DIY--Memory Box

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
Today we have another shadowbox DIY to share.
When his dad died a little while ago, Ron wanted to find a way to remember him that went beyond a simple framed photo. Along with Ray's golf clubs, which might or might not ever see service, Ron inherited a small collection of personal items: a tie, some photos, a couple of rollerskating medals, etc.
To keep these special mementos safe but visible, Ron created a shadowbox. The box itself he got at Michael's. Ron's dad worked at a shoe factory in Manchester, New Hampshire when he was very young, so we found a wooden shoe form at a local antique store. It's a tiny, child-sized one, just right for this purpose. A small piece of leather behind the mold reinforces the shoe-making idea and highlights the shape of the mold.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

As you can see above, Ray was an early fan of the selfie! He also enjoyed skiing in New Hampshire's spectacular White Mountains. Some of Ron's funniest stories involve family ski trips.
Ray's wristwatch is in the photo below. Despite the watch, Ray was chronically late (this might be a genetic thing, although Ron's never actually left either of our children standing lonely on a street corner waiting to be picked up). While punctuality wasn't a strong suit, Ron credits his dad with instilling an appreciation of Nature, and that's why there's a bird feather.
As you may already have noted, Ron used a variety of objects in this shadowbox, some two-dimensional and some three-dimensional. Some are black/white, others have color. There's a mix of "hard" materials (metals and wood) and softer ones (fabric and the feather). All these contrasts, along with a variety of shapes, help to give the composition visual interest.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Ray met his future wife, Irene, when he was very young. In fact he was only sixteen when they got married! (She was a little bit older). They enjoyed rollerskating together and if the medals indicate anything, apparently they were pretty good at it!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Ron included one of Ray's ties, and a photo of him wearing that very same tie.

© Rhiann Wynn-NOlet

Unfulfilled by his job making shoes, Ray started his own business building houses. He became well known in the area for his fine reproduction Colonials. Ron spent a few summers helping out and learning about house design and construction. With that in mind, Ron papered the back of the shadowbox with woodgrain paper and included both a compass (which had been Ray's) and a rusty old nail (near the feather).

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

I apologize for the distracting reflections in the glass, try as I might I couldn't find an angle where those were not an issue. SO frustrating! But I digress...
If you're assembling a shadowbox, play around with the placement of objects before fixing any of them into permanent position. The photos in this box are straight up and down, but if you'll notice, some of the other items (tie, feather, nail) are placed at angles. Again, this is a matter of personal taste, but the idea was to make the composition less static and more dynamic - moving the viewer's gaze around. Use whatever adhesive makes sense given the materials you're using (hot glue, regular glue, etc.).
We'll close up this DIY with a picture of Ray, looking very French-Canadian (he was born in Quebec). It's nice to have these tangible reminders of a loved one and their life story, both for Ron and for our children, who knew Pepere only as an elderly man.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Tell us what you think, have you made a shadowbox before? What was its purpose? Strictly decorative or something more?
Oh, wait...we can't say farewell without a cute Irish Jack Russell pic! This was taken a week or so ago on a walk by the Neuse River. As you can see Buster (aka Pork Chop) is keenly focused on the treat in my hand. Daisy is scanning the woods beyond, ever hopeful of finding a squirrel. Preferably a fat, elderly one, with a limp and poor eyesight.

Buster & Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And one more thing! Don't forget to join us here on Instagram for our #MagpieMonday fun. If you collect decorative items of any kind, you're going to love it!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style is #agrarianchic - a mix of old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!

Transitioning the Mantel to Early Spring!

