cottage – Page 3 – Jennifer Michie

February 8, 2015 / 1 Comment

New Hair, Hot Soup and Party Lights!

Yesterday, I pampered myself to a hair cut, mani and pedi. I work hard for my money and I think that everyone has the right to treat themselves once in awhile.

I have been through a ton of hairdressers since living here and I have finally found the right one! And it isn’t just the hairdresser, it’s the atmosphere as well. My hair salon of choice in London is the Aveda Spa in Covent Garden. I have been going there for over a year now and I always walk away happy. It is an oasis of serenity.

I hadn’t had my hair cut since the beginning of December. Between my work schedule, weekends being pretty busy and my lovely hair stylist being fully booked, it meant I had to wait ’till this Saturday. But it was well worth the wait! I got a lot of hair chopped off and I LOVE IT! I had numerous compliments; one by a complete stranger that passed me on the street, which made my day!

To celebrate the weekend and a new haircut, Mr. Michie took me out on a date. It was so very cold yesterday and all I wanted was some soup, so off to Cha Cha Moon we went. I had a delicious, warming bowl of wonton soup and a glass of their lemon iced tea. Heaven!!

We spent today, re-organizing all the Christmas decorations. I ordered some storage bags and they arrived this week, so we went to work. It was another downsizing exercise, just keeping what we need and donating the rest to charity. The house has been thoroughly Spring cleaned. It was a lot of work, but it was well worth it. I’ve put out a few of my Copenhagen surprises and a set of very happy party lights are now adorning the mantle.

One bag of unsorted items remains, but it will have to wait until next weekend. It holds the key ingredients to three separate packages that I plan to mail home. Still, I’ve accomplished a lot, so now I’m sitting back with a glass of wine, next to Mr. Michie, staring at our new lights. Here’s to weekends!!

January 4, 2015 / 1 Comment

Cleaning House

We spent a part of our weekend cleaning out our bedroom. I know, I know, it’s the old January organizing cliche, but I love cleaning house. We went through the closets, the jumbo sweater and blanket bags and the storage bags underneath our bed which we managed to downsize the sheets and towels that we need to one bag. By the time we were done, we had a giant box, two XL paper bags and two garbage bags worth of items to take to the charity shop.

We are really working on downsizing. It is wonderful! I find it very therapeutic and mentally cleansing. It’s funny, because the things we got rid of you can’t really see, they are behind doors, but yet when we came back in the house, Mr. Michie said it just felt “lighter” in the cottage, and it did.

I love when we declutter and organise. Little by little we have been doing this in the cottage, choosing one area to tackle and working through it. It means our house only has what we need. Everything has a purpose.

December 18, 2014 / 0 Comments

Gertie

Today is my first day off from school! I’ve spent my morning drinking tea, reading a cozy prairie Christmas story, cleaning and hanging out with Gertie! She’s pretty good company. Although she prefers hot chocolate and marshmallows instead of tea, but that’s pretty easy to fix, I’ve even topped her little mug with whipped cream and a few green sprinkles, much to her delight! Happiness is…

July 10, 2014 / 0 Comments

Listening in the Quiet

I’ve done a lot of listening these past few days. School is over, no children about, so all is quiet. I have systematically been going through the studios, cleaning up, cleaning out and re-organizing. Through this process I have been plugged in, catching up on podcasts, listening to music, or simply working in silence, very aware of my surroundings.

I have also been using my cleaning time to meditate, focusing on some of my yogi practices. I am finding my quiet at work, now I am looking forward to being able to find it at home. The last few weeks of school always keep our house in a state of flux. It needs a thorough cleaning, more than the spit and polish it has been getting. As long as my kitchen is clean and my bathroom is clean, I can deal with anything else. But I am ready for everything to be in it’s place.

I shall have a few days to myself soon and I plan to work through the cottage, like I am working through the studios, systematically, carefully, with love and listening in the quiet.

