Yesterday Deb posted a photo of her sleek new office space. We have a new space too – not so modern and sleek but more back woodsie and, well, cute 
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Meet: Shed-ra-la (not quite shangra-la): As you can see, it’s not painted on the outside yet but will be this week as my hubby and his brothers are at the Lake for a week and will absolutely get the job done. Shed-ra-la started out to be a storage shed but it turned out so cute we had it finished inside and made it into a sleeping cabin for extra space when we have overflow family and friends visiting us. My sister and I went up last week for a few days (to celebrate getting my book done!!!) and I had a blast decorating the inside.
The guest bed – pine trees and bears and fish – predictable but perfect lake decor )
I LOVE it when I find something special and my sis and I found this little gem at an antique shop near the lake. It’s OLD and much used and a gorgeous piece of wicker. Notice the little side pockets – so cute. Overnight guests can use this space for clothes storage as it will make a great spot for folded sweatshirts, t-shirts and jeans. I can’t believe I found it and it was a steal too!
Here’s another angle, showing a drop dead gorgeous caned chair I found at another antique shop – looks like twigs on the back and the seat is leather in nicely worn but perfect condition. Another steal and it looks great in the room.
Yet another angle. More clothes storage in this corner chest plus the chest doubles as a spot to house a coffee pot and all the fixings.
And a cabin in the woods by a lake would not be complete without a trophy fish hanging on the wall, right? Well, this one is not exactly a trophy – it’s not even real. It’s carved out of wood and painted by our good friend and lake neighbor ‘Boots’ Nelson. It’s a real treasure for me because Boots made it and gave it to us.
So, there you have Shed-ra-la! I had a blast making the valances and pulling things from the cabin to decorate with as well as finding my lovely wicker shelving and twig chair. The place I got the chair was an old house with OLD, old gas pumps and a mermaid in the front lawn. I saw that and knew I was going to find a treasure inside. Do you like to hunt for bargains in out of the way places? And if so, what’s you’re best find ever? Do you collect things – for me it’s old copper pieces (like tea pots and watering cans) and pink depression glass. You just never know where a fabo piece is going to turn up.
This is adorable. How fun is this going to be when you have extra guests! I’m a quilt person so I love the Northwoods quilt. I love that you know where you got all these pieces. That’s my sister. She’s found things in the most unlikely of places. It’s all about the hunt, the deal the unique. I’m always envious of the amazing things she finds, like a wonderful old church pew that was the show stopper in her entrance hall in her last house. It never would have end occurred to me.
I collect fabric. And quilts. And Wizard of Oz items. That started with one picture Ellen Breen gave me celebrating a GMC workshop (Oz is a big example). My family decided that I was collecting the Wizard of Oz. Once your family decides you’re collecting…you are collecting.
thanks, Deb. I had so much fun decorating. There’s an amazing quilt shop up north – JUST amazing. You’d have a ball in there. I have another friend who collects Oz things – what fun!
This is so pretty. I want to be your first guest and you don’t even know me! But I’m a really good one and would take the sheets off the bed when I left and everything…
Thanks for showing.
Come on up Liz. Shed-ra-la is open for visitors
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Looks great inside!! Saw it from the outside a few weeks ago- enjoy your new “shed!”
Hey Jen. Sorry I missed you when we were up last week. The guys are there now. Maybe we’ll run into each other yet before the summer is over. I’m betting Marcia has a bottle of wine with our name on it
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Cindy, you have inspired me to fix up our mother-In-law/ guess house. The house was built in 1991 and it needs some remodeling. Can’t do much to it right now our daughter and son-in-law are living there while they remodel their house. Looking forward to some serious shopping with the help of my best friend karla.
Thanks for sharing your pictures.
Oh that sounds like so much fun Dianne! I just love decorating projects! And I love finding little jewels (read: other people’s cast offs) to make the room special.
So cute! What a great idea. It is air conditioned? I wish I had your eye for going into antique stores and finding cute little do-dads and then putting them in the right place.
Thanks Cynthia. It’s not air-conditioned yet. It doesn’t get horribly hot in Northern Minnesota (we’re right on the Min/Canada border). There’s a lot of cross ventilation, a ceiling fan and it’s shaded from the sun all day, so we’re hoping one won’t be necessary. We’ll see. We can always get a small window unit or a floor unit.
Cindy, I love it and I adore the colour scheme…It reminds a little bit of the small cabin my aunt and uncle had on their property when I was a kid.. Your guest are going to love bunking in here for the night… Or maybe when you and the hubby want away from all the others in the bigger cottage.,,,
Thanks! and you’ve read my mind, LOL. We’ll spend a week with our kids and 4 grand kids in August. We’re turning over the main cabin to the 6 of them and Tom and I are taking Shed-ra-la for ourselves. I’m looking forward to it..
I love your new little house Cindy! And the curtains are perfect!:) You did such a wonderful job. I can tell it will be a special place where special memories are created. Thanks for sharing!<3
Thanks, Leanne. It was much fun to play with the decor
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Looks like a great little hide-away. Love the wicker furniture too. So when I actually get a place of my own again do you want to decorate for me? I love to find little things when I actually get to travel, have found a few older paper glass paper weights and unique glass ware but it is all in storage for now.
My mom had a collection of glass paperweights. They were so pretty. When she died, all of the grand kids got to pick one out and now they each have a lovely keepsake to remember her by
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Cindy, looks wonderful! Mom was telling me all about it and now I can tell here I have seen it!. heard you had a great time, don’t know if I will make it up this year only working part time right now.
Hi Diana. It was great seeing your folks. We had a hot card game one night
) Hope you can get away to come up for a little visit with them
A playhouse for grownups! What a terrific getaway place at your getaway place. And you cozied it up beautifully. Are you taking reservations, Cindy?
Thanks Kathy – and it does feel a bit like a playhouse
) The door is always open for visitors!
What a fun little getaway!
It is fun, Michele. I’ll have to post photos of the lake sometime so you can get the full affect
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How adorable!! That would be a great place to write – or in my case, read… Quiet, out of the way. I would LOVE that!!
I do write up at the cabin — it’s very peaceful. The only problem is it’s so pretty up there I’m easily distracted by the lake and the wildlife
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Really cute
I’m glad you posted this so I could picture what you’d done up there. And how fun to get to decorate it! This will be perfect, especially as your little ones grow!
Yes, I can just see the grands clamoring up those steps and using it for their little
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‘play house’.
You have a knack for decorating!! Maybe if this little writing gig doesn’t work out for you…
LOL Lois. I don’t know if I have a knack or not but it was sure fun getting it all cute and woodsy inside
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I’m soooooo envious.
Says the man who grew up in Hawaii and lives in California ….
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PERFECTION! A great place to getaway to! I love it!