the French Pressed home

Please find us at our new home...

click photo.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Did you enter our giveaway?

Click here to see if it's you!

Pssst!

We're having a giveaway,

but you gotta click 

HERE

to enter!

See ya over at

the French Pressed home!

xo, Amber

We Re-Invented Ourselves!

The Black Rooster Cottage Blog

will soon be deleted so please

follow us to our new

location...

The French Pressed Home

Can't wait to see you!

xo, Amber

the French Pressed home

Come for a visit!

{click photo}

I'll have your coffee

and croissant ready!

xo, Amber

Will You Come?

As in life, things change.

They evolve, grow, flourish

and sometimes take another route

to the destination.

I LOVE Black Rooster Cottage,

but I'm ready to spread my wings

and fly.

My new blog will curate our

new life in our town

and our adventure of making our

new house a home.

Our little Cottage blog

is growing up.

I'd like to introduce you to...

(you can click the photo to directly link)

I hope to see you soon!

xo, Amber

Laundry Room update

Seriously, it's gonna be the first 

room that is done. 

I'm cool with that!

Bruce ran into town for supplies

yesterday morning and came home with some

finish ply.

We had discussed the kind of counters

to put in the laundry room for folding.

1.) a vintage dresser

2.) big box laminate in either black or white

3.) DIY smooth paint-able finish,

trimmed out.

Number 1.) wouldn't work unless we stacked the

washer/dryer (which we intended to do originally 

but I changed my mind because I like to ponder things then "decide")

and it was a bit deep and wouldn't fit directly under the 

window (I'm a freak for aesthetics) because if it did,

the door would knock right into it.

Number 2.) wouldn't work because the counter depth would 

not completely cover the tops of the units 

and I wouldn't be able to handle that!

Number 3.) WINNER because we (he) could cut it to fit and 

we could add the "us" element.

The awesome thing? There's even enough room

for sewing!

The cost for this was for the finish plywood only.

We (he) trimmed it out with pieces we saved from 

casing of doors we replaced (waste not!)

and the leg was a reclaimed newel post we pulled from 

the staircase. 

But the most important element:

A man with some skill!

It's a catch-all at the moment because 

the whole house is a construction zone

and I haven't caulked, primed or painted yet

but I can see the finished product!

This week, the crown will be done in the kitchen and laundry

room and we will have picked up the flooring for that room

as well. We're going with a black slate looking porcelain.

Can't wait.

THEN I need to purchase some new "vintage inspired" 

handles for the big white cabinet  (Hobby Lobby) and I am 

pondering on wallpapering the face

of the old refrigerator with a Toile wallpaper

I have. I'm still thinking about the process.

 I'm not telling the Mister though.

He spent a few hours peeling off the (ugly) 

stickers before we moved.

 This fridge had spent many years

in the garage as the beer holder.

I think this might end up being my favorite room

in the house. Well, till some of the other rooms are done.

Happy week you ALL. ;)

xo, Amber

p.s. follow ups to follow as they are done!

Update on The Cottage

We have been going at this place we call home,

non stop.

Well, except for yesterday.

We went to the beach.

Panama City, Florida, to be exact!

It was really nice to take a break from the house

and go exploring.

We had such a great time and can't wait

to explore somewhere else along the coast.

They don't lie when they say the sand is sugar white and

the water is warm. Us "Westies" are 

not accustomed to that because the

Pacific Ocean way out West is mighty COLD!

The kids had a blast.

We didn't plan on having a day "at" the beach

(we were going to hit a few places to decide where 

our beach day would be in the future)

but two little fellas had different plans.

It was a fun, fun day. 

Can't wait to have another

"day off"!

Below are some photos of The Cottage and our progress.

These were taken a few days ago and I have since

 finished painting the kitchen ceiling and getting the first coat on 

the walls. It's really starting to come together

and I am excited!

Each room will have it's own

blog post with before and after photos.

Getting closer to that makes me happy!

Introducing... 

My pink ceiling!

 My Laundry Room

 The Kitchen

 Our living room

 Our front yard and garden area that 

is getting a complete makeover.

Keeping the fence though,

at least for now.

 I cleared out the inside of the picket fence today.

 There's beautiful Lantana growing on the other side

so I'm deciding whether to make a border garden or sod to the fence line. Hmm...

 Our backyard (we did this on Labor Day).

Wait, isn't it supposed to be a day free from labor?

 

And where we haul all the trimmings for pickup.

So much stuff, you can't see the fence!

The city guys come by a couple of times

a week to pick up trimmings {for FREE}!

I like to keep them coming back. Last time I gave them

warm brownies. This time it will be cupcakes. 

I ain't no fool!

Yep, that's about it for now.

On our way home from the beach,

we pulled over so we can catch a few pics of 

these cuties. Don't you just want to kiss that face? 

If that calf was mine, I would!

See you all soon. 

{I have to keep you and all separated still.

I'm not at the ya'll stage yet. I did have to let 

go of my "you guys" because I got the business

for saying that!!}

xo, Amber

Patience!

