Thanksgiving

So with the US elections dominating the news over the last few weeks, we will all be forgiven for thinking that we were actually in the US... Which got me thinking that it's Thanksgiving over there next week... 

Now although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in South Africa (even though I really think we should because even though we have our issues -- & which country doesn't -- we still have plenty to be thankful for... 

So, we've decided to celebrate our own version of Thanksgiving this year! 

I've managed to get an authentic Pumpkin Pie recipe from a US friend of mine which I'd like to share with you incase you're also keen to give a little thanks the American way this year: 

PUMPKIN PIE

1 unbaked 9-inch (4 cup volume) deep dish pie shell

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves (or substitute nutmeg if you prefer)

1 can (15oz) 100% pure pumpkin

1 can (12 fl oz.) evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 40 – 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

***

Incase you're into crafts and are looking for some creative inspiration, have a look at this blog for free templates to get you going...

We'd love to hear your thoughts on giving thanks and creating an event out of it.

In the meantime, be thankful each and every day for all that we have.

Love 

Leigh

xoxo

Prepping for the next six weeks...

It has been a busy six weeks, with an even busier six weeks ahead of us and we wouldn't want it any other way.

The Cottage is coming along nicely with the grass growing in all the right places. The garden has certainly been in favour of all the wonderful rain we've been blessed with lately.

We have had the good fortune of meeting some amazing people who have stayed in Leigh's Place over the last six weeks and we look forward to meeting many many more. 

Our special for January: book and pay in full for any 2013 booking and you'll receive a 15% discount off your total accommodation bill... 

So from all of us at Leigh's Cottage, all the best as you start preparing for the silly season. Remember to keep calm, shop local and don't loose sight of what this Season is really all about.

Lots of love,
Leigh
xoxo

November special

With just 6 weeks to go before the start of the "silly season", we've decided to run a special during the month of November so that people can recharge their batteries! This is perfect for people who end up having to work through December and January.

- 1 week (Saturday - Saturday)
- 2 bedrooms
- max 4 people
- self catering (full kitchen, DSTV, braai area)
- R4,000 for the week

Please email us leighscottage@gmail.com if you're interested (oh, and feel free to share this with anyone who might need a much needed 'break' before the start of the holiday season). 

In the meantime, start working on those Christmas shopping lists -- it'll be here before you know it!

Love
Leigh
xoxo

The patio is complete...

Hooray! The patio awning is up! And what a difference it has made.

Here are the BEFORE and AFTER shots:

BEFORE                           AFTER

So now all we need is the boundary wall to go up (currently there's just a fence), the grass to grow and the plants to flower. I've been contemplating adding more plants to the area to brighten it up a bit.

But in the meantime, the guests that are currently staying in the cottage are enjoying the shaded outside area.

So once again, watch this space as Leigh's Cottage continues to be nipped and tucked to truly become your "home away from home".

Leigh
xoxo

Garden

It's been a relatively busy week here at Leigh's Cottage. Our first guests came and went (and thankfully, left rave reviews) so we're feeling pretty chuffed! :) 

In preparation for our next lot of guests (who arrive tonight!) we've been very busy getting the back garden sorted. As you saw from a previous post, I've been trawling through Pinterest for inspiration and have managed to get some really nice ideas without having to break the bank... 

I must just add that I'm blessed with THE most handy, capable and clever husband who is half way through building a rustic gazebo over the Cottage patio. This will not only protect the front door from inclement weather but also provide some much needed shade should guests want to sit outside while taking in the sights of the (soon to be flourishing) garden :) :)

There is still plenty to do but I must say that I'm quite satisfied with Phase I of "Operation Garden Clean-up"! Below are some BEFORE & AFTER shots:

The awful BEFORE photo.

The very talented hubby getting ready to build the gazebo.

Getting there...The AFTER phase 1 (roof of
gazebo will be added this weekend).

Added some pots and plants...

So slowly but surely we are making progress... I'll be sure to upload pics as the garden improves!

Love,
Leigh
xoxo

Repurpose. Reuse. Recycle.

While gathering all the bits and bobs together for Leigh's Cottage, we realized that we really didn't have to spend a fortune on decorating the cottage as there were many pieces that we had in our home that we could "repurpose". 

Our repurposed coffee table.

