for sale at Brayton Cottage

LINKED WITH:

A STROLL THRU LIFE

KNICK OF TIME

Karen

New Collage, New venture

You may already know that I love to make collages. Not having Photoshop or another great picture editing program, I use Picture it that came with my computer. It has limitations, yet it works. 

Photos represent items have available at my new shop, 

Brayton Cottage

braytoncottage.com 

I am so thrilled to be a sponsor on the beautiful blog

French Country Cottage,

thank you Courtney!

check out her lovely blog party that I am linked with.

Karen

Brayton Cottage Shop

So excited to announce that my new shop

braytoncottage.com

is almost up and running and here are two of the categories in the store.

PARIS FLEA MARKET

my fav category~ pic I took at the Paris Flea Market Marches

another category:

ACCESSORIES

(articles to wear)

What do you think so far?

shop should be up by next week- I'll keep you posted

thanks,

Karen

Linking with Pink Saturday ,A Stroll Thru Life and Faded Charm

Santa in his sleigh

Santa is coming to the Brayton Homestead. Some last minute touches in the mudroom. An old carriage seat I picked up this summer along with some suitcases. Can you ever have enough suitcases?

Yes, this is how long I have had my wind up singing Santa

from my dear Dad.

linking with Faded Charm

enjoy,

Karen

dreaming of a pink Christmas

I am dreaming of a pink Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.

Yes, really. From a young girl to now, love pink for Christmas, well every color really.

Well, ok, pink the best. Another pic from my Brayton Homestead Interiors 

guest post at Pink Saturday.

What is your favorite Christmas color?

Karen

Linking with:

THE LETTERED COTTAGE

CHRISTMAS ITEMS: vintagedchic

The elves are filling the shop at vintagedchic

fun retro it items such a chenille santa ornaments  SOLD and 

crochet hanger SOLD

 are now available

with more added daily..

come on by,

vintagedchic

Karen

Linking with: FADED CHARM

SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE

 VERY MERRY VINTAGE STYLE

 THE COLORADO LADY

SAVED BY LOVE CREATIONS