Hi again Barbra. I see from your list that you are getting lots of annuals. That's very cottagy but where you live your garden could be all year round so I personally would also get into perennials and, as I said, some shrubs. A 'real' cottage garden would be full of a mixture of plants, not just annuals. By their very nature cottage gardens were eclectic and had to be easy care. Permanent plantings will help that. You could also be getting some summer flowering bulbs like Crocosmias and the little Gladiolus nanus cultivars. Crocosmias have run riot around our coasts. They thrive in mild, well drained, sunny ground and there are some lovely ones which are less rampant the the standard 'Montbretia'. Another two bulbs which love the sun and will flower in November are Schizostylus and Nerine bowdenii. Both will take an occasional light freeze. Also there are the Mediterranean herbs, rosemary, lavender, sage, thyme and bay which would be perfectly happy in a seaside location. They can take heat, drought and salt. I am quite excited with this project. The opportunities are endless. Even before you start thinking about 'nautical' featues like drift wood, rope handrails, pebble edgings, boat seats in shelters, etc. I'd love to be doing myself! Here is a link that might be useful: Boat seat

stephf-- while I appreciate your suggestion, I really don't want to paint the antique chest of drawers. I purchased my nightstands from Ethan Allen several months ago in order to tie in with the chest, so I don't want to paint them either. I am just going to work around them. I have purchased some accessories and two pictures for over the nightstands and am having a wreath made for over the bed. I have found an oval cotton braided rug to go at the foot of my bed and plan to put rugs on either side of the bed. I have found that a couple of antique doilies soften the nightstands. It is a work in process, and I am appreciative of all of the suggestions made.

Able to check this for the first time today...yes, lamps are shaped like actual coral. Not just coral colored. They are red in color, and the overall lamp height is fairly tall. They would have some presence, that's for sure. marg/birdlover/ttodd- Yes, definitely like the coral stuff and have for awhile. If they weren't so pricey, I would buy them in a heartbeat and just store them if I got sick of them. julie- thanks for your honest opinion:) rmkitchen- I know it sounds somewhat wacky with the printed chairs and all that jazz. I like your theory, maybe it is my conscience trying to tell me they would look funky with my other decor, LOL. I will try and post pics of my bedroom. Once I dust and pick up (kid's toys, clothes, extra pillows, extra blanket, suitcase that is still sitting there unpacked from our last trip, etc.) finz2left- I love that you grew tropicals! I have always wanted a potted lemon or lime tree to keep in the house. I think you just gave me the courage to finally do it:) celticmoon- Yes, coral with white and blues definitely seems beachy. My bedding has oatmeal, red, and lots of blue. Not exactly a beachy pattern, but I do have blue curtains. You are right though- lots of black to ground it. It would probably be more of an issue if I had white painted furniture or rattan, LOL. auntjen- thanks for the words of encouragement. And yes, you are correct. lamps are coral shaped and bright red. And on another note: those darn opossum just love cat food! We used to see them all the time on the back deck, munching away.

I don't know who made the cabinets - previous owners had them installed. They were about ten years old when we moved in and we started having problems immediately - top hinges coming loose and the door pivoting on the bottom hinge and breaking that. And the hinges are Blum which is a reputable brand. 15 years past that now and haven't been able to replace them - four children to launch into the world. Meanwhile, the chipping and heat-related delamination are accelerating. The townhouse we lived in before that had woodgrain thermofoil cabinets - they were only five years old and they were even worse because the particle board core would actually crumble at hinges and joints. Particle board is weak, weak stuff. And heavy. The other thing about plastic which is what Thermofoil is, is that grease really clings to it. It smudges from your hands and the cooking vapors grease it up. My mother's sixty year old varnished wood cabinets are far easier to keep clean, and the hinges and joints have never failed. Honestly, you're better off with wood cabinets and a laminate counter, than laminate cabinets and granite counter. The granite counter will just make the cabinets look cheap. If budget is an issue now, much easier to upgrade counter later, than cabinets.