I Don’t Advise a Cross-Country Move at Christmastime
It was 2 days before Christmas when we stepped out of the car. We had driven 3 days in a caravan method 1,200 miles across the States. Our things had been sent ahead in a moving truck.
We stepped into our small 1950s cottage, which had not been updated in quite a few decades. For my husband, Mike & I, the home was ideal, because we wanted to do everything ourselves, putting “our stamp” and personal style on (and in) the house.
The house was wonderful for us, but not the timing.
“The Home” was chosen last August, when we travelled North to vacation in New Jersey with our extended family. Many internet searches had been performed prior to our trip, with seven homes on the list to be viewed in a weekend. Our task was to choose one of the homes, make an offer, and hopefully make the transition from Arkansas to Pennsylvania within a few months. Our Arkansas home had not sold yet, nor had our small cabin along the State Game Lands of the White River. Long story, short~ the process took 4 months.
We settled in with sleeping bags and boxes that first Christmas week. Our Tree was Tiny and Simple.
Nonetheless, our favorite part of the “new” old house was the Kitchen/Dining Room Area.
We don’t have a home office, so we sit at the dining room table with the laptop, homework, and bill paying. This same Dining Area has also become the place where we entertain when friends come over for dinner.
An Ivory Painted Antique Buffet in the Dining room is one of My Very Favorite pieces because it was my first rehab project so many years ago. A hand-me-down from my Grandmother Robertson, the piece helped me learn what I could actually do with a little paint and elbow grease!
One weekends these days, our family is mostly found dressed in paint clothes and bandanas.
We work together to transform our new (older) home into a Beautiful & Cozy Cottage.
Mike and I share a favorite color, Blue.
I adore French Toile and Blue Willow China, so after a few family discussions, we agreed to christen our “new” home: The Blue Willow Cottage.
I think we will always love piddling around in Blue Willow Cottage,
creating the perfect “Home Sweet Home”
for our family!
- 1950s cottage renovation
- DIY home makeover
- personalized home decor
- cross-country move
- vintage home restoration
Blue Willow 
Moving house is one of the most tiring jobs. Doing it two days before Christmas added to the difficulty. The new place has been turned into your cosy Blue Willow Cottage with your hard and creative work. 2011, oh, that was 15 years ago. You and your family have come a long way through it all. Greetings from your fellow blogger, Shengliver.
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Yes, never move so close to Christmas Day. It is a memory and my husband and I made the best of it. We had such high hopes that year. Many of our hopes and dreams came true. Some did not… bittersweet. Thank you for commenting on my blog.
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You are welcome. Enjoy your life.
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Oh, We do! Very Much. The time right now is so busy, but so good. We are getting our home ready for a big dinner on Nov. 27th, called Thanksgiving. I am sure you know of it. We serve all the same foods that my precious mother made, and taught me to make: Roasted Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Duck and Corn Pone Stuffing, Ambrosia, and Pumpkin Pie. I am trying a new Pecan Pie recipe this year. Wish you and your family were close and could come here and dine with us. It is going to be delightful. Afterwards, our custom is to sit and play table board games like Monopoly, then watch a Christmas Movie like Charlie Brown Christmas!
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