Hello there, welcome to Quince Cottage!
We love every season here in North Carolina and we try to savor each for its unique natural beauty. We do this not only through daily doggy walks, but in our decor as well.
Having said that, we're getting a teensy bit tired of the dull browns and grays of late winter. So when we received a beautiful gift from a dear friend, that was all the excuse we needed to tweak our mantel display with a sneak peek of spring.
If you didn't visit us during the winter, here is our holiday mantel.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And here is our post-holiday-but-still-winter mantel.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And now, here's a view of the right side of our mantel.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

See those rose plates? They were in storage until Rhiann got them out for an IG post about collections for the MagpieMonday hashtag she cohosts.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Aren't they pretty?
Here's the left side of the mantel. That gorgeous pink hobnail covered compote is the gift we received from our friend Juls. She's an extremely creative and obviously generous person, with fabulous taste. Here's a link to her Instagram , she is definitely one to follow.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

You might have spied our recent shadowbox project up above as well. Click here for the DIY if you're curious. And now for the whole shebang... We'd originally planned to take the crystal garland down along with the other winter decor, but it's just so pretty we're leaving it up for now.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Are you decorating for spring yet? What are your favorite spring themes?
We mentioned #MagpieMonday earlier. Follow us on IG here for more about that.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Now it wouldn't be right to leave you with no doggy pictures, so here here you go! Buster in front, Daisy being camera-shy.

Buster & Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style is #agrarianchic - a mix of old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!

DIY Coffee Filter Wreath

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
If you're on Pinterest, no doubt you've seen a coffee filter wreath, and maybe even made one yourself. But if you haven't, and are feeling crafty on a small scale, here's a quick how-to.
You will need: a wreath form, 2 packages of paper coffee filters (8-12 cup size), a hot glue gun, a good sized artist's paint brush or a Sharpie. You can also use a piece of twine if you want to create a way to hang the wreath easily after completing it. This wreath is easy to make and quite inexpensive (about $10).

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

My advice is to leave the straw wreath wrapped in plastic, less mess and better adhesion. You could use a foam wreath form if you prefer. I used a length of twine and tied it around the straw form in two places so that I'd have an easy method for hanging this sucker just about anywhere.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Load and heat your glue gun. Put your capped Sharpie or the non-working end of the paint brush in the center of the filter and pull the sides up around it like a closed umbrella. Dab glue on the filter where you've created a small area for contact with the wreath form. Using the marker or paintbrush allows you to poke the filter into place without getting hot glue burns (well, okay, I did burn myself twice, but it had nothing to do with using the helper paint brush).

Start with the inner part of the wreath (around the central hole). Work in ever-expanding concentric rings from that first inner circle. In retrospect I think I packed the filters a little too densely. You can easily leave an inch between filter contact points and your wreath will turn out great. I fully intended to take a photo "during", but my glue gun had other ideas and was churning out molten glue so fast I never got to take a break.

Once you're finished, you can trim off any filter edges that protrude past where they should. Here is the finished product adorning the rusty windmill head on the planked wall in our dining room. I think it makes a nice, fresh-looking warm weather wreath, but it's also quite suitable for a white winter holiday scheme. By the way, if you're interested in the planked wall DIY, click here.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We hope you've enjoyed this quick and easy project. Buster and Daisy aren't all that interested in artsy-craftsy pastimes...

Naptime for Daisy and Buster © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Remember Mondays are #MagpieMonday on Instagram, where you get to show off your collections of decor items. Follow us here to learn more.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style mixes old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!

DIY Old Clock Shadowbox

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
Today we have a small-scale DIY project to share.
Rhiann blames Pinterest for this one. All those pretty pictures of fascinating, artsy shadowboxes made from Altoid's tins made her want to make one for herself, but in a somewhat larger size.
We found an old clock at a thrift shop. It wasn't working, so no need for remorse about disemboweling it. Besides, we plan to upcycle all the parts into various other projects.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Once the innards were out, it was time to scrape off what remained of the decal ornamentation on the glass front.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

She painted the inside a light blue to blend in with the sky image she found on the interwebs. After copy/pasting it into a Word doc, she printed it out, cut it to fit and glued it in. She used a different image, this time of mountains and hills, and repeated the process for the lower section.
We found a ceramic bird magnet at a little shop. A blob of hot glue and it's forever flying high!
A real twig, broken to size, simulates tree branches. A dollop of hot glue holds the stick in place. There's no need to over-worry the matter of scale. In other words, the ingredients all make sense, and that's sufficient in this kind of piece. Some moss from the hobby shop lines the bottom of the clock. (again hot glue here and there).
Finally the crowning glory--a real bird's nest that Rhiann found blown out of the trees after a storm. Look at that pretty blue thread running through it! That bird had a decorator's eye for sure.