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May 18, 2014 / 0 Comments

Re-Organizing

We have spent the weekend doing a spot of spring cleaning. The cottage isn’t quite finished, but we have made a big dent. There is something so satisfying about cleaning up, cleaning out and getting rid of things. However, I always feel the same way, once I work on truly cleaning a space, I almost can’t bring myself to use that area or make a mess in it where it has just been thoroughly gutted and cleaned. I’m not quite to the point of plastic couch covers, a house is supposed to be enjoyed after all, but it is nice to see the space you worked so hard to clean and organize stay that way, at least for five minutes.

We made three runs to the charity shop yesterday and will have more to make next weekend as we have gotten rid of more books, cds, dvds and other odds and ends. Some corners of the cottage look a bit bare now and I actually like it. We are just working on sections; one at a time. We picked what we wanted to focus on and then worked through that. That way the task isn’t as daunting and we stay on course. Streamlining is a good thing, every now and then!

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March 22, 2014 / 1 Comment

Tulips

These were a treat to myself this week. A bunch of tulips that I picked up at Whole Foods on my way home. The are filling the cottage with Springtime happiness!

February 19, 2014 / 2 Comments

Cleaning

I love this image. I wish I could throw open my windows, stick my head out, purse my lips into a whistle and have a herd of animals come and clean for me! We seem to spend half of every school break really attacking the cottage. Yesterday we cleaned all of upstairs. Dusting everything in sight, going through all of the closets and reorganizing clothes, gathering a collection to take the the charity shop and putting up a few of our heavier sweaters, because in this weather we don’t seem to really need them.

We scrubbed, mopped and polished our way out of the bathroom as well. We did all of this while also tackling “Mount Laundry”. We have almost defeated it! Now, don’t ask me why, but as we move closer to a school holiday, you would think that things would become a little less chaotic. In fact it is the exact opposite. The closer we get the busier, crazier, more late nights we have than ever before, so everything in the house just seems to pile up.

The upstairs of the cottage is entirely clean, now the downstairs needs a good once over. So, I suppose that is my day laid out for me already as I did attempt to whistle out the window this morning with no luck! I guess the woodland cleaning company is on holiday as well!

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February 17, 2014 / 0 Comments

Orchids

I love orchids. I have the perfect windowsill for them in the cottage and they are incredibly happy there. I have a gorgeous snow white one and a deep purple velvet one. My snow white orchid has just finished blooming. We had big snowflake colored blooms all through Christmas.

Mr. Michie gave me another orchid for Valentine’s Day. It is a sunny yellow with a sprinkle and speckle of deep aubergine inside. It is definitely the sunshine on my windowsill with all the rainy days we have been having.

December 1, 2013 / 2 Comments

The First Day of December

I have a pumpkin pie in the oven, bread torn and drying out, ready to be turned into stuffing, Christmas music playing and I am cleaning the house and beginning to put away Fall in preparation for decorating for Christmas.

This afternoon we will celebrate Thanksgiving. We are a few days late, but it still counts!

I can’t believe that today marks the first day of Advent and the first day of December. Where has this year gone? It seems to have vanished with a blink of an eye! We are trying to keep things a bit more simplified this year. We even bought a chocolate Advent calendar instead of using Eglantine.

Which doesn’t sound like such a big deal, but it is for me. I love Christmas! Our house is usually decorated within every square inch of itself. However, I don’t think it will be that way this year. I love my new job, but it is keeping me very occupied. So something’s gotta give somewhere and that means that this year we are keeping the house decorating elegant yet simple.

October 28, 2013 / 0 Comments

The St. Jude Storm 2013

We were awoken early this morning by the winds and rain of St. Jude. But, so far, so good today. We have had to tuck a few of our plants away and tie up the olive tree, so it doesn’t keel over in its pot. But we aren’t going to be hit as hard as others have been, but, it doesn’t sound like that at the moment as the wind is howling around the house.

Mr. Michie has coffee brewing, I am about to start working on making us a little breakfast and then we are going to finish making our first apple butter of the season. My mom gave us her recipe and so far so good, it looks just like her’s looks at this stage, so I am really pleased. And the whole house smells like apples, it reminds me of my days working on the farm at the Shed, that heavenly apple scent was infused into everything! It doesn’t get much better than that!