Cabin Lifestyles Community Blog

A New Look for your Cabin Bedroom? Snuggle up to the Idea

2009-10-26T15:04:00.003-05:00

Many will agree that there are few things better than cozying up in luxurious Rustic Bedding on a cold morning, and with winter fast approaching or having already arrived, depending on your location, why not outfit your home with some new Cabin Bedding options?

Bedding is one of the easiest and most cost-effective methods of completely revamping the look of your bedroom. With just a few simple additions, a room's decor can be radically altered.

Take a look at Black Forest Decor's extensive selection of Rustic Bedding for some inspiration on how to make a few easy changes that make a big difference.

However, if you are starting from scratch or wanting to entirely redesign your bedroom, some new Cabin Furniture pieces could be in order, and you might be surprised by the options available.

A litany of styles and materials are out there for any look one might desire. From Adirondack to Northwoods and wrought iron to alder wood, there are Cabin Bedroom Furniture pieces to match and with a level of sophistication and workmanship one might not expect from furniture with such rustic appeal.

So, next time you daydream about snuggling up with a hot cup of coffee on a cold and dreary morning, head over to Black Forest Decor to check out the latest in Cabin Furniture and Rustic Bedding.

We Have a Fresh New Look!

2009-03-02T10:19:00.004-06:00

Site redesign has been the priority for the new year, and Cabin Lifestyles has been spruced up with a new image gallery window, and page layout design.

Along with the new look, we have some new products from our sponsor that we think you'll love. They've been very popular with other log home owners, so we're happy to provide the following links:

Trout Cupboard
Ashemore Moose Scene Cabinet
Moose Oil Lamp

We hope you'll enjoy taking a look a the new site design. When you're done, try out those product links and check out the special new items at Black Forest Decor!

Keepin' it rustic,
Cabin Girl

After a long absence....

2008-06-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

Hi! I bet everyone was wondering why the site seemed to be in a suspended state for the last several months. Truth is, I was bogged down in a major software integration at work that had me working 50 hour weeks, and on top of that, I moved across the state to a new city after 27 years in the same location.

Can you imagine what kind of stuff I had to sort through after 27 years of accumulation?! Plus, my widowed mother is now living with me, so we had to combine TWO households into one home!! I gotta say that putting two women in one home after decades of independence is a real challenge!! I wasn't sure sometimes if the relationship was going to stay intact! But I think we're over the worst of it for now.

Anyway, I'm back with new energy and ready to start putting this site into high gear! So watch out! I've got some new articles coming up, there are lots of new photos posted (GREAT PHOTOS, by the way, guys and gals!), and we want to start offering some kind of point system for member participation in the site, so start sending us ideas of what you'd like in the way of perks and we'll consider your input, too!

Keepin' it rustic!
Cabin Girl

We have a Winner!

2008-01-13T15:05:00.001-06:00

And the winner is..... Debbie Woody for her most highly rated photo of the Doublestart Log Home. Debbie will receive a $100 Gift Certificate from Black Forest Decor for her winning submission to our photo gallery.

I apologize for the delay in announcing our winner. Life threw me a curve and I missed the ball completely!

We hope this won't discourage future submissions to the photo gallery. All existing stats will be reset and new photos are greatly encouraged! The next winner will be announced in April for the 1st Quarter 2008 photo submissions.

Good Luck to all and may your New Year shine brightly!

Keepin' it rustic,
Cabin Girl

The Holidays Are Upon Us

2007-11-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

So, how was Thanksgiving at your house? Are you ready for the mad dash to Christmas?

I sometimes shake my head and wonder at how we've set ourselves up for madness and mayhem around the holidays by letting advertising and marketing media pre-determine how we'll spend our holiday season.

Is it really necessary to go out shopping the day after Thanksgiving? Can we not savor the gift of gratitude and stay home enjoying the relatives who've traveled from far and wide to be with us?

Why must gift giving become a crazed activity where price is no object and the latest fads MUST be obtained? Are there not other ways to express our love to family, friends and co-workers? Is the almighty dollar and what it can obtain our only value in life?

I hope your Thanksgiving Day was delightfully spent with those you love and that your heart was overflowing with gratitude for the bounty you enjoy.

May your Holidays be filled with the best gifts: love, service, faith and hope!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

Keepin' it rustic,
Cabin Girl

Is Your Log Home Photo-Shoot Worthy?

2007-10-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

Here's a chance to have your home shown in a national catalog!

Black Forest Decor is needing a beautiful, upscale log home for their next catalog shoot. Your rooms will be the backdrop for the beautiful products in the Black Forest Decor Summer 2008 Catalog, and your home will be highlighted in the catalog with a small bio and appreciation note from Black Forest Decor.

This is a great opportunity to showcase your home!

Here are the requirements:
Location: Georgia
Fees: will pay $500/day rental fee
No. of Days: 2
Sq. Ft.: at least 3,000 sq. ft.

Contact: info@blackforestdecor.com

If your log home doesn't fill the bill, recommend a home! Send Black Forest Decor the address, home owner's name and phone number, and if Black Forest Decor selects the home you recommend, they will give you a $100 Gift Certificate for a finder's fee!

