Everyone Dreams of Cottages - Pink Saturday 3/17/12

Welcome to Beverly's blog for another Pink Saturday, the absolute best blog linky/party on the blogs. To view other participants, visit her.

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What exactly is a home? A cottage? A castle? A home is a place where one lives permanently. A cottage is described as a small simple house, typically one near a lake or beach, but I think it can be anywhere. A castle is a large building of group of buildings fortified against an attack with thick walls, battlements, towers and in many cases a moat. It can also be a magnificent and imposing mansion, especially one that is the home or former home of a member of the nobility and, dare I say, Hollywood people and rich owners of corporations. I have no problem with people having large, expensive homes. None at all.

My definition of home is a safe haven from the stress of the world. A place I can relax, feel safe, and have it warm and inviting. I don't need a big house or even a glamorous house; I just need a place that I know is mine, no matter what the storms in my life are. A house where it protects me from people I don't want to see. Or I can share with friends I feel safe with. A house I can sit in and watch the snow fall quietly while huddled in a warm comforter with a cup of very rich dark cocoa. A place hubby comes home to after a day of teaching a class or taking care of business while I take care of his home and make a delicious dinner for him, for which he is always grateful.

No, no mansion or big house for me. It just wouldn't suit us. We're really simple people. We enjoy each others company before anyone elses. We spend a great deal of time alone, just the two of us.
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I love the small angled solarium on this house, plus a private patio for eating. Privacy is a huge issue for me.

A sweet array of crafts hanging on a line makes a comfy statement in most homes.

I find this very quaint—the stone houses sitting by a stream with small outdoor eating areas and across from a woods. Romantic would be another word for this setting.

How in the world could anyone resist this setting? Lovely.

Your rose- and vine-covered cottage.

I can't remember ever seeing a 2 story cottage so square and small.

Beautiful, but it's too large for me to keep clean and I'm not fond of 2 story homes at my age.

Another rose- and vine-covered cottage. Oooh, squeeeeeal. I'd love this as a studio in my back yard. Hubs says if we did that he'd have to change the sprinkler system, so we know that ain't happenin', right?

While there would be privacy with its seclusion, any boater with binoculars could get a very good look! I'd pass on this one.

Vintage books and cards kept by a lover perhaps.

Cute, but I'd have to give it a coat of white paint. I'm not really into the raw, weathered look of wood much.

We've seen these huge tents around hunting season up in the mountains when we go camping late in the season. Personally, I'd love to have one of these instead of our pop-up camper. More space and more romantic.

For you lovers of cottages by the lake, this is one for you.

I think this is a downtown cottage if you understand what I mean. Most city dwellers don't get out to cottages in the woods. But this owner made her own little space seem like a cottage. I applaud her for her creativity. I think it's adorable.

While lovely, it's a bit dark for my taste.

This one certainly has my name on it! I think it would be perfect for me and hubs.

Or even this one would be acceptable. The roof lines and the colors entice me more than anything else.

I hope you've enjoyed viewing these little cottages. I think they are all exceptional.

Any idiot can face a crisis; it's day to day living that wears you out.
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All images courtesy of Pinterest