Ahhhh, is this real life? I can’t believe Our Gathered Cottage is a reality, not just an Instagram username! A year and a half ago my husband Curt and I purchased our first home, a darling 1953 cape cod in Baltimore, Maryland. Since moving in we have not stopped fixing up our home in hopes to have it somewhat ready when we started the process to adopt.
Here’s a few photos from the day we moved in our home –
A little over 6 months ago I finally took the plunge and started an Instagram account for our home, Our Nottingham Cottage. Within just a few weeks I started to meet the most wonderful people in the decor world that welcomed me with open arms. I had no idea what this adventure would bring, but here I am writing my first blog post ready to hit the ground running!
Shortly after we moved in our home we were matched with the cutest blonde hair, blue eyed little boy we would soon name Henry. That was just the start of an incredible journey. Since last June we have adopted Henry, taken in 2 long term placements, and 4 emergency weekend placements. 13 months ago we picked up a tiny 3 day old baby girl from the hospital, she goes by “sissy” in our home thanks to the boys. In March we got a call for a 3 year old boy that was in desperate need of a place to sleep, even if it was for one night. We couldn’t imagine going from 2 to 3 so quickly but we said yes and goodness we are glad we did! We call him Finn and he is Henry’s best friend and such a light in our home. For the past 6 months being parents to 3 children has been so busy but it made this crazy dream of ours come true. In between the late night feedings, speech therapy, and weekly foster care visits; we kept on working on our home.
Here are a few photos of what our home looks like now –
Until yesterday, you would have been reading this blog from Our Nottingham Cottage, so let me explain why I’ve changed my name and rebranded. One day Curt and I plan to move closer to family and as much as I love our Nottingham home, that cute name won’t apply (especially if we build our dream home). With that, I had a vision for this blog to include our foster and adoption journey – it’s the very reason we bought this home. If you follow me on Instagram you know I toyed around with a few names until landing on this one. I am a thrifter at heart, and with that am constantly gathering new and old things for our home and I truly feel like we have gathered our children through foster care and adoption. Our Gathered Cottage is a perfect description of our home no matter where it is. Thank you for visiting my blog today and I can’t wait to see where this goes!
P.S. If you want to receive my monthly newsletter, click HERE!
Until next time,
Amy
*If you are entering the Amazon farmhouse giveaway please leave a comment below as your entry! The drawing will take place Thursday morning and will be announced on Instagram @ourgatheredcottage
Congratulations Amy! Your site is beautiful!
Congratulations, Amy!! So excited for you!!
I LOVE the name you chose! It’s been so fun to watch your journey – congrats on the blog launch!
Congrats on the blog launch! ♥️❤️💖
Love ❤️ your style!!
Love seeing your posts Amy!
Beautiful house + beautiful family! Excited to watch as you guys change and grow. Thanks for the inspiration.
Beautiful house + beautiful family! Thanks for the inspiration.
Congratulations!!! So excited for you and to follow along!!im rooting for you!
Amy, I know that so many will be inspired and blessed by your new blog! Congratulations on making your dream a reality!
Amy I am so proud to call you my friend and I am so proud of you!!! This blog is beautiful! Love the name! It represents you well! Congratulations on all your success! This is truly your gift and I can’t wait to see how the Lord uses this! Love ya!
So excited for this blog!! It’s absolutely gorgeous, Amy!! 💙💙
SO excited about this journey for you, and your new blog!! It’s so beautiful, and you are simply a beautiful person!
What a perfect first post! You nailed it Amy!!! It looks great and I’m thrilled to follow along on your amazing journey!
Congratulations!! So excited for your new blog!! Love following you and your sweet family❤️
You did it!!! YAY!!! So excited for you!!! <3
Love the new name & blog! Congratulations!
Congrats on the launch of this blog! Been following you on a Instagram for a couple months and I love every bit of it. So inspiring and real! Keep it up because I can’t get enough.
Congrats on your launch!! Your new name is perfect!!
