Cherry Hill Cottage...

Goodbye January 2007...

Boy, where did January go! I wanted to document this month because this is the month I enter the "blog" world...I have so much to learn!

Tully and Monnie...

I have to introduce everyone to my babies. This is Tully and Monnie. Tully is the little Dachshund. Monnie is our Lab. They are everything to us! What would we do without our pets! As you can see...Tully is whispering to Monnie. I know what she is whispering about...she wants POPCORN! Tulley is telling Monnie to "ask" me to "fix" their most favorite treat in the world!

Big Daddy Forever In Our Hearts...

My niece Tambi lost her beloved Dachshund yesterday to death...his name was "Big  Daddy". This perfectly beautiful dog was attacked by a German Shepard in the neighbors yard. It was during the day while Tambi was at work. She called home and ask her friend to let her three dachshund's out the back door to let them go potty...the yard is fenced. This wood fence is the property of the neighbors. There was a loose board and big daddy went through it and in the neighbors yard. He never had a chance...Big Daddy was so little. He made it back home in his yard...crying and I'm sure near death. The friend of Tambi's quickly took him to the vet where they did emergency surgery. He didn't make it. Big Daddy died. I feel so bad for Tambi, she loves all her dogs so much. She loves them with all her heart...I know how it feels to lose a beloved pet, and it hurts! Tambi I'm so sorry...and I love you...Aunt Tina

My $3.00 picture...

I found this picture at our Hospice Of East Texas Store. This store is a thrift store like a Goodwill. I remember that day like it was yesterday...I just left the bank... I was sitting at the "main" red light in our pretty little historic city when I looked to my right and spotted this picture in the window of the Hospice Shop. When the light turned green I made the block quickly and parked in front of the store and walked in...I wanted to run, but didn't want to look to eager. I ask the little sweet elderly lady to get the picture out of the window and tell me how much it cost...I thought... I'll bet it cost 30 or 40.00 dollars...I'll pay that much in a thrift shop, cause I want that picture! It has huge cabbage roses, pinks, yellows, reds. There is a bumblebee. A bird! I'll pay WHATEVER! The little lady turns the picture over and there on the back is the price...written with a black magic marker...$3.00! I'm thinking three dollars, why three dollars? I can't believe that! I was so excited! I paid the little lady and left with my picture. This was my buy of the year! My $3.00 picture...

My Potgal, Toots...

Meet Toots...Toots is part of my whimsical outdoor cottage style. She is always dressed in a seasonally appropriate new outfit. I have had more fun coming up with new little vignettes for Toots. Toots is dressed now for winter...with a garland of pansies and a heap of old flower pots that surround her. She has new friends! My black and white cows...Toots looked lonely so I dragged my cows out of storage before Christmas and added them to my whimsical ways...I thought my cows added a lot to the vignette so I'm going to keep them right where they are. So, I guess this means I need to name them...how 'bout, Bonnie and Clyde? OK, I like that. Bonnie is the one with the pansy garland. Clyde is the one looking clueless! Looks just like a man, anyway...the next fun celebration will be Valentine's Day. I think I'll add some red and pink hearts and a bouquet of balloons. Then its Easter, stay tune!

Anthropologie's Plate Collage, my version...

The very first time I saw a plate collage it was at a Anthropologie Store in Houston, Texas. I was with my sister,  Kathy. We stopped "short," we saw it at the very same time. It was the cutest mass of vintage plates we had ever seen! How in the world did they do that? That was our question. We were quite overwhelm with this and everything in that wonderful, expensive, to die for store! Well we left with our "little" shopping bags and a... "I'm going to remember how to do that" planted in the back of our minds. I can tell you the brain is not what it once was...we quickly forgot how it was done. I really don't think we ever knew. So, several years rolled by... I went to my friend Monica's home, she's so cute...she was giving me the tour of her to die for cottage home. She took me in one of her sweet cottage bedrooms and there on the wall was her version of the Anthropologie plate collage! I wanted to scream! I was so excited I could have peed right there on the floor... I didn't let Monica know I was that close to wetting my pants! I  took a picture of her collage and the hunt was on! Vintage plate and platter collecting began, in pink! It didn't take very long...maybe a month? I have my 19 or 20,  its time to assemble on the wall. Talk about sweating bullet! I mean if this thing started falling, like right before I hung the last plate I would probably lose them all! You know, one plate hitting a plate, breaking then several more hitting and breaking...it would be a disaster. But, it worked like a beautiful piece of wall art! Thanks Anthropologie and Monica!

Hey! Whats For Birdie Supper?

Have you been feeding your birdie's this winter? How about a little millet and black oil sunflower seeds for your fine feathered friends? I love my bird feeder. My daddy created and built this bird feeder for me. This was one of many he built. I have a big fat candle placed in the middle which I light at night, I love that! Then I surrounded the candle with real apples, got to be real apples! Now, start pouring the bird seed on, in and around the apples pile it on! We've got the happiest tweet tweets in the neighborhood...

Love my vintage tablecloth collage!

I love vintage tablecloths, and red and roses are my favorites! I decided this hall wall needed a "make over" so I started looking on Ebay for just the right tablecloth, of course it had to be "vintage" a vintage tablecloth to give it that "look" that makes us feel like we're living in the past even in 2007! The first one was the beauty in the middle. Vintage tablecloths on artist canvases  really easy to do...just adjust your cloth perfectly on the canvas. Staple on the back all around. Put a sawtooth hanger at the top for hanging. Thats it...I had the best time collecting and creating this vintage tablecloth collage. Since this photo I have added one more canvas. The tablecloth was given to me by my good friend Linda Moore. Our home was photographed for "Cottage Style" magazine just this month on the 8th and 9th. This wall was included in the photos. I'm hoping it will make it in the magazine spread. There, the completed wall will show all my "favorite" vintage tablecloths!

My Little Cheese Ball Dish...

I wanted to share this cute idea with anyone that has one of those "ugly" cheese ball sets you know, the set with that ugly little brown board! The set includes just two parts a glass dome, and that brown board. Now...throw the board away...toss it! Find a pretty vintage plate a 10"...a vintage teacup and keep your glass dome. Glue the vintage teacup to the plate w/super glue. Tie a pretty little ribbon that coordinates with your teacup on the knob. Now, how cute is that! Fill with cookies, a cheese ball, or candy...

I find all the time these cheese ball sets at Goodwill, thrift stores, and garage sales, for $1.00 or 2 maybe less. If I'm lucky  that "ugly" brown board will never made it home with me!

As you can see in my photo I don't have a pretty little ribbon tied to the knob...but, I do now. In my cottage kitchen, I have tied on a red and white check ribbon to match my red and white check curtains...too cute!

A Gift from Fifi...

The door bell rang...there on my front porch was this little package from Fifi, the stylist for "Cottage Style" magazine. She sent me a sweet "thank you" note and this linen cloth, it's a large white cup towel. The wording is in "french"...Fifi is "a french girl"...I have no idea what it reads...but I love it! I will display it proudly Fifi!