The coffee table (right) for example, is a small solid wooden table that I bought months ago for my home office from a 2nd hand store in Hillcrest. It's the perfect size and will certainly be put to better use in the Cottage than my office!

Our new 'old' dresser.

The only thing we realized that was still missing was a dresser for the main bedroom. So we set off today to see what we could find and came across the perfect sized oak dresser, again from a 2nd hand store in Durban North! (see left)

So I'd really encourage you to look around the house and see what's available. You'll be amazed at what you could reuse or repurpose, and should you be in the market for something new, start off at the 2nd hand stores! They're popping up everywhere. PS: Have you seen www.thriftcollection.blogspot.com for "pre-loved" clothing? 

Here are just some ideas that I've seen on Pinterest:

An old wooden door makes a stunning '
shabby chic' statement in a bedroom.

Window shutters can flank a mirror or
picture frame beautifully!

An old wooden stepladder is
the perfect bed-side table.

Another great idea for a stepladder is to
hold pot plants in your garden.

So I hope this post has inspired you to Repurpose - Reuse - Recycle... It's totally worth it!

Have a great weekend!

Love
Leigh
xoxo

Online presence

While investigating online where and with whom we should upload links to Leigh's Cottage, we've been really surprised by the variety of holiday letting sites available.

The most impressive has got to be AirBNB!!! If you're looking for accommodation anywhere in the world, from a chalet or flat, to a single room or tipi (I kid you not), you will literally find it on AirBNB.

This is also where I heard about Glamping for the first time. What is that you ask? Apparently it's glamourous camping {for those of us who battle to "rough it"...} :) But seriously, you name it, you'll find it on their site. Oh and by the way, here's a link to our cottage on AirBNB: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/699900 

Two other great resources for South African's looking for affordable accommodation are www.travelclips.co.za or www.travelfreedom.co.za . 

So besides the standard sites (www.wheretostay.co.za and www.sa-venues.com), it's often worth casting your net a little further and frequenting other sites to see what's on offer.

So, if you haven't planned anything for the end of the year, get cracking! Be adventurous, go glamping or stay in a tipi or hire someone's caravan! Be bold, be different, get adventurous! Just do it!  

Love
Leigh
xoxo

Initial pics

Okay, so we thought we'd share some pics of the Cottage with you, even though it's not 100% complete... This will at least give you an idea of what the Cottage entails.

Lounge

Lounge

Main bedroom...

Open-plan kitchen.

The wash-up corner...

Bathroom

Shower

As we update the Cottage, we'll be sure to post more photographs!

Take care!

Love
Leigh
xoxo

We're getting there...

So we're making headway and the cottage is coming along nicely. We've painted it inside, moved in the furniture and have managed to get everything on the inside ready for guests.

We're now busy painting the outside and working on the garden and fence. It needs some TLC in order to create privacy and a comfortable space to relax, unwind from the hectic pressure of being at the beach all day { :) } and have a braai.

I've been trawling through Pinterest for some inspiration (what did we do before Pinterest!!!). Here are my three favourite pics:

Would love to hear what you think of the above ideas!

So watch this space -- we'll post some amazing BEFORE and AFTER pics as soon as we've got the AFTER all sorted!

Have a great week! 

Love

Leigh

xoxo

1 October -- Open for business

While there is still a fair amount to be done on the cottage, we are confident that we will be ready by next week... This means that we will be open for business from 1 October 2012!

So if you'd like a quote for a great weekend away, a corporate rental for a little longer, or your December holiday plans, please email me at leighscottage@gmail.com

We would love to hear from you anyway -- drop us a line!

We look forward to welcoming you to our 'cottage'.

Love
Leigh
xoxo

A little DIY before we get started!

Welcome to Leigh's Cottage blog! We're thrilled you stopped by to see what we're all about. Since this is our first blog post, let me tell you a little more about us...

Our desire for Leigh's Cottage is for it be your 'home away from home'. We want you to feel as comfortable and relaxed as if you were at home. We are convinced that with this in mind, as well as the fact that we are so centrally located, you'll definitely be back! 

We thought we'd share a few "BEFORE" photos with you so that you can see the transformation for yourselves...

The Kitchen before we started.

Getting things ready...

The Living Room 

The Front Door leading
into the Living Room.

The main bedroom.

Still lots to do but the feature
wall is done.

Thank you for stopping by! Please bookmark our blog, we'd love to see you back again (& again & again)!

Love
Leigh
xoxo