Love the name!! Looking forward to following along with your blog. ❤️
Looks beautiful! Way to create your dream! Always inspired & blessed by your posts.
Congratulations on your blog 🖤 Love following your journey!!
Congratulations Amy, love the new name. I am so excited for you on this new journey.
Been waiting forever for this to come out! Been watching the clock since 7 this morning
Such refreshment for the eyes and soul this is. With so much ugliness and self-centeredness around us today, seeing your lovely home, darling kiddos and your servants heart is inspiring. May we all strive to “gather” together…
I just randomly found you yesterday and I am so glad I did! Thanks for sharing your talent!
amyyyyyyyyyyyy! your blog is gorgeous!
congrats! you’ve worked hard and it shows!
xo
What a perfect choice for your new name! I love it and think your family is absolutely perfect! Also, your porch is my inspiration for our old ranch house eventually!!
Congratulations!! So happy for you! That is exciting!!
Love your new name and the blog is gorgeous!!
amyyyyyyyyyyy! your blog looks gorgeous!
congrats! you’ve worked hard and it shows!
xo
So happy for you, Amy! Love the new name and the meaning behind it. It’s perfect for you!
Congrats! You’re one of my favorites on Instagram Stories. Can’t wait to follow along on your blog.
So excited for you girl! The site is beautiful!!
Love your feed and following along with your adoption! This is going to be such a great season and journey! Congrats!
Congrats on your new journey! I love the new name!
Amy! My gosh 😍😍😍 as always it’s amazing you’re so talented and I’m so proud of you for following your dreams. You’re an inspiration. Good luck with everything! You go girl. 🙌🏻
I love your style! Cant wait to see more. Congratulations on your new blog!!
Beautiful home! Looking forward to reading your blog 🙂
Congratulations!! How exciting and can’t wait to see more!!
I love this! Congratulations for starting your blog. I can’t wait to read more!
The transformation in your house is quite impressive! It’s so perfect.
Congratulations! So excited to follow you on this new journey! I’ve loved watching you and your family the past few months. You quickly became my favorite instagrammer! We’re waiting to start our foster care adventure, and it’s so inspiring to see someone so real! ❤
You have an amazing job on your home!! It is incredible! I absolutely love your story on how your family became a family, it takes two strong individuals to do adoption. Congratulations!! Your family is perfect!
Absolutely obsessed 😍 Fantastic job hun!! I’m already inspired!!
I can’t believe I get to be on this journey with you hun! I’ve had a front row seat with a hammer in one hand and kid in the other haha. You are so talented and one of your best traits is your vision to see things not how they are, but what they can be. I can’t wait to see how far you go with this and to help out with all the projects. Cheers to the start of another chapter in this journey!
Gosh, I love you. Thank you for always pushing me to follow my dreams and believing in me!
So so excited!!! Congratulations!!
Love everything you do!!
Congratulations on your new blog baby. Design and house transformation are remarkable! Here’s to many more fun adventures in your Nottingham cottage, I’m truthfully gonna miss that name!
Congratulations!!! Can’t wait to see more! Love the new name!
So excited for your new blog!!!
Congratulations on the launch of your blog!!!
Girl, I’m so happy for you and I can’t wait to read all the blitz posts to come
I just recently started following you, so I never saw the photos of your home before all the work you put into it. What an incredible transformation – you are so very talented. I used a lot of your photos for inspiration for my new apartment. Aside from your talent, you have such compassion which the world could surely use more of. You have a really inspiring story – wish you all the best!
Beautiful! I’m excited to watch your journey with those precious children❤️
Congrats on your Blog!!! Love following you and learning your thrifting ways ❤️ Looking forward to reading future blog posts!!!
Amy, I love your attention to detail and your choice in accent colors! 😉
Oh my goodness!! Congratulations Amy! I LOVE the new name and this beautiful little space you’ve created. I’m excited to follow your journey!
Congratulations! This is so exciting, and I love your new name 😊
The new look is gorgeous! Congrats 💗
So excited for this blog!!