Nest © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

This is what it looks like close up, with the door open.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's the finished creation.

Shadowbox © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

This was a fun project that didn't take very much time at all. Maybe we'll do another shadowbox soon!
If you're on Instagram follow us here and show your decor collections for #MagpieMonday!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

This week feels like winter here in North Carolina, but last week was warm enough to spend a little time relaxing on our back porch. Here's Daisy basking in the sun. What's the weather like where you are? Tell us in comments, we love to hear from our followers!

Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style mixes old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!

Recipe - Low Carb Yummy Crustless Quiche

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
If you're watching your carbs, or if you just aren't a big fan of pie crust, then this quiche is for you! Quiches are ideal for using up little bits of this and that which might otherwise go to waste (small hunks of cheese, half an onion, cooked vegetables, etc.) They're perfect for brunch, lunch or light dinners. And LEFTOVERS, served hot or cold.

RECIPE:

Ingredients
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt
Black pepper
1 bag baby spinach
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), pat dry, chop small
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 C chopped scallions
5 eggs
3/4 C milk
1/4 C grated Parmesan
4-6 oz. shredded Swiss cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it), divided 1/3, 2/3

Directions
1. Spray large skillet with cooking spray or rub with oil. Over medium-high heat, saute mushrooms. Cook until no water remains on bottom of pan (5-7 minutes). Add spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted
2. Spray 9" pie pan with cooking spray. Spread spinach mixture in pan. Place  1/3 Swiss cheese, and feta on top.
3. In medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Add milk and Parmesan. Whisk to combine. Pour over mushrooms and feta. Sprinkle remaining Swiss cheese on top.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown on top and center is set. Let cool slightly before slicing.
Serves 6
Variations: substitute liquid egg whites for some or all of the eggs, use different cheeses, add bacon, ham, sausage, use kale instead of spinach, add caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, black olives, etc.

Crustless Quiche © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Served Quiche © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

A piece of quiche "might" have made its way into a dog's bowl once. They gave it a good review. Hope you like it too!

Daisy & Buster © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Also, don't forget to join us on Instagram! If you love collecting things (walking sticks, milk glass, vintage cameras or anything else you use as decor), then our cohosts and I want to see what you've got every Monday! See our #Magpie Monday posts for details.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage style is where rustic and sparkly rub shoulders. 

Think gilded mirror against a plank wall, and you'll know what we mean. 

We prefer our opulence a little beat up and our recipes 

GOOF-PROOF!

DIY - Rustic Cabinet ReDo

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
As you may know, we like to go bargain-hunting. Thrifting, junkin', antiquing, call it whatever you want. Finding a diamond in the rough, or "buried treasure" is always exciting. Earlier we did a post about finding a shabby dresser and making it look all pretty again. Here is that post, if you're curious.
At the very same shop in Raleigh, we found a rustic cabinet. Now, please understand we weren't in the market for a cabinet of any kind. Our house isn't all that big, so impulse buys of large objects don't happen very often. To make it clear, the inside of our garage has never seen a car because storage is an issue here. But this cabinet had the "it" factor. It was clearly crafted by someone who didn't make furniture for a living, yet the curved detailing along the skirt and the walnut inset panels indicated that the maker was trying. Trying really hard to make this piece special. At least in the front - the back not so much. The other compelling feature was its price.

At the shop © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's a better picture of that fancy (in a naive way) skirt at the bottom.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

After a bit of haggling, we became its new owners. The dear old thing was delivered to our home the following week.
Inside was a shelf and below it, a board with some hooks attached. Ron removed all that, along with the doors. He then gave everything a much-needed deep cleaning.