If interested, please contact Black Forest Decor at: info@blackforestdecor.com

Hope to see your log home in their next catalog!
Cabin Girl

Vacation Time and Fall Colors

2007-10-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

Just got back from a quick trip to Branson, Missouri. The countryside was beautiful even though the leaves hadn't really started changing color yet. The traffic in Branson was horrendous!! Gridlock about 12 hours a day! We quickly learned how to get around on the lesser used streets, but it was still a real mess trying to get from one place to another.

Being in the Ozarks was refreshing, though! Those rolling hills and terrific vistas just took my breath away at times. So much green, and so many shades of green! (can you tell I live in western Oklahoma?) Made me want to stop and look into building a log home of my own. It's too bad Branson has become so congested with traffic. I can see that at one time it was an ideallic oasis for the rustic lifestyler. It's a beautiful location.

One day of our trip, we went down to the historic district and enjoyed some good home cooking at one of the cafes there. The next day we went down to Branson Landing and found a wonderful mall that gives you the feel of old time business districts where shops are lined up along the street and you stroll from shop to shop while checking out street vendors or catching a ride on the street car. I think I have Christmas pretty much taken care of with all the shopping I did!

We found two great restaurants in Branson - one at Branson Landing - Cantina Loredo which offers gourmet Mexican food, and one up on the top of the hill across from Branson Landing called Candlestick Inn. This was a true dining experience as we ate Champaign Chicken Breast and watched the Branson Landing water show across the river far below us.

Now, where should we head for next year's fall color tour trip?

Keep it rustic!
Cabin Girl

Hurrah! the Daily Recipe is Back!

2007-10-10T09:45:00.001-05:00

You'll be glad to see that the Daily Recipe feed is back in operation. I guess it just takes a little whining to get the Gods to smile down on you! I hope you enjoy checking out the new recipe each day as much as I do. I'm working on getting an RSS set up so you can subscribe.

We're so excited about building Cabin Lifestyles into a true networking site! I'm working on some ideas for widgets - like maybe a weather widget where you can keep track of conditions at your favorite vacation location. Thought maybe I'd throw in ski condition notices during the winter months. I'd also like to put some of our stuff on an RSS feed so that when new photos are posted, members can get notification.

I've also thought about some additional news feeds on general topics like travel, health, outdoor sports, etc. Or would that just be cluttering things up too much? Hmm... How about some input as to what you'd like to see here? At this point, the sky's the limit!

Cabin Girl

Just When You Think Technology Is Working...

2007-10-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

My apologies to all our members who've been enjoying the Recipe of the Day! Our feed link suddenly went down and our source site is under a redesign process, so, we're trying to fill in with some additional recipe feeds until we get a new feed set up from the Living Cookbook again. Hopefully, you'll find some great stuff in the new recipe feeds we have going. The page link still works - there's just a different layout now, so don't hesitate to give it a try.

Thanks to all our shutter bugs out there! The photos are great! Keep 'em coming! We'll be announcing our $100 gift certificate winner Dec. 20th - so get friends and family busy voting for your photos! Beginning Jan. 1, all the rankings will be cleared and we'll look for more great pics to compete for the next gift certificate!

Let me know which areas you like most about the site and, please feel free to make some suggestions as to what you'd like to see in addition to, or instead of... We want to make this YOUR site!

Keep it rustic!
Cabin Girl

Trying this out

2007-10-02T17:52:00.000-05:00

Today we launch a new method of inviting our members to participate on Cabin Lifestyles. We're doing a blog and hope you'll post a few thoughts here, too!

The membership at Cabin Lifestyles is growing and I've had the opportunity to email with a few of you out there and must say you are some of the nicest people I've met!

We hope you'll share some of your log home experiences and suggest new ideas for the site - things you think our members will enjoy. So, post a thought or two and let us know what's on your mind when you come to Cabin Lifestyles!

Cabin Girl

Welcome to the Black Forest Decor Community!

2006-08-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

All of us here at Black Forest Decor have been looking forward to meeting some of our customers and hearing about their adventures in rustic home living.

We've created this blog space for sharing of ideas on rustic home lifestyles, experiences in building a rustic home, and products that add to the comfort and livability of your rustic home. This space is for you.

So, feel free to guide your fellow rustic lifestylers in the finer points of rustic home living. Tell us where you are, what your rustic lifestyle is like, what you enjoy doing when in your rustic environs and where you shop for rustic items that fit with your lifestyle.

I know that in the short time that I've been working at Black Forest Decor (almost a year now), I have become re-acquainted with a way of seeing the world that feeds body and soul, and it has made me yearn for my home in the northwoods of Michigan. I miss the trees and water, the sounds of birds chirping that echo through the forest. I miss the scent of pine trees and ferns. I miss freshly picked huckleberries and blueberries. And don't even get me thinking about the red raspberries!! (Can you tell I've been away from Michigan for a long time?)

I find Rustic Home Living a new idea that's really an old idea. I grew up with it - and thought it was just part of being up North. What an eye-opener to find that it has proponents all across the country! Everything from log homes to snowshoe wall hangings - they represent a lifestyle I grew up with when everything was supposed to be 'hip'.

So, what is it about rustic home living that feeds your mind and body? Is it the connection with nature and wildlife? (That's what does it for me!) Is it the frontier spirit attitude? The seemingly primitive living conditions? The recreational aspects? Let us know why you chose a rustic home lifestyle.... we'd love to know!!

Cabin Girl