Congratulations! Your home is beautiful!
Amy, it’s perfect! I love the new name!
Congrats! Love the name change!
Congrats on the blog launch! Your home is lovely! ❤️
I am so excited about your blog! It’s stunning. As a fellow thrifter and someone who aspires to create a warm and beautiful home for me and my family, I am inspired by all that you do. Thank you! Can’t wait to see what you create here…
So happy for your blog launch day! Yay! Love this!
Congratulations! I’m excited to continue following your home and family as it changes and grows through the seasons! Blessings!
Great job!!!
Love your stories!!
Congratulations on achieving so many of your dreams in a short time! I look forward to reading more.
Can’t wait to see your posts!!
This looks amazing and the name….ahhhhhh it’s perffect! Congrats of your launch day! Best wishes and you so got this girl! 🎉
Amazing!!! 💕
Congratulations Amy!!! I am so happy for you and I love the name!!!!!
Congrats!! How exciting:)
Congratulations on your blog launch Amy! I am a newish follower over on IG. Love the new name!
I love the meaning behind your new name. How your home has already been transformed is amazing. I look forward to continuing to be inspired!
Absolutely stunning!
Congratulations on your blog launch Amy! I am a newish follower over on IG and am excited to now follow your blog. Loving the new name!
Congratulations! Can’t wait to follow along!
Congrats on the blog! It’s fantastic!!
Girl, I don’t know how I missed that you’re an adoptive family!!! I was in love with your account already and now my heart is about to explode!! What a blessing you and your husband are!! May this journey you are embarking on be filled with joy and may the cloudy days allow you to appreciate the sun that much more!! Congrats Hun!!!
Love the site and the new name! Congrats!!! 😊
Congrats Amy! Can’t wait to read more.
Your blog looks great! It’s so “Amy”!! ☺️ Nice job!
Love your style!!!
Amy, you are a beautiful and inspiring person with a home that reflects you perfectly! Thank you for letting us follow along!
I love your style and items you’ve chosen for the giveaway! Can’t wait to see more!
Beautiful!!!
I love your style and the items you’ve chosen for the giveaway! Can’t wait to see more!
Beautiful!
SOOOO excited for this blog! What a beautiful home you have made for your family. Those kiddos are very lucky to have you and your husband in their lives!
Congratulations on your new blog! You have a lovely home!
SOOO excited for you!!! What a beautiful home you have made for your family! Those kiddos are lucky to have you and your husband in their lives! I can’t wait to see more of your home and projects!
So excited for you sweetheart! Congrats!
The new name is perfect! I always enjoy your posts and stories on Insta and FB and look forward to reading the blog.
Congratulations on the blog, so excited for you Amy!! Everything looks fantastic!!💗💗
I started following your story on Instagram a couple of months ago and am constantly inspired by your decor and family posts and am stoked you now have a blog, it looks great! Congratulations on this new journey!
Congrats on the beginning of this new journey! Love the name and the meaning behind it!
Congrats !
Found you on IG! Love your blog!
Congratulations! You are one of my favorite instagrammers and now I’m excited you get to be one of my favorite bloggers as well!! ❤️ You’re site is beautiful!!
Big congrats Amy!! So proud and happy for you to have followed your passion, not only in the blogging world but also in fostering/adoption. It’s been a beautiful journey watching your sweet family grow and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for you and your loved ones next!
I was so excited for the blog launch this morning! I opened it on my phone and was like Noooo I’ve got to see this full screen on my computer! It’s amazing! Congratulations…..can’t wait to read all your posts!
So happy for you. What an amazing journey so far. Love following you and can’t wait to see what is next on your journey
Beautiful! Look forward to following.
OMG I am so excited for you and your new journey! I have loved watching your stories for months now and even though we have only messaged a couple of times, I feel a friendly connection to you and your family. I am so excited to read your blog posts and continue watching your journey. 💕
Congratulations on your blog, it’s amazing! You have a beautiful home and family.