Removed the doors © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Did you notice in that photo above, taken in the garage aka workshop, that there are no cars to be seen? Told you.
We decided to paint the interior for contrast, and to make a more pleasing background to display whatever we ended up putting on the shelves. We had some leftover Valspar latex paint from an office redo a few years ago. The color is Blue Arrow. It's a perfect shade, not too "baby", just a little "dirty" (meaning it has some earthy warmth to it). This chip is a bit darker than the color is in real life.
Also because the cabinet's new purpose was to display pretty things, this old beasty needed some sturdy shelves. We bought pine boards from Lowe's and Ron cut them to the desired length. Using some leftover molding strips we had lying around, he created supports by cutting the strips to fit, then gluing and screwing them to the cabinet interior. These do a nice job while maintaining a low visual profile.

Painted interior © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's a close up of the support strips.

Support strips © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

After the painting, a coat of clear polyurethane was applied to the interior surfaces only, including the shelves
Ron waxed the au naturel wood exterior with paste wax. This provides protection and gives a lovely, warm glow.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We installed new knobs, but chose a style that looks antique. They're real glass.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Then we added some gimp along the edge of the shelves for a finished look. We got a good deal on some closeout trim at a fabric outlet. We took care to choose one that looked vintage and had a bit of blue in it. Hot glue worked just fine to adhere it to the shelf edges. We only burned ourselves once or twice.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Now the fun part! Styling!
You might have noticed this cabinet in our post about Christmas decor. If not here you go - we displayed our mercury glass collection, our white pitchers, and created a Winter Wonderland for our Snowbabies!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Fairy lights and white felt on stacked boxes make it pretty effective. Here's a closer look...

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Now that the holidays are over, but it's still winter, the Snowbabies are hibernating. We've gone all white for a fresh, simple look with white ceramic pitchers and milk glass. There are some pillows and throws on the bottom shelf to contribute warm, soft textural elements.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's a photo of the cabinet in its new setting. Daisy dog for scale...

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Now of course, it wouldn't be fair to deny you a cute Irish Jack Russell picture, right? Daisy looks suspicious, doesn't she?

Buster & Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Don't forget, if you're on Instagram, please follow us here and join us for #MagpieMonday ! We want to see your decor collections! There are four co-hosts and we each choose our weekly favorite to feature in our gallery and in the following week's meme.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style mixes old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!

DIY - Styling the House After the Holidays Part II

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
Perhaps you visited last week, when we showed how to style a simple, elegant mantel for winter. If not, you can go here to have a look.
Our first re-do of the dining room buffet looked like this. Those glittery pine cones were half price at TJMaxx and they certainly work for generic winter as well as holiday. In the second photo below, we mixed them with some "au naturel" ones in those large glass hurricanes. The faux fur throw is also from TJMaxx and creates a pretty, snowy look. The throw, the real cotton stems, and the faux greenery add soft texture to an otherwise "hard" vignette. We added a sparkly little crystal wreath to our windmill head too.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

But then we bought a cake stand at HomeGoods and that led to some alternative design inspiration.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Fairy lights make everything special, don't they? We always look for the ones that have a timer - that way we never have to think about turning them on or off. These lights are a snowflake design.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's our winter dining table. Sorry, didn't have time to do place settings!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

A few days later Rhiann found a great deal on a wood slab at Marshall's and set up a little centerpiece to replace the milk glass compotes. Yes, we know, more pine cones, but aren't they great? These were free! The mercury glass votives cost a couple of bucks a piece at Michael's and we put battery-operated candles in them.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

In our living room cabinet, we kept the mercury glass display "as is".

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

In the foyer, we removed the bits of Christmas (glittery deer, red berries, ornaments) and just kept it simple with milk glass and bits of Nature.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Winter is the perfect season for napping, don't you think?

Daisy and Buster © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

We also want to let you know about a fun Instagram hashtag we started this past Monday. It's called #MagpieMonday and the idea is to share a photo of whatever you like to collect and display in your home. Each co-host picks a favorite to feature on their feeds. Follow us on Instagram here to learn more and see which IGer's collection was our pick this week! Also, we've just passed the 2k follower mark and we're pretty excited about that too.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style mixes old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!