6th "Welcome to NEWBIE" Weekly Feature!

 

Welcome to my 6th "Welcome to NEWBIE" weekly feature.  Each Wednesday, I will introduce you to some NEW, or as I like to call us, NEWBIE, bloggers who are fun, creative and just plain COOL!

You, my peeps, get some new inspiration and the NEWBIE gets some new followers!  A win-win for all!

My first NEWBIE this week is Liz from The Brambleberry Cottage! 

Here is the most elegant Liz...

Liz is a fifty-something Southern gal living with her husband, whom she affectionately refers to as "the Yankee".  Five years ago, they moved from the city to a quaint little cottage farmhouse amid the beautiful rolling hills of North Carolina.  

  

Meet "The Yankee"!! 

The Brambleberry Cottage is the name she gave her new home shortly after they moved in.  How did she come up with the name, you ask?  Well, one day, as she strolled their eleven wooded acres, the perfect name came to Liz.  There were lush blackberry brambles enveloping about five acres of the property's perimeter.  It was the time of year when  they were in full bloom, which created a charming backdrop for the cottage.  It seemed only natural to choose a name with that particular scenery in mind.  So, the Brambleberry Cottage was born. 

 

A wellhouse on the property framed by Fall foliage....beautiful....

Liz and her "Yankee" are very much a husband and wife DIY team.  They delight in rescuing vintage, antique, and collectible castoffs to create one-of-a-kind treasures - for themselves and others.  However, she is constantly faced with the challenges of their very different personalities and decorating styles.  

Liz favors the refined and feminine...

...while he likes rustic and primitive.

Liz decided to chronicle the adventures and challenges of blending these two entirely different styles - what she calls a "romantic union of Yankee ingenuity and Southern charm."  Her blog, which she started just a little over five weeks ago, provides a creative outlet to do just that.

So here's why you'll love The Brambleberry Cottage...

Want to see some yummy furniture rehabs?  Okay, rehab isn't even the word I should use when it comes to what Liz and the "Yankee" do with tired, old furniture. Metamorphosis maybe? Transformation?  Miracle?

  

 

Isn't this beautiful cottagey yumminess?  I love all the little appliques they added to give it that special handcrafted look.  And the color....could it be more perfect?

   

This vanity became 2 beautiful nightstands.  That's Yankee ingenuity for ya!  How nifty is that?!

Mr. "Yankee" even builds furniture...from scratch!

 

Kitchen island

Yes, he painted that checkerboard pattern on the top by hand.  Mr "Yankee" I'm your newest fan!

 

Rustic bench

 

Chippy little table!

Tablescapes are just one of Liz's passions...

 

Romantic dining in the field behind the cottage!

Liz throws the coolest parties!

 She did a 14 day marathon of giveaways in honor of Valentine's Day!  That's a lot of work Liz.  Great job!

So go over and visit Liz, her "Yankee" and The Brambleberry Cottage! 

Now meet my 2nd NEWBIE, Barbara from Hodge:Podge! 

 

Barbara's passion for decorating started as a child, when her mom taught her how to sew buttons at 3 years old!  From there, she started designing her own Barbie dresses, then re-decorating the Barbie house and redecorating and rearranging her bedroom, much to her parents constant bewilderment. 

 

What really fuels her passion is trying to create an aesthetically pleasing home on a budget. She enjoys painting, refinishing furniture, sewing drapes, pillows and just "fluffing" the house by using creativity and imagination. She looks to her  favorite Canadian design mags and designers for inspiration, as well as the wealth of inspiration in our blogging community!

Some of Barbara's original artwork!

"Peony"

 Barbara began blogging after moving back to Canada from Virginia and not being able to find work in her profession, education. She stayed busy by focusing on decorating her home despite it being a rental. After stumbling across some blogs she decided to start one as well. She finds it is another creative outlet and she's met some amazing and talented women along the way.

So here's what got me hooked on Hodge:Podge!

Barbara comes up with wonderfully creative, yet simple to execute (which blondie here likes A LOT!) fun projects!

Like this one...

 

Rubbermaid bins get the chalkboard paint treatment!

Or these...

 

Recover an ironing board using snappy Ikea fabric OR make a chalkboard out of a window!

I love an ugly lamp makeover!  The before...

 

And after...

She used silver leaf....totally glamourous!

This one got the white treatment.  Beautiful!

Barbara did a wonderful series on how to create character and make a RENTED home feel loved.  The ideas are great for renters, but could be used for an owned home too!  

Such as...

 

Change the fixtures in bathrooms.  If you need more towel bars, add them!  (Sidenote: this bathroom was PURPLE, yes purple before she painted it this wonderful caramel color!)

 

Change light fixtures! 

(*as I look at what I like to call the "mushroom light" in my master bedroom entry!)

Nothing says lovin' like the power of paint!  

The before...

Red rum....Red rum!!!! (*I love that movie!)

And the calm, serene after...

 

  

So go check out Barbara at Hodge:Podge!  I can't wait to see what wonderful ideas she comes up with next!

Thanks for joining me for "Welcome to NEWBIE Wednesday".  I hope you enjoyed meeting these 2 lovely ladies!