OMG congratulations sweetie! I am so excited for you! I have been watching your stories for quite some time now and I can’t wait to read more about you and your sweet family. Even though we have only messaged here and there, I feel this friendly connection with you and your family and I just love seeing that you are taking this exciting step! 💕
Congrats!! What a great new venture
Love your changes!!
You’re inspirational, congratulations!
I so enjoy following you on Instagram, excited for you as you launch this new project! I know it will be awesome!
Yay!! Congratulations!! Your blog looks great!! 😁👍👏
Beautiful home and blog! Congrats on reaching 5K on IG!!
I LOVE your new blog!! I’m already in love with your Instagram account…I’m looking forward to following along here as well. 🖤
Congrats on your blog launch! 🎉 I love your feed & I am excited to keep up with your blog. 😊
Love love love watching alll your DIY videos !!
Congratulations, Amy! I LOVE the new name! 💕💕
I LOVE the name! And your home is beautiful! Love following you and getting inspired by you! Congrats on the new blog! ❤️
So beautiful!
The blog looks fantastic! Congratulations!
Congratulations. I love everything you do and love getting new ideas.
Congratulations Amy! I’m so happy I was able to meet you and curt through the Eddy’s. It has been so awesome getting to follow your life journey’s, through all your ups and downs with your beautiful family, and most of all your gift and talent in decor and DIY! I love it! Thank you for being a inspiration!
Best of luck on your new journey! Website looks amazing!
Amy, I am so happy for you and the journey you’ve been on is incredible! You are such an inspiration!
Amy!! This is so exciting!! Your logo is gorgeous!
So excited for you and so glad I found your feed on Instagram a few months ago!
What an awesome first post!!! I can’t wait for the next one!! Such a beautifully done blog!
Congratulations on your new blog! Happy for you.
What an awesome first post!!! Your blog is just lovely! I can’t wait to read your next post & follow along with your journey!
Congratulations on your new blog!! It looks so good.
Congrats Amy!! What a beautiful blog and home–I can’t wait to see more posts!
Wow I love your story! People who adopt (or are able to) are very special people with amazing hearts! Also your home looks fantastiv in that short amount of time!
AMY! You are amazing. I love following your page.
Can’t wait to see what content you’ll be posting in the future. Hugs
-Esther
Congratulations! Your home is so pretty! I love looking at your Instagram for inspiration.
I am so happy for you. Such a beautiful person and beautiful family. I love hearing about all your adventures and learning from you.
Congratulations!!!
This is just so exciting Amy! If I could choose one instagram account that I follow that is the closest to my heart, it would be yours hands down! I love that you share your faith, your amazing decor taste, thrifting finds and your foster/adoption journey, as that is something we are hoping for in our future, God-willing. Thank you for doing what you do! ❤️
Congratulations on your launch! Excited for what this will become.
I’m so happy for this fresh start in your life! I love following your adoption stories! I hope someday you will right a book about it!
Yay!!! I’m so excited to watch this grow with you!
Wow!!!!! I’m loving your blog, you inspire in such a sweet way!!!! Super thankful to have found you through my friend Erin 💕🤗
Yay! Amy, your blog looks great and I am already looking forward to more posts. 🙂 Congratulations!!
Congratulations! Have been waiting for you to launch your blog for quite a while now. Loving your work💕
Congratulations on your new blog! It’s gorgeous. I’m so looking forward to seeing more from you on here!
AMY! I stumbled upon your insta one day and man and I’m so glad. I haven’t followed you for more than two months but oh my goodness I have enjoyed it so much. Everyday after work I come home and watch your instastories. My heart hurts with you on weekends that you don’t have all your babies under one roof and I rejoice with you in your victories, no matter how small (like finally deciding on what to paint the bench. GREAT CHOICE with the green by the way. LOVE IT) you inspire me everyday and I can only hope to be as genuinely joyful as you daily. Thank you for showing love to the “least of these” as the Bible puts it. You’ve reignited the desire in my heart to foster/adopt when my husband and I are ready for kids. You, my friend, are one amazing woman. Never change! 🙂
Congratulations! Your blog is gorgeous. I’m so excited to see what you have planned for this page!
