I love to accessorize a bookcase. On top of this one is an iron canoe with long stemmed paddles. I am drawn to the simple lines and how it is silhouetted against the wall. It was purchased at Christmas Point Wild Rice Company – a really cool furniture and gift store in Brainerd, MN. It is a special piece, as I bought it with a gift card from my Minnesota tennis friends when I captained a team one year.
I found this fish bookend set at an antique store in the quaint town of Pequot Lakes, MN, only 6 miles from the cabin. I would tell you the type of fish it is, but of course, I have no idea.
I have always been fascinated with these black fossil stone plaques. I researched them for this blog and found that the fish is an Orthoceras, an ancient mollusk that lived more than 400 million years ago. The fossils are exposed from the matrix and polished to bring out the intricate detail.
A china hutch is another favorite of mine to accessorize.
In this hutch I feature the beautiful boat stoneware given to me by my sister, Christie. I smile when I think about eating off Nortiake dinnerware in a rustic cabin.
On the top shelf I have wine glasses and bottled wine in front of an interesting sushi plate I bought in Tucsan, AZ.
A fun twist is adding a blue framed photo of my daughter, Kate. To make everything easy to view when the glass cabinet doors are closed, I placed items on pieces of (you guessed it) old dock planks.
The kitchen at the cabin continues the rustic theme with pine wood cabinets featuring black acorn pulls. I scored the functional rolling cart for only $5.00 at a garage sale and I did not even have to change the color. What a find!
On the counter are Sleepy Eye pitchers holding my cooking utensils. My mother, Elaine, had collected an impressive number of these antique pitchers over the last 40 years. I still remember when I was in my 20’s traveling from Nebraska to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota with my mother and sister to attend an antique convention featuring this stoneware. It was originally placed in bags of flour as a promotion in the early 1900s. The small tin signs on the backsplash also advertise the brand. My mother has since sold her collection, but she saved these nostalgic pieces for me. The best part of the story is when I discovered that the neighbors directly next door are from Sleepy Eye. This cabin was meant to be ours.
In a future post, Lake Cabin – Lower Level, I will take you down the stairs.
Love this Cheryl! I didn’t know you had started this website until I saw Jeanne’s FB post tonight. Now I will look for more. So fun!! You are so good at decorating!
Thank you Carole!
The iron canoe is gorgeous!! I am always on the hunt for unique items that bring me joy. I love your style — your cabin looks like the perfect place to relax.
Thank you Amy!