"Where have you been?"

County Road 185

 

I know, I know.

We ARE making progress! 

Just not enough for anyone to notice.

I am not kidding when I say

that every square inch of this house will have 

had our hands on it by the time it gets done.

If you are ever going to remodel your home 

and have to pay a Contractor, take this advice...

CHEAPER IS NOT BETTER!!!!!

Seriously, if it cost a bit more than you have saved

in your pocketbook, WAIT and save for the expertise of

a qualified person to do the work.

Why do I say that?

Because later on, you will end up paying that better

Contractor (my husband) to FIX what the cheap guy did.

... AND because we are having to re-do every. single. thing.

in this house. 

Thank goodness I married a perfectionist.

He kinda makes me crazy sometimes

but in the end, I have to always agree 

that he was right.

Yeah, he loves that. 

Although I would like for it all to be done 

fast and NOW, I will grow

some patience.

If the Romans did it, so can I. 

Okay, that's my little bit of advice.

I have a goal of having some major improvement

photos ready by the weeks end.

So, off I go, to make that happen!

View from the 110

Pastoral view from the 110

See ya in a few!

xo, Amber

Shouting Out!

Here we are in August

and that means the newest

publication of 

Stampington and Company

~Somerset Home~

is on the rack!

I knew it was coming but didn't want

to divulge until it was out.

Guess who's in it?

I haven't gotten my copy yet

so I had a BFF scan hers and send it to me.

After this (and looking through my photos),

I'm starting to get the hankering of

getting back to work

(I hesitate because we are not done with the house yet).

I think it's best to just play it by ear right now

and let it be.

What is meant to be, will present itself

when it's time.

Until then, 

I'm just gonna enjoy

my little bit of shine with a 

big 'ol grin.

See ya soon!

xo, Amber

Our Whirlwind

We are still plugging away at finishing the left side of the house.

It's easy to get discouraged because it isn't done

but then I have to remember that LIFE lives here and there

are kids and schedules and school starting on Monday

and other little things that need tending to.

When I take a step back, I do realize that with the hands that

are working, we have accomplished A LOT.

I am not going to continue the progress of the current 

project until we are done. It's pretty darn close

and I cannot wait to clear the dust, mop the floors 

and walk barefoot in our house!

Then (and only then) will the remainder of the boxes be opened

so I can begin filling the house with the lovely things

we have been collecting. 

Aside from the kitchen/dining/laundry rooms, 

I've been planning the attack 

on our bedroom.

It is on the East side of the house but with only two light 

sources (North and South facing), it is DARK.

Well, except for the lovely fluorescent lighting facing up on a dust

catching ledge.

It's all gonna be re-done. This ceiling is so uneven. We will keep

the vault but "add more screws" to make it actually snug up

to the framing. So nuts.

That little niche up there... BYE, BYE!

What I really want is windows! Mama wants windows!

Easy-Peasy, it's only 6 inch wood walls that we (husband) has

to cut through.

It's down the road so I have time to work on him.

Then I need to decide on whether to paint

 the whitewashed wood or keep as is.

 One bugging dilemma....

There's a few places where we have this issue.

Some places on the wall where something was

 mounted and painted around kinda makes me crazy.

What are your thoughts?

See ya soon!

xo, Amber

All Work and No Play...

...NOT!

Well, we have been working on the house non-stop because 

once Mr. BRC starts working outside the house, 

it's gonna go slow(er). 

But, we have taken some time (meaning hours) off

here and there to get out and explore and to 

get together with our new peers.

This week we went into Montgomery looking

for cabinets. 

We revisited Rescued Relics  in 

hopes of finding some Vintage

pieces that we could incorporate

into our new home.

We didn't find cabinets but we did find 

these...

I think with our Eclectic style,

any of these awesome pieces would fit like

a charm in our little humble home. 

After RR,

we hit the local Habitat Re-Store

and found some tile

that will work perfectly

for the kitchen entrance, 

laundry room and walk in pantry

(all three rooms are connected).

It looks like a smooth slate, almost black,

but it's a porcelain. The texture

and easy care will be perfect for that area.

Can't wait to pick some up and get going on that!

(photo to come!)

Here's where we are on the kitchen:

New drop ceiling is in

and I have become the resident drywaller.

Who knew making these ...

would give me skills to do this...

I got to tape and mud the seams and screw holes.
Texture is next!

We're further along now but I'll show those pictures later.

Bruce installed some new lights, a chandelier and lots

 of hidden outlets for a well working kitchen. 

The little nook will house a cute cafe table and two chairs

(once I find the right set).

Can't wait to have my morning

coffee there and watch nature!

After we finish "finishing" the

 original carpenter's work,

(umm, like re-taping ALL the seams and adding screws to 

the ceiling and remainder walls throughout the house),

where are the drywall screws?!

we'll be texturing.

That will be the icing on the cake!

(get it?)

Then I get to paint!!!

Actually, I just can't wait till 

our floor doesn't look like this anymore:

Soon enough... soon enough.

See ya soon!

xo, Amber