Great first blog ! I love your new name ! It’s a perfect fit ! Denise from @beebarnquilts ❤️🐝
What a beautiful home to share with these lucky little babes!! I have tears in my eyes.
Love it girl! Congrats!
@PINESTREETDESIGNS
Hey girl I am so proud of you! This is such a beautiful site. I love it!
Congratulations! I first saw your photo featured on Grove collaborative page. Your home and family are beautiful and I’m looking forward to seeing more!
I love the name you chose! I love following your journey on Instagram and all of the cute pictures of the munchkins! Congrats on this next step!:)
Congratulations Amy!!! The blog looks amazing! Love the new name, suits you all perfectly!
Congrats! Everything looks so cute
Congratulations Amy!!! Wishing you tons of success on your new blog! I’m excited to follow along with you on your journey. Also, I love the new name!
❤️
Your website and blog is beautiful! So excited for you and love the meaning behind your new name ❤
Congratulations! It is perfect, and so is the new name. Best wishes!❤️
I have loved getting to know your beautiful family and following your gorgeous feed on IG! This maiden voyage blog is awesome…looking forward to more!
So excited for you and this new phase of your journey!!! Love your blog name and the meaning behind it! So glad I started following several months ago!
Congrats girl! This is awesome!
I’ve loved following you on IG, you’re my favorite story feed! So excited for your new blog😊
What a blessing for you! You and your hubby have such a huge heart. Congrats on your launch!!
Yay! So excited to follow your family & this new journey!
Congrats Amy so proud and so excited for your journey
So excited for your journey
What a great start to your new blog! So happy and proud of you going out there and reaching for your dreams! I look forward to the next one!!
So happy for you!!!
Hi Amy! Congrats on your blog!!! How exciting! I’ve been following you on insta for a little while now (I love me some good thrift finds too) and I have to tell you how excited I am for you on your new adventure. You seem like such a genuine person with a kind, warm heart and it shows 🙂 best of luck always!
Hey Amy!! I’m super happy for you and how your IG presence is growing. I’m looking forward to reading your blog!! Congrats!!
Don’t mind me while I drool and die over your before and afters! 😍 Loved being nearby to each your incredible journey…and it’s only the beginning. 💗🏡
Love this! So proud of you! 💗
It’s just perfect!!! I love every picture and every word!! Thank you for sharing your story and snippets of your life with us. Already can’t wait for the next one!
Congrats Amy! I’m so excited for you and your sweet family!
Such a lovely home!!
Yay!!! I have been looking forward to this blog! So excited for you as you start this next chapter! 😊❤️
Congratulations on the launch of your blog! Love your family and your home and I wish you the best in this journey!❤️
Wow! What a beautiful story and a lovely home!!!! Congratulations on your new blog girl!!! <3
Congrats on the new blog, Amy! It looks beautiful 💓
What a gorgeous style!
Congrats on the new blog. Can’t wait to see all your great ideas!
Your story is beautiful. Can’t wait to follow it more❤️
Hey there Amy!! I love the name change. It fits and feels perfect for you all. I love your all’s home. It is beautiful.
Congratulations on the new blog! Also the new name! Cant wait to see what’s next 😍
I love following along with your foster care journey! You and your husband seem like the sweetest, most genuine people. Congratulations on your blog! I can’t wait to keep reading. You give me so much inspiration for my home😊
So excited for you! I have loved following your sweet family’s journey on instagram and can’t wait to read what you have planned on the blog!
Love seeing your ideas and your happy face!
Would love to see a detailed post on you bathroom makeover. Thanks. Goood luck
I LOVE your master bedroom! Youre such a talented decorator! I’m so proud of you!! ❤